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Fed's Warsh Hold Sends 30-Year Treasury Yield to 5.23% High
Edgen Stock·Aug 01 2026, 08:17Share to
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[1] Kevin Warsh Did Not Impress the Bond Market -- 30-Year Yields Are Up to 5.2%. Here's What This Might Mean for Investors in These 2 ETFs. (https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/08/01/kev ...)[2] Kevin Warsh Did Not Impress the Bond Market -- 30-Year Yields Are Up to 5.2%. Here's What This Might Mean for Investors in These 2 ETFs. - AOL (https://www.aol.com/articles/kevin-warsh-did- ...)[3] “The Bond Market Puked on Him”: Kevin Warsh’s Credibility Takes a Hit After His Second Fed Meeting (https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/arti ...)[4] "The Bond Market Puked on Him": Kevin Warsh's Credibility Takes a Hit After His Second Fed Meeting (https://247wallst.com/investing/2026/07/30/th ...)[5] Fed Holds Rates Despite Inflation Angst; 30-Year Treasury Yield Hits 19-Year High (https://en.bloomingbit.io/feed/news/117347 ...)
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Aug 01 2026, 09:58
AI layoffs hit record 38,579 as skilled trades demand surges
**AI is simultaneously eliminating white-collar jobs and creating unprecedented demand for skilled blue-collar trades, reshaping the U.S. labor market's value hierarchy.** AI-driven layoffs reached a record 38,579 in May, 40 percent of all U.S. job cuts, while vocational school revenue jumped 11.4 percent to $19 billion as employers scramble for skilled trades workers. "Interest in vocational education has grown steadily for years, but it has truly exploded in the past six months," said Brady Colby, market research lead at Validated Insights. "Finding qualified candidates for certain skilled trades is now harder than hiring computer programmers." The shift is driven by two forces: AI replacing white-collar roles and infrastructure expansion creating physical demand. Georgetown University projects 18.4 million retirements among workers aged 55-64 with post-secondary education by 2032, against only 13.8 million new entrants — a 4.6 million gap. Randstad data shows demand for robotics technicians up 107 percent, HVAC professionals up 67 percent, and construction roles up 30 percent. Corporate capital is following the signal. Meta committed $115 million to its American Workforce Academy for data center technician training, Lowe's pledged $250 million to train 250,000 trades workers over a decade, and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon invested $24 million in submarine manufacturing training, citing a need for 300,000 electricians and welders within five to ten years. The wage premium is already visible. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows median pay for skilled trades such as electricians, welders, HVAC technicians, plumbers, and heavy equipment mechanics now matches or exceeds occupations requiring four-year degrees. Steven Morgan, a licensed master plumber and certified HVAC technician at 24hr.Supply, said the apprenticeship model offers a "learn while you earn" path that cannot be outsourced or automated. "No one can replace a licensed plumber with an app," he said, though he cautioned that high earnings come only after years of certification and field experience. The generational shift is most pronounced among younger workers. A Resume Templates survey of 1,250 Gen Z adults in January found six in ten plan to pursue blue-collar work in 2026, citing long-term job security against AI disruption as the primary motivation. Cyrus Kennedy, CEO of behavioral analytics firm The Ad Firm, described the trend as "a math problem and a psychological shift combined." He noted that Gen Z watched older millennials take on six-figure debt for degrees that did not guarantee employment, while growing increasingly disenchanted with screen-based work. In South Korea, the shift is even more direct. Chungbuk Semiconductor High School reports 96.4 percent of graduates secured jobs upon graduation, with roughly one in four entering Samsung Electronics directly. Samsung's average annual salary stands at approximately $107,300, and under the latest union agreement, semiconductor division employees could receive bonuses of up to $400,000 if profit targets are met. ## The 4.6 Million Worker Gap The structural shortage is not a cyclical blip. Georgetown's projection of 18.4 million retirements against 13.8 million new entrants by 2032 creates a persistent deficit that infrastructure spending will only widen. Mike Nager, author of "The Student's Guide to Smart Manufacturing and Industry 4.0," said the default assumption that a four-year degree is the only path to success is collapsing. "In many cases, that choice is no longer worth it," he said, calling on industry to build outreach programs that close the awareness gap between public perception and market reality. ## Perception Lags Market Reality Despite clear market signals, vocational careers still carry a stigma rooted in decades of being framed as low-skill, low-pay work. Philadelphia's Technical Training Institute notes that Gen Z enrollment in vocational programs is rising precisely because these institutions offer "fast, practical education that leads directly to stable-income careers." Kennedy pushed back on the assumption of limited career ceilings in trades. "The trades are one of the fastest paths to entrepreneurship," he said. "An apprentice plumber or electrician doesn't just learn how to fix pipes — they learn how to run a business." The implications extend beyond individual career choices. A sustained shortage of 4.6 million skilled workers could drive wage inflation in construction, manufacturing, and energy sectors, feeding into broader price pressures. For investors, the trend creates tailwinds for vocational education providers, staffing firms like Randstad, and infrastructure contractors — while raising questions about the long-term value proposition of traditional higher education institutions facing declining enrollment. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
Aug 01 2026, 08:48
Bloom Energy gains 454% as OKLO falls 46% in clean power
Bloom Energy's second-quarter revenue reached $1.1 billion, up 166% year over year, while OKLO expects no revenue in 2026 — a divergence that has pushed BE shares up 454% and OKLO down 46% over the past year. "Bloom's difficulty is that it has solved the hard part and is still priced for the harder part," said Tobi Opeyemi Amure, an analyst at FinanceFeeds, who noted the stock trades at roughly 128x forward earnings against a $286.20 average analyst target across 26 analysts. Bloom's Q2 results beat consensus by roughly $214 million, with non-GAAP EPS of 78 cents versus about 42 cents expected and 10 cents a year earlier. Gross margin expanded to 34.3%, operating income reached $240 million, and free cash flow came in at $175 million. Management raised full-year guidance to $3.9 billion to $4.2 billion, implying revenue roughly doubles in 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate puts 2026 sales at $4.1 billion, up 101.5%, followed by a projected 58.5% increase to $6.5 billion in 2027. OKLO, by contrast, is expected to generate no revenues in 2026 and only $1 million in 2027, with projected losses of 74 cents per share in 2026 and 81 cents in 2027. The company is developing Aurora power plants, fuel fabrication, fuel recycling and isotope production, with a planned 1.2-gigawatt campus in Ohio with Meta and a cogeneration project for Eielson Air Force Base. But commercial deployment requires regulatory approvals, successful construction and customer adoption — a timeline measured in years, not quarters. ## Bloom's On-Site Power Model Converts Demand Into Revenue Bloom's solid-oxide fuel cell systems can provide on-site electricity in just a few months, making them attractive for data centers that cannot wait years for new grid connections. Customers can purchase systems outright or use financing models such as power purchase agreements, where third-party investors own the equipment. Global investment firm Brookfield has expanded its financing program for Bloom projects from $5 billion to $25 billion, and other investment partners have also committed capital. The company's own data-center survey found developer expectations for 100% on-site generation have risen sharply, according to FinanceFeeds. That reframes the fuel cell from a grid-bridging stopgap into a primary power architecture for new AI capacity. If that expectation holds, Bloom is selling into a permanent design choice rather than a temporary gap while utilities catch up. However, challenges remain. Revenues can fluctuate quarter to quarter because large projects are delivered at different times, and a small number of large customers may account for a significant share of sales in some periods. The raised guidance implies roughly $1.4 billion per quarter in the second half — about 36% above the Q2 level — a ramp the company has never demonstrated. The stock fell 14.9% in a single session on July 24 as doubts about the full-year target spread, and it had shed roughly 43% in the month before the report. ## OKLO's Nuclear Platform Remains a Long-Dated Bet OKLO has advanced site preparation and equipment procurement for Aurora-INL, received U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approval for its Principal Design Criteria report, and continued expanding its fuel infrastructure in Idaho and Tennessee. It also built its Groves isotope test reactor in a relatively short period, demonstrating its ability to move smaller nuclear projects forward. Its isotope laboratory could begin generating commercial opportunities before its power plants become operational. But the company is investing in several large projects at the same time, which increases spending and execution risks. While its cash and marketable securities provide financial support, any delays could extend development timelines and keep losses high. Investors are primarily betting on OKLO's future growth potential rather than its current financial performance. BE holds a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and is significantly better placed than OKLO, which carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). JPMorgan raised its target to $346 citing order and pipeline momentum, RBC's Chris Dendrinos reiterated a $335 target, and Clear Street's Tim Moore upgraded the stock to Buy with a $290 target. OKLO may retain long-term appeal for investors comfortable with nuclear-development risk, but Bloom Energy offers the stronger mix of revenue visibility, earnings momentum, commercial proof and near-term execution. Bloom Energy shares, trading at roughly 128x forward earnings, have already fallen about 43% from their recent high without any operational bad news. The market is pricing in the delivery risk embedded in the second-half ramp. If Q3 revenue comes in at or above roughly $1.35 billion, the guidance is validated and the stock re-rates toward the analyst consensus. Anything near $1.1 billion would force a cut. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
Aug 01 2026, 08:38
Russia's Kyiv barrage kills 9, destroys first US-owned drone plant
Russia launched a combined land- and sea-based missile and drone barrage on Kyiv overnight, killing at least nine civilians and wounding 30, while destroying a US-owned drone factory for the first time in the conflict. "It's getting worse by the day," said Liudmyla Nakonechna, 64, a Kyiv resident who took shelter in a basement after her apartment windows were blown out. "Whereas before there was an attack once every two weeks, now it happens practically every day." The strikes hit the Solomianskyi, Darnytskyi, and Shevchenkivskyi districts. In Solomianskyi, rescue workers evacuated 35 people from a five-story residential building, with two deaths and eight injuries including two children. In Darnytskyi, seven people were killed and 14 injured. Russia's defense ministry said it launched a "massive strike" against "Ukrainian military-industrial complex facilities and logistics centers in Kyiv." The attack follows a Russian strike two days earlier that killed at least 10 people across Ukraine, as Moscow exploits Kyiv's shortage of Western-supplied anti-ballistic missile defenses. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pressed Washington for Patriot interceptor production licenses, but President Donald Trump said Friday at Camp David that the US has not yet agreed — walking back a commitment made at the NATO summit in Ankara in July. ## First US defense target destroyed The drone factory destroyed in the strike belongs to Terminal Autonomy, a company registered in Delaware that produces precision-guided drones for "deep strikes," according to a person familiar with the company. The factory's guidance systems are designed to resist Russian signal jamming. This appears to be the first time Russia has deliberately targeted a US defense enterprise in the conflict, a development that could reshape how American defense contractors assess risk in Ukraine. Russia's defense ministry said the overnight barrage used land-based and sea-based long-range precision weapons and attack drones against facilities used for producing and storing missiles, drones, radar stations, and electronic warfare equipment. The strikes extended beyond Kyiv, hitting an Odessa refinery and logistics facilities in the Dnipropetrovsk region. ## Ukraine hits 3 logistics hubs, refinery in counterstrikes Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces conducted their own long-range strikes on Russian infrastructure, targeting three logistics centers in Sarapul, Kazan, and Volgograd, a sea port terminal in the Krasnodar region, and a refinery in the Volgograd region. In Zaporizhzhia, a bus carrying 55 mine workers was hit by a Ukrainian drone, killing one and injuring 12, according to Russian-appointed officials. The escalation comes as Trump's position on Patriot production remains fluid. At the NATO summit in Ankara in July, Trump said the US would give Ukraine a license to make Patriot systems. On Friday, he said the US is "discussing" the matter and that transferring such technology "must be very careful." Zelenskyy said he spoke with Vice President JD Vance on Friday and described his meeting with Trump earlier this week in Washington as "positive and productive." The relentless cycle of attacks dims the potential for a diplomatic resolution to Russia's more than four-year invasion. For markets, the destruction of a US-owned defense facility and the continued strikes on energy infrastructure raise the geopolitical risk premium on crude oil and defense equities, even as Washington's hesitation on Patriot licensing adds uncertainty to the trajectory of Western support. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.