AM Markets Need to Know: Trump dividend, AI spending, and more
Stock index futures were higher on Thursday as traders looked ahead to the wholesale inflation report.Here are the five news items investors should watch:Trump proposes a $5,000 adult dividend: President Donald Trump said the U.S. could issue a $5,000 payment to every adult citizen if Republicans retain control of Congress in November. With roughly 270M U.S. adults, the proposal would represent about $1.35T in spending, raising questions about funding and fiscal implications as national debt exceeds $40T.AI spending declines at biggest spenders: The top 1% of businesses by AI expenditure cut spending per employee 10% in August to $7.2K per month, according to Ramp data, from a July peak of $8K. The could add to investor scrutiny of the pace and durability of corporate AI investment, particularly as spending has become a major driver of technology valuations.Burry cuts positions and NVDA, PLTR puts: Michael Burry said he has reduced risk across his portfolio, trimming all positions and exiting December 2026 put options on Nvidia and Palantir rolling them forward. Burry said he had raised cash in September and was prepared to wait as he assessed market conditions heading into the fall.Starbucks plans $1B store overhaul: Starbucks is investing $1B to renovate thousands of North American locations, the Financial Times reported, as the coffee chain seeks to improve its customer experience. The company plans to remodel as many as 9,000 company-operated stores with more seating and features designed to make locations feel more like community spaces.Hunter Biden meme coin plunges after launch: The $LAPTOP meme coin surged to nearly $200 shortly after launching Wednesday before collapsing to about 87 cents, prompting accusations of a crypto rug pull. The project team said the token's initial $0.05 liquidity-pool price attracted automated “sniper” bots that targeted the launch, highlighting the extreme volatility and trading risks surrounding meme coins.Content provided by Seeking Alpha is intended for information purposes only, and that Seeking Alpha does not offer any personalist investment advice and is not a licensed securities dealer, broker, US investment adviser or investment bank.