LAM Research (LRCX) just hit a 91 out of 100 on AltIndex's AI score. That's the highest we've ever seen on our partner’s platform. We're breaking down why the system is screaming about it today.

Also this morning: Trump is live on CNBC's Squawk Box starting at 8:30 AM. The Iran ceasefire expires tomorrow. Futures are green across the board (Dow +0.7%, S&P +0.5%, Nasdaq +0.5%) in anticipation of what most people expect will be a peace-deal-progress update. We think this is bullish. When Trump goes on TV to talk about the market, he's usually trying to get ahead of something positive. If he announces any kind of ceasefire extension or a framework for talks, oil drops and stocks rip.

Tim Cook also just stepped down as Apple CEO. We have a lot to say about that one too.

This is not financial advice. Always do your own research. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.

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LAM Research (LRCX) just hit a 91 out of 100 on AltIndex's AI score. That's the highest we've ever seen on the platform.

AltIndex expects the stock’s price to rise by 26% over the next 6 months.

For anyone unfamiliar: AltIndex's scoring system pulls from alternative data (social sentiment, website traffic, job postings, app store data), fundamentals (SEC filings, insider trades), and technicals to generate a composite score that predicts outperformance potential over the next 6+ months. A 91 is basically the system screaming.

Here's why it makes sense. LAM Research makes the equipment that manufactures semiconductors. Not the chips themselves (that's TSMC, Samsung, Intel). The machines that make the chips. Every AI data center being built right now, every advanced chip being fabricated, runs on equipment from companies like LAM.

The numbers back it up. LAM just posted Q2 revenue of $5.34 billion (up 22% year over year) and beat earnings estimates comfortably. The wafer fab equipment market is expected to hit $135 billion in 2026, up from $110 billion last year.

The craziest part is the alternative data that AltIndex is spotlighting. Lam Research is on a hiring tear, posting a ton of new jobs, and their web traffic is up by a lot too:

When the AI score is the highest we've ever seen, the fundamentals are accelerating, and the company is sitting at the center of the biggest infrastructure buildout in history, that's worth putting on your radar.

The timing here is not subtle.

The US-Iran ceasefire expires tomorrow. And Trump is going on live television the morning before it all comes to a head.

We don't think he'd schedule a Squawk Box appearance just to say "things are bad." Trump is hyper-focused on the S&P 500 as a scoreboard, and the market knows it. If he has a deal update, a framework extension, or even a commitment from Iran to show up in Pakistan, that's the kind of headline that sends oil down and stocks up fast.

The risk: if the interview is all bluster and no substance, the market gives it back. We've seen this before. But the base case, and the one futures are pricing in right now, is that he has something positive and peace-focused to say.

We're expecting oil to come down today on the back of his comments. If it does, the rally likely resumes.

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Futures are green ahead of Trump's Squawk Box appearance. Dow futures are up 333 points (+0.7%), S&P futures +0.5%, Nasdaq +0.5%. The rally is almost entirely ceasefire-extension optimism. If Trump delivers, the S&P could push back toward the 7,000 level it touched last week. If he doesn't, expect a pullback.

Tim Cook stepped down as Apple CEO. John Ternus, a 25-year Apple veteran who led hardware engineering (iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch), will take over on September 1. Cook becomes Executive Chairman. Under Cook's 15 years as CEO, Apple shares appreciated 1,886% (versus 483% for the S&P 500 over the same period), and the company went from $297 billion to over $4 trillion in market cap.

UnitedHealth crushed earnings. UNH reported Q1 EPS of $7.23 versus the $6.57 analysts expected, on revenue of $111.72 billion (versus $109.57 billion expected). The medical benefit ratio came in at 83.9%, way better than the 85.5% analysts were modeling. They also raised full-year EPS guidance to $18.25+ (from $17.75+). The stock is up 7% pre-market. After a rough stretch for healthcare stocks, this is a big print.

JPMorgan raised its S&P 500 year-end target back to 7,600. Dubravko Lakos-Bujas and his team bumped their 2026 EPS estimate to $330 (from $315) and maintained a 22x multiple, citing AI-driven earnings strength. This is the same team that cut the target to 7,200 just last month when the Iran situation escalated. The reversal tells you something about how quickly sentiment shifts on Wall Street.

More big earnings reports on deck this week. Tesla reports Wednesday after the close. United Airlines reports tomorrow evening. Intel already reported after the close today. Tesla is the one to watch. The stock has been volatile, Elon has been distracted, and the market wants to see delivery numbers and margin guidance.

The answer: about 10%

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Brandon & Blake of Invested Inc