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August 25, 2025

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The S&P 500 ($SPX) just logged its fifth straight trading box breakout, which means that, of the five trading ranges the index has experienced since the April lows, all have been resolved to the upside.

How much longer can this last? That’s been the biggest question since the massive April 9 rally. Instead of assuming the market is due to roll over, it’s been more productive to track price action and watch for potential changes along the way. So far, drawdowns have been minimal, and breakouts keep occurring. Nothing in the price action hints at a lasting change — yet.

While some are calling this rally “historic,” we have a recent precedent. Recall that from late 2023 through early 2024, the index had a strong start and gave way to a consistent, steady trend.

From late October 2023 through March 2024, the S&P 500 logged seven consecutive trading box breakouts. That streak finally paused with a pullback from late March to early April, which, as we now know, was only a temporary hiccup. Once the bid returned, the S&P 500 went right back to carving new boxes and climbing higher.

New 52-Week Highs Finally Picking Up

If there’s been one gripe about this rally, it’s that the number of new highs within the index has lagged. As we’ve discussed before, among all the internal breadth indicators available, new highs almost always lag — that’s normal. What we really want to see is whether the number of new highs begins to exceed prior peaks as the market continues to rise, which it has, as shown by the blue line in the chart below.

As of Wednesday’s close, 100 S&P 500 stocks were either at new 52-week highs or within 3% of them. That’s a strong base. We expect this number to continue rising as the market climbs, especially if positive earnings reactions persist across sectors.

Even when we get that first day with 100+ S&P 500 stocks making new 52-week highs, though, it might not be the best time to initiate new longs.

The above chart shows that much needs to align for that many stocks to peak in unison, which has historically led to at least a short-term consolidation, if not deeper pullbacks — as highlighted in yellow. Every time is different, of course, but this is something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Trend Check: GoNoGo Still “Go”

The GoNoGo Trend remains in bullish mode, with the recent countertrend signals having yet to trigger a greater pullback.

Active Bullish Patterns

We still have two live bullish upside targets of 6,555 and 6,745, which could be with us for a while going forward. For the S&P 500 to get there, it will need to form new, smaller versions of the trading boxes.

Failed Bearish Patterns

In the chart below, you can view a rising wedge pattern on the recent price action, the third since April. The prior two wedges broke down briefly and did not lead to a major downturn. The largest pullbacks in each case occurred after the S&P 500 dipped below the lower trendline of the pattern.

The deepest drawdown so far is 3.5%, which is not exactly a game-changer. Without downside follow-through, a classic bearish pattern simply can’t be formed, let alone be broken down from.

We’ll continue to monitor these formations as they develop because, at some point, that will change.

Mount Hope Mining Limited (ASX: “MHM” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce its maiden drill program has commenced at its 100%-owned Mt Hope Project in New South Wales (Figure 1).

Highlights:

  • Inaugural drill program comprises ~4,800m of Reverse Circulation (“RC”) and Air Core (“AC”) drilling across four priority targets.
  • Drill campaign includes high-confidence infill and extensional drilling at Mt Solitary, which boasts an Exploration Target range of 1.32 to 1.87Mt of 1.0 to 1.35 g/t Au for 42.5 to 81.4 Koz (Table 1).
  • The new Blue Heeler prospect, hosting coincident MLTEM conductors, is located approximately 200m west of historical drill hole GCS-1, which included a historical intercept of 31m @ 0.42% Zn, 0.26% Pb, 117 ppm Cu and 4.8 ppm Ag from 56m
  • The Mt Hope East and Black Hill prospects, hosting coincident geochemical and geophysical anomalies, have never been tested by drilling.
The inaugural drilling campaign will test four priority targets for a total of ~4,800m of Reverse Circulation (RC) and Air Core (AC) drilling, including the recently added Blue Heeler target (see ASX announcement, 15 July 2025 &22 August 2025).
Mount Hope Mining Managing Director & CEO Fergus Kiley commented:

“Mount Hope Mining is excited to commence its maiden drill program at the Mt Hope Project – a significant milestone in our journey towards unlocking the potential of the southern Cobar Basin.

“Each priority prospect represents a high conviction drill target, backed by high-quality geological science, and we look forward to exploring these areas further.

“We believe these four priority areas represent a good opportunity to create shareholder value via true greenfield exploration success or by delineating valuable ounces for future development.

“We look forward to keeping shareholders updated with strong news flow throughout the remainder of Q3 and into Q4 with the results from the exploration drilling, along with the metallurgical test work for Mt Solitary, and with our other early-stage exploration programs.”

Mt Solitary Exploration Target

Table 1: Mt Solitary Exploration Target2

The potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Target are conceptual in nature. As such, there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource, and it is uncertain whether further exploration will result in a Mineral Resource. The Exploration Target has been prepared by the JORC Code 2012.

Maiden drilling campaign at the Mount Hope Project

The inaugural Mt Hope maiden drill program has commenced drilling, starting at the Mt Solitary prospect to convert the existing Gold Exploration Target (Table 1) to a JORC (2012) Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE).

The initial phase 1 RC program at Mt Solitary will consist of ~1,500m (Figure 2). The drill rig will then mobilise to test the greenfield polymetallic drill targets at Blue Heeler and Black Hill before finishing the program at Mt Hope East.

The Company has engaged ALS Laboratories in Orange, NSW, for analytical work. Samples from the maiden drilling campaign will be sent to Orange throughout the program, with sample preparation analysis to be completed at the same facility.

Click here for the full ASX Release

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Highlights:

  • All conditions in relation to the $20 million placement to Clean Elements Fund have been satisfied.
  • Due diligence undertaken by Clean Elements Fund validates the standing of Hombre Muerto West ( HMW ) as a world class lithium project, offering exceptional scale and grade.
  • Galan is now fully funded to complete the construction of Phase 1 at HMW (at 4ktpa LCE) with first production of lithium chloride concentrate planned during H1 2026.

Galan Lithium Limited (ASX: GLN,OTC:GLNLF) ( Galan or the Company ) is pleased to announce that all conditions relating to the $20 million share placement ( Placement ) to the Clean Elements Fund ( Clean Elements ) have now been completed.

The Placement, which was undertaken at a significant premium to the prevailing share price when originally announced, was subject to certain conditions including shareholder approvals (received at a General Meeting held on Friday, 22 August 2025 ) as well as the satisfactory completion by Clean Elements of technical and legal due diligence in respect of the Company and HMW in Argentina.

Clean Elements has advised that all conditions to the Placement have been satisfied. As such, the Placement will now proceed to settlement, providing Galan with the funding required for the finalisation of the HMW Phase 1 construction over the remainder of the 2025 calendar year, with first production of lithium chloride concentrate scheduled for H1 2026.

Settlement will take place in two equal tranches of $10 million .  Tranche 1 settlement will occur within the next 5 business days and Tranche 2 of the Placement will settle no later than 22 November 2025 , in line with the timing set out in the relevant shareholder approval.

Managing Director, Juan Pablo Vargas de la Vega , commented: ‘With the support of Clean Elements, Galan now has the funding certainty to complete Phase 1 construction at HMW and is firmly on track to deliver first lithium chloride concentrate production in H1 2026.

The due diligence undertaken by Clean Elements Fund has confirmed, what we at Galan already know – HMW is an exceptional lithium project, combining substantial scale and grade with execution capability that places it among the best globally.

The team at Galan remains focussed on advancing project delivery at HMW and we look forward to creating significant long-term value for shareholders as we progress towards production.’

Clean Element’s Chairman, Ofer Amir , commented: We are thrilled to confirm a binding and unconditional commitment to complete both tranches of the placement—an outcome that underscores strong confidence in Galan’s strategic direction.

Our specialist lithium brine adviser highlighted that HMW is the premier lithium brine resource globally. HMW’s brine is the highest grade in Argentina with the lowest impurity profile. It also contains significantly less magnesium and calcium than the levels found in the Salar de Atacama in Chile which, when combined with HMW’s high lithium grades, gives rise to the highest lithium recoveries in the lithium brine sector to date.

This exceptional resource quality enables a low-cost, evaporation process—positioning Galan to become a high-margin, globally competitive lithium producer. In our view, Galan will not just be participating in the lithium market; it will be setting a new benchmark.’

The Galan Board has authorised this release.

For further information contact:

COMPANY

MEDIA

Juan Pablo (‘JP’) Vargas de la Vega

Matt Worner

Managing Director

Vector Advisors

jp@galanlithium.com.au

mworner@vectoradvisors.au

+ 61 8 9214 2150

+61 429 522 924

View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/galan-lithium-limited-successful-due-diligence-completed—20m-placement-to-proceed-302537458.html

SOURCE Galan Lithium Limited

News Provided by PR Newswire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The Trump administration said Friday that it had taken a 10% stake in Intel, the president’s latest extraordinary move to exert federal government control over private business.

The United States will not seek direct representation on Intel’s board and pledged to vote with the current Board of Directors on matters requiring shareholder approval, ‘with limited exceptions,’ according to a joint release from the Trump administration and Intel. The move also comes as the United States vies with China in the race to dominate the artificial intelligence industry.

President Donald Trump announced the deal on his Truth Social platform Friday, praising the company’s CEO just two weeks after he called on the executive to resign over alleged China ties.

‘It is my Great Honor to report that the United States of America now fully owns and controls 10% of INTEL, a Great American Company that has an even more incredible future,’ he wrote. ‘I negotiated this Deal with Lip-Bu Tan, the Highly Respected Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The United States paid nothing for these Shares, and the Shares are now valued at approximately $11 Billion Dollars. This is a great Deal for America and, also, a great Deal for INTEL. Building leading edge Semiconductors and Chips, which is what INTEL does, is fundamental to the future of our Nation.’

While the U.S. held temporary stakes in firms at the center of the 2008-2009 global financial meltdown as part of a bailout, this move is unusual since the economy is not embroiled in a crisis. Congress published a study in 2003 that examined the impact of the federal government taking direct stakes in public companies, concluding that doing so would “not offer a free lunch” and expose taxpayers to “greater risk” alongside the upside potential.

The stake will be paid for through $5.7 billion in grants previously awarded to Intel under the 2022 U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, plus $3.2 billion awarded to the company as part of a program called Secure Enclave. It’s a formerly classified initiative that Congress appropriated funds for in 2024 after lobbying by Intel, Politico reported in 2024.

Including $2.2 billion in CHIPs grants Intel has received so far, the total investment is $11.1 billion, or 9.9%. Intel is valued at about $108 billion on the stock market.

Trump continues to bulldoze through long-held norms regarding government and business, departing from the free-market ethos that has long prevailed in both major U.S. political parties.

This month, Trump persuaded the chipmakers Nvidia and AMD to pay the U.S. government 15% of their revenues from some sales to China in return for securing export licenses there.

While those firms have seen their fortunes rise amid the larger artificial intelligence boom, a windfall from any of them is no sure thing. In the case of California-based Intel, the company has struggled to keep up with rivals in recent years, with its shares down some 60% from the highs seen during the pandemic.

But amid the ongoing artificial intelligence arms race — and the goal of making computer chips a national security priority — Trump officials zeroed in on Intel as a means of leveling up U.S. control over semiconductor production.

Earlier this week, Japan’s SoftBank also announced it would invest $2 billion in Intel to “deepen their commitment to investing in advanced technology and semiconductor innovation in the United States.’

Some Democrats signaled they were on board with the move.

‘U.S. leadership is critical for both our economy and national security,’ U.S. Senator Mark Warner, D-Virginia, said in a statement Friday evening.

‘Taking an equity stake in Intel may or may not be the right approach, but one thing is clear: allowing cutting-edge chips to flow to China without restraint will erode the value of any investment we make here at home. We need a strategy that protects American innovation, strengthens our workforce, and keeps the technologies of the future firmly in American hands.’

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS