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Microsoft-backed (MSFT) OpenAI unveiled a new artificial intelligence (AI) search engine called SearchGPT on Thursday that could rival Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google Search.

The ChatGPT maker said it's testing a temporary prototype of the tool with a small group of users to start.

"We’re testing SearchGPT, a prototype of new search features designed to combine the strength of our AI models with information from the web to give you fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources," OpenAI said in a release.

The company highlighted that SearchGPT is designed to provide clear sourcing of the information it gives, which could help ease concerns about the accuracy of results and driving traffic away from original content.

The long-awaited OpenAI search tool could also potentially draw users away from Google Search, negatively affecting Alphabet.

Shares of Alphabet were 1.4% lower at $170.20 in intraday trading Thursday following the news.

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Bitcoin (BTC) dipped below $64,000 early Thursday before recovering to trade slightly above $65,000. Ether (ETH) prices fell more than 7% as investors continued to pull money of of Grayscale's Ethereum Trust (ETHE).

After a strong Day 1 with $106.6 million of net inflows overall, spot ether ETFs on Wednesday experienced their first day of net outflows thanks to the $326.9 million that left the preexisting Grayscale product. This brings cumulative two-day outflows for Grayscale's ETHE to $811 million.

These outflows from the Grayscale fund are expected to continue over the near term, as investors switch to cheaper ETF offerings or simply leave the market.

In total, outflows for spot ether ETFs were $133.3 million on Wednesday, according to Farside Investors. The Fidelity Ethereum Fund (FETH) had the strongest day among the spot ether ETFs, with $74.5 million of inflows.

On the bitcoin side of the spot crypto ETF market, there were $44.5 million in inflows Wednesday, according to Farside Investors.

Crypto asset manager Hashdex took another step toward the eventual launch of its proposed Hashdex Nasdaq Crypto Index US ETF with the filing of its S-1 registration form with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The proposed ETF would start with combined holdings of spot bitcoin and ether, in addition to potentially adding other crypto assets as they gain regulatory approval over time.

Shares of bitcoin miner Marathon Digital Holdings (MARA) rose Thursday after it announced a $100 million bitcoin purchase. The company not only added to the stash of bitcoin on its books, it also committed to revert to its previous policy of "full HODL," a crypto term for "hold on for dear life," with all the bitcoin it mines going forward.

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After a monthslong process rife with twists and turns, the NBA on Wednesday announced the winners of its new 11-year media rights deal, reportedly worth $77 billion: The Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS) ABC and ESPN; Comcast (CMCSA) unit NBCUniversal's NBC—which is regaining rights its last held in 2002—and Peacock streaming service; and Amazon's (AMZN) Prime Video.

The news was the latest development in the ongoing evolution of the live-sports landscape in the streaming era. It left Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), whose TNT Sports unit has held NBA rights since the late 1980s, on the outside looking in.

WBD had a contractual right to match Amazon's reported bid of $1.8 billion a year and did so, but the NBA accepted the tech giant's offer instead. "We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it," TNT Sports said Wednesday, adding it "will take appropriate action."

Beginning with the 2025-26 season and running through the 2035-36 campaign, the media and tech giants will telecast about 75 regular-season games on broadcast TV each season, up from the minimum of 15 games under the current agreement, which expires after next season. All national games will be available on streaming services: Prime Video, Peacock, and ESPN's future direct-to-consumer service. The rights deal also includes WNBA games, worth a reported $2.2 billion of the total.

"Our new global media agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon will maximize the reach and accessibility of NBA games for fans in the United States and around the world," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. "These partners will distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade."

"Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent proposal did not match the terms of Amazon Prime Video's offer and, therefore, we have entered into a long-term arrangement with Amazon," the NBA said.

At the moment, it appears as though the forthcoming 2024-25 NBA season with be TNT's last, meaning it will be the end for its beloved, award-winning "Inside the NBA" show, which features host Ernie Johnson and analysts Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith. The 61-year-old Barkley last month said he would retire after next season.

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U.S. second-quarter GDP data is due at 8:30 a.m. ET, which is expected to show subdued growth, another data point that may push the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates soon; shares of fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) are rising in premarket trading after the burrito maker produced a second-quarter earnings beat; Ford Motor (F) shares are tumbling after the automaker's results fell short of analysts' estimates; shares of fellow automaker Stellantis (STLA) also are sinking on excess U.S. inventory; and Unilever (UL) shares are rising after the consumer-goods giant posted Wall Street-beating results and said its spinoff of its ice cream division—including Ben & Jerry's—is on track. U.S. stock futures are little changed after major equity indexes tumbled Wednesday, with the Nasdaq Composite marking its biggest one-day drop since October 2022, as underwhelming earnings reports from Tesla (TSLA) and Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) raised doubts about the sustainability of this year's big-tech rally. Here's what investors need to know today.

Investors will be watching for second-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) data due at 8:30 a.m. ET, which is expected to show more growth from the previous quarter but less than the second half of last year. Economists surveyed by and anticipate GDP grew at an annualized 2.1% rate in the second quarter, up from 1.4% in the first, propped up by consumer spending, and likely boosted by inventory levels. The April-to-June data will be closely watched by the Federal Reserve to weigh when to cut interest rates, which remain at a 23-year high. Fed officials have said they are watching economic data for more evidence that inflation is clearly headed toward the Fed's 2% annual target before cutting the fed funds rate.

Shares of fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) are rising 3% in premarket trading after the burrito maker released second-quarter results above Wall Street’s expectations. Demand for the chain’s menu items allowed it to avoid lowering prices, helping to sustain its revenue growth. Chipotle, alongside fast-casual peers like Sweetgreen (SG), has not joined the "value meal" trend many fast-food restaurants have embarked on to draw consumers watching their spending amid inflation. Chipotle's results are its first since its 50-to-1 stock split last month.

Ford Motor (F) shares are tumbling about 13% in premarket trading after the automaker’s second-quarter earnings fell short of expectations and it kept its full-year guidance unchanged. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.46, down slightly year-over-year and below analysts’ expectations of $0.55, according to Visible Alpha. Looking ahead, Ford maintained its adjusted profit guidance for the full year to be in a range of $10 billion to $12 billion, in contrast to rival General Motors (GM), which raised its outlook a day earlier. Ford's Model e division, its electric vehicle (EV) unit, is expected to post a full-year loss of between $5 billion and $5.5 billion.

Stellantis (STLA) shares are plunging 8% after the automaker reported results that lagged both analysts' and its own expectations as it struggles with excess inventory in North America. The owner of the Chrysler and Jeep brands said it is taking "decisive actions to address operational challenges" and reported a 48% year-over-year slump in first-half net profit to 5.65 billion euros ($6.13 billion), and a 14% decline in revenue to 85.02 billion. “The Company’s performance in the first half of 2024 fell short of our expectations, reflecting both a challenging industry context as well as our own operational issues,” Stellantis Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Carlos Tavares said.

Unilever (UL) shares are jumping 6% in premarket trading after the company posted a first-half earnings beat, offered a lofty operating margin target for the year, and said its spinoff of Ben & Jerry's and the rest of its ice cream division was on track to be completed by the end of 2025. Turnover rose 2.3% year-over-year to 31.1 billion euros ($33.7 billion) for the first half of 2024, and EPS was EUR1.47, beating analysts’ consensus forecasts of EUR30.97 billion and EUR1.39. Unilever, whose brands also include Dove soap and Hellmann’s mayonnaise, said its underlying operating margin for the full year is expected to be at least 18%, after saying in April it expected just "a modest improvement."

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The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has warned local government council chairmen and councillors against diverting funds meant for their jurisdictions.

Speaking at an event in Abuja on Thursday, July 25, Fagbemi warned that anyone found wanting will be jailed.

Recall that the Supreme Court on Thursday morning, July 11, granted financial autonomy to the 774 local governments across the country.

The apex court in its pronouncement in a lawsuit filed by the Federal Government against the 36 state governments ordered the Federal Government to henceforth, pay allocation meant for the 774 local government directly to their respective accounts.

Fagbemi, who observed that local government chairmen may want to divert the funds amid state pressure, said: “Well, we have a situation on our hands, I know that it is still there; the conduct of elections is to be undertaken by the states.

But the distinction is this: don’t forget, the governors have immunity, the local government council chairmen or councillors, they have no immunity, so they have to choose between dealing with the funds of the local government as they like and risking going to jail. The choice is theirs (LG chairmen).

If they want to tamper with these funds and end up in jail, it is their choice. Or if they want to write their names in letters of gold, activities like construction or upgrading of roads must return to the local government. They don’t all have to come to Abuja.

If they stay at the local government, we will be able to reduce the level of insecurity that we have in Nigeria today. What obtains offshore is that the security agents are able to perform optimally because of information that comes to them from members of the public and usually it is from the grassroots.”

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Ford (F) shares tumbled nearly 14% in premarket trading Thursday after the automaker reported quarterly earnings that came in below expectations and kept its full-year bottom-line outlook unchanged, as warranty costs continued to weigh on the company’s profitability.

Below, we take a closer look at the Ford chart and use technical analysis to locate key price levels to watch amid anticipated earnings-driven selling pressure.

Since breaking out from a descending channel in late June, Ford shares continued trending higher for several weeks but have undergone a retracement in recent trading sessions leading into the carmaker’s quarterly results.

Moreover, the relative strength index (RSI) has fallen below overbought levels, indicating softening price momentum.

Amid an earnings-related sell-off, investors should keep an eye on three key areas on the Ford chart where the shares could attract buying interest.

The first sits around $12, a level where the price may encounter support near the 200-day moving average (MA) and a horizontal line that cuts through a range of comparable price points from October 2022 to June this year.

A breakdown below this level could see the shares decline to the $11.20 region, where buyers may seek entry points close to a trendline connecting multiple swing lows that formed on the chart between September 2022 and January this year.

Finally, a more significant move lower could lead to a retest of $9.70, an area on the chart likely supported by bargain hunters looking for buying opportunities near this year’s low and beneath the psychological round number of $10 per share.

When monitoring the levels outlined above, consider using other technical indicators, such as the RSI, stochastics oscillator, and bullish candlestick patterns, as confirmation that the earnings-related pullback may be ending.

If the stock’s current uptrend rhymes with the move higher from October 2023 to April this year, we can use a bars pattern to forecast a future price target.

We do this by taking the bars pattern from that period and applying it from the low of the descending channel, which projects a target of around $16.

Ford shares were down 13.9% at $11.77 in recent premarket trading.

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