dont think ppl realize how insane this is

China is seeing a historic boom in exports due to AI. China’s exports rose +25% YoY in August, their 3rd-largest monthly reading in at least 2 years. At the same time, imports surged +28%, pushing the monthly trade surplus to +$119 billion and the year-to-date surplus to +$806 billion. This puts China’s trade surplus on track for another annual record, following the $1.2 trillion seen in 2025. This all comes as high-tech exports contributed more than half of China’s export growth last month. Integrated-circuit shipments soared +130% YoY in August, while high-tech product exports jumped +57%. The AI boom is increasingly powering China’s export engine.

BREAKING: U.S. State Department warns Americans to “seriously reconsider” travel to or through the Middle East, citing the potential for the rapid military escalation.

BREAKING: US margin debt surged +$37 billion in August, to $1.45 trillion, its 2nd-highest on record. Margin debt has risen +$228 billion year-to-date, or +19%. Since the end of 2022, investor borrowing has soared a massive +$847 billion, or +140%. This has significantly outpaced the S&P 500's gain of +98% over the same period. At the same time, margin debt as a % of GDP has almost doubled, to a record 4.5%. By comparison, the 2021 and 2000 Dot-Com Bubble highs were 3.6% and 2.8%, respectively. Investor leverage is through the roof.

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 $300,000,000 worth of crypto longs liquidated in the past 20 minutes after US Senate fails to advance Crypto Clarity Act.