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A world in turmoil = a cash bonanza for military contractors.

The Financial Times provided some startling statistics about the record sums flowing into the defense sector, primarily due to Western countries bulking up their militaries in response to the war in Ukraine.

• The top 15 global defense contractors are projected to log free cash flow of $52 billion in 2026, nearly double that amount at the end of 2021.
• The US’ five biggest defense companies have been allocated almost $13 billion for weapons production in recent aid bills.
• The Euro Stoxx Aerospace and Defense index has roughly doubled since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. In the US, both Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics have jumped at least 35% in the same time span.

Looking ahead…what are companies going to do with all this cash? Unless you’re Warren Buffett, it’s not something you want to keep on your balance sheet. Analysts expect defense contractors to boost dividends and share buybacks, or explore M&A.

🟢 What’s up

• Kroger gained TK% as the antitrust trial began over its plan to merge with rival Albertsons in a $25 billion deal.
• XPeng ADRs (American Depositary Receipts) spiked TK% on news that the Chinese EV maker’s CEO bought more than 2 million of the company’s shares. Those ADRs are still down nearly 50% this year. Here’s what an ADR is, by the way.

What’s down

• Nvidia (-TK%), Super Micro Computer (-TK%), and Broadcom (-TK%) stunk up the joint today. Investors are biting their nails ahead of Nvidia’s earnings report on Wednesday.
• Uber dropped TK% on a day it was hit with a record $324 million fine by the Dutch data protection regulator for violating EU personal data rules.
• Intel plopped TK% after CNBC reported on Friday that the chipmaker has hired advisors to help defend the castle against activist investors.

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• Telegram-linked cryptocurrency Toncoin lost 20% of its value after Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France.
• Apple’s iPhone event has a date: Sept. 9.
• Elliott increased its stake in Southwest Airlines to 9.7%, close to the threshold where the activist investment firm can call for a special shareholder meeting to revamp the airline’s board.
• IBM is shutting down its R&D operations in China. It’s the latest in a string of US tech firms to abandon ship in the country due to heightened geopolitical tensions.
• Canada is slapping a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs—similar to the US—to combat what PM Justin Trudeau called their “unfair advantage in the global marketplace.”
• “Increased sausage demand could be worrying signal on the economy.” Okay, CNBC.

This is your doctor calling, and you, the American consumer, are due for a checkup.

Tomorrow, the Conference Board will release its monthly index of consumer confidence, which takes the pulse of American shoppers. It’ll be a closely watched number as companies offer mixed signals over the strength of consumer spending, which drives 70% of the US economy.

Consumers are expected to have been pretty confident in August. The reading is projected to tick up to 101.8 from 100.3 in July—and any score over 90 indicates a healthy economy.

We’ll also be paying attention to how many respondents say they plan on purchasing a home now that mortgage rates have cooled slightly. That number fell to a 12-year low in July.