German inflation rises to 2.9% in August but remains below expectations
🇩🇪 Preliminary data from Destatis showed Germany’s CPI and HICP both rising 2.9% year-on-year, up from 2.8% in July but below expectations of around 3.1%. Consumer prices increased 0.2% from the previous month.
⚡ The acceleration was driven mainly by energy prices, which rose 10.5% YoY, while core inflation remained unchanged at 2.4%. Services inflation eased slightly to 2.8% and food prices increased just 0.1%, suggesting that price pressures have not broadened significantly.
💶 EUR/USD showed little reaction following the release. The softer-than-expected print slightly reduces hawkish pressure, but is not enough to materially change expectations for a potential 25-basis-point ECB rate hike in September.
📊 Eurozone inflation data due on September 1 will be the next key signal for markets assessing the ECB’s policy outlook.
$NVDA – Liquidation Map (7 Days) – Current Price 220.7
🔎 The 7-day liquidation map shows roughly 42 million in short liquidations above the current price, slightly exceeding approximately $40 million in long liquidations below. The overall structure is therefore fairly balanced but modestly tilted to the upside.
📉 Below the market, nearby long-liquidation liquidity is concentrated around 217.8–214.5. The strongest cluster sits near 214.5, where the liquidation bar exceeds $2.2 million, while 213.0–216.0 also contains substantial liquidity. Losing 217.8 would increase the probability of a sweep toward 216.0–214.5.
📈 Above the market, short-liquidation liquidity begins building around 221.7 and increases sharply across 223.2–224.7. The cluster near 223.2 stands out with a liquidation bar above $2.2 million. Further out, 229.5–234.0 also contains several large clusters. A break above 221.7 would bring 223.2–224.7 into focus first.
🧭 The broader setup remains relatively balanced but modestly favors the upside. Breaking 221.7 would increase the probability of a short-liquidation sweep toward 223.2–224.7, while losing 217.8 would shift attention toward 216.0–214.5.
SC02 M1 - pending Short order. Entry lies within LVN + not affected by any weak zone, the current resistance zone is around 0.22% wide. The downtrend has lasted 1 hour 48 minutes, with the largest recorded price decline at 1.23%. If price breaks above this resistance zone, the trend will likely reverse upward.
SC02 M1 - pending Long order. Entry lies within LVN + not affected by any weak zone, the current support zone is around 0.10% wide. The uptrend has lasted 1 hour 28 minutes, with the largest recorded price increase at 0.51%. If price loses this support zone, the trend will likely reverse downward.
Aon to acquire USI for $17 billion in major expansion into the U.S. insurance brokerage market
💼 Aon has agreed to acquire USI Insurance Services from KKR and other shareholders for $17 billion, marking one of the largest recent deals in the U.S. insurance brokerage sector.
🏢 USI generates about $3 billion in annual revenue, employs more than 10,500 people and operates nearly 200 offices. The deal extends Aon’s push into the U.S. middle market following its $13 billion acquisition of NFP in 2024.
📉 Aon plans to fund the transaction with new debt and pause share buybacks while prioritizing deleveraging. Aon shares fell about 6–7% on August 31, while KKR gained roughly 2%.
📊 Aon expects the combined platform to generate around $395 million in annual run-rate adjusted EBITDA synergies, with the transaction becoming accretive to adjusted EPS from 2028. KKR is expected to receive about $3.3 billion in after-tax cash proceeds.
🔎 The market reaction suggests investors are focused on the purchase price, higher leverage and execution risk, while Aon’s strategic push into the middle market remains clear.
$WLFI – Liquidation Map (7 Days) – Current Price 0.0580
🔎 The 7-day liquidation map shows a fairly balanced liquidity structure, with both long liquidations below and short liquidations above sitting around $8–9 million. The overall setup is therefore close to neutral, without a strong directional imbalance.
📉 Below the market, long-liquidation liquidity is concentrated heavily around 0.0566–0.0551. The strongest cluster sits near 0.0563, where the liquidation bar exceeds 1 million, while 0.0556–0.0551 also contains substantial liquidity. Losing 0.0566 would increase the probability of a sweep toward 0.0561–0.0556.
📈 Above the market, short-liquidation liquidity begins building around 0.0584 and becomes denser across 0.0589–0.0604. The strongest nearby clusters sit around 0.0589 and 0.0599, with liquidation bars reaching roughly $400,000–500,000. A break above 0.0584 would bring 0.0589–0.0599 into focus first.
🧭 The broader setup remains relatively balanced. Breaking 0.0584 would increase the probability of a short-liquidation sweep toward 0.0589–0.0599, while losing 0.0566 would shift attention toward 0.0561–0.0556.
SC02 M1 - pending Long order. Entry contains POC + not affected by any weak zone, the current support zone is around 0.37% wide. The uptrend has lasted 2 hours 4 minutes, with the largest recorded price increase at 2.04%. If price loses this support zone, the trend will likely reverse downward.
SC02 M1 - pending Long order. Entry contains POC + meets positive simplification with a previously profitable Long order, the current support zone is around 0.19% wide. The uptrend has lasted 1 hour 54 minutes, with the largest recorded price increase at 1.03%. If price loses this support zone, the trend will likely reverse downward.
ChatGPT Ads reaches 1 billion annualized revenue in under 200 days
📈 OpenAI says advertising on ChatGPT has reached an annualized revenue run rate of about 1 billion, less than 200 days after the U.S. pilot began. The figure reflects the current pace of revenue generation and does not mean OpenAI has already recorded 1 billion in ad revenue in 2026.
🌍 From August 31, the self-service Ads Manager expanded to India, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Ads are now available in more than 40 countries, with tens of thousands of advertisers and small businesses representing a meaningful share.
💡 The expansion suggests OpenAI is moving ads from an experimental phase toward a more scalable business. With more than 1 billion weekly ChatGPT users, advertising could become a meaningful additional revenue stream, although subscriptions, enterprise and API services remain much larger pillars.
$ONDO – Liquidation Map (7 Days) – Current Price 0.347
🔎 The 7-day liquidation map shows roughly $10 million in short liquidations above the current price, significantly exceeding approximately $5 million in long liquidations below. The liquidity structure therefore clearly favors the upside, with roughly twice as much cumulative liquidity sitting above the market.
📉 Below the market, nearby long-liquidation liquidity is concentrated around 0.344–0.338 before becoming denser across 0.337–0.335. The strongest nearby cluster sits around 0.336–0.337, where the liquidation bar reaches roughly $650,000. Losing 0.344 would increase the probability of a sweep toward 0.341–0.337.
📈 Above the market, short-liquidation liquidity begins building around 0.351–0.354, with bars reaching roughly $400,000–500,000. Further out, the 0.365 cluster stands out near $750,000, while 0.375–0.384 also contains heavy liquidity and 0.384 forms one of the largest clusters at roughly $800,000.
🧭 The broader setup favors the upside because short-liquidation exposure above is roughly twice as large. Breaking 0.351 would increase the probability of a sweep toward 0.354–0.365, while losing 0.344 would shift attention toward 0.341–0.337.
SC02 M1 - pending Long order. Entry lies within LVN + meets positive simplification with two consecutive previously profitable Long orders, the current support zone is around 0.15% wide. The uptrend has lasted 1 hour 5 minutes, with the largest recorded price increase at 0.72%. If price loses this support zone, the trend will likely reverse downward.
SC02 M1 - pending Long order. Entry lies within LVN + not affected by any weak zone, the current support zone is around 0.23% wide. The uptrend has lasted 2 hours 10 minutes, with the largest recorded price increase at 1.22%. If price loses this support zone, the trend will likely reverse downward.
US stocks fall on August 31 as oil rises and Fed tightening expectations return
📉 The Dow Jones fell about 0.65%, the S&P 500 lost 0.46%, and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.34% during the August 31 session as investors turned more cautious over geopolitical and monetary policy risks.
🛢 Brent crude rose nearly 3% to around $90.6 per barrel after renewed tensions between the US and Iran, adding to concerns that inflationary pressure could persist. At the same time, hawkish comments from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh pushed market-implied odds of a September rate hike above 60%.
⚡ Selling remained selective rather than broad-based. Energy gained nearly 1%, while Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Sandisk helped the Nasdaq outperform the Dow.
📊 Despite the weaker session, US equities are still on track to finish August in positive territory. The September 4 US jobs report will be the next key catalyst for rate expectations and the near-term market direction.
$XMR – Liquidation Map (7 Days) – Current Price 519
🔎 The 7-day liquidation map shows roughly $13–14 million in long liquidations below the current price, far exceeding approximately $4–4.5 million in short liquidations above. The liquidity structure therefore strongly favors the downside, with roughly three times more cumulative liquidity sitting below the market.
📉 Below the market, nearby long-liquidation liquidity is concentrated around 515.2–504.4. The 515.2 area stands out with a liquidation bar near $300,000, while 510.8 and 504.4 also contain notable liquidity. Further down, 495.4–490.0 features larger clusters around $300,000–350,000. Losing 515.2 would increase the probability of a sweep toward 510.8–504.4.
📈 Above the market, short-liquidation liquidity remains relatively sparse near the current price before increasing around 529.6. The 529.6 cluster reaches roughly $350,000, while 546.7–552.1 and 556.6–561.1 also contain notable liquidity. A break above 529.6 would shift attention toward 546.7–552.1.
🧭 The broader setup favors the downside because long-liquidation exposure below is roughly three times larger. Losing 515.2 would increase the probability of a sweep toward 510.8–504.4, while breaking above 529.6 would shift attention toward the short-liquidation clusters around 546.7–552.1.
SC02 H4 - pending Long order. Entry lies within LVN + not affected by any weak zone, the current support zone is around 7.81% wide. The uptrend has lasted 14 days 16 hours, with the largest recorded price increase at 50.80%. If price loses this support zone, the trend will likely reverse downward.
SC02 M1 - pending Long order. Entry lies within HVN + not affected by any weak zone, the current support zone is around 0.78% wide. The uptrend has lasted 4 hours 51 minutes, with the largest recorded price increase at 6.84%. If price loses this support zone, the trend will likely reverse downward.
European gas tops €70/MWh as LNG supply risks intensify
🔥 European TTF gas prices rose around 5% on August 31, moving above €70/MWh and reaching their highest level since early 2023 as markets continued to reprice geopolitical risks around the Strait of Hormuz.
🚢 Fresh U.S.–Iran tensions increased concerns over prolonged disruption, while Qatari LNG remains under force majeure. The latest move mainly reflects a higher risk premium rather than a completely new supply loss during the day.
🏭 EU gas storage is currently around 64.7%, below typical levels for this time of year. This leaves Europe more exposed to LNG disruptions and increases competition with Asia for spot cargoes ahead of winter.
📈 €70/MWh remains far below the extremes seen during the 2022 crisis, but the current supply backdrop is less comfortable. If Gulf LNG flows recover only gradually, pressure on European gas prices and energy inflation could remain elevated.
$GOOGL – Liquidation Map (7 Days) – Current Price 338.4
🔎 The 7-day liquidation map shows roughly $15 million in short liquidations above the current price, slightly exceeding approximately $13 million in long liquidations below. The overall structure is therefore fairly balanced but modestly tilted to the upside, with about 1.15 times more cumulative liquidity above the market.
📉 Below the market, long-liquidation liquidity is concentrated heavily around 335.4–332.6. The strongest clusters sit near 335.4 and 334.0, where liquidation bars approach $900,000–1 million, while 332.6 also contains notable liquidity. Losing 335.4 would increase the probability of a sweep toward 334.0–332.6.
📈 Above the market, liquidity remains relatively thin between 338.4 and 342.2 before short-liquidation exposure increases sharply from 345.4. Strong clusters appear around 345.4 and 348.2–351.0, with several bars reaching roughly $600,000–800,000. A break above 342.2 would bring 345.4–348.2 into focus next.
🧭 The broader setup modestly favors the upside because short-liquidation exposure above is larger. Breaking 342.2 would increase the probability of a sweep toward 345.4–348.2, while losing 335.4 would shift attention toward 334.0–332.6.
SC02 M15 - pending Short order. Entry lies within HVN + not affected by any weak zone, the current resistance zone is around 1.15% wide. The downtrend has lasted 1 day 15 hours 45 minutes, with the largest recorded price decline at 6.67%. If price breaks above this resistance zone, the trend will likely reverse upward.
SC02 M5 - pending Short order. Entry lies within LVN + meets positive simplification with two previously highly profitable Short orders, the current resistance zone is around 1.21% wide. The downtrend has lasted 11 hours 45 minutes, with the largest recorded price decline at 7.43%. If price breaks above this resistance zone, the trend will likely reverse upward.