Be in the know. 20 key reads for Friday…

  1. Why Mega-Cap Defense Stocks May Be the Best Idea for the Rest of 2020 (24/7 Wall Street)
  2. Employment in U.S. Increased by More Than Forecast in July (Bloomberg)
  3. Berkshire Hathaway Showing Signs of an Appetite Ahead of Earnings Report (Bloomberg)
  4. Schlumberger Stock Has Tumbled, but Director Mark Papa Just Scooped Up Shares (Barron’s)
  5. NYSE Owner Buys Mortgage-Software Firm Ellie Mae From Thoma Bravo for $11 Billion (Barron’s)
  6. Trump Order Targets Chinese Internet Giants TikTok, WeChat (Barron’s)
  7. A Covid Vaccine Could Be Ready Sooner Than You Think (Barron’s)
  8. Costco Same-Store Sales Climbed Again in July (Barron’s)
  9. A bullish ‘golden cross’ forms in the Dow industrials (MarketWatch)
  10. Meet Kanye West’s presidential running mate, Michelle Tidball (New York Post)
  11. Europe’s banks surprise markets with a strong quarter. (CNBC)
  12. OPEC’s second largest member just made its biggest commitment to curb crude production this month (Business Insider)
  13. People Are Flying Again—But Only for Cheap Vacations (Wall Street Journal)
  14. Pfizer (PFE) Announces Agreement with Gilead (GILD) to Manufacture Remdesivir for Treatment of COVID-19 (Street Insider)
  15. Rocket Companies jumps as much as 26% in its first day of public trading (Business Insider)
  16. Billionaire investor Howard Marks says the Fed’s emergency relief efforts saved the US from depression — but warns of long-term inflationary risk (Business Insider)
  17. Why the best way to play an economic recovery is to load up on industrial stocks, according to a Wall Street stock chief (Business Insider)
  18. New York exodus accelerating at ‘substantial’ pace, local movers say (Fox Business)
  19. New York City Comedy Clubs Move Laughs Outdoors (Wall Street Journal)
  20. Power Outages From Tropical Storm Isaias Could Last for Days (Wall Street Journal)