LikeFolio Weekly Roundup

Here’s our take on the week’s biggest news through Thursday, Sept. 18 — from the LikeFolio Research Desk:

Weekly Summary

• Autonomous Driving is Inevitable – Is TSLA the ultimate winner?

• The Fed Cut Rates – 3 Big Winner: Watch this week’s Founders Call here

• Infinite Hold Update — Elon’s big bet

• Stock Spotlights: $OKLO and $LEU ride nuclear tailwinds; Robotics small cap takes off

Autonomous driving is inevitable – the adoption curve from here only accelerates

What would regulators do if a technology reduced injury-causing crashes by 80%? 

They would mandate it. 

That is exactly what happened with seatbelts in 1968 after studies showed they cut fatalities by about a third. Airbags followed in 1998 when government crash tests proved they reduced head-on deaths by nearly 30%. Electronic stability control became mandatory in 2012 after showing similar gains against rollovers. Every time the evidence cleared the bar, regulators forced automakers to adopt it.

Autonomous driving clears that bar at a much higher level, at least according to freshly released data from Waymo. 

Waymo’s peer-reviewed study covers millions of miles driven by its rider-only fleet. The data shows an 80% reduction in injury-causing crashes compared to human drivers, with intersection accidents slashed even further. 

Intersection driving is where human error proves most costly, and the machines are cutting down the most dangerous categories of collisions. The magnitude of improvement is well beyond any prior safety innovation in modern vehicles.

Adoption of this autonomous driving technology is accelerating at a blistering pace. 

In California alone, state data shows passenger miles surged eightfold in just one year, climbing from half a million per month to over four million by May 2025. 

For months the growth looked slow, then usage suddenly exploded. 

That is the pattern investors should expect in autonomy: progress appears incremental until adoption hits a tipping point and ramps all at once.

We’re still in the early adopters phase of this chart. But speed is picking up.

Waymo (GOOGL) is extending its reach beyond San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta. Nashville is set to come online in 2026 with hundreds of cars under a new partnership with Lyft, which will oversee depots and fleet operations. 

Miami, Washington D.C., Dallas, Denver, and New York are already targeted for future launches. The company’s rollout map is adding more and more dots on its national network.

Amazon’s (AMZN) Zoox has officially hit the streets. The company’s purpose-built pods, designed without steering wheels or driver seats, are already carrying passengers in Las Vegas. 

Rides are free while regulators finish sign-offs, with fare collection next in line. Expansion plans to San Francisco, Austin, and Miami are already set.

Tesla is advancing its software, robotaxi, and its freight strategy. Musk has confirmed that Full Self-Driving version 14 will be released within weeks. The update uses a neural network ten times larger than the current system and is designed to cut down on interventions while driving more naturally in traffic. 

Tesla is also exploding onto the robotaxi scene, quickly catching up to (and even surpassing) peers. (Catch up on our long-term TSLA vision take here). 

On the freight side, Tesla has partnered with Uber Freight to put Semis into service. Trucking fleets will receive subsidized access to vehicles, guaranteed contracts, and optimized charging support. The partnership creates the backbone for autonomous freight once Tesla software is ready for that application.

The writing on the wall is crystal clear: autonomous driving is here to stay – and could be in your driveway sooner than you think. 

• Waymo is stacking up safety data that dwarfs the gains that once forced mandates. 

• Amazon has gone live with vehicles that eliminate the driver seat altogether. 

• Tesla is preparing the largest leap in its Full Self-Driving program while wiring freight logistics into its network with Uber. Last week we highlighted consumers’ rapid adoption of Tesla’s Robotaxi App. We think Tesla may be the largest winner of all.

The Fed Cut Rates – Watch Small Caps and Bitcoin

The proposition of a Fed rate cut has dominated investor chatter for months. 

Now it’s finally here. We broke down potential implications of lowering interest rates (not guaranteed) on this week’s Founders Call, including 2 of the largest winners: Small Cap stocks and Bitcoin. 

Check it out here if you missed it:

Infinite Hold Update 

Bitcoin: Bitcoin is trading mostly flat on the week after an initial post-fed pop. Andy explained what we expect next, perfectly: 

Here are major updates from this week:

• Fed cuts open the door for Bitcoin: The Fed lowered rates by 25 bps and projected two more cuts this year. The immediate move is supportive, but the bigger impact comes if borrowing costs keep falling — lower yields shrink the payoff from cash and bonds, creating room for Bitcoin to attract fresh flows.

• Cooling inflation keeps easing on track: Price data came in softer and labor markets are loosening, giving the Fed cover to keep cutting. Each additional cut strengthens Bitcoin’s case as investors look for assets with higher upside than Treasuries.

• $7.3T cash pile is latent fuel: Money market funds remain bloated, but lower rates mean that capital earns less sitting idle. Even a small reallocation into Bitcoin or spot ETFs could drive a disproportionate move because of limited supply.

• September strength breaks pattern: Bitcoin is up ~8% this month, putting it on pace for its best September since 2012. Historically a weak period for the asset, this shift shows how macro support and institutional flows are starting to override old seasonal trends.

Tesla (TSLA): Shares are rallying on Friday, capping off another week of gains.

Here are highlights:

• Musk commits $1B to Tesla stock: Elon Musk purchased 2.57M shares worth about $1B in open market transactions. It was his first major buy since 2020 and increases his direct exposure to Tesla’s long-term performance and AI ambitions.

• Fed rate cuts could ease affordability headwinds: Lower borrowing costs reduce monthly payments on big-ticket items like cars. If the Fed follows through with additional cuts, EV affordability improves, creating a stronger backdrop for Tesla demand.

• Uber partnership accelerates Semi adoption: Tesla and Uber Freight launched a program that lowers upfront costs for the Semi and guarantees freight demand. The initiative addresses adoption hurdles and creates a clearer path for fleet operators to transition to electric trucking.

• September rally shows renewed strength: Tesla shares have climbed more than 20% this month. Insider buying and new partnerships are adding fuel to investor optimism, putting Tesla among the strongest gainers in the EV and AI space.

Amazon (AMZN): Amazon finished the week mostly flat but inked deals with Netflix and set dates for its fall shopping event.

• Netflix deal expands Amazon’s ad platform reach: Starting in Q4, advertisers using Amazon’s DSP will be able to buy Netflix’s ad inventory across major markets. This adds a premium streaming channel to Amazon’s portfolio while linking Netflix viewership with Amazon’s first-party shopper data. For Amazon, the partnership deepens its position in Connected TV and supports growth in its advertising segment, which delivered over $14B last quarter.

• Prime Big Deal Days may boost Amazon’s Q4 strength: The fall shopping event is set for October 7–8. In July, Amazon reported its largest summer Prime Day ever, with double-digit sales growth year over year and strong gains in advertising tied to the event. The October sale provides an early read on holiday demand, drives Prime signups, and supports retail margin leverage heading into Q4.

Stock Spotlights: Nuclear, Robotics Sectors Heat Up

Oklo (OKLO) and Centrus Energy (LEU) were among the week’s top performers as nuclear stocks rallied on a wave of policy momentum. A centerpiece was the U.S.–U.K. nuclear energy pact signed during President Trump’s visit to London. The agreement commits both governments to accelerate reactor approvals, align regulatory frameworks, and expand collaboration on advanced fuel development.

For investors, this is seen as a major step toward reducing red tape and unlocking faster deployment of small and advanced reactors.

Oklo added to the momentum with its announcement of a $1.68B nuclear fuel recycling facility planned for Tennessee. The project would help close the domestic fuel cycle and supply steady, clean power to energy-intensive industries like data centers.

Centrus advanced in parallel as attention returned to its role as one of the only U.S. providers of enriched uranium. The U.S.–U.K. agreement highlighted the importance of building secure supply chains for nuclear fuel, and Centrus is positioned as a key beneficiary of that policy push.

Richtech Robotics (RR) was the biggest mover in our MegaTrends portfolio, gaining more than +36% over the week. The surge came on unusually high trading volume and an analyst upgrade from H.C. Wainwright, which raised its price target to $6 from $3.50. While no major company-specific announcements hit the tape, the move reflects growing speculative interest in small-cap robotics names tied to automation and labor-replacement themes.

Investor chatter points to potential (and speculative) partnerships.

Lemonade (LMND) advanced after Piper Sandler raised its price target to $60. The firm pointed to improving revenue growth, better loss ratios, and the company’s use of AI in underwriting as evidence that Lemonade is progressing toward profitability. The upgrade added to strong year-to-date gains and reinforced investor confidence in its digital insurance model.

SoundHound AI (SOUN) climbed after completing its acquisition of Interactions, a provider of enterprise-grade conversational AI tools. The deal broadens SoundHound’s reach in customer service automation and strengthens its enterprise positioning at a time when demand for AI-driven voice and workflow solutions continues to accelerate.

Marathon Digital (MARA) also posted outsized gains, rising just over 13% on the week. The stock benefited from Bitcoin strength and higher trading volumes, giving miners leverage to BTC’s price action. Recent operational updates showing improved efficiency and lower cost per Bitcoin mined further supported investor enthusiasm.