Wachiwit/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction & Investment Thesis Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) stock may be down close to 30% from its all-time highs. But the stock is up 1.9% YTD in 2026, outperforming the S&P 500, which is down close to 4% for the year. This is the case, as Netflix stock recovered close to 22% of its market cap after walking away from the potential acquisition of Warner Bro...
Wachiwit/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction & Investment Thesis Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX ) stock may be down close to 30% from its all-time highs. But the stock is up 1.9% YTD in 2026, outperforming the S&P 500, which is down close to 4% for the year. This is the case, as Netflix stock recovered close to 22% of its market cap after walking away from the potential acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD ), as investors had gotten concerned about the implications of the acquisition of Netflix’s debt levels as well as regulatory overhang. The company is slated to report its Q1 FY26 earnings on 04/16, and in this post, I will outline the three main areas that I will be monitoring that will determine the next leg of the stock. The way I see it, the risk is attractive at current levels, especially if the company manages to both beat its Q1 expectations and raise forward guidance for revenue and operating margins, demonstrate better than expected momentum in its ad revenue target, and experience minimal churn from its latest price increases. A Quick Summary of Netflix's Q4 FY25 Earnings When Netflix reported its Q4 FY25 earnings in January, revenue grew 18% YoY to $12.051B for the quarter, as they crossed the 325M paid membership milestone, while operating margin also expanded 230 basis points year-over-year to 24.5%. When it comes to revenue growth, it was driven primarily by membership growth, higher pricing, and ad revenue growing 2.5x over 2024 to $1.5B for the full year FY25. From a geographic standpoint, all regions experienced an acceleration in revenue growth both on a year-over-year and sequential basis, with the exception of APAC, as can be seen below. Q4 FY25 Shareholder Letter: Revenue growth rates by geography Plus, what was also encouraging to note was that view hours increased 2% YoY in the second half of 2025 (up from 1% YoY growth in the first half of 2025), indicating growing engagement among their paid members. Particularly, when it c...
An Anthropic-backed DMCA effort to remove its recently leaked Claude Code client source code from GitHub this week resulted in the accidental removal of many legitimate forks of its official public code repository. While that overzealous takedown has now been reversed, Anthropic still faces an extreme uphill battle in limiting the spread of its recently leaked code. The DMCA notice that GitHub rec...
An Anthropic-backed DMCA effort to remove its recently leaked Claude Code client source code from GitHub this week resulted in the accidental removal of many legitimate forks of its official public code repository. While that overzealous takedown has now been reversed, Anthropic still faces an extreme uphill battle in limiting the spread of its recently leaked code. The DMCA notice that GitHub received late Tuesday focuses on a repository containing the leaked source code originally posted by GitHub user nirholas ( archived here ) and nearly 100 specifically named forks of that repository. In a note appended to that request, though, GitHub said it had acted to take down a network of 8,100 similar forked repositories because "the submitter alleged that all or most of the forks were infringing to the same extent as the parent repository." That expanded takedown affected many repositories that didn't contain leaked code but instead forked Anthropic's official public Claude Code repository , which the company shares to encourage public bug reports and fixes . Many coders took to social media to complain about being swept up in the DMCA dragnet despite not sharing any leaked code. Read full article Comments
Zoom Communications ( ZM ) is showing “impressive progress” putting artificial intelligence into its products and, perhaps most importantly, monetizing it, BNP Paribas said after meeting company executives. “We believe Zoom is demonstrating impressive progress in inserting AI into existing products, as well as launching new AI SKUs through organic development and through acquisition,” BNP analyst ...
Zoom Communications ( ZM ) is showing “impressive progress” putting artificial intelligence into its products and, perhaps most importantly, monetizing it, BNP Paribas said after meeting company executives. “We believe Zoom is demonstrating impressive progress in inserting AI into existing products, as well as launching new AI SKUs through organic development and through acquisition,” BNP analyst Stefan Slowinski wrote in a note to clients. “The company also appears to be succeeding in monetizing AI through multiple business models, including integrating into existing plans (like AI Companion or Contact Center Elite SKU), as well as new standalone seat based (Custom AI Companion and Revenue Accelerator) and consumption/usage models (Zoom Virtual Agent, BrightHire, CX Insights along with traditional API and SDK revenues), and will likely also add outcome based models. We believe that Zoom is also making progress in ‘moving out of its traditional swim lane’ and into the Customer (external) / Employee (internal) Experience and Workflow spaces, leveraging its unique position of being able to capture timely information from ‘the room where it happens’, i.e., meeting rooms, both physical and virtual where Zoom captures data, decisions and intent, and helps take action by converting that data into workflows and activity.” Aside from the aforementioned offerings, Zoom is working on bringing AI to its products with its AI Companion assistant. The assistant works across all of its data and apps and can be customized to fit customer needs. It can also be integrated into core Microsoft ( MSFT ) and Google ( GOOG ) ( GOOGL ) offerings, even if the two tech giants are considered Zoom competitors. Slowinski, who has a $66 price target on Zoom, added that investors have struggled with separating the headwinds to its core business (seat compression) and growth in new areas, such as Phone, Contact Center, and the new AI offerings. “More pronounced growth acceleration would serve as a...
Razer is summoning hungry gamers to Best Buy , where shoppers can get a free $25 Taco Bell gift card with the purchase of a gaming accessory today only. A whopping 41 items are eligible, ranging from mice (including its new Viper V4 Pro ), headsets, mechanical keyboards of different sizes, plus Xbox and PS5 controllers. The most affordable accessory — Razer’s comfy Basilisk V3 Pro wireless gaming ...
Razer is summoning hungry gamers to Best Buy , where shoppers can get a free $25 Taco Bell gift card with the purchase of a gaming accessory today only. A whopping 41 items are eligible, ranging from mice (including its new Viper V4 Pro ), headsets, mechanical keyboards of different sizes, plus Xbox and PS5 controllers. The most affordable accessory — Razer’s comfy Basilisk V3 Pro wireless gaming mouse — is $109.99 (originally $159.99). There are plenty of other accessories under $200. While the barrier to get the gift card is quite high, free Taco Bell might speak to some on a deep enough level to warrant checking out this deal. Razer Viper V4 Pro wireless gaming mouse Where to Buy: $159.99 at Best Buy (with $25 Taco Bell gift card) Other great Verge-approved deals Most QD-OLED monitors out there are made with gaming in mind (their designs often make that abundantly clear). Dell’s 32-inch 4K model (S3225QC ) is a little different in that it has chops for gaming (120Hz with variable refresh rate), but it’s a more well-rounded monitor overall for other use cases, with an integrated USB hub, USB-C video with 90W passthrough charging, and built-in audio capabilities. Right now, you can grab this monitor at Amazon and through Dell for $499.99 (originally $850, but more recently around $600), which is a great value considering its size and specs. Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake 2 is an ambitious and gorgeous horror game, and the deluxe edition disc version for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is selling at its best-ever price of $29.99 (was $59.99) at Amazon , Best Buy , and GameStop . No, you don’t need to have played the first game, although — lucky you — the remastered version is included with purchase. Alan Wake 2 is part of Remedy’s connected universe of games, which also includes Control . If you’re a fan of scary games that take big swings with their stories, I can’t think of a better title to recommend. This version includes all of the DLC, including the Night Sp...
In the 16th paragraph of an article on Page 40 of the April 17, 1978, print newspaper, a Silicon Valley-based startup made its debut in the pages of The Wall Street Journal. “More than two dozen brands of personal computers are on the market now,” the article read. “Among the more popular brands are computers made by Apple Computer Inc.”
In the 16th paragraph of an article on Page 40 of the April 17, 1978, print newspaper, a Silicon Valley-based startup made its debut in the pages of The Wall Street Journal. “More than two dozen brands of personal computers are on the market now,” the article read. “Among the more popular brands are computers made by Apple Computer Inc.”
Rasi Bhadramani Microsoft ( MSFT ) and Newmont ( NEM ) have received upgrades, with Envision Research seeing an attractive entry point for Microsoft at its current P/E levels, while JR Research identifies a compelling buying opportunity in Newmont following a selloff in gold mining stocks. On the downgrade side, Micron Technology ( MU ) has been moved to Sell by The Techie, who cites rising capex ...
Rasi Bhadramani Microsoft ( MSFT ) and Newmont ( NEM ) have received upgrades, with Envision Research seeing an attractive entry point for Microsoft at its current P/E levels, while JR Research identifies a compelling buying opportunity in Newmont following a selloff in gold mining stocks. On the downgrade side, Micron Technology ( MU ) has been moved to Sell by The Techie, who cites rising capex concerns despite strong quarterly results. Meanwhile, Cheniere Energy ( LNG ) has been shifted to Hold by Zoltan Ban, as the analyst believes the stock’s recent rally has fully priced in the benefits from global LNG market disruptions. Upgrades Microsoft ( MSFT ): Upgrade to Buy by Envision Research . The analyst argues that Microsoft’s current 22x forward P/E represents an attractive long-term entry point, particularly when benchmarked against peers that pass the Rule of 40. “I thus see an annual return potential in the double digits for the long term (around 11% consisting of 4.5%+ earning yielding and 6.5% growth rate), motivating me to adjust my rating to Buy...Given Microsoft’s leading role as a provider of PaaS/IaaS solutions, I feel the so-called rule of 40 to be fitting frame to contextualize its above growth and profitability potential.” Newmont ( NEM ): Upgrade to Buy by JR Research . The analyst sees a golden opportunity amid the selloff, noting Newmont’s valuation is well below historical averages with production growth projects supporting future expansion. “I don't think dip buyers are complaining, especially since the market appears to have given patient investors a fantastic opportunity to consider doubling down right now, as the gold market and precious metals in general appear to be forming a very nice bottom.” Downgrades Micron Technology ( MU ): Downgrade to Sell by The Techie . Despite exceptional Q2 results that beat consensus, the analyst believes the market’s negative reaction signals that positives were already priced in, with rising capex expected t...
Rasi Bhadramani Microsoft ( MSFT ) and Newmont ( NEM ) have received upgrades, with Envision Research seeing an attractive entry point for Microsoft at its current P/E levels, while JR Research identifies a compelling buying opportunity in Newmont following a selloff in gold mining stocks. On the downgrade side, Micron Technology ( MU ) has been moved to Sell by The Techie, who cites rising capex ...
Rasi Bhadramani Microsoft ( MSFT ) and Newmont ( NEM ) have received upgrades, with Envision Research seeing an attractive entry point for Microsoft at its current P/E levels, while JR Research identifies a compelling buying opportunity in Newmont following a selloff in gold mining stocks. On the downgrade side, Micron Technology ( MU ) has been moved to Sell by The Techie, who cites rising capex concerns despite strong quarterly results. Meanwhile, Cheniere Energy ( LNG ) has been shifted to Hold by Zoltan Ban, as the analyst believes the stock’s recent rally has fully priced in the benefits from global LNG market disruptions. Upgrades Microsoft ( MSFT ): Upgrade to Buy by Envision Research . The analyst argues that Microsoft’s current 22x forward P/E represents an attractive long-term entry point, particularly when benchmarked against peers that pass the Rule of 40. “I thus see an annual return potential in the double digits for the long term (around 11% consisting of 4.5%+ earning yielding and 6.5% growth rate), motivating me to adjust my rating to Buy...Given Microsoft’s leading role as a provider of PaaS/IaaS solutions, I feel the so-called rule of 40 to be fitting frame to contextualize its above growth and profitability potential.” Newmont ( NEM ): Upgrade to Buy by JR Research . The analyst sees a golden opportunity amid the selloff, noting Newmont’s valuation is well below historical averages with production growth projects supporting future expansion. “I don't think dip buyers are complaining, especially since the market appears to have given patient investors a fantastic opportunity to consider doubling down right now, as the gold market and precious metals in general appear to be forming a very nice bottom.” Downgrades Micron Technology ( MU ): Downgrade to Sell by The Techie . Despite exceptional Q2 results that beat consensus, the analyst believes the market’s negative reaction signals that positives were already priced in, with rising capex expected t...
The acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told lawmakers that the use of Paragon spyware is necessary to counter terrorists’ “thriving exploitation of encrypted communications platforms.”
The acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told lawmakers that the use of Paragon spyware is necessary to counter terrorists’ “thriving exploitation of encrypted communications platforms.”
Thursday marks one year since U.S. President Donald Trump stood in the White House Rose Garden and unveiled his sweeping “liberation day” tariffs. The April 2, 2025 announcement—which slapped duties on many trading partners, including 34% on Chinese goods, 20% on European Union imports and 46% on Vietnamese products—triggered a global market panic and birthed the now-infamous “Sell America” trade....
Thursday marks one year since U.S. President Donald Trump stood in the White House Rose Garden and unveiled his sweeping “liberation day” tariffs. The April 2, 2025 announcement—which slapped duties on many trading partners, including 34% on Chinese goods, 20% on European Union imports and 46% on Vietnamese products—triggered a global market panic and birthed the now-infamous “Sell America” trade. Twelve months on, the landscape has fundamentally shifted. Many international markets, including Brazil ( EWZ ), the U.K. ( EWU ), and Japan ( EWJ ), have outperformed the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) ( SPY ) by a wide margin since that day, as investors increasingly embraced strategies like ABUSA (Anywhere But the USA) and the TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) trade. Seeking Alpha The tariff regime was ultimately struck down by the Supreme Court in February, with courts ordering the government to potentially refund billions to importers. But the damage to investor confidence lingered as trade uncertainty persists. Trump last month launched Section 301 investigations into over a dozen trading partners, setting the stage for the U.S. to impose import levies on those countries. In a Council of Foreign Relations report, senior fellow Edward Alden wrote that Trump's tariff push "set fire to the United States’ reputation as a reliable trading partner," while Benn Steil, the think tank's director of international economics, said tariffs are "taxes paid by U.S. importers, not foreign countries." The U.S. dollar ( DXY ), which slid sharply in the immediate aftermath of the tariff shock last year, has rebounded this year as war in the Middle East revived demand for the greenback as a haven, underscoring how much the market fallout has changed to date. "'Liberation Day'" did not herald the era of economic prosperity that the president promised," Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics and trade at the Cato Institute, wrote in a blog post. "Taxes, prices, uncertainty, and bureaucrac...
Options data show record positioning for both long calls and short puts on the S&P 500, meaning traders are hedging their portfolios for market swings in both directions.
Options data show record positioning for both long calls and short puts on the S&P 500, meaning traders are hedging their portfolios for market swings in both directions.
matejmo/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong US President Trump’s evening prime-time speech on Wednesday, 1 April at 9.00 p.m. Washington time does not offer any new information to global financial markets. A quick recap: Trump highlighted earlier on Tuesday, March 31, that the US-Iran war will “end soon” within the next two to three weeks. Interestingly, Trump has indirectly issued a more “hawk...
matejmo/iStock via Getty Images By Kelvin Wong US President Trump’s evening prime-time speech on Wednesday, 1 April at 9.00 p.m. Washington time does not offer any new information to global financial markets. A quick recap: Trump highlighted earlier on Tuesday, March 31, that the US-Iran war will “end soon” within the next two to three weeks. Interestingly, Trump has indirectly issued a more “hawkish rhetoric” towards the Iranian leadership in his prime-time national address, stating that the US will hit Iran “extremely hard” in the next two to three weeks, and added that the US will also strike Iran’s electric plants if there is no deal. Overall, there is no clear indication of a forthcoming “de-escalation” from Trump, which in turn brings the stagflation risk narrative back to the forefront again. How do the markets react? Risk-off mode at this time of writing. WTI crude oil +5.8% at around $104 per barrel Brent crude oil +6.4% at around $106 per barrel US Dollar Index +0.4% AUD/USD -0.6% Gold ( XAUUSD:CUR ) -1.7% S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 E-mini futures -1.1% and -1.3% Japan’s Nikkei 225 -2.2% Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index -1.1% China’s CSI 300 -0.7% South Korea’s KOSPI 200 -4.7% Singapore’s Straits Times Index -0.7% We have highlighted in our earlier detailed report that the prior three-day rebound seen on the three major benchmark US stock indices, S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow Jones Industrial Average are likely a mean reversion rebound sequence (dead cat bounces) within their respective medium-term downtrend phases. Let’s focus now on the short-term trajectory (1-3 days) on the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, AUD/USD, gold (XAU/USD), and WTI crude oil from a technical analysis perspective. S&P 500 - Bearish reaction at descending channel resistance with bearish momentum Fig. 1: US S&P 500 CFD index minor trend as of April 2, 2026 (Source: TradingView) The price actions of the US S&P 500 CFD index (a proxy of the S&P 500 E-mini futures) have staged a bearish reaction right aft...
Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (NYSEMKT:VDC) and Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (NYSEMKT:FSTA) both offer broad, low-cost exposure to U.S. consumer staples stocks, making them attractive choices for investors seeking stability and defensive characteristics for their portfolios. This comparison explores how the two stack up on cost, performance, risk, and underlying holdings to help invest...
Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (NYSEMKT:VDC) and Fidelity MSCI Consumer Staples Index ETF (NYSEMKT:FSTA) both offer broad, low-cost exposure to U.S. consumer staples stocks, making them attractive choices for investors seeking stability and defensive characteristics for their portfolios. This comparison explores how the two stack up on cost, performance, risk, and underlying holdings to help investors decide which may better fit their goals. Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from daily returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. FSTA comes in slightly cheaper on fees, with an expense ratio one basis point lower than VDC. FSTA also offers a slightly higher dividend yield. VDC's much larger assets under management (AUM) reflects its longer history and broader investor base, though for most retail investors, the size difference has little practical impact. Continue reading
Talk about a confusing and frustrating market. Following two days of gains fueled by optimism on an Iran war resolution, Wall Street went back in sell-off mode Thursday morning after President Donald Trump's primetime address was filled with escalatory rhetoric. That sent oil prices higher and stocks lower to start the day — the inverse relationship we've come to know well since the war broke out ...
Talk about a confusing and frustrating market. Following two days of gains fueled by optimism on an Iran war resolution, Wall Street went back in sell-off mode Thursday morning after President Donald Trump's primetime address was filled with escalatory rhetoric. That sent oil prices higher and stocks lower to start the day — the inverse relationship we've come to know well since the war broke out Feb. 28. "Last night, the president once again showed you how difficult it is to own stocks here because he probably gave you the most hard-lined speech you could get, and that has caused people to say, 'Look, I have to re-evaluate once again,'" Jim said during Thursday's Monthly Meeting. But just as we were hesitant to ring the all-clear bell earlier this week, we're not sure Thursday marks the start of a sustained decline for stocks. It is simply too difficult to make a call either way when the action is being driven by conflicting headlines out of Washington and Tehran. The tenor shifts quickly, and so does the market. Indeed, we saw some dip-buyers step in shortly after the Morning Meeting ended, with the S & P 500 briefly reversing into the green. An Iranian state news agency is reporting that Iran is drafting protocol with Oman to "monitor transit" of the Strait of Hormuz, which is helping calm the markets. Oil is well off its highs of the day as of 11:30 a.m. ET. Understandably, the temptation to bail on stocks until everything is resolved may be mounting. Who wants to keep up with a market changing by the minute, not just by the day? However, throwing in the towel completely is something that has historically hurt long-term investors more than it has protected them. Just think about if you sold everything on Monday when the market was under pressure, and the hopes of a resolution were dim. You would've missed Tuesday and Wednesday's gains, which saw the S & P 500 advance a combined 3.65%. Of course, the index is still more than 5% below where it was when the war beg...