10'000 Hours/DigitalVision via Getty Images It may surprise some to learn that Zoom Communications ( ZM ) has been a surprising source of strength amidst the software apocalypse. Some of that strength may be due to the perceived difficulty in replicating the company’s video conferencing capabilities through AI. I suspect most of the strength is instead coming from the company’s large stake in Anth...
10'000 Hours/DigitalVision via Getty Images It may surprise some to learn that Zoom Communications ( ZM ) has been a surprising source of strength amidst the software apocalypse. Some of that strength may be due to the perceived difficulty in replicating the company’s video conferencing capabilities through AI. I suspect most of the strength is instead coming from the company’s large stake in Anthropic, as well as its hefty net cash balance sheet position. The stock looks cheap, as always, but now the entire software sector looks cheap. I reiterate my "B uy" rating for the stock. ZM Stock Price I last covered ZM in November , where I stuck with my "B uy" rating even as ZM had more or less avoided the then-volatility. The stock has fallen 12% since, but other software stocks have been pummeled even harder. Data by YCharts The relative outperformance makes it difficult to get more bullish here, even as there are positive signs in the numbers. ZM Stock Key Metrics ZM is a software company that facilitates workplace communication. It is best known for its Zoom Video product, but it also offers more comprehensive communication solutions, including phone equipment. FY26 Q4 Presentation In the most recent quarter, ZM generated 5.3% YoY revenue growth to $ 1.247 billion, crushing guidance of $1.23 billion to $1.235 billion. This was the company’s highest growth rate over the last several years. FY26 Q4 Presentation ZM is still seeing some pressure in its net dollar expansion rate for enterprise customers, which remained steady at 98%. Investors may be fearful that ongoing concerns regarding AI-led job displacements may add further pressure to ZM’s enterprise recovery. FY26 Q4 Presentation ZM remained highly profitable, generating a 39.3% non-GAAP operating margin in the quarter. The company’s GAAP EPS was significantly higher in large part due to gains from equity investments. FY26 Q4 Presentation ZM saw remaining current performance obligations (‘cRPOs’) jump 7% YoY. In my...
As Wingstop (NASDAQ: WING) crosses roughly 3,000 locations and pricing tailwinds fade, investors face new questions about traffic, unit productivity, and long-term valuation. Watch the video below to see how this shifting growth story could impact the stock. *This video was published on Feb.24, 2026. Continue reading
As Wingstop (NASDAQ: WING) crosses roughly 3,000 locations and pricing tailwinds fade, investors face new questions about traffic, unit productivity, and long-term valuation. Watch the video below to see how this shifting growth story could impact the stock. *This video was published on Feb.24, 2026. Continue reading
Thailand, Laos Cambodia and Myanmar are heavily reliant on Middle Eastern oil and gas, whose flows have been strangled since the weekend when the US and Israel attacked Iran , prompting Tehran to strike back, hitting tankers and energy facilities across the Gulf. US President Donald Trump has pledged that Washington would provide a naval escort if necessary to get tankers moving through the narrow...
Thailand, Laos Cambodia and Myanmar are heavily reliant on Middle Eastern oil and gas, whose flows have been strangled since the weekend when the US and Israel attacked Iran , prompting Tehran to strike back, hitting tankers and energy facilities across the Gulf. US President Donald Trump has pledged that Washington would provide a naval escort if necessary to get tankers moving through the narrow strait, a transit point for 20 per cent of the world’s fuel. He also offered to backstop shipping insurers, which have dumped contracts in recent days, fearing catastrophic losses as the war spirals. Advertisement But his comments did not soothe oil markets, which jumped on Wednesday to US$82 a barrel of Brent crude from US$72 on Friday, a day before the start of hostilities. Nor did they assuage fears in Mekong nations, which are running low on oil and gas supplies. Social media videos show long queues at gas stations in Thailand, especially along its border with Myanmar, as well as in the Laotian capital Vientiane. Advertisement At the start of the conflict, Thailand said it had 61 days of fuel reserves – around half of them are in transit.
By Jaspreet Kalra MUMBAI, March 4 (Reuters) - Walmart-backed Indian fintech firm PhonePe, the country's most used payments platform, is aiming to list at a valuation of between $9 billion and $10.5 billion, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. That suggests the IPO will raise about $900 million to $1.05 billion. But even at the top end, the deal would mark a cut from the $12 bill...
By Jaspreet Kalra MUMBAI, March 4 (Reuters) - Walmart-backed Indian fintech firm PhonePe, the country's most used payments platform, is aiming to list at a valuation of between $9 billion and $10.5 billion, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. That suggests the IPO will raise about $900 million to $1.05 billion. But even at the top end, the deal would mark a cut from the $12 billion valuation at which PhonePe last raised $100 million in private markets in 2023. Walmart will trim its stake in PhonePe by about 12% in the firm's initial public offering, while Tiger Global and Microsoft plan to exit their stakes, according to the firm's IPO filing. The three firms will sell around 50.7 million shares in the offering and PhonePe will not issue any new shares. PhonePe, which competes with Google Pay and Paytm in India, filed for its IPO in September and aims to complete the process by April, one of the sources said, although the timeline could shift depending on capital market conditions, including any impact from the Middle East conflict. Both sources requested anonymity as the discussions are confidential. PhonePe, Walmart, Tiger Global, and Microsoft did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. The expected valuation of PhonePe, which means "on the phone" in Hindi, and timing of the issue have not been previously reported. PhonePe's listing would make it India's second-largest fintech IPO, behind Paytm's about $20 billion listing in 2021. Paytm currently trades at a market capitalization of $7.1 billion. 'MONETISATION REMAINS A QUESTION MARK' PhonePe has more than 650 million registered users and processed nearly 10 billion of the 21.7 billion transactions on India's unified payments interface (UPI) in January, regulatory data showed. But payments in India remain a low-margin business. India launched UPI in 2016 and barred companies from charging fees for the instant payment service to spur digital payments and reduce cash use in Asi...
ronniechua China’s official NBS Manufacturing PMI slipped to 49.0 in February 2026 from 49.3 in the previous month, slightly below market forecasts of 49.1 and marking the lowest print since October. China’s official NBS Non-Manufacturing PMI edged up to 49.5 in February 2026 from 49.4 in the previous month but remained below market expectations of 49.8. Composite PMI Output Index fell to 49.5 in ...
ronniechua China’s official NBS Manufacturing PMI slipped to 49.0 in February 2026 from 49.3 in the previous month, slightly below market forecasts of 49.1 and marking the lowest print since October. China’s official NBS Non-Manufacturing PMI edged up to 49.5 in February 2026 from 49.4 in the previous month but remained below market expectations of 49.8. Composite PMI Output Index fell to 49.5 in February 2026 from 49.8 in the previous month. The RatingDog China General Manufacturing PMI climbed to 52.1 in February 2026 from 50.3 in January, the highest since December 2020 and marking a third straight month of growth in factory activity. The RatingDog China General Services PMI surged to 56.7 in February 2026 from 52.3 in January, pointing to the highest reading since May 2023. Composite PMI rose to 55.4 in February 2026 from 51.6 in January. On Wednesday, the Shanghai Composite to below 4,090, while the Shenzhen Component dropped 0.2% to 13,995 on Wednesday, extending losses from the prior session as investors reacted to mixed PMI data , and the offshore yuan depreciated past 6.92 per dollar on Wednesday, marking its fourth consecutive session of losses as the strengthening greenback continued to weigh on the currency. ETFs: (NYSEARCA: FXI ), (NYSEARCA: KWEB ), (NYSEARCA: CQQQ ), (NASDAQ: MCHI ), (NYSEARCA: ASHR ), (NYSEARCA: YINN ), (NYSE: TDF ), (NYSEARCA: CHIQ ), (NYSEARCA: GXC ), (NYSEARCA: EWH ), (NYSEARCA: KBA ), (NYSEARCA: YANG ), (NASDAQ: CXSE ), (NYSE: CAF ), (NYSEARCA: CWEB ), (NASDAQ: PGJ ), (NYSEARCA: KURE ). Currency: ( CNY:USD ) More on China markets and economy: KWEB: Almost So Bad, It's Good, Where To Dip Your Toe Chinese Stocks And The FXI After The Supreme Court Ruling On U.S. Tariffs YANG: How It Works And How To Use It Asia markets in red amid Iran tensions; Seoul leads regional rout with double-digit losses Asian stocks slide as Middle East escalation spikes oil prices and shakes investor confidence
Malaysia’s anti-graft agency is investigating alleged abuse of power, fraud and governance issues linked to a deal between the government and Arm Holdings Plc , AFP reported . Malaysia inked a pact in March last year to pay the SoftBank Group Corp.-owned UK firm $250 million over a period of ten years for a slew of semiconductor-related licenses and knowhow. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commissio...
Malaysia’s anti-graft agency is investigating alleged abuse of power, fraud and governance issues linked to a deal between the government and Arm Holdings Plc , AFP reported . Malaysia inked a pact in March last year to pay the SoftBank Group Corp.-owned UK firm $250 million over a period of ten years for a slew of semiconductor-related licenses and knowhow. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has summoned 12 witnesses so far from the economy ministry and various government agencies, MACC’s chief Azam Baki was cited as saying by AFP. MACC said in a statement Wednesday that it was seeking James Chai to assist in an ongoing investigation. Chai is a former aide of former Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli, who oversaw the deal. Rafizi has denied wrongdoing, saying in a statement last month that the deal was not rushed and went through cabinet deliberations.