Stanley Yeh/iStock via Getty Images The long-term return forecast for the Global Market Index (GMI) held steady in January at 7%-plus while the benchmark’s trailing 10-year shot higher through last month, rising above 10%. The near-three-percentage-point spread between the high-flying trailing results and the relatively moderate outlook is unusually wide. The gap suggests that investors should man...
Stanley Yeh/iStock via Getty Images The long-term return forecast for the Global Market Index (GMI) held steady in January at 7%-plus while the benchmark’s trailing 10-year shot higher through last month, rising above 10%. The near-three-percentage-point spread between the high-flying trailing results and the relatively moderate outlook is unusually wide. The gap suggests that investors should manage expectations down for the performance outlook for globally diversified portfolios in the years ahead. GMI is a market-value weighted mix of the major asset classes (excluding cash) via ETF proxies. Today’s forecast is calculated as the average of three models (defined below). The current 7.3% annualized estimate for GMI is unchanged from the January estimate , but remains well below the trailing 10.1% annualized return that GMI has generated over the past decade. In the wake of strong gains in several markets and asset classes recently, nearly half of GMI’s components are projected to generate returns that are below results for the past ten years. Ditto for GMI, which is currently projected to earn a substantially softer return compared with its performance over the trailing ten-year window through January. GMI represents a theoretical benchmark for the “optimal” portfolio that’s suited for the average investor with an infinite time horizon. Accordingly, GMI is useful as a starting point for customizing asset allocation and portfolio design to match a particular investor’s expectations, objectives, risk tolerance, etc. GMI’s history suggests that this passive benchmark’s performance will be competitive with most active asset-allocation strategies, especially after adjusting for risk, trading costs and taxes. It’s likely that some, most or possibly all of the forecasts above will be wide of the mark to some degree. GMI’s projections, however, are expected to be somewhat more reliable vs. the estimates for its components. Predictions for the specific markets (US stocks, c...
Hong Kong authorities are considering changing the proposed fine for smoking on a construction site to a fixed penalty of HK$3,000 (US$385) rather than a maximum of HK$150,000. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Tuesday that the initial plan was to amend the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, which only stipulates the maximum fine to be determined by the court...
Hong Kong authorities are considering changing the proposed fine for smoking on a construction site to a fixed penalty of HK$3,000 (US$385) rather than a maximum of HK$150,000. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said on Tuesday that the initial plan was to amend the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, which only stipulates the maximum fine to be determined by the courts rather than a fixed amount. The proposed smoking ban is in response to the deadly Tai Po blaze in November at Wang Fuk Court, which had been undergoing renovations. Advertisement “While many construction workers have expressed agreement with the comprehensive smoking ban on construction sites … they have raised concerns, stating that if the maximum penalty is set at HK$150,000, they’ll feel apprehensive,” Sun said. “Certain concerns are valid. We must allow more time to thoroughly consider the details, work through the specifics and ensure each step is viable.” Advertisement He said the government was “actively looking at” a solution that addressed such concerns. Sun said that one option would be to align the fine with the existing HK$3,000 penalty under the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance. He added that he was heartened to see the industry agree with the fine.
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images NXP Semiconductors ( NXPI ) was down 8% during early market action on Tuesday following fourth-quarter financial results that surpassed estimates, as financial firms pointed to broader market issues affecting the share price. The stock drop appears due to NXP's "over-exposure to Auto, sequential GM pressure, and lack of Industrial recovery evidenced in t...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images NXP Semiconductors ( NXPI ) was down 8% during early market action on Tuesday following fourth-quarter financial results that surpassed estimates, as financial firms pointed to broader market issues affecting the share price. The stock drop appears due to NXP's "over-exposure to Auto, sequential GM pressure, and lack of Industrial recovery evidenced in the results," said Cantor analysts, led by Matthew Prisco, in an investor note. "No change to our thesis post-press release as we continue to view NXPI's through-cycle resiliency and secular growth drivers as underappreciated by investors, with over-indexing to Automotive and continued macro/geopolitical uncertainty likely to weigh on near-term relative performance within Analog." Cantor retained its Overweight rating and $280 price target. "By segment, Auto/Industrial essentially came in as expected, with Mobile driving the Dec Q beat," Prisco added. "Elsewhere, DIO were down 7 days Q/Q to 154, and channel inventory increased to 10wks (vs 9wks last Q)—indicating some degree of channel fill benefit in the Dec Q (as expected)." Meanwhile, Oppenheimer retained its Outperform rating and attributed the stock price drop to a "muted outlook." "We view results/outlook aligned with the modest pace of continued cyclical recovery," said Oppenheimer analysts, led by Rick Schafer, in a note. "NXP remains well positioned to benefit in the cyclical recovery as utilization improves and content-led growth helps drive GM expansion." NXP competitors Analog Devices ( WDI ) and Infineon ( IFNNY ) were down 0.1% and 3.6%, respectively. More on NXP Semiconductors NXP Semiconductors N.V. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation NXP Semiconductors: As Self-Driving Advances, Can Auto IoT Keep Driving Growth? NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NXPI) Presents at CES 2026 Prepared Remarks Transcript NXP edges down following Q4 financial results despite strong growth in IoT and industrial NXP Semiconductors...
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) stock has been riding the AI wave with an upside of 116% in the last 52 weeks. Further, according to Holly Newman Kroft, managing director at Neuberger Berman Private Wealth, the “AI euphoria is far from finished.” The big investments in AI will therefore continue to benefit the “Magnificent Seven tech companies” and the other participants with a product portfolio that...
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) stock has been riding the AI wave with an upside of 116% in the last 52 weeks. Further, according to Holly Newman Kroft, managing director at Neuberger Berman Private Wealth, the “AI euphoria is far from finished.” The big investments in AI will therefore continue to benefit the “Magnificent Seven tech companies” and the other participants with a product portfolio that benefits from the structural tailwinds. AMD is among the high-performance computing companies that are positioned to benefit. Specific to AMD, Wedbush Securities is bullish ahead of the company’s earnings. Analyst Matt Bryson expects earnings to exceed Q4 estimates. In addition, Bryson expects “gross margin and profit growth through 2026.” Another potential catalyst is China starting to “green-light some AI-related shipments.” Overall, Wedbush has an “Outperform” rating and a $290 price target for AMD stock. About AMD Stock Headquartered in Santa Clara, Advanced Micro Devices is an innovator in high-performance computing, graphics, and visualization technologies. With a global presence, AMD operates in three segments: Data Center, Client and Gaming, and Embedded. For Q3 2025, AMD reported 36% year-on-year (YoY) growth in revenue to $9.2 billion. This growth was driven by demand for the company’s data center AI, server, and PC business. For the same period, the company’s GAAP gross margin was robust at 52%. Considering the strong financial performance and continued tailwinds for the industry, AMD stock has trended higher by 44% in the last six months. With AI-driven industry investments, it’s likely that robust growth will ensure that AMD stock remains in an uptrend. Ample Growth Opportunities The bullish view on AMD stock is underpinned by the point that the addressable market is significant. To put things into perspective, AMD believes that the compute market is likely to be worth $1 trillion by the end of the decade. With a broad portfolio of hardware, software, and solu...
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) stock has been riding the AI wave with an upside of 116% in the last 52 weeks. Further, according to Holly Newman Kroft, managing director at Neuberger Berman Private Wealth, the “AI euphoria is far from finished.” The big investments in AI will therefore continue to benefit the “Magnificent Seven tech companies” and the other participants with a product portfolio that...
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) stock has been riding the AI wave with an upside of 116% in the last 52 weeks. Further, according to Holly Newman Kroft, managing director at Neuberger Berman Private Wealth, the “AI euphoria is far from finished.” The big investments in AI will therefore continue to benefit the “Magnificent Seven tech companies” and the other participants with a product portfolio that benefits from the structural tailwinds. AMD is among the high-performance computing companies that are positioned to benefit. Specific to AMD, Wedbush Securities is bullish ahead of the company’s earnings. Analyst Matt Bryson expects earnings to exceed Q4 estimates. In addition, Bryson expects “gross margin and profit growth through 2026.” Another potential catalyst is China starting to “green-light some AI-related shipments.” Overall, Wedbush has an “Outperform” rating and a $290 price target for AMD stock. About AMD Stock Headquartered in Santa Clara, Advanced Micro Devices is an innovator in high-performance computing, graphics, and visualization technologies. With a global presence, AMD operates in three segments: Data Center, Client and Gaming, and Embedded. For Q3 2025, AMD reported 36% year-on-year (YoY) growth in revenue to $9.2 billion. This growth was driven by demand for the company’s data center AI, server, and PC business. For the same period, the company’s GAAP gross margin was robust at 52%. Considering the strong financial performance and continued tailwinds for the industry, AMD stock has trended higher by 44% in the last six months. With AI-driven industry investments, it’s likely that robust growth will ensure that AMD stock remains in an uptrend. Ample Growth Opportunities The bullish view on AMD stock is underpinned by the point that the addressable market is significant. To put things into perspective, AMD believes that the compute market is likely to be worth $1 trillion by the end of the decade. With a broad portfolio of hardware, software, and solu...
primeimages Shares of Palantir ( PLTR ) are in focus Tuesday morning after the company reported earnings after Monday’s close. The stock is up roughly 6.5% following a fourth-quarter beat and an outlook that topped expectations, fueling a positive response across the market. Investors are now weighing strong execution and forward guidance as momentum builds. See what Seeking Alpha analysts are say...
primeimages Shares of Palantir ( PLTR ) are in focus Tuesday morning after the company reported earnings after Monday’s close. The stock is up roughly 6.5% following a fourth-quarter beat and an outlook that topped expectations, fueling a positive response across the market. Investors are now weighing strong execution and forward guidance as momentum builds. See what Seeking Alpha analysts are saying about Palantir’s latest earnings report. SA analyst Mike Zaccardi indicated: “Valuation remains premium at 50x forward sales and >3x PEG, but strong free cash flow and EPS momentum support a Buy rating for PLTR stock,” in Palantir: Blowout Guidance Backs Up Strong Earnings, Shares Hold Key Support . SA Analyst The Asian Investor said: “Free cash flow expanded sharply in Q4. Palantir's significant cash flow growth and higher margins would be supportive of potential stock buybacks or strategic acquisitions. Despite a premium valuation, PLTR's accelerating growth, expanding customer base, and AI leadership justify a continued bullish stance,” in Palantir: AI-Driven Growth Acceleration (Rating Upgrade) . SA analyst Gary Alexander noted: “While I won't argue that Palantir certainly had some valuation premium that it needed to burn off, its fundamentals are also terrific, as amply demonstrated by its latest Q4 earnings print. In my view, this is an excellent time to accumulate shares of Palantir while they're taking a breather,” in Palantir: Blistering Growth And A Buy-The-Dip Moment . SA analyst Ahan Vashi expressed: “Considering Palantir's business fundamentals, valuation, and technicals, I am upgrading my rating on PLTR stock from a Strong Sell to a tactical Sell. I rate Palantir stock a tactical Sell in the mid-$100,” in Palantir: Q4 Earnings, Valuation, Technicals, And More (Rating Upgrade) . More on markets ETF inflows shatter records as $165B floods in during the month of January U.S. corporate profits stay on solid footing, as Goldman projects double-digit growth in 2...
koto_feja ManpowerGroup ( MAN ) fell on the radar of Argus on Tuesday. The firm boosted its rating on the employment stock to Buy from Hold on its view that the recent negative earnings trend is beginning to turn. Analyst John Eade highlighted that in the most recent quarter, revenue growth has improved for ManpowerGroup ( MAN ), and margins have held steady. Notably, ManpowerGroup ( MAN ) managem...
koto_feja ManpowerGroup ( MAN ) fell on the radar of Argus on Tuesday. The firm boosted its rating on the employment stock to Buy from Hold on its view that the recent negative earnings trend is beginning to turn. Analyst John Eade highlighted that in the most recent quarter, revenue growth has improved for ManpowerGroup ( MAN ), and margins have held steady. Notably, ManpowerGroup ( MAN ) management's outlook calls for a return to growth in Q1. "Results lately have been hurt by weak economic conditions and soft demand for staffing services. But conditions appear to be improving in key markets, and management has implemented cost-optimization strategies. We expect Manpower to benefit over time from its investment in data analytics and have a positive view of the company's long-term prospects as it focuses on selling higher-margin services," updated Eade. In terms of valuation, ManpowerGroup ( MAN ) was called attractive at a current P/E of 7.4X. From a technical standpoint, Argus thinks shares appear to be reversing a long-term bearish pattern and embarking on a bullish trend of higher highs and higher lows. Argus set a 12-month price target of $42 on ManpowerGroup ( MAN ). More on Manpower ManpowerGroup Inc. (MAN) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript ManpowerGroup Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation ManpowerGroup Stock: Holding Pattern In A Soft Labor Market ManpowerGroup outlines Q1 2026 revenue growth forecast with margin expansion focus amid AI-driven transformation Manpower beats top-line and bottom-line estimates; initiates Q1 outlook
Chris Harvey, CIBC head of equity strategy, says don't go "bottom-fishing" for stocks right now. He expects a melt-up for stocks this summer. (Source: Bloomberg)
Chris Harvey, CIBC head of equity strategy, says don't go "bottom-fishing" for stocks right now. He expects a melt-up for stocks this summer. (Source: Bloomberg)
aapsky/iStock via Getty Images IREN ( IREN ) reports 2Q26 on Thursday after the bell, and I’m maintaining the stock with a buy ahead into print. I last covered the stock in early January of this year, flagging IREN as cheap at the $45 level. With the stock up over 21.6% since then, outperforming the S&P 500 and peers during the same period, that call has played out as expected. The mini-rally rein...
aapsky/iStock via Getty Images IREN ( IREN ) reports 2Q26 on Thursday after the bell, and I’m maintaining the stock with a buy ahead into print. I last covered the stock in early January of this year, flagging IREN as cheap at the $45 level. With the stock up over 21.6% since then, outperforming the S&P 500 and peers during the same period, that call has played out as expected. The mini-rally reinforces my view that $45 marked a fundamental floor, mainly supported by improving visibility into IREN’s AI data center pipeline, contracting demand, and expanding margins as the business continues its transition away from pure Bitcoin mining. Heading into earnings, expectations remain reasonable relative to growth, and I see upside surprise if management reiterates or raises FY26 run-rate targets, especially around AI capacity utilization and customer diversification. Seeking Alpha The latter is where my thesis on the stock comes in. With IREN slowly but surely becoming a go-to provider of large-scale AI compute, I think more hyperscaler deals are underway. IREN isn’t just a momentum trade anymore; the company is positioning itself as a foundational layer in the AI buildout, with Cloud AI contracts now doing the heavy lifting on both revenue visibility and margin expansion. Sentiment around the neoclouds is nowhere near stable, which is why I view IREN as attractive on pullbacks. That has played out well so far, with the stock up another 88% since my September buy call of last year, down around 16.8% since my reiterated buy in early October of last year, and then up another 20% since my December buy call. Heading into 2Q26, IREN looks less like a speculative trade and more like a durable AI infrastructure compounder, and one that still hasn’t fully earned its seat at the valuation table. Investment Thesis: My long-term investment thesis remains unchanged: IREN’s long-term value depends on the speed and success of its transition into the AI cloud. While Bitcoin mining still...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 at 9 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS President and Chief Executive Officer — John Stauch Chief Financial Officer (outgoing) — Bob Fishman Chief Financial Officer (incoming) — Nick Brazos TAKEAWAYS Sales Growth -- Reported 5% sales growth in Q4, with segment performance of 9% growth in Flow and 11% growth in Pool, partially offset by a 10% decline in W...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 at 9 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS President and Chief Executive Officer — John Stauch Chief Financial Officer (outgoing) — Bob Fishman Chief Financial Officer (incoming) — Nick Brazos TAKEAWAYS Sales Growth -- Reported 5% sales growth in Q4, with segment performance of 9% growth in Flow and 11% growth in Pool, partially offset by a 10% decline in Water Solutions. -- Reported 5% sales growth in Q4, with segment performance of 9% growth in Flow and 11% growth in Pool, partially offset by a 10% decline in Water Solutions. Adjusted Operating Profit -- Adjusted operating profit increased 9% in Q4 to $252 million, with company return on sales expanding 90 basis points to 24.7% year over year. -- Adjusted operating profit increased 9% in Q4 to $252 million, with company return on sales expanding 90 basis points to 24.7% year over year. Adjusted EPS -- Q4 adjusted EPS rose 9% to $1.18; full-year adjusted EPS increased 14% to a record $4.92. -- Q4 adjusted EPS rose 9% to $1.18; full-year adjusted EPS increased 14% to a record $4.92. Full-Year Metrics -- Annual sales rose 2% to $4.18 billion, adjusted operating income was up 10%, and full-year return on sales reached 25.2%, marking a 170 basis point expansion. -- Annual sales rose 2% to $4.18 billion, adjusted operating income was up 10%, and full-year return on sales reached 25.2%, marking a 170 basis point expansion. Record Free Cash Flow -- Delivered record free cash flow of $748 million for the year, enabling $225 million in share repurchases (2.3 million shares) and a new $1 billion repurchase authorization. -- Delivered record free cash flow of $748 million for the year, enabling $225 million in share repurchases (2.3 million shares) and a new $1 billion repurchase authorization. Transformation Savings -- Achieved transformation savings of $70 million net of investments, with the same level targeted for 2026. -- Achieved transformation savings of $70 million net of inves...
josefkubes HP ( HPQ ) shares fell more than 6% on Tuesday after Bank of America downgraded the tech giant, citing this morning's unexpected departure of CEO Enrique Lores and continued memory headwinds. "We view this transition as sudden as Lores has spent 36 years with HPQ, though we note he has served on PayPal’s board for nearly 5 years," Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan wrote in a note to c...
josefkubes HP ( HPQ ) shares fell more than 6% on Tuesday after Bank of America downgraded the tech giant, citing this morning's unexpected departure of CEO Enrique Lores and continued memory headwinds. "We view this transition as sudden as Lores has spent 36 years with HPQ, though we note he has served on PayPal’s board for nearly 5 years," Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan wrote in a note to clients. "With the news, HPQ reiterated the F1Q and F26 guide of $0.73 - $0.81 & $2.90 - $3.20, respectively. This downgrade reflects a tougher set-up across several coinciding headwinds: 1) slower PC demand and unit growth; 2) PS OM pressure on memory costs; 3) incremental uncertainty from a CEO transition that can distract execution & elongate strategic decision-making." Mohan lowered his rating on HP to Underperform from Neutral and cut his price target to $20 from $26. More on HP HP Inc.: A Share Cannibal Trading At Cycle Lows HP Inc.: Near-Term Earnings Outlook Became Weaker Than I Expected (Rating Downgrade) HP Inc.: A Better Bargain As Cost Initiatives Yield Fruit (Upgrade) HP CEO Lores steps down, to be replaced by Broussard on interim basis HP shares fell for seven consecutive sessions
Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR - Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by investment analysts at DA Davidson from $215.00 to $180.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. DA Davidson's target price would suggest a potential upside of 14.77% from the company's previous close. Get Palantir Technologies alerts: Sign Up PLTR has been the subject of a number ...
Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR - Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by investment analysts at DA Davidson from $215.00 to $180.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. DA Davidson's target price would suggest a potential upside of 14.77% from the company's previous close. Get Palantir Technologies alerts: Sign Up PLTR has been the subject of a number of other reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Palantir Technologies from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Robert W. Baird upgraded Palantir Technologies from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $200.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on Palantir Technologies from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on Palantir Technologies from $155.00 to $198.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Northland Securities upgraded Palantir Technologies from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $190.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $190.45. Read Our Latest Stock Report on PLTR Palantir Technologies Price Performance NASDAQ PLTR traded up $9.07 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $156.83. The company's stock had a trading volume of 30,923,832 shares, compared to its average volume of 40,390,793. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $175.84 and a 200 day moving average of $173.70. Palantir Technologies has a one year lo...
Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR - Get Free Report)'s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $147.76, but opened at $165.05. Palantir Technologies shares last traded at $154.8390, with a volume of 21,639,867 shares traded. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, toppi...
Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR - Get Free Report)'s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $147.76, but opened at $165.05. Palantir Technologies shares last traded at $154.8390, with a volume of 21,639,867 shares traded. The company reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.02. Palantir Technologies had a return on equity of 15.48% and a net margin of 28.11%.The business had revenue of $1.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.34 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.14 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 70.0% on a year-over-year basis. Get Palantir Technologies alerts: Sign Up More Palantir Technologies News Here are the key news stories impacting Palantir Technologies this week: Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and eye‑catching guidance — Palantir reported $1.41B revenue (+70% YoY) and beat EPS expectations; management guided FY‑2026 revenue meaningfully higher (about +61% / ~$7.2B), signaling accelerating top‑line momentum. Read More. Q4 beat and eye‑catching guidance — Palantir reported $1.41B revenue (+70% YoY) and beat EPS expectations; management guided FY‑2026 revenue meaningfully higher (about +61% / ~$7.2B), signaling accelerating top‑line momentum. Read More. Positive Sentiment: AI + U.S. commercial demand is driving durable revenue jumps — U.S. commercial revenue rose ~137% and management said AI adoption is boosting existing-client spend, a theme investors view as sustainable growth. Read More. AI + U.S. commercial demand is driving durable revenue jumps — U.S. commercial revenue rose ~137% and management said AI adoption is boosting existing-client spend, a theme investors view as sustainable growth. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Wall Street revising estimates — Several firms upgraded PLTR (William Blair, Robe...
Pranav Kashyap and Twesha Dikshit Reuters Feb. 3, 2026, 10:22 a.m. ET Wall Street's main indexes rose on Tuesday as Palantir's results aided optimism around the AI trade, while investors geared up for a flood of corporate results through the week. Palantir Technologies jumped 8.6% after upbeat results highlighted demand for its military-grade AI tools, with U.S. defense spending helping lift quart...
Pranav Kashyap and Twesha Dikshit Reuters Feb. 3, 2026, 10:22 a.m. ET Wall Street's main indexes rose on Tuesday as Palantir's results aided optimism around the AI trade, while investors geared up for a flood of corporate results through the week. Palantir Technologies jumped 8.6% after upbeat results highlighted demand for its military-grade AI tools, with U.S. defense spending helping lift quarterly sales. Teradyne rose 7.8% after the chip-testing equipment maker issued a strong first-quarter forecast, riding a separate wave of AI-linked investment as big tech pours multibillion-dollar sums into data-center expansion. "(Palantir) earnings definitely have helped revive the AI trade this morning," said John Campbell, senior portfolio manager, Allspring Global Investments. Alphabet rose 0.8% after notching a record high in the previous session, while Amazon added 0.6%. Both the "Magnificent Seven" heavyweights are due to report later this week, offering investors another read on the race to commercialize artificial intelligence. Advanced Micro Devices and server maker Super Micro Computer, both due to report after the market close, were higher. The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index rose 0.7%. "We've got kind of an expensive market and expectations are really high. So there are many areas of the market, especially around AI, that are somewhat priced for perfection. That's just got us in a little bit of a skittish environment," Campbell added. Earnings from the biggest technology companies have underscored a growing investor focus on payback from soaring capital expenditure plans. Spending on AI-related infrastructure has climbed sharply, putting pressure on companies to translate investment into measurable returns that can support lofty valuations. Meanwhile, Walt Disney on Tuesday named theme parks head Josh D'Amaro as CEO, placing a longtime insider at the helm and ending succession uncertainty. The company's shares dipped 1.2%. At 9:33 a.m. ET the Dow Jones Indus...
JasonDoiy / Getty Images (JasonDoiy / Getty Images) No matter what people say, only two companies—Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Waymo and Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA)—are fighting for supremacy in the completely self-driving car industry. (This excludes China.) So, Waymo just put $16 billion into its war chest. By some measures, it already has a lead over its rival. 24/7 Wall St. Key Points Accordi...
JasonDoiy / Getty Images (JasonDoiy / Getty Images) No matter what people say, only two companies—Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Waymo and Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA)—are fighting for supremacy in the completely self-driving car industry. (This excludes China.) So, Waymo just put $16 billion into its war chest. By some measures, it already has a lead over its rival. 24/7 Wall St. Key Points According to The New York Times, the new Waymo funding came from Alphabet, Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital. The fact that investors outside Alphabet put money in is a vote of confidence. The investment puts Waymo’s valuation at $126 billion. Ford’s market cap is $55 billion and GM’s is $78 billion. The disparity highlights the hurdles to the industry’s growth. Waymo began in 2009 as the Google Self-Driving Car Project. Its name was changed to Waymo in 2016. Its first completely self-driving car hit the streets of Phoenix in 2020. These did not have an attendant on board, which was a huge advance. Today, it operates in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, and San Francisco, as well as Austin, Texas. It plans to add new markets soon, 10 in the United States and another in London. Tesla has unsupervised vehicles in Austin and plans to add Dallas, Miami, Las Vegas, and Phoenix to the list. It has supervised cars in other areas, as well. The holy grail of the industry is to have completely self-driving cars on America’s roads that local or federal governments have approved to operate without a human, eventually anywhere and everywhere. While the Tesla service operates on Tesla vehicles only, Waymo currently works on Jaguar I-PACE SUVs and Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans. It has been tested on several other models. In theory, other car companies can use it, which gives it a huge universe of manufacturer customers. Tesla has a great deal riding on its self-driving technology. It is a foot on Elon Musk’s Tesla stool, along with Optimus robots. The new Waymo ...
Kratos had some good news for investors today. It's just not clear exactly how good the news is. After four straight days of declines, Kratos Defense & Security (KTOS +3.70%) stock finally bounced a bit on Tuesday. Shares of the military drones specialist gained 2.1% through 10:05 a.m. ET Tuesday after announcing it has won several contracts "to design, develop and deliver simulators and other sol...
Kratos had some good news for investors today. It's just not clear exactly how good the news is. After four straight days of declines, Kratos Defense & Security (KTOS +3.70%) stock finally bounced a bit on Tuesday. Shares of the military drones specialist gained 2.1% through 10:05 a.m. ET Tuesday after announcing it has won several contracts "to design, develop and deliver simulators and other solutions for warfighter training supporting operations and maintenance of key aircraft and other platforms," worth $65 million in total. Details, please The company said the contracts relate to "avionics maintenance training" for U.S. Army CH47F Chinook and UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters, Air Force UH-1 Huey "and more. " The U.S. Department of War (i.e., the Department of Defense) is named as one counterparty, and unidentified "allied nations" are also involved. Kratos did not clarify precisely how many contracts it won, nor their duration, so we don't really know across how many years these $65 million will be spread. Expand NASDAQ : KTOS Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Today's Change ( 3.70 %) $ 3.56 Current Price $ 99.72 Key Data Points Market Cap $16B Day's Range $ 97.24 - $ 101.00 52wk Range $ 23.90 - $ 134.00 Volume 24K Avg Vol 3.2M Gross Margin 22.16 % Is Kratos stock a buy? And yet, this is crucial information that investors need to know to decide how material this contract is to their investment. Kratos recorded sales approaching $1.3 billion over the last 12 months after all. If the contracts awarded today total $65 million in fiscal 2026, for example, then that's a 5% increase in annual revenue for Kratos -- pretty significant. On the other hand, if the contracts span five years, we're talking closer to a 1% boost in revenue, which would logically "move the needle" much less for Kratos. With Kratos stock moving only 2% higher today, investors appear to be hedging their bets to account for the uncertainty. A bit more clarity from Kratos could go a long way to help...
These are solid bargains even in the tech space. Even within the hot technology space, there are still stocks trading at attractive valuations. This includes a few top artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. Let's look at three ready for a bull run. Nvidia While Nvidia (NVDA 3.04%) isn't often mentioned when talking about bargain stocks, a case can certainly be made that the stock is currently tradin...
These are solid bargains even in the tech space. Even within the hot technology space, there are still stocks trading at attractive valuations. This includes a few top artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. Let's look at three ready for a bull run. Nvidia While Nvidia (NVDA 3.04%) isn't often mentioned when talking about bargain stocks, a case can certainly be made that the stock is currently trading at a bargain valuation. With a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 25 times based on analyst 2026 consensus, and a forward price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of under 0.7, Nvidia's stock is downright cheap for a company with its growth. Expand NASDAQ : NVDA Nvidia Today's Change ( -3.04 %) $ -5.64 Current Price $ 179.97 Key Data Points Market Cap $4.5T Day's Range $ 179.57 - $ 186.26 52wk Range $ 86.62 - $ 212.19 Volume 1.9M Avg Vol 181M Gross Margin 70.05 % Dividend Yield 0.02 % Nvidia has established itself as the leader in AI infrastructure, as its graphics processing units (GPUs) are the main chips used to power AI workloads. Meanwhile, its CUDA software platform and networking portfolio have helped create a wide moat. With data center infrastructure spending expected to continue to grow rapidly over the next few years, Nvidia is a bargain tech stock to own. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Another attractively valued stock in the AI infrastructure space is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM 1.48%), which is the world's leading manufacturer of advanced chips. Despite the company having a near monopoly on making advanced chips like GPUs, the stock trades at just a forward P/E of 23 times and a PEG of below 0.7 times. Expand NYSE : TSM Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Today's Change ( -1.48 %) $ -5.04 Current Price $ 336.32 Key Data Points Market Cap $1.8T Day's Range $ 334.67 - $ 347.05 52wk Range $ 134.25 - $ 351.33 Volume 209K Avg Vol 13M Gross Margin 59.02 % Dividend Yield 0.90 % The foundry is working closely with its customers to increase it...
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has left the stock market with relatively few bargain stocks. Many of the top tech stocks have logged triple-digit gains since the bottom of the bear market of 2022. Fortunately, investors can find potentially lucrative stocks without paying uncomfortably high premiums and hoping the growth will hold up long enough to drive market-beating returns. Such poss...
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has left the stock market with relatively few bargain stocks. Many of the top tech stocks have logged triple-digit gains since the bottom of the bear market of 2022. Fortunately, investors can find potentially lucrative stocks without paying uncomfortably high premiums and hoping the growth will hold up long enough to drive market-beating returns. Such possible opportunities exist today with AT&T (NYSE: T), Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM), and International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM). Let's take a closer look at each. AT&T In the push for AI stocks, investors seem to have forgotten about telcos such as AT&T. Admittedly, investors sold the stock in past years, and the magnitude of missteps with DirecTV and its former segment, which is now part of Warner Bros. Discovery, came to light. However, the new and leaner AT&T has shown signs of improvement, strongly competing with its main rivals, Verizon Communications and T-Mobile, as its networks support increasingly critical cloud and AI functions. Despite the company's almost 1.2 million wireless net adds and around 700,000 fiber net adds for the year, revenue for the first nine months of 2024 was $90 billion, representing a modest drop from year-ago levels. Rising equipment costs also weighed on financials, and the $6.7 billion in net income for the first three quarters of 2024 was a 44% yearly decline. Despite the falling profits, AT&T benefits from growth where it counts, and the stock has continued to rise, despite that news. Also, the 13 price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) could point to some undervaluation, positioning investors to profit from a revamped business on the cutting edge of tech. Qualcomm Qualcomm may be one of the more overlooked companies in the AI chip space. The generative AI push also applies to phones, and Qualcomm has addressed this market demand through its AI-equipped Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. As the 5G upgrade cycle runs its course, Qualcomm can benefit from a n...
Palantir Stock Jumps After Earnings. How It Won Over Valuation Skeptics. MarketWatch Palantir Earnings, Outlook Beat. How Software Maker Stands Out Amid AI Volatility. Investor's Business Daily Stock Market Today, Feb. 3: Palantir Technologies Surges After Record Revenue Growth and Strong AI Demand The Motley Fool
Palantir Stock Jumps After Earnings. How It Won Over Valuation Skeptics. MarketWatch Palantir Earnings, Outlook Beat. How Software Maker Stands Out Amid AI Volatility. Investor's Business Daily Stock Market Today, Feb. 3: Palantir Technologies Surges After Record Revenue Growth and Strong AI Demand The Motley Fool
Key Points BML Capital bought 155,000 shares of CarMax in the fourth quarter. As of quarter-end, the CarMax shares were valued at $5.99 million This new stake places CarMax outside the fund’s top five holdings. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › On February 2, BML Capital Management, LLC disclosed a new position in CarMax (NYSE:KMX), acquiring 155,000 shares in an estimated...
Key Points BML Capital bought 155,000 shares of CarMax in the fourth quarter. As of quarter-end, the CarMax shares were valued at $5.99 million This new stake places CarMax outside the fund’s top five holdings. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › On February 2, BML Capital Management, LLC disclosed a new position in CarMax (NYSE:KMX), acquiring 155,000 shares in an estimated $5.99 million trade based on quarterly average pricing. What happened According to an SEC filing dated February 2, BML Capital Management disclosed a new position in CarMax (NYSE:KMX), purchasing 155,000 shares during the fourth quarter. The estimated value of the trade was $5.99 million, based on the quarter-end share price. What else to know The new position in CarMax represents 5.18% of BML Capital’s reported 13F assets under management after the filing. Top holdings after the quarter: NASDAQ: ACRS: $42.89 million (38.0% of AUM) NASDAQ: AVIR: $26.74 million (23.7% of AUM) NASDAQ: ORMP: $9.03 million (8.0% of AUM) NASDAQ: TIL: $7.10 million (6.3% of AUM) NASDAQ: PMVP: $6.62 million (5.9% of AUM) As of February 2, CarMax shares were priced at $44.78, down 46.84% over the past year and well underperforming the S&P 500’s roughly 15% gain in the same period. Company overview Metric Value Revenue (TTM) $25.94 billion Net income (TTM) $457.84 million Market capitalization $6.58 billion Price (as of February 2) $44.78 Company snapshot CarMax offers a wide selection of used vehicles, including domestic, imported, luxury, hybrid, and electric models, along with extended protection plans and vehicle repair services. The company operates an integrated retail and wholesale model, generating revenue through used vehicle sales, financing via CarMax Auto Finance, and ancillary services such as reconditioning and auctions. It targets retail consumers seeking used vehicles across the United States, serving a broad customer base through a network of stores and digital channels. CarMax is ...