asbe/iStock via Getty Images Down 47% from its August highs, Upstart Holdings, Inc. ( UPST ) presents a compelling buying opportunity at current levels thanks to its structural strength, improving AI model performance, and an encouraging macro environment. A major factor contributing to Upstart’s slide over the past month is its loan book’s significant sequential growth in Q3 2025, despite the com...
asbe/iStock via Getty Images Down 47% from its August highs, Upstart Holdings, Inc. ( UPST ) presents a compelling buying opportunity at current levels thanks to its structural strength, improving AI model performance, and an encouraging macro environment. A major factor contributing to Upstart’s slide over the past month is its loan book’s significant sequential growth in Q3 2025, despite the company’s promise to reduce its larger-than-normal loan book by the end of 2025, raising fears that the company may be struggling to see demand for the loans held on its balance sheet. That said, Upstart’s loan book may be a hidden asset amidst an improving credit environment, with an expected robust GDP growth and cooling inflation rates potentially paving the way for more rate cuts than expected in 2026. These factors could see Upstart report an improved net interest margin (NIM) in FY 2026, boosting its bottom line, while helping it secure funding deals to reduce its loan book at better terms. This view can be supported by Upstart’s improving loan performance amidst an elevated Upstart Macro Index (UMI) reading in Q3 2025. In fact, the company’s loan performance in Q3 represents a significant YoY improvement in terms of 90+ day delinquencies and net charge-offs at a similar UMI level and a larger loan book. In my opinion, these results are a testament to the quality of Upstart’s underwriting capabilities and the advancement of its AI models. On that note, Upstart’s AI models proved to be a headwind to the company’s Q3 earnings after its models overreacted to macro signals by lowering approvals and offering higher interest rates, leading its conversion rate to drop sequentially. Despite this headwind, Upstart was still able to report significant YoY adjusted EBITDA growth and maintained its GAAP profitability, all bullish signs for the company’s ability to operate profitably in worsening macro conditions. It is for these reasons that I’m reiterating my buy rating for Upstart...
imaginima/iStock via Getty Images In my prior report on Tesla, Inc. ( TSLA ), I concluded that execution on robotics is a must for Musk. In my view, everything that Tesla does and Musk aspires hooks into each other as I discuss in this report. That also means that Tesla should not be valued according to the valuation standards for car manufacturers, but as I discuss in this report, it also exponen...
imaginima/iStock via Getty Images In my prior report on Tesla, Inc. ( TSLA ), I concluded that execution on robotics is a must for Musk. In my view, everything that Tesla does and Musk aspires hooks into each other as I discuss in this report. That also means that Tesla should not be valued according to the valuation standards for car manufacturers, but as I discuss in this report, it also exponentially increases the pressure on the car manufacturer to execute the broader strategy. Musk’s Autonomy Strategy The strategy that is being executed at Tesla is one that echoes Musk’s mindset that civilization progresses by increasing automation, intelligence, safety, and security. Autonomy plays a key role in there, and the executive strategy is to solve autonomy problems once and then deploy it everywhere. Cars are in some way just the easier entry point to execute that strategy. It provides Tesla with the economic engine to execute the broader strategy. Worldwide, Tesla cars are being sold alongside other electric vehicles because they are electric vehicles and thus less demanding regarding pollution and global warming. At least, that is the framing. Worldwide, there are around 1.5 billion vehicles at an average price of a Tesla, which gives a $67.5 trillion addressable market. Tesla will not be reaching sales on that level any time soon, as its EV adoption has yet to grow, and within the EV sphere, there is fierce competition. However, it does show where the money has to come from and how the broader autonomy strategy had to start with cars. In some way, the cars give Tesla huge data generators to develop full self-driving capability, turning them into transport robots. From there, other modes of transport, such as the freight segment and public transportation, of ground transportation can be electrified and made autonomous in the mindset that you solve the autonomy issue once and then deploy it everywhere, and autonomy also, in theory, improves safety. Other modes of tr...
imaginima/iStock via Getty Images In my prior report on Tesla, Inc. ( TSLA ), I concluded that execution on robotics is a must for Musk. In my view, everything that Tesla does and Musk aspires hooks into each other as I discuss in this report. That also means that Tesla should not be valued according to the valuation standards for car manufacturers, but as I discuss in this report, it also exponen...
imaginima/iStock via Getty Images In my prior report on Tesla, Inc. ( TSLA ), I concluded that execution on robotics is a must for Musk. In my view, everything that Tesla does and Musk aspires hooks into each other as I discuss in this report. That also means that Tesla should not be valued according to the valuation standards for car manufacturers, but as I discuss in this report, it also exponentially increases the pressure on the car manufacturer to execute the broader strategy. Musk’s Autonomy Strategy The strategy that is being executed at Tesla is one that echoes Musk’s mindset that civilization progresses by increasing automation, intelligence, safety, and security. Autonomy plays a key role in there, and the executive strategy is to solve autonomy problems once and then deploy it everywhere. Cars are in some way just the easier entry point to execute that strategy. It provides Tesla with the economic engine to execute the broader strategy. Worldwide, Tesla cars are being sold alongside other electric vehicles because they are electric vehicles and thus less demanding regarding pollution and global warming. At least, that is the framing. Worldwide, there are around 1.5 billion vehicles at an average price of a Tesla, which gives a $67.5 trillion addressable market. Tesla will not be reaching sales on that level any time soon, as its EV adoption has yet to grow, and within the EV sphere, there is fierce competition. However, it does show where the money has to come from and how the broader autonomy strategy had to start with cars. In some way, the cars give Tesla huge data generators to develop full self-driving capability, turning them into transport robots. From there, other modes of transport, such as the freight segment and public transportation, of ground transportation can be electrified and made autonomous in the mindset that you solve the autonomy issue once and then deploy it everywhere, and autonomy also, in theory, improves safety. Other modes of tr...
Seven foreign-born players for Malaysia’s national football team have been cleared to keep competing after the Court of Arbitration for Sport temporarily halted Fifa-imposed bans while their appeal is reviewed, Malaysia’s football federation said on Tuesday. Last September, Fifa fined the Football Association of Malaysia 350,000 Swiss francs (US$450,000) for fake documents filed to naturalise the ...
Seven foreign-born players for Malaysia’s national football team have been cleared to keep competing after the Court of Arbitration for Sport temporarily halted Fifa-imposed bans while their appeal is reviewed, Malaysia’s football federation said on Tuesday. Last September, Fifa fined the Football Association of Malaysia 350,000 Swiss francs (US$450,000) for fake documents filed to naturalise the seven players, who were also fined and suspended for a year. The players stemmed from Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands and Spain but had been naturalised in an apparent breach of Fifa rules and played in a qualifying game for the 2027 Asian Cup that Malaysia won against Vietnam. Advertisement The Malaysian federation later took the case to sport’s highest court based in Switzerland after Fifa rejected its appeal. The federation said in a statement on Tuesday that the Court of Arbitration for Sport had approved their request for a stay of execution, allowing the seven players to continue taking part in all football-related activities until a final ruling is made. Advertisement The players involved are Facundo Garces, Rodrigo Holgado, Imanol Machuca, Joao Figueiredo, Gabriel Palmero, Jon Irazabal and Hector Hevel, all of whom have featured for the Harimau Malaya national team.
Gulf Air signed an agreement with SpaceX ’s Starlink to deploy onboard Wi-Fi on Bahrain ’s national carrier, giving Elon Musk ’s company another win in the competition for connectivity among Middle East carriers. Starlink will start operating on Gulf Air’s Airbus SE A320s starting in the middle of the year and will then be rolled out across the entire fleet, the airline said on Tuesday. The state-...
Gulf Air signed an agreement with SpaceX ’s Starlink to deploy onboard Wi-Fi on Bahrain ’s national carrier, giving Elon Musk ’s company another win in the competition for connectivity among Middle East carriers. Starlink will start operating on Gulf Air’s Airbus SE A320s starting in the middle of the year and will then be rolled out across the entire fleet, the airline said on Tuesday. The state-owned carrier will provide the service for free to passengers. Bloomberg reported in August that Gulf Air, as well as Saudi Arabia ’s flag carrier, was in talks with Starlink to equip its fleet. SpaceX has gained a solid foothold in the global aviation market by delivering the fastest Internet connection speeds across the industry using roughly 8,000 satellites. The company’s signed deals with British Airways , Virgin Atlantic , Deutsche Lufthansa AG , and some of Middle East’s biggest airlines in the past year. Qatar Airways was the first airline in the Persian Gulf to offer Starlink, beginning on flights in 2024. SpaceX also announced a deal with Emirates , the world’s largest international airline, and sister carrier Flydubai in November. The Bahrain carrier operates a fleet of about 40 jets, comprised of Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliners and the smaller Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft. Gulf Air purchased 18 Dreamliners in July.