Key Points The Trade Desk's revenue growth has slowed recently. Management guided for even slower growth in Q4. Tough comparisons due to political ad spend in 2024 have been negatively impacting the advertising technology company's growth rates. 10 stocks we like better than The Trade Desk › Typically reporting its fourth-quarter results in the first few weeks of February, The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: ...
Key Points The Trade Desk's revenue growth has slowed recently. Management guided for even slower growth in Q4. Tough comparisons due to political ad spend in 2024 have been negatively impacting the advertising technology company's growth rates. 10 stocks we like better than The Trade Desk › Typically reporting its fourth-quarter results in the first few weeks of February, The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) is due for a quarterly update soon. Shareholders of the advertising technology company are likely hoping the report can bail them out of dismal performance recently. The stock is down about 74% from an all-time high closing price of more than $139. Even more, the last five years have been atrocious for the stock. During this period, shares are down about 55%. While performance like this may scare many investors away, this is actually a good time to look at the stock. After all, even though the stock has been crushed, The Trade Desk's revenue and earnings have performed well over the last five years. Could this be a classic opportunity to "be greedy when others are fearful," as famed investor Warren Buffett is known for saying? Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » Growth continues, but at a slower pace The Trade Desk's third-quarter revenue was $739 million, up 18% year over year. That was a deceleration from 19% growth in Q2 and 26% growth for the full year of 2024. Still, this isn't bad performance -- at least not the type of performance you'd expect from a company with a stock that has lost about three-fourths of its value. The reality is that The Trade Desk's underlying business is actually performing quite well. In fact, management noted in its third-quarter update that customer retention stayed above 95%, extending a streak that has now lasted 11 consecutive years. Further, the Trade Desk business momentum is actually better than it ...
Explore how these two leading ETFs differ on risk, yield, and portfolio makeup—key factors for building a balanced global strategy. Schwab International Equity ETF (SCHF +0.60%) and SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW +0.71%) both keep costs extremely low and provide broad developed-market exposure, but differ on fund size, yield, and risk-adjusted performance. Both the Schwab Internati...
Explore how these two leading ETFs differ on risk, yield, and portfolio makeup—key factors for building a balanced global strategy. Schwab International Equity ETF (SCHF +0.60%) and SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW +0.71%) both keep costs extremely low and provide broad developed-market exposure, but differ on fund size, yield, and risk-adjusted performance. Both the Schwab International Equity ETF and the SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF are designed as core international equity building blocks, tracking broad developed markets outside the United States. This comparison explores their similarities and differences across cost, recent returns, portfolio construction, risk, and trading characteristics to help investors decide which may fit their needs. Snapshot (Cost & Size) Metric SCHF SPDW Issuer Schwab SPDR Expense ratio 0.03% 0.03% 1-yr return (as of 2026-01-09) 35.1% 35.3% Dividend yield 3.3% 3.2% Beta 0.86 0.88 AUM $57.7 billion $35.1 billion Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Both funds are among the most affordable in the category, each charging just 0.03% in annual expenses. SCHF edges out SPDW with a slightly higher dividend yield, offering a marginally greater payout for income-focused investors. Performance & Risk Comparison Metric SCHF SPDW Max drawdown (5 y) -29.15% -30.20% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,593 $1,567 What's Inside SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF offers diversified exposure to developed-market equities outside the United States, holding 2,390 stocks and tilting toward financial services (23%), industrials (19%), and technology (11%). Its top holdings include Roche Holding Ag, Novartis Ag, and Toyota Motor Corp. With an 18.7-year history, SPDW aims to mitigate country-specific risk and serve as a core holding for international diversification. Schwab International Equity ...
Incentives aimed at reversing a falling birth rate seem like a sensible investment for an ageing society. Hong Kong is no exception, with initiatives ranging from a cash handout to family-friendly policies. But an upward trend in the city’s birth registrations in 2023 and 2024 has proved short-lived and attributable to one-off factors. The year 2023 was the first after the social distancing and un...
Incentives aimed at reversing a falling birth rate seem like a sensible investment for an ageing society. Hong Kong is no exception, with initiatives ranging from a cash handout to family-friendly policies. But an upward trend in the city’s birth registrations in 2023 and 2024 has proved short-lived and attributable to one-off factors. The year 2023 was the first after the social distancing and uncertainties of the pandemic. Then 2024 was the Year of the Dragon, deemed auspicious for having children. The number of registered births fell steadily from around 53,000 in 2019 to 32,950 in 2022, before rebounding to 33,288 in 2023 and again to 36,767 in 2024. The authorities predicted that the number would reach 39,000, only to see it plunge in 2025 to 31,714. The reversal raises the question of what more it would take to make a lasting difference. Among the measures that failed to sustain a rise was a baby bonus of HK$20,000 (US$2,565) from October 2023, a tax break and a shorter wait for public rental housing or priority to buy subsidised flats for families with newborns. The government is also setting up more infant and child care centres and continuing to gradually increase in vitro fertilisation (IVF) service quotas in public hospitals. Advertisement These are positive measures targeted at couples weighing the commitment and demands of starting or enlarging a family. That said, the issue is more complicated. Population expert Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai of the University of Hong Kong points to higher educational attainment among women, enhancing independence and life choices, and the prevalence of small-family norms in Hong Kong. Yip said the government must address the fundamental reasons people are choosing not to have babies. Negative factors include economic pressures such as the cost of living, especially housing prices; work-life imbalance that can make parenting challenging; and priorities such as education and career. That said, the city still has a lot to of...
D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS) has been turning heads in the technology world in recent quarters as it progresses in the high-potential industry of quantum computing. This pure-play quantum company is present in both the quantum annealing and gate-model space -- annealing helps customers optimize operations, while gate-model systems are more general-purpose. The company has been generating revenue in...
D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS) has been turning heads in the technology world in recent quarters as it progresses in the high-potential industry of quantum computing. This pure-play quantum company is present in both the quantum annealing and gate-model space -- annealing helps customers optimize operations, while gate-model systems are more general-purpose. The company has been generating revenue in the annealing space, but like all quantum players, it's still in the early days of its growth story. This is because quantum computers are still a work in progress, and it may take years for them to reach general usefulness. Meanwhile, investors have aimed to get in on this story early, driving D-Wave stock up in the quadruple digits over the past three years. This long time to market, as well as the massive gains we've seen in the stock price, mean you may want to forget about rushing into D-Wave right now -- and instead turn to the following artificial intelligence (AI) company that's generating billions of dollars in earnings. This AI behemoth still has more room to run. Let's check it out. Continue reading
Key Points MGK holds fewer, more concentrated mega-cap growth stocks and has a slightly deeper five-year drawdown than VOOG. Both ETFs charge the same low expense ratio, but MGK has a marginally lower dividend yield. VOOG offers broader sector exposure with more holdings, while MGK is more heavily tilted toward technology. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › The Vanguard S&P...
Key Points MGK holds fewer, more concentrated mega-cap growth stocks and has a slightly deeper five-year drawdown than VOOG. Both ETFs charge the same low expense ratio, but MGK has a marginally lower dividend yield. VOOG offers broader sector exposure with more holdings, while MGK is more heavily tilted toward technology. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › The Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:VOOG) and the Vanguard Mega Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:MGK) both target U.S. growth stocks, but they take distinct approaches. While VOOG tracks the growth slice of the S&P 500, offering broad exposure to large-cap growth, MGK zeroes in on the largest growth companies using a more concentrated mega-cap focus. Here’s how the two stack up on performance, risk, and diversification. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric VOOG MGK Issuer Vanguard Vanguard Expense ratio 0.07% 0.07% 1-yr return (as of Jan. 24, 2026) 15.75% 14.60% Dividend yield 0.49% 0.35% Beta (5Y monthly) 1.08 1.20 AUM $22 billion $32 billion Both ETFs come with the same low expense ratio, but MGK pays a slightly lower dividend yield. While there’s no difference for investors focused on fees, those seeking even a modest income tilt may find VOOG marginally more attractive. Performance & risk comparison Metric VOOG MGK Max drawdown (5 y) -32.74% -36.02% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,880 $1,954 What's inside MGK is built for investors seeking focused exposure to U.S. mega-cap growth stocks, tracking the largest companies with a portfolio of just 60 stocks. Technology dominates, making up 55% of the fund, followed by communication services and consumer cyclical. Its top holdings — Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft — collectively make up more than 35% of the fund. By contrast, VOOG spreads its bets across 140 growth-oriented stocks, with technology making up 49% of total assets. Its secondary sectors include communication services and consumer cyclical. Its top three positions match MGK’s but are somewhat...
These two top global ETFs offer exposure to international companies, but each has unique features that may appeal to investors. Both the SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW +0.71%) and Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS +0.57%) are core international funds designed for broad exposure outside the United States, but their coverage differs: SPDW tracks only developed markets, whe...
These two top global ETFs offer exposure to international companies, but each has unique features that may appeal to investors. Both the SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW +0.71%) and Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS +0.57%) are core international funds designed for broad exposure outside the United States, but their coverage differs: SPDW tracks only developed markets, whereas VXUS includes both developed and emerging economies. This comparison highlights how these differences play out in terms of costs, returns, risk, and portfolio construction. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric VXUS SPDW Issuer Vanguard SPDR Expense ratio 0.05% 0.03% 1-yr return (as of Jan. 24, 2026) 31.69% 32.6% Dividend yield 3.02% 3.14% Beta 0.75 0.82 AUM $573.72 billion $35.07 billion Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. SPDW has a slightly lower expense ratio and a higher dividend yield. However, it pays dividends semi-annually, whereas VXUS pays quarterly. Performance & risk comparison Metric VXUS SPDW Max drawdown (5 y) -29.43% -30.20% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,256 $1,321 What's inside SPDW tracks developed markets outside the U.S. and holds 2,413 stocks, with a sector tilt toward financials, industrials, and consumer cyclical. Its top holdings include ASML Holding N.V. (AMS:ASML), Samsung Electronics (LON: SMSN), and Roche Holding AG (SWX:ROG). Although it has a similar sector allocation, VXUS is far broader, covering both developed and emerging markets across 8,673 holdings. Top positions include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (2330.TW), Tencent Holdings Ltd. (0700.HK), and ASML Holding N.V. (AMS:ASML). What this means for investors Investors should be aware that international stocks in ETFs like those mentioned can move very differently from U.S. stocks and exhibit price movement that U.S. investors may not ...
Though its stock price is down about 74% from all-time highs, its underlying business is growing at double-digit rates. Typically reporting its fourth-quarter results in the first few weeks of February, The Trade Desk (TTD 0.73%) is due for a quarterly update soon. Shareholders of the advertising technology company are likely hoping the report can bail them out of dismal performance recently. The ...
Though its stock price is down about 74% from all-time highs, its underlying business is growing at double-digit rates. Typically reporting its fourth-quarter results in the first few weeks of February, The Trade Desk (TTD 0.73%) is due for a quarterly update soon. Shareholders of the advertising technology company are likely hoping the report can bail them out of dismal performance recently. The stock is down about 74% from an all-time high closing price of more than $139. Even more, the last five years have been atrocious for the stock. During this period, shares are down about 55%. While performance like this may scare many investors away, this is actually a good time to look at the stock. After all, even though the stock has been crushed, The Trade Desk's revenue and earnings have performed well over the last five years. Could this be a classic opportunity to "be greedy when others are fearful," as famed investor Warren Buffett is known for saying? Growth continues, but at a slower pace The Trade Desk's third-quarter revenue was $739 million, up 18% year over year. That was a deceleration from 19% growth in Q2 and 26% growth for the full year of 2024. Still, this isn't bad performance -- at least not the type of performance you'd expect from a company with a stock that has lost about three-fourths of its value. The reality is that The Trade Desk's underlying business is actually performing quite well. In fact, management noted in its third-quarter update that customer retention stayed above 95%, extending a streak that has now lasted 11 consecutive years. Further, the Trade Desk business momentum is actually better than it looks. The company is up against a tough comparison due to big political spending in 2024. When adjusted to exclude political spend, the Trade Desk's third-quarter 2025 revenue actually grew 22% year over year, as customers continue to ramp up their ad spend on the company's new AI (artificial intelligence)-powered programmatic ad-buying platf...
AI spending is expected to stay elevated in 2026. If you followed my advice for the three chip stocks I recommended in 2025, you're probably a happy investor. I recommended you purchase Nvidia (NVDA +1.60%), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM +2.21%), and ASML Holding (ASML 0.43%) for 2025, and if you did that and held on, you made a huge profit. The "worst" performer (if you can even call it...
AI spending is expected to stay elevated in 2026. If you followed my advice for the three chip stocks I recommended in 2025, you're probably a happy investor. I recommended you purchase Nvidia (NVDA +1.60%), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM +2.21%), and ASML Holding (ASML 0.43%) for 2025, and if you did that and held on, you made a huge profit. The "worst" performer (if you can even call it that) was Nvidia, which rose 39%. Taiwan Semiconductor and ASML each increased by 54%, delivering monstrous gains. Regardless of whether you followed my advice or not, every investor must make a decision on whether these stocks are worth holding on to or buying more of in 2026. I think there are two I'd much rather own, although each of them could still beat the market. Each stock represents a different part of the chip supply chain These three companies all play different roles in the chip industry. Nvidia designs chips, specifically for its graphics processing units (GPUs). GPUs have become the top option to train and run generative AI workloads, and the demand they have created is unprecedented. However, Nvidia only designs the chips; it doesn't manufacture them. Expand NASDAQ : NVDA Nvidia Today's Change ( 1.60 %) $ 2.95 Current Price $ 187.79 Key Data Points Market Cap $4.6T Day's Range $ 186.83 - $ 189.60 52wk Range $ 86.62 - $ 212.19 Volume 4.7M Avg Vol 187M Gross Margin 70.05 % Dividend Yield 0.02 % That's where Taiwan Semiconductor comes in. It operates a chip factory where clients can give it designs, and it produces them. This is a great relationship, as it allows Taiwan Semiconductor to stay neutral. It's only offering its foundry capabilities, versus competing against Nvidia. Part of the reason companies like Nvidia don't produce their own chips is the massive amount of equipment and expertise required to manufacture cutting-edge chips. This process requires expensive and specialized machines, such as those made by ASML. Expand NASDAQ : ASML ASML Today's Chang...
Tehran Rejects UN 'Protest Killings' Resolution, Blasts Western Moralizing Iran has flatly rejected a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution condemning what it described as the "violent crackdown on peaceful protests" by Iranian security forces, after two weeks of raging economic protests earlier this month, which also included a government enforced total internet shutdown . Following a cl...
Tehran Rejects UN 'Protest Killings' Resolution, Blasts Western Moralizing Iran has flatly rejected a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution condemning what it described as the "violent crackdown on peaceful protests" by Iranian security forces, after two weeks of raging economic protests earlier this month, which also included a government enforced total internet shutdown . Following a closed-door session in Geneva on Friday, 25 council members - including France, Japan, and South Korea - voted in favor of the formal censure. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images But there were significant voices among the seven that voted against, including China, India, and Pakistan . Fourteen others abstained. The council demanded that Tehran halt arrests linked to the protests and take steps to "prevent extrajudicial killing, other forms of arbitrary deprivation of life, enforced disappearance, sexual and gender-based violence ." UN human rights chief Volker Türk told the council that "the brutality in Iran continued, creating conditions for further human rights violations, instability and bloodshed." Tehran blasted the resolution as another display of Western hypocrisy, arguing that the sponsors of the emergency session have never genuinely cared about human rights in Iran . Iran’s envoy Ali Bahreini pushed back at the meeting, saying as follows: "It was ironic that states whose history was stained with genocide and war crimes now attempted to lecture Iran on social governance and human rights." This past week in Davos for the World Economic Forum, there was an interesting moment where US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent actually openly boasted that US sanctions helped drive the protests , after crippling the economy. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argues that US sanctions on Iran were intended to cripple the economy so people would take to the streets: "This is economic statecraft, no shots fired" * I made this argument last week, and was accused of spreading Ira...
Key Points Nvidia designs cutting-edge chips for its GPUs. Taiwan Semiconductor produces Nvidia's chip designs. ASML provides specialized machines for chip manufacturing. 10 stocks we like better than Nvidia › If you followed my advice for the three chip stocks I recommended in 2025, you're probably a happy investor. I recommended you purchase Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufactur...
Key Points Nvidia designs cutting-edge chips for its GPUs. Taiwan Semiconductor produces Nvidia's chip designs. ASML provides specialized machines for chip manufacturing. 10 stocks we like better than Nvidia › If you followed my advice for the three chip stocks I recommended in 2025, you're probably a happy investor. I recommended you purchase Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM), and ASML Holding (NASDAQ: ASML) for 2025, and if you did that and held on, you made a huge profit. The "worst" performer (if you can even call it that) was Nvidia, which rose 39%. Taiwan Semiconductor and ASML each increased by 54%, delivering monstrous gains. Regardless of whether you followed my advice or not, every investor must make a decision on whether these stocks are worth holding on to or buying more of in 2026. I think there are two I'd much rather own, although each of them could still beat the market. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » Each stock represents a different part of the chip supply chain These three companies all play different roles in the chip industry. Nvidia designs chips, specifically for its graphics processing units (GPUs). GPUs have become the top option to train and run generative AI workloads, and the demand they have created is unprecedented. However, Nvidia only designs the chips; it doesn't manufacture them. That's where Taiwan Semiconductor comes in. It operates a chip factory where clients can give it designs, and it produces them. This is a great relationship, as it allows Taiwan Semiconductor to stay neutral. It's only offering its foundry capabilities, versus competing against Nvidia. Part of the reason companies like Nvidia don't produce their own chips is the massive amount of equipment and expertise required to manufacture cutting-edge chips. This process requires expensive and spe...
Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) stock rose Friday after the Swedish telecom giant reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings. Ericsson, which generates the bulk of its revenue from network infrastructure, software solutions, and professional services, reported EPS of 27 cents, beating the analyst consensus estimate of 23 cents. The company’s reported sales for the quarter were 69.3 billion Swe...
Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) stock rose Friday after the Swedish telecom giant reported stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings. Ericsson, which generates the bulk of its revenue from network infrastructure, software solutions, and professional services, reported EPS of 27 cents, beating the analyst consensus estimate of 23 cents. The company’s reported sales for the quarter were 69.3 billion Swedish Krona ($7.37 billion). Although this represented a 5% year-over-year (Y/Y) decline, it topped the consensus revenue estimate of $7.03 billion. Organic sales, which exclude the impact of acquisitions, divestments, and foreign currency fluctuations, rose 6% for the period. Don't Miss: The AI Marketing Platform Backed by Insiders from Google, Meta, and Amazon — Invest at $0.85/Share Missed the AI Boom's Biggest IPOs? This Platform Lets Everyday Investors Access Private Tech Early The Networks division, a core business for the company, saw sales fall by 6%. The Enterprise segment experienced a steep 25% decline, primarily due to the divestment of iconectiv during the third quarter. However, this decline was partially offset by a 3% growth in Cloud Software and Services sales. Within the Networks segment specifically, organic sales decreased by 4%, as sales growth in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as in South East Asia, Oceania, and India, was partly offset by lower sales in the other market areas. Cloud Software and Services sales grew by 12%, with growth in all market areas. Sales in the Enterprise segment grew by 2%, with higher sales in Global Communications Platform offsetting a decline in Enterprise Wireless Solutions. Trending: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? Profitability and Cash Position The adjusted gross margin improved to 48.0% from 46.3% Y/Y, a gain driven by successful cost-reduction actions and operational efficiency. This translated down the income stateme...