Noodles & Company ( NDLS ) will effect a 1-for-8 reverse stock split of its Class A common stock. The reverse split is expected to become effective on February 18, 2026. The action is intended to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s $1.00 minimum bid price requirement. The board subsequently approved the 1-for-8 ratio within the previously authorized range of 1-for-2 to 1-for-15. NDLS shares down 7% post-market. More on Noodles & Company Noodles & Company posts higher Q4 comparable sales in preliminary update Galloway Capital Partners takes stake in Noodles & Company Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Noodles & Company Historical earnings data for Noodles & Company Financial information for Noodles & Company

Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. ET Call participants Chief Executive Officer — Nicholas Lahanas Chief Financial Officer — Bradley G. Smith President, Pet Consumer Products — John Edward Hanson President, Garden Consumer Products — John D. Walker Vice President, Investor Relations — Friederike Edelmann Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Takeaways Net Sales -- $617 million, representing a 6% decrease, primarily due to the timing of retailer spring shipments and ongoing portfolio optimization initiatives. -- $617 million, representing a 6% decrease, primarily due to the timing of retailer spring shipments and ongoing portfolio optimization initiatives. Non-GAAP Gross Profit -- $190 million, down from $196 million, with non-GAAP gross margin increasing 100 basis points to 30.8%, driven by productivity gains and improved product mix. -- $190 million, down from $196 million, with non-GAAP gross margin increasing 100 basis points to 30.8%, driven by productivity gains and improved product mix. Non-GAAP SG&A Expense -- $166 million, a 1% decrease; represented 26.8% of sales versus 25.5% previously. -- $166 million, a 1% decrease; represented 26.8% of sales versus 25.5% previously. Non-GAAP Operating Income -- $24 million, compared to $28 million; non-GAAP operating margin was 3.9% versus 4.3%. -- $24 million, compared to $28 million; non-GAAP operating margin was 3.9% versus 4.3%. Non-GAAP Net Income -- $13 million, a decrease from $14 million the prior year. -- $13 million, a decrease from $14 million the prior year. GAAP Diluted Earnings Per Share -- $0.11; Non-GAAP Diluted Earnings Per Share -- $0.21, in line with prior year and above company expectations, attributed to stronger sales mix in higher profit businesses. -- $0.11; -- $0.21, in line with prior year and above company expectations, attributed to stronger sales mix in higher profit businesses. Adjusted EBITDA -- $50 million, down from $55 million....

Qualcomm (QCOM) Shares Drop After Disappointing Guidance GuruFocus

Qualcomm (QCOM) Faces Challenges with Weak Q2 Guidance GuruFocus

Red Wedding At WaPo: Hundreds Axed In Widespread Layoffs The Washington Post on Wednesday told employees that it was launching a widespread round of layoffs , which will amount to roughly 30% of all employees. Most affected will be the Sports, Local News, and International sections, according to the NY Times , citing two people with knowledge of the decision. Of the outlet's roughly 800 journalists, more than 300 are getting the axe . And of course, the left-wing media complex is firmly blaming owner Jeff Bezos - who decided not to endorse a candidate in the 2024 election before vowing to be less biased as an organization. The Atlantic, owned by Epstein pal Laurene Jobs, was very dramatic: The NY Times also framed it as Bezos' fault, writing; The cuts are a sign that Jeff Bezos, who became one of the world’s richest people by selling things on the internet, has not yet figured out how to build and maintain a profitable publication on the internet. The paper expanded during the first several years of his ownership, but the company has sputtered more recently. In a Wednesday call, executive editor Matt Murray told employees that the company had been losing too much money for too long, and had not been meeting readers' needs. As a result, all sections will be affected in some way , and what rises from the ashes would be a publication more focused on national news and politics, business, and health, and less on other things. "If anything, today is about positioning ourselves to become more essential to people’s lives in what is becoming a more crowded, competitive and complicated media landscape," Murray said. "And after some years when, candidly, The Post has had struggles." Murray also said that search traffic has plummeted nearly in half over the last three years, partly due to the rise of generative AI - and that the Post's "daily story output has substantially fallen in the last five years." "Even as we produce much excellent work, we too often write from one persp...

Micron and Sandisk are two of the hottest AI stocks. The hottest segment of the market right now is memory stocks. This once cyclical industry is now entering a supercycle and is one of the most intriguing ways to play artificial intelligence (AI). The memory market is on fire The memory market is split into two parts: DRAM (dynamic random access memory) and NAND (flash memory). Given its speed, DRAM is used for short-term memory, while NAND tends to be used for long-term storage since it is slower. Both markets face significant supply constraints, which are leading to DRAM and NAND prices skyrocketing. For AI chips to perform optimally, they need to be packaged with a special form of DRAM called high-bandwidth memory (HBM). When integrated with HBM, graphics processing units (GPUs) and other AI chips can perform calculations faster because they can quickly store, retrieve, and transfer data using the HBM component. Given the AI infrastructure buildout, HBM, unsurprisingly, is in high demand. Adding to the market dynamics is that HBM uses three to four times the wafer capacity of conventional DRAM. This is causing a supply shortage across the entire DRAM industry, which is leading to soaring prices not just for HBM, but for the entire DRAM market. Flash memory, meanwhile, is also in tight supply. The NAND market became very oversupplied a few years ago, and prices crashed to the point where gross margins turned negative. Given this, memory companies began redirecting resources to other areas, lowering their production capabilities. However, with the rise of AI, demand for massive, high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) using flash memory to store training data began to skyrocket. With memory leaders focused largely on their HBM opportunity, production hasn't come back, and now NAND prices are also through the roof. Two of the companies best positioned to take advantage of these market dynamics and ready for a bull run are Micron Technology (MU 10.07%) and Sandis...

2 Top Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Ready for a Bull Run The Motley Fool

美东时间2月4日周三，美国财长贝森特出席了众议院金融服务委员会的一场听证会，同议员就特朗普政府方方面面的政策展开唇枪舌战，整个过程堪称“火星四射”。 在持续两个多小时的听证会期间，贝森特面对民主党议员的激烈质询，双方就关税、美联储独立性、金融监管等多项政策展开激烈交锋。这场听证会火药味十足，金融服务委员会中的民主党带头人Maxine Waters一度直接要求贝森特“闭嘴”，纽约州的民主党议员Gregory Meeks更是指责贝森特充当特朗普的“走狗”。 贝森特在听证会上坚定捍卫特朗普政府的“促增长”政策议程，强调关税不会导致通胀，这一表态立即引发民主党议员的强烈不满。 在美联储独立性的问题上，贝森特表现出矛盾立场，既表示支持美联储在货币政策上的独立性，又强调这种独立性基于国民的信任，需要对美联储“问责”，因为拜登政府期间联储容许出现高通胀，失信于民，并称特朗普身为总统有权对美联储决策发表评论。他拒绝明确表态反对特朗普因政策分歧而罢免美联储理事。 在汇率政策方面，贝森特重申“始终支持强美元政策”的传统立场。他还就住房可负担性、加密货币监管、金融稳定等多个议题回应议员质询，但多次因打断议员提问而被委员会主席French Hill提醒遵守议事规则。这场听证会凸显了特朗普政府经济政策在国会面临的党派分歧，也让投资者对未来政策走向的不确定性保持警惕。 关税之争：坚称不引发通胀遭遇民主党猛烈攻击 贝森特在听证会上最具争议的表态是关于关税对通胀的影响。他明确表示“关税不会导致通胀”，并援引旧金山联储去年11月发布的研究报告，称该研究基于150年的数据，显示关税不会引发通胀。 这一论断立即遭到民主党议员的激烈反击。金融服务委员会的资深民主党议员Maxine Waters质问贝森特，为何他此前在私营部门时的表态与现在截然不同。当贝森特试图反驳时，Waters要求他“闭嘴”。贝森特随后反击称，Waters“不理解普遍通胀与一次性价格上涨的区别”。 加州民主党议员Brad Sherman驳斥关税不引发通胀的说法是“诡辩”，称在他的选区，民众将价格上涨20%称为"负担不起"。密歇根州民主党议员Rashida Tlaib也对关税政策表示质疑。 在被问及婴儿产品是否会获得关税豁免时，贝森特表示，许多此类产品产自中国，他会为争取豁免此类产品的关税“发声”，同时强调自己不是美国贸易代表。在旅游业受...

Core Laboratories press release ( CLB ): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.21 beats by $0.02 . Revenue of $138.3M (+7.0% Y/Y) beats by $7.9M . More on Core Laboratories Core Laboratories: Providing The Technology To Replace Tier-1 Oil Inventory Core Laboratories Q4 2025 Earnings Preview Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Core Laboratories Historical earnings data for Core Laboratories Dividend scorecard for Core Laboratories

格隆汇2月5日｜周三（2月4日）纽约尾盘（周四北京时间05:59），离岸人民币（CNH）兑美元报6.9412元，较周二纽约尾盘跌61点，日内整体交投于6.9290-6.9434元区间。日线图上，离岸人民币在09:27逼近2023年5月10日顶部6.9168元、当年5月4日顶部6.8963元、以及当年顶部6.6975元（1月16日出现）。

RADNOR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP informs investors that the firm has filed a securities fraud class action lawsuit against Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) (“Oracle” or the “Company”) on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired Oracle common stock between June 12, 2025, and December 16, 2025, inclusive (the “Class Period”). This action, captioned Barrows v. Oracle Corporation, et al., Case No. 1:26-cv-00127-UNA, was filed on February 3, 2026, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Important Deadline Reminder: Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Oracle common stock during the Class Period may, no later than April 6, 2026, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class. CONTACT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP (KTMC): If you experienced losses in connection with Oracle, contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP at: https://www.ktmc.com/orcl-oracle-corporation-class-action-lawsuit You can also contact attorney Jonathan Naji, Esq. by calling (484) 270-1453 or by email at info@ktmc.com. DEFENDANTS’ ALLEGED MISCONDUCT Oracle, a Delaware corporation with its principal executive offices in Austin, Texas, is a technology company that provides, among other things, infrastructure for operating artificial intelligence (“AI”) programs. During the Class Period, Defendants misled investors by touting the Company’s contracts to develop data center capabilities for AI infrastructure and falsely assuring investors that the Company’s significant capital expenditures (“CapEx”) would quickly result in accelerated revenue growth. For example, Defendants assured investors that the Company’s substantially increased spending on AI infrastructure—including for data centers used by OpenAI, the operator of ChatGPT—would rapidly convert into “accelerating revenue and profit growth” and that “we have a very good line-of-sight for our capabilities to . . . just spend on that CapEx right before it ...

Asian stocks were set to follow US shares lower as selling in technology stocks gained pace. Bitcoin extended its selloff. Equity index futures for Hong Kong, South Korea and Australia all fell in early Asian trading, while an index of US-listed Chinese firms dropped 2% Wednesday. The declines echoed a 0.5% fall for the S&P 500 . The Nasdaq 100 saw its worst two-day rout since October, breaching its 100-day moving average , a level seen by some technical analysts as a harbinger for more losses. Software firms saw another wave of selling, but moves were bigger in chipmakers . In late hours, Alphabet Inc. fell more than 7.5% in post-market trading before recovering after spending forecasts exceeded estimates, capping a bruising day for the Magnificent Seven , which fell 1.8%. The tech-heavy selloff reflected further concerns among investors regarding tech valuations, high levels of spending and the potential for AI to cannibalize established software business models. “There might be a glass half full and a glass half empty perspective on the moves here,” said Kyle Rodda at Capital.com. “On the one hand, tech stocks are potentially too richly valued. On the other hand, the strength in the market is broadening out in a sign of improving economic fundamentals.” Bitcoin hovered near $73,000, with prediction traders betting the world’s most popular cryptocurrency will drop below $65,000. Treasuries were mixed, with the short-end of the curve rallying. The US two-year yield fell two basis points while the 10-year ended Wednesday one basis point higher. The dollar added 0.3%. Clear signs of momentum behind the tech sell-off emerged. The iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF plunged 3.7%, while a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. basket that goes long high-beta momentum names and short the opposite tumbled 9.8%. “The news for the software stocks gets worse by the day,” said Matt Maley at Miller Tabak. “However, no matter where they are headed over the intermediate and long-term, they a...

NOV press release ( NOV ): Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.21 misses by $0.04 . Revenue of $2.28B (-1.3% Y/Y) beats by $110M . Fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA* of $267 million Fourth quarter cash flow from operations of $573 million and free cash flow* of $472 million Full-year revenues of $8.74 billion Full-year net income of $145 million, or $0.39 per share Full-year Adjusted EBITDA* of $1.03 billion Full-year cash flow from operations of $1.25 billion and free cash flow* of $876 million Full-year bookings of $2.34 billion, with ending backlog of $4.34 billion Returned $505 million of capital to shareholders during the year More on NOV NOV: Strategic Hold Amid Transition Toward 2026 Cycle Convergence NOV upgraded at Barclays as new CEO seeks portfolio reposition Natura acquires Shepherd Power, partners with NOV to advance small modular reactors Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on NOV Historical earnings data for NOV

In this series, we look through the most recent Dividend Channel ''DividendRank'' report, and then we cherry pick only those companies that have experienced insider buying within the past six months. The officers and directors of a company tend to have a unique insider's view of the business, and presumably the only reason an insider would choose to take their hard-earned cash and use it to buy stock in the open market, is that they expect to make money — maybe they find the stock very undervalued, or maybe they see exciting progress within the company, or maybe both. So when stocks turn up that see insider buying, and are also top ranked, investors are wise to take notice. One such company is Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. (Symbol: BAH), which saw buying by CEO Horacio Rozanski. Back on October 30, Rozanski invested $2,014,908.00 into 23,800 shares of BAH, for a cost per share of $84.66. In trading on Wednesday, bargain hunters could buy shares of Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. (Symbol: BAH) and achieve a cost basis 4.1% cheaper than Rozanski, with shares changing hands as low as $81.15 per share. It should be noted that Rozanski has collected $0.55/share in dividends since the time of their purchase, so they are currently down 3.5% on their purchase from a total return basis. Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. shares are currently trading +3.15% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of BAH shares, versus its 200 day moving average: Looking at the chart above, BAH's low point in its 52 week range is $79.23 per share, with $134.27 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $85.26. By comparison, below is a table showing the prices at which insider buying was recorded over the last six months: Purchased Insider Title Shares Price/Share Value 10/30/2025 Horacio Rozanski President and CEO 23,800 $84.66 $2,014,908.00 The DividendRank report noted that among the coverage universe, BAH shares displayed both attractive valuatio...

格隆汇2月5日｜周三（2月4日）纽约尾盘，现货白银涨3.62%，报88.2660美元/盎司。COMEX白银期货涨5.11%，报87.555美元/盎司，22:06刷新日高至92.015美元。COMEX铜期货跌2.77%，报5.9420美元/磅，22:00-02:00持续扩大跌幅。现货铂金涨0.60%，现货钯金涨1.05%。

Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS President and Chief Executive Officer — Timothy McGrath Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer — Thomas Baker Investor Relations — Samantha Smith TAKEAWAYS Gross Billings -- $1,060,000,000, up 2.9%, with management citing this metric marks a new disclosure to better reflect total transaction value. -- $1,060,000,000, up 2.9%, with management citing this metric marks a new disclosure to better reflect total transaction value. Gross Profit -- $135,600,000, an increase of 4.5%, attributed to growth in software and endpoint devices sectors. -- $135,600,000, an increase of 4.5%, attributed to growth in software and endpoint devices sectors. Gross Margin -- 19.3%, expanding by 100 basis points year over year, with management referencing disciplined pricing and favorable product mix. -- 19.3%, expanding by 100 basis points year over year, with management referencing disciplined pricing and favorable product mix. Total Net Sales -- $702,900,000, down 0.8%, reflecting public sector segment decline and macro-related delays. -- $702,900,000, down 0.8%, reflecting public sector segment decline and macro-related delays. Business Solutions Segment Net Sales -- $273,500,000, rising 4.2%, with double-digit growth called out in desktops, notebooks, NetComm, and software including cloud and cybersecurity. -- $273,500,000, rising 4.2%, with double-digit growth called out in desktops, notebooks, NetComm, and software including cloud and cybersecurity. Business Solutions Segment Gross Profit -- $69,800,000, increasing 11.4%, demonstrating margin expansion by 160 basis points to 25.5%. -- $69,800,000, increasing 11.4%, demonstrating margin expansion by 160 basis points to 25.5%. Public Sector Segment Net Sales -- $90,800,000, falling 36.8% due to a non-repeating project and delays in project rollouts. -- $90,800,000, falling 36.8% due to a non-repeating project and delays in project ro...

narvo vexar FMC Corp. ( FMC ) said its board has authorized the exploration of strategic alternatives, including the sale of the company. The strategic review is at a preliminary stage, and there can be no assurance that the process will result in any transaction, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. FMC has a market cap of $2 billion. FMC fell 2.9% in after-hours trading. More on FMC FMC Corporation: Potentially The Best High-Risk Play On The Market FMC Corporation (FMC) Presents at Goldman Sachs Industrials and Materials Conference 2025 Transcript FMC Q4 2025 Earnings Preview FMC sets date for sharply reduced $0.08 dividend Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on FMC

Tech companies across the board are feeling the sting of memory-chip shortages, and Qualcomm just showed it’s no exception.

Arm宣布将于3月24日举办芯片活动 2026-02-05 06:16:52 来源： 同花顺7x24快讯 分享 Arm宣布将于3月24日举办芯片活动，但尚未透露太多。(财联社)

Image source: The Motley Fool. Feb. 4, 2026, 4:30 p.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS President and Chief Executive Officer — Stephen LaNeve Chief Financial Officer — Ali Pervaiz Senior Director, Investor Relations — Stephen Monroe Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] RISKS Revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance reduced due to “continued volatility in China, the persistence of current tariff structures, and other ongoing headwinds.” China revenue and margins negatively impacted by delayed projects driven by “quota, license, tender, and then funding” process, which has “slowed” and become more “protracted.” Gross margin deterioration traced to China-specific issues: lower margin releases, increased tariffs, and the absence of high-margin CyberKnife shipments. Working capital and cash burn increased in the quarter, with cash balances declining to $41.9 million from $63.9 million sequentially, attributed to operational and restructuring disbursements. TAKEAWAYS Net Revenue -- $102.2 million, representing a 12% decrease year over year and a 13% constant currency decline. -- $102.2 million, representing a 12% decrease year over year and a 13% constant currency decline. Product Revenue -- $45 million, down 26% year over year and 28% on a constant currency basis, primarily due to reduced China sales. -- $45 million, down 26% year over year and 28% on a constant currency basis, primarily due to reduced China sales. Service Revenue -- $57.2 million, up 4% year over year and 3% on a constant currency basis, reflecting recurring revenue strategy benefits. -- $57.2 million, up 4% year over year and 3% on a constant currency basis, reflecting recurring revenue strategy benefits. Product Gross Orders -- Approximately $66 million, equating to a book-to-bill ratio of 1.5 and a trailing twelve-month ratio of 1.2. -- Approximately $66 million, equating to a book-to-bill ratio of 1.5 and a trailing twelve-month ratio of 1.2. Order Backlog -- $33 million, representing m...

Images By Tang Ming Tung/DigitalVision via Getty Images We're impressed by the yield to worst and the safety of Aegon's ( AEF ) financial instruments, one of the major finance and insurance companies. Aegon Ltd. Details Aegon ( AEG ) is one of the biggest international insurance companies, founded back in 1844 and headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. Its total assets for the third quarter of 2025 were close to $365.8 billion, and its current market capitalization is around $12.02 billion. Aegon's portfolio (aegon.com) Below are shown the credit ratings of AEG by S&P and Moody's credit agencies: S&P and Moody's credit ratings (aegon.com) In the following "total return" chart, you can see how well AEG is correlated with the State Street SPDR S&P Insurance ETF ( KIE ) in the last five years, and currently AEG outperforms: AE G vs. KIE (seekingalpha.com) This brief information was just to quickly introduce you to the company. Let's look at the more interesting part now - AEG's baby bond. Baby Bond AEG has one baby bond ( AEFC ): AEG's baby bond (author's database) It was issued on 10/15/2019 with a coupon rate of 5.10% and spread to the 20-year Treasury yield close to 3.51%. Currently, this spread is around 2.16% (the spread is narrowed - absolutely normal for the overall market). The major credit agencies rate it as an "investment grade": S&P gives it a "BBB-" credit rating, and Moody's a "Baa2." The call date of the bond was on 12/15/2024, so it's callable. AEFC has close to 23.86 years to maturity with a maturity date on 12/15/2049. Currently, the bond is traded below par with a yield to worst of approximately 7.01%. Below is shown a chart with its potential yields and prices: AEFC's price vs. YTW's (author's database) Comparison With Peers Below, we have chosen over-the-counter bonds that have ratings between BAA1 and BAA3 by Moody's, and the highest yield to maturity in this group is close to 6.3%. In such a high duration, a 0.7% yield spread will give us more ...

格隆汇2月5日｜周三（2月4日）纽约尾盘，现货黄金涨0.32%，报4962.73美元/盎司，北京时间16:01刷新日高至5091.60美元，随后回吐涨幅，00:48刷新日低至4853.67美元。COMEX黄金期货涨0.98%，报4984.20美元/盎司。

In trading on Wednesday, shares of the Dimensional US Real Estate ETF (Symbol: DFAR) crossed above their 200 day moving average of $23.46, changing hands as high as $23.83 per share. Dimensional US Real Estate shares are currently trading up about 1.8% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of DFAR shares, versus its 200 day moving average: Looking at the chart above, DFAR's low point in its 52 week range is $20.32 per share, with $24.68 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $23.75. Click here to find out which 9 other ETFs recently crossed above their 200 day moving average » Also see: The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

The growth stock's mind-boggling valuation raises the bar for what investors should expect from the company. The sharp gains Palantir Technologies' (PLTR 11.62%) shares saw following its earnings report earlier this week proved to be short-lived. In fact, those gains have now turned to losses, adding to an already bad start to the year for the stock. As of this writing, the stock is trading at a price below where it was before the quarterly update. But should we be surprised? Yes, the quarter was outstanding in terms of top- and bottom-line growth. Both revenue and profits soared, and the company's top-line growth rate saw a huge acceleration over its already impressive third-quarter growth rate. But there are several red flags -- particularly in the context of the growth stock's incredibly high valuation. Here's a look at two concerning metrics from Palantir's fourth-quarter update. Slowing customer count growth Yes, Palantir's 70% year-over-year revenue growth in the fourth quarter was impressive. Not only was it an acceleration from 63% growth in Q3, but it was accompanied by a surge in profits. The AI data and analytics platform company's net income rose from just $77 million in the year-ago period to about $612 million in Q4. Playing key roles in the quarter's growth were a 137% year-over-year increase in its U.S. commercial revenue and a 66% boost to its U.S. government revenue. But with a valuation of about 222 times earnings, this type of growth should be expected. Even more, the results should be scrutinized for any potential red flags, and I think I see two, with the first being a sharp slowdown in customer count growth. Palantir said that its customer count rose 34% year over year during the quarter -- a meaningful slowdown from 45% growth in the prior quarter. Even more, growth decelerated on a sequential basis as well. Palantir's sequential growth in customer count in Q4 was 5% -- a slowdown from 7% growth in Q3. To be fair, the average size of Palantir...

The growth stock's mind-boggling valuation raises the bar for what investors should expect from the company. The sharp gains Palantir Technologies' (PLTR 11.72%) shares saw following its earnings report earlier this week proved to be short-lived. In fact, those gains have now turned to losses, adding to an already bad start to the year for the stock. As of this writing, the stock is trading at a price below where it was before the quarterly update. But should we be surprised? Yes, the quarter was outstanding in terms of top- and bottom-line growth. Both revenue and profits soared, and the company's top-line growth rate saw a huge acceleration over its already impressive third-quarter growth rate. But there are several red flags -- particularly in the context of the growth stock's incredibly high valuation. Here's a look at two concerning metrics from Palantir's fourth-quarter update. Slowing customer count growth Yes, Palantir's 70% year-over-year revenue growth in the fourth quarter was impressive. Not only was it an acceleration from 63% growth in Q3, but it was accompanied by a surge in profits. The AI data and analytics platform company's net income rose from just $77 million in the year-ago period to about $612 million in Q4. Playing key roles in the quarter's growth were a 137% year-over-year increase in its U.S. commercial revenue and a 66% boost to its U.S. government revenue. But with a valuation of about 222 times earnings, this type of growth should be expected. Even more, the results should be scrutinized for any potential red flags, and I think I see two, with the first being a sharp slowdown in customer count growth. Palantir said that its customer count rose 34% year over year during the quarter -- a meaningful slowdown from 45% growth in the prior quarter. Even more, growth decelerated on a sequential basis as well. Palantir's sequential growth in customer count in Q4 was 5% -- a slowdown from 7% growth in Q3. To be fair, the average size of Palantir...

Thinking of Buying the Dip in Palantir's Stock? Don't Overlook These 2 Red Flags. fool.com

Palantir and Woodward Jumped on Earnings Beats—Here Are 3 More Setups to Watch MarketBeat