00:00 Speaker A Let's talk about Amazon as well. Ron, those earnings on deck. I know you have a buy on that name as well. I recently had Mark Mahaney on the show, Doug Clinton. I mean those are two very smart veteran analysts like yourself, Ron. They both liked Amazon independently they told me in 2026. You do as well. Walk me through why. 00:23 Speaker B Yeah. So, I mean, Amazon is so to be clear...
00:00 Speaker A Let's talk about Amazon as well. Ron, those earnings on deck. I know you have a buy on that name as well. I recently had Mark Mahaney on the show, Doug Clinton. I mean those are two very smart veteran analysts like yourself, Ron. They both liked Amazon independently they told me in 2026. You do as well. Walk me through why. 00:23 Speaker B Yeah. So, I mean, Amazon is so to be clear, Amazon is our top pick for this year followed by Google. So, so the one and two in that order in that order to your prior question. Um, what are the tailwinds for Amazon? What makes this so exciting? Well, it starts and ends on AWS. We actually think that 2025 was the year that Amazon was able to add incremental capacity such that they can satisfy their demand for their for AWS overall. And we're seeing that. And so if AWS continues that reacceleration, their growth rate, I think that answers a lot of questions. And then you have the core North America retail business, doing very well. I will I don't think they're losing share. I think they're maintaining share even as Walmart does better and better, better. Um, there's concern about a Gen to commerce. I think Amazon's going to have a good strategy there over time, but the bottom line is as you get into perishables with grocery and essentials becomes a bigger part of that business, which is already at $150 billion dollars, um I think the share of wallet grows, the amount of times you get your packages, it's almost unfathomable to think we'd get them more often, but I think that happens. And guess what, the organization becomes more efficient. And so from our perspective, Amazon has AWS reaccelerating. We've got the retail business doing better and and going into newer areas like grocery and essentials that are driving higher conversion rates. And then we have uh better overall profitability from a GPOI perspective. And you you're seeing it from the organization being more efficient, you're seeing that from the uh fulfillm...
Many electric vehicle (EV) stocks have declined sharply from their peaks at the start of the decade. Nio (NYSE: NIO) is no exception. In early 2021, the company hit its all-time high of $63 per share, only to fall to about $4.50 today. That's an eye-watering decline of 93% in just five years as investors shifted away from the EV industry because of challenges like rising competition and trade unce...
Many electric vehicle (EV) stocks have declined sharply from their peaks at the start of the decade. Nio (NYSE: NIO) is no exception. In early 2021, the company hit its all-time high of $63 per share, only to fall to about $4.50 today. That's an eye-watering decline of 93% in just five years as investors shifted away from the EV industry because of challenges like rising competition and trade uncertainty, especially in the U.S. market. As a Chinese company, Nio is largely shielded from the negative affects the Trump administration has had on U.S. automakers. Furthermore, its sales are growing at a rapid clip. Let's dig deeper to decide if these factors will be enough to break the stock's current slump. China is the world's largest EV market, with battery electric vehicles accounting for roughly 59% of its new car sales compared to a peak of 10.5% in the U.S. The Asian nation has accelerated adoption through favorable government policies designed to support both manufacturers and consumers. However, the downside of this has been an explosion in competition as more companies pile into the market. Continue reading
Dutch Government Refuses To Probe UK Travel Ban On Eva Vlaardingerbroek Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News, The Dutch government has refused to investigate or seek clarification from the United Kingdom after Dutch commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek had her permission to travel to Britain revoked, confirming it has not even asked London for an explanation over the decision. The position was set...
Dutch Government Refuses To Probe UK Travel Ban On Eva Vlaardingerbroek Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News, The Dutch government has refused to investigate or seek clarification from the United Kingdom after Dutch commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek had her permission to travel to Britain revoked, confirming it has not even asked London for an explanation over the decision. The position was set out in formal parliamentary responses from Foreign Affairs Minister Caspar Veldkamp’s ministry, delivered on Jan. 30 by Minister Van Weel, after questions were submitted by Lidewij de Vos, a Member of Parliament for the right-wing Forum for Democracy (FvD). De Vos questioned the government over last month’s revocation of Vlaardingerbroek’s UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which now prevents her from entering Britain without a visa. British authorities informed the commentator that her authorization had been canceled because her presence in the UK was deemed “not conducive to the public good,” and that the decision could not be appealed. Asked whether the Dutch government had sought clarification from the British government or ambassador, the minister responded simply, “No.” Holy sh*t. I’ve been banned from traveling to the UK. They revoked my ETA. "Your presence in the UK is not considered to be conductive to the public good." 3 days after posting this about Starmer. https://t.co/NqWBtaTkZe pic.twitter.com/lm5lZgL2i7 — Eva Vlaardingerbroek (@EvaVlaar) January 14, 2026 When pressed on whether the government would now demand an explanation, the minister replied that the Netherlands would not intervene in such cases, stating, “The Dutch government is not a party in this matter and does not engage with the United Kingdom regarding individual cases.” “It is not for the Dutch government to judge or interfere in how legal remedies are structured under United Kingdom national legislation,” the minister added. The responses mark the first official Dutch government reaction...
Sony NYSE: SONY reported fiscal 2025 third-quarter results that set third-quarter records for sales and operating income, while management also raised its full-year outlook and expanded its share repurchase authorization. CFO Lin Tao presented the results and business highlights, followed by question-and-answer sessions with media, investors, and analysts. Get Sony alerts: Sign Up Quarterly result...
Sony NYSE: SONY reported fiscal 2025 third-quarter results that set third-quarter records for sales and operating income, while management also raised its full-year outlook and expanded its share repurchase authorization. CFO Lin Tao presented the results and business highlights, followed by question-and-answer sessions with media, investors, and analysts. Get Sony alerts: Sign Up Quarterly results and updated full-year forecast Sales from continuing operations in the fiscal 2025 third quarter rose 1% year-over-year to JPY 3.7137 trillion, while operating income increased 22% to JPY 515.0 billion. Management said both figures were record highs for the third quarter. Net income increased 11% to JPY 377.3 billion. Alongside the quarterly report, Sony raised its full-year forecast. The company increased its outlook for: Sales: up 3% from the prior forecast to JPY 12.3 trillion up 3% from the prior forecast to JPY 12.3 trillion Operating income: up 8% to JPY 1.54 trillion up 8% to JPY 1.54 trillion Net income: up 8% to JPY 1.13 trillion up 8% to JPY 1.13 trillion Operating cash flow: up 9% to JPY 1.63 trillion Tao said the profit contribution in the quarter was led by record third-quarter operating income in the Game & Network Services (G&NS), Music, and Imaging & Sensing Solutions (I&SS) segments, adding that Sony believes the group’s profitability structure is “further improving” even amid an uncertain business environment. Gaming: hardware softness, ecosystem monetization, and live-service strategy In G&NS, third-quarter sales declined 4% year-over-year, which management attributed primarily to lower hardware unit sales. Despite that, operating income rose 19%, driven mainly by foreign exchange and increased sales of network services and first-party software. Sony said this was a third-quarter record for the segment. On user metrics, the company said monthly active users across PlayStation reached a record 132 million accounts in December, up 2% from the prior year, ...
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images News Democratic lawmakers reiterated their demands for immigration enforcement reforms, with about a week left for Congress to reach a deal on funding the Department of Homeland Security. The agency only received two weeks of funding under a stopgap measure enacted on Tuesday, which was part of a broader spending package that funded other federal departments for the full...
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images News Democratic lawmakers reiterated their demands for immigration enforcement reforms, with about a week left for Congress to reach a deal on funding the Department of Homeland Security. The agency only received two weeks of funding under a stopgap measure enacted on Tuesday, which was part of a broader spending package that funded other federal departments for the full year through September. DHS funding is set to expire on Feb. 13. If funding lapses, a shutdown would begin at DHS, impacting its sub-agencies like the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Democrats are demanding reforms at DHS and ICE before agreeing to a funding bill. These include a judicial warrant requirement, face mask ban, reasonable use of force policy, mandatory body cameras and an end to racial profiling. "Senate and House Democrats are united on reining in the abuses of ICE," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) declared . GOP lawmakers have outright rejected some of the Democrats' demands, including the mask ban and judicial warrant requirement. "Republicans are not going to do things to undermine law enforcement officials' ability to do their jobs," Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said. More on U.S. government BLS delays January jobs, CPI reports after partial government shutdown House passes spending bill to end partial government shutdown Palantir CEO weighs in on government overreach, anti-ICE protests
Qualcomm (QCOM) shares dropped early Thursday as the semiconductor company flagged industry-wide mem Upgrade to read this MT Newswires article and get so much more. A Silver or Gold subscription plan is required to access premium news articles.
Qualcomm (QCOM) shares dropped early Thursday as the semiconductor company flagged industry-wide mem Upgrade to read this MT Newswires article and get so much more. A Silver or Gold subscription plan is required to access premium news articles.
Hiroshi Watanabe Stock index futures searched for direction on Thursday as investors digested Alphabet’s earnings beat, with the tech giant posting revenue growth that topped expectations. Now, here are five news stories that broke overnight to watch out for: Media consolidation shifts: President Donald Trump said he would stay out of the takeover battle between Netflix ( NFLX ) and Paramount Skyd...
Hiroshi Watanabe Stock index futures searched for direction on Thursday as investors digested Alphabet’s earnings beat, with the tech giant posting revenue growth that topped expectations. Now, here are five news stories that broke overnight to watch out for: Media consolidation shifts: President Donald Trump said he would stay out of the takeover battle between Netflix ( NFLX ) and Paramount Skydance ( PSKY ) over Warner Bros. Discovery ( WBD ), marking a notable shift from two months ago when he indicated he would be involved in the deal’s approval process. Silver prices plunge: Spot silver ( XAGUSD:CUR ) fell hard during Asian trading hours on Thursday, dropping as much as 10.9% and snapping a two-day recovery. The precious metal had flickered briefly above $90 an ounce in early Asian trading before weakening alongside gold following a historic market upheaval. Rare earth stocks decline: Rare earth stocks fell across the board Wednesday after the Trump administration proposed the creation of a critical minerals trading bloc with allies that would use tariffs to maintain price floors. Vice President Vance said at an event at the U.S. State Department that tariffs and price floors would be necessary to prevent China from flooding the market with cheap minerals. Nvidia-ByteDance chip negotiations: The Trump administration is willing to allow China’s ByteDance ( BDNCE ) to buy Nvidia’s ( NVDA ) H200 chips, but the AI chipmaker has not agreed to proposed conditions for their use, according to Reuters. The U.S. said it would approve the license about two weeks ago, but Nvidia has not accepted the government’s Know-Your-Customer requirement as currently drafted—designed to ensure China’s military does not access the chips—among other conditions. Dow Jones outperforms: The Dow Jones Industrial Average ( DJI ) was the only major U.S. index to close in the green on Wednesday, finishing just 152.23 points below its intraday high of 49,653.13 points. More on markets Can AI's...
Petra Richli/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis This article continues my coverage of the ALPS Sector Dividend Dogs ETF ( SDOG ), which I last rated as a "hold" on August 30, 2024, due to improved fundamentals but nonetheless underwhelming quality features. As always, my approach to ETF analysis will focus on how SDOG's fundamentals measure up against the competition, but before I dive into...
Petra Richli/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis This article continues my coverage of the ALPS Sector Dividend Dogs ETF ( SDOG ), which I last rated as a "hold" on August 30, 2024, due to improved fundamentals but nonetheless underwhelming quality features. As always, my approach to ETF analysis will focus on how SDOG's fundamentals measure up against the competition, but before I dive into those details, I'd first like to ask readers to consider these performance statistics for SDOG since its inception against 30 other funds in the large-cap value category: Annualized Return: 11.13% (#27/31) Annualized Standard Deviation: 15.83% (#27/31) Maximum Drawdown: -32.11% (#28/31) Best 12 Months: 70.82% (#4/31) Worst 12 Months: -23.91% (#28/31) Sharpe Ratio: 0.65 (#28/31) Sortino Ratio: 0.90 (#28/31) Distribution Skewness: -0.70 (#28/31) Without knowing anything else about the ETF, how confident would you be in investing in SDOG? Its total returns are poor, at least relatively speaking. The same goes for volatility and risk-adjusted returns, and the significant -0.70 skewness statistic reveals that SDOG's returns are asymmetric to the downside. While it's tempting to latch onto its 70.82% "Best 12 Months" statistic, this type of outperformance is obviously rare, and for me, this sets the bar high for SDOG to receive anything other than a "sell" or "hold" rating. On that note, I would like to shift the analysis to SDOG's fundamentals, and to be as fair as possible, I'll only be comparing it with other high-dividend ETFs (minimum estimate above 3%). That narrows the comparison universe down to only five other large-cap value funds ( DHS , DVY , FDL , HDV , and SCHD ), but unfortunately for SDOG, its current factor mix still isn't very appealing. As such, I've adjusted my rating on SDOG to a "sell," and I look forward to explaining why in further detail below. SDOG Overview SDOG tracks the S-Network Sector Dividend Dogs Index, which is comprised of each GICS sector's to...
March S&P 500 E-Mini futures ( ESH26 ) are down -0.42%, and March Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures ( NQH26 ) are down -0.55% this morning, pointing to further losses on Wall Street as technology stocks face renewed pressure. Sentiment was dampened by some negative corporate news. Alphabet ( GOOGL ) fell over -4% in pre-market trading after Google’s parent reported upbeat Q4 results but said it plans to n...
March S&P 500 E-Mini futures ( ESH26 ) are down -0.42%, and March Nasdaq 100 E-Mini futures ( NQH26 ) are down -0.55% this morning, pointing to further losses on Wall Street as technology stocks face renewed pressure. Sentiment was dampened by some negative corporate news. Alphabet ( GOOGL ) fell over -4% in pre-market trading after Google’s parent reported upbeat Q4 results but said it plans to nearly double capital expenditures this year. Also, Qualcomm ( QCOM ) plunged more than -12% in pre-market trading after the chip company issued below-consensus FQ2 guidance. In addition, Arm Holdings ( ARM ) slumped over -6% in pre-market trading as the chip designer’s FQ4 revenue guidance disappointed investors. Investors now await U.S. jobless claims data and the delayed reading on job openings as well as a new wave of corporate earnings reports, with particular attention on results from “Magnificent Seven” member Amazon. In yesterday’s trading session, Wall Street’s three main equity benchmarks closed mixed. Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ) sank over -17% and was the top percentage loser on the Nasdaq 100 after the chipmaker issued Q1 revenue guidance that underwhelmed investors. Also, most members of the Magnificent Seven stocks slid, with Tesla ( TSLA ) and Nvidia ( NVDA ) falling over -3%. In addition, Boston Scientific ( BSX ) plunged over -17% and was the top percentage loser on the S&P 500 after the medical device maker issued soft FY26 adjusted EPS guidance. On the bullish side, Super Micro Computer ( SMCI ) surged more than +13% and was the top percentage gainer on the S&P 500 after the AI server maker posted upbeat FQ2 results and raised its full-year revenue guidance. “There might be a glass half full and a glass half empty perspective on the moves here. 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, backed up by data that shows more robu...
Amazon said it planned to appeal the decision related to price controls by Germany's competition watchdog (Patrick T. Fallon) · Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/AFP Germany's competition watchdog ordered Amazon on Thursday to stop implementing price controls for retailers on its marketplace and told the US tech giant to return 59 million euros ($70 million) in what it deemed unfair gains. Third-party retaile...
Amazon said it planned to appeal the decision related to price controls by Germany's competition watchdog (Patrick T. Fallon) · Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/AFP Germany's competition watchdog ordered Amazon on Thursday to stop implementing price controls for retailers on its marketplace and told the US tech giant to return 59 million euros ($70 million) in what it deemed unfair gains. Third-party retailers on Amazon's marketplace in Germany set their own prices but Amazon uses various mechanisms to review them, and can remove products it considers too expensive. But the company's methods are "based on non-transparent rules", according to Germany's Federal Cartel Office, adding that it was not clear to third-party retailers how price caps were determined. "Amazon directly competes with the other marketplace sellers on its platform," said the cartel office's president, Andreas Mundt. "Therefore, influencing its competitors' pricing, including through price caps, is only permissible in the most exceptional cases, such as in the event of excessive pricing," he said. The risk is that Amazon -- which accounts for 60 percent of online sales in Europe's top economy, according to the watchdog -- will abuse its power to compete with the third-party retailers, he said. The cartel office has ordered Amazon to return nearly 59 million euros that it said Amazon gained through anti-competitive behaviour. This is only part of the amount Amazon may have to ultimately return, the agency said, as the investigation is ongoing. Amazon said it planned to appeal the "unprecedented regulatory decision" and would continue to operate its online store as usual while it prepares the legal action. The watchdog's decision "directly contradicts the consumer-related standards of EU competition law", said Amazon's Germany head Rocco Braeuniger. "As a result of this decision, Amazon would be the only retailer in Germany forced to highlight non-competitive prices to customers. This makes no sense for custom...
Brian Logan/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Investment Thesis Affinity Bancshares ( AFBI ) reported strong FY'25 results, with Diluted EPS standing at $1.29/share, up 55% YoY on the back of improved cost structure, higher Net Interest Income "NII", and to a lesser extent, loan portfolio growth. My view is neutral on the ticker, given what I see as an accommodative environment for small banks, of...
Brian Logan/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Investment Thesis Affinity Bancshares ( AFBI ) reported strong FY'25 results, with Diluted EPS standing at $1.29/share, up 55% YoY on the back of improved cost structure, higher Net Interest Income "NII", and to a lesser extent, loan portfolio growth. My view is neutral on the ticker, given what I see as an accommodative environment for small banks, offset by high competition for consumer deposits, the primary funding vehicle for AFBI. The P/E ratio is above peers' average. Finally, the growth rate will likely subside. A big part of the YoY cost reduction is attributed to the overlapping impact of the 2024 abandoned merger and related costs, a non-recurring theme going into 2026. Recent Performance In Q4'25, AFBI's Interest Income stood at $13.2 million, up $1 million or 7.6% compared to the same period of the prior year. The growth came on the heels of increased lending activities, which saw AFBI's average interest-bearing assets grow by 4.7% ( p.4 ). In addition to higher volumes, AFBI benefited from higher average rates compared to Q4'24. During the quarter, the average yield on the company's interest-bearing investments rose to 6.01%, up from 5.86% in the same period of 2024. If that wasn't enough to support profits, the company also benefited from lower interest costs. Average interest rates on the company's deposits (its primary source of funding) decreased by 19 basis points to 2.98%, down from 3.17% in Q4'24. The question is whether the profitability gains are sustainable. I don't believe they are. Although AFBI's core business benefited from the sustainable dynamics above, most of the net income growth came on the heels of cost reductions tied to the M&A deal in 2024. This is evident in the discrepancy between the NII increase and net income growth. In 2025, NII stood at $31.1 million, up 6.8% YoY due to the core business tailwinds. On the other hand, Net Income stood at $8.3 million, a 53% growth, as "Other" ex...
格隆汇2月5日｜花旗分析师Andrew M. Gardiner和Daniel Schafei在报告中表示，Arm(ARM.US)第三财季业绩显示，该公司在拓展人工智能数据中心市场方面已取得进展，但同时也凸显出持续投入的必要性。公司认为未来仍存在更多发展机遇。不过分析师指出，智能手机业务收入面临的短期压力，以及支撑长期战略布局所需的高昂成本，仍是投资者当前权衡的主要风险因素。分析师称：“我们认为，研...
格隆汇2月5日｜花旗分析师Andrew M. Gardiner和Daniel Schafei在报告中表示，Arm(ARM.US)第三财季业绩显示，该公司在拓展人工智能数据中心市场方面已取得进展，但同时也凸显出持续投入的必要性。公司认为未来仍存在更多发展机遇。不过分析师指出，智能手机业务收入面临的短期压力，以及支撑长期战略布局所需的高昂成本，仍是投资者当前权衡的主要风险因素。分析师称：“我们认为，研发成本在很大程度上已被纳入市场预期，随着云端特许权使用费在本十年末超过移动端收入，收入上行空间将逐步显现，这也支撑我们对2028至2030财年收入高于市场共识的预测。”
Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 320,139 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 10,160 shares during the perio...
Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 320,139 shares of the social networking company's stock after acquiring an additional 10,160 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up 2.4% of Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 7th largest position. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $235,135,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Get Meta Platforms alerts: Sign Up Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Bare Financial Services Inc bought a new stake in shares of Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Briaud Financial Planning Inc acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the second quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Knuff & Co LLC bought a new stake in Meta Platforms during the second quarter worth approximately $44,000. WFA Asset Management Corp lifted its position in Meta Platforms by 42.6% in the second quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 67 shares of the social networking company's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Finally, Spurstone Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Meta Platforms during the 2nd quarter valued at $59,000. Institutional investors own 79.91% of the company's stock. Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week: Meta Platforms Stock Down 3.3% Shares of NASDAQ:META opened at $668.99 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 2.60 and a current ratio of 2.60. The company has a market cap of $1.69 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ...