This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) latest earnings call may not have moved AI memory names much, but it quietly sent an important signal for the rest of the memory market, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo pointed out that Apple described two very different pressures in its hardware supply chain. Advanced chip nodes were labeled a suppl...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) latest earnings call may not have moved AI memory names much, but it quietly sent an important signal for the rest of the memory market, according to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo pointed out that Apple described two very different pressures in its hardware supply chain. Advanced chip nodes were labeled a supply constraint, while memory was framed as a cost pressure. That wording matters. In Kuo's view, it suggests Apple isn't struggling to secure memory chips, but is instead focused on managing rising prices. For AI memory investors, that distinction doesn't change much. For non-AI memory, it's more telling. Kuo noted that if Apple had called memory a supply constraint, non-AI memory stocks likely would have popped. Instead, many pulled back after the call. Apple's massive scale also shapes the picture, with iPhones consuming roughly 25% of global smartphone DRAM and NAND, giving Apple strong negotiating power.
Key Points Coca-Cola is performing well despite some challenges and has an impressive dividend track record. Costco's outlook remains strong even after recent obstacles facing the membership-based retailer. 10 stocks we like better than Coca-Cola › The regular income that dividend stocks provide can be used to reinvest in the business, quietly and slowly build a retirement nest egg, or for other p...
Key Points Coca-Cola is performing well despite some challenges and has an impressive dividend track record. Costco's outlook remains strong even after recent obstacles facing the membership-based retailer. 10 stocks we like better than Coca-Cola › The regular income that dividend stocks provide can be used to reinvest in the business, quietly and slowly build a retirement nest egg, or for other purposes. However, not every company that pays dividends will do so consistently for a long time without interruption. Those that are likely to do that are the ones dividend investors should consider adding to their portfolios. Let's consider two options today: Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) and Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST). 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 » 1. Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, one of the largest beverage makers in the world, is trading near its 52-week high, having performed well over the past few months. The company is showing its resilience in the face of challenges such as tariffs that affected retail activity. Coca-Cola, though, makes most of the beverages it sells to American consumers locally, so the impact of tariffs on its business is somewhat limited, though not nonexistent. This highlights the company's resilience, and that's one reason it is a great forever stock. It shouldn't come as a surprise. Coca-Cola is one of the leading consumer staples corporations, an industry that tends to be relatively stable even when the economy tanks. Another reason is that Coca-Cola is an innovative company. It has made it a habit of launching new products in a market where it's hard to keep customers' attention for very long. Coca-Cola can stay ahead of evolving consumer preferences thanks to this factor. And given the company's vast portfolio of beverages and brands that span nearly every category in its niche, it has something for everyone. Lastly...
alacatr/iStock via Getty Images Understanding WESCO’s business WESCO International, Inc. ( WCC ) is set to report earnings next week, and this is a good moment to put investors in context and shed some light on what lies ahead. WCC is a large-scale industrial distributor , meaning its core business is to ensure the supply of cables, electrical components, and other materials required for installat...
alacatr/iStock via Getty Images Understanding WESCO’s business WESCO International, Inc. ( WCC ) is set to report earnings next week, and this is a good moment to put investors in context and shed some light on what lies ahead. WCC is a large-scale industrial distributor , meaning its core business is to ensure the supply of cables, electrical components, and other materials required for installations. What makes this business particularly interesting is that it must manage thousands of SKUs with different technical specifications in order to execute projects smoothly and avoid delays, which would otherwise result in idle labor costs and contractual penalties. In my view, scale clearly matters here. WCC operates in more than 50 countries, precisely to ensure that projects can be supplied without disruptions to the supply chain. This is reflected in the current cycle the company is going through, and the snapshot from last Q3 helps illustrate it well. Last quarter, WCC reported revenues of $6.2B, with a mix split across EES ($2.36B), CSS ($2.41B), and UBS ($1.43B). The most interesting segment, however, is CSS, as this vertical is closely tied to data centers and broader digital infrastructure projects. 10-Q WCC That said, while the company is operating in the right sector and at the right moment, these projects also come with a less “attractive” side. They tend to put pressure on margins and require a more demanding operational structure to sustain execution. This becomes evident when looking at the numbers: gross margin sits around 21%, while operating margin is closer to 5%. Ultimately, this business model works by buying first and collecting later. When the investment cycle is healthy, as it is today, this does not usually create visible problems in the P&L. However, it is still necessary to look deeper. Over the first nine months of FY25, operating cash flow was only $53M due to the increases discussed above. Even management itself has revised the free cash flow...
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News “Vibes” is currently being tested as a standalone platform at Meta ( META ), which could soon become part of its family of apps. Similar to short-form videos on TikTok ( TIKTOK ) and some “Reels” on Instagram, the Vibes app would allow the creation and hosting of only AI-generated videos. Vibes was launched in September last year within the Meta AI app and allowed...
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News “Vibes” is currently being tested as a standalone platform at Meta ( META ), which could soon become part of its family of apps. Similar to short-form videos on TikTok ( TIKTOK ) and some “Reels” on Instagram, the Vibes app would allow the creation and hosting of only AI-generated videos. Vibes was launched in September last year within the Meta AI app and allowed users to remix an existing video using AI tools and share it with others. "Following the strong early traction of Vibes within Meta AI, we are testing a standalone app to build on that momentum," the social media and tech giant said on Thursday. "We've seen that users are increasingly leaning into the format to create, discover, and share AI-generated video with friends. This standalone app provides a dedicated home for that experience, offering people a more focused and immersive environment. We will look to expand the app further based on what we learn from the community." More on Meta Meta's AI Strategy Is Working - The Ad Data Proves It Meta: Buy The AI Revolution Meta Platforms - The Jump Isn't Justified ‘We’re going to look back at this selloff as a table pounder time to own names' – Wedbush’s Dan Ives Gartner forecasts 10.8% IT spending growth in 2026, software trimmed to 14.7%
If you often travel with your gadgets, a fast, reliable portable battery like Anker’s Laptop Power Bank is a worthwhile purchase. Right now, you can buy the silver model at its all-time low price of $87.99 ($47 off) from Anker via Newegg when you apply promo code ENCF232 at checkout. Alternatively, the black color scheme costs $89.99 from Newegg (with code BGSF33 ) and directly from Anker (with co...
If you often travel with your gadgets, a fast, reliable portable battery like Anker’s Laptop Power Bank is a worthwhile purchase. Right now, you can buy the silver model at its all-time low price of $87.99 ($47 off) from Anker via Newegg when you apply promo code ENCF232 at checkout. Alternatively, the black color scheme costs $89.99 from Newegg (with code BGSF33 ) and directly from Anker (with code VergeYWP0QJDE ). Anker Laptop Power Bank Where to Buy: $119.99 $87.99 at Newegg (silver, with code ENCF232) $119.99 $89.99 at Newegg (black, with code BGSF33) $119.99 $89.99 at Anker (black, with code VergeYWP0QJDE) The 25,000mAh / 90Wh power bank can charge up to four gadgets at once with its three USB-C ports along with a single USB-A port. It’s powerful, too, delivering up to 165W of power to two devices, or a maximum of 130W when charging up to four. It has a convenient LCD screen that shows power levels and remaining charge, so you don’t have to worry about it running out of power unexpectedly. This travel-friendly, carry-on compliant battery offers everything you need to charge devices, including a retractable USB-C cable and another built-in cable that doubles as a carrying strap. It’s roughly the size of a soda can, making it easier to toss into your bag or pack than a bunch of cables and chargers. Some more ways to save Amazon’s selling the 41mm Google Pixel Watch 4 with Wi-Fi support for $299.99 ($50 off), which matches its best price. It’s currently one of our favorite smartwatches (not to mention our favorite Fitbit smartwatch , too), offering Gemini AI support along with a wide range of health and fitness features, including dual-frequency GPS and retroactive AI activity recognition. The wearable was also named the most repairable smartwatch by iFixit , and improves on its predecessor with longer battery life, and a side-mounted charger that lets the watch double as an at-a-glance display. Read our review. You can pick up the tiny Blink Mini 2 camera for $23...
Shares of Google parent company Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) fell more than 2% to about $325 on Thursday following the company’s fourth quarter earnings report, but analysts are maintaining a bullish stance, highlighting the company’s accelerating AI and cloud adoption as key drivers for future...
Shares of Google parent company Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) fell more than 2% to about $325 on Thursday following the company’s fourth quarter earnings report, but analysts are maintaining a bullish stance, highlighting the company’s accelerating AI and cloud adoption as key drivers for future...
Despite another robust quarterly performance, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) finds itself in an uncomfortable backdrop. Morgan Stanley just cut its AMD stock price target to $255 from $260 after earnings, while keeping an equal-weight rating. Despite the cut, following AMD’s post-earnings sell-off, ...
Despite another robust quarterly performance, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) finds itself in an uncomfortable backdrop. Morgan Stanley just cut its AMD stock price target to $255 from $260 after earnings, while keeping an equal-weight rating. Despite the cut, following AMD’s post-earnings sell-off, ...
pingingz/iStock via Getty Images Market Review Global equity markets finished the year on a strong note in the fourth quarter, supported by increasing optimism for easier monetary policy, lower-than-expected inflation trends, and generally resilient corporate earnings. At the same time, signs of a softening, but still expanding, global economy helped ease recession concerns and supported a broader...
pingingz/iStock via Getty Images Market Review Global equity markets finished the year on a strong note in the fourth quarter, supported by increasing optimism for easier monetary policy, lower-than-expected inflation trends, and generally resilient corporate earnings. At the same time, signs of a softening, but still expanding, global economy helped ease recession concerns and supported a broader risk-on tone into year-end. Across developed regions, investors broadened their focus beyond narrow market leaders, driving renewed interest in sectors like financials, industrials, and consumer-oriented companies tied to economic activity. The U.S. dollar weakened, reflecting confidence that the Federal Reserve's tightening has ended. This benefited non-U.S. assets, with international and emerging markets outperforming U.S. stocks. Emerging markets returned nearly 5% during the fourth quarter, bringing full-year gains to more than 33%, the strongest calendar-year return since 2017. During the quarter, Korea and Taiwan were among the strongest contributors, reflecting their heavy exposure to global semiconductor and technology cycles. As investors broadened beyond U.S. mega-cap tech, these markets emerged as key beneficiaries. Chinese equities underperformed, as ongoing property-sector stress and soft domestic consumption offset policy support measures. As a result, investor positioning remained cautious despite historically attractive valuation levels. Sector-level performance during the quarter reflected notable dispersion across sectors, with leadership driven by economically sensitive and technology-oriented areas of the market. Information Technology was the largest contributor to returns, supported by continued strength in semiconductor and hardware-related names. Materials also added meaningfully, benefitting from improving sentiment around global manufacturing and demand trends. Industrials and Financials contributed positively as well, reflecting a more constructi...
Donald Trump on Thursday offered a new and shifting account of why Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, was present last week at an FBI raid of an election center in Georgia, saying she went at the urging of the attorney general Pam Bondi. “She took a lot of heat two days ago because she went in at Pam’s insistence,” the US president said at the National Prayer Breakfast, a high-p...
Donald Trump on Thursday offered a new and shifting account of why Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, was present last week at an FBI raid of an election center in Georgia, saying she went at the urging of the attorney general Pam Bondi. “She took a lot of heat two days ago because she went in at Pam’s insistence,” the US president said at the National Prayer Breakfast, a high-profile event of political and religious leaders. “She went in and she looked at votes that wanted to be checked out from Georgia.” The remarks contradicted Trump’s assertion just a day earlier that he did not know why Gabbard had appeared at the FBI raid, and diverged from her account to lawmakers that she had traveled to Fulton county at Trump’s express direction. The shifting explanations have intensified scrutiny of the unusual role Gabbard played in the operation. As director of national intelligence, she has no domestic law enforcement authority, making her presence at an FBI raid out of the ordinary. Trump’s account at the prayer breakfast marked a departure from remarks in an interview with NBC News on Wednesday. “I don’t know,” Trump said when asked why Gabbard was present, before suggesting, without offering evidence, that China had interfered in the 2020 election. That statement also conflicted with a letter Gabbard sent on Wednesday to senior lawmakers in the House and Senate, in which she said she had attended the raid at Trump’s instructions and had been present only briefly. “My presence was requested by the president and executed under my broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security,” Gabbard wrote. The Guardian has previously reported Gabbard is conducting her own review of the 2020 election through her office with Trump’s approval – working separately from the justice department investigation – and that she was sent to observe the raid as part of that effort. That review comes as Trump has renewed...
wildpixel/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Blue Ridge Bankshares, Inc. ( BRBS ) is a small, well-capitalized community bank in Virginia. It recently saw a significant improvement in profitability. Net Interest Income "NII" Margins improved on the back of widening spreads. The cost structure improved on the heels of the conclusion of a regulatory consent order - a regulator-approved plan t...
wildpixel/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Blue Ridge Bankshares, Inc. ( BRBS ) is a small, well-capitalized community bank in Virginia. It recently saw a significant improvement in profitability. Net Interest Income "NII" Margins improved on the back of widening spreads. The cost structure improved on the heels of the conclusion of a regulatory consent order - a regulator-approved plan to fix prior shortcomings in anti-money laundering processes. With multiple tailwinds at its back, the question is whether BRBS is a "Buy"? I believe that there are several issues that warrant caution. Most critically, deposits have recently declined. In 2024, management exited its fintech Banking-as-a-Service offering to fintech as part of its consent order. This reduced fintech deposits from 18.2% of total deposits ( p.13 ) to less than 1% by December 2024. Thus, the decline in deposit rates in 2025 mirrors core business challenges as opposed to discontinued operations. Profitability Pivot Last week, BRBS released its FY'25 results, showing a pivot to GAAP profitability after two years of losses. Net income stood at $10.7 million, a steep turn from the -$15.4 million loss reported in the prior year. Data by YCharts This ~$25 million profit pivot is sustainable, meaning it is here to stay. However, we shouldn't expect a similar leap in 2026. Most of the profitability gains were attributed to reorganization and regulatory events that reduced the cost structure. For example, nearly half of the $25 million pivot is attributed to salary and compensation costs after the company axed its headcount by 30%, laying off 140 employees . That helped BRBS reduce its salary expenses by $12 million, down to $46.2 million in FY'25. Last year's expenses were inflated by $4.7 million, tied to one-time regulatory remediation costs incurred after regulators raised concerns over the bank's anti-money laundering procedures in relation to its fintech BaaS services. The lapse of this one-time expe...
Startup incubator Y Combinator said it will once again invest in Canada-incorporated companies, reversing course after Canadian entrepreneurs complained about its decision to spurn the country’s firms. “After hearing feedback from Canadian founders in our network, we’ve decided to add Canada back to our list of accepted countries of incorporation,” the California-based organization said in a socia...
Startup incubator Y Combinator said it will once again invest in Canada-incorporated companies, reversing course after Canadian entrepreneurs complained about its decision to spurn the country’s firms. “After hearing feedback from Canadian founders in our network, we’ve decided to add Canada back to our list of accepted countries of incorporation,” the California-based organization said in a social media post Thursday. Y Combinator leaders had observed that its best-performing Canadian companies reincorporated in the US, “but we don’t want to suggest that we no longer fund Canadian startups or Canadian founders,” the group said in a blog post . “In fact, we invest in dozens of Canadian startups each year.”
The big news story on Wednesday was the 17% drop in Advanced Micro Devices’ (AMD) share price after CEO Lisa Siu provided weak guidance for Q1 2026. While the company expects revenue of $9.8 billion in the first quarter, $420 million above the Wall Street average estimate, some felt the topline should have been much more robust given AMD's AI-related spending to date. Water under the bridge, Su re...
The big news story on Wednesday was the 17% drop in Advanced Micro Devices’ (AMD) share price after CEO Lisa Siu provided weak guidance for Q1 2026. While the company expects revenue of $9.8 billion in the first quarter, $420 million above the Wall Street average estimate, some felt the topline should have been much more robust given AMD's AI-related spending to date. Water under the bridge, Su remains very optimistic about the future due to these same AI investments. Investors will undoubtedly continue to make bullish and bearish bets on AMD throughout 2026. In yesterday’s unusual options activity, there were 1,234 calls and puts with volumes of at least 500, expiring in seven days or more. The top 25 Vol/OI ratios ranged from Strategy’s (MSTR) Feb. 13 $142 put at 140.22 to Uber Technologies’ (UBER) April 17 $65 put at 32.88. Uber just happens to be one of the three popular stocks in the top 25 that set up for both long and short strangles. The other two are Boston Scientific (BSX) and Peloton Interactive (PTON). Taking into account yesterday’s data, here are some of my thoughts on the possible plays to make among the three stocks, taking into account what’s changed since then that could alter one’s approach. Peloton Interactive (PTON) Peloton’s March 20 $8 call had the 14th-highest Vol/OI ratio yesterday at 46.17. The volume of 6,510 was about 10% of the total, its fourth highest in the past three months. Based on the $8 call, these are the long (first) and short (second) strangles I’ve focused on. I’ve never been bullish about Peloton. Regardless of what bells and whistles you attach to its bikes and treadmills -- AI being the prime one -- it’s still a hardware business that will constantly face profitability issues and difficulty sustaining revenue growth. That’s a lethal combination. This morning, before the markets opened, it reported Q2 2026 results that missed the mark. It dropped its fiscal 2026 (June year-end) revenue guidance by 3% from Q1 2026, to $2.42 ...
00:00 Speaker A Shouldn't this report by by Alphabet, uh, really good from top to bottom, really good earnings call, any way you sliced it. Shouldn't this be the report that stops this sell-off in software? 00:13 Mike Yes and no. I mean, I I agree with both yours and Ines's take. This, you know, Alphabet is the winner, Google's the winner in AI right now. Um, I they're the one to watch out for. Th...
00:00 Speaker A Shouldn't this report by by Alphabet, uh, really good from top to bottom, really good earnings call, any way you sliced it. Shouldn't this be the report that stops this sell-off in software? 00:13 Mike Yes and no. I mean, I I agree with both yours and Ines's take. This, you know, Alphabet is the winner, Google's the winner in AI right now. Um, I they're the one to watch out for. The capex is just them defending their position. The line on the conference call that caught my attention was when the CFO said that about 50% of their coding's being done by AI agents. 00:43 Speaker A And to me that creates that just you know reinforces the alarm the market has had about AI agents over the past week or so. Mike that is that is a damn good point. I have to admit, I'm going to I have to tell you right here, I missed that one. I did not see that. But yes, Ines, you know what? That brings up a good point. That essentially fuels uh should might fuel uh more of a, I guess more selling pressure on these software stocks. It's so hard. I was talking to Tom Saznoff uh about this yesterday, to find the bottom, Ines. 01:12 Ines Yeah, it's almost like this productivity is sort of feeding on itself because you heard about this in their uh conference call about the productivity of of engineers, but you also heard with it meta as well and and their uh productivity growth, uh when it comes to their engineers and um I think the meta mentioned 30% output, an increase of 30% output. So, I I mean, to that point, yes, this shows that there is massive productivity that is coming from AI. So what does it mean for companies like the software companies and and I would also take it one point further that you have seen some companies that have been announcing layoffs and you have to think to yourself, are they cutting out because of AI and also cutting out because they need to fund AI as well. 02:00 Speaker A It's a really good point. And and Mike, amidst all of this uh software sellin...