Key Points Microsoft's Azure growth outperformed expectations. The market finally got a number for how much Meta Platforms plans to spend on capital expenditures during 2026. 10 stocks we like better than Microsoft › Following each company's quarterly results, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) sold off by about 10%, while Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) rose by about 10%. The market had two entirely differen...
Key Points Microsoft's Azure growth outperformed expectations. The market finally got a number for how much Meta Platforms plans to spend on capital expenditures during 2026. 10 stocks we like better than Microsoft › Following each company's quarterly results, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) sold off by about 10%, while Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) rose by about 10%. The market had two entirely different reactions to each company's quarter, but was either reaction warranted? Let's take a look at each company and decide which is the better buy today. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Image source: Getty Images. Microsoft's quarter just wasn't good enough for some While Microsoft does many different things as a business, the market really cares about one business unit in particular: Azure. Azure is Microsoft's cloud computing division and provides a glance into how strong artificial intelligence (AI) spending is. Cloud computing platforms like Azure are incredibly popular with aspiring AI businesses, as they allow clients to get up and running quickly, without having to manage the complexities of operating a data center. Management told investors to expect 37% Azure growth in Q2, yet they delivered 39%. In fact, management stated that this figure could have been higher if they utilized some of the new computing capacity brought online during Q1 and Q2 for external use versus internal. Despite Microsoft outperforming expectations and delivering an excellent quarter overall, the stock still sold off. I think this makes for an intriguing buying opportunity. But what about Meta? The market was scared of Meta's spending plans Following Meta's Q3 2025 earnings announcement, the stock cratered. So, expectations were a little bit low heading into the quarter. The biggest issue the market took with Meta's last quarter wasn't its results, as they were fantastic. Instead, they were wor...
澳洲男國慶日擲自製炸彈事敗 警定性種族主義恐襲 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】澳洲當局拘捕一名31歲男子，涉嫌在國慶日發動恐怖襲擊，未有造成傷亡。 當局未有交代被捕人的身分，指他上周一在珀斯向參加...
澳洲男國慶日擲自製炸彈事敗 警定性種族主義恐襲 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】澳洲當局拘捕一名31歲男子，涉嫌在國慶日發動恐怖襲擊，未有造成傷亡。 當局未有交代被捕人的身分，指他上周一在珀斯向參加「入侵日」集會的群眾投擲一枚自製炸彈，由於炸彈沒有引爆，未有造成傷亡，行兇的男子當場被捕。警方指他聲稱犯案的目的是出於種族主義，當局將事件定性為恐怖襲擊，並首次引用有關的條例起訴疑犯。西澳州州長庫克強烈譴責事件，稱任何針對原住民的襲擊等同攻擊全國人民，會盡快展開司法程序。
sommart/iStock via Getty Images By Gary Zhu, CFA & Geoff Cornell, CFA Despite an aging credit cycle, private credit still plays a starring role. Inflation. Demand for alternative assets. The promises and risks of artificial intelligence. Insurance investors with roughly $2 trillion in collective assets had plenty to say about these subjects at AB’s 2026 Global CIO Forum and about how they may infl...
sommart/iStock via Getty Images By Gary Zhu, CFA & Geoff Cornell, CFA Despite an aging credit cycle, private credit still plays a starring role. Inflation. Demand for alternative assets. The promises and risks of artificial intelligence. Insurance investors with roughly $2 trillion in collective assets had plenty to say about these subjects at AB’s 2026 Global CIO Forum and about how they may influence investment strategy. The insurance attendees were among a group of 130 chief investment officers and senior asset allocators who attended the event to discuss the key strategic issues they face. Geopolitics and Federal Reserve independence were also areas of concern among insurers, as were market concentration and valuation. Still, most participants were in a pro-risk state of mind, and the need for private assets was a major topic of discussion. Here’s a brief recap of our sideline discussions with insurance CIOs who attended. Private Assets Are Top of Mind There was broad consensus in favor of adding exposure to private assets or at least maintaining current levels of exposure, particularly with US growth still solid and inflation above the Fed’s long-term target. To create capacity for private credit and its attractive return potential, many participants mentioned increasing liquidity in their public fixed-income portfolios through greater diversification. Some investors expressed concern that markets appeared to be in the later stages of the credit cycle and said they were bracing for more varied performance. As one participant put it, “There isn’t a CEO out there who doesn’t want to get into higher-yielding private credit. But many worry about losses.” Even so, most participants said they expected lower losses in isolated cases of stress or default because of the control that private lenders have in structuring protective covenants and their ability to work proactively with borrowers when they run into trouble. Differentiation within private credit types is likel...
SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FL / ACCESS Newswire / February 4, 2026 / Elektros Inc. (OTC PINK:ELEK) today underscored the growing global importance of rare earth minerals and lithium, materials that have become essential to modern society, economic growth, national security, and the worldwide clean energy transition. Rare earth elements and lithium are foundational to electric vehicles, grid-scale energy s...
SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FL / ACCESS Newswire / February 4, 2026 / Elektros Inc. (OTC PINK:ELEK) today underscored the growing global importance of rare earth minerals and lithium, materials that have become essential to modern society, economic growth, national security, and the worldwide clean energy transition. Rare earth elements and lithium are foundational to electric vehicles, grid-scale energy storage, defense applications, and advanced electronics. Governments and industry leaders worldwide increasingly recognize that secure, responsibly developed supplies of these materials are critical for long-term sustainability and technological leadership. Global Media Commentary on Lithium and Rare Earths: Financial Times: "Lithium sits at the heart of the energy transition." Bloomberg News: "Lithium is a key ingredient in the batteries powering electric vehicles and energy storage systems." Reuters: "Lithium is a critical element for the electric-vehicle ramp-up." Benzinga: "Lithium and rare earth minerals are critical battery metals for the future of energy and transportation." Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has emphasized that lithium is among the most important materials required to scale electric vehicle production and accelerate the transition to sustainable energy worldwide. Shlomo Bleier, CEO of Elektros Inc., commented: "We are extremely proud to be operating in the rare earth minerals and lithium sector at this pivotal moment. Demand for these materials is accelerating worldwide, and Elektros is working tirelessly with our partners in Sierra Leone, Africa, to responsibly develop and stockpile lithium for long-term success. We truly believe we are in the right place at the right time." Elektros continues to advance its operations alongside trusted local partners in Sierra Leone with a long-term vision centered on responsible resource development and participation in the global lithium supply chain. Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements: This release ...
snvv/iStock via Getty Images With gold structurally elevated, despite interim corrections (sometimes large too, as we have seen in the past few days), and cost pressures not rising, miners are clearly in an earnings-supportive regime. We have already seen equity outperformance in the miners' group. Miners are fundamentally riding on improved capital discipline too. However, much of this improvemen...
snvv/iStock via Getty Images With gold structurally elevated, despite interim corrections (sometimes large too, as we have seen in the past few days), and cost pressures not rising, miners are clearly in an earnings-supportive regime. We have already seen equity outperformance in the miners' group. Miners are fundamentally riding on improved capital discipline too. However, much of this improvement is now better reflected in market pricing than it was earlier in the cycle. I find value in holding the VanEck Gold Miners ETF ( GDX ) in today's macro environment, but aggressive adding is not recommended. GDX is still exposed to a crash in gold prices despite a supportive regime (as history suggests), and valuations are not cheap either. Before moving into the analysis, it helps to understand how GDX is constructed and what drives the earnings of the constituent companies. GDX is a market cap-weighted portfolio of gold mining companies—primarily producers, rather than explorers or asset developers. Their earnings therefore respond quickly to gold prices (relative to operating costs). Roughly a sixth of the portfolio is in royalty and streaming businesses with lower operating cost exposure and steadier margins that dampen (but do not remove) GDX’s sensitivity to mining cost cycles. Company-Specific Fundamentals Positive Late-cycle behavior that I am generally wary of includes aggressive expansion stances across miners, like surging Capex or debt-fueled acquisitions. The current industry posture looks different. Major constituents in GDX, such as Newmont Corporation ( NEM ), Barrick Mining Corporation ( B ), and Agnico Eagle Mines Limited ( AEM ), are emphasizing capital discipline, shareholder returns, and selective project development. That is a supportive environment at the company level that allays late-cycle fears. The presence of royalty and streaming firms such as Franco-Nevada Corporation ( FNV ) and Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. ( WPM ) reduces the overall capita...