Nyca Partners led the round and Osama Bedier, former Google and GoDaddy executive, will join the company's board SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Loop AI, the enterprise-grade AI platform purpose-built for the restaurant and retail back office, today announced its $14M Series A funding round. The round was led by Nyca Partners with participation from prominent investors Gokul Rajaram, B...
Nyca Partners led the round and Osama Bedier, former Google and GoDaddy executive, will join the company's board SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Loop AI, the enterprise-grade AI platform purpose-built for the restaurant and retail back office, today announced its $14M Series A funding round. The round was led by Nyca Partners with participation from prominent investors Gokul Rajaram, Base10, Afore Capital, Converge, Alumni Ventures, Data Tech Fund, John Pepper, 9Yards Capital and Operators Studio. As part of the financing, Osama Bedier, investment partner at Nyca Partners and former Google and GoDaddy executive, will join Loop AI's Board of Directors. Loop AI Logo "Loop sits at the intersection of several transformative trends in the restaurant industry, including the rise of AI, a growing focus on customer experience and the drive for greater operational efficiency. These will be essential pillars shaping the future of dining," said Bedier. "Anand and Sundar are building a remarkable company and transformative technology that will be indispensable for restaurant operators. I'm thrilled to join them on this journey and to contribute to the company's next phase of growth." As of 2025, the U.S. delivery market is valued at approximately $140B with a 10% market share. However, this is projected to surge to $1T with a 30% market share by 2035. As the fastest-growing channel in the industry, delivery is transforming restaurant operations from traditional back-of-house production models to dynamic, consumer-centric businesses. "Delivery is the new drive-thru, and it is poised to fuel the next decade of growth for the restaurant industry. As consumer behavior continues to shift towards takeout and delivery, our mission to make delivery more profitable for restaurant operators has never been more vital," said Anand Tumuluru, co-founder and CEO of Loop AI. "We are incredibly grateful for the support from both new and returning investors in our Series A raise. The...
In last year’s budget Rachel Reeves froze the salary threshold for plan 2 loan repayments for three years from April 2027 – which means borrowers will have to pay even more towards their student loans as they benefit from pay rises. Student finance is made up of a tuition fee loan, which covers course fees and is paid directly to the university, and a maintenance loan, which is designed to help wi...
In last year’s budget Rachel Reeves froze the salary threshold for plan 2 loan repayments for three years from April 2027 – which means borrowers will have to pay even more towards their student loans as they benefit from pay rises. Student finance is made up of a tuition fee loan, which covers course fees and is paid directly to the university, and a maintenance loan, which is designed to help with costs such as rent and food. Both need to be paid back, and interest is added to the balance each month from the moment the first payment is made to the student and/or their university, until the loan has been repaid in full or written off. If you’re a graduate in England and Wales, we’d like to find out how are you managing to pay off your loan. Have you experienced large increases in outstanding debt? Do you have concerns? Share your experience Share your views and experience in the form below or by messaging us. Please share your story if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish. For more information please see our terms of service and privacy policy Tell us here Your responses, which can be anonymous, are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature and we will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For alternative ways to get in touch securely please see our tips guide Name Where do you live? Tell us a bit about yourself (e.g. age, background, what you do) Optional How are you faring with paying off your loan? Please include as much detail as possible. Have you experienced large increases in loan repayments? Optional Please include as much detail as possible. Do you have concerns? Optional Please include as much detail as possible. If you are happy to, please upload a photo of yourself here Optional Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB . Choose file Can we publish your response? Yes, entirely Yes, but contact ...
Welcome to the Brussels Edition. I’m Suzanne Lynch, Bloomberg’s Brussels bureau chief, bringing you the latest from the EU each weekday. Make sure you’re signed up . This year will mark the 10-year anniversary of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. A decade on from the 2016 vote, there are signs that EU-UK relations are in a relatively good place. EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic a...
Welcome to the Brussels Edition. I’m Suzanne Lynch, Bloomberg’s Brussels bureau chief, bringing you the latest from the EU each weekday. Make sure you’re signed up . This year will mark the 10-year anniversary of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. A decade on from the 2016 vote, there are signs that EU-UK relations are in a relatively good place. EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis are in London today for a series of meetings as part of the post-Brexit relationship. Dombrovskis is also due to meet senior officials including Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey. Comments from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the weekend during his trip to Asia suggest a willingness to reset relations with Brussels. Though Starmer has ruled out forming a new customs union with the EU, work is continuing on the details of a youth mobility scheme and reduction of checks on food and agricultural goods, following a summit last May. But the real focus for further EU-UK collaboration is in the sphere of defense, given that the war in Ukraine will soon enter its fifth year. In a significant intervention, Starmer indicated that the UK will renew its bid to join the EU’s flagship €150 billion ($178 billion) defense fund. Negotiations on the UK’s participation in the so-called SAFE program broke down last year after Brussels demanded that London pay up to €6.5 billion to join the scheme. “Whether it’s SAFE or other initiatives, it makes good sense for Europe in the widest sense of the word — which is the EU plus other European countries — to work more closely together,” Starmer told reporters last night. Proponents of UK participation – which would allow Britain to bid for its defense companies to benefit from the fund – have argued that it would be mutually beneficial, boosting the British defense industry while allowing the continent to more quickly increase its military capabilities. But some cou...
The broad market exchange-traded fund SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was down 0.4% and the actively tr 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.
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Erik Isakson/DigitalVision via Getty Images Investment Rating Update - "Buy" Remains I covered IREN Limited ( IREN ) stock in October last year , arguing that the rapid expansion in its GPU fleet will quickly shift the overall revenue mix from just volatile crypto mining to high-margin AI infrastructure services, where the opportunity seemed generally bigger for IREN. Most neocloud stocks like IRE...
Erik Isakson/DigitalVision via Getty Images Investment Rating Update - "Buy" Remains I covered IREN Limited ( IREN ) stock in October last year , arguing that the rapid expansion in its GPU fleet will quickly shift the overall revenue mix from just volatile crypto mining to high-margin AI infrastructure services, where the opportunity seemed generally bigger for IREN. Most neocloud stocks like IREN faced some pressure for the past few weeks, and IREN dipped by 10% since my rating initiation. Despite that, I remain optimistic on its prospects. The past fiscal year was the main transitional period, and now IREN has moved to the execution phase of its business restructure. One of the biggest bottlenecks of data centers and hyperscalers hasn't moved anywhere - they still need a lot of power to run the clusters. Here comes IREN's competitive advantage - the 2.91GW of secured , grid-connected power. By the end of this year, they're going to complete the transition of British Columbia sites from ASICs to GPUs, so they're going to become a fully-fledged pure play cloud provider, likely getting rid of the crypto-miner-discount in forward valuation. Following a bunch of negative earnings revisions to consensus, I believe the company is very likely to beat the upcoming earnings expectations the way it did in fiscal Q1 2026 . Discussing IREN's 2026 In General I believe IREN's transition into a neocloud provider should finalize by the end of this year, as they move what they report under "contracted revenue" to the "recognized revenue" category. We know that one of the main catalysts that has already materialized was the signed deal with Microsoft Corp. ( MSFT ) for ~$9.7 billion for 200MW of critical IR load at the Childress campus (Horizon 1-4). The deal was structured in several tranches targeted for deployment specifically during calendar 2026, with the end-year ARR depending on the deployed capacity. IREN is targeting ~$3.4 billion in ARR by the end of 2026. Looking ahead, ...
Eoneren/E+ via Getty Images Staying Bullish On VRT Stock Vertiv Holdings Co. ( VRT ) is a $70-billion+ market cap firm that I have written about thrice in the past, having a Buy rating on it throughout 2025 for basically the same reason. I thought that Vertiv's solutions (such as uninterruptible power supplies, switchgear, busway systems, and advanced liquid cooling solutions) would remain in high...
Eoneren/E+ via Getty Images Staying Bullish On VRT Stock Vertiv Holdings Co. ( VRT ) is a $70-billion+ market cap firm that I have written about thrice in the past, having a Buy rating on it throughout 2025 for basically the same reason. I thought that Vertiv's solutions (such as uninterruptible power supplies, switchgear, busway systems, and advanced liquid cooling solutions) would remain in high demand, especially for the next-generation GPU clusters, which keep absorbing capital investments from major hyperscalers. So far, my thesis has been playing out well: Seeking Alpha, Oakoff's coverage of VRT But VRT seems to have failed to settle above its previous ATH during recent trading sessions. It has started to look like Vertiv's price action is forming a double-top technical pattern on the daily chart, potentially pointing to a 15% decline down to its nearest support zone. TrendSpider Software, VRT daily, Oakoff's notes I don't have a crystal ball to see what's exactly coming for VRT's short-term price action next, but I don't see any major fundamental red flags that could have explained a bearish view even at today's elevated price levels. VRT is set to publish its Q4 2025 earnings on February 11th, according to Seeking Alpha , and I view the odds for beating as very high. Last time they delivered a massive beat to the bottom line, the market was unsure how to react because everyone was weighing the risks of an AI CAPEX slowdown and overheated valuation multiples for related tech stocks like Vertiv. That's why VRT first moved up by over 15%, then gave up 30%, and is approaching Q4 with flat performance. I believe VRT will give the market confirmation that the AI spending is not fading anywhere, and the firm's solutions remain in high demand. If it happens, VRT is likely to soar despite seemingly weak technicals. Let's Preview VRT's Upcoming Q4 Results What I'll be watching in VRT's Q4 financials is the first results of the global trend of the training-to-inference...
Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings aims to replicate the success of WeChat Pay by splashing cash for its artificial intelligence app Yuanbao, but analysts are sceptical about whether subsidies can move the needle in the increasingly crowded market. Yuanbao’s 1 billion yuan (US$144 million) promotional campaign, which gives out cash through digital red packets to drive adoption, kicked off with a ...
Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings aims to replicate the success of WeChat Pay by splashing cash for its artificial intelligence app Yuanbao, but analysts are sceptical about whether subsidies can move the needle in the increasingly crowded market. Yuanbao’s 1 billion yuan (US$144 million) promotional campaign, which gives out cash through digital red packets to drive adoption, kicked off with a high-profile launch on Sunday, as many users woke up to find their WeChat groups flooded with referral links to the AI app. Tencent is aiming to stir up the AI market, but rival platforms are not sitting idle. On Monday, Alibaba Group Holding’s Qwen AI app joined the cash-incentive battle with a 3 billion yuan campaign, offering users free meals and activities for orders on online marketplace Taobao, instant commerce service Shangou, online travel agency Fliggy, and other platforms operated by the Hangzhou-based giant. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. Advertisement Yuanbao shot to the top of Apple’s iOS chart for free apps on the campaign’s debut, surpassing Doubao. It experienced a temporary service outage on Sunday evening, triggered by “a sudden surge of instantaneous traffic”, Tencent said. The service resumed on Monday morning, according to the company. Advertisement The Yuanbao campaign is striving to evoke a sense of deja vu from the sensation WeChat stirred in 2015, when hundreds of millions of users shared 500 million yuan in digital red packets during the Spring Festival, effectively disrupting the dominance of Alipay’s mobile payments service in mainland China. Alipay is operated by Ant Group, the fintech giant affiliated with Alibaba.
Getty Images In August I believed that Cavco Industries ( CVCO ) was rapidly building a great track record. A combination of organic growth, M&A, buybacks, and strong demand for affordable housing and labor shortages created a very interesting backdrop for the business to operate within. These factory-built homes provide a cost-effective solution in an unaffordable housing market, while the compan...
Getty Images In August I believed that Cavco Industries ( CVCO ) was rapidly building a great track record. A combination of organic growth, M&A, buybacks, and strong demand for affordable housing and labor shortages created a very interesting backdrop for the business to operate within. These factory-built homes provide a cost-effective solution in an unaffordable housing market, while the company maintains a strong balance sheet and employs conservative financial practices. On top of the organic achievements, Cavco announced a substantial purchase for Homestar last year. All this took place when organic growth was difficult to find, making investors rightfully cautious. Overall valuations look reasonable, but I require a better earnings yield before getting involved here, despite long-term drivers, making me patiently await better entry levels. Affordable & Quality Homes Cavco manufactures both quality and affordable homes, claiming to be one of the largest HUD builders of factory homes. This makes it the most affordable form of unsubsidized homeownership. This includes less material waste and greater labor efficiency, with production taking place in a controlled environment. With such homes being cheaper, while zoning plans for (temporary) lots tend to become easier, this provides an affordable solution in a housing market that is rather unaffordable. In fact, Cavco estimates that about 5% of the population lives in such houses, with millions of homes in deficit here. With this industry shipping just 100,000 units on average, the company has made real inroads, with revenues having more than tripled from $600 million in 2015 to about $2 billion now. While operating margins of 10% look relatively reasonable, they are substantial in relation to gross margins reported in their twenties. These sales gains were accompanied by net buybacks over the past decade, making that a $70 stock in 2015 rose to a high of $550 in 2024, with shares trading just shy of the $500 mark ...
Around the country, arthouse film programs hosted in galleries and independent cinemas are booming – and their audiences are filled with young viewers Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email For a quarter century, In the Mood for Love has remained one of cinema’s most romantic texts; it only makes sense that audiences swooned when Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art programmed the Wong Kar-wai fi...
Around the country, arthouse film programs hosted in galleries and independent cinemas are booming – and their audiences are filled with young viewers Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email For a quarter century, In the Mood for Love has remained one of cinema’s most romantic texts; it only makes sense that audiences swooned when Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art programmed the Wong Kar-wai film at its Australian Cinémathèque in late 2025. Two sessions in the venue’s 220-seat main cinema sold out swiftly. A third session was added at short notice on a night the 20-year-old site isn’t usually open, and neared capacity, teeming with eager viewers. And not just classic cinephiles, either. The film, says Amanda Slack-Smith, Australian Cinémathèque’s longstanding curatorial manager, “got out to a lot of communities. We’re seeing a lot of intergenerational families coming in – older parents with their 50-year-old kids, and they’re bringing their kids.” Sign up for our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...
Passive investing in index funds can generate returns that roughly match the overall market. But if you pick the right individual stocks, you could make more than that. To wit, the Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) share price is 75% higher than it was a year ago, much better than the market return of around 14% (not including dividends) in the same period. So that should have shareholders smiling. The lo...
Passive investing in index funds can generate returns that roughly match the overall market. But if you pick the right individual stocks, you could make more than that. To wit, the Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) share price is 75% higher than it was a year ago, much better than the market return of around 14% (not including dividends) in the same period. So that should have shareholders smiling. The longer term returns have not been as good, with the stock price only 7.3% higher than it was three years ago. Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business. This technology could replace computers: discover the 20 stocks are working to make quantum computing a reality. To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. During the last year, Baidu actually saw its earnings per share drop 58%. Given the share price gain, we doubt the market is measuring progress with EPS. Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics. Revenue was pretty stable on last year, so deeper research might be needed to explain the share price rise. You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). NasdaqGS:BIDU Earnings and Revenue Growth February 2nd 2026 Baidu is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. You can see what analysts are predicting for Baidu in this interactive graph of future profit estimates. A Different Perspective It's good t...
Dozens of drivers are taking legal action against a Royal Mail-owned courier service, arguing that they are entitled to workers’ rights. The 46 drivers are classified as self-employed by eCourier. They work around the clock making deliveries, including transporting vital blood and tissue samples to and from NHS hospitals. Their case, due to be heard at an employment tribunal this year, alleges tha...
Dozens of drivers are taking legal action against a Royal Mail-owned courier service, arguing that they are entitled to workers’ rights. The 46 drivers are classified as self-employed by eCourier. They work around the clock making deliveries, including transporting vital blood and tissue samples to and from NHS hospitals. Their case, due to be heard at an employment tribunal this year, alleges that the company has wrongly categorised them as self-employed despite features of their work that they say point to worker status. Such a classification would confer rights such as the minimum wage and holiday pay. The drivers are being represented by the law firm Leigh Day, which successfully brought a similar challenge on behalf of Uber drivers. In February 2021, the supreme court ruled Uber drivers should be classed as workers rather than self-employed contractors. eCourier drivers say the level of control exercised over their work – including how jobs are allocated and expectations around availability and performance – is inconsistent with genuine self-employment. Two of the claimants, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Guardian they hoped the case would lead to improved working conditions. One said: “We need eCourier to change how they categorise us. We deserve to have holiday pay and the other benefits associated. We want drivers to be treated with the respect they deserve.” The second driver said he struggled to make ends meet under the current arrangements. “I work 12-hour shifts, five days a week, but depending on how many jobs I get, I can take home less than the minimum wage. Sometimes, I’m sitting in the van for five or six hours on my shift without work. “We have to pay our own vehicle rental, fuel and tax. Most of my work is delivering patient samples to NHS hospitals. I want to see a change in how drivers are treated and I just want things to be fair.” Mandy Bhattal, an employment partner at Leigh Day, said: “Leigh Day is of the opinion that eCourier is mi...
We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing 1. Trump sells tariffs as farmers’ win in Iowa, but many aren’t buying it Photo: Randall Shelby In January, US President Donald Trump said farmers were “going to be the biggest beneficiary” of his ...
We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing 1. Trump sells tariffs as farmers’ win in Iowa, but many aren’t buying it Photo: Randall Shelby In January, US President Donald Trump said farmers were “going to be the biggest beneficiary” of his tariff policy, even if it was “going to take a little while to kick in”. But many remained anxious that they could once again be caught in the crossfire, as tensions between Washington and Beijing threatened to escalate anew. Read the full story here 2. Who are the owners of the new TikTok US entity? Photo: Kyodo TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance announced the official creation of a new US venture to operate the short video app, which is used by 200 million Americans. Without the deal, which gives non-Chinese investors 80 per cent of the venture, TikTok would have faced a nationwide ban. Advertisement Read the full story here 3. US and Canada drift apart on China as Ottawa rethinks Beijing ties Photo: Reuters The US and Canada will move farther apart on China policy, even in areas where they were previously aligned, analysts said after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a multifaceted trade deal with Beijing.
Within hours of the Bondi beach terror attack, the money had already begun to pour in. As images of the tragedy flooded social media, people from around the world donated tens of thousands of dollars to the victims, their families and first responders. Passing the hat around the neighbourhood or the local pub has always been a staple response in times of crisis. But today, that instinct to open yo...
Within hours of the Bondi beach terror attack, the money had already begun to pour in. As images of the tragedy flooded social media, people from around the world donated tens of thousands of dollars to the victims, their families and first responders. Passing the hat around the neighbourhood or the local pub has always been a staple response in times of crisis. But today, that instinct to open your wallet has been exponentially supercharged via a digital simulacrum: online crowdfunding platforms. GoFundMe fundraisers have since raised more than $3m for Ahmed al-Ahmed, who tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen before he suffered three gunshot wounds to his shoulder. Among dozens of other appeals in the wake of the shooting, $1m has also been raised for the family of the youngest victim, 10-year-old Matilda. And this month, as unprecedented bushfires swept through regional communities in Victoria, crowdfunding campaigns shot up to help families rebuild from the ashes. “During times of mass catastrophe, we can easily feel overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness in witnessing such extraordinary harms,” says Dr Matthew Wade, a sociology and ethics researcher at La Trobe University. If helplessness is the ailment, then crowdfunding can feel like the antidote. Donating directly to an individual or cause via a crowdfunding platform is a tangible action to alleviate someone’s suffering, offering donors a sense of immediate impact that donating to a conventional charity can’t easily replicate, Wade says. Since the globally dominant online crowdfunding platform, GoFundMe, launched in Australia in 2015, Australians have donated more than $1.1bn to causes on the platform. Worldwide, more than $40bn has been donated since it was founded in 2010 in the US. Unlike a charity, GoFundMe is a for-profit company, charging transaction fees on donations and encouraging donors to leave an optional tip. The company says this model allows it to provide a secure, user-friendly service at sca...
Vanguard Group has unleashed another round of fee cuts across its lineup of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, further tightening the screws on an industry already known for its low costs. The Jack Bogle-founded asset manager, which oversees about $12 trillion, is lowering costs for 84 share classes of mutual funds and ETFs across 53 funds in total, Vanguard said in a press release Monday. Th...
Vanguard Group has unleashed another round of fee cuts across its lineup of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, further tightening the screws on an industry already known for its low costs. The Jack Bogle-founded asset manager, which oversees about $12 trillion, is lowering costs for 84 share classes of mutual funds and ETFs across 53 funds in total, Vanguard said in a press release Monday. The reductions bring Vanguard’s average asset-weighted expense ratio to 0.06%, shaving one basis point from last year’s record fee cut . Monday’s fee cuts are par for the course for Vanguard, which has reshaped the asset management world over the past 50 years with its low-cost index funds — pressuring its peers to drop their own costs to rock-bottom levels in order to compete. Now, as that race-to-the-bottom seemingly hits its limit with the average fee on new funds beginning to rise, Vanguard is sticking to its blueprint of steadily lowering fees. “Vanguard is investor-owned — we have no outside stockholders or inside owners profiting from our clients,” Vanguard chief executive officer Salim Ramji said in Monday’s release. “These fee reductions — more than half a billion dollars over the past two years — are a clear expression of our purpose and commitment to our clients as owners.” Between last year and this year’s cost cuts, Vanguard estimates its investors have saved about $600 million, according to the release. Vanguard’s unique ownership structure blunts some of the margin-pressure that its competitors feel from low costs. Fund shareholders elect its board members, who in turn funnel extra cash or assets generated by its products toward lowering costs. Nonetheless, Vanguard pulls in much less fee revenue from its $12 trillion in assets than its peers. Despite ranking second in overall ETF assets, the Valley Forge, Pennsylvania-based firm generated about $1.5 billion in fee revenue last year from its US-listed ETFs, trailing issuers with smaller AUM levels, Bloomberg In...
Meta Platforms (META) has recently been on Zacks.com's list of the most searched stocks. Therefore, you might want to consider some of the key factors that could influence the stock's performance in the near future. Over the past month, shares of this social media company have returned +10.2%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. During this period, the Zacks Internet - Software...
Meta Platforms (META) has recently been on Zacks.com's list of the most searched stocks. Therefore, you might want to consider some of the key factors that could influence the stock's performance in the near future. Over the past month, shares of this social media company have returned +10.2%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. During this period, the Zacks Internet - Software industry, which Meta Platforms falls in, has lost 4.4%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction? While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making. Earnings Estimate Revisions Here at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock. Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements. Meta Platforms is expected to post earnings of $6.66 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +3.6%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +3.4%. For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $30.37 points to a change of +29.3% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has changed +0.8%. For t...
Microsoft (MSFT) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term. Over the past month, shares of this software maker have returned -9%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. During this period, the Zacks Computer - Software industry, which Microsoft falls in...
Microsoft (MSFT) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term. Over the past month, shares of this software maker have returned -9%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. During this period, the Zacks Computer - Software industry, which Microsoft falls in, has lost 13.4%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction? While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making. Earnings Estimate Revisions Here at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock. Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements. For the current quarter, Microsoft is expected to post earnings of $4.02 per share, indicating a change of +16.2% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +3.5% over the last 30 days. The consensus earnings estimate of $16.47 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +20.8%. This estimate has changed +2.3% over the last 30 days. For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnin...
Tesla (TSLA) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock. Shares of this electric car maker have returned -1.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. The Zacks Automotive - Domestic industry, to which Tesla belongs, has lost 4.2% ov...
Tesla (TSLA) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock. Shares of this electric car maker have returned -1.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. The Zacks Automotive - Domestic industry, to which Tesla belongs, has lost 4.2% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term? While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making. Earnings Estimate Revisions Here at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock. We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. Tesla is expected to post earnings of $0.43 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +59.3%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -8.1%. For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $2.2 points to a change of +32.5% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has changed -6.2%. For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $2.7 indicates a chan...
Microsoft (MSFT) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term. Over the past month, shares of this software maker have returned -9%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. During this period, the Zacks Computer - Software industry, which Microsoft falls in...
Microsoft (MSFT) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term. Over the past month, shares of this software maker have returned -9%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. During this period, the Zacks Computer - Software industry, which Microsoft falls in, has lost 13.4%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction? While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making. Earnings Estimate Revisions Here at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock. Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements. For the current quarter, Microsoft is expected to post earnings of $4.02 per share, indicating a change of +16.2% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +3.5% over the last 30 days. The consensus earnings estimate of $16.47 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +20.8%. This estimate has changed +2.3% over the last 30 days. For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnin...
Microsoft (MSFT) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term. Over the past month, shares of this software maker have returned -9%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. During this period, the Zacks Computer - Software industry, which Microsoft falls in...
Microsoft (MSFT) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term. Over the past month, shares of this software maker have returned -9%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. During this period, the Zacks Computer - Software industry, which Microsoft falls in, has lost 13.4%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction? While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making. Earnings Estimate Revisions Here at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock. Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements. For the current quarter, Microsoft is expected to post earnings of $4.02 per share, indicating a change of +16.2% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +3.5% over the last 30 days. The consensus earnings estimate of $16.47 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +20.8%. This estimate has changed +2.3% over the last 30 days. For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnin...
Nancy Pelosi is a veteran politician and one of the most well-known names in U.S. Congress, having served multiple terms as Speaker of the House. Her tenure ranks among the longest in modern U.S. history, although it is set to end next year as Pelosi has announced she will not seek re-election. However, what has made Nancy Pelosi an unlikely investment icon has little to do with legislative maneuv...
Nancy Pelosi is a veteran politician and one of the most well-known names in U.S. Congress, having served multiple terms as Speaker of the House. Her tenure ranks among the longest in modern U.S. history, although it is set to end next year as Pelosi has announced she will not seek re-election. However, what has made Nancy Pelosi an unlikely investment icon has little to do with legislative maneuvering and everything to do with her husband's portfolio. Paul Pelosi's investment returns have outpaced even those of Warren Buffett over recent years. Because he is married to a sitting member of Congress, his trades are subject to federal disclosure requirements and filed under Nancy Pelosi's name, given that their assets are intertwined under California community property law. Throughout this article, we will use both names interchangeably when discussing portfolio holdings and trading activity. Nancy Pelosi herself has stated that she does not personally trade stocks and that Paul Pelosi manages the investments independently. Regardless of who executes the orders, the portfolio has beaten the S&P 500 ($SPX) by such a wide margin that ignoring these disclosures means leaving money on the table. Here are three stocks Pelosi has made moves on recently. The recent repositioning “could lead to $10 to $20 million in combined realized and unrealized gains under fairly conservative market assumptions,” per Capitol Trades. Let's take a closer look. Stock to Buy #1: Nvidia (NVDA) The Pelosis have a long history with Nvidia (NVDA), well before it became the frontrunner among AI companies. There's a clear pattern of bullish option bets timed ahead of major growth phases. Pelosi bought 50 call options back in November 2023 before the stock went on an explosive rally. Nvidia implemented a 10-for-1 stock split in June 2024. Pelosi bought right after that went into effect, and NVDA stock has gained significantly since then, too. Pelosi's latest moves with Nvidia are more complicated, a...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction I haven't looked at Shopify Inc. ( SHOP ) stock since late 2023, when I decided to downgrade it to "Hold" after a nice run-up. I see that SHOP's rally hasn't stopped since then, though. Today, I'd like to revisit my previous thesis on SHOP, taking into account new developments at the firm and the new Agentic-Commerce-focused strategy managem...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction I haven't looked at Shopify Inc. ( SHOP ) stock since late 2023, when I decided to downgrade it to "Hold" after a nice run-up. I see that SHOP's rally hasn't stopped since then, though. Today, I'd like to revisit my previous thesis on SHOP, taking into account new developments at the firm and the new Agentic-Commerce-focused strategy management is pursuing. As we're nearing the company's Q4 2025 earnings release next week ( February 11th ), I'll also look into the odds of SHOP beating this time. Shopify's Agentic Commerce Story We've known Shopify as an efficient tool for e-commerce, mostly a passive one, that helped buyers and sellers meet online in a convenient format online. Since the global e-commerce market, and especially its North-American parts, has always been tremendous in terms of the addressable market size, and SHOP started off from a relatively low base, the firm has managed to grow its sales from $205 million to over $10.6 billion for a single decade. That looks impressive on all fronts - the 10-year CAGR is over 48% when we count the TTM figure as the 10th year. But the bigger it grew, the harder it became for SHOP to remain on track for a growth rate like that. In FY2022, FY2023, and FY2024, the revenue growth rates amounted to 21.43%, 26.07%, and 25.78%, respectively (all in YoY), according to Seeking Alpha . The stock price dropped from $170 per share in late 2021 to the mid-20s by late 2022, and then it started to reverse as SHOP was trying to grow out of its valuation. The company managed to return to superior revenue growth rates (over 30% on a YoY basis when we look at the quarterly data) by late 2024, and the stock started to rise, eventually surpassing the 2021 ATH. But it then gave back some, and as of now, SHOP is off its ATH again (by ~27%): Data by YCharts I think this time we shouldn't see the same rollercoaster movement to the downside as it was the case in 2021-2022, because AI ...
DNY59/E+ via Getty Images Microsoft Corporation ( MSFT ) reported strong Q2 FY26 earnings last Wednesday, yet its shares dropped the most since 2020, falling 9.99% the following day, as investors didn't appreciate slowing cloud growth in face of elevated valuation. The combination of the pullback on Wednesday, and previous weakness heading into the earnings made Microsoft stock significantly more ...
DNY59/E+ via Getty Images Microsoft Corporation ( MSFT ) reported strong Q2 FY26 earnings last Wednesday, yet its shares dropped the most since 2020, falling 9.99% the following day, as investors didn't appreciate slowing cloud growth in face of elevated valuation. The combination of the pullback on Wednesday, and previous weakness heading into the earnings made Microsoft stock significantly more attractive trading at a blended P/E of 28.1x. Data by YCharts Currently trading at $430/share, Microsoft has hit my buy target of $420-440 and even though the stock still may have further to fall amidst the reversed sentiment, this is a time I will start adding more shares into our existing position in a family portfolio. In my last coverage from August 2025 titled "Microsoft: Not Worth Your Money At Current Price Level", I've downgraded the stock to hold as above $500/share the stock was overpriced in respect to its forward growth expectations. Since then, the stock has fallen 15% while the broader market ( SP500 ) advanced 7.5%. A good call on our side. Let's look into the Q2 FY26 earnings what has driven the sell-off, and why we are upgrading the stock to a buy once again. Q2 FY26 Earnings Microsoft doesn't follow a calendar year, but instead a fiscal year, ending in June. The company reported $81.3B in revenue, a 17% growth YoY. Analysts were expecting $80.3B - an easy beat. The bottom line (non-GAAP EPS) came in at $4.14, growth of 24%, and once again beat analyst expectations of $3.97. Mostly, a top & bottom line beat would send shares higher, but we've been accustomed to Microsoft delivering as the firm beat expectations for the past 11 quarters consecutively. Q2 Earnings (MSFT IR) From the earnings report, there are more things to like than dislike. A 17% top line growth for a firm with an annual revenue run rate of $305B is a fantastic result, and certainly not a sign of any slowdown in its core business. It's fair to point out this isn't all organic growth. Curren...
is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Ring is opening its Search Party pet finder service to non-Ring owners through the free Ring Neighbors app. The service has helped reunite owners with “more than one lost dog a day” since launch...
is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Ring is opening its Search Party pet finder service to non-Ring owners through the free Ring Neighbors app. The service has helped reunite owners with “more than one lost dog a day” since launch, according to the company. Anyone in the US can share a photo of their missing pet after they download and register in the app. If a neighbor’s AI-enabled Ring camera detects the lost animal, they’ll be able to alert the pet’s owner. Ring is also committing $1 million to equip animal shelters across the country with camera systems. The company launched its Search Party feature in September and, despite some misgivings about it being enabled by default (and concerns around privacy and relationships with law enforcement), the company is taking a victory lap with a Super Bowl commercial.
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercy has tapped Lina Scroggins as its new chief product officer. Her mission: Make health care simpler and more connected for patients. Scroggins, who begins in her new role today, brings nearly two decades of experience from Google, where she helped shape Google Health and led digital transformation projects for major health systems. Her work focused on cr...
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercy has tapped Lina Scroggins as its new chief product officer. Her mission: Make health care simpler and more connected for patients. Scroggins, who begins in her new role today, brings nearly two decades of experience from Google, where she helped shape Google Health and led digital transformation projects for major health systems. Her work focused on creating tools that make care easier to access and more personalized. "Roles like this are uncommon in health care, but innovation is truly part of Mercy's DNA," said Steve Mackin, Mercy's president and CEO. "Lina has a remarkable ability to turn big ideas into practical solutions that make care easier for our patients. Her leadership will elevate the digital experience across Mercy – from scheduling to follow-up care – helping create a seamless, flexible and friction-free journey for every patient we serve." At Mercy, Scroggins will lead efforts to improve online tools like mercy.net, the MyMercy app and the contact center, ensuring patients can connect to care quickly and conveniently. Scroggins earned her bachelor's in psychology from Harvard University, a master's in experimental psychology from University of Cambridge and another master's in clinical psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. Scroggins was also a Gates Cambridge Scholar, a prestigious honor funded by the Gates Foundation. "My first job is to listen," Scroggins said. "Our patients show us every day what's working and what isn't. I want to understand their experiences so we can make care easier at every step and create a path that truly supports them." Mercy, one of the 15 largest U.S. health systems and named the top large system in the U.S. for excellent patient experience by NRC Health, serves millions annually with nationally recognized care and one of the nation's largest and highest performing Accountable Care Organizations in quality and cost. Mercy is a highly integrated, multi-state healt...
Secure Technology Alliance Speaker lineup features industry luminaries from Google, Airbnb, Giesecke+Devrient, Bank of America, HID, Verifone and many more REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Secure Technology Alliance today unveils the full agenda for the 2026 Identity & Payments Summit. The Summit is the premier event of its kind in North America, exploring how payments, ...
Secure Technology Alliance Speaker lineup features industry luminaries from Google, Airbnb, Giesecke+Devrient, Bank of America, HID, Verifone and many more REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Secure Technology Alliance today unveils the full agenda for the 2026 Identity & Payments Summit. The Summit is the premier event of its kind in North America, exploring how payments, identity and trust are intrinsically linked to deliver secure, frictionless experiences across technological interactions. The conference will take place March 2-4, 2026, at the Westin Galleria in Houston, bringing together hundreds of attendees for three days of timely insights, real-world case studies and cross-industry collaboration. This year’s Summit will also be co-located with optional on-site training courses for those looking to expand their professional repertoire. The courses will cover payments and mobile driver’s license (mDL) fundamentals and AI deepfakes. For more details, visit: https://www.stasummit.com/on-site-training/ Day One March 2nd will serve as a pre-conference day, featuring two exclusive events: the Mobile Driver’s License (mDL) Technology Showcase and the U.S. Payments Forum’s Spring Member Meeting. The mDL Technology Showcase will spotlight the expanding role of mobile driver’s licenses in fraud reduction and secure authentication while enabling users to maintain control over their data. The Showcase will bring together mDL manufacturers, issuers and relying parties for hands-on demonstrations of real-world mDL use cases, including online bank onboarding, point-of-sale age verification, TSA identity verification, reusable identity verification (IDV) for remote proofing and more. Held concurrently, the U.S. Payments Forum Spring Member Meeting will offer an opportunity for meaningful, cross-industry collaboration and professional development. The meeting agenda will examine timely payment priorities, with sessions covering token lifecycle managem...