Canadian grocers could be facing tougher times, according to analysts at Scotiabank, who have dimmed their outlook for the sector in light of increasing competition. Analysts led by John Zamparo downgraded Empire Co. , Loblaw Cos. and Metro Inc. to sector perform from outperform, citing lower expected earnings growth for this year. Recent earnings also missed the mark on key metrics, potentially s...
Canadian grocers could be facing tougher times, according to analysts at Scotiabank, who have dimmed their outlook for the sector in light of increasing competition. Analysts led by John Zamparo downgraded Empire Co. , Loblaw Cos. and Metro Inc. to sector perform from outperform, citing lower expected earnings growth for this year. Recent earnings also missed the mark on key metrics, potentially signaling that competition in the sector is squeezing results, they said. “That each of the grocers has missed key consensus numbers in greater frequency the last two quarters points to a more competitive market, in our view,” Zamparo wrote in a note on Thursday. He noted that American giants Walmart Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp. are also expected to expand their presence in the Canadian market. All three of the Canadian grocers advanced in 2025, benefiting from a push for Canadians to buy local products and support domestic businesses in response to US President Donald Trump ’s threats to turn Canada into the 51st state. Shares in Metro fell as much as 3.4% in Toronto Thursday, its biggest decline since Jan. 27. Shares of Sobeys-owner Empire fell as much 3.1%, and Loblaw, which operates Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart, dropped as much as 1,8%. Zamparo maintained his price targets on the stocks. The wider S&P/TSX Composite Index is down 0.2% . Metro will issue first-quarter earnings on April 22, the first of the grocers to report. Zamparo expects the company’s results will give investors their first view of wider operating environment for Canadian grocers. “Under this backdrop, we believe strong food same-store sales and material gross margin expansion have become harder to deliver, and the current sell-side consensus makes outperformance challenging,” Zamparo said. Pharmacy ownership could be key to offsetting competitive conditions, Zamparo said, highlighting Loblaw and Metro who both own large Canadian drug store chains. Pharmacy ownership allows the two companies to ben...
Richard Drury The AI trade could be about to broaden beyond mega-cap tech ( MAGS ), according to a new note from Wells Fargo Equity Research that points to small caps ( IJR ) as potential beneficiaries of the next phase of artificial intelligence ( AIEQ ) adoption. In light of this, below is a list of the top 10 small-cap stocks with A+ EPS revision grades, ranked according to their Seeking Alpha ...
Richard Drury The AI trade could be about to broaden beyond mega-cap tech ( MAGS ), according to a new note from Wells Fargo Equity Research that points to small caps ( IJR ) as potential beneficiaries of the next phase of artificial intelligence ( AIEQ ) adoption. In light of this, below is a list of the top 10 small-cap stocks with A+ EPS revision grades, ranked according to their Seeking Alpha Quant Ratings. Each of these stocks has earned a Strong Buy rating from the Quant system, signaling favorable quantitative profiles across key performance metrics. Alto Ingredients ( ALTO ) and Ironwood Pharmaceuticals ( IRWD ) lead the pack with near-perfect Quant Ratings of 4.99 and 4.97, respectively. Oil States International ( OIS ) and GigaCloud Technology ( GCT ) follow closely behind, rounding out the top four positions. Other notable entries include Heritage Insurance Holdings ( HRTG ), Postal Realty Trust ( PSTL ), and Herbalife ( HLF ). All top ten stocks in this group maintain Strong Buy quantitative profiles with scores above 4.75, reflecting positive momentum across valuation, growth, and profitability measures. Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating system grades stocks on their relative performance across critical quantitative measures, including valuation, growth, stock momentum, and profitability. Ratings are given on a scale from 1 to 5, with any rating of 3.5 or above considered bullish and any rating of 2.5 or below considered bearish. Here is the list: Alto Ingredients, Inc. ( ALTO ), Quant Rating: 4.99 Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ( IRWD ), Quant Rating: 4.97 Oil States International, Inc. ( OIS ), Quant Rating: 4.92 GigaCloud Technology Inc. ( GCT ), Quant Rating: 4.85 Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. ( HRTG ), Quant Rating: 4.84 Postal Realty Trust, Inc. ( PSTL ), Quant Rating: 4.83 Herbalife Ltd. ( HLF ), Quant Rating: 4.81 Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc. ( PINE ), Quant Rating: 4.80 Movado Group, Inc. ( MOV ), Quant Rating: 4.79 Mitek Systems, Inc. ( M...
Revenue growth for both tech giants has remained steady over the past eight quarters, but their profit margins and business models reveal notable differences.
Revenue growth for both tech giants has remained steady over the past eight quarters, but their profit margins and business models reveal notable differences.
Quantum computing ETFs were the hottest names in town for months, but this is no longer the case. The capital flowing into them is instead flowing into, or about to flow into, names like the First Trust Indxx NextG ETF (NASDAQ:NXTG), Invesco AI and Next Gen Software ETF (NYSEARCA:IGPT), and State Street SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF ... Quantum Computing ETFs Are Dying. Pivot to These 3 AI ETFs
Quantum computing ETFs were the hottest names in town for months, but this is no longer the case. The capital flowing into them is instead flowing into, or about to flow into, names like the First Trust Indxx NextG ETF (NASDAQ:NXTG), Invesco AI and Next Gen Software ETF (NYSEARCA:IGPT), and State Street SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF ... Quantum Computing ETFs Are Dying. Pivot to These 3 AI ETFs
Mayor says disinformation, including about London crime rates, is ‘eating away at basic bonds of trust’ Sadiq Khan has called on ministers to take significantly stronger action against social media companies that spread disinformation after a study showed a surge in hostile accounts posting falsehoods about London’s crime rates and integration. In an intervention on what he called “the outrage eco...
Mayor says disinformation, including about London crime rates, is ‘eating away at basic bonds of trust’ Sadiq Khan has called on ministers to take significantly stronger action against social media companies that spread disinformation after a study showed a surge in hostile accounts posting falsehoods about London’s crime rates and integration. In an intervention on what he called “the outrage economy”, the London mayor, who has also written to social media firms demanding change, said a lack of action could prompt more domestic terrorism by people who believe conspiracy theories they find online. Continue reading...
Meta Platforms is a buy following the release of its long-awaited artificial intelligence model this week, according to JPMorgan. The investment bank reiterated its overweight rating for Meta. It also reaffirmed its $825 price target on shares, suggesting 34.7% upside from Wednesday's close. "The launch of Muse Spark should provide increased confidence in Meta's scaling trajectory and improve inve...
Meta Platforms is a buy following the release of its long-awaited artificial intelligence model this week, according to JPMorgan. The investment bank reiterated its overweight rating for Meta. It also reaffirmed its $825 price target on shares, suggesting 34.7% upside from Wednesday's close. "The launch of Muse Spark should provide increased confidence in Meta's scaling trajectory and improve investor sentiment," JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth said Wednesday in a note to clients. On Wednesday, Meta rolled out its Muse Spark AI model, putting the tech giant company in direct competition with the likes of OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude. The product is the first of its kind to come out of Meta Superintelligence Labs , an AI-focused unit at Meta that was spun up last year. The new division is part of the company's multibillion-dollar push into AI hat has raised eyebrows among some of its investors. Former Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang is leading the unit after Meta poured an eye-watering $14.3 billion into the startup last year to poach its leadership. Following the Muse Spark's release, Meta shares soared as much as 9.5% on Wednesday before ending the day with a 6.5% advance. The stock carried that momentum into Thursday, climbing more than 3%. META YTD mountain META year to date Those gains mark a reversal for the technology stock, which has underperformed alongside most of its "Magnificent Seven" peers in 2026. In that time, shares of the Facebook owner have declined more than 4%, while Alphabet and Amazon have eked out small gains. Nvidia is down 1.5%. But JPMorgan thinks Meta can continue rising as investors' confidence in the AI-focused firm grows. "This initial MSL model represents the first step in what Meta believes is a predictable and efficient scaling trajectory in which each generation validates and builds on the last before Meta goes bigger," Anmuth wrote. "Larger, increasingly capable models are in development, and Meta will continue to move along the...
SAN FRANCISCO, April 09, 2026--Self Labs, the company behind proof-of-human and identity verification solutions serving over 14 million global users, today announced its acquisition of Loam, an AI company specialized in agentic workflows and intelligent automation, founded by Birju Shah, serial founder and Uber’s former Head of AI. Founded in 2022 and backed by Slow Ventures (Slack, Robinhood), Ac...
SAN FRANCISCO, April 09, 2026--Self Labs, the company behind proof-of-human and identity verification solutions serving over 14 million global users, today announced its acquisition of Loam, an AI company specialized in agentic workflows and intelligent automation, founded by Birju Shah, serial founder and Uber’s former Head of AI. Founded in 2022 and backed by Slow Ventures (Slack, Robinhood), Accomplice (WHOOP, DraftKings), and Packy McCormick of Not Boring Capital (Ramp, Scale AI) a.o., Loam
Government investment in Tata-owned Agratas plant expected to boost economic growth and secure jobs The Somerset battery factory due to supply Jaguar Land Rover is to receive £380m in UK government funding as it pushes ahead with construction despite delays. JLR, Britain’s largest automotive employer, is due to receive batteries from the site to make electric versions of its Range Rover and Jaguar...
Government investment in Tata-owned Agratas plant expected to boost economic growth and secure jobs The Somerset battery factory due to supply Jaguar Land Rover is to receive £380m in UK government funding as it pushes ahead with construction despite delays. JLR, Britain’s largest automotive employer, is due to receive batteries from the site to make electric versions of its Range Rover and Jaguar models. The Indian conglomerate Tata owns JLR and the electric vehicle (EV) battery factory under its Agratas subsidiary. Continue reading...