Juanmonino The UK will sign a new defense treaty with Poland on Wednesday to bolster collective defenses, amid growing fears in the European Union that Russia may expand its war beyond Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is in London to sign the pact, which is aimed at strengthening borders and defense cooperation, as well as tackling organized crime. "The leaders are expected to discuss th...
Juanmonino The UK will sign a new defense treaty with Poland on Wednesday to bolster collective defenses, amid growing fears in the European Union that Russia may expand its war beyond Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is in London to sign the pact, which is aimed at strengthening borders and defense cooperation, as well as tackling organized crime. "The leaders are expected to discuss the major uptick in hybrid attacks—including Russian-ordered arson attacks in East London, cargo fires in Birmingham and across Europe, as well as cyberattacks and espionage—and agree to combine expertise to combat accelerating threats," according to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office. The UK and Poland will combine expertise and industrial capability to lead the development of next-generation complex weapons like air defense effectors and ensure sovereign production chains. The pact follows the UK's treaties with France and Germany, as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies work toward strengthening security across Europe. Meanwhile, the Pentagon will scale back the military support it earmarked to defend NATO allies in a crisis, officials familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal . The Pentagon plans to reduce by one-third to one-half the pool of military capabilities it would provide NATO in a conflict, including its commitments of strategic bombers and other long-range strike forces, some naval assets and air-to-air refueling tankers. "These changes represent an opportunity for allies to demonstrate that they have heard President Trump's call for them to step up and take primary responsibility for Europe's conventional defense," Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesperson, said. The cutbacks are of significance given Russia's growing threat to the Baltic states. Moscow accused Latvia of hosting Ukrainian drone operators, which Latvian authorities denied, and threatened to bomb "decision-making centers" there. Lithuania's air-raid alarms were sounded ...
(RTTNews) - Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) announced a profit for first quarter that Dropped, from last year The company's earnings came in at $67.13 million, or $1.47 per share. This compares with $80.41 million, or $1.59 per share, last year. The company's revenue for the period rose 1.5% to $1.113 billion from $1.097 billion last year. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. earnings at a glance (GAAP) : -Earni...
(RTTNews) - Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) announced a profit for first quarter that Dropped, from last year The company's earnings came in at $67.13 million, or $1.47 per share. This compares with $80.41 million, or $1.59 per share, last year. The company's revenue for the period rose 1.5% to $1.113 billion from $1.097 billion last year. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. earnings at a glance (GAAP) : -Earnings: $67.13 Mln. vs. $80.41 Mln. last year. -EPS: $1.47 vs. $1.59 last year. -Revenue: $1.113 Bln vs. $1.097 Bln last year. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Check out the companies making the biggest moves premarket: Zscaler — Shares tumbled more than 23% after the cloud security company guided for current-quarter revenue of between $875 million to $878 million, falling short of the $879 million analysts were seeking, per LSEG. However, the company's fiscal third-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.08 per share beat forecasts of $1.01 per share, while its...
Check out the companies making the biggest moves premarket: Zscaler — Shares tumbled more than 23% after the cloud security company guided for current-quarter revenue of between $875 million to $878 million, falling short of the $879 million analysts were seeking, per LSEG. However, the company's fiscal third-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.08 per share beat forecasts of $1.01 per share, while its $850 million revenue also exceeded the $835 million consensus estimate. Palo Alto Networks , CrowdStrike — The two cybersecurity stocks tumbled as Zscaler's earnings brought down some of its peers with it. Palo Alto was off 4%, while CrowdStrike was down more than 3%. Bath & Body Works — Shares rose 15% after the company reported better-than-expected current quarter guidance in its first-quarter earnings report. The retailer forecasted earnings per share of 20 cents to 25 cents in its second quarter, compared to expectations for 21 cents, according to analysts polled by FactSet. First-quarter earnings and revenue also slightly beat estimates. Semtech — The semiconductor stock popped 7% after Semtech posted first-quarter adjusted earnings and revenue that beat estimates. The company also guided for current-quarter earnings, adjusted operating margin and EBITDA that exceeded analysts' expectations, according to LSEG. Micron Technology — The chipmaker's rally continued pushing higher on Wednesday after the company crossed $1 trillion in market cap on Tuesday, joining the exclusive club. Shares were up 7% on Wednesday and the stock was the best performer on the S & P 500 in premarket trading. Sandisk — The stock was up 3% after Barclays upgraded it to outperform . The bank said a supply/demand imbalance will persist through 2027, giving strong pricing power to companies like Sandisk. Insulet — Shares dropped about 5% after the medical device company announced a voluntary medical device correction for specific lots of several of its pods. The correction was due to a manufacturi...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images It is Always Darkest Before the Dawn After updating my investment thesis on The Trade Desk ( TTD ) and Intuit ( INTU ) over the last few days, I thought it would be appropriate to do the same with my ' Strong Buy ' rating issued on Adobe ( ADBE ) last February. Since then, a few material events transpired, including the release of the Q1-26 earnings in M...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images It is Always Darkest Before the Dawn After updating my investment thesis on The Trade Desk ( TTD ) and Intuit ( INTU ) over the last few days, I thought it would be appropriate to do the same with my ' Strong Buy ' rating issued on Adobe ( ADBE ) last February. Since then, a few material events transpired, including the release of the Q1-26 earnings in March, the announcement of a $25 billion share repurchase program in April, and the hosting of an Investor Session at the 2026 Adobe Summit in Las Vegas. Moreover, I believe we are getting increasing transparency about what artificial intelligence will ultimately mean for enterprise software in general and for Adobe in particular. How many times do we have the opportunity to buy a company with a double-digit free cash flow yield, a double-digit top-line growth, and a net cash balance sheet? The 'Strong Buy' rating reflects my view that the current share price below $260.00 creates a highly asymmetric risk-reward ratio. Adobe Initiating Coverage (Seeking Alpha, David Desjardins) Whether it is for Intuit, ServiceNow ( NOW ), monday.com ( MNDY ), Salesforce ( CRM ), Atlassian ( TEAM ), or Adobe, I see pretty much the same pattern. All of those stocks have been under intense selling pressure so far this year due to fears of AI-related disruption. The headline saying that enterprise software is about to get completely disrupted by AI even has a name: the SaaSpocalypse . What is interesting with this market trend is that when we dig past the headline and look under the hood of those companies, we find them delivering record financial results while they are incorporating AI functionalities across their product offerings. Adobe is doing pretty much the same, as it recently reported AI-related annual recurring revenues tripling year-over-year. Just as an example, Adobe Firefly delivered impressive financial performance in Q1-26, with generative credit consumption growing 45% and annu...
"Removed Without Warning": Ex-BP Chairman Blasts Abrupt Ouster As Wall Street Gets Spooked The abrupt Tuesday morning firing of BP Chairman Albert Manifold by the board certainly raised eyebrows, given his key role in the company's turnaround effort: unwinding years of underperforming green-energy bets and steering the oil major back toward its oil-and-gas business. The board cited " serious conce...
"Removed Without Warning": Ex-BP Chairman Blasts Abrupt Ouster As Wall Street Gets Spooked The abrupt Tuesday morning firing of BP Chairman Albert Manifold by the board certainly raised eyebrows, given his key role in the company's turnaround effort: unwinding years of underperforming green-energy bets and steering the oil major back toward its oil-and-gas business. The board cited " serious concerns " tied to "important governance standards, oversight, and conduct" as the core reason for Manifold's removal. But the explanation remains vague, leaving Wall Street desks wondering exactly what prompted such a sudden and aggressive move against the chairman. Bloomberg reporters reached out to Manifold for his perspective on the firing. He said, "I was removed without warning and without explanation." "I dispute entirely the characterization of my conduct and I will not allow a false narrative to go unchallenged ," Manifold continued. The outlet spoke with people close to BP, who requested anonymity, and said the firing was tied to Manifold's "aggressive behavior" toward employees and mishandling of sensitive information. They also noted that he was seeking to bypass the board. Manifold told the reporters, "During my time as chairman, I worked to drive genuine change at BP — cutting costs, challenging excess, and holding the organization to higher standards," adding, "The board's statement this morning acknowledged the focus and pace I brought." The dismissal adds to BP's leadership instability, following years of underperformance and multiple CEO changes. Also, BP shares in London are nearing the lows set by yesterday's announcement. Manifold had been a driving force behind an aggressive turnaround, bringing in CEO Meg O'Neill, Big Oil's first female chief executive, while pushing cost cuts, asset sales, and a renewed focus on oil and gas. Current Board That strategy had been warmly received by Wall Street analysts after years of frustration with BP's costly move into u...
As Lilly completes the pivotal program for its “triple-G” drug, Phase 1 data from Kailera partner Hengrui suggest their offering might spur greater weight loss.
As Lilly completes the pivotal program for its “triple-G” drug, Phase 1 data from Kailera partner Hengrui suggest their offering might spur greater weight loss.
Alex Wong/Getty Images News President Trump has named former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to the White House's artificial intelligence advisory committee. Bondi, who left her role as the nation's top law enforcement officer in April, will be a member of the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. She will join David Sacks, who was previously the White House AI advisor, and W...
Alex Wong/Getty Images News President Trump has named former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to the White House's artificial intelligence advisory committee. Bondi, who left her role as the nation's top law enforcement officer in April, will be a member of the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. She will join David Sacks, who was previously the White House AI advisor, and White House science advisor Michael Kratsios on the committee. Sacks and Kratsios are the panel's co-chairs. “Pam has been an enormously valuable asset to the president's team, and I'm thrilled for her and for all of us that she's going to remain involved in confronting some of the most important issues the administration faces,” Vice President JD Vance said in a statement, confirming the appointment. In her new role, Bondi will facilitate coordination between the U.S. government and the members of the technology sector who also serve on the council. Axios initially reported the news of Bondi's appointment. In March, Trump appointed some of the biggest names in business to the panel, including Meta Platforms' ( META ) CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Oracle's ( ORCL ) Executive Chairman Larry Ellison, and Nvidia's ( NVDA ) CEO Jensen Huang. Also included on the panel are AMD ( AMD ) CEO Dr. Lisa Su and Google's ( GOOG ) ( GOOGL ) co-founder Sergey Brin. Dear readers: We recognize that politics often intersects with the financial news of the day, so we invite you to click here to join the separate political discussion. More on Nvidia, Meta, etc. AMD: Too Early To Take Profits Alphabet: The Outperformance Opportunity Has Moved To A New Mag 7 Company Nvidia Vs. AMD: Nvidia Will Eat AMD's CPU Lunch Nvidia plans to invest $150B a year in Taiwan America’s trillion-dollar club just got bigger
Alex Wong/Getty Images News President Trump has named former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to the White House's artificial intelligence advisory committee. Bondi, who left her role as the nation's top law enforcement officer in April, will be a member of the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. She will join David Sacks, who was previously the White House AI advisor, and W...
Alex Wong/Getty Images News President Trump has named former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to the White House's artificial intelligence advisory committee. Bondi, who left her role as the nation's top law enforcement officer in April, will be a member of the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. She will join David Sacks, who was previously the White House AI advisor, and White House science advisor Michael Kratsios on the committee. Sacks and Kratsios are the panel's co-chairs. “Pam has been an enormously valuable asset to the president's team, and I'm thrilled for her and for all of us that she's going to remain involved in confronting some of the most important issues the administration faces,” Vice President JD Vance said in a statement, confirming the appointment. In her new role, Bondi will facilitate coordination between the U.S. government and the members of the technology sector who also serve on the council. Axios initially reported the news of Bondi's appointment. In March, Trump appointed some of the biggest names in business to the panel, including Meta Platforms' ( META ) CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Oracle's ( ORCL ) Executive Chairman Larry Ellison, and Nvidia's ( NVDA ) CEO Jensen Huang. Also included on the panel are AMD ( AMD ) CEO Dr. Lisa Su and Google's ( GOOG ) ( GOOGL ) co-founder Sergey Brin. Dear readers: We recognize that politics often intersects with the financial news of the day, so we invite you to click here to join the separate political discussion. More on Nvidia, Meta, etc. AMD: Too Early To Take Profits Alphabet: The Outperformance Opportunity Has Moved To A New Mag 7 Company Nvidia Vs. AMD: Nvidia Will Eat AMD's CPU Lunch Nvidia plans to invest $150B a year in Taiwan America’s trillion-dollar club just got bigger
Age related macular degeneration (AMD) affects an enormous number of older adults. Around one third of people over 80 have AMD, and about 20 million Americans age 40 and older are living with the condition. Most cases are the dry form of AMD. It usually advances gradually, but over time it can damage central vision, making it harder to see faces, read, drive, or focus on objects straight ahead. De...
Age related macular degeneration (AMD) affects an enormous number of older adults. Around one third of people over 80 have AMD, and about 20 million Americans age 40 and older are living with the condition. Most cases are the dry form of AMD. It usually advances gradually, but over time it can damage central vision, making it harder to see faces, read, drive, or focus on objects straight ahead. Despite how common dry AMD is, doctors still have limited options for stopping it early. A study from Aalto University points to a different strategy. Instead of trying to replace damaged cells after vision loss has advanced, researchers are exploring whether they can help vulnerable eye cells defend and repair themselves before the disease causes severe damage. The approach uses carefully controlled heat delivered with near infrared light. The goal is to gently warm tissue at the back of the eye just enough to activate natural repair systems, without causing harm. Helping Aging Eye Cells Fight Back Professor Ari Koskelainen says the idea is to strengthen the protective machinery inside affected cells. "Cellular functionality and protective mechanisms weaken with age, which exposes the fundus [the inside surface at the back of the eye] to intense oxidative stress," he explains. "Free oxygen radicals damage proteins, which causes them to misfold and aggregate, then fatty protein deposits called drusen begin to accumulate, which is the main diagnostic criterion for the dry form of age-related macular degeneration." Those fatty protein deposits, known as drusen, are a major warning sign of dry AMD. As they build up, they can interfere with the health of the retina, especially the macula, the part of the eye responsible for sharp central vision. The Aalto team's method is designed for the early diagnosis phase, when there may still be time to slow or potentially halt the disease process. That is the key reason the work has drawn attention. It targets the damage before it becomes ...
The debut of industry-leading artificial intelligence stocks on public markets is hardly a regular occurrence, so when Cerebras (CBRS 5.87%) completed its initial public offering (IPO) earlier this month, many AI investors sat up and took note. But with the market's appetite high for Cerebras stock, many may feel unwilling to pay such a high price for exposure to the AI hardware and cloud company....
The debut of industry-leading artificial intelligence stocks on public markets is hardly a regular occurrence, so when Cerebras (CBRS 5.87%) completed its initial public offering (IPO) earlier this month, many AI investors sat up and took note. But with the market's appetite high for Cerebras stock, many may feel unwilling to pay such a high price for exposure to the AI hardware and cloud company. Fortunately, there's an AI-themed ETF that offers exposure to Cerebras and a variety of other AI leaders. Nvidia is an AI leader -- but Cerebras is nipping at its heels Most investors know that the AI market is expected to experience explosive growth in the coming years. Business intelligence firm Grand View Research estimates that the global AI market was valued at $390.9 billion in 2025 and projects it to soar to $3.5 trillion in 2033. There are a variety of routes to gain exposure to this burgeoning market, but Nvidia (NVDA 0.38%) has emerged as one of the most popular AI stocks thanks to its leading graphics processing units (GPUs) -- vital components used in data centers where AI computing occurs. And it's not only ordinary investors who have recognized it as a leading AI option; professional investors have as well. According to research from The Motley Fool, Nvidia ranks as one of the stocks with the highest hedge fund conviction. Despite Nvidia's indisputable reign among AI stocks, Cerebras also offers a compelling option. Instead of a GPU, the company's CS‑3 is a wafer‑scale AI accelerator system designed to replace GPU clusters for large‑scale AI workloads. Cerebras contends that the CS-3 is a viable alternative to Nvidia's GPUs, citing a third-party analysis that found it 21 times faster than Nvidia's Blackwell B200 GPU when running the Llama 3 70B model. Retreating from its initial rise, Cerebras stock still seems high Cerebras priced its IPO at $185, and shares soared on the first day of trading, hitting an intraday high of $386.34. Shares have retreated since ...
"The Pulse With Francine Lacqua" is all about conversations with high profile guests in the beating heart of global business, economics, finance and politics. Based in London, we go wherever the story is, bringing you exclusive interviews and market-moving scoops. Today's guests: Sharon Bell, Goldman Sachs, Senior European Equity Strategist & James Fleming, Citi, Head of UK Investment Banking Cove...
"The Pulse With Francine Lacqua" is all about conversations with high profile guests in the beating heart of global business, economics, finance and politics. Based in London, we go wherever the story is, bringing you exclusive interviews and market-moving scoops. Today's guests: Sharon Bell, Goldman Sachs, Senior European Equity Strategist & James Fleming, Citi, Head of UK Investment Banking Coverage. (Source: Bloomberg)
A 70ft statue of Lionel Messi in India is set to be taken down after it was spotted "swaying in the wind". The giant monument in Kolkata, West Bengal, was erected in December during Messi's 'GOAT' tour of the country - GOAT meaning 'greatest of all time'. According to local media, engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD) carried out an inspection of the statue following complaints from loc...
A 70ft statue of Lionel Messi in India is set to be taken down after it was spotted "swaying in the wind". The giant monument in Kolkata, West Bengal, was erected in December during Messi's 'GOAT' tour of the country - GOAT meaning 'greatest of all time'. According to local media, engineers from the Public Works Department (PWD) carried out an inspection of the statue following complaints from local residents on Monday. Its immediate removal and relocation were ordered after the inspection found the statue's structural integrity to be severely compromised. "The statue of the Argentine football legend was found [to be] unsafe," said West Bengal state legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee. "We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind." Mukherjee said the proximity of the statue to a busy road and a subway make the statue's removal "easier said than done," but that they plan to "remove the statue at the earliest opportunity." Local media say the fibreglass and iron structure has been secured with heavy-duty nylon ropes, while barricades have been erected to keep people and traffic clear of the site. Authorities are reportedly exploring alternative locations for the statue, which was assembled over the course of 27 days by a 45-strong crew. Messi, widely regarded as one of the games greatest players, unveiled the statue virtually - he appeared on a video screen and pressed a button on a remote control - in December, though his visit to Kolkata was overshadowed by violence during an appearance at Salt Lake Stadium.
The Good Brigade The equity rally is broadening into "physical economy" sectors thanks largely to AI capex, according to Societe Generale. The S&P 500 ( SP500 ) is at new highs — but so is the equal-weighted index, and that distinction matters. When the cap-weighted index makes new highs, it often reflects concentration at the top. Equal-weight confirmation signals something broader is happening b...
The Good Brigade The equity rally is broadening into "physical economy" sectors thanks largely to AI capex, according to Societe Generale. The S&P 500 ( SP500 ) is at new highs — but so is the equal-weighted index, and that distinction matters. When the cap-weighted index makes new highs, it often reflects concentration at the top. Equal-weight confirmation signals something broader is happening beneath the surface. SocGen strategist Manish Kabra flags that equal-weighted indices of both the S&P 500 ( RSP ) and Russell 2000 are participating in the move. The sector breakdown is instructive. Equal-weight Energy ( RSPG ) leads at +35%, followed by equal-weight Tech ( RSPT ) at +34% — hardware, not "Big Tech," Kabra says — with Materials ( RSPM ) adding +12%. Consumer Discretionary ( RSPD ) is the outlier in the wrong direction, down 6%. The through-line is AI capital expenditure. The infrastructure buildout is lifting the physical economy: power, equipment, commodities. The software giants writing the checks are, by this measure, no longer the primary beneficiaries of their own spending cycle. Cap-spectrum performance reinforces the point. Year-to-date, the S&P 600 ( SPSM ) leads at roughly +14%, followed by the S&P 400 ( SPMD ) at +11%, the S&P 500 ( SPY ) ( IVV ) ( VOO ) at +9%, with the Magnificent Seven ( MAGS ) bringing up the rear at +8%. Societe Generale More on Invesco S&P 500 Eql Wght ETF S&P 500: 20% Moves Up And Down During Next 6-12 Months Very Likely. Here's Why The Blow-Up Of U.S. Market Indexes RSP: Why I Am Upgrading This Large-Cap ETF U.S.-Iran peace deal odds climb above 50% by July according to prediction markets From chips to missiles: Deutsche Bank maps the market winners
jetcityimage Lululemon Athletica ( LULU ) announced that it worked out a cooperation agreement with Chip Wilson, who founded the company and holds 8.7% of the stock. In connection with the standstill agreement, Laura Gentile, former Chief Marketing Officer of ESPN, and Marc Maurer, former Co-Chief Executive Officer of On ( ONON ), will join the company's board following the annual meeting. As part...
jetcityimage Lululemon Athletica ( LULU ) announced that it worked out a cooperation agreement with Chip Wilson, who founded the company and holds 8.7% of the stock. In connection with the standstill agreement, Laura Gentile, former Chief Marketing Officer of ESPN, and Marc Maurer, former Co-Chief Executive Officer of On ( ONON ), will join the company's board following the annual meeting. As part of the board's ongoing refreshment efforts, the company also agreed to appoint an additional director with product and brand expertise in apparel to the board by October 1. Under the terms of the agreement, Wilson has agreed to customary standstill, non-disparagement, voting, and related provisions for approximately 18 months until 30 days before the nomination deadline for the 2028 annual meeting. Wilson said the board additions announced and strategic changes already made by the Lululemon ( LULU ) management team reflect meaningful progress toward restoring the company’s product-first vision and unlocking tremendous value for shareholders. He said he is confident that the new board additions will add value to the board. Shares of Lululemon ( LULU ) were up 2.9% in premarket trading. The athletic apparel stock is down more than 70% from its 52-week high. Short interest stands at 5.1% of the total float. More on Lululemon lululemon Athletica: An Appealing Setup For Long-Term Investors lululemon athletica: The Sell-Off Is Overdone, But Don't Fall In Love With The Stock lululemon: North American Sales Slump And A Stale Product Line Spell Trouble For Shares Lululemon nears deal to settle proxy fight with founder Chip Wilson - report Lululemon expands in Europe by opening its first store in Greece
Key Points The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is one of the largest investment vehicles in the world, and for good reason. Over the past few years, the S&P 500 has become increasingly top-heavy. The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF offers broad exposure without the concentration risk. 10 stocks we like better than Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF › The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) is one of the most ...
Key Points The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is one of the largest investment vehicles in the world, and for good reason. Over the past few years, the S&P 500 has become increasingly top-heavy. The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF offers broad exposure without the concentration risk. 10 stocks we like better than Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF › The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) is one of the most popular investment vehicles in the world. Including the mutual fund version of the ETF, there is $1.6 trillion in total assets invested in the low-cost Vanguard product. To be clear, there are good reasons why so many investors use the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF as the backbone of their portfolios. The S&P 500 is considered the best indicator of how U.S. large-cap companies are doing, and Vanguard's version has a rock-bottom 0.03% expense ratio, making it an extremely cost-effective way to get exposure. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » 1 big problem with the S&P 500 The S&P 500 has produced extraordinary returns over the past decade or so, and the biggest reason why is the stellar performance of the mega-cap tech stocks. But this has also produced what I consider to be the biggest drawback of investing in the S&P 500 -- it has become extremely top-heavy. Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) alone makes up nearly 8% of the benchmark index, and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) now accounts for about 6.5%. The 10 largest companies in the S&P 500 now make up 40% of the index. And the 22 largest S&P companies account for as much of the index's weight as the 478 smallest names in the index. In a nutshell, by investing in the S&P 500, you're betting heavily on the largest companies in the market. If one of the top stocks performs poorly, it can drag the index lower all by itself. I'd buy this alternative instead One way to invest...