The famously volatile biotech industry can help investors earn substantial returns in relatively short periods, so long as they pick the right companies. Take Abivax (NASDAQ: ABVX) and Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) , two biotechs that have grown in prominence in recent years. These two drugmakers could see their shares double over the next four years -- for a compound annual growth rate of ab...
The famously volatile biotech industry can help investors earn substantial returns in relatively short periods, so long as they pick the right companies. Take Abivax (NASDAQ: ABVX) and Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) , two biotechs that have grown in prominence in recent years. These two drugmakers could see their shares double over the next four years -- for a compound annual growth rate of about 19% -- provided they can make significant headway with their leading pipeline candidates. Here's the rundown. Image source: The Motley Fool. Abivax is a clinical-stage biotech developing a promising product called obefazimod. This drug could enter the market for ulcerative colitis (UC) medicines if it earns approval. Although it is a highly competitive area, obefazimod has shown tremendous potential so far. Unlike some traditional immunosuppressants used to treat UC, which leave patients vulnerable to various infections, obefazimod does not broadly weaken the immune system. Obefazimod aced a phase 3 clinical trial in patients with moderate-to-severe UC, about 47.3% of whom had had inadequate responses to prior therapies. These results highlight the fact that obefazimod could be just as effective as its competitors (or even more so) while limiting side effects. That's why it looks so promising. Continue reading
Walmart Inc. WMT used its first-quarter fiscal 2027earnings callto reinforce a familiar message —the business is gaining share, but management is navigating a tougher cost backdrop led by fuel. The quarter mattered because executives paired solid top-line momentum with unchanged full-year guidance, even as they acknowledged higher transportation costs, consumer stress at the low end and a more inf...
Walmart Inc. WMT used its first-quarter fiscal 2027earnings callto reinforce a familiar message —the business is gaining share, but management is navigating a tougher cost backdrop led by fuel. The quarter mattered because executives paired solid top-line momentum with unchanged full-year guidance, even as they acknowledged higher transportation costs, consumer stress at the low end and a more inflationary setup for the months ahead. WMT Keeps Traffic and Digital Momentum Adjusted EPS came in at $0.66, topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.65 by 1.54%. Revenue of $177.8 billion beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $174.6 billion by 1.83%, giving management a solid financial backdrop for its strategic commentary. President and CEO John Furner said customers continued to prioritize value, assortment and convenience, while CFO John Rainey said constant-currency sales growth of nearly 6% finished 120 basis points above the top end of guidance. Consolidated revenue rose 7.3%, with global eCommerce up 26%. Management highlighted transaction growth as a key signal. Walmart U.S. comp sales excluding fuel rose 4.1%, with transactions up 3%, while Sam’s Club U.S. comp sales excluding fuel increased 3.9% with transactions up 6.2%. Walmart Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Walmart Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Walmart Inc. Quote Walmart Presses Its Commerce Solutions Push Furner spent much of the call on the company’s higher-margin engines, especially marketplace, advertising, membership and fulfillment services. He said those businesses are expanding across markets and helping Walmart scale growth without proportional capital intensity. Marketplace was a standout. Furner said U.S. marketplace sales grew almost 50%, while Rainey said those, along with advertising and fulfillment services, delivered their best quarter since he joined the company. Global advertising revenue rose 37%, including 36% growth in Walmart U.S. Membership also remained central to th...
Li Qiang, vice president of Zhaopin Group. Photo: VCG Artificial intelligence is reshaping the Chinese mainland’s labor market in two directions at once: creating demand for new technical and product roles while eroding hiring in jobs that can be partly automated. Li Qiang, vice president of Zhaopin, one of the Chinese mainland’s major online recruitment platforms, said platform data show AI-relat...
Li Qiang, vice president of Zhaopin Group. Photo: VCG Artificial intelligence is reshaping the Chinese mainland’s labor market in two directions at once: creating demand for new technical and product roles while eroding hiring in jobs that can be partly automated. Li Qiang, vice president of Zhaopin, one of the Chinese mainland’s major online recruitment platforms, said platform data show AI-related hiring has surged since the release of ChatGPT in the fourth quarter of 2022, while openings in editing, customer-service and visual-interaction roles have contracted.
Chinese regulators are scrutinizing recent stock rallies that have been fueled by artificial intelligence optimism, asking some listed companies and funds to give more details about their approach to the technology, according to people familiar with the matter. The Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges have recently asked several listed companies to clarify whether their core businesses have any m...
Chinese regulators are scrutinizing recent stock rallies that have been fueled by artificial intelligence optimism, asking some listed companies and funds to give more details about their approach to the technology, according to people familiar with the matter. The Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges have recently asked several listed companies to clarify whether their core businesses have any meaningful link with AI, and whether their disclosures to investors have been clear enough, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. Regulators have also sent inquiries to some managers of exchange-traded funds and other funds with heavy exposure to AI-related sectors, asking them to disclose their valuation methodologies and justify the assets they hold, the people said. Regulators have asked these funds how they plan to manage risks stemming from a widening disconnect between elevated valuations and underlying corporate earnings. The moves underscore Beijing’s unease with some of the wild stock moves that have accompanied the AI boom, which helped push the tech-heavy Star 50 Index to a record high this month. The frenzy has fueled worries of overheating and has lifted the shares even of those companies that appear to have few links to AI. Representatives of the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges didn’t respond to requests for comment. State Media Warning China’s state media has added to the sense of caution. Economic Information Daily, administered by the official Xinhua News Agency, this week cautioned against “hidden risks” linked to AI investment, noting the mismatch between sky-high valuations and uncertain fundamentals. Some stocks have traded at prices hundreds or even thousands times their earnings, but it remains to be seen whether firms can deliver the results to back up these valuations, the report cited an unnamed mutual fund manager as saying. The proliferation of AI meme stocks is also alarming, the report said, adding that r...
Key Points Applied Digital designs and builds dedicated AI data centers, and the company's future revenue pipeline has been improving at a nice clip. The rapidly improving revenue backlog of its key customer and the addition of new hyperscale customers make it clear that Applied Digital's growth is poised to accelerate. Though Applied Digital is expensively valued, its outstanding growth potential...
Key Points Applied Digital designs and builds dedicated AI data centers, and the company's future revenue pipeline has been improving at a nice clip. The rapidly improving revenue backlog of its key customer and the addition of new hyperscale customers make it clear that Applied Digital's growth is poised to accelerate. Though Applied Digital is expensively valued, its outstanding growth potential should help justify the valuation. 10 stocks we like better than Applied Digital › The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) has been a tailwind for several companies in recent years. From hardware manufacturers making critical data center components to software providers helping enterprises integrate generative AI into their day-to-day operations, AI adoption has accelerated the growth of companies involved in deploying this technology across various niches. The good news is that AI adoption is still in its early stages. A UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report predicts that the global AI market could grow by a whopping 25x between 2023 and 2033, generating annual revenue of $4.8 trillion at the end of the forecast period. This massive growth will be fueled by the productivity gains AI can unlock for companies that adopt it. 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 » As a result, the aggressive investments in AI data center infrastructure are unlikely to slow down any time soon. That's why, if you've $500 in investible cash right now after meeting your expenses, saving for difficult times, and clearing any high-interest debt, you can consider putting that money into shares of Applied Digital (NASDAQ: APLD). Let's see why this underrated AI stock could be one of the best ways to play the AI boom in 2026 and beyond. Applied Digital is a pick-and-shovel AI company that's playing a critical r...
vandervliet93/iStock Editorial via Getty Images InPost said Friday that the €7.8B ($9B) takeover offer from a consortium including FedEx ( FDX ), Advent International, and other InPost investors will run from May 26 through July 27. Regulatory clearances for the deal have already been obtained in China, Israel, Italy, Turkey, and Ukraine, while reviews by the European Commission and Vietnam are ...
vandervliet93/iStock Editorial via Getty Images InPost said Friday that the €7.8B ($9B) takeover offer from a consortium including FedEx ( FDX ), Advent International, and other InPost investors will run from May 26 through July 27. Regulatory clearances for the deal have already been obtained in China, Israel, Italy, Turkey, and Ukraine, while reviews by the European Commission and Vietnam are expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, the company said in a statement . The all-cash takeover bid announced in February and unanimously recommended by InPost's board is supported by 48% of shareholders. However, for the deal to go through, 80% of shares must be tendered. InPost's shares would be delisted from the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange after the deal is closed. More on FedEx, InPost S.A. FedEx: SOTP Valuation Suggests That The Easy Money Has Already Been Made (Rating Upgrade) InPost S.A. (INPOY) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript InPost S.A. 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation SA analyst upgrades/downgrades: MU, INTC, FDX, CRTO FedEx Freight will make its trading debut on June 1 following the spinoff