California's Santa Clara County has sued Meta Platforms, alleging it has profited from Facebook and Instagram ads promoting scams in violation of California's false advertising and unfair business practices laws. The lawsuit – filed Monday in Santa Clara County Superior Court on behalf of all California residents – accuses the social media giant of tolerating fraudulent advertising on a global b...
California's Santa Clara County has sued Meta Platforms, alleging it has profited from Facebook and Instagram ads promoting scams in violation of California's false advertising and unfair business practices laws. The lawsuit – filed Monday in Santa Clara County Superior Court on behalf of all California residents – accuses the social media giant of tolerating fraudulent advertising on a global basis. The suit seeks restitution, civil damages and an order prohibiting Meta from engaging in unfair business practices.
Girts Ragelis/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Sony Group Corporation ( SONY ) shares have been facing significant selling pressure in recent months despite the organization’s durable growth and incremental improvements to profitability. With the emergence of AI-generated content, I believe investors are growing cautious towards Sony’s ability to compete in a high-throughput content marketplace, ...
Girts Ragelis/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Sony Group Corporation ( SONY ) shares have been facing significant selling pressure in recent months despite the organization’s durable growth and incremental improvements to profitability. With the emergence of AI-generated content, I believe investors are growing cautious towards Sony’s ability to compete in a high-throughput content marketplace, potentially diluting Sony’s share of content generation in film and music. Despite the uncertainty, I believe consumers of content will remain dedicated to human-generated content as fatigue grows towards what is dubbed "AI slop." With an emphasis on human creativity, I believe Sony will remain well positioned across its business units as the market corrects and becomes more cognizant of quality production. In addition to major releases, Sony announced two strategic partnerships to further enhance its product development for TVs and sensors, positioning the firm to realize improved operating leverage over the coming years. With the share price falling in recent months, I believe investors have been provided an appealing opportunity to build a position in SONY shares, particularly when considering Sony’s successful anime business as well as the two major films to be released in mid-2026. Given the modest growth outlook, I am recommending SONY shares with a Buy rating with a price target of $41/share at 12.66x eFY27 EV/aEBITDA. Sony Group Corporation Operational Update Corporate Filings In early 2026 , Sony announced a strategic partnership with TCL to spin Sony’s TV and audio home entertainment business into a joint venture (BRAVIA, Inc.) with TCL owning a 51% controlling interest. Accordingly, the JV may be designed to leverage TCL’s advanced display technology and global scale to broaden Sony’s sales footprint while managing the cost structure, potentially unlocking stronger operating leverage for Sony. The JV was likely designed to compete with peer smart TV developers li...
peterschreiber.media/iStock via Getty Images ASP Isotopes ( ASPI ) up 9.7% in Monday's trading after saying its Quantum Leap Energy subsidiary signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with an unnamed European nuclear technology company specializing in advanced nuclear reactor development for the potential supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium. Under the MoU terms, the companies will co...
peterschreiber.media/iStock via Getty Images ASP Isotopes ( ASPI ) up 9.7% in Monday's trading after saying its Quantum Leap Energy subsidiary signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with an unnamed European nuclear technology company specializing in advanced nuclear reactor development for the potential supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium. Under the MoU terms, the companies will conduct a technical and economic assessment to determine the viability of a long-term collaboration for the supply of HALEU with uranium-235 content of greater than 10%. The MoU outlines a potential framework where the European partner would agree to provide uranium feedstocks to QLE's planned conversion and enrichment facilities, and QLE would agree to enrich such feedstocks to produce HALEU, including potential deconversion, for delivery to the partner company. The scope of the activities contemplated by the MoU includes the companies' assessment of operational requirements, production scalability for conversion and enrichment, and associated costs and commercial models, ASP Isotopes ( ASPI ) said. More on ASP Isotopes ASP Isotopes: Needs More Proof ASP Isotopes Q3 Earnings Preview: Active Quarter, But Too Much Uncertainty Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on ASP Isotopes
Michael Burry attends "The Big Short" New York screening Ziegfeld Theater on Nov. 23, 2015 in New York City. Astrid Stawiarz | Getty Images Michael Burry urged investors to scale back exposure to surging technology stocks, saying the current market environment has reached historically dangerous extremes reminiscent of prior speculative bubbles. The famed investor, best known for predicting the 200...
Michael Burry attends "The Big Short" New York screening Ziegfeld Theater on Nov. 23, 2015 in New York City. Astrid Stawiarz | Getty Images Michael Burry urged investors to scale back exposure to surging technology stocks, saying the current market environment has reached historically dangerous extremes reminiscent of prior speculative bubbles. The famed investor, best known for predicting the 2008 housing collapse, said investors should "reject greed" as enthusiasm around artificial intelligence and momentum-driven trades pushes valuations sharply higher. "An easier way for most is to simply reduce exposure to stocks, to tech stocks in particular. For any stocks going parabolic reduce positions almost entirely," Burry wrote in a Sunday Substack post. Burry has been warning for months that the stock market's AI fixation increasingly resembles the final stages of the dot-com bubble . Last week, he compared the recent trajectory of the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) to the run-up that preceded the collapse of technology stocks in March 2000, saying the current environment feels like "the last months of the 1999-2000 bubble." Burry said he is maintaining "a significant leveraged short position" against a portfolio of companies he views as depressed and cheap, a similar strategy he employed in 2000. However, Burry warned that directly betting against the rally through short-selling is risky and impractical for most investors, particularly as bearish trades have become increasingly expensive. "Shorting is not the answer. It is not something most people should ever do," Burry said. "Right now it is expensive, in general, to buy put options and directly shorting stocks can still cause significant pain." The comments add to a growing debate on Wall Street over whether the AI-driven rally in U.S. equities has become detached from fundamentals. Major stock indexes have repeatedly hit record highs despite the ongoing war in the Middle East as investors pile into semico...
Panama7/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction The pharmaceutical industry has been decimated by concerns about tariffs and other potential policy changes that either have or could change healthcare in the U.S. Some of those concerns no longer weigh the industry down as much as before, especially tariffs. This sort of thing happens every few administrations. The long-term growth, in my opi...
Panama7/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction The pharmaceutical industry has been decimated by concerns about tariffs and other potential policy changes that either have or could change healthcare in the U.S. Some of those concerns no longer weigh the industry down as much as before, especially tariffs. This sort of thing happens every few administrations. The long-term growth, in my opinion, remains intact. These temporary setbacks merely create good buying opportunities for the patient investors who can see through the fog and focus on the fundamentals. Several companies in this industry have already begun to rebound. I wrote about Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ) back in July 2025 when it was trading at ~$165; it now sits at $221, not including the dividends. I also wrote about Eli Lilly ( LLY ) in August with a Buy rating when it traded at $703; it traded last Friday at $948. My point is that these companies were beaten down by a short-term mindset of investors. Today I have another company that has become a bargain for another reason: poor past performance. But the market is forward-looking and will eventually catch on to the turn around that is already taking place. I just want to write about it before that happens. I focus on stocks of companies that I believe will provide double-digit total returns, including reinvested dividends. I prefer companies that have a history of increasing their respective dividends consistently, year after year, with a yield on my initial investment of 3% and a history of raising those dividends every year at a pace that exceeds my long-term inflation rate expectation. Company Background Sanofi ( SNY ) is a global pharmaceutical company that provides a wide range of therapeutical treatments and vaccines. About half of its sales are generated in the U.S., while Europe accounts for ~20% and the rest of the world contributes the remainder. The company is incorporated in France but U.S. investors have access to ownership through AD...
BP (NYSE:BP) just received a rare same-day double upgrade from Wall Street. Argus moved BP stock to Buy from Hold, and RBC Capital lifted the stock to Outperform from Sector Perform with a 700 GBp price target. The simultaneous bullish shift signals coordinated conviction that BP’s recovery story is finally taking shape under new CEO ... BP Just Got a Wall Street Double Upgrade: Argus, RBC Both Tu...
BP (NYSE:BP) just received a rare same-day double upgrade from Wall Street. Argus moved BP stock to Buy from Hold, and RBC Capital lifted the stock to Outperform from Sector Perform with a 700 GBp price target. The simultaneous bullish shift signals coordinated conviction that BP’s recovery story is finally taking shape under new CEO ... BP Just Got a Wall Street Double Upgrade: Argus, RBC Both Turn Bullish on Recovery Story
matejmo The stock market’s apparent strength is deceiving investors because the rally is concentrated almost entirely in technology stocks, according to Liz Thomas, head of investment strategy at SoFi. While headline indexes have held up despite ongoing trade war concerns, Thomas argues that broader market participation remains notably absent. “The market broadly, the headline part of it looks res...
matejmo The stock market’s apparent strength is deceiving investors because the rally is concentrated almost entirely in technology stocks, according to Liz Thomas, head of investment strategy at SoFi. While headline indexes have held up despite ongoing trade war concerns, Thomas argues that broader market participation remains notably absent. “The market broadly, the headline part of it looks resilient, but really under the surface, it’s not all that resilient,” Thomas said in an interview with CNBC. She pointed to semiconductors surging 65% since their March lows as evidence of the narrow leadership, noting that technology and communications sectors are relatively insulated from trade war impacts. Thomas believes the AI trade still has room to run, though she expects some near-term consolidation. She noted that multiple compressions have actually kept valuations contained despite strong earnings, which has “elongated the runway” for the technology rally. However, she cautioned that for market strength to persist, other sectors need to start benefiting from AI-driven productivity gains. “If you have AI as a theme, you have to believe that eventually it starts to benefit other sectors,” Thomas explained. She highlighted healthcare as a sector that should eventually participate in the AI trade, similar to how utilities, copper, and gold have already done so. For investors looking to position portfolios now, Thomas recommends buying laggards rather than chasing recent winners. “I don’t think that this is the time to jump on the semiconductor train,” she said, suggesting that stocks, which have moved parabolically since late March, are due for a pullback or pause. The strategist emphasized that cyclical sectors like banks need to show renewed strength for the broader market rally to be sustainable. Without participation from these areas, she warned that the current market resilience may prove fleeting. More on markets Trump-Xi Summit: Rare Earths, Oil And A Fragile Tru...
Both Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) have taken hits over the past month, and retirement-focused investors are wondering which one belongs in the portfolio right now. Both stocks are bruised, both are buying back shares, and both are in the Communication Services sector. But the cases diverge sharply on price, payout, and growth. ... Comcast vs Netflix: Which Is the Better Dip B...
Both Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) have taken hits over the past month, and retirement-focused investors are wondering which one belongs in the portfolio right now. Both stocks are bruised, both are buying back shares, and both are in the Communication Services sector. But the cases diverge sharply on price, payout, and growth. ... Comcast vs Netflix: Which Is the Better Dip Buy Now?
mbbirdy/E+ via Getty Images Share buybacks are one of the most debated tools in corporate finance, but for a select group of companies, the commitment to returning capital through repurchases has been consistent, sustained, and measurable. Goldman Sachs tracks these companies through its Buyback Aristocrats Index, which identifies S&P 500 constituents that have reduced their share counts every yea...
mbbirdy/E+ via Getty Images Share buybacks are one of the most debated tools in corporate finance, but for a select group of companies, the commitment to returning capital through repurchases has been consistent, sustained, and measurable. Goldman Sachs tracks these companies through its Buyback Aristocrats Index, which identifies S&P 500 constituents that have reduced their share counts every year for at least a decade. According to Goldman, the median Buyback Aristocrat has trimmed its share count by 2% annually over the past ten years, delivered a 13% annualized return, and trades at 18x forward earnings with a 2.8% LTM buyback yield, modestly ahead of the median S&P 500 constituent across most metrics. At the top of the ranking sit DaVita ( DVA ) and eBay ( EBAY ), each reducing their share counts by 9% annually, the fastest pace on the list. DaVita ($10B market cap, 10.0% LTM buyback yield) combines that aggression with 27% consensus EPS growth and an 11x forward P/E, making it one of the most compelling value-plus-buyback setups in the basket. eBay ($48B, 8.9% buyback yield) is close behind, while AutoZone ( AZO ) and O'Reilly Automotive ( ORLY ) follow at 6% annual reductions with ten-year annualized returns of 16% and 18% respectively. The 5% reduction tier is dominated by financials and insurers, Citigroup ( C ), MetLife ( MET ), Ameriprise ( AMP ), and Aflac ( AFL ), names that have run aggressive repurchase programs largely beneath the radar. The mid-tier reducers at 3-4% annually include some of the index's biggest recent movers: Jabil (JBL, 6.3% buyback yield) is up 48% YTD, Applied Materials (AMAT, 3.2% buyback yield) has surged 60%, and CSX (CSX, 3.4% buyback yield) offers steady infrastructure exposure at 23x forward earnings. The mega-cap names, Apple ( AAPL ), JPMorgan ( JPM ), Walmart ( WMT ), Visa ( V ), and Eli Lilly ( LLY ), sit at the slower end of the reduction spectrum, their buyback yields reflecting scale rather than aggression. The most i...
Alexander Sikov/iStock via Getty Images The parabolic semiconductor rally crossed a line this week. SOXX , the iShares Semiconductor ETF, closed Friday at $509.77 after touching a fresh intraday high of $511.68. That’s a gain of roughly 244% from the April 2025 low of $148.31. Most of that move has been compressed into the last two months alone. Since mid-March, SOXX has tacked on another 58%. The...
Alexander Sikov/iStock via Getty Images The parabolic semiconductor rally crossed a line this week. SOXX , the iShares Semiconductor ETF, closed Friday at $509.77 after touching a fresh intraday high of $511.68. That’s a gain of roughly 244% from the April 2025 low of $148.31. Most of that move has been compressed into the last two months alone. Since mid-March, SOXX has tacked on another 58%. The chart is now textbook parabolic. And parabolic charts almost never end politely. If you wanted a real-time stress test of how fragile this move is, you got one this week. Semiconductors took a -2.86% hit on Thursday on softer Iran headlines, with Broadcom ( AVGO ) and Micron ( MU ) dragging. By Friday’s open, the dip was already being bought aggressively. A stronger-than-expected April jobs report (115,000 vs. 65,000 expected) and renewed peace-deal optimism sent the Nasdaq up 1.71% on the day, with SOXX printing a new intraday high before the close. That’s not a market digesting risk. That’s a market refusing to take “no” for an answer. I’ve watched this movie before. After 30 years of cycles, the ending is rarely a surprise. The setup, however, is almost always sold as “this time is different.” It isn’t. In fact, every parabolic semiconductor rally in modern memory has ended the same way, and there’s no reason to expect a kinder math this round. Where The Parabolic Semiconductor Rally Stands Today Start with the math, because it’s doing the talking. SOXX is currently trading 62% above its 200-day moving average and 34% above its 50-day. Readings that stretched are the back end of a move, not the middle. The slope of the advance has steepened in each successive month. That is the signature of a momentum trade pulling in late buyers, not of fundamentals catching up to price. Look across the complex, and the dispersion is striking. Micron is up nearly 1,000% off its April 2025 low. AMD ( AMD ) is up roughly 450%. Nvidia ( NVDA ), the index’s anchor, is up “only” 140%. Notab...
More than 11,000 people have signed a petition calling for a review of the exam saying it was "totally unrecognisable" from what they had prepared for.
More than 11,000 people have signed a petition calling for a review of the exam saying it was "totally unrecognisable" from what they had prepared for.