We just covered the Graham Stephan Stock Portfolio: Top 11 Stocks and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) ranks 1st on this list. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) appears on our list of the top stock picks of Graham Stephan because it is a popular holding in the index funds that Stephan often asks his followers to buy and hold. Institutional investors are echoing Stephan in this regard. Apple posted a record-breakin...
We just covered the Graham Stephan Stock Portfolio: Top 11 Stocks and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) ranks 1st on this list. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) appears on our list of the top stock picks of Graham Stephan because it is a popular holding in the index funds that Stephan often asks his followers to buy and hold. Institutional investors are echoing Stephan in this regard. Apple posted a record-breaking $111.2 billion in revenue in Q2 2026, marking an impressive 17% year-over-year surge and easily outpacing Wall Street’s $108.92 billion consensus estimate. Net income reached $29.6 billion, translating to a March-quarter record diluted EPS of $2.01, up 22% year-over-year and crushing the $1.93 estimate. Jim Cramer on Apple (AAPL): “Doesn’t Hurt That They’ve Avoided Spending Hundreds of Billions of Dollars on Data Centers” For the first six months of fiscal 2026, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) generated $254.9 billion in total net sales, up 16% compared to the first half of fiscal 2025. iPhone revenue for the quarter alone hit a March-record $57 billion, growing 22% year-over-year. Services revenue hit an all-time record of $31 billion, growing 16% year-over-year. Total company gross margin expanded to 49.3%, strongly supported by the Services segment maintaining a gross margin above 76%. This allows Apple to absorb rising advanced chip manufacturing and memory component costs without eroding bottom-line returns. Apple officially confirmed that its installed base of active devices has crossed an all-time high of 2.5 billion active devices globally. While we acknowledge the potential of AAPL as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: Growth Stock Portfolio: 12 Stock Picks by Carl C. Icahn and Chris Rokos Stock...
They said: "In his role as a bus driver, he was punctual, reliable and willing to help. He valued good relationships with his colleagues and approached his duties with care and dedication."
They said: "In his role as a bus driver, he was punctual, reliable and willing to help. He valued good relationships with his colleagues and approached his duties with care and dedication."
The AI trade has had favorites. NVIDIA, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta have carried the narrative, while two enterprise tech giants have quietly compounded earnings and built backlogs that few retail investors are talking about. With the S&P 500 up 8% year to date, the setup for these laggards looks asymmetric heading into the back half ... These 2 AI Giants Have Been Dormant. That’s Exactly Why Th...
The AI trade has had favorites. NVIDIA, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta have carried the narrative, while two enterprise tech giants have quietly compounded earnings and built backlogs that few retail investors are talking about. With the S&P 500 up 8% year to date, the setup for these laggards looks asymmetric heading into the back half ... These 2 AI Giants Have Been Dormant. That’s Exactly Why They Might Surprise Investors
Trump Order Increases Scrutiny Of Illegal Immigrants' Banking Activity Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on May 19 directing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to provide banks with an advisory on financial risks posed by individuals living in the country illegally. In his order, Trump urged banks to pay attention to credit risks posed by...
Trump Order Increases Scrutiny Of Illegal Immigrants' Banking Activity Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on May 19 directing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to provide banks with an advisory on financial risks posed by individuals living in the country illegally. In his order, Trump urged banks to pay attention to credit risks posed by offering mortgage loans, car loans, credit cards, and other consumer credit products “to the inadmissible and removable alien population.” “Many of those borrowers face the possibility of the loss of wages due to removal or their employers’ decisions to comply with immigration law,” the president stated. “Lending to aliens without legal work authorization or who face a substantial loss-of-wage risk creates a structural ‘ability to repay’ deficiency that undermines the safety and soundness of the national banking system.” The order directs Bessent to issue an advisory to banks on identifying red flags tied to payroll tax evasion by employers or labor brokers, as well as accounts opened in another person’s name to obscure the real beneficial owner’s identity. Other warning signs highlighted in the order include the use of payment services that are unregistered with regulators to make “off-the-books” wage payments—meaning that employers did not report wages to authorities—labor trafficking, and the use of individual taxpayer identification numbers to obtain credit products or open bank accounts without verified lawful immigration status in the United States. The order also requires the Treasury Department to consult with financial regulators and propose changes to the Bank Secrecy Act that would allow banks and other financial institutions to obtain customer identity information. The proposed changes would allow banks to collect information on whether account holders have “lawful immigration status and employment authorization in the United States when such information is rel...
Key Points Ategra Capital Management sold 39,577 shares of Axos Financial in the first quarter; the estimated transaction value was $4 million based on quarterly average prices. The quarter-end value of the Axos Financial position decreased by $3.53 million, reflecting both trading and price movement. The move represents a 1.79% change in fund AUM based on transaction value. The quarter-end stake ...
Key Points Ategra Capital Management sold 39,577 shares of Axos Financial in the first quarter; the estimated transaction value was $4 million based on quarterly average prices. The quarter-end value of the Axos Financial position decreased by $3.53 million, reflecting both trading and price movement. The move represents a 1.79% change in fund AUM based on transaction value. The quarter-end stake stood at 113,765 shares valued at $9.68 million. 10 stocks we like better than Axos Financial › Ategra Capital Management reduced its stake in Axos Financial (NYSE:AX) by 39,577 shares in the first quarter, an estimated $3.61 million trade based on quarterly average pricing, according to a May 15, 2026, SEC filing. What happened According to the SEC filing dated May 15, 2026, Ategra Capital Management sold 39,577 shares of Axos Financial in the first quarter. The estimated transaction value was $3.61 million, calculated using the mean unadjusted close for the quarter. The fund’s position in Axos Financial ended the period at 113,765 shares, with a quarter-end value of $9.68 million. What else to know This was a reduction of Ategra’s Axos Financial stake, which now makes up 4.81% of its 13F reportable AUM. Top holdings after the filing: NYSE: TFC: $18.19 million NASDAQ:FISI: $17.89 million (10.5% of AUM) NYSE: BBT: $15.34 million NYSE: CFG: $14.91 million NASDAQ:HWBK: $11.54 million (6.8% of AUM) As of May 14, 2026, shares of Axos Financial were priced at $83.44, up about 19% over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500, which is instead up about 25%. Company Overview Metric Value Revenue (TTM) $1.4 billion Net Income (TTM) $476.1 million Price (as of market close 2026-05-14) $83.44 Company snapshot Axos offers consumer and business banking products, including deposit accounts, mortgage loans, commercial lending, auto loans, and securities-backed loans. The firm serves individual consumers, small businesses, and institutional clients across the United States. It operat...
Key Points Target reported 6% comp growth and beat estimates on top and bottom lines. Management expressed some cautiousness about the rest of the year. There's a lot of uncertainty around consumer spending right now. 10 stocks we like better than Target › After years of slogging through the retail wilderness, Target (NYSE: TGT) had good news for investors on Wednesday: It's alive. The retailer su...
Key Points Target reported 6% comp growth and beat estimates on top and bottom lines. Management expressed some cautiousness about the rest of the year. There's a lot of uncertainty around consumer spending right now. 10 stocks we like better than Target › After years of slogging through the retail wilderness, Target (NYSE: TGT) had good news for investors on Wednesday: It's alive. The retailer surprised the market with comparable sales up 5.6%, its best performance in years, on a 4.7% increase in comparable traffic, showing that customers are returning to its stores. New CEO Michael Fiddelke said that the results "were stronger than expected, providing encouraging early signs that our clarified strategy is resonating with our guests." 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 » Overall revenue rose 6.7% to $25.44 billion, which easily beat estimates at $24.66 billion. The company also delivered margin improvement with an adjusted operating margin up from 3.7% to 4.5%, and adjusted earnings per share rose from $1.30 to $1.71, ahead of the consensus at $1.46. Among the highlights in Q1 were that sales increased in all six of its core merchandising categories, and it reported 27% growth in same-day delivery on digital sales growth of 8.9%. Non-merchandise sales, which includes membership programs like Target Circle 360 as well as its Roundel media network grew nearly 25%. Target also raised its guidance for the full year, saying it now expected net sales to grow around 4%, compared to a previous range of 2%, and for net sales to grow every quarter this year. It called for a full-year operating margin of at least 4.8%, up from the 4.6% in reported in 2025, and it sees adjusted EPS near the high end of its previous guidance range of $7.50-$8.50. Target stock was up in pre-market trading, but it di...
FedEx President and CEO Raj Subramaniam says the company’s investment in AI and data analytics is helping optimize its network and create new services without replacing human delivery jobs. Subramaniam is on this week's episode of "The David Rubenstein Show: Peer to Peer Conversations." This interview was recorded April 29 at the Economic Club of Washington. (Source: Bloomberg)
FedEx President and CEO Raj Subramaniam says the company’s investment in AI and data analytics is helping optimize its network and create new services without replacing human delivery jobs. Subramaniam is on this week's episode of "The David Rubenstein Show: Peer to Peer Conversations." This interview was recorded April 29 at the Economic Club of Washington. (Source: Bloomberg)
ImagineGolf/E+ via Getty Images Ovintiv ( OVV ) and California Resources ( CRC ) are raised Wednesday to Buy from Neutral with respective $70 and $78 price targets at Citi, which says the companies are among the relative value plays in the E&P space, partly due to rapidly improving balance sheets. Citi analyst Scott Gruber says Ovintiv's ( OVV ) acquisition of Montney peer Arc Resources should bri...
ImagineGolf/E+ via Getty Images Ovintiv ( OVV ) and California Resources ( CRC ) are raised Wednesday to Buy from Neutral with respective $70 and $78 price targets at Citi, which says the companies are among the relative value plays in the E&P space, partly due to rapidly improving balance sheets. Citi analyst Scott Gruber says Ovintiv's ( OVV ) acquisition of Montney peer Arc Resources should bring additional attention to the company's position in the play while also potentially promptingfunds flow that should offset the AECO pricing headwind. Ovintiv's ( OVV ) well productivity in the Midland impressively continues to show improvement, which should de-risk the volume outlook going forward and potentially set the stage for a type-curve uplift into 2027, the analyst says, also noting the company aims to balance share repurchases with balance sheet improvement and is forecast to end 2027 with ~$2B of net debt. California Resources ( CRC ) shares pulled back around earnings, which Gruber says presents an opportunity as the value of the core oil and gas business has improved materially for various reasons, including higher medium-term oil prices, a shift from decline management to a maintenance-plus strategy, and California's more constructive permitting environment. Devon Energy ( DVN ) is Gruber's top pick among large-cap E&Ps, seeing a rejuvenated company following the close of the Coterra acquisition, offering an FCF/bbl above the peer average; while Devon may not garner the valuation of peers such as EOG Resources ( EOG ), the analyst thinks a ~10% yield at $70 WTI is "reasonable and potentially conservative." More on Ovintiv and California Resources Ovintiv: Better Choices Are Elsewhere Ovintiv: Shares Are Cheap At 5x EV/EBITDA And 13% FCF Yield California Resources Q1 2026 Earnings Call Presentation
Key Points Slate Path Capital LP sold 5,973,800 shares of GitLab (GTLB), with an estimated trade value of $174.48 million based on quarterly average pricing Quarter-end position value declined by $224.20 million, reflecting both trading activity and price movement Represents a 2.59% reduction in fund 13F assets under management (AUM) Post-trade, the fund holds zero shares and $0 value in GitLab Th...
Key Points Slate Path Capital LP sold 5,973,800 shares of GitLab (GTLB), with an estimated trade value of $174.48 million based on quarterly average pricing Quarter-end position value declined by $224.20 million, reflecting both trading activity and price movement Represents a 2.59% reduction in fund 13F assets under management (AUM) Post-trade, the fund holds zero shares and $0 value in GitLab The position previously accounted for 3.0% of fund AUM, marking a significant exit from a notable holding 10 stocks we like better than GitLab › What happened According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dated May 15, 2026, Slate Path Capital LP reported selling its entire holding of 5,973,800 shares of GitLab (NASDAQ:GTLB). The estimated value of the trade was $174.48 million, based on the average closing price for the quarter. The net position value declined by $224.20 million, reflecting both share sales and price movements during the period. What else to know This was a complete exit from GitLab, with the stake dropping from 3.0% of AUM in the previous quarter to zero post-trade (current stake: n/a of AUM). Top holdings after the filing: NASDAQ: TXN: $518.40 million (7.7% of AUM) NASDAQ: ON: $482.90 million (7.2% of AUM) As of May 14, 2026, GitLab shares were priced at $22.60, down 57.7% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 85.0 percentage points. Company/ETF overview Metric Value Revenue (TTM) $955.22 million Net Income (TTM) $-55.96 million Price (as of market close May 14, 2026) $22.60 One-Year Price Change -57.70% Company/ETF snapshot GitLab Inc. is a technology company specializing in end-to-end DevOps solutions, serving clients worldwide from its base in San Francisco. The company leverages a unified platform to drive faster software delivery and increased visibility across the development lifecycle. Its integrated approach positions GitLab as a key partner for organizations aiming to accelerate digital transformation an...
ArtMarie/E+ via Getty Images Watsco ( WSO ) is the largest HVAC distributor in the country, is debt-free, is consistently profitable, and has built a technology platform in e-commerce and contractor tools that no competitor has come close to replicating. Since my last article on the company, where I rated shares a 'hold,' shares have been range-bound as the S&P 500 has gone on to deliver a 50% tot...
ArtMarie/E+ via Getty Images Watsco ( WSO ) is the largest HVAC distributor in the country, is debt-free, is consistently profitable, and has built a technology platform in e-commerce and contractor tools that no competitor has come close to replicating. Since my last article on the company, where I rated shares a 'hold,' shares have been range-bound as the S&P 500 has gone on to deliver a 50% total return. Even with the valuation compression, I see little to get excited about following the company's most recent Q1'26 results , reported April 28. A look at Q1'26 results Watsco reported a quarter that beat on both the top and bottom lines relative to analyst expectations. On revenue, the top line was essentially flat at $1.533 billion but beat the sell-side estimate by $45 million or by about 3%. Geographically, U.S. markets were up 2%, and international was down 11%, with Latin American weakness driving the international shortfall. HVAC equipment at 65% of sales declined 1%. The nuance here is that unit volumes were down meaningfully, but it was offset with a 9% increase in average selling price from a higher mix of A2L refrigerant-compatible and higher-efficiency systems. Other HVAC products (which are ~30% of sales) grew 4%. Commercial refrigeration (the remaining 5% of sales) grew 11%. Seeking Alpha Company Filings Moving down the income statement, Watsco's gross margin of 27.9% came in slightly below the sell-side estimate of 28.2% and was down 20bps from last year largely as a result of the A2L product mix transition (source: Bloomberg). SG&A was flat in both dollar terms and as a percentage of revenue. Operating income of $110 million was down 2% year over year at a 7.2% margin. Finally, on earnings per share, EPS of $1.87 was down 3% from $1.93 but beat consensus by 19 cents. Company Filings Company Filings In my view, the operating cash flow picture was the most encouraging data point in the quarter. Cash from operations was -$19 million versus -$178 million...