Key Points Oil prices have surged recently due to the war with Iran. They could continue rising if Iran successfully impedes oil exports from the Persian Gulf. While U.S. producers can ramp up their production, it will take some time. 10 stocks we like better than ConocoPhillips › Crude oil prices are soaring in the aftermath of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Brent oil, the global benchmark pri...
Key Points Oil prices have surged recently due to the war with Iran. They could continue rising if Iran successfully impedes oil exports from the Persian Gulf. While U.S. producers can ramp up their production, it will take some time. 10 stocks we like better than ConocoPhillips › Crude oil prices are soaring in the aftermath of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Brent oil, the global benchmark price, is up more than 5% again today, and has risen roughly 15% in the past couple of days. The surge in crude prices has sent oil stocks soaring. ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) has popped nearly 8% in the past few days, while Chevron (NYSE: CVX) closed at a record high on Monday at nearly $190 per share. 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 » Here are two things investors need to know about the current state of the oil sector before buying oil stocks. All eyes are currently on the Strait of Hormuz The war with Iran has massive implications for the oil sector. The Middle Eastern country is a founding member of OPEC and produces over 3 million barrels of oil per day. Additionally, roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day pass through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, about 20% of global supplies. Iran has long threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for military action against the country. While the U.S. military is working to prevent its closure, the war is having an impact on the flow of oil out of the region. Supertanker rates surged to record highs after Iran attacked several ships. Additionally, insurance companies have canceled war risk coverage. These surging costs will likely prevent companies from taking the risk of transporting oil out of the region until things calm down. If there's a prolonged period where oil doesn't freely flow out of the Persian Gulf, it could cau...
Key Points Ripple recently rebranded and is leaning into stablecoins following the launch of RLUSD. XRP's core investment thesis could be undermined by RLUSD. Ripple may thrive in 2026, but that success may not translate to gains for XRP holders. 10 stocks we like better than XRP › After rocketing to highs nearing $3.50 last year, XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) has fallen below $1.50 as Bitcoin and the broader...
Key Points Ripple recently rebranded and is leaning into stablecoins following the launch of RLUSD. XRP's core investment thesis could be undermined by RLUSD. Ripple may thrive in 2026, but that success may not translate to gains for XRP holders. 10 stocks we like better than XRP › After rocketing to highs nearing $3.50 last year, XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) has fallen below $1.50 as Bitcoin and the broader crypto market slide. Investors may be wondering if they should jump in and buy the dip. But the current sell-off might not be the real concern for XRP holders; it's possible the dip isn't a dip at all, but a new normal. So, where might XRP be a year from now? 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 » To answer that, we have to look at Ripple, the company behind the token, and its pivot toward stablecoins. Ripple is all-in on stablecoins Ripple has spent the past year and change repositioning itself as a stablecoin infrastructure company. Its website now leads with "integrate stablecoin payments into your business." It acquired stablecoin payments company Rail for $200 million. And it launched RLUSD, its own dollar-backed stablecoin, which it's aggressively pushing into the cross-border payments market. This isn't happening in a vacuum. The Genius Act provided stablecoins with real regulatory clarity, and Ripple is building to capitalize on it. RLUSD can function as a bridge asset within Ripple's cross-border payment products. That might sound tangential to what we're discussing -- XRP's value -- but it very much is not. It's critically important because XRP has always been the key bridge asset in Ripple's cross-border payment system. RLUSD's adoption cannibalizes XRP's "market share" within its own ecosystem. Why RLUSD complicates XRP's bull case XRP's investment thesis has always rested on the ide...
Eli Lilly's (LLY 0.73%) big problem is its success in the GLP-1 drug space. Its Mounjaro (for diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss) drugs grew sales by 99% and 175%, respectively, in 2025. That's impressive, but Wall Street is perhaps a bit too excited about the stock. Here's why you might want to forget about Eli Lilly and buy GLP-1 laggards Novo Nordisk (NVO 2.73%) and Pfizer (PFE 1.67%) inst...
Eli Lilly's (LLY 0.73%) big problem is its success in the GLP-1 drug space. Its Mounjaro (for diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss) drugs grew sales by 99% and 175%, respectively, in 2025. That's impressive, but Wall Street is perhaps a bit too excited about the stock. Here's why you might want to forget about Eli Lilly and buy GLP-1 laggards Novo Nordisk (NVO 2.73%) and Pfizer (PFE 1.67%) instead. Eli Lilly is the victim of its own success It's hard to complain about a pharmaceutical company that has approved drugs in its portfolio that are growing as quickly as those from Eli Lilly. However, there are a few issues to consider. For starters, those levels of sales growth probably aren't sustainable over the long term. Also, Mounjaro and Zepbound basically accounted for nearly all of Lilly's 45% sales growth in 2025. The most worrying problem, however, is that these two GLP-1 weight loss drugs already account for 56% of the company's top line. When patent protections on these drugs eventually end, there's going to be a huge hole to fill. Meanwhile, Wall Street is extremely excited about the stock, bidding the shares up to the point where the dividend yield is a tiny 0.6% and the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is a lofty 44. Other GLP-1 options to consider If you have a value bias or prefer stocks with higher yields, you'll probably want to look at GLP-1 competitors Novo Nordisk and Pfizer. Novo Nordisk was the first to launch a GLP-1 drug, but lost the lead to Eli Lilly because Lilly's drugs seem to be more effective right now. That said, Novo Nordisk was recently first to market with an oral GLP-1 medication, and it continues to invest in its related offerings. Expand NYSE : NVO Novo Nordisk Today's Change ( -2.73 %) $ -1.03 Current Price $ 36.73 Key Data Points Market Cap $127B Day's Range $ 35.85 - $ 36.95 52wk Range $ 35.85 - $ 91.90 Volume 1.4M Avg Vol 23M Gross Margin 80.90 % Dividend Yield 4.57 % Novo Nordisk recently announced the results of a GLP-1 drug tr...
Key Points Sales of Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound GLP-1 drugs have been growing rapidly. Novo Nordisk and Pfizer are trailing Lilly, but don't count out these pharma giants just yet. 10 stocks we like better than Eli Lilly › Eli Lilly's (NYSE: LLY) big problem is its success in the GLP-1 drug space. Its Mounjaro (for diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss) drugs grew sales by 99% and 175%, re...
Key Points Sales of Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound GLP-1 drugs have been growing rapidly. Novo Nordisk and Pfizer are trailing Lilly, but don't count out these pharma giants just yet. 10 stocks we like better than Eli Lilly › Eli Lilly's (NYSE: LLY) big problem is its success in the GLP-1 drug space. Its Mounjaro (for diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss) drugs grew sales by 99% and 175%, respectively, in 2025. That's impressive, but Wall Street is perhaps a bit too excited about the stock. Here's why you might want to forget about Eli Lilly and buy GLP-1 laggards Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) instead. 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 » Eli Lilly is the victim of its own success It's hard to complain about a pharmaceutical company that has approved drugs in its portfolio that are growing as quickly as those from Eli Lilly. However, there are a few issues to consider. For starters, those levels of sales growth probably aren't sustainable over the long term. Also, Mounjaro and Zepbound basically accounted for nearly all of Lilly's 45% sales growth in 2025. The most worrying problem, however, is that these two GLP-1 weight loss drugs already account for 56% of the company's top line. When patent protections on these drugs eventually end, there's going to be a huge hole to fill. Meanwhile, Wall Street is extremely excited about the stock, bidding the shares up to the point where the dividend yield is a tiny 0.6% and the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is a lofty 44. Other GLP-1 options to consider If you have a value bias or prefer stocks with higher yields, you'll probably want to look at GLP-1 competitors Novo Nordisk and Pfizer. Novo Nordisk was the first to launch a GLP-1 drug, but lost the lead to Eli Lilly because Lilly's drugs seem to be more effective right n...
The US war in Iran hasn’t changed Brookfield Asset Management ’s plans to build data centers with the Qatar Investment Authority or curbed its appetite for investing in the Middle East, Chief Executive Officer Connor Teskey said. “When something like the past weekend happens, the focus is on our people who are safe, both at Brookfield and our portfolio companies, and then our focuses are on the as...
The US war in Iran hasn’t changed Brookfield Asset Management ’s plans to build data centers with the Qatar Investment Authority or curbed its appetite for investing in the Middle East, Chief Executive Officer Connor Teskey said. “When something like the past weekend happens, the focus is on our people who are safe, both at Brookfield and our portfolio companies, and then our focuses are on the assets, and those are all performing,” Teskey said in a Bloomberg Television interview Tuesday, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on Saturday after the US and Israel launched airstrikes in Tehran. The US-Israeli war on Iran has reverberated across the region, and President Donald Trump has said the conflict could last for weeks. Amazon.com Inc.’s cloud unit has warned of prolonged disruptions to its services as the battle intensifies. Drone strikes damaged at least three of its data centers in the region in recent days. When asked if the war impacts Brookfield Asset Management’s $20 billion venture with Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund to invest in artificial-intelligence infrastructure, Teskey said that it does not affect the project and called the Middle East an “incredible” region. “We’re very long-term investors,” he said. The Middle East has “got an increasing presence on the world scene — those are the types of asset classes and geographies that we want to be investing in long term.” Read More: Missiles Seen Over Abu Dhabi Financial Hub Dent Safe Haven Image The New York-based firm is a key player in the AI buildout, which it expects requires roughly $7 trillion of capital investment over the next decade. Brookfield has invested in data-center operators and acquired stakes in power utilities that are benefiting from surging power demand. Brookfield is also collaborating with Gulf sovereign wealth funds on AI ventures, partnering with Kuwait Investment Authority on a $10 billion fund dedicated to AI infrastructure. Teskey became CEO of the asset mana...
SM Investments Corporation press release ( SVTMF ): FY China Banking Corporation reported net income grew 13% to a record PHP28 billion driven by the bank's core businesses. The bank's core lending business served as the main driver with interest income climbing 12% to PHP105.2 billion. Consolidated revenues reached PHP141.1 billion, slightly higher than the PHP140.4 billion in the previous year. ...
SM Investments Corporation press release ( SVTMF ): FY China Banking Corporation reported net income grew 13% to a record PHP28 billion driven by the bank's core businesses. The bank's core lending business served as the main driver with interest income climbing 12% to PHP105.2 billion. Consolidated revenues reached PHP141.1 billion, slightly higher than the PHP140.4 billion in the previous year. The mall segment contributed PHP85.1 billion, accounting for 60% of total revenues, followed by residential (30%) at PHP42.5 billion, hotels and convention centers (6%) at PHP8.5 billion, and offices and warehouses (4%) at PHP5.4 billion. Asset quality improved, with Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio declining to 1.68%. NPL coverage was at 133%. Gross loans, which hit the PHP1 trillion mark for the first time, increased 13% to PHP1.1 trillion on strong demand from both the corporate and consumer segments. Deposits grew 9% to PHP1.4 trillion, supported by a current account and savings account ratio of 48%. Non-performing loan (NPL) ratio was steady at 1.6% with NPL coverage ratio at 109%, well above the industry average. More on SM Investments Corporation SM Investments Corporation 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on SM Investments Corporation Historical earnings data for SM Investments Corporation Dividend scorecard for SM Investments Corporation Financial information for SM Investments Corporation
Willie B. Thomas/DigitalVision via Getty Images Those who follow me know that I am looking for dividends and a margin of safety in valuations among ETFs. And when those are the objectives, there is no screening tool that does not list Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF ( FNDF ). Of course, the question remains the same: can adding it to the portfolio contribute to expected return or risk?...
Willie B. Thomas/DigitalVision via Getty Images Those who follow me know that I am looking for dividends and a margin of safety in valuations among ETFs. And when those are the objectives, there is no screening tool that does not list Schwab Fundamental International Equity ETF ( FNDF ). Of course, the question remains the same: can adding it to the portfolio contribute to expected return or risk? A question that should rightly guide every ETF analysis in the end. And the answer I have personally been giving myself lately is, in my opinion, yes. But before getting into the heart of the matter… What is FNDF The fund replicates the RAFI Fundamental High Liquidity Developed ex US Large Index (NET) using a fundamental weighting approach, not market cap, focusing on developed ex-USA large caps. FNDF - Fund Profile (Seeking Alpha) To invest in the fund, there is a cost of 0.25% , to which a bid/ask spread of 0.02% (minimum) is added, signaling an excellent level of liquidity and trading for this ETF. FNDF - Liquidity Grade (Seeking Alpha) Strategy The process starts from the global investable RAFI universe and is narrowed down to developed ex-US markets, therefore also including areas such as Canada and South Korea. From here, the true core of the model comes into play: each company is not evaluated by market cap but by “economic size” calculated on adjusted sales, retained operating cash flow, and dividends plus buybacks. Companies are ranked according to this fundamental score, and the segment covering 87.5% cumulatively of the total score is selected. The stocks are weighted based on the score. This is the key difference. A difference that then shows up again in the annual reconstitution. At this point, it is appropriate to recall the novelty of the new methodology of the asset manager: the liquidity filter (introduced with the latest index modification), which guarantees a not negligible degree of liquidity. In reality, turnover remains at 12.27% and tracking error lo...
Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD) has not been spared from the recent tech rout. Shares of the chip giant are down 28% off its Oct. 29 record high of $267.08, and 10% lower on the year. If past is precedent, though, it might be time to buy the dip from this double top formation, with the semiconductor stock testing a historically bullish trendline. Per Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst...
Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD) has not been spared from the recent tech rout. Shares of the chip giant are down 28% off its Oct. 29 record high of $267.08, and 10% lower on the year. If past is precedent, though, it might be time to buy the dip from this double top formation, with the semiconductor stock testing a historically bullish trendline. Per Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White, AMD is within 0.75 of its 200-day moving average, after remaining above this level 80% of the time over the past two weeks and 80% of the last 42 trading sessions. This signal has occurred 10 other times in the past decade, after which the security was higher one month later 80% of the time with an average gain of 11.2%. A similar move from AMD's current perch would help the stock not only regain $200, but its year-to-date breakeven level as well. AMD Stock Chart An unwinding of pessimism amongst options traders could also fuel tailwinds. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), AMD's 10-day put/call volume ratio sits higher than 98% of readings from the past year. Plus, the equity's Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) comes in at 94 out of 100. In other words, the shares have consistently realized higher volatility than its options have priced in over the past 12 months.
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The artificial intelligence (AI) buildout is driving a massive infrastructure supercycle, with global data center spending projected to reach $3 trillion by 2030, according to a report from Moody's. This expansion puts a focus on the pick-and-shovel companies that provide the power and industrial supplies needed to build and maintain these facilities. Industrial companies, such as Eaton (ETN 5.94%...
The artificial intelligence (AI) buildout is driving a massive infrastructure supercycle, with global data center spending projected to reach $3 trillion by 2030, according to a report from Moody's. This expansion puts a focus on the pick-and-shovel companies that provide the power and industrial supplies needed to build and maintain these facilities. Industrial companies, such as Eaton (ETN 5.94%) and W.W. Grainger (GWW 0.04%), also pay dividends, making them solid choices for income investors looking to get in on the AI infrastructure spending boom. Here's why investors should double up on these dividend stocks today. Eaton's power and cooling solutions report strong demand Eaton is an industrial operator seeing unprecedented demand driven by massive infrastructure spending on data centers and the electrification of the grid. The company provides products such as switchgear, transformers, power distribution units, uninterruptible power supplies, and energy storage solutions for customers and is pivoting to focus on megatrends around AI. Expand NYSE : ETN Eaton Plc Today's Change ( -5.94 %) $ -22.42 Current Price $ 354.98 Key Data Points Market Cap $146B Day's Range $ 350.76 - $ 365.92 52wk Range $ 231.85 - $ 408.45 Volume 132K Avg Vol 3M Gross Margin 37.58 % Dividend Yield 1.10 % The company aims to build an end-to-end framework to manage power and thermal demands from AI data centers. It spent $9.5 billion to acquire Boyd Thermal, a leader in liquid cooling with engineering teams that work closely with silicon developers. Eaton management forecasts the global liquid-cooling market could grow by 35% annually through 2028. During the year, Eaton's total backlog grew to $19.6 billion, driven by strong growth in its electrical Americas segment. On top of that, its data center orders in the fourth quarter surged 200% year over year, illustrating the robust demand for its products. For income investors, Eaton offers a dividend yield of around 1.1%. The company has paid...
Julio Tamayo/iStock Editorial via Getty Images LendingTree ( TREE ) stock was surging after the company reported record Q4 revenue on insurance segment growth and earnings guidance above the consensus estimate. Shares were ~25% higher at $47.15 today before the market close. The Charlotte, North Carolina-based company posted revenue of $319.69M (+22.3% Y/Y), which beats by $33.13M. Insurance segme...
Julio Tamayo/iStock Editorial via Getty Images LendingTree ( TREE ) stock was surging after the company reported record Q4 revenue on insurance segment growth and earnings guidance above the consensus estimate. Shares were ~25% higher at $47.15 today before the market close. The Charlotte, North Carolina-based company posted revenue of $319.69M (+22.3% Y/Y), which beats by $33.13M. Insurance segment revenue reached $214.6M during the quarter, up 25% year-over-year. Consumer segment revenue increased 23% to $68.6M. Home segment revenue grew 6% to $36.2M. " The Insurance segment has remained a standout performer, and we see no signs of a slowdown in demand from partners looking for new policyholders, or customers searching to lower their monthly insurance payments," said CEO Scott Peyree. "We steadily took market share from our Insurance marketplace competitors throughout 2025, and we forecast this trend will continue in the new year," added Peyree. For the first quarter of 2026, LendingTree expects revenue to be in the range of $317M to $325M, vs. $313.46M consensus . For the full year of 2026, the online financial services marketplace estimates revenue of $1.28B to $1.33B, vs. $1.24B consensus . More on LendingTree LendingTree, Inc. (TREE) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript LendingTree: Insurance Momentum Remains Strong Real estate tech stocks gap up amid Trump's housing relief push Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on LendingTree Historical earnings data for LendingTree
While the market has been undoubtedly strong over the past year, the same can’t be said for several well-known stocks, a list that includes Adobe ADBE, and NIKE NKE. Below is a chart illustrating the performance of each over the past year, with the S&P 500 blended in as a benchmark. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Given the weakness, do they deserve a closer look at their slashed prices? N...
While the market has been undoubtedly strong over the past year, the same can’t be said for several well-known stocks, a list that includes Adobe ADBE, and NIKE NKE. Below is a chart illustrating the performance of each over the past year, with the S&P 500 blended in as a benchmark. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Given the weakness, do they deserve a closer look at their slashed prices? NIKE Can't Find its Stride NIKE shares have been weak for some time now, with an inability to capture consumers’ attention post-COVID weighing heavily on sentiment. It’s also important to note that NIKE largely cut out retailers to push direct sales over recent years, but the reduction of shelf space backfired considerably, significantly reducing its presence. Recognizing part of the issue, the company has been actively rebuilding its relationships with retailers and placing greater emphasis on its more popular shoes. The company’s profitability picture has also been challenged, with its gross margin contracting 300 basis points year-over-year throughout its latest period. Please note that the chart below tracks margins on a trailing twelve-month basis. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The company is actually on deck to report quarterly results at the end of March, which will likely give much more visibility concerning its turnaround efforts and broader outlook. EPS and sales expectations for the upcoming release are down quite a bit since mid-December, but the stability throughout February remains an important takeaway, helping paint a somewhat positive picture leading up to the release. Below is an image illustrating the evolving revisions picture for the upcoming release. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Given the rough quarterly results and showing over recent months, remaining patient would likely be the better play here, particularly as the company gives further information and guidance surrounding its current turnaround play. NIKE’s release is expected o...