Apple (AAPL 0.47%) just wrapped up a jam-packed three days of new product releases. While the launch of a $599 entry-level laptop dubbed the MacBook Neo garnered headlines for its affordability, there's something bigger at play -- something that keeps resurfacing across almost all of its product announcements: artificial intelligence (AI). Apple is aggressively outfitting its professional and cons...
Apple (AAPL 0.47%) just wrapped up a jam-packed three days of new product releases. While the launch of a $599 entry-level laptop dubbed the MacBook Neo garnered headlines for its affordability, there's something bigger at play -- something that keeps resurfacing across almost all of its product announcements: artificial intelligence (AI). Apple is aggressively outfitting its professional and consumer product stack to run heavy artificial intelligence workloads -- and it isn't being shy about trying to draw attention to this push. Ultimately, Apple is tapping into a major selling point as it releases new products, highlighting that its latest products aren't just incremental upgrades but part of a major hardware transformation -- a transformation that could help accelerate sales. Silicon built for heavy AI workloads At the core of this three-day product launch event is the revamped MacBook Pro lineup, powered by the new M5 Pro and M5 Max architectures. Management noted in the press release that the new silicon features up to four times the AI performance of the previous MacBook Pro generation and up to eight times the AI performance of M1-powered models. "With Neural Accelerators in the GPU, the new MacBook Pro enables professionals to run advanced [large language models] on device and unlock capabilities that no other laptop can do," said Apple hardware engineering chief John Ternus in the company's press release about the new 14- and 16-inch laptops. This AI theme was present in the product release for every new Apple product announced this week, except its new monitors. Even the new entry-level MacBook Neo features a dedicated 16-core neural engine that "supports fast on-device Apple Intelligence features and everyday AI tasks," the company said. By embedding powerful local processing across its entire lineup, Apple is not only giving customers a reason to upgrade, but it's quietly ensuring its hardware base is ready before it unveils a heavily overhauled, smarte...
Key Points The iPhone maker's revenue growth rate accelerated in its most recent quarter. A revamped lineup of professional laptops features next-generation chips designed specifically to accelerate heavy machine learning workloads. With an installed base of more than 2.5 billion active devices, a significant hardware upgrade cycle could accelerate the company's sales even more. 10 stocks we like ...
Key Points The iPhone maker's revenue growth rate accelerated in its most recent quarter. A revamped lineup of professional laptops features next-generation chips designed specifically to accelerate heavy machine learning workloads. With an installed base of more than 2.5 billion active devices, a significant hardware upgrade cycle could accelerate the company's sales even more. 10 stocks we like better than Apple › Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) just wrapped up a jam-packed three days of new product releases. While the launch of a $599 entry-level laptop dubbed the MacBook Neo garnered headlines for its affordability, there's something bigger at play -- something that keeps resurfacing across almost all of its product announcements: artificial intelligence (AI). Apple is aggressively outfitting its professional and consumer product stack to run heavy artificial intelligence workloads -- and it isn't being shy about trying to draw attention to this push. Ultimately, Apple is tapping into a major selling point as it releases new products, highlighting that its latest products aren't just incremental upgrades but part of a major hardware transformation -- a transformation that could help accelerate sales. 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 » Silicon built for heavy AI workloads At the core of this three-day product launch event is the revamped MacBook Pro lineup, powered by the new M5 Pro and M5 Max architectures. Management noted in the press release that the new silicon features up to four times the AI performance of the previous MacBook Pro generation and up to eight times the AI performance of M1-powered models. "With Neural Accelerators in the GPU, the new MacBook Pro enables professionals to run advanced [large language models] on device and unlock capabilities that no other laptop can do," s...
Donny DBM/iStock via Getty Images Fund Performance Royce Micro-Cap Fund ( RYOTX ) advanced 13.3 in 2025, lagging its benchmark, Russell Microcap Index, which was up 23.0% for the same period. Longer-term relative performance was better, however, as the Fund beat its benchmark for the 3-, 5-, 10-, and 25-year periods ended 12/31/25. What Worked… and What Didn’t Seven of the portfolio’s 10 equity se...
Donny DBM/iStock via Getty Images Fund Performance Royce Micro-Cap Fund ( RYOTX ) advanced 13.3 in 2025, lagging its benchmark, Russell Microcap Index, which was up 23.0% for the same period. Longer-term relative performance was better, however, as the Fund beat its benchmark for the 3-, 5-, 10-, and 25-year periods ended 12/31/25. What Worked… and What Didn’t Seven of the portfolio’s 10 equity sectors made a positive impact on calendar year performance, led by Industrials, Financials, and Information Technology. The largest negative impacts came from Consumer Discretionary, Health Care, and Real Estate. At the industry level, electronic equipment, instruments & components (Information Technology), banks (Financials), and aerospace & defense (Industrials) contributed most for the calendar year period, while professional services (Industrials), life sciences tools & services (Health Care), and software (Information Technology) were the largest detractors. Our top contributor was nLIGHT ( LASR ), which designs, manufactures, and sells a range of high-power semiconductor and fiber lasers that are typically integrated into laser systems or tools built by its manufacturing customers. The company also provides components and integrated solutions to high-energy laser systems for directed energy and laser sensing systems used in a wide range of defense applications. nLIGHT differentiates its business by its vertical integration, domain knowledge, and manufacturing capabilities to combine dedicated resources and facilities with deep technical expertise to deliver cutting edge solutions, increasingly to government and defense organizations. Its shares have outperformed due to upward revisions to the outlook for its aerospace & defense customers. We remain constructive on the prospects for addressable market expanding product launches and a recovery in manufacturing-driven end-markets. LightPath Technologies ( LPTH ) produces optical assemblies, modules, and integrated camera ...
China-Linked Bulk Carrier Exits Strait Of Hormuz Without Incident Maritime tracking data shows a China-linked bulk carrier exiting the Strait of Hormuz without incident, a notable development that comes just hours after a report stated Tehran would permit Chinese vessels to transit the critical maritime chokepoint, despite much of the narrow waterway being paralyzed. Bloomberg data shows the bulk ...
China-Linked Bulk Carrier Exits Strait Of Hormuz Without Incident Maritime tracking data shows a China-linked bulk carrier exiting the Strait of Hormuz without incident, a notable development that comes just hours after a report stated Tehran would permit Chinese vessels to transit the critical maritime chokepoint, despite much of the narrow waterway being paralyzed. Bloomberg data shows the bulk carrier Iron Maiden has successfully transited the narrowest part of the waterway without incident. MarineTraffic data indicates the ship has a "China Owner" and has a port call in China. Earlier, New Delhi Television reported: Iran has said it will allow only Chinese vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as an expression of gratitude for Beijing's stance toward Tehran since the war in the Middle East began, sources have said. This is significant because the Strait, which provides Persian Gulf ports access to the open sea, is a key chokepoint that Iran has blocked since the conflict in the region began, threatening global supply chains. Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday had plunged around 90% compared with levels seen just before Operation Epic Fury began on Saturday, according to MarineTraffic. Tanker traffic through Strait of Hormuz down by 90% Analysis of vessel activity indicates tanker transits are now around 90% lower than last week. Matt Wright, Principal Freight Analyst at Kpler, explains: "Unlike several other vessel segments where movements have largely… pic.twitter.com/JIhFoAkQKO — MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) March 4, 2026 Iran has so far targeted ten vessels in or around the Strait. A senior IRGC official said earlier this week that the Strait is closed and that IRGC forces will fire on any ships attempting to pass. "The Strait (of Hormuz) is closed. If anyone tries to pass, the heroes of the Revolutionary Guards and the regular navy will set those ships ablaze," Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the Guards commander-in-chief, ...
Xiaojia Zhi, Credit Agricole Chief China economist, tells Bloomberg TV that China's modest GDP growth targets reflects a desire to boost domestic demand while limiting fiscal support to those sectors where it is most urgently required. (Source: Bloomberg)
Xiaojia Zhi, Credit Agricole Chief China economist, tells Bloomberg TV that China's modest GDP growth targets reflects a desire to boost domestic demand while limiting fiscal support to those sectors where it is most urgently required. (Source: Bloomberg)