Dell Technologies stock is likely to lose steam as demand for its servers tied to artificial intelligence appears to be fully baked in, according to UBS. The investment bank downgraded the hardware name to neutral from buy. It raised its price target on shares to $243 from $167, suggesting roughly 7% downside from Friday's close. "Accelerating AI server demand [is] largely priced in," analyst Davi...
Dell Technologies stock is likely to lose steam as demand for its servers tied to artificial intelligence appears to be fully baked in, according to UBS. The investment bank downgraded the hardware name to neutral from buy. It raised its price target on shares to $243 from $167, suggesting roughly 7% downside from Friday's close. "Accelerating AI server demand [is] largely priced in," analyst David Vogt said Sunday in a note to clients. "The risk/reward going forward is more balanced following strong execution over the past 12 months." Shares of Dell have surged 172% over the past 12 months, while the S & P 500 has gained 31% during the same period. In 2026 alone, the stock has ripped more than 106% higher, while the benchmark index is up 8.1%. The company's rally comes as large language models such as Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's ChatGPT have embraced multimodal and multi-agent systems, fueling demand for AI processing power and capacity . That emerging technology revolution has boosted Dell's AI server business, with the vertical notching $13 billion in revenue in the first quarter of fiscal 2027. "Since the company guide, several individuals of an AI competitor were charged with exporting Nvdia GPU based servers illegally. Therefore, we believe that neoclouds, enterprises, and sovereigns could shift future orders towards Dell," Vogt said. "However, Dell's NTM P/E mult and share price has increased ~70% since the news while we est the near-term EPS upside is more modest. Furthermore, given Dell's AI exposure is more neocloud and enterprise, Dell customer capex should grow slower than hyperscaler capex given stronger balance sheets and cash flow generation at companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft," he added. UBS' call goes against consensus on the Street. Of the 28 analysts covering Dell, 20 have a buy or strong buy on shares, LSEG data shows.
Yagi Studio/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction In the pet food category, Freshpet ( FRPT ) is especially attractive from a risk/reward standpoint. Recent Q1 earnings, released on May 6, have strengthened the bull case in the face of the stock's pullback from its $89 local peak in May 2025. With convincing top-line growth potential and a strong moat, I expect to see revenue and EBITDA to c...
Yagi Studio/DigitalVision via Getty Images Introduction In the pet food category, Freshpet ( FRPT ) is especially attractive from a risk/reward standpoint. Recent Q1 earnings, released on May 6, have strengthened the bull case in the face of the stock's pullback from its $89 local peak in May 2025. With convincing top-line growth potential and a strong moat, I expect to see revenue and EBITDA to come in beyond street expectations in the next few quarters. Therefore, I believe Freshpet is a BUY. Data by YCharts Background Freshpet's business model starts with its fridges. When Freshpet was founded in 2006, competitors such as Mars and Nestlé Purina sold dry pet food at room temperature. With the pet humanization trend going on at the time, pet food that involved fresh meat and not dry pellets had real addressable demand. But pet food involving real ingredients needed to be stored cold, not at room temperature. At the time, companies did not have the proper infrastructure to store and distribute cold pet food. So Freshpet came along. They would pay for and install their own branded fridges in retailers' pet food aisles, being the first to offer fresh pet food. Ever since its IPO in 2014, the moat has continued to expand and has become harder to replicate. Moat So Freshpet's products appeal to consumers. But what's stopping competitors from doing the same? Lately, this has been a real concern. But really, it comes down to a combination of three things: fridges, manufacturing, and brand awareness. All of which have made their imprint on consumers over time in the market, making Freshpet the dominant leader in refrigerated, fresh pet food. Fridges The company owns 39,464 fridges in 30,425 retail locations . Simply from a scale perspective, it is difficult for any one competitor to replicate this and undercut a significant portion of Freshpet's market share, which grew 4.2% this past quarter. Freshpet Investor Presentation But more importantly, each fridge creates high sw...
JHVEPhoto Sally Beauty Holdings ( SBH ) gained in early trading on Monday after topping estimates on both lines of its fiscal second-quarter earnings report. CEO Denise Paulonis noted the retailer delivered low-single-digit sales growth, gross margin expansion, and strong cash flow from operations, driven by the compounding benefits of our growth initiatives. "As we enter the second half of fiscal...
JHVEPhoto Sally Beauty Holdings ( SBH ) gained in early trading on Monday after topping estimates on both lines of its fiscal second-quarter earnings report. CEO Denise Paulonis noted the retailer delivered low-single-digit sales growth, gross margin expansion, and strong cash flow from operations, driven by the compounding benefits of our growth initiatives. "As we enter the second half of fiscal 2026, we remain confident in our full-year outlook and believe the company is positioned to deliver consistent, profitable growth and shareholder value over the long term," she added. Consolidated comparable sales growth of 1.3% was recorded for the quarter, while global e-commerce sales increased 13% to $108M, representing 12% of sales. Adjusted operating earnings were $73M. Non-GAAP EPS of $0.44 for the quarter beat the consensus estimate by $0.03 and was up 5% from last year's tally. On the balance sheet, Sallye Beauty ( SBH ) had a cash position of $157M at the end of the quarter and no outstanding borrowings under its asset-based revolving line of credit. At fiscal year-end, inventory was $987M, down 2% versus a year ago. Q2 cash flow from operations was $73M, and free cash flow totaled $44M. Looking ahead, Sally Beauty ( SBH ) sees FY26 revenue of $3.73B to $3.75B (midpoint $3.74B) vs. $3.75B consensus and EPS of $2.02 to $2.10 (midpoint $2.06) vs. $2.07 consensus. Shares of Sally Beauty Holdings ( SBH ) were up 2.2% in premarket trading. More on Sally Beauty Sally Beauty Holdings Still Buying Back Stock And Getting More Efficient Sally Beauty Holdings: Things Are Slowly Improving With This House Position Sally Beauty beats top-line and bottom-line estimates; initiates Q3 and updates FY26 revenue outlook Sally Beauty Q2 2026 Earnings Preview Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Sally Beauty
Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF (NASDAQ:VNQI) provides a low-cost, broadly diversified entry into international property markets, while State Street SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF (NYSEMKT:RWX) offers a more concentrated alternative with higher cash positions. International real estate can serve as a potent diversifier, offering exposure to economic cycles and rental markets ...
Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF (NASDAQ:VNQI) provides a low-cost, broadly diversified entry into international property markets, while State Street SPDR Dow Jones International Real Estate ETF (NYSEMKT:RWX) offers a more concentrated alternative with higher cash positions. International real estate can serve as a potent diversifier, offering exposure to economic cycles and rental markets outside the U.S. These two ETFs aim to capture that potential, but they take different paths toward the same goal. Investors may weigh the massive liquidity and low fees of the Vanguard fund against the specific strategy and smaller footprint of the SPDR fund. Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield. Continue reading
Welcome to our guide to the commodities driving the global economy. Today, Asian Energy Team Leader Stephen Stapczynski says don’t get too excited by the LNG tanker that just made it out of the Persian Gulf. The energy industry looked on with interest as a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker exited the Strait of Hormuz for the first time in months over the weekend. But rather than the beginning of...
Welcome to our guide to the commodities driving the global economy. Today, Asian Energy Team Leader Stephen Stapczynski says don’t get too excited by the LNG tanker that just made it out of the Persian Gulf. The energy industry looked on with interest as a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker exited the Strait of Hormuz for the first time in months over the weekend. But rather than the beginning of a return to normal flows, this was more about geopolitics, and is unlikely to become a regular occurrence. The Al Kharaitiyat, which loaded at Qatar’s Ras Laffan export plant earlier this month, is now nearing Pakistan, ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show. Its voyage was the culmination of negotiations between Pakistan and Iran to allow a limited number of shipments. Another tanker loaded with Qatari LNG, the Mihzem, was heading toward the strait on Monday. Since the war forced Qatar to halt exports from the massive LNG complex — which supplied nearly a fifth of global demand last year — the market has tightened and prices have climbed. While parts of the facility were damaged in March, most of it remains operational. The bigger constraint is Hormuz. Islamabad, which has been mediating between Washington and Tehran, is scrambling to secure fuel and stave off a deepening energy crunch. The government used that leverage to get a few cargoes through. It has managed a similar trick with Kuwaiti diesel. There aren’t any signs that LNG traffic is meaningfully picking up, however. Tankers loaded with Qatari cargoes in the Persian Gulf are virtually idle, with no apparent rush to attempt another passage to countries other than Pakistan. At the same time, there isn’t a wave of empty tankers heading in to load. Plus, which other countries or companies have the ability to negotiate with Tehran in the same way as Islamabad? Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. has managed to sneak out a couple of cargoes recently, with ships going dark to avoid detection in Hormuz. But these are excep...
Jinda Noipho/iStock via Getty Images Market Review Equity performance was broadly negative across developed and emerging markets. Heightened geopolitical tensions involving Iran, and the subsequent spike in oil prices, weighed on risk sentiment despite resilient, albeit slowing, global growth and moderating inflation. The S&P 500® Index declined 4.33% for the quarter. Within the index, 6 of the 11...
Jinda Noipho/iStock via Getty Images Market Review Equity performance was broadly negative across developed and emerging markets. Heightened geopolitical tensions involving Iran, and the subsequent spike in oil prices, weighed on risk sentiment despite resilient, albeit slowing, global growth and moderating inflation. The S&P 500® Index declined 4.33% for the quarter. Within the index, 6 of the 11 Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) equity sectors finished in positive territory, led by energy and materials. Value stocks outperformed growth stocks. Among other major equity benchmarks, the MSCI EAFE Index, a measure of developed markets excluding the U.S. and Canada, decreased by 1.24%, while the MSCI Emerging Markets Index decreased by 0.17%. In the U.S., equity markets delivered negative returns during the quarter, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average® declining 3.19% and the NASDAQ 100 Index® falling 5.82%. U.S. fixed-income markets were broadly flat over the period. Geopolitical developments in the Middle East, including the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, contributed to heightened market volatility and increased downside risks later in the quarter. Against this backdrop, the U.S. economy remained relatively resilient. The Federal Reserve held rates steady as inflation eased from 2.7% year over year in December to 2.2% in February. Labor markets remained solid, with payroll growth rebounding following a weaker December reading and unemployment edging down to 4.2%. Consumer data were mixed: sentiment fell to a multi-year low in January before improving through March, while retail spending softened and then stabilized. Meanwhile, manufacturing remained in contraction, highlighting persistent weakness in the industrial sector. The U.S. dollar declined against a basket of major currencies. Equity markets in developed economies were broadly lower, with the UK and Japan among the primary exceptions. The eurozone continued to expand gradually, with...
It’s becoming clearer by the day that Brightline, the struggling Florida private railroad, is shaping up to rank among the biggest municipal-bond restructurings ever, alongside the likes of Puerto Rico and Detroit . But that’s where any clarity around the future of billionaire Wes Edens ’ $6 billion passion project ends. The Fortress Investment Group -backed railroad’s complex debt structure — a m...
It’s becoming clearer by the day that Brightline, the struggling Florida private railroad, is shaping up to rank among the biggest municipal-bond restructurings ever, alongside the likes of Puerto Rico and Detroit . But that’s where any clarity around the future of billionaire Wes Edens ’ $6 billion passion project ends. The Fortress Investment Group -backed railroad’s complex debt structure — a mix of municipal and corporate notes issued by four subsidiaries — is among the biggest challenges, as are the pack of firms jockeying for position in any workout scenario. Invesco Ltd. and Nuveen LLC , giants in the world of tax-exempt securities, lead a group holding Brightline’s $2.2 billion of highest-priority debt that also includes First Eagle Investments . Bond insurer Assured Guaranty Ltd. looms large, too — it guarantees about $1.1 billion of senior securities, a majority, and must consent to any changes. Meanwhile, distressed specialists Redwood Capital , Aristeia Capital and Nut Tree Capital Management lurk one rung below in the hierarchy. So does an entity of Israel-based Phoenix Financial Ltd. , Bloomberg reported last week. Both factions are angling for a way to wrest control of the railroad in exchange for a large investment, potentially in the form of senior loans to finance a bankruptcy, according to people familiar with the matter. And then there are the wild cards: deep-pocketed infrastructure funds or strategic buyers that could also be in the mix to take over. One firm that had considered investing in Brightline, but has since moved on, was Italian infrastructure firm Mundys SpA , which owns airports and toll roads, some of the people said. These competing interests are all coming to a head. Brightline’s auditors warned recently that it doesn’t have the cash to service its debt and meet financial obligations over the next 12 months, raising “substantial doubt” about the 235-mile line’s ability to function without some sort of relief. For now, the trains ...
RUMBLE INC (RUM) saw its shares surge in the last session with trading volume being higher than average. The latest trend in earnings estimate revisions may not translate into further price increase in the near term.
RUMBLE INC (RUM) saw its shares surge in the last session with trading volume being higher than average. The latest trend in earnings estimate revisions may not translate into further price increase in the near term.
Welcome to the Mideast Money newsletter, I’m Adveith Nair . Join us each week as my team and I chronicle the intersection of money and power in a region that’s become one of the most influential in global finance. You can sign up here . This week: Brookfield bets on Dubai real estate , Abu Dhabi eyes global defense deals , and oil rises as the Strait of Hormuz remains shut. One of the world’s larg...
Welcome to the Mideast Money newsletter, I’m Adveith Nair . Join us each week as my team and I chronicle the intersection of money and power in a region that’s become one of the most influential in global finance. You can sign up here . This week: Brookfield bets on Dubai real estate , Abu Dhabi eyes global defense deals , and oil rises as the Strait of Hormuz remains shut. One of the world’s largest asset managers is betting that Dubai’s ability to shed the shackles of transience will underpin the resilience of the emirate’s property market. Brookfield Asset Management and Gulf consumer giant Alshaya Group are looking to develop a 480,000-square-foot mixed-use project in the upscale Dubai Hills neighborhood. It’s a bold bet , coming just as home values start to drop for the first time since the global pandemic, though the private equity giant is confident. “We are in this country, our people are coming to the offices here every day,” Jad Ellawn , managing partner and regional head for Brookfield Middle East told my colleague Dinesh Nair . “We understand the risks and the benefits in the region better than others and hence we are looking to commit capital.” With $16 billion invested in the region, Brookfield is among the biggest foreign investors in the Middle East and has previously weathered storms. For instance, in 2019, when it entered a $1.4 billion joint venture with Dubai’s Meraas Holding to own and operate some of the government-owned developer’s retail assets. In the days leading up to that investment, oil was briefly in turmoil as more than two dozen missiles and drones struck at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s energy industry. Months later, the pandemic shuttered swathes of the global economy, dealing another blow to Dubai’s property market that was weathering a prolonged slump. While Covid threatened to exacerbate the slump, the UAE’s high vaccination rates and new long-term visa policies instead helped engineer a rebound. Expatriates and international inves...