lixu/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images In early December, I double upgraded PayPal Holdings, Inc. ( PYPL ) from a sell to a buy, as I believed writing the company off could have been a grave mistake. The company was gaining traction in key areas like BNPL, and the valuation seemed too depressed. As you can see in the below chart, judging by the stock's performance since then, it seems I was the o...
lixu/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images In early December, I double upgraded PayPal Holdings, Inc. ( PYPL ) from a sell to a buy, as I believed writing the company off could have been a grave mistake. The company was gaining traction in key areas like BNPL, and the valuation seemed too depressed. As you can see in the below chart, judging by the stock's performance since then, it seems I was the one who made a mistake. In today's analysis, I will take another look at their fundamentals, recent developments, and valuation to see if I jumped the gun with my buy rating. Seeking Alpha Below, it is shown that most of PayPal's fundamentals are deteriorating. Activity is sluggish, and the financial results are also worrying. While there is some distant hope for a turnaround with the company having replaced their CEO, soft 2026 guidance shows that things could get significantly worse from here. In hindsight, I probably underestimated the competitive pressures PayPal was facing and so believe the risk/reward is now only neutral despite a low valuation for the stock. Thus, I'm downgrading to a hold rating. Activity Is Sluggish At Best PayPal Q4 Presentation We'll get into their financial performance in just a little bit, but a look at some of their account and activity metrics is valuable in my view. At the end of the day, the number of people using their platform and how often they are using it don't lie. For active accounts and monthly active accounts, there was growth of 1% YoY for Q4. This suggests that PayPal's digital commerce platforms are unable to attract significant amounts of new users, and of course that isn't a great sign. While there is some variance in performance among the transaction numbers, the 5% decline in overall transactions per active account is a sign that users are using their services less often as a whole. This is where their revenues are really generated, and so the weakness here will not bode well for their financial results. When looking at the ...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images CPI Card Group Inc. ( PMTS ) reported a solid end to 2025. The payment card provider’s growth momentum improved sharply and looks to sustain at a fairly good level during 2026 as well – CPI has clear growth potential in a number of markets. Growth investments continue to weigh on profitability for now, but the company’s earnings have performed relatively we...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images CPI Card Group Inc. ( PMTS ) reported a solid end to 2025. The payment card provider’s growth momentum improved sharply and looks to sustain at a fairly good level during 2026 as well – CPI has clear growth potential in a number of markets. Growth investments continue to weigh on profitability for now, but the company’s earnings have performed relatively well regardless. I believe that even though the stock reacted very strongly to good Q4 earnings, the stock is still very attractively priced. I maintained a Buy rating in my previous May 2025 article on the stock, titled “ CPI Card Group: Still Attractive After Q1 Profitability Lag.” The stock has since lost -13% of its value even after the post-earnings rally; meanwhile, the S&P 500 has gained 18%. My Rating History on PMTS (Seeking Alpha) CPI’s Growth Accelerates in Q4 I believe that CPI’s Q4 results raise confidence in the company’s growth story. Revenues grew by 22% to $153.1 million, reflecting the Q2 acquisition of Arroweye but also good underlying organic growth. The rate of growth accelerated significantly from previous quarters, and total revenues also showed a sharp increase sequentially. Strong growth led the topline figure to beat Wall Street’s consensus estimate by $7.8 million. Author's Illustration Using TIKR Data CPI’s sales of contactless cards and SaaS-based instant issuance grew very well, making the Debit and Credit segment’s organic growth approximately 21% when excluding Arroweye. Total Debit and Credit segment revenues came in at $128.9 million. Prepaid Debit segment revenues plummeted by -27% to $24.4 million, but the decline primarily reflects an extraordinarily strong comparison period in the segment. At around 16% of total revenues, the Prepaid Debit segment is also much less important to CPI than Debit and Credit. The report also highlights a good growth outlook ahead. CPI guides 2026 revenue growth at high single digits , expected to reflect stren...
Cylonphoto Officials at the US Commerce Department have reportedly written draft regulations that would restrict AI chip shipments to anywhere in the world without American approval, giving Washington broad control over whether other countries can build facilities for training and running artificial-intelligence models, and under what conditions. The proposed regulations would require companies to...
Cylonphoto Officials at the US Commerce Department have reportedly written draft regulations that would restrict AI chip shipments to anywhere in the world without American approval, giving Washington broad control over whether other countries can build facilities for training and running artificial-intelligence models, and under what conditions. The proposed regulations would require companies to seek U.S. permission for virtually all exports of AI accelerators from the likes of Nvidia ( NVDA ) and Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ), a global expansion of curbs that currently cover around 40 countries, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter. These chips are the most coveted components in the tech world. Companies like OpenAI ( OPENAI ) and Alphabet ( GOOG ) ( GOOGL ) buy them by the thousands to install in data centers that run services like ChatGPT and Gemini. Shares of Nvidia ( NVDA ) and AMD ( AMD ) fell to session lows on the news Thursday. Nvidia dropped as much as 1.9%, while AMD declined 2.3%. President Donald Trump’s team has said repeatedly that they want the world to use American AI, and the draft rules aren’t meant to function as an Nvidia ( NVDA ) export ban. Rather, the regulation would set up the U.S. government as gatekeeper for the AI industry: Companies — and in some cases, their governments — would have to seek the blessing of the U.S. Commerce Department to buy the precious accelerators, the report added. For truly massive deployments — more than 200,000 of Nvidia’s GB300 GPUs owned by one company in one country — the host government would have to get involved. The US would only approve such exports to allies that make stringent security promises and “matching” investments in American AI, the report said, noting that the draft rule doesn’t specify an investment ratio. More on Nvidia, AMD Nvidia's Earnings Prove Why It's Earned Its Spot AMD: Pullback After Blockbuster Deal Sets Up An Amazing Buy Point AMD And The Lessons Of Sk...
Cylonphoto Officials at the US Commerce Department have reportedly written draft regulations that would restrict AI chip shipments to anywhere in the world without American approval, giving Washington broad control over whether other countries can build facilities for training and running artificial-intelligence models, and under what conditions. The proposed regulations would require companies to...
Cylonphoto Officials at the US Commerce Department have reportedly written draft regulations that would restrict AI chip shipments to anywhere in the world without American approval, giving Washington broad control over whether other countries can build facilities for training and running artificial-intelligence models, and under what conditions. The proposed regulations would require companies to seek U.S. permission for virtually all exports of AI accelerators from the likes of Nvidia ( NVDA ) and Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ), a global expansion of curbs that currently cover around 40 countries, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter. These chips are the most coveted components in the tech world. Companies like OpenAI ( OPENAI ) and Alphabet ( GOOG ) ( GOOGL ) buy them by the thousands to install in data centers that run services like ChatGPT and Gemini. Shares of Nvidia ( NVDA ) and AMD ( AMD ) fell to session lows on the news Thursday. Nvidia dropped as much as 1.9%, while AMD declined 2.3%. President Donald Trump’s team has said repeatedly that they want the world to use American AI, and the draft rules aren’t meant to function as an Nvidia ( NVDA ) export ban. Rather, the regulation would set up the U.S. government as gatekeeper for the AI industry: Companies — and in some cases, their governments — would have to seek the blessing of the U.S. Commerce Department to buy the precious accelerators, the report added. For truly massive deployments — more than 200,000 of Nvidia’s GB300 GPUs owned by one company in one country — the host government would have to get involved. The US would only approve such exports to allies that make stringent security promises and “matching” investments in American AI, the report said, noting that the draft rule doesn’t specify an investment ratio. More on Nvidia, AMD Nvidia's Earnings Prove Why It's Earned Its Spot AMD: Pullback After Blockbuster Deal Sets Up An Amazing Buy Point AMD And The Lessons Of Sk...
什么是 JBP（Joint Business Plan）？ 从定义上看，JBP（联合生意计划，Joint Business Plan）或 JVC（联合价值创造，Joint Value Creation）并不复杂：品牌与零售商共同明确年度目标，并商定双方各自投入什么资源来实现这些目标。但在实际执行中，它往往不像定义那样清晰。你可能只会收到一封邮件，上面写着一个固定的投资金额、一个增长目标，以及一句“...
Things look a bit grim for Bitcoin (BTC 2.32%) right now. It's down 42% from its all-time high of $126,000 from a few months ago and trades for just $72,000. No wonder prediction market traders on Polymarket are only giving Bitcoin a 1% chance of hitting the $150,000 price level by the end of March. After all, it's almost inconceivable that Bitcoin could rally by a head-spinning 108% in the course...
Things look a bit grim for Bitcoin (BTC 2.32%) right now. It's down 42% from its all-time high of $126,000 from a few months ago and trades for just $72,000. No wonder prediction market traders on Polymarket are only giving Bitcoin a 1% chance of hitting the $150,000 price level by the end of March. After all, it's almost inconceivable that Bitcoin could rally by a head-spinning 108% in the course of just 30 days. But those 1% odds might be telling a very different story about Bitcoin than people think. Here's why. Bitcoin's volatility Many investors continue to underestimate Bitcoin's volatility. Even in years when Bitcoin has had monster rallies, it has also had its share of peaks and valleys. The price of Bitcoin does not go straight up, even in good years. The long-term trajectory, of course, is straight up. But along the way, there are plenty of panics, sell-offs, and flash crashes. Here's a Bitcoin chart for 2020, when it rallied in price by an incredible 304%. Bitcoin literally quadrupled in price that year, but there were plenty of head-fakes, abrupt turns, and fake-outs for the first nine months. It was only in October that Bitcoin really turned on the afterburners. And, if you study the historical data for Bitcoin, one fact becomes readily apparent: Bitcoin can turn on a dime. It can be down 40% one quarter and then rebound by 25% in the next quarter, as it did in 2021. There is no such thing as a gradual recovery with Bitcoin. Expand CRYPTO : BTC Bitcoin Today's Change ( -2.32 %) $ -1688.10 Current Price $ 70933.00 Key Data Points Market Cap $1.4T Day's Range $ 70535.00 - $ 73434.00 52wk Range $ 60255.56 - $ 126079.89 Volume 54B In short, Bitcoin is more volatile than any typical stock. It may not really matter what Bitcoin does in one quarter, because it can abruptly reverse course in the next quarter. That's why Bitcoin's poor first-quarter performance in 2026 might matter less than you think. Binary "yes/no" outcomes According to new research from Gala...
As vessels try to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz this week, one bulk carrier signaled it was Chinese-owned as it transited. The Iron Maiden changed its destination signal to 'CHINA OWNER,' according to ship-tracking data. (Source: Bloomberg)
As vessels try to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz this week, one bulk carrier signaled it was Chinese-owned as it transited. The Iron Maiden changed its destination signal to 'CHINA OWNER,' according to ship-tracking data. (Source: Bloomberg)
On Thursday, Peter Thiel met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo to discuss emerging technology cooperation as Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) strengthens its presence in Japan and broader U.S.–Japan tech ties continue to grow. Thiel And Takaichi Discuss Future Of Advanced Technologies Thiel, co-founder and chairman of Palantir, held talks with Takaichi during a visit to Tokyo...
On Thursday, Peter Thiel met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo to discuss emerging technology cooperation as Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) strengthens its presence in Japan and broader U.S.–Japan tech ties continue to grow. Thiel And Takaichi Discuss Future Of Advanced Technologies Thiel, co-founder and chairman of Palantir, held talks with Takaichi during a visit to Tokyo, according to Japan's Prime Minister's office. The meeting was described as a courtesy call, though the discussion covered the evolving landscape of advanced technologies and opportunities for collaboration between the U.S. and Japan. Palantir Strengthens Presence In Japan The talks come as Palantir continues to expand its footprint in Japan through partnerships with major corporations. Palantir has also deepened its long-standing collaboration with SOMPO Holdings through a new multi-year agreement with Palantir's Japanese unit. US–Japan Economic And Tech Ties Continue To Grow The meeting also comes amid broader economic cooperation between the two nations. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the approval of the first $36 billion in Japanese-funded infrastructure and industrial projects in the U.S. The projects are part of a larger $550 billion investment commitment from Japan aimed at strengthening U.S. manufacturing and infrastructure. At the time, Takaichi described the initiative as a mutually beneficial effort designed to enhance the economic security of both countries. Takaichi is expected to travel to Washington on March 19 for a meeting at the White House. Price Action: Shares of Palantir Technologies closed at $152.67 on Thursday, down 0.29%. The stock rose 0.13% to $152.88 in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro. Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that Palantir is showing weakness in the short and medium term, though the stock continues to maintain a strong long-term uptrend, with its Growth score ranking in the 98th percentile. Discl...
Airports Corporation of Vietnam , the main investor of the 336.63 trillion dong ($12.8 billion) Long Thanh International Airport project, said it has received a notification from the police that its chairman has been detained in a corruption probe. In addition to Chairman Vu The Phiet , police detained Deputy General Director Nguyen Tien Viet in its investigation into alleged violations of regulat...
Airports Corporation of Vietnam , the main investor of the 336.63 trillion dong ($12.8 billion) Long Thanh International Airport project, said it has received a notification from the police that its chairman has been detained in a corruption probe. In addition to Chairman Vu The Phiet , police detained Deputy General Director Nguyen Tien Viet in its investigation into alleged violations of regulations on bidding and receiving money from contractors, the company said in a disclosure posted on the website of the Hanoi Stock Exchange. The statement cited a Wednesday notification from the Investigation Police Agency of the Ministry of Public Security. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company appointed board member Le Van Khien last month as the company’s legal representative, replacing Phiet. Deputy General Director Nguyen Duc Hung heads ACV’s executive board.