Robert Way/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction PDD Holdings ( PDD ) is one of the few large-cap companies where the business quality and valuation appear extremely disconnected, in my opinion. On one side sits a highly profitable, asset-light commerce platform with a dominant domestic marketplace, a rapidly scaling international arm in Temu, and nearly $60 billion of net cash backing a ...
Robert Way/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction PDD Holdings ( PDD ) is one of the few large-cap companies where the business quality and valuation appear extremely disconnected, in my opinion. On one side sits a highly profitable, asset-light commerce platform with a dominant domestic marketplace, a rapidly scaling international arm in Temu, and nearly $60 billion of net cash backing a meaningful share of its market value. On the other sits a stock trading at roughly 4–5x forward EV/EBITDA, a multiple more commonly reserved for shrinking or structurally impaired businesses. I believe that disconnect is the core of the thesis. The market appears to be assigning a significant discount to the stock due to geopolitical risk, margin pressure, and uncertainty around Temu. However, I believe the market is underappreciating the durability of Pinduoduo’s domestic cash engine, the optionality embedded in Temu, and the strength of a balance sheet capable of funding both growth and resilience. For investors willing to tolerate the noise that comes with Chinese equities, PDD still offers a rare combination of scale, profitability, balance sheet strength, and valuation support. Earnings are typically volatile, so now may be a great time to capitalize on this high quality business. Pinduoduo Since this is my first article on PDD, I want to take the time to explain its business model and the international counterpart, Temu. PDD Holdings operates two major platforms: Pinduoduo in China and Temu internationally. Pinduoduo built its success by approaching e-commerce differently than Alibaba ( BABA ) or JD ( JD ). Rather than emphasizing search and convenience alone, it centered the platform around value, social discovery, and engagement. Its group-buying model encouraged users to share deals with friends to unlock lower prices, turning shopping into a more interactive and viral experience. That helped Pinduoduo rapidly build scale, especially in lower-tier Chinese cities, w...
Top 5 MarketRank™ Stocks Backed by Analysts and Big InstitutionsAlly Financial (NYSE:ALLY) shareholders approved the company’s board nominees and several management-backed proposals at the company’s 2026 annual meeting, while rejecting a shareholder proposal that sought to lower
Top 5 MarketRank™ Stocks Backed by Analysts and Big InstitutionsAlly Financial (NYSE:ALLY) shareholders approved the company’s board nominees and several management-backed proposals at the company’s 2026 annual meeting, while rejecting a shareholder proposal that sought to lower
CrossAmerica Partners (NYSE:CAPL) reported a stronger first quarter of 2026, with management pointing to higher retail fuel margins, merchandise gains and expense controls as drivers of improved profitability. On the company’s earnings call, CEO and President Maura Topper, speak
CrossAmerica Partners (NYSE:CAPL) reported a stronger first quarter of 2026, with management pointing to higher retail fuel margins, merchandise gains and expense controls as drivers of improved profitability. On the company’s earnings call, CEO and President Maura Topper, speak
Apple (NasdaqGS:AAPL) has reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to manufacture chips for its devices. The deal signals a move away from sole reliance on TSMC for advanced chip production. The arrangement involves active participation from the U.S. government and is framed as a supply chain resilience effort. For you as an investor watching Apple (NasdaqGS:AAPL), this potential shift in chip so...
Apple (NasdaqGS:AAPL) has reached a preliminary agreement for Intel to manufacture chips for its devices. The deal signals a move away from sole reliance on TSMC for advanced chip production. The arrangement involves active participation from the U.S. government and is framed as a supply chain resilience effort. For you as an investor watching Apple (NasdaqGS:AAPL), this potential shift in chip sourcing touches the core of how its hardware is built and secured. Apple has long focused on...
Apple Intel Chip Deal Reshapes Supply Chain And Valuation Debate Yahoo Finance Intel (INTC) Is Up 16.0% After Securing Preliminary Apple Chip Manufacturing Pact - What's Changed Yahoo Finance Apple, Intel Have Reached Preliminary Chip-Making Agreement WSJ Intel shares soar on Apple chip deal report. Here's why it signals a total pivot for chipmaking CNBC Apple, Intel reach preliminary chip-making ...
Apple Intel Chip Deal Reshapes Supply Chain And Valuation Debate Yahoo Finance Intel (INTC) Is Up 16.0% After Securing Preliminary Apple Chip Manufacturing Pact - What's Changed Yahoo Finance Apple, Intel Have Reached Preliminary Chip-Making Agreement WSJ Intel shares soar on Apple chip deal report. Here's why it signals a total pivot for chipmaking CNBC Apple, Intel reach preliminary chip-making deal, WSJ reports Reuters Intel has preliminary deal to make chips for Apple, WSJ reports OregonLive.com Intel Has Reportedly Signed A Preliminary Deal To Produce Chips For Apple Engadget Intel Stock Hits All-Time High After Preliminary Chip Deal With Apple Decrypt Apple Talks Just Changed Everything for Intel MarketBeat
The iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:IWO) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT:VOO) both provide access to a large swath of the U.S. equities market, but they take distinct approaches that may appeal to different investor priorities. While IWO targets aggressive growth in smaller companies, VOO represents the core of the U.S. economy by tracking the S&P 500 . This comparison highlights ho...
The iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:IWO) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT:VOO) both provide access to a large swath of the U.S. equities market, but they take distinct approaches that may appeal to different investor priorities. While IWO targets aggressive growth in smaller companies, VOO represents the core of the U.S. economy by tracking the S&P 500 . This comparison highlights how these two distinct segments of the market have behaved over time. 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
The deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship doesn’t risk triggering the next pandemic, World Health Organization officials said, downplaying an incident that has raised concern about a new viral contagion. Former White House COVID Response Coordinator and Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Ashish Jha joins David Gura and Christina Ruffini on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss. (Source: Bloomberg)
The deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship doesn’t risk triggering the next pandemic, World Health Organization officials said, downplaying an incident that has raised concern about a new viral contagion. Former White House COVID Response Coordinator and Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Ashish Jha joins David Gura and Christina Ruffini on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss. (Source: Bloomberg)
The team discusses GameStop’s proposal to buy eBay, a rumor regarding interest from Anthropic to buy Atlassian, and lessons from a great acquirer in Berkshire Hathaway.
The team discusses GameStop’s proposal to buy eBay, a rumor regarding interest from Anthropic to buy Atlassian, and lessons from a great acquirer in Berkshire Hathaway.
Bard Associates reported a major reduction in its Willdan Group (NASDAQ:WLDN) stake, selling an estimated $7.74 million of shares in the first quarter, according to a May 7, 2026, SEC filing. According to a SEC filing dated May 7, 2026, Bard Associates reduced its holding in Willdan Group (NASDAQ:WLDN) by 73,167 shares during the first quarter. The estimated value of the trade, based on the averag...
Bard Associates reported a major reduction in its Willdan Group (NASDAQ:WLDN) stake, selling an estimated $7.74 million of shares in the first quarter, according to a May 7, 2026, SEC filing. According to a SEC filing dated May 7, 2026, Bard Associates reduced its holding in Willdan Group (NASDAQ:WLDN) by 73,167 shares during the first quarter. The estimated value of the trade, based on the average closing price for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, was approximately $7.74 million. The fund's quarter-end position value in Willdan Group decreased by $7.59 million, reflecting both the share sale and price changes. Willdan Group is a diversified provider of engineering and energy consulting services. The company leverages technical expertise and project management capabilities to deliver integrated solutions for public agencies and utilities, supporting infrastructure modernization and energy efficiency initiatives. Its competitive advantage lies in its broad service portfolio and deep relationships with government and utility clients, positioning it as a key partner in complex, multi-disciplinary projects. Continue reading
Ethan Miller/Getty Images News What are the most attractive quantum computing stocks right now for investors? Seeking Alpha analysts The Alpha Analyst and Julia Ostian offer their picks. The Alpha Analyst : I think IonQ ( IONQ ) remains the most attractive quantum computing stock right now. Compared to most pure-play peers, IonQ increasingly looks ahead on the combination that matters most at this...
Ethan Miller/Getty Images News What are the most attractive quantum computing stocks right now for investors? Seeking Alpha analysts The Alpha Analyst and Julia Ostian offer their picks. The Alpha Analyst : I think IonQ ( IONQ ) remains the most attractive quantum computing stock right now. Compared to most pure-play peers, IonQ increasingly looks ahead on the combination that matters most at this stage—commercial traction, backlog visibility, ecosystem positioning, and narrative strength. The company is no longer positioning itself as just a quantum hardware vendor. Management is increasingly talking about a broader platform spanning networking, sensing, security, and sovereign deployments as well. More importantly, IonQ ( IONQ ) already appears further along commercially than much of the sector, with a growing revenue base, improving visibility, and a much broader narrative surface area than most peers. The larger technology names like IBM ( IBM ), Google ( GOOG ), Microsoft ( MSFT ), Amazon ( AMZN ), and Nvidia ( NVDA ) obviously have serious quantum efforts, too. But quantum is still too small relative to their broader businesses to really drive the investment thesis today. IonQ is definitely more speculative, but also a much cleaner, direct way to express a bullish quantum computing view. Julia Ostian : Since I gave some of the most discussed quantum names a Sell rating, the stocks have cooled off significantly, presenting a renewed opportunity for risk-tolerant investors. Even though I thought the whole sector was overheated, with valuation multiples driven purely by sentiment, some names have interesting developments. I like IonQ ( IONQ ) for its different approach with ions instead of regular superconducting circuits, which can be a more stable way of achieving logical qubits. Also, the valuation multiple here is way cheaper than some other popular names like Rigetti Computing ( RGTI ) or D-Wave Quantum ( QBTS ). Another interesting technology is being devel...
Anna Reshetnikova/iStock via Getty Images Regular readers of mine will know that I am extremely bullish on semiconductor stocks at large right now. But while my bullishness has swelled, my individual positions in semiconductor firms have been fairly stagnant. Enter my newest watchlist entry in the semiconductor space, Applied Materials, Inc. ( AMAT ). It is similar to a stock I've owned for a long...
Anna Reshetnikova/iStock via Getty Images Regular readers of mine will know that I am extremely bullish on semiconductor stocks at large right now. But while my bullishness has swelled, my individual positions in semiconductor firms have been fairly stagnant. Enter my newest watchlist entry in the semiconductor space, Applied Materials, Inc. ( AMAT ). It is similar to a stock I've owned for a long time , ASML Holding ( ASML ), in that they manufacture semiconductor equipment. These are the kinds of firms that I'm most interested in, as I see them as the true “picks and shovels” asset for semiconductors, which is why I've been an ASML shareholder for the last few years. So when AMAT came up in a conversation with a colleague recently, I asked, "Why the interest now?" My previous conclusion was that AMAT was unworthy of consideration because I already owned ASML, and ASML has a monopoly on high-NA EUV lithography—the process that makes the most advanced chips on the planet—so why invest in second place? But my colleague said something that's stuck with me in the past few days and gotten me to revisit my macro thesis on this topic: We still make Honda Accords even though we could build them faster. A Catalyst AMAT Wasn't Named In It's clear that I was wrong to sell my Intel ( INTC ) shares earlier this year and downgrade to a Hold —although this was up >450% from my initial buy rating , so I can only complain about money not made. I don't know if Intel is a buy here now, especially after this recent parabolic move, but the news that just sent Intel stock on another vertical climb—an agreement with Apple to make iPhone chips domestically —is a catalyst that AMAT will deeply benefit from. This push was notably political, with President Trump not being named directly as one of the brokers of the deal but also with the government's stake in Intel directly . Retrofitting existing fabs or building new ones entirely will require new equipment, and that will require massive pu...