imaginima/E+ via Getty Images Occidental Petroleum ( OXY ) +5.9% in Thursday's trading, rallying to its best level since August 2024 after Wells Fargo upgraded shares to Overweight from Underweight with a $69 price target, up from $47, while Piper Sandler raised the stock to Overweight from Neutral with a $66 PT, up from $54. Wells Fargo's Sam Margolin double upgraded Occidental ( OXY ), saying th...
imaginima/E+ via Getty Images Occidental Petroleum ( OXY ) +5.9% in Thursday's trading, rallying to its best level since August 2024 after Wells Fargo upgraded shares to Overweight from Underweight with a $69 price target, up from $47, while Piper Sandler raised the stock to Overweight from Neutral with a $66 PT, up from $54. Wells Fargo's Sam Margolin double upgraded Occidental ( OXY ), saying the stock's peer-leading oil sensitivity is "both an opportunity and a risk," but stronger Permian Basin productivity and improved capital intensity now support a more constructive setup. Margolin said his prior Sell-equivalent rating was driven by return of capital constraints due to preferred equity, which - barring a $4/share return of capital trigger - are unlikely to be redeemed until 2029, and while the constraint remains unless oil stays above $100/bbl, "the step change in capital efficiency reflected in 4Q25 earnings supports regular dividend growth and buyback opportunities in the intervening years." Oxy ( OXY ) has adjusted its Permian spending plan from $3.9B to $3.1B while maintaining production growth, which is enabled by a combination of factors including strong underlying productivity and enhanced oil recovery which dampens observable base decline, and the analyst said he believes the company can produce slightly ahead of guidance in 2026 and resume an accelerated growth trend in 2027 back to $3.5B in capital. Piper Sandler's Mark Lear views Occidental ( OXY ) as one of the best operators in the Delaware Basin that continues to deliver among the best operating performance in the basin despite some degradation in FY 2025, and noted the company's FY 2026 guidance was much more capital efficient than initial soft guidance, with ~$800M less capital to drive a similar level of production. Despite strong YTD performance, Occidental ( OXY ) trades roughly in line with large-cap peers on estimated FY 2026 strip EBITDA and FCF/EV yield and demonstrates some of the stron...
On February 17, 2026, Greenvale Capital disclosed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it sold out its entire position in Varonis Systems (VRNS +0.02%), an estimated $99.14 million trade based on previously disclosed position values. What happened According to a February 17, 2026 SEC filing, Greenvale Capital reported the sale of its entire position in Varonis Systems, a reduct...
On February 17, 2026, Greenvale Capital disclosed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that it sold out its entire position in Varonis Systems (VRNS +0.02%), an estimated $99.14 million trade based on previously disclosed position values. What happened According to a February 17, 2026 SEC filing, Greenvale Capital reported the sale of its entire position in Varonis Systems, a reduction of 1,725,000 shares. The stake’s value at quarter-end dropped to zero, down $99.14 million from the prior period. What else to know Greenvale fully liquidated its Varonis holding, which was previously 7.8% of AUM. Top holdings after the filing: NASDAQ:RUN: $197.23 million (18.5% of AUM) NYSE:ZETA: $142.91 million (13.4% of AUM) NYSE:SN: $116.57 million (10.9% of AUM) NASDAQ:OKTA: $81.71 million (7.7% of AUM) NASDAQ:ENPH: $75.32 million (7.1% of AUM) As of February 13, 2026, Varonis shares were priced at $25.36, down 40% over the past year and well underperforming the S&P 500’s roughly 20% gain in the same period. Company overview Metric Value Revenue (TTM) $623.53 million Net Income (TTM) ($129.32 million) Price (as of market close 2/13/26) $25.36 One-Year Price Change -41.99% Company snapshot Varonis Systems offers software solutions for data security, analytics, classification, and access management, including DatAdvantage, DatAlert, Data Classification Engine, DataPrivilege, Data Transport Engine, and DatAnswers. The firm generates revenue through licensing and subscription sales of its proprietary software products, as well as related maintenance and support services. It serves enterprise IT, security, and business teams across North America, EMEA, and international markets, focusing on organizations managing sensitive and regulated data. Varonis Systems, Inc. is a technology company specializing in software that enables enterprises to manage, secure, and analyze data both on-premises and in the cloud. The company leverages advanced analytics and automation to help ...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Investors are weighing whether to buy Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) ahead of the company's annual GTC AI conference on March 16. The chipmaker has shifted from a gaming focus to powering artificial intelligence, with AI-related products accounting for about 91% of revenue in the latest fiscal year and helping deliver record sales near $215 billion. GPUs, the specia...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Investors are weighing whether to buy Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) ahead of the company's annual GTC AI conference on March 16. The chipmaker has shifted from a gaming focus to powering artificial intelligence, with AI-related products accounting for about 91% of revenue in the latest fiscal year and helping deliver record sales near $215 billion. GPUs, the specialized chips that handle the heavy computations for training and running AI models, remain central to the business. Nvidia's early move into AI and continued product development have helped it keep a lead over rivals. CEO Jensen Huang is set to deliver the GTC keynote, an event that has previously included product roadmaps and new launches that move markets. At roughly 21 times forward earnings estimates, some investors may view the stock as richly valued while others see room for further growth. Shares edged lower about 1% on March 12 amid broader market weakness, but traders will watch GTC closely. If Huang's keynote delivers meaningful hardware or software updates and positive guidance, the stock could rise after GTC, depending on how investors interpret the announcements. Analysts' Take Should You Based on the one year price targets offered by 57 analysts, the average target price for NVIDIA Corp is $262.15 with a high estimate of $432.78 and a low estimate of $138.00. The average target implies a upside of +42.91% from the current price of $183.43. Based on the consensus recommendation from 65 brokerage firms, NVIDIA Corp's (NASDAQ:NVDA) average brokerage recommendation is currently 1.7, indicating a "Outperform" status. The rating scale ranges from 1 to 5, where 1 signifies Strong Buy, and 5 denotes Sell.
Earnings Call Insights: Lifetime Brands, Inc. (LCUT) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Robert Kay highlighted the impact of "tariff escalations, retail customer disruption, consumers' reactions, the operational demands" and noted that "Lifetime was a first mover in implementing price increases across all our channels to offset the tariff cost." He credited this proactive pricing strategy and a "comprehe...
Earnings Call Insights: Lifetime Brands, Inc. (LCUT) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Robert Kay highlighted the impact of "tariff escalations, retail customer disruption, consumers' reactions, the operational demands" and noted that "Lifetime was a first mover in implementing price increases across all our channels to offset the tariff cost." He credited this proactive pricing strategy and a "comprehensive cost efficiency and reduction program" for improved bottom-line performance, stating "bottom line results showed a positive year-over-year growth by the fourth quarter of 2025." Kay reported a significant recovery with Costco, noting "a portion of those programs shipped in the fourth quarter, and we performed very well with Costco in Q4. That recovery was a meaningful contributor to a strong finish." Kay discussed the Dolly brand's growth to "approximately $18 million for the year, an increase of over 150%." He also referenced continued progress on the international restructuring initiative, Project Concord, though the final phase was delayed and is "expected to be fully resolved and implemented in the first half of 2026." The relocation of the East Coast distribution center to Hagerstown, Maryland, is expected to begin operations in Q2 2026, increasing capacity by 327,000 square feet. Kay emphasized, "recovering sustainable top line growth is the priority" for 2026, shifting focus to volume growth through existing relationships and new product lines. CFO Laurence Winoker stated, "net income for the fourth quarter of 2025 was $18.2 million or $0.83 per diluted share compared to $8.9 million or $0.41 per diluted share in the fourth quarter of '24. Adjusted net income was $23 million for the fourth quarter or $1.05 per diluted share as compared to $12 million or $0.55 per diluted share in '24." Outlook Kay affirmed that detailed full-year 2026 guidance will be provided with Q1 results in mid-May, stating, "What I can tell you now is that recovering sustainable top line ...
February's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report landed Wednesday morning, and it looked rather tame. Prices rose 2.4% year over year, exactly matching Wall Street's expectations. Core inflation -- which strips out food and energy -- came in at 2.5%. Rent posted its smallest monthly increase since January 2021. While the number is still above the Federal Reserve's target of 2%, it's not terribly so. B...
February's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report landed Wednesday morning, and it looked rather tame. Prices rose 2.4% year over year, exactly matching Wall Street's expectations. Core inflation -- which strips out food and energy -- came in at 2.5%. Rent posted its smallest monthly increase since January 2021. While the number is still above the Federal Reserve's target of 2%, it's not terribly so. But that may soon change. Here's the problem: February's data was collected before the war in Iran began. The oil shock that sent global benchmark Brent crude to $120 per barrel on Monday hasn't yet shown up in consumer prices. And though oil prices have fallen to roughly $90 a barrel, they're still more than 30% higher than before the war began. If oil stays elevated -- and there is plenty of reason to think it will -- future inflation readings aren't likely to be so tame. And this is coming at a time when the job market is showing serious signs of weakness: In February, the U.S. lost 92,000 jobs, the second negative print in three months. Continue reading
FinkAvenue Shares of Visa ( V ) slipped -0.56% to $307.24 in the afternoon trade on Thursday, marking a seventh straight session of losses. The slide comes amid broader market weakness as escalating Middle East tensions and rising oil prices fueled concerns about consumer spending and travel demand. Shares have declined about 3.6% between March 4 and March 11, compared with a roughly 1.4% drop in ...
FinkAvenue Shares of Visa ( V ) slipped -0.56% to $307.24 in the afternoon trade on Thursday, marking a seventh straight session of losses. The slide comes amid broader market weakness as escalating Middle East tensions and rising oil prices fueled concerns about consumer spending and travel demand. Shares have declined about 3.6% between March 4 and March 11, compared with a roughly 1.4% drop in the S&P 500 over the same period, while peer Mastercard ( MA) has fallen around 4.2% during that stretch. According to Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating system, Visa is rated a Hold, with a score of 3.37 out of 5, receiving an A+ for profitability, but an F in terms of valuation. However, on the Wall Street analysts are bullish , with 36 of 39 analysts rate the stock with a Buy or higher, and three recommending a Hold. A Seeking Alpha analysis said both Visa and Mastercard continue to benefit from structural tailwinds including the global shift toward electronic payments, e-commerce growth and cross-border spending, even as broader economic slowdowns or weaker consumer activity could weigh on transaction volumes. The note added that the companies operate highly scalable networks that profit from payment growth without taking on lending exposure, noting that “they collect a fee for facilitating the transaction, but they do not hold the credit risk. That risk remains on the balance sheet of the issuing bank.” Shares have fallen around 5.6% in the past month and have slipped approximately 12% year-to-date . More on Visa Visa Vs. Mastercard: Which Payment Giant Is The Better Buy Today? Visa Inc. (V) Presents at Wolfe Research FinTech Forum Transcript Visa Inc. (V) Presents at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2026 Transcript Visa, Mastercard end in the red after six-session rally Visa and Stripe's Bridge expand collaboration in stablecoin-linked cards
Erik Hirsch, Co-CEO of Hamilton Lane, joins Matt Miller on "Bloomberg Markets." While most funds had tried to meet investor demands for cash, BlackRock last week decided to limit withdrawals in a move that other managers have since followed. Hirsch says he expects more managers to follow suit. (Source: Bloomberg)
Erik Hirsch, Co-CEO of Hamilton Lane, joins Matt Miller on "Bloomberg Markets." While most funds had tried to meet investor demands for cash, BlackRock last week decided to limit withdrawals in a move that other managers have since followed. Hirsch says he expects more managers to follow suit. (Source: Bloomberg)
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA)(NYSE: BRKB) recently started buying back shares for the first time in nearly two years. In this video, I'll discuss the news and what it means for Berkshire and its investors. *Stock prices used were the morning prices of March 11, 2026. The video was published on March 12, 2026. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the o...
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA)(NYSE: BRKB) recently started buying back shares for the first time in nearly two years. In this video, I'll discuss the news and what it means for Berkshire and its investors. *Stock prices used were the morning prices of March 11, 2026. The video was published on March 12, 2026. 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 » Should you buy stock in Berkshire Hathaway right now? Before you buy stock in Berkshire Hathaway, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Berkshire Hathaway wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $511,735!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,140,464!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 946% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 191% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of March 12, 2026. Matt Frankel, CFP has positions in Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Matthew Frankel is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link they will earn some extra money that supports their channel. Their opinions remain their own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool. The views and opinions expres...
Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives has issued a ringing endorsement for the tech sector's heavyweights, suggesting that the current market landscape offers a generational buying opportunity. The ‘Garage Sale’ Moment In a conversation with Schwab Network, Ives characterized the recent trading levels of industry titans as an anomaly, specifically highlighting two major players in the artificial intelligen...
Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives has issued a ringing endorsement for the tech sector's heavyweights, suggesting that the current market landscape offers a generational buying opportunity. The ‘Garage Sale’ Moment In a conversation with Schwab Network, Ives characterized the recent trading levels of industry titans as an anomaly, specifically highlighting two major players in the artificial intelligence race. He asserted that Microsoft Corp. and Palantir Technologies Inc. are selling at “garage sale prices,” arguing that the market has yet to fully price in the explosive growth of AI integration across enterprise software. Don't Miss: According to Ives, the skepticism surrounding the immediate return on investment (ROI) of AI is misplaced. He believes the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” is not a distant prospect but a current reality that is beginning to reflect in corporate balance sheets. AI Monetization Takes Center Stage The shift from speculative interest to tangible revenue is the primary driver behind this bullish outlook. Ives notes that the industry is moving past the “hype phase” into a period where AI monetization takes center stage, with Microsoft's Azure and Palantir's AIP (Artificial Intelligence Platform) leading the charge. “We believe the AI Revolution is just beginning to hit its stride,” Ives stated, noting that the infrastructure build-out is creating a “massive wave of spending” that will benefit those at the top of the stack. Trending: Before the IPO: How One Company Quietly Locked Up 500+ Iconic Character Rights Enterprise Demand Surges Ives added that enterprise spending on AI is accelerating rather than slowing down. For Palantir, the demand for its bootcamps has translated into significant contract wins, while Microsoft continues to leverage its partnership with OpenAI to dominate the cloud landscape. He concluded that while some investors fear a bubble, the fundamentals tell a different story of structural growth. For those looking at the long-...
Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives has issued a ringing endorsement for the tech sector's heavyweights, suggesting that the current market landscape offers a generational buying opportunity. The ‘Garage Sale’ Moment In a conversation with Schwab Network, Ives characterized the recent trading levels of industry titans as an anomaly, specifically highlighting two major players in the artificial intelligen...
Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives has issued a ringing endorsement for the tech sector's heavyweights, suggesting that the current market landscape offers a generational buying opportunity. The ‘Garage Sale’ Moment In a conversation with Schwab Network, Ives characterized the recent trading levels of industry titans as an anomaly, specifically highlighting two major players in the artificial intelligence race. He asserted that Microsoft Corp. and Palantir Technologies Inc. are selling at “garage sale prices,” arguing that the market has yet to fully price in the explosive growth of AI integration across enterprise software. Don't Miss: According to Ives, the skepticism surrounding the immediate return on investment (ROI) of AI is misplaced. He believes the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” is not a distant prospect but a current reality that is beginning to reflect in corporate balance sheets. AI Monetization Takes Center Stage The shift from speculative interest to tangible revenue is the primary driver behind this bullish outlook. Ives notes that the industry is moving past the “hype phase” into a period where AI monetization takes center stage, with Microsoft's Azure and Palantir's AIP (Artificial Intelligence Platform) leading the charge. “We believe the AI Revolution is just beginning to hit its stride,” Ives stated, noting that the infrastructure build-out is creating a “massive wave of spending” that will benefit those at the top of the stack. Trending: Before the IPO: How One Company Quietly Locked Up 500+ Iconic Character Rights Enterprise Demand Surges Ives added that enterprise spending on AI is accelerating rather than slowing down. For Palantir, the demand for its bootcamps has translated into significant contract wins, while Microsoft continues to leverage its partnership with OpenAI to dominate the cloud landscape. He concluded that while some investors fear a bubble, the fundamentals tell a different story of structural growth. For those looking at the long-...
Suphanat Khumsap/iStock via Getty Images By Zain Vawda Major US stock indexes slid 1% on Thursday as a volatile mix of geopolitical instability and domestic credit concerns shook investor confidence. The primary catalyst was a sharp spike in crude oil prices, which surged toward the $100-per-barrel threshold following reports of two tankers set ablaze in Iraqi waters. These incidents, attributed t...
Suphanat Khumsap/iStock via Getty Images By Zain Vawda Major US stock indexes slid 1% on Thursday as a volatile mix of geopolitical instability and domestic credit concerns shook investor confidence. The primary catalyst was a sharp spike in crude oil prices, which surged toward the $100-per-barrel threshold following reports of two tankers set ablaze in Iraqi waters. These incidents, attributed to apparent Iranian strikes, are part of a broader wave of attacks targeting energy and transport infrastructure across the Middle East. The escalation was further underscored by a defiant stance from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who suggested that the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy artery, should remain closed as a strategic lever of pressure. This supply-side threat has effectively reignited fears of persistent inflation, hitting the financial sector particularly hard as traders brace for a potentially more aggressive economic environment. Comments late last night by Iranian military officials about potential attacks on companies in the Gulf which support the US military may also be weighing on markets in early trade. Compounding these worries, Wall Street is also closely monitoring mounting "jitters" within the private credit market, adding another layer of risk to an already fragile trading session. S&P 500 Heatmap Source: TradingView Private credit fears on the rise The $2 trillion private credit market is facing intense scrutiny as a series of recent defaults has sparked widespread concern among investors. This anxiety was amplified by a warning from the Swiss private equity firm Partners Group ( PGPHF ), which projected that default rates in the sector could potentially double over the next few years. These mounting jitters triggered a significant sell-off in the financial sector, with the S&P 500 ( SPX ) financials index dropping 1.5%. The impact was felt acutely among major institutional players, particularly after Morgan Stanley ( MS ) saw i...
The past few months have been tough for artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. This is evident from the 4% decline in the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF in the past three months. Big AI names such as Nvidia, Palantir, and Broadcom have been under pressure over the past three months, with a couple of them seeing a sharp pullback in their stock prices. Oracle (ORCL 1.96%) has been i...
The past few months have been tough for artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. This is evident from the 4% decline in the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF in the past three months. Big AI names such as Nvidia, Palantir, and Broadcom have been under pressure over the past three months, with a couple of them seeing a sharp pullback in their stock prices. Oracle (ORCL 1.96%) has been in the same boat, with the stock shedding 51% of its value since reaching a 52-week high in September 2025. There are several factors that have weighed on these key AI players in recent months. From concerns about debt-fueled funding to circular financing deals and expensive valuations, investors have found reasons to be wary about investing in AI stocks. Oracle's latest results, however, can lift the mood in the AI sector. Let's look at the reasons why. Oracle proves that AI's terrific momentum is sustainable There are two reasons behind Oracle's steep slide in recent months. The first is the company's reliance on OpenAI for a significant chunk of its backlog. Specifically, $300 billion of Oracle's remaining performance obligations (RPO) in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 were attributable to OpenAI. Investors saw this as a red flag, worrying about how OpenAI would come up with the funds needed to pay off the massive contracts with Oracle. Expand NYSE : ORCL Oracle Today's Change ( -1.96 %) $ -3.20 Current Price $ 159.92 Key Data Points Market Cap $469B Day's Range $ 159.36 - $ 167.83 52wk Range $ 118.86 - $ 345.72 Volume 26M Avg Vol 29M Gross Margin 64.30 % Dividend Yield 1.23 % Second, Oracle has been rapidly increasing its capital expenditure to build more AI data center infrastructure. As a result, the company has been taking on more debt, creating another cause of concern for investors. After all, if Oracle builds so much infrastructure and a key client such as OpenAI doesn't pay up, its business will take a major hit. However, Oracle's fiscal 2026 Q3 results (for the...
Key Points Oracle's cloud infrastructure grew impressively last quarter, suggesting that it is successfully converting its solid backlog into revenue. The tech giant has raised its revenue forecast for the next year. Oracle's impressive showing could rub off positively on other AI stocks. 10 stocks we like better than Oracle › The past few months have been tough for artificial intelligence (AI) st...
Key Points Oracle's cloud infrastructure grew impressively last quarter, suggesting that it is successfully converting its solid backlog into revenue. The tech giant has raised its revenue forecast for the next year. Oracle's impressive showing could rub off positively on other AI stocks. 10 stocks we like better than Oracle › The past few months have been tough for artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. This is evident from the 4% decline in the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF in the past three months. Big AI names such as Nvidia, Palantir, and Broadcom have been under pressure over the past three months, with a couple of them seeing a sharp pullback in their stock prices. Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) has been in the same boat, with the stock shedding 51% of its value since reaching a 52-week high in September 2025. 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 » There are several factors that have weighed on these key AI players in recent months. From concerns about debt-fueled funding to circular financing deals and expensive valuations, investors have found reasons to be wary about investing in AI stocks. Oracle's latest results, however, can lift the mood in the AI sector. Let's look at the reasons why. Oracle proves that AI's terrific momentum is sustainable There are two reasons behind Oracle's steep slide in recent months. The first is the company's reliance on OpenAI for a significant chunk of its backlog. Specifically, $300 billion of Oracle's remaining performance obligations (RPO) in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 were attributable to OpenAI. Investors saw this as a red flag, worrying about how OpenAI would come up with the funds needed to pay off the massive contracts with Oracle. Second, Oracle has been rapidly increasing its capital expenditure to build more AI data center ...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear that when it comes to the Iran war, he’s not done yet. Less clear is President Donald Trump’s willingness to let the conflict drag on much longer. Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the US, Said the intense military stage of the war with Iran may be followed by a protracted standoff that may look more like the Cold War than a conclus...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear that when it comes to the Iran war, he’s not done yet. Less clear is President Donald Trump’s willingness to let the conflict drag on much longer. Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the US, Said the intense military stage of the war with Iran may be followed by a protracted standoff that may look more like the Cold War than a conclusive end. (Source: Bloomberg)