metamorworks/iStock via Getty Images Alphabet ( GOOG ) benefited handsomely in the first-quarter in its Cloud business, which is driven chiefly by AI products like Gemini (Google’s AI assistant), as well as digital advertising and YouTube. As a result, the tech enterprise easily surpassed consensus estimates for the first fiscal quarter in terms of earnings and revenues, and saw a 7% share price p...
metamorworks/iStock via Getty Images Alphabet ( GOOG ) benefited handsomely in the first-quarter in its Cloud business, which is driven chiefly by AI products like Gemini (Google’s AI assistant), as well as digital advertising and YouTube. As a result, the tech enterprise easily surpassed consensus estimates for the first fiscal quarter in terms of earnings and revenues, and saw a 7% share price pop after Q1 earnings on Wednesday. I like Alphabet for a number of reasons, especially its enterprise-driven AI momentum which has led to a 15 PP Q/Q revenue growth acceleration in the Cloud segment in Q1'26, in part due to soaring use for Google’s AI bot Gemini. The Cloud computing platform has clearly massive potential for expansion, and is currently the third-largest Cloud infrastructure provider in the market, after Amazon ( AMZN )’s AWS and Microsoft ( MSFT )’s Azure. Due to strong demand for AI products and services, Google raised its CapEx guidance to $185B, at the mid-point. Despite a sharp upside revaluation of Google's shares in the last year, I believe the valuation profile and risk setup still benefit investors that want to gain exposure to Google’s rapidly evolving AI business and benefit from accelerating AI-driven momentum on the Google Cloud platform. Data by YCharts Previous rating Alphabet was a ‘Strong Buy’ for me in February -- Strong Cloud Upside -- because a technology company had increasing success penetrating the AI assistant market and gave OpenAI a run for its money. Google’s generative AI model Gemini has captured market share and is seeing strong adoption momentum in its Cloud segment… which is Alphabet’s uncontested growth engine right now. Cloud is also growing significanty faster than either Search or YouTube-related revenue streams. I see a favorable investment setup for long term investors, especially as Alphabet is on track to seriously ramp up its AI-driven CapEx spending this year. Cloud business is on fire, driven by AI adoption Alphabet...
The stock market looked to close out its best month since 2020 on Thursday after a Big Tech earnings bonanza boosted AI stocks. The Nasdaq rose 0.6%. The S&P 500 gained 0.4%. The Dow rose 200 points, or 0.
The stock market looked to close out its best month since 2020 on Thursday after a Big Tech earnings bonanza boosted AI stocks. The Nasdaq rose 0.6%. The S&P 500 gained 0.4%. The Dow rose 200 points, or 0.
LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2026--Zefr, the global leader in brand suitability technology for social platforms, today announced the launch of its agentic hub for social advertising, integrating cross-platform insights, reporting, and AdCP-based activation into a unified workflow.
LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2026--Zefr, the global leader in brand suitability technology for social platforms, today announced the launch of its agentic hub for social advertising, integrating cross-platform insights, reporting, and AdCP-based activation into a unified workflow.
Torsten Asmus/iStock via Getty Images The bond market is losing faith that inflation risk from the Middle East conflict will be contained and fade quickly. The Federal Reserve’s monetary policy is still in wait-and-see mode, but several key Treasury yields aren’t waiting to see what happens. Jerome Powell, in his appearance yesterday as Fed chair, presided over the central bank’s widely expected a...
Torsten Asmus/iStock via Getty Images The bond market is losing faith that inflation risk from the Middle East conflict will be contained and fade quickly. The Federal Reserve’s monetary policy is still in wait-and-see mode, but several key Treasury yields aren’t waiting to see what happens. Jerome Powell, in his appearance yesterday as Fed chair, presided over the central bank’s widely expected announcement that it would leave its target rate unchanged in a 3.50%–3.75% range. The Fed, in its policy statement , noted that “inflation is elevated, in part reflecting the recent increase in global energy prices.” Powell, responding to a question about war-driven price surges at Wednesday’s press conference, said “it hasn’t even peaked yet.” He added: “I think we’d want to see the backside of that and progress on tariffs before we even thought about reducing rates. If we need to hike, we will; we will certainly signal that,” but not now. The Treasury market is starting to move on from waiting. The 2-year yield ( US2Y ), which is widely monitored as a market-based outlook on policy, shot up to just under 3.97%, close to the wartime peak set early in the conflict. The benchmark 10-year yield ( US10Y ) also rose, jumping to 4.34%, which is likewise close to its wartime peak. The Treasury market’s implied inflation forecasts are also rising again, based on the spread between nominal rates and their inflation-indexed counterparts. Notably, the forecast via the 5-year maturity increased to 2.67% yesterday, setting a new peak since the war began and widening the gap further relative to the Fed’s 2% inflation target. Despite the mounting inflation worries in the Treasury market, the Fed is expected to keep rates steady through the end of the year, based on Fed funds futures. Meanwhile, oil prices remain elevated. The U.S. benchmark (West Texas Intermediate) traded well above the $100-a-barrel mark for a second day and remains close to its wartime peak. Energy costs have already ...
iShares Self-Driving EV and Tech ETF (NASDAQ:IDRV) has rebounded sharply, gaining 14.41% in the past month and 48.01% over the trailing year. Shares still trade at almost $43, essentially flat with where they sat five years ago, and the fund’s risk profile is dominated by a single transmission channel that investors should understand before assuming ... IDRV Holds 48% Gains This Year, but Tariff P...
iShares Self-Driving EV and Tech ETF (NASDAQ:IDRV) has rebounded sharply, gaining 14.41% in the past month and 48.01% over the trailing year. Shares still trade at almost $43, essentially flat with where they sat five years ago, and the fund’s risk profile is dominated by a single transmission channel that investors should understand before assuming ... IDRV Holds 48% Gains This Year, but Tariff Policy Could Erase Them Quickly
Anzz Media/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Executive Summary Alphabet Inc. ( GOOG ) delivered a transformational Q1 2026 earnings report on April 29, 2026, triggering a powerful after-hours rally that saw shares surge 6-7% as the market reassessed the company's AI positioning. For months now, investors have had only one basic question when it comes to Alphabet: Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) ...
Anzz Media/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Executive Summary Alphabet Inc. ( GOOG ) delivered a transformational Q1 2026 earnings report on April 29, 2026, triggering a powerful after-hours rally that saw shares surge 6-7% as the market reassessed the company's AI positioning. For months now, investors have had only one basic question when it comes to Alphabet: Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) be a threat to Google Search, or will AI create a new layer of monetization above the existing dominant search business? I talked about it extensively in my analysis of the preview of the big tech quarterly results this week, and based on Alphabet's Q1 2026 report, we are moving closer to the latter. As far as Search goes, it does not appear damaged. It appears to be getting better. The level of user interaction continues to remain high. Google uses AI to support and drive additional query volume through its Search business. Most importantly, the core advertising engine continues to demonstrate that Google is not losing ground as quickly as many expected. However, in my opinion, the more essential element of Alphabet’s Q1 2026 earnings is that Alphabet is no longer solely a Search story. Google Cloud is starting to become a real source of profitability. YouTube still represents one of the most valuable media platforms globally. More importantly, Alphabet has developed all of the components required to develop a complete AI platform: infrastructure; chips; models; distribution channels; and consumer-facing applications. Fewer than ten companies can make this claim. I am long Alphabet and the rest of the Magnificent 7 complex, except Tesla ( TSLA ), which remains outside my investable universe. Clearly, I have a very positive outlook on Alphabet and I have already discussed the stock in my other analyses here on Seeking Alpha . Seeking Alpha This report assesses whether Q1 2026 marks the start of a long-term re-rating more aligned with Alphabet’s fundamentals. The report will...
Joe Hendrickson/iStock Editorial via Getty Images SoFi: Worst One Day Decline On Record. Seriously? For a moment, I thought the stock of SoFi Technologies ( SOFI ) was really rallying hard after it bottomed in early April. SOFI post earnings decline (Barron's) And just as I thought I could finally nail a bottom in SOFI and boast about my market timing skills on this inherently volatile stock, the ...
Joe Hendrickson/iStock Editorial via Getty Images SoFi: Worst One Day Decline On Record. Seriously? For a moment, I thought the stock of SoFi Technologies ( SOFI ) was really rallying hard after it bottomed in early April. SOFI post earnings decline (Barron's) And just as I thought I could finally nail a bottom in SOFI and boast about my market timing skills on this inherently volatile stock, the market then quickly reversed that optimism. That 15.4% post-earnings slide in SOFI was brutal. In just this week alone, SOFI has given up almost all the gains that it mustered in April, when it recovered 35% from those lows. What went wrong with SoFi’s Q1 earnings scorecard? Was it really that bad that it took market participants by surprise? Or has it got to do with external developments (think private credit) that have kind of spooked investors into unloading those gains quickly, while allowing more time for SOFI to prove them wrong? I will get into that in a while. But I guess it doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves that SOFI is, after all, a volatile stock. Hence, timing an exact entry is always going to be quite challenging. I highlighted these challenges back in my last SOFI write-up , as the stock collapsed >50%. I also reminded that the signals indicating a bottom were fomenting and getting more obvious. It makes sense to prognosticate that its robust earnings growth rate estimates should help calm nerves at a time when the financial sector was underperforming (and still is). While that played out initially, the print has also quickly turned around. So, I think some measure of humility is always forthcoming in investment analysis. With that, let’s dive right in to try and assess whether the market was right in adjudicating SoFi's earnings print. Or did the investors take their hammering on the stock way too far? I believe the clearest signal is obviously linked to the loan platform business, right? Let’s be clear here. SOFI can continue to make loans if it chooses to. I...
Nauticus Robotics ( KITT ) received formal confirmation from Nasdaq that it meets all continued listing requirements. Compliance covers the period through the Nasdaq Hearing Panel jurisdiction, which ended April 14, 2026. Nauticus must maintain minimum shareholders’ equity of $3.5 million each quarter during the monitoring period. The Panel Monitor period runs until December 19, 2026. More on Naut...
Nauticus Robotics ( KITT ) received formal confirmation from Nasdaq that it meets all continued listing requirements. Compliance covers the period through the Nasdaq Hearing Panel jurisdiction, which ended April 14, 2026. Nauticus must maintain minimum shareholders’ equity of $3.5 million each quarter during the monitoring period. The Panel Monitor period runs until December 19, 2026. More on Nauticus Robotics Nauticus Robotics, Inc. (KITT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Nauticus Robotics, Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Nauticus Robotics, Inc. (KITT) Discusses Strategic Investment, Technology Collaborations and Key Milestones Transcript Financial information for Nauticus Robotics
adventtr/iStock via Getty Images Introduction We last covered Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. ( GLPI ) in February 2025 in which we issued a buy recommendation on the stock and, in this article, we are changing our recommendation to a hold. The change in recommendation is reflective of the investment spread that GLPI is currently generating and the value of the investment spread that is alread...
adventtr/iStock via Getty Images Introduction We last covered Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. ( GLPI ) in February 2025 in which we issued a buy recommendation on the stock and, in this article, we are changing our recommendation to a hold. The change in recommendation is reflective of the investment spread that GLPI is currently generating and the value of the investment spread that is already reflected in the enterprise value to invested capital ratio. In this article, we take a top-down view and start with the historical relationship between the equity REIT asset class and the U.S. 10-year Treasury rate. We then consider the performance of GLPI relative to the equity REIT sector since the company’s formation. Next, we shift gears from macro to the firm and quantify the investment spread that GLPI is able to generate in the current economic environment. We incorporate the spread into our valuation framework and demonstrate that GLPI is trading in a fair value range as measured by a justified premium to their invested capital base. On a technical note, we have updated our framework. While investment spreads are still central to our thesis, we have updated our methodology in two areas. First, we use inputs that are REIT specific in estimating the cost of equity capital rather than a broad market index. Secondly, we incorporate a value driver approach adapted to REITs in forming a fair value estimate. Previously, our emphasis was more on the value of the investment spread that would flow through to investors in the form of dividends. We believe the updated framework is more aligned with how institutional analysts value REITs which could benefit investors in how they position their portfolios. Macro Spread Please see Exhibit 1. Exhibit 1 (FTSE, Nareit and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis) Since the turn of this century, the spread between the U.S 10-year Treasury rate and the implied cap rate for the All Equity REITs Index has been 337 basis points. The sprea...
Pavel Adashkevich/iStock via Getty Images Right now, one risk area that I see for a segment of the economy would be the commercial real estate market. Specifically, I'm talking about the office space. The COVID-19 pandemic created a surge in work-from-home opportunities. But even though we have seen some backtracking on that from corporations since the pandemic ended, there has been an elevated ra...
Pavel Adashkevich/iStock via Getty Images Right now, one risk area that I see for a segment of the economy would be the commercial real estate market. Specifically, I'm talking about the office space. The COVID-19 pandemic created a surge in work-from-home opportunities. But even though we have seen some backtracking on that from corporations since the pandemic ended, there has been an elevated rate of vacancy in office properties across the nation. This is problematic in and of itself. At first glance, however, it might seem as though there are some bright spots. And to some extent, I would say that's true. In fact, in the long run, we might actually see some recovery here. But when we dig deeper into the data, there are real stresses occurring here. And those could weigh on the economy more broadly. This is the last thing that we need when, as I have detailed in other articles like here and here , we are already dealing with an oncoming recession and what appears to be an AI bubble, respectively. To me, this justifies even more pessimism. And I think investors would be wise to tread cautiously. America’s office problem Different sources give different estimates as to what the office vacancy rate is in the U.S. right now. But perhaps the best and most reliable source would be Cushman & Wakefield. As the chart below illustrates, since the third quarter of 2024, we have seen an office vacancy rate that has been remarkably consistent. It currently stands at about 20.2%. For context, it was somewhere around 16% to 17% back in 2022. But in 2020, it was closer to 14%. So we have seen a general uptrend here. But the fact that it is showing signs of stabilizing is promising. Author - Data from Cushman & Wakefield There are some other positive indicators that investors should be aware of. In the aforementioned chart, you can also see what asking rents are on a per square foot basis. These are annual figures and show what owners are asking tenants to pay. This is also showin...
EvgeniyShkolenko/iStock via Getty Images Investment thesis update In my February 2025 coverage , flagged operational execution risks at Moog Inc ( MOG.A ), specifically on negative free cash flow of $165 million, single-digit revenue growth, and a defense spending environment clouded by DOGE-related budget noise at the time. However, as the market narrative shifted, the stock price outperformed th...
EvgeniyShkolenko/iStock via Getty Images Investment thesis update In my February 2025 coverage , flagged operational execution risks at Moog Inc ( MOG.A ), specifically on negative free cash flow of $165 million, single-digit revenue growth, and a defense spending environment clouded by DOGE-related budget noise at the time. However, as the market narrative shifted, the stock price outperformed the market, returning over 70%. While the macro environment backdrop is no longer the concern, as free cash flow has turned sharply positive and revenue growth has nearly tripled, the reason for my renewed Hold rating is that, share price has caught up with the optimism and reflects a near-perfect execution. The reasonable target price is at the range of $280 - 300. The turnaround is complete The most impressive progress of the Company following my last coverage is cash flow. In Q1 FY2025, Moog was burning $165 million, which concerned me. In the first half of FY2026, operating cash flow came in at positive $84.8 million . Implied free cash flow reached approximately $19 million, a $182 million year-over-year improvement. The inventory overhang that previously constrained working capital has finally normalized. 6-month ended March 2026 6-month ended March 2025 Net cash provided (used) by operating activities 84,826 (92,894) Net cash provided (used) by investing activities (63,571) (58,957) Net cash provided (used) by financing activities 224,743 152,349 Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 246,019 (1,811) Click to enlarge The income statement is equally transformed. Q2 FY2026 delivered $1.05 billion in revenue , up 13% year-over-year, beating consensus by roughly $19 million. Adjusted EPS hit $2.64 , which beats consensus by $0.28 and up almost 50% since last year. This growth is impressive because of its breadth: Space & Defense grew 16% with margins expanding to 13.8% ; Military Aircraft grew 10%; Commercial Aircraft was up 15%; Industrial, whic...
Investors have brushed off several stock market headwinds in 2026 so far, pushing the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) to a new all-time high. Strong earnings expectations and optimism that the Iran conflict will resolve quickly have pushed investors to buy into weakness, leading to quick recoveries when the index dips. But investors mindlessly buying more stocks whenever prices dip may be making a mista...
Investors have brushed off several stock market headwinds in 2026 so far, pushing the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) to a new all-time high. Strong earnings expectations and optimism that the Iran conflict will resolve quickly have pushed investors to buy into weakness, leading to quick recoveries when the index dips. But investors mindlessly buying more stocks whenever prices dip may be making a mistake, according to billionaire investor Howard Marks. The head of Oaktree Capital just shared eight words every investor should hear before buying more stocks. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Lansing Street Advisors disclosed in a recent SEC filing that it established a new stake in BlackRock ETF Trust - iShares International Country Rotation Active ETF (NASDAQ:CORO) during the first quarter of 2026. The investment firm acquired 233,608 shares, with the estimated transaction value at $7.51 million based on the quarter’s average share price. The quarter-end position value also increased...
Lansing Street Advisors disclosed in a recent SEC filing that it established a new stake in BlackRock ETF Trust - iShares International Country Rotation Active ETF (NASDAQ:CORO) during the first quarter of 2026. The investment firm acquired 233,608 shares, with the estimated transaction value at $7.51 million based on the quarter’s average share price. The quarter-end position value also increased by $7.51 million, reflecting the new stake and any price movement. The BlackRock ETF Trust - iShares International Country Rotation Active ETF is designed to provide investors with access to a diversified portfolio of international equities by rotating country allocations based on quantitative models. Continue reading