Earlier in March 2026, Alibaba Group Holding consolidated its artificial intelligence activities into a new Alibaba Token Hub unit under CEO Eddie Wu, while also lifting prices on its T-Head AI chips by up to the mid-30% range and raising cloud storage fees by about 30%. This combination of reorganization and price hikes, alongside the launch of the Wukong enterprise AI platform, signals a clearer...
Earlier in March 2026, Alibaba Group Holding consolidated its artificial intelligence activities into a new Alibaba Token Hub unit under CEO Eddie Wu, while also lifting prices on its T-Head AI chips by up to the mid-30% range and raising cloud storage fees by about 30%. This combination of reorganization and price hikes, alongside the launch of the Wukong enterprise AI platform, signals a clearer push to turn Alibaba’s AI and cloud capabilities into higher-margin, revenue-generating services across its ecosystem. We’ll now examine how this AI consolidation and price increase program could reshape Alibaba’s investment narrative built around long-term cloud growth. Uncover the next big thing with 33 elite penny stocks that balance risk and reward. Alibaba Group Holding Investment Narrative Recap To own Alibaba today, you need to believe its vast e commerce and cloud ecosystem can convert heavy AI and infrastructure spending into durable, profitable services. The key near term catalyst is how upcoming results reflect early monetization of AI and cloud, while the biggest risk remains ongoing margin pressure if these investments fail to scale efficiently. The recent AI consolidation and price hikes are material mainly because they test whether demand can support firmer pricing without eroding usage. Among recent developments, the creation of the Alibaba Token Hub unit under CEO Eddie Wu is most relevant. It pulls core AI research, enterprise services like Wukong, and consumer apps under one roof, directly tied to the price increases on T Head chips and cloud storage. For investors watching AI and cloud as the main growth engines, this move helps connect product launches, pricing power and potential profitability into a more coherent story. Yet beneath the optimism around higher AI pricing, investors should be aware that sustained heavy AI capex and uncertain payback timelines could still... Read the full narrative on Alibaba Group Holding (it's free!) Alibaba Group Hold...
Shares of Five Below Inc. rose 7% in post-market trade after it issued a better-than-expected fiscal 2026 outlook and predicted a sales bump fueled by new store openings. The net addition of about 150 new stores will help drive net sales of $5.2 billion to $5.3 billion for the year, the teens-focused retailer said Wednesday. This assumes an increase of about 3% to 5% in comparable sales, above the...
Shares of Five Below Inc. rose 7% in post-market trade after it issued a better-than-expected fiscal 2026 outlook and predicted a sales bump fueled by new store openings. The net addition of about 150 new stores will help drive net sales of $5.2 billion to $5.3 billion for the year, the teens-focused retailer said Wednesday. This assumes an increase of about 3% to 5% in comparable sales, above the average 2.8% rise for the year seen by analysts polled by Bloomberg. Five Below expects adjusted earnings per share to come in at around $7.74 to $8.25 for fiscal 2026, higher than the $7.04 consensus estimate. “With a growing store base, strong new store performance, and a differentiated customer value proposition, we believe we are well positioned to drive sustainable sales growth, margin expansion, and long-term shareholder value,” Five Below’s Chief Executive Officer Winnie Park said in the statement . Five Below sees comparable sales rising 14% and 16% in the first quarter, far surpassing the 6.7% growth forecast by analysts. The company, known for their assortment of pop-culture centered knick-knacks, also beat fourth-quarter earnings expectations , posting same-store sales growth of 15%. Ahead of its results, Bloomberg Intelligence analysts anticipated that Five Below would report better-than-expected results, with shoppers spending more on each trip. “Holiday shoppers responded to improved assortment, greater social-media marketing and a better in-store experience,” Bloomberg Intelligence’s Jennifer Bartashus and Jibril Lawal wrote in a note.
ExxonMobil (XOM 0.77%) and Devon Energy (DVN +1.56%) are positioned to generate substantially higher free cash flow through year-end 2026. Analysts tracking the Hormuz disruption are forecasting WTI to remain at elevated levels through the year. Barclays sees $85 a barrel, Goldman bumped theirs to $71, and Macquarie Group has even called for $150. Given that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp...
ExxonMobil (XOM 0.77%) and Devon Energy (DVN +1.56%) are positioned to generate substantially higher free cash flow through year-end 2026. Analysts tracking the Hormuz disruption are forecasting WTI to remain at elevated levels through the year. Barclays sees $85 a barrel, Goldman bumped theirs to $71, and Macquarie Group has even called for $150. Given that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has vowed no oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that handles approximately 20% of global oil supply, it seems completely possible that $90+ oil is here to stay through 2026. As of today, oil sits at $99 a barrel, with no sign the IRGC is going to let up regarding Hormuz. It is their greatest global leverage, and likely one of the areas they will fight to control the most. If this 'higher for longer' scenario occurs, both ExxonMobil and Devon Energy are going to do very well for investors, and that's exactly what looks to be playing out. Not as temporary as we'd hope This is not a spike that reverses in two weeks. Three structural forces keep oil elevated. First, a Hormuz closure is not a pipeline outage that gets patched in days. Commercial shipping and insurance markets are withdrawing from the region, which means even partial reopening takes months to normalize tanker routing and premiums. Second, Strategic Petroleum Reserve capacity is limited, constraining the policy response that blunted prior spikes. Third, the price was already recovering sharply before the Hormuz escalation: Brent had climbed from $62.18 on Jan. 2 to $85.28 by March 6, a $23.10 move in nine weeks driven by tightening fundamentals, not headlines. ExxonMobil: The higher-oil leveraged machine Exxon is trading at $156.12, already up 30% year-to-date. The earnings engine behind that move is real. Full-year 2025 free cash flow came in at $23.6 billion at an average crude price well below $90. Expand NYSE : XOM ExxonMobil Today's Change ( -0.77 %) $ -1.22 Current Price $ 157.59 Key Da...
Key Points The Strait of Hormuz disruption could keep oil prices elevated longer than a typical supply shock due to shipping/insurance constraints, limited SPR flexibility, and already-tightening fundamentals. ExxonMobil and Devon Energy could translate higher oil into outsized free cash flow, including Exxon’s advantaged production and LNG ramp and Devon’s Coterra merger synergies plus a potentia...
Key Points The Strait of Hormuz disruption could keep oil prices elevated longer than a typical supply shock due to shipping/insurance constraints, limited SPR flexibility, and already-tightening fundamentals. ExxonMobil and Devon Energy could translate higher oil into outsized free cash flow, including Exxon’s advantaged production and LNG ramp and Devon’s Coterra merger synergies plus a potential dividend step-up. 10 stocks we like better than Devon Energy › ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) and Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN) are positioned to generate substantially higher free cash flow through year-end 2026. Analysts tracking the Hormuz disruption are forecasting WTI to remain at elevated levels through the year. Barclays sees $85 a barrel, Goldman bumped theirs to $71, and Macquarie Group has even called for $150. Given that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has vowed no oil will pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that handles approximately 20% of global oil supply, it seems completely possible that $90+ oil is here to stay through 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 » As of today, oil sits at $99 a barrel, with no sign the IRGC is going to let up regarding Hormuz. It is their greatest global leverage, and likely one of the areas they will fight to control the most. If this 'higher for longer' scenario occurs, both ExxonMobil and Devon Energy are going to do very well for investors, and that's exactly what looks to be playing out. Not as temporary as we'd hope This is not a spike that reverses in two weeks. Three structural forces keep oil elevated. First, a Hormuz closure is not a pipeline outage that gets patched in days. Commercial shipping and insurance markets are withdrawing from the region, which means even partial reopening takes months to normalize tanker routing and...
Key Points Both Upstart and Affirm stocks are trading down about 36% year to date. They are both available at lower valuations right now. One stock stands out as a better option, with a very recent catalyst. 10 stocks we like better than Upstart › It has been a brutal past few months for fintech stocks, as some leaders in this space have been in free fall. Specifically, two of the most prominent a...
Key Points Both Upstart and Affirm stocks are trading down about 36% year to date. They are both available at lower valuations right now. One stock stands out as a better option, with a very recent catalyst. 10 stocks we like better than Upstart › It has been a brutal past few months for fintech stocks, as some leaders in this space have been in free fall. Specifically, two of the most prominent and well-known fintechs -- Upstart Holdings (NASDAQ: UPST) and Affirm Holdings (NASDAQ: AFRM) -- have seen their stock prices fall roughly 36% year to date. The drops are not really based on business growth -- or lack thereof. In fact, in the most recent quarter, Upstart, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to process loan requests, grew loan originations by 86%, increased revenue by 64%, and was profitable for the third straight quarter with $18.6 million in net income. Affirm, a buy now, pay later (BNPL) specialist, saw gross merchandise volume increase 36%, revenue spike 30%, and net income rise 61%, year over year. 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 » The issues for both of these stocks are more related to their high valuations, since both are trading at around 58 times earnings. And that's down from December price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios of 168 for Upstart and 107 for Affirm. And both are facing concerns about credit quality. With the economy sputtering and the uncertainty of geopolitical tensions, investors are concerned that rising defaults and weakening credit conditions will get worse in 2026. Both fintechs rely on lending to generate revenue, so a drop in loans or a rise in defaults will hurt their bottom lines. Then again, the dips for both stocks are worth paying attention to because they may provide a buying opportunity. Which of these two fintechs is the better long-term optio...
Power Corporation of Canada press release ( PWCDF ): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of C$1.36. More on Power Corporation of Canada Historical earnings data for Power Corporation of Canada Dividend scorecard for Power Corporation of Canada Financial information for Power Corporation of Canada
Power Corporation of Canada press release ( PWCDF ): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of C$1.36. More on Power Corporation of Canada Historical earnings data for Power Corporation of Canada Dividend scorecard for Power Corporation of Canada Financial information for Power Corporation of Canada
SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ:SOFI) , a digital banking and lending platform, closed Wednesday at $17.18, down 1.09%. The stock moved as investors weighed SoFi’s rebuttal to Muddy Waters’ short report and CEO Anthony Noto’s $500,000 insider share purchase, while monitoring ongoing regulatory and accounting scrutiny. Trading volume reached 80.7 million shares, coming in about 36% above its three-month ...
SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ:SOFI) , a digital banking and lending platform, closed Wednesday at $17.18, down 1.09%. The stock moved as investors weighed SoFi’s rebuttal to Muddy Waters’ short report and CEO Anthony Noto’s $500,000 insider share purchase, while monitoring ongoing regulatory and accounting scrutiny. Trading volume reached 80.7 million shares, coming in about 36% above its three-month average of 59.5 million shares. SoFi Technologies IPO'd in 2021 and has grown 41% since going public. The S&P 500 fell 1.37% to 6,624, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 1.46% to finish at 22,152. Within financial technology and online banking , LendingClub closed at $13.31, down 5.70%, and Upstart ended at $25.83, sliding 7.19%, underscoring broader weakness across fintech lenders. One day after being the subject of a short-report from short-selling investment firm Muddy Waters, SoFi fired back, stating, “The claims made in the Muddy Waters report demonstrate a fundamental lack of understanding of our financial statements and business. We intend to explore potential legal action against Muddy Waters for the factually inaccurate and misleading report.” Muddy Waters responded, saying they’ve been sued before and remain “undefeated.” Continue reading
The Good Brigade dLocal ( DLO ) stock rose 6.0% in Wednesday after-hours trading after the payments company posted a strong Q4, demonstrated by beats in revenue, operating profit, gross profit, and adjusted EBITDA. Moreover, its guidance for 2026 total payment value (TPV) is notably stronger than consensus. The company's board also authorized a new share repurchase program, authorizing management ...
The Good Brigade dLocal ( DLO ) stock rose 6.0% in Wednesday after-hours trading after the payments company posted a strong Q4, demonstrated by beats in revenue, operating profit, gross profit, and adjusted EBITDA. Moreover, its guidance for 2026 total payment value (TPV) is notably stronger than consensus. The company's board also authorized a new share repurchase program, authorizing management to buy back up to $300M of its class A common shares. The Uruguay-based payment processor expects TPV to jump 50%-60% in 2026 from 2025's $40.8B, exceeding the Visible Alpha estimate, which expected a 41% Y/Y increase. Gross profit is expected to rise 22.5%-27.5%, compared with Visible Alpha's estimate of a 25.6% increase. The company anticipates its 2026 operating profit will rise 27.5%-32.5% vs. the Visible Alpha consensus seeing a 33.3% advance. Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.18, i n line with the consensus estimate, rose from $0.10 in Q4 2024. Revenue for the quarter increased 20% Q/Q and 65% Y/Y to $337.9M, beating the $296.3M consensus. "Our flywheel is accelerating: high growth in a massive and expanding TAM (total addressable market), strong customer loyalty and retention, a growing capacity to innovate, and an asset-light, high-cash-conversion financial model," said CEO Pedro Arnt. Gross profit of $115.8M rose 12% Q/Q and 38% Y/Y. That topped the Visible Alpha consensus of $111M. The Q/Q growth was driven by strong seasonal e-commerce growth in Brazil , partial recovery in Egypt, strong volume growth in Mexico across e-commerce, on-demand delivery and ride-hailing; and broad-based growth in Other Africa & Asia , with notable South Africa contribution, the company said. Operating profit of $62.7M, beating the $60.7M Visible Alpha estimate, advanced 13% Q/Q and 48% Y/Y. Q4 adjusted EBITDA of $78.4M vs. the Visible Alpha consensus of $76.8M, up 9% Q/Q and 38% Y/Y. Conference call at 5:00 PM ET. More on dLocal DLocal Limited: Growing Payment Volumes To Boost Overall Profitability I...
franckreporter Truist initiated coverage of Altimmune ( ALT ) at buy saying that the company's lead candidate, pemvidutide, could become an important treatment for the fatty liver disease m etabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The firm has a $12 price target (~251% upside based on March 18 close). Analyst Srikripa Devarakonda said that given pemvidutide is a glucagon/GLP-1 dual ...
franckreporter Truist initiated coverage of Altimmune ( ALT ) at buy saying that the company's lead candidate, pemvidutide, could become an important treatment for the fatty liver disease m etabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The firm has a $12 price target (~251% upside based on March 18 close). Analyst Srikripa Devarakonda said that given pemvidutide is a glucagon/GLP-1 dual receptor agonist, it "will be able to improve on the efficacy seen with Wegovy (GLP-1 target only) given the additive hepatic fat-burning effects from targeting [glucagon]." The 48-week, phase 2 MOMENTUM trial examining pemvidutide for obesity released in late 2023 found mean weight loss of 15.6% at the highest dose tested, 2.4 mg. Pemvidutide is also in phase 2 for alcohol use disorder and alcohol-associated liver disease. More on Altimmune Altimmune: The High Cost Of Going Solo (Rating Downgrade) Altimmune, Inc. (ALT) Presents at Barclays 28th Annual Global Healthcare Conference Transcript Altimmune Reports FY 2025 Financials: Why Is Big Pharma Staying Away? Altimmune outlines 1,800-patient Phase III MASH trial and signals cash runway into 2028 as pemvidutide advances Altimmune to start late-stage trial for MASH candidate this year
primeimages/E+ via Getty Images Investment Thesis Beginning in October 2025, price movements in the S&P 500 index have been confined to a wide trading range. Overall volatility has remained within 500 points, or approximately 7.5% in percentage terms. A market like this isn’t the best time for investors whose portfolios are focused on capital growth. But even if you’ve chosen a number of ETFs desi...
primeimages/E+ via Getty Images Investment Thesis Beginning in October 2025, price movements in the S&P 500 index have been confined to a wide trading range. Overall volatility has remained within 500 points, or approximately 7.5% in percentage terms. A market like this isn’t the best time for investors whose portfolios are focused on capital growth. But even if you’ve chosen a number of ETFs designed to generate income, most of them can be adapted to generate returns specifically during a bull market. The S&P 500 has now been in a sideways trend for six consecutive months, which makes funds that have adapted their investment strategy to generate returns under such conditions more relevant. They include the TappAlpha SPY Growth & Daily Income ETF ( TSPY ) and the Roundhill S&P 500 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF ( XDTE ), both of which use new types of 0DTE options to generate returns in a sideways or moderately rising market. During a strong bull market, these funds will lag behind the index, and their capital is not protected against a market crash. It is their ability to generate returns in a sideways market, though, which makes them a good choice for an income-oriented portfolio. That's why today I'll be comparing these two "0DTE fund titans" to determine which one is better. S&P 500 Technical Analysis on the 1D Timeframe. Source: Tradingview. In spite of current events that could lead to a sharp market correction, thanks to reduced risks, my expectation is that the S&P 500 will continue to trade within a broad range. Over the next 6–12 months, the index is expected to trade between 6,500 and 7,000 points. That said, "market jitters" are unlikely to subside, and intraday volatility will likely increase. It will be triggered by a more active news cycle, which, apart from macroeconomic data and monetary policy decisions, increasingly reflects the influence of geopolitical events and domestic political developments. The absence of a clear directional trend (bullish ...
S&P Global Ratings lowered its outlook on Cliffwater LLC ’s flagship private credit fund to negative from stable, citing elevated redemption requests that risk putting pressure on its liquidity. The roughly $32 billion Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund ’s decision to meet 7% of withdrawal requests in the first quarter was higher than the 5% minimum, and the second quarter in a row it topped that l...
S&P Global Ratings lowered its outlook on Cliffwater LLC ’s flagship private credit fund to negative from stable, citing elevated redemption requests that risk putting pressure on its liquidity. The roughly $32 billion Cliffwater Corporate Lending Fund ’s decision to meet 7% of withdrawal requests in the first quarter was higher than the 5% minimum, and the second quarter in a row it topped that level, S&P said in a report Wednesday. Analysts warned if that “were to constitute the new norm and not the exception,” it could strain the fund and potentially spur a downgrade. “We view the 5% redemption cap as an important guardrail for liquidity,” the S&P analysts wrote in the report, which affirmed its A rating. “Raising the redemption cap to 7% per quarter would weaken our opinion of the fund’s liquidity.” The Cliffwater fund faced an unprecedented exodus in the first quarter, with investors looking to redeem about 14% of shares. Like other private credit managers, it capped withdrawals, though as an interval fund it is required to pay out at least 5% if that many shareholders want out. Read more: Private Credit Exodus Forces Caps at Cliffwater, Morgan Stanley The fund has about 25% of its portfolio invested in software and is mostly owned by retail investors, according to the report. Its asset quality “remains generally stable,” S&P said, while noting that another trigger for a downgrade would be “if asset quality deteriorates sharply.”
BFI Flare festival, London Cavorting around the cross and sexualising the saviour, a group of queer drag nuns, performance artists and activists satirise the religious festival in Jennifer M Kroot’s documentary Jennifer M Kroot’s film Hunky Jesus, narrated by George Takei, is the opening event of this year’s BFI Flare, the festival of LGBTQ+ moviemaking. It is about an outrageous annual talent con...
BFI Flare festival, London Cavorting around the cross and sexualising the saviour, a group of queer drag nuns, performance artists and activists satirise the religious festival in Jennifer M Kroot’s documentary Jennifer M Kroot’s film Hunky Jesus, narrated by George Takei, is the opening event of this year’s BFI Flare, the festival of LGBTQ+ moviemaking. It is about an outrageous annual talent contest for the hunkiest Jesus-a-like, whose contestants are often oiled, with the kind of buttocks not mentioned in the New Testament, and sometimes engage in pole dance-type cavorting around the cross, declaring that they want to be nailed and rise again. It is organised every Easter in San Francisco as part of an exuberant, defiant celebration by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of queer drag nuns, performance artists and activists who, with great stamina and commitment, apparently never come out of character. And all in the cheeky spirit of Tom Lehrer’s comic song The Vatican Rag . Continue reading...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images The Middle East energy crisis is the market mover of the moment, and everyone is wondering how the recent increases in oil prices will affect equity returns in the future. I don’t have the crystal ball, but analyzing the past might help us to have a broader knowledge about what is going on. In this article, I’ll show you what historically happened to equity...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images The Middle East energy crisis is the market mover of the moment, and everyone is wondering how the recent increases in oil prices will affect equity returns in the future. I don’t have the crystal ball, but analyzing the past might help us to have a broader knowledge about what is going on. In this article, I’ll show you what historically happened to equity returns when the price of oil doubled, and I anticipate that it doesn’t bode well. A trip down memory lane Since the early 70s, we have had a lot of precedents when the oil prices doubled in a relatively short period, and in most cases equity suffered over the next 12 months. As you will notice throughout the article, rising oil prices were one of the leading causes of bubbles bursting, and the reason is quite intuitive: the global economy has been/is based on oil to function properly. Oil is the most important commodity as its demand is inelastic, which is why it can break the economy if it gets too expensive. You can’t stop filling your car, and industries can’t stop producing goods. That’s why oil is so important for the global economy, but as it often happens, when something is so powerful, someone will use it improperly. We are currently facing a period of oil weaponization by Iran, and this is resulting in massive stress in the global energy supply chain, something that we have already seen before. What does this mean for equities? History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Before showing you what I found out, I think it is important to point out three conditions I followed: I considered mostly the events that provoked oil prices to double in a relatively short time. I didn’t consider the equity performance during the period where oil prices doubled because the negative effects on equity markets tend to happen later. Why? Because it needs time for oil prices to influence the inflation rate and force the central bank to raise interest rates and deflate equity...
Maha Capital AB , a Swedish energy company managed by Brazilian executives, has exercised its rights to acquire a 24% stake in a Venezuelan oil field after the US provided sanctions relief. Maha approved the call option after the US Treasury Department issued a license on Wednesday that authorizes US entities to carry out transactions with state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela SA, the Stockholm-based...
Maha Capital AB , a Swedish energy company managed by Brazilian executives, has exercised its rights to acquire a 24% stake in a Venezuelan oil field after the US provided sanctions relief. Maha approved the call option after the US Treasury Department issued a license on Wednesday that authorizes US entities to carry out transactions with state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela SA, the Stockholm-based company said in a statement. Maha will transfer its shares in the PetroUrdaneta project, a joint venture with PDVSA, to its US subsidiaries, it said. PetroUrdaneta has large volumes of light oil and natural gas and is close to some of Chevron Corp ’s projects in the Lake Maracaibo region in western Venezuela. “The field can rapidly have its production increased to 15,000 barrels a day of oil and gas,” Chairman Paulo Mendonça said in an interview. “The light oil and natural gas will be very important for the economy of the country.” PetroUrdaneta is producing about 2,000 barrels a day and the rising volumes of light oil can be used to mix with heavy crude produced in other parts of Venezuela, while the natural gas can be used to generate electricity for oil operations at Maha’s project and others in the region, he said. Surging energy prices caused by the war in Iran is pressuring Washington to accelerate an easing of sanctions on Venezuela, home to some of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves. Read More: Maduro Capture Puts Spotlight on Maha’s Venezuela Oil Project