FinkAvenue Lululemon ( LULU ) is projected to report a 22% decline in its fourth-quarter earnings on March 17, after the closing bell, while revenue is expected to dip marginally by about 0.8%. The consensus EPS estimate is $4.78, while revenue is expected to come in around $3.58B, both of which are around the higher end of the company’s updated guidance. In January, the sportswear firm said it ex...
FinkAvenue Lululemon ( LULU ) is projected to report a 22% decline in its fourth-quarter earnings on March 17, after the closing bell, while revenue is expected to dip marginally by about 0.8%. The consensus EPS estimate is $4.78, while revenue is expected to come in around $3.58B, both of which are around the higher end of the company’s updated guidance. In January, the sportswear firm said it expected Q4 net revenue and diluted earnings per share to be at the high end of the previously guided ranges on the back of strong holiday performance. It guided revenue in the range of $3.5B to $3.585B and earnings per share of $4.66 to $4.76. Over the last 1 year, LULU has beaten EPS estimates 100% of the time and has beaten revenue estimates 75% of the time. Over the last 3 months, EPS estimates have seen 7 upward revisions and 5 downward. Revenue estimates have seen 8 upward revisions and 6 downward. Analysts believe investors will be looking out for the company’s North American growth trends. In recent quarters, North America has posted low single-digit growth, while international markets have contributed strongly. They will also keep a keen eye on whether the company’s recently announced strategies have made any positive contributions. The Lululemon management is targeting 35% new style penetration by spring 2026 and compressing the product development cycle from 18-24 months down to 12-14 months. Meanwhile, they also recently launched the “Unrestricted Power” training platform featuring the new PowerLu fabric designed for heavy lifting and high-intensity workouts, a move that could bolster pricing power, according to Seeking Alpha analyst Joshua Pilgreen . Additionally, any announcements related to the appointment of a new CEO could serve as an upside catalyst, as per another analyst, Hawkinvest . Tariffs could remain an issue impacting guidance for 2026, with the potential to put pressure on margins, the analyst also noted. More on Lululemon lululemon: A Bargain Buy A...
5./15 WEST/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images It’s difficult to escape the fact that there is a lot of selling pressure in today’s stock market. But for investors with strong patience for near term volatility and a longer term horizon, this year’s dip is an excellent time to go bargain hunting. The core question I ask when I evaluate value stocks is: is the stock down due to structural changes tha...
5./15 WEST/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images It’s difficult to escape the fact that there is a lot of selling pressure in today’s stock market. But for investors with strong patience for near term volatility and a longer term horizon, this year’s dip is an excellent time to go bargain hunting. The core question I ask when I evaluate value stocks is: is the stock down due to structural changes that will be difficult to reverse (ie, AI completely upending its business and making its product less marketable) or is it down due to transitory factors? Pinterest ( PINS ), in my view, belongs in that “transitory headwind” category. The social media company, which earns a large chunk of its revenue from ad dollars specifically from retail brands, is suffering from the cyclical downturn in consumer spending, and brands’ responding cut to growth budgets. But we do have to ask ourselves: after falling 30% so far this year, at what point does Pinterest become truly oversold? Data by YCharts I last wrote a buy article on Pinterest in November, when the stock was sitting at $25 per share. Needless to say, my buy call was ill timed. But again, I think Pinterest is down due to temporary cyclical factors, while its user data continues to showcase a robust buildup of active users in key regions. Amid still furious growth in adjusted EBITDA that’s making Pinterest’s valuation multiples even more appealing, I’m reiterating my buy rating here. In my view, these are the core reasons to be long on Pinterest: Differentiated, interest-based social media. I view Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat as competing for the same use case and style of users: people following content and making personal posts. Pinterest, however, is centered around shared interest topics rather than on individuals, making it a unique social media experience that users turn to whether they also use Instagram or not. Highly intentional user base that is conducive to brand advertising. The company’s orientation around prod...
International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said on Monday that the agency still has a lot of stocks left that could be released if necessary. He added that IEA’s actions had additional barrels of oil flowing to the market in Asia. (Source: Bloomberg)
International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said on Monday that the agency still has a lot of stocks left that could be released if necessary. He added that IEA’s actions had additional barrels of oil flowing to the market in Asia. (Source: Bloomberg)
Key Points VBK charges a lower expense ratio than SLYG and has delivered a higher 1-year total return SLYG offers a higher dividend yield of 0.8% versus VBK’s 0.5%, and experienced a shallower maximum drawdown of -29.18% over five years compared to -38.39% for VBK. VBK holds more stocks with a stronger tilt toward technology and industrials, while SLYG splits its largest sector weights more evenly...
Key Points VBK charges a lower expense ratio than SLYG and has delivered a higher 1-year total return SLYG offers a higher dividend yield of 0.8% versus VBK’s 0.5%, and experienced a shallower maximum drawdown of -29.18% over five years compared to -38.39% for VBK. VBK holds more stocks with a stronger tilt toward technology and industrials, while SLYG splits its largest sector weights more evenly 10 stocks we like better than SPDR Series Trust - State Street SPDR S&P 600 Tm Small Cap Growth ETF › Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:VBK) keeps costs low and has outperformed on total returns recently, while State Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:SLYG) pays a bit more in dividends and features less severe drawdowns. Both VBK and SLYG aim to capture the performance of U.S. small-cap growth stocks, but they differ in cost, sector exposures, and recent performance. This comparison looks at key metrics, including expenses, yield, risk, and portfolio makeup, to highlight which fund may appeal depending on specific investor priorities. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric VBK SLYG Issuer Vanguard SPDR Expense ratio 0.05% 0.15% 1-yr return (as of 2026-03-11) 23.0% 18.3% Dividend yield 0.5% 0.8% Beta 1.17 1.06 AUM $40.0 billion $4.0 billion 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. VBK is more affordable in terms of fees with an expense ratio of 0.05% compared to SLYG’s 0.15%, while SLYG offers a slightly higher dividend yield at 0.8% versus VBK’s 0.5%—a modest advantage for those seeking current income. Performance & risk comparison Metric VBK SLYG Max drawdown (5 y) -38.39% -29.18% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,097 $1,086 What's inside SLYG tracks an S&P index focused on small-cap growth stocks with 339 holdings, balancing its top sector weights between industrials (19%), technology (19%), and healthcare (17%). Its largest pos...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Monday, March 16, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chief Executive Officer — Jim Reagan Chief Financial Officer — Prabhu Natarajan TAKEAWAYS Revenue -- $1.75 billion for the quarter, representing a 6% organic contraction primarily driven by a $60 million reduction from no-bid Cloud One and a $45 million headwind from a prior-year nonrecurring software license sal...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Monday, March 16, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chief Executive Officer — Jim Reagan Chief Financial Officer — Prabhu Natarajan TAKEAWAYS Revenue -- $1.75 billion for the quarter, representing a 6% organic contraction primarily driven by a $60 million reduction from no-bid Cloud One and a $45 million headwind from a prior-year nonrecurring software license sale. -- $1.75 billion for the quarter, representing a 6% organic contraction primarily driven by a $60 million reduction from no-bid Cloud One and a $45 million headwind from a prior-year nonrecurring software license sale. Full-Year Revenue -- $7.26 billion, a 3% organic decline due mainly to a $200 million headwind from the decision to no-bid Cloud One low-margin work. -- $7.26 billion, a 3% organic decline due mainly to a $200 million headwind from the decision to no-bid Cloud One low-margin work. Adjusted EBITDA -- $181 million for the quarter at a 10.3% margin, contributing to a 9.7% full-year margin, approximately 20 basis points above prior guidance. -- $181 million for the quarter at a 10.3% margin, contributing to a 9.7% full-year margin, approximately 20 basis points above prior guidance. Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share -- $2.62 for the quarter and $10.75 for the year, reflecting stronger margins and a favorable tax rate despite lower revenue. -- $2.62 for the quarter and $10.75 for the year, reflecting stronger margins and a favorable tax rate despite lower revenue. Free Cash Flow -- $336 million for the quarter, $577 million full year, surpassing guidance by 10% even as revenue finished 5% below the initial target. -- $336 million for the quarter, $577 million full year, surpassing guidance by 10% even as revenue finished 5% below the initial target. Fiscal Year 2027 Guidance -- Revenue outlook reaffirmed at $7.0 billion to $7.2 billion, signaling a 2%-4% organic contraction, primarily attributed to $400 million expected recompete headwinds. -- Revenue outlook...
Market data from analyst IDC has shown that SuperMicro has leapfrogged established server makers Lenovo and HPE as the second-largest PC server maker behind Dell. SuperMicro experienced growth of almost 134% for the fourth quarter of 2025 with revenue of $11.7bn, which means it accounts for over 9% of the global server market. Dell was ahead with 10% market share and revenue of $12.6bn, while Chin...
Market data from analyst IDC has shown that SuperMicro has leapfrogged established server makers Lenovo and HPE as the second-largest PC server maker behind Dell. SuperMicro experienced growth of almost 134% for the fourth quarter of 2025 with revenue of $11.7bn, which means it accounts for over 9% of the global server market. Dell was ahead with 10% market share and revenue of $12.6bn, while Chinese manufacturer IEIT Systems took the third spot, with revenue of $5.2bn and a 4% market share ahead of Lenovo, which posted revenue of $5.1bn, and HPE ($3.9bn). “The race for AI [artificial intelligence] adoption is settling the market pace, and with companies starving for infrastructure looking not only at GPUs [graphics processing units], but also consuming more CPUs [central processing units] among other components in order to feed their needs, we are going to see more price pressures, and that may impact on market dynamics with less units but higher average selling prices going forward,” said Juan Seminara, research director of Worldwide Enterprise Infrastructure Trackers at IDC. IDC noted that volatile increasing prices on certain components such as GPUs, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and solid state drives (SSDs) has meant that some companies have been trying to secure prices ahead while the industry is accommodating to the new reality. It predicted that the impact of this price volatility could be hitting harder during 2026 as demand keeps outpacing service capacity in the near term. Besides Dell, the established server makers seem to be losing ground in the server market. But they appear to be looking at a new market opportunity being pushed by chipmaker AMD, which is the deployment of on-premise PC servers optimised to run agentic AI. In a bid to entice IT buyers away from cloud-based AI hardware, AMD has unveiled what it sees as a new category of PC called Agent Computers. In a post on the AMD website, the company described how to run OpenClaw, the open so...
Liberty All-Star Growth Fund ( ASG ) initiated new positions in Caterpillar ( CAT ), FTAI Aviation ( FTAI ), Lowe's Companies ( LOW ), Palantir Technologies ( PLTR ), Qnity Electronics ( Q ), Silicon Motion Technology ( SIMO ), and TKO Group ( TKO ) in February. On the other hand, the fund exited Accelerant ( ARX ), Brown & Brown ( BRO ), Dynatrace ( DT ), Pinterest ( PINS ), and UnitedHealth Grou...
Liberty All-Star Growth Fund ( ASG ) initiated new positions in Caterpillar ( CAT ), FTAI Aviation ( FTAI ), Lowe's Companies ( LOW ), Palantir Technologies ( PLTR ), Qnity Electronics ( Q ), Silicon Motion Technology ( SIMO ), and TKO Group ( TKO ) in February. On the other hand, the fund exited Accelerant ( ARX ), Brown & Brown ( BRO ), Dynatrace ( DT ), Pinterest ( PINS ), and UnitedHealth Group ( UNH ). As of the end of February, the fund’s top five holdings included Nvidia ( NVDA ), Apple ( AAPL ), Alphabet ( GOOG ) ( GOOGL ), Microsoft ( MSFT ), and FirstService ( FSV ). Source: Press release More on Liberty All-Star Growth Fund Inc ASG: Difficult To Make A Case For Buying This Underperforming Fund Today Dividend scorecard for Liberty All-Star Growth Fund Inc
Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM +1.11%) has been the gold standard for chip investing since the artificial intelligence (AI) arms race began in 2023. However, a more recent winner has appeared on the scene: Micron (MU +4.76%). You may be surprised to hear that Micron has dramatically outperformed Taiwan Semiconductor since 2023. At the time of this writing, Taiwan Semi is up nearly 400%, while Micron is...
Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM +1.11%) has been the gold standard for chip investing since the artificial intelligence (AI) arms race began in 2023. However, a more recent winner has appeared on the scene: Micron (MU +4.76%). You may be surprised to hear that Micron has dramatically outperformed Taiwan Semiconductor since 2023. At the time of this writing, Taiwan Semi is up nearly 400%, while Micron is up over 700%, since 2023. The two were pretty evenly matched until Micron's stock caught fire in August of last year. While Taiwan Semiconductor's stock is up an impressive 50% since August, Micron's stock is up 300%! That's an impressive run in a short period of time, but has it made the stock too expensive? Let's take a look and see which chip fabricator is the best buy now, and how much more gains each stock has left in the tank. These two aren't competitors Although both Micron and Taiwan Semiconductor manufacture chips, they do not compete because they are making different types of chips. Taiwan Semiconductor makes logic chips, while Micron makes memory chips. Each of these has its function in all sorts of computing devices, but logic chips tend to get more focus. There isn't a lot of difference between memory chips from one manufacturer to the next, so the product has become fairly commoditized. That's not the same case for logic chips, as there are different manufacturing techniques that can dramatically separate one producer from another. Expand NASDAQ : MU Micron Technology Today's Change ( 4.76 %) $ 20.27 Current Price $ 446.40 Key Data Points Market Cap $480B Day's Range $ 444.66 - $ 454.83 52wk Range $ 61.54 - $ 455.50 Volume 800K Avg Vol 35M Gross Margin 45.53 % Dividend Yield 0.11 % Still, both companies are cyclical and experience rising and falling demand for chips all the time. Because Micron's product is more of a commodity, these cyclical waves are more intense. This makes investing in Micron more difficult, as you must buy and sell the stock at the righ...
Selling B2Gold Corp. ( BTG ) covered calls is a great way for income investors to generate high-yield exposure to the gold sector. Sector diversification is important. Unfortunately, the gold mining sector does not offer many traditional income opportunities such as attractive preferred stocks, baby bonds, or high-yielding common stocks. Selling covered calls on a deep value stock such as B2Gold i...
Selling B2Gold Corp. ( BTG ) covered calls is a great way for income investors to generate high-yield exposure to the gold sector. Sector diversification is important. Unfortunately, the gold mining sector does not offer many traditional income opportunities such as attractive preferred stocks, baby bonds, or high-yielding common stocks. Selling covered calls on a deep value stock such as B2Gold is a tool for creating your own synthetic high-yield play. This article makes the bullish case for B2Gold and provides a sample trade for options income investors. Some of the major risks are also discussed. Geopolitical Risks Are High but Decreasing B2Gold has substantially increased their production in the first-tier mining jurisdiction of Canada. Based on the company's latest guidance , the Goose mine is expected to produce about 200k ounces of gold in 2026 (about 22% of total B2Gold production). Goose production is expected to ramp up to about 300,000 ounces by 2027 as crushing plant issues are resolved. B2Gold's increased Canadian production will help offset some of the significant geopolitical risks elsewhere. The Fekola mining complex in Mali is expected to produce 435k ounces of gold in 2026 (about 49% of total B2Gold production). Insurgents control some rural areas in Mali , creating issues such as attacking fuel trucks. JNIM is waging a guerrilla war but doesn't appear to have the military capability to overthrow the Mali government. So far the Fekola mining complex has been well protected by government troops with support from Russia's Africa Corps. B2Gold is a green company and recently completed a major expansion of their Fekola Solar Plant in Mali . While reducing carbon emissions may have been the project's primary objective, it has also reduced their dependence on vulnerable fuel truck deliveries. Fortunately, Mali has a powerful new ally to battle insurgents . The United States jus t lifted Mali sanctions on 2/27/2026 . The Trump Administration is now workin...
(This is The Best Stocks in the Market , brought to you by Josh Brown and Sean Russo of Ritholtz Wealth Management.) Josh — Do you want to be right or do you want to make money? This is the question. The internet and television media is teeming with people who would like to look right for one reason or another. They're promoting a brand or repping a fund or selling a product or just in search of p...
(This is The Best Stocks in the Market , brought to you by Josh Brown and Sean Russo of Ritholtz Wealth Management.) Josh — Do you want to be right or do you want to make money? This is the question. The internet and television media is teeming with people who would like to look right for one reason or another. They're promoting a brand or repping a fund or selling a product or just in search of paid speaking gigs or even retweets. Cool. I have no problem with any of that. I promote my stuff with the best of them. But looking right is not what this column is about. Sean and I are writing up the Best Stocks in the Market in the hopes that enough of our ideas will work to offset the ones that don't. It is necessary, therefore, for us to be wrong sometimes. If we can't risk being wrong, we'll never be able to generate the idea flow that makes it all worthwhile. Looking right is not on the list of priorities for our Best Stock research. Sometimes it happens as a byproduct of what we actually do, which is identifying the kind of set-ups that we believe offer good risk-reward potential. Today we're going to do some housekeeping and bring you up to speed on some of the stocks that are still in play from when we originally wrote them up. As the market has stalled out and wrestled with a ton of headline risk, these particular trades continue to thrive. If you're still in them, we'll tell you what's happened since our write-ups. If you're not, stick around and maybe you'll learn something interesting or new. Enjoy the cherry-picking exercise! But first, some high level stats about what's happening with the list itself… Sector leaderboard As of Mar. 16 , there are 193 names on The Best Stocks in the Market list. Top sector ranking: Top industries: Top 5 best stocks by relative strength: Sector spotlight: Defensives-oriented stocks Sean — The headlines have been unrelenting. War in the Middle East, higher gas prices, higher fertilizer prices affecting food costs, AI disrupting ...
When economic pressure builds, consumer behavior shifts before corporate earnings reflect it. Households adjust spending patterns, trade down to lower prices, and prioritize essentials over discretionary purchases. Retailers feel those shifts quickly. Walmart (WMT 1.07%), as the largest U.S. grocer and one of the world's largest retailers, sits at the center of that behavioral change. The question...
When economic pressure builds, consumer behavior shifts before corporate earnings reflect it. Households adjust spending patterns, trade down to lower prices, and prioritize essentials over discretionary purchases. Retailers feel those shifts quickly. Walmart (WMT 1.07%), as the largest U.S. grocer and one of the world's largest retailers, sits at the center of that behavioral change. The question for investors isn't whether Walmart can survive a downturn; it almost certainly can. The more relevant question is whether Walmart merely withstands recessions or whether it strengthens its competitive position during them. The answer is more nuanced than many assume. Why Walmart tends to outperform in downturns Walmart's defensive characteristics begin with category exposure. Groceries and consumables represent a significant portion of its revenue base, close to 60%. Food demand does not disappear during recessions. Consumers may delay discretionary purchases, but they still need to eat, clean their homes, and buy household staples. That nondiscretionary demand anchors revenue stability. Second, downturns often create a "trade-down" effect. When economic conditions tighten, consumers shift from premium retailers toward value-oriented chains. Walmart's "everyday low price" positioning becomes more attractive during these periods. Its traffic increases when the broader retail environment weakens. Third, scale provides resilience. Walmart's purchasing leverage and logistics infrastructure allow it to maintain competitive pricing even when suppliers face cost pressure. Smaller competitors often struggle to match those price levels during downturns, which can lead to market share consolidation. Taken together, these factors make Walmart more defensive than most discretionary retailers. But defensive is not the same as immune. Expand NASDAQ : WMT Walmart Today's Change ( -1.07 %) $ -1.35 Current Price $ 125.17 Key Data Points Market Cap $1.0T Day's Range $ 124.82 - $ 126.94 52w...
Woke Celebrities Applaud Themselves At Oscars As Hollywood Burns There is something rather uncomfortable about the Hunger Games aesthetics of Hollywood and the Oscars these days. The pomp is tinged and the glamour faded. The glitter and velvet curtains no longer hide the stinking rot that hides underneath. The fact that a bunch of washed-up and histrionic celebrities are still swimming in the fant...
Woke Celebrities Applaud Themselves At Oscars As Hollywood Burns There is something rather uncomfortable about the Hunger Games aesthetics of Hollywood and the Oscars these days. The pomp is tinged and the glamour faded. The glitter and velvet curtains no longer hide the stinking rot that hides underneath. The fact that a bunch of washed-up and histrionic celebrities are still swimming in the fantasy that they matter is simultaneously alarming and hilarious. Most of the world is celebrating the ongoing demise of Tinseltown, certainly after a long decade of endless woke propaganda. This includes blatant attempts to indoctrinate children with LGBT ideology. Bombarding the public with insufferable feminist prattle and "girl boss" delusions. Open discrimination against white people through DEI policies and race swaps of almost every significant white character in every franchise imaginable. As a result, Hollywood is dying. According to recent numbers, Hollywood productions have imploded by 50% or more since 2023. Even covid was not able to destroy the movie industry the way wokeness did. In fact, it was the pandemic that allowed Hollywood to dismiss their dwindling numbers through 2023, but that scapegoat is now gone. From 2019 to 2025, total box office receipts adjusted for inflation have plunged by 40% and audience numbers are cut in half. The bottom line? Get woke, go broke. No one wants to buy what the leftist film industry is selling. Yet, they continue onward as if they are still American royalty, ignoring their abject failures and spouting their political opinions as if they have influence. Conan O'Brien hosted the 2026 Oscars event, perhaps with the expectation that his career and audience has not yet completely evaporated. Conan was quick to poke at conservatives, making fun of the TPUSA alternative Super Bowl half time show. Conan O'Brien insults TPUSA's All-American halftime show: "Tonight could get political, and if that makes you uncomfortable, there's an a...
Key Points Walmart’s grocery exposure and value positioning provide structural revenue resilience in downturns. Margin performance during recessions is a more important indicator of strength than sales stability. Walmart's competitive position can strengthen if market-share gains offset short-term profitability pressures. 10 stocks we like better than Walmart › When economic pressure builds, consu...
Key Points Walmart’s grocery exposure and value positioning provide structural revenue resilience in downturns. Margin performance during recessions is a more important indicator of strength than sales stability. Walmart's competitive position can strengthen if market-share gains offset short-term profitability pressures. 10 stocks we like better than Walmart › When economic pressure builds, consumer behavior shifts before corporate earnings reflect it. Households adjust spending patterns, trade down to lower prices, and prioritize essentials over discretionary purchases. Retailers feel those shifts quickly. Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT), as the largest U.S. grocer and one of the world's largest retailers, sits at the center of that behavioral change. The question for investors isn't whether Walmart can survive a downturn; it almost certainly can. The more relevant question is whether Walmart merely withstands recessions or whether it strengthens its competitive position during them. 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 answer is more nuanced than many assume. Why Walmart tends to outperform in downturns Walmart's defensive characteristics begin with category exposure. Groceries and consumables represent a significant portion of its revenue base, close to 60%. Food demand does not disappear during recessions. Consumers may delay discretionary purchases, but they still need to eat, clean their homes, and buy household staples. That nondiscretionary demand anchors revenue stability. Second, downturns often create a "trade-down" effect. When economic conditions tighten, consumers shift from premium retailers toward value-oriented chains. Walmart's "everyday low price" positioning becomes more attractive during these periods. Its traffic increases when the broader retail environment weakens. Th...
TLDR Seaport Research Partners moved Qualcomm (QCOM) to Sell from Neutral, setting a $100 price objective Shares have tumbled 24% in 2025, currently hovering near $129.82 Analyst predicts smartphone unit sales could decline 10%–15% in 2026 amid rising component costs Apple’s transition to in-house chips expected to eliminate all Qualcomm content from iPhones by next year’s lineup The majority of l...
TLDR Seaport Research Partners moved Qualcomm (QCOM) to Sell from Neutral, setting a $100 price objective Shares have tumbled 24% in 2025, currently hovering near $129.82 Analyst predicts smartphone unit sales could decline 10%–15% in 2026 amid rising component costs Apple’s transition to in-house chips expected to eliminate all Qualcomm content from iPhones by next year’s lineup The majority of leading smartphone manufacturers are now developing proprietary chip solutions Qualcomm’s performance has been among the weakest in the chip sector throughout 2025. With shares sliding approximately 24% year-to-date, Seaport Research Partners believes the downward trajectory isn’t finished. QUALCOMM Incorporated, QCOM This Monday, Seaport shifted its stance on QCOM to Sell from Neutral and established a $100 price objective — suggesting potential downside of roughly 23% from present trading levels. The thesis centers on a relatively simple premise: the global smartphone industry faces mounting pressure, and Qualcomm sits squarely in the crosshairs. According to Seaport’s Jay Goldberg, escalating memory chip costs will force handset manufacturers into difficult decisions. The options are raising device prices or reducing memory specifications — both scenarios likely extending consumer upgrade cycles. Goldberg’s team anticipates worldwide smartphone shipments could contract 10% to 15% throughout 2026. For Qualcomm’s mobile chipset business, this represents a substantial reduction in available market opportunity. Apple, representing Qualcomm’s most significant customer relationship, is on track to completely eliminate the company’s components from iPhone production. According to Seaport’s analysis, Qualcomm’s iPhone revenue exposure should reach zero with next year’s device generation. While market participants have anticipated this shift for some time, the financial impact remains substantial regardless. Premium Android Devices Offer Little Relief Qualcomm had found relative s...