Hemera Technologies/PHOTOS.com>> via Getty Images Heading into Q4 earnings, I downgraded AppLovin Corporation ( APP ) to a Sell based on the following points: To be direct, my sell rating is mainly related to the poor sentiment around risk assets in the US. Advertising agencies are dragging down the performance of the communication services sector, and AppLovin is the top stock by market cap in th...
Hemera Technologies/PHOTOS.com>> via Getty Images Heading into Q4 earnings, I downgraded AppLovin Corporation ( APP ) to a Sell based on the following points: To be direct, my sell rating is mainly related to the poor sentiment around risk assets in the US. Advertising agencies are dragging down the performance of the communication services sector, and AppLovin is the top stock by market cap in this industry. I need to see an improvement in sentiment, and I don't see an immediate near-term catalyst. Yes, I was also worried about the company’s adjusted EBITDA margin guidance for Q1 2026. However, that concern was dwarfed by the irrational pessimism around software due to AI disruption fears. Since my last coverage, shares have been down 30%, significantly below my estimates. The quarter was a clear beat and raise on the top and bottom lines. That said, my focus with AppLovin is mostly on the bottom line, given the exceptional adjusted EBITDA margin. Interestingly enough, despite the push into e-commerce, the company reported an 84% adj. EBITDA margin in Q4 and guided the same value for Q1 2026. To me, this shows that the bottom line is intact despite the e-commerce push. In fact, the Street has revised its EPS estimates upwards for the next 4 quarters after the last earnings results. Overall, I am upgrading to a Buy, as I believe the selloff is an exaggeration. Now, do I think the lows are behind? It's impossible to say, but one thing I can say for sure is that the stock is no longer expensive, trading at 23x next year's earnings. Therefore, the downside risk has declined significantly. A Beat, Raise, And Fade Quarter Let's start with the top-line results. Revenue came in at $1.658B vs. the Street's $1.60B estimate . Management guided Q1 revenue between $1.745–$1.775B (midpoint of $1.760B) vs. the Street's $1.70B expectation. So, we have a clear beat and raise here, even though the growth rate implied for Q1 (51%–53%) represents a slowdown from the 66% growth achieve...
bluestocking/E+ via Getty Images Performance Review The Fund (Institutional Class)( GIOIX ) returned 1.54 percent in the fourth quarter, outperforming its benchmark, the ICE Bank of America U.S. 3-Month Treasury Bill Index, by 0.57 percent. Allocation to Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) and senior loans, as well as selection within high-yield corporates contributed positively t...
bluestocking/E+ via Getty Images Performance Review The Fund (Institutional Class)( GIOIX ) returned 1.54 percent in the fourth quarter, outperforming its benchmark, the ICE Bank of America U.S. 3-Month Treasury Bill Index, by 0.57 percent. Allocation to Agency residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) and senior loans, as well as selection within high-yield corporates contributed positively to performance. Exposure to precious metals contributed positively to performance. Duration positioning detracted from performance as intermediate- to long-term rates rose over the quarter. Strategy and Positioning The Fund reduced investment-grade (IG) corporate holdings and increased allocation to non-Agency RMBS. The Fund maintained a constant high yield corporate allocation while actively rotating by industry and quality given an uptick in dispersion. Duration positioning remained mostly unchanged over the quarter, near the long-term average level for the Fund, and focused on front/intermediate tenors. Within bank loans, the Fund continued to increase exposure to European credit, reflecting improved relative value in non-U.S. sectors. QTD Contributors / Detractors Carry contributed 1.45 percent to return while duration detracted by 0.25 percent. Spread tightening across corporate credit contributed to performance. Spread tightening in Agency RMBS was a positive contributor. Spread widening across collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) was a moderate detractor. Economic and Market Review Economic growth in 2025 was resilient despite policy uncertainty and a cooler labor market. The recent third quarter real gross domestic product (GDP) reading revealed positive underlying growth momentum driven by consumer spending and a continued boost in artificial intelligence (AI) investment. Looking ahead, we expect the U.S. economy to move toward equilibrium in 2026 with growth stabilizing around 2 percent, supported by continued consumer spending bolstered by wealth effects from ri...
It won’t come as much of a surprise if you have been closely watching the market that shares of Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) climbed 4% over the past week, coinciding with a noticeable shift in retail investor sentiment on platforms like Reddit and X from neutral to very bullish. The memory chip maker has surged 338% ... Micron Is Suddenly at the Center of AI Spending As Shares Keep Soaring
It won’t come as much of a surprise if you have been closely watching the market that shares of Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) climbed 4% over the past week, coinciding with a noticeable shift in retail investor sentiment on platforms like Reddit and X from neutral to very bullish. The memory chip maker has surged 338% ... Micron Is Suddenly at the Center of AI Spending As Shares Keep Soaring
style-photography AI disruption fears have cascaded across a number of sectors, from software to wealth management to trucking and logistics, shaping the week into a market-wide debate over who might be at risk of getting automated next. Software ( IGV ) stocks became the first domino this year as Anthropic's ( ANTHRO ) push into workflow automation revived fears that fast-improving AI tools can e...
style-photography AI disruption fears have cascaded across a number of sectors, from software to wealth management to trucking and logistics, shaping the week into a market-wide debate over who might be at risk of getting automated next. Software ( IGV ) stocks became the first domino this year as Anthropic's ( ANTHRO ) push into workflow automation revived fears that fast-improving AI tools can eat into parts of enterprise applications. The fear trade jumped into financials ( XLF ) this week. Wealth management ( IAI ) and tax planning companies sank after private financial software provider Altruist Corp. launched an AI solution that creates tax strategies for clients. From there, insurance brokers ( IAK ) ( KIE ) also suffered after the rollout of a new AI tool by private online insurance marketplace Insurify. Real estate services stocks were dragged into the mix as well, and t he latest spillover into trucking and logistics ( IYT ) highlighted the week's full-blown cross-sector scare trade. All told, the stock market is on pace to close out the week ended Feb. 13 in the red, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq (COMP.IND) ( QQQ ) falling 1.6%, the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) ( SPY ) -0.9% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average ( DJI ) -0.7% as of Friday afternoon trading. The swings come as investors kept fading long-duration growth ( IUSG ) and leaned into value ( IUSV ) and more defensive exposure, with consumer staples ( XLP ) delivering one of its best near-term runs in decades. Year-to-date, the Nasdaq retreated 2.8%, while the Dow gained 3.1% and the S&P was roughly flat, underscoring an increasingly fragmented equity market. 5-day price returns: Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 Index, Nasdaq Composite Index (Seeking Alpha) Year-to-date price returns: Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 Index, Nasdaq Composite Index (Seeking Alpha) More on iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF, State Street® Financial Select Sector SPDR® ETF, etc. AI Bubble, Tech Funeral? Who Will Fai...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Shell ( SHEL ) is one of the largest oil companies in the world, with an almost 4% dividend yield and a commitment to aggressively repurchasing shares. That, combined with strong natural gas and renewable portfolios, makes Shell a valuable investment. (We last wrote about it in December here .) Shell History Shell had $3.3 billion in adjusted earnings in...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Shell ( SHEL ) is one of the largest oil companies in the world, with an almost 4% dividend yield and a commitment to aggressively repurchasing shares. That, combined with strong natural gas and renewable portfolios, makes Shell a valuable investment. (We last wrote about it in December here .) Shell History Shell had $3.3 billion in adjusted earnings in the quarter, along with $9.4 billion in CFFO. Shell Investor Presentation The company spent $21 billion in capex for the year, almost 10% of its market capitalization, showing a strong continued investment within its business. Removing the quarterly capex, the company had $4.2 billion in FCF, a sign of the tough environment, and a roughly 8% annualized FCF yield. Shell managed to maintain a 4% dividend increase, with a 3.6% annualized yield. The company has started an aggressive buyback program, which we're a big fan of, with >$3 billion in buybacks for the 17th consecutive quarter. The company distributed 52% of its CFFO in 2025, a double-digit shareholder distribution the company could comfortably afford. Shell Investor Presentation Shell is targeting 40-50% CFFO through the cycle, with a higher rate in 2025 as a result of lower prices, but a much more manageable rate in 2023-2025. The company expects to continue to find cost efficiencies, as expected, along with capex sitting in the $20-22 billion range. The company's capex is expected to comfortably lead to FCF growth with >10% per-annum FCF growth/share through 2030. This is expected to be supported by ~$12 billion of annualized buybacks at the minimum, along with the growth from the company's investments. That combination, along with a low current valuation, shows Shell's strength. Shell Results Shell has faced a difficult macro environment for its business. Shell Investor Presentation Oil prices have been trending down for the last few years. Gas prices have mostly recovered from the Ukraine-Russia invasion impact e...
Shares of Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR) fell to just below $133 today, coinciding with a sharp shift in retail sentiment. The stock is down 25% over the past month despite reporting 70% total revenue growth and a 137% increase in U.S. commercial revenues in Q4 2025. Reddit sentiment deteriorated from bullish in the quarter to bearish this ... Palantir Drops 25% Despite 70% Revenue Growth as Investors Fle...
Shares of Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR) fell to just below $133 today, coinciding with a sharp shift in retail sentiment. The stock is down 25% over the past month despite reporting 70% total revenue growth and a 137% increase in U.S. commercial revenues in Q4 2025. Reddit sentiment deteriorated from bullish in the quarter to bearish this ... Palantir Drops 25% Despite 70% Revenue Growth as Investors Flee Sky High Valuation
Mentions of reading in Tinder bios are up 29% in the last year. But is searching for a fellow fan of one’s favourite author really a shortcut to compatibility? ‘One of my Hinge prompts is: ‘What’s the best book you read this year?’ and I swipe left on anyone who says a book I don’t like,” says 29-year-old Ayo*. “Someone once replied with a book by Jordan Peterson, which was a massive ick.” It’s a ...
Mentions of reading in Tinder bios are up 29% in the last year. But is searching for a fellow fan of one’s favourite author really a shortcut to compatibility? ‘One of my Hinge prompts is: ‘What’s the best book you read this year?’ and I swipe left on anyone who says a book I don’t like,” says 29-year-old Ayo*. “Someone once replied with a book by Jordan Peterson, which was a massive ick.” It’s a blunt approach to romance, but Ayo is far from alone. Books have long functioned as cultural shorthand for personality – signals of taste and worldview – but dating apps have accelerated and intensified that process. In an attention economy that rewards speed, these signifiers have to be legible at a glance. Continue reading...
OpenAI has partnered with two defense technology companies that the Pentagon has selected to compete to develop voice-controlled, drone swarming software for the US military, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. OpenAI’s technology would only be used to translate voice commands from battlefield commanders to digital instructions for the drones, according to two of the people. It ...
OpenAI has partnered with two defense technology companies that the Pentagon has selected to compete to develop voice-controlled, drone swarming software for the US military, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. OpenAI’s technology would only be used to translate voice commands from battlefield commanders to digital instructions for the drones, according to two of the people. It wouldn’t be used for the operation of the drone swarm, weapons integration or targeting authority, the two people said. All of the people asked not to be named to discuss sensitive matters that aren’t public. The effort is part of a $100 million Pentagon prize challenge announced in January that’s intended to deliver prototypes for technology that can command swarms of drones capable of making decisions and execute missions without human intervention. The six-month competition will progress in phases, depending on the success and interest of the participants, the people said. OpenAI’s logo appears on at least two of the successful contest submissions, according to some of the people. OpenAI’s involvement hasn’t previously been reported, and the companies selected haven’t been publicly named. Bloomberg News couldn’t identify OpenAI’s partners. OpenAI hasn’t decided how far it will proceed or firmed up arrangements with the defense-tech companies involved, according to some of the people. Only the open-source version of OpenAI’s model would be provided rather than the company’s most advanced models, according to one of the people, who added the company may also provide installation support. OpenAI didn’t submit its own bid for the prize and its involvement in the challenge will be only cursory, according to a spokesperson. Other AI companies have directly submitted their own bids to participate in the drone swarm contest, according to the spokesperson. Bloomberg was unable to identify the other companies. Special Operations Command, which runs the Defense Autonomous Warfare G...
At Holdings Channel, we have reviewed the latest batch of the 103 most recent 13F filings for the 12/31/2025 reporting period, and noticed that International Business Machines Corp (Symbol: IBM) was held by 42 of these funds. When hedge fund managers appear to be thinking alike,
At Holdings Channel, we have reviewed the latest batch of the 103 most recent 13F filings for the 12/31/2025 reporting period, and noticed that International Business Machines Corp (Symbol: IBM) was held by 42 of these funds. When hedge fund managers appear to be thinking alike,
The post This Company Aims to Disrupt the Trillion-Dollar Retirement Industry — By Fixing a Costly Blind Spot by Benzinga Contributors appeared first on Benzinga . Visit Benzinga to get more great content like this. Benzinga Money is a reader-supported publication. We may earn a commission from the advertisers associated with this article. Read our Advertiser Discloser . For decades, retirement pl...
The post This Company Aims to Disrupt the Trillion-Dollar Retirement Industry — By Fixing a Costly Blind Spot by Benzinga Contributors appeared first on Benzinga . Visit Benzinga to get more great content like this. Benzinga Money is a reader-supported publication. We may earn a commission from the advertisers associated with this article. Read our Advertiser Discloser . For decades, retirement planning has been marketed as an investment game: pick the right funds, beat the market, and stay invested long enough. But a growing body of research suggests one of the biggest retirement risks for many Americans isn’t market performance at all — it’s taxes. Despite trillions of dollars under management across the retirement industry, most Americans approach retirement “tax-blind,” with little clarity around how much of their savings they’ll actually keep after required withdrawals, capital gains, and future tax brackets are factored in. Finance Advisors is building a consumer platform designed to address that problem. The company offers a free matching tool that connects Americans with vetted financial advisors who specialize in tax-aware retirement planning, a level of sophistication historically reserved for high-net-worth households. Rather than selling products or portfolios, Finance Advisors focuses on improving outcomes by helping consumers find fiduciary advisors whose planning centers on after-tax income, withdrawal sequencing, and long-term tax efficiency. A Platform Built From Inside the Industry Finance Advisors was founded by Jake Romine, a longtime wealth-management marketing executive who has worked closely with advisory firms since 2018, most recently serving as CRO of a registered investment advisory firm founded by a former PayPal executive. Earlier in his career, Romine was exposed to the incentive structures that dominate much of the retirement industry, including product-driven compensation models and sales-first priorities. That experience helped shape...