In the latest close session, Coca-Cola (KO - Free Report) was up +2.26% at $81.34. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.26%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of 0.17%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq decreased by 0.97%.
Shares of the world's largest beverage maker witnessed a gain of 1.12% over the previous month, beating the performance of the Consumer Staples sector with its loss of 1.08%, and the S&P 500's gain of 0.23%.
The upcoming earnings release of Coca-Cola will be of great interest to investors. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $0.93, signifying a 6.90% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $13.05 billion, up 4.15% from the year-ago period.
For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $3.26 per share and a revenue of $49.33 billion, signifying shifts of +8.67% and +2.99%, respectively, from the last year.
It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Coca-Cola. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the business outlook.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the past month, there's been no change in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. Coca-Cola currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Looking at valuation, Coca-Cola is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 24.4. This denotes a premium relative to the industry average Forward P/E of 16.94.
One should further note that KO currently holds a PEG ratio of 3.18. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The Beverages - Soft drinks industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.88 as trading concluded yesterday.
The Beverages - Soft drinks industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 72, positioning it in the top 30% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.
Uber (UBER 1.01%) is likely to grow sales while hiring fewer individuals.
*Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of June 4, 2026. The video was published on June 6, 2026.
Parkev Tatevosian, CFA has positions in Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Parkev Tatevosian is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through his link, he will earn some extra money that supports his channel. His opinions remain his own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.
Uber customers in the U.K. can now join an interest list to increase their chances of being matched with a Wayve autonomous vehicle — another sign that the two companies are preparing to launch a robotaxi service in London. When that launch does happen, Uber will be competing directly with Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving company that is considered the robotaxi leader in the United States.
TORONTO, ON, June 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB) and Uber Canada today announce the launch of an enhanced Indigenous Procurement Marketplace to more effectively connect Certified Indigenous Businesses (CIBs) with corporations and organizations committed to Indigenous procurement. First introduced in 2018, the digital platform remains the only active two-way platform connecting Certified Indigenous Businesses with buyers in Canada.
Ride-sharing vehicles arrive at an Uber passenger pick-up area at Terminal 8 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, in New York, U.S., June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Bing Guan Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
SummaryCompaniesUber says New York City law shields dangerous drivers and fraudstersLaw slated to take effect on July 28New York City reviewing Uber's complaintUber faces 3,571 lawsuits over driver conductNEW YORK, June 10 (Reuters) - Uber Technologies (UBER.N), opens new tab sued New York City to block enforcement of a new law that it said would unconstitutionally force it to keep drivers it does not want on its platform.
In a complaint filed late on Tuesday night, Uber said the law against "wrongful deactivations" would improperly shield drivers who engage in dangerous, threatening or other inappropriate behavior, threatening public safety and causing "immediate and irreparable harm" by undermining the company's reputation and goodwill.
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It said the law violates its free-speech and due-process rights under the U.S. Constitution, as well as New York's state constitution. Uber is seeking a permanent injunction plus costs.
A spokesman for New York City's law department said on Wednesday it is reviewing the complaint, which Uber filed in Manhattan federal court.
Local Law 52, opens new tab of 2026 would generally prevent large ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft (LYFT.O), opens new tab from dismissing drivers absent a "bona fide economic reason" or "just cause."
Dismissals would be permitted for account sharing, fraud, and "egregious misconduct" such as violence, sexual harassment or assault, and discrimination.
The law is slated to take effect on July 28, following a 46-5 City Council vote in January.
“This Council stands with workers and will continue to fight to ensure all app-based drivers have basic due process protections," Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Shekar Krishnan, the law's main sponsor, said in a joint statement.
UBER WARNS OF 'KANGAROO' PROCEEDINGSUber objected to being required to give 14 days' notice before deactivations, saying this gave drivers a window for "retaliation" against passengers, and having to potentially rehire drivers from as early as 2019 who did not receive such notice.
It said the law violates passengers' privacy by requiring they disclose reports of alleged abuse to accused drivers.
The San Francisco-based company also accused New York City of encouraging "kangaroo" proceedings requiring judges, arbitrators and Department of Consumer and Worker Protection officials to assume that deactivations are unjust, and shifting the burden to Uber to prove otherwise.
"We are suing New York City to block a reckless new law that seeks to strip our ability to immediately remove potentially dangerous drivers and fraudsters from our platform, creating an immediate threat to public safety," Uber said in a statement.
As of June 1, Uber faced 3,571 lawsuits, opens new tab in nationwide litigation in San Francisco federal court accusing drivers of sexual misconduct.
Lyft did not immediately respond to requests for comment on its legal plans.
Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis and David Gregorio
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
Uber now takes the majority of ride-hailing fares in some cities, a new study found. The study analyzed three drivers' trip histories over nearly a decade.
Uber Technologies (UBER) has transformed into a cash-generative platform, posting FY25 revenue of ~$52B, $5.6B operating income and $9.8B FCF. UBER trades at ~17x P/E and ~2.7x sales, with a DCF-based fair value of ~$83, indicating ~21% undervaluation - I rate the stock a Buy. Strong Q1 2026 results highlight 14% YoY revenue growth, robust non-GAAP EPS, and continued share buybacks, supporting further EPS appreciation.
Uber Technologies (UBER 1.01%) has become a dominant ride-hailing and delivery platform. However, its shares have disappointed investors. They're down 14% in 2026 (as of June 10), while trading 30% below their peak.
It's worth taking a closer look. Uber trades at a price-to-earnings multiple (P/E) of just 17.5, which is much cheaper than the overall market. But if you're new to this growth stock in 2026, it's important to understand a key variable driving the company's success.
Image source: Getty Images.
Uber is a platform business. The mobility segment connects riders and drivers. The delivery segment connects consumers, couriers, and merchants. The combination of all these stakeholders creates powerful network effects, since a larger base of stakeholders increases Uber's value proposition over time.
This characteristic supports the company's wide economic moat, making it difficult to disrupt. This is crucial for investors to remember as autonomous driving technology causes concerns about the company's durability.
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CEO Dara Khosrowshahi believes his company is positioned well in the face of ongoing innovation within the mobility sector. He thinks a hybrid network, combining human drivers and self-driving cars, will be the path ahead. And Uber's technological infrastructure, experience matching supply and demand, and control of the customer relationship are all strengths.
Once established, network effects are extremely challenging to overcome, even in the face of tech advancements. Uber's impressive growth trajectory is proof of this.
Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Uber Technologies (UBER - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $69.49, moving +1.28% from the previous trading session. The stock trailed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 1.75%. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 1.86%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 2.54%.
Coming into today, shares of the ride-hailing company had lost 8.15% in the past month. In that same time, the Computer and Technology sector lost 3.11%, while the S&P 500 lost 1.63%.
Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Uber Technologies in its upcoming earnings disclosure. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $0.84, marking a 33.33% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $14.16 billion, up 11.91% from the year-ago period.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $2.95 per share and a revenue of $57.72 billion, demonstrating changes of -44.34% and +10.97%, respectively, from the preceding year.
Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for Uber Technologies. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.
Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.03% lower. At present, Uber Technologies boasts a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
With respect to valuation, Uber Technologies is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 23.28. This expresses a premium compared to the average Forward P/E of 15.6 of its industry.
It's also important to note that UBER currently trades at a PEG ratio of 5.83. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. The Internet - Services industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.7 as trading concluded yesterday.
The Internet - Services industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 175, putting it in the bottom 29% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.
When deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold a stock, investors often rely on analyst recommendations. Media reports about rating changes by these brokerage-firm-employed (or sell-side) analysts often influence a stock's price, but are they really important?
Let's take a look at what these Wall Street heavyweights have to say about Uber Technologies (UBER - Free Report) before we discuss the reliability of brokerage recommendations and how to use them to your advantage.
Uber currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.49, on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell, etc.) made by 51 brokerage firms. An ABR of 1.49 approximates between Strong Buy and Buy.
Of the 51 recommendations that derive the current ABR, 38 are Strong Buy and three are Buy. Strong Buy and Buy respectively account for 74.5% and 5.9% of all recommendations.
Brokerage Recommendation Trends for UBER
Check price target & stock forecast for Uber here>>>
The ABR suggests buying Uber, but making an investment decision solely on the basis of this information might not be a good idea. According to several studies, brokerage recommendations have little to no success guiding investors to choose stocks with the most potential for price appreciation.
Are you wondering why? The vested interest of brokerage firms in a stock they cover often results in a strong positive bias of their analysts in rating it. Our research shows that for every "Strong Sell" recommendation, brokerage firms assign five "Strong Buy" recommendations.
This means that the interests of these institutions are not always aligned with those of retail investors, giving little insight into the direction of a stock's future price movement. It would therefore be best to use this information to validate your own analysis or a tool that has proven to be highly effective at predicting stock price movements.
Zacks Rank, our proprietary stock rating tool with an impressive externally audited track record, categorizes stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), and is an effective indicator of a stock's price performance in the near future. Therefore, using the ABR to validate the Zacks Rank could be an efficient way of making a profitable investment decision.
Zacks Rank Should Not Be Confused With ABRAlthough both Zacks Rank and ABR are displayed in a range of 1--5, they are different measures altogether.
The ABR is calculated solely based on brokerage recommendations and is typically displayed with decimals (example: 1.28). In contrast, the Zacks Rank is a quantitative model allowing investors to harness the power of earnings estimate revisions. It is displayed in whole numbers -- 1 to 5.
It has been and continues to be the case that analysts employed by brokerage firms are overly optimistic with their recommendations. Because of their employers' vested interests, these analysts issue more favorable ratings than their research would support, misguiding investors far more often than helping them.
On the other hand, earnings estimate revisions are at the core of the Zacks Rank. And empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
Furthermore, the different grades of the Zacks Rank are applied proportionately across all stocks for which brokerage analysts provide earnings estimates for the current year. In other words, at all times, this tool maintains a balance among the five ranks it assigns.
There is also a key difference between the ABR and Zacks Rank when it comes to freshness. When you look at the ABR, it may not be up-to-date. Nonetheless, since brokerage analysts constantly revise their earnings estimates to reflect changing business trends, and their actions get reflected in the Zacks Rank quickly enough, it is always timely in predicting future stock prices.
Is UBER a Good Investment?In terms of earnings estimate revisions for Uber, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has remained unchanged over the past month at $2.95.
Analysts' steady views regarding the company's earnings prospects, as indicated by an unchanged consensus estimate, could be a legitimate reason for the stock to perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for Uber. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>
It may therefore be prudent to be a little cautious with the Buy-equivalent ABR for Uber.
Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) stock fell more than 2% on Friday, underperforming a broader market rally. The Nasdaq gained 0.27%, and the S&P 500 added 0.39%.
Shares in Uber Technologies (UBER) have hit the brakes hard, trading near 52-week lows as fears that autonomous driving companies, including Tesla (TSLA) and Alphabet's (GOOGL) Waymo, will steal market share. @LikeFolio's Megan Brantley says Uber is in first place of the rideshare race, for now.
The workers Meta and Google desperately need aren't in Silicon Valley By You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.
Companies need electricians, welders, and plumbers to build data centers. Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images The AI race has a blue-collar problem. Big Tech wants to fix it.
Days after Meta said it was launching a $250 million program to train Americans for data center construction jobs, Google announced a similar initiative.
The search engine giant on Thursday said it is investing $50 million in skilled-trades training programs across the US in fields critical to building AI and energy infrastructure.
They are tailored for aspiring construction workers, electricians, plumbers, pipe fitters, welders, and other laborers. Some training program partnerships are already underway, a Google spokesperson said.
The moves follow efforts unveiled earlier this year by Oracle and Microsoft to expand existing initiatives aimed at building a pipeline of workers to support the AI boom. Together, they underscore a shortage of tradespeople capable of building the data centers essential to powering AI ambitions — and Big Tech's increasing role in tackling it.
"The constraint on growth isn't hiring more engineers. It's building physical infrastructure," said Tulane University business professor Rob Lalka. "Silicon Valley's white-collar executives won't succeed without blue-collar workers across America."
The construction industry needs an estimated 349,000 new workers this year to meet demand elevated by AI, according to Associated Builders and Contractors, a trade group.
Since tech companies are more accustomed to training workers to use keyboards than bulldozers, they are partnering with organizations such as the International Training Institute for the sheet metal and air conditioning industry to achieve their goals. That has made the likes of Meta and Google highly appealing to proponents of long-standing programs designed to expand the ranks of hard-hat talent.
"We welcome the support of industry leaders like Google to create good, family-sustaining jobs and meet the growing energy needs of our economy," said Kenneth Cooper, international president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, in a statement.
Big Tech's push to build more data centers, however, has also attracted foes.
Some critics point to the vast number of layoffs that tech companies have linked to AI, while residents across the US have been protesting such projects in their communities in recent months. A May Gallup poll found that seven out of 10 Americans oppose living near a data center.
In 2025, permits were issued for 176 new data centers across 34 states — the most new permits in one year since the first was issued in 1976, Business Insider previously reported.
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Sarah E. Needleman You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.
Sarah E. Needleman covers leadership and the workplace for Business Insider.Previously, she was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal for more than two decades, covering technology companies, entrepreneurship and executive recruiting. In 2022, Sarah received an honorable mention with WSJ colleagues for their coverage of workplace misconduct at Activision Blizzard from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.Sarah graduated from Rutgers University in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She lives with her husband, daughter, and a fur child (an Australian labradoodle) in northern New Jersey.
Here is what investors need to know about the launch.
Alphabet stock is trading at elevated levels. Where are GOOGL shares going? Google Enhances Local Services Ads For Real Estate SearchZillow Stock Impacted by Alphabet's Earlier Pilot TestThose initial test listings prominently featured complete property detail pages alongside immediate options to contact agents or request a home tour.
Competitive Headwinds For Zillow, Redfin and Legacy PortalsCompetitor Price ActionHere is how the market is reacting to the news during Thursday afternoon trading:
Zillow Group: The stock price is currently trading at $32.14, reflecting a daily decline of 5.26%. Fox Corp: The stock is currently trading at $68.41, showing a modest daily gain of 0.60%. CoStar Group: The current price sits at $32.48, marking a notable decrease of 5.09% in response to the headwinds. Photo: Shutterstock
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Alphabet Inc.'s proposed capital raise appears modest relative to its market value, with estimated dilution near 2.25%. Raising equity at elevated valuations may be preferable to issuing long-term debt at current corporate bond yields. Google's net cash position and EBITDA profile may preserve future balance sheet flexibility if rates improve.
Two of the most well-known investors are betting on the same three Magnificent Seven stocks. Here's a look at the stocks owned by both Cathie Wood and Bill Ackman.
Stocks in CommonAckman is the man behind the Pershing Square hedge fund, which lately has been investing in Magnificent Seven stocks.
Wood is the CEO of Ark Invest, the well-known ETF company that runs the six ETFs below.
Across the ETFs and Pershing Square Capital Management, several positions are held by both well-known investors.
In the first quarter, Ackman increased his Amazon holdings by 19%, while cutting his Alphabet holdings by 95%. Meta is a newer position and one of the biggest bets from the hedge fund leader in recent years.
Different Investing StylesAckman is a value and activist investor, known for taking large stakes in companies with dominant positions in their sectors and for pushing for changes to unlock shareholder value.
The hedge fund manager recently initiated a stake in Meta in the fourth quarter and a position in Microsoft in the first quarter, his latest Magnificent Seven bets.
The legendary investor also launched several tracking stocks to give investors better ways to capitalize on the gains from Pershing Square.
Pershing Square (NYSE:PS): Management company that receives fees and royalties on the investments and entities Pershing Square USA (NYSE:PSUS): Portfolio of best ideas, trading at an 18% discount to cash Ark Funds invests in disruptive technology and innovative companies that it believes will outperform in the longer run. This often leads to favoring high-growth, technology-related names. It typically focuses on businesses in sectors like fintech, cryptocurrency, electric vehicles, space exploration, genomics, AI and more.
Photo: ChrisStock82 / Shutterstock
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SpaceX, billionaire Elon Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) and space infrastructure company, goes live on Nasdaq just hours from now – and Anthropic isn't far behind either, having confidentially filed its S-1 at a valuation of nearly $1 trillion. For investors seeking to ride these historic debuts but wary of their unpredictability and premium price tags, there's a quieter, more grounded alternative sitting right in plain sight: Alphabet Inc, the parent company of Google, which holds meaningful stakes in both companies.
AI executives from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Mistral AI are expected to attend next week's G7 summit, said officials from France, which is crafting an agenda aimed at discussing the world's crises and broad economic challenges.
Brad Gerstner's Altimeter Capital fully exited its entire 519,290-share Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL | GOOGL Price Prediction) position in Q1 2026, according to the firm's 13F filed May 15, 2026 (SEC CIK 0001541617).
Google is suing to dismantle the infrastructure behind an alleged massive AI-powered cybercrime operation.
On Friday, the tech giant announced a lawsuit against an alleged Chinese cybercrime network called Outsider Enterprise, which Google says uses AI in its campaigns to send scam text messages impersonating Google and other brands to steal passwords and credit card numbers.
Outsider Enterprise has financially scammed “hundreds of thousands of victims” with losses “estimated in the millions.” The group deployed 9,000 fake websites, one million fraudulent web domains, and 2.5 million texts sent to Android users in a two-week period, according to Google.
The company said, “55,000 spam texts were flagged by Android users in just two weeks this past May — that’s more than two text spam complaints a minute.”
Google said it uses “AI-powered tools to fight AI-powered scams,” which enable the company to detect scams and alert users of suspicious calls and text messages, leading to the interception of more than 10 billion scam messages a month.
The company said it has been collaborating with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon to block the scam text messages, and said it is coordinating with the FBI.
An FBI spokesperson told TechCrunch that the bureau, in coordination with Google and Lumen’s Black Lotus Labs, seized several domains used by the cybercriminals, as well as Shopify storefronts and accounts used to test the operation’s phishing service.
The spokesperson said that since July 2023, Outsider Enterprise’s phishing platform enabled cybercriminals to steal “at least an estimated 3,870,000 stolen credit cards and a corresponding estimated $1.9B in losses.”
Inside Outsider Enterprise In its complaint filed as part of the lawsuit, Google laid out the evidence it gathered against people involved in the Outsider Enterprise operations, whom the company said are foreign-based cybercriminals whose real identities are unknown. This group “built, maintains, and uses a turn-key, online software suite that enables criminals, regardless of technical skill, to publish fraudulent websites designed to rob victims and enrich themselves,” according to the complaint.
Google said this “phishing-for-dummies” software called Outsider, which costs $88 per week or $200 per month, allows operators to create fake websites with the help of AI platforms, including Google’s own Gemini. The fake sites impersonate several services and companies, such as telecom providers, financial institutions, government agencies, and retailers.
To lure people to the fake websites, the cybercriminals collaborate with one another to send victims malicious text messages, or purchase ads. The common goal is to steal passwords and corresponding multi-factor codes as well as financial information, which the scammers can do by receiving the data that victims input into the fake websites, with the information being transmitted through Outsider’s platform in real time.
“Part of the Outsider software’s appeal is the ease with which someone with limited technical expertise — like many members of the Enterprise— can purchase the software, execute various phishing attacks, and, upon purchase, meet other members of the Enterprise who are proficient in other areas,” Google wrote, referring to Telegram channels where the cybercriminals can collaborate, train each other, discuss strategies, and develop phishing attacks. “The Enterprise brazenly coordinates its efforts in open and largely uncoded discussions on Telegram.”
According to Google, the Outsider platform allegedly offers cybercriminals “more than 290 pre-built templates that mimic the legitimate websites” that generate replicas of real websites “in minutes,” along with guides on how to “weaponize AI-generated code,” as well as a dashboard to track progress of phishing campaigns. The cybercriminals have allegedly used Google Drive and Google Cloud infrastructure to host the phishing websites.
“The Outsider software has been used to create over a million phishing websites to swindle innocent victims out of millions of dollars,” Google wrote in the complaint.
To give an idea of the scale of Outsider Enterprise’s operation, Google said that over a five-month period, from November 14, 2025 to April 14, 2026, the company detected more than 1.59 million URLs connected to it.
Google said the Outsider Enterprise operation is made up of several groups of cybercriminals: those who develop and maintain the phishing software and website templates; those who supply lists of targets curated from public records, social media, and data breaches; a “spammer group” that provides tools and the infrastructure to send scam texts in bulk, which includes smartphone banks, SIM cards, and modems; and those who monetize the stolen credentials and launder the stolen money.
A screenshot showing a Telegram message where a cybercriminal advertised stolen digital credit cards on several cellphones. Image Credits:Court document The cybercriminals have stolen “at least 36,000 payment cards issued by financial institutions in 95 countries,” according to Google.
The company accused the people behind Outsider Enterprise of impersonating Google and its brands, of infringing its copyright, of racketeering activities, of committing wire fraud, and false advertising. With the lawsuit, Google is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, and an order to stop the criminals from carrying out their activities.
This story was originally published at 10:26 a.m. PDT and has since been updated with new information from Google’s complaint, and the FBI’s comment.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Large language models continue to struggle with hallucinations, presenting a major roadblock for real-world enterprise applications. Reducing these errors is a messy business, forcing model developers to navigate a strict tradeoff where eliminating factual errors often suppresses valid answers.
Amazon invested $13 billion into Anthropic and could invest an additional $20 billion, depending on whether the artificial intelligence (AI) start-up hits certain milestones. Anthropic has became a major Amazon Web Services (AWS) customer, committing to spend at least $100 billion with the cloud computing company over the next decade.
Amazon is positioned as a leading beneficiary of accelerating AI adoption, with AWS and e-commerce both delivering robust growth. I reiterate a strong buy rating, citing recent volatility as a clear buying opportunity ahead of visible AI-driven catalysts. Q1 revenue grew 17% YoY to $181.5B, with operating income up 30% and AWS sales accelerating to 28% YoY growth.
YIBIN, China, June 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Every four years, the world comes together for one unforgettable sporting event.
This summer, the largest global football tournament in history will take place across three North American countries, and fans around the world can now start enjoying this global celebration. KAIYI Auto will join users worldwide in stepping up for passion.
Sharing the Same Passion, KAIYI Is Ready to Go
KAIYI has always believed : Keep Young, Keep Fun. Being young is not about age. Football has a unique power to make everyone feel young, energized, and connected, and that same spirit is what KAIYI Auto has always sought to share with its users. KAIYI Auto has prepared a series of online and offline activities to accompany users from the opening match to the final.
Prediction Challenges: Back Your Favorite Team
Throughout the tournament, KAIYI Auto will launch prediction challenges at key stages, including the opening match, Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final. Follow KAIYI Auto's official social media accounts and comment with your predicted winning team to participate. The top-ranked participants can win $100 or $50 Amazon Gift Cards.
UGC Challenge: Win Up to $2,000
KAIYI Auto is also launching a global creative content campaign. Capture photos or short videos of yourself, your family, or friends with a KAIYI vehicle, a dealership display, or your football viewing experience. Post publicly, include the official campaign hashtags, and tag KAIYI Auto's official account to enter. The campaign runs from June 11 to July 19 across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. On each platform, the participant with the highest total engagement wins a Prize: a $2,000 Vehicle Purchase Voucher.
Bringing the Passion from the Screen into Real Life
The excitement extends beyond the screen. KAIYI Auto dealerships around the world will host football-themed events throughout the tournament,. For details, refer to announcements from your local dealership. We invite you to visit your nearest KAIYI dealership and enjoy the football atmosphere created for fans this summer.
The celebration is about to begin, and the passion is shared worldwide. From prediction challenges and UGC rewards to online conversations and in-person gatherings, KAIYI Auto will stand alongside every user to ignite the most exciting moments of the summer.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8ef7f1fa-9a2d-447d-b934-537fc2a76261
Its AWS unit is the primary reason why investors should consider Amazon's stock. Amazon has already pushed out one competitor before with custom chip designs.
Nancy Tengler, CEO and CIO of Laffer Tengler Investments, thinks they’re looking at the wrong playbook.
Meta IPO Comparison“I know many people are drawing comparisons to Meta, which was a flop of an IPO,” Tengler said, noting that the stock fell sharply after its 2012 debut and finished the year well below its offering price.
While she understands concerns that SpaceX may be entering the market at a lofty valuation, Tengler argues that traditional metrics may not be the right lens through which to evaluate the company.
Amazon Investment Thesis“This is not a name you’re buying based on fundamentals,” she said. “For me, the analogy is Amazon.”
“This was a company that changed the way we live,” she said. “The question becomes: what’s your time horizon, and do you believe in the technology?”
Tengler’s firm recently launched a thematic portfolio focused on technologies it believes could reshape the global economy over the next 10 to 20 years, including space, robotics, quantum computing and nuclear energy. SpaceX fits squarely within that framework.
Long-Term Time HorizonHer conviction also extends beyond the stock’s opening weeks.
“If the IPO comes out at $135 and the stock drops to $100, that’s not ideal, but it wouldn’t change our long-term view,” she said. “We want to participate.”
That doesn’t mean valuation is irrelevant. Tengler acknowledged there are levels where enthusiasm could get ahead of reality.
“Of course, if it opens at $250, that would give us pause.”
For now, however, she believes investors should spend less time debating whether SpaceX resembles Meta and more time asking whether it has the potential to become the next company that fundamentally changes how people live and work.
In her view, that’s the comparison that matters.
Image via Shutterstock
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Stock Market Finds Rocket Fuel From Trump Canceling Iran Strikes; SpaceX Debut On Deck
Two AI Titans Flash Entries As Rocket Lab Readies For Launch Amazon (AMZN) stock is trading right in between its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which could provide support and resistance in the coming weeks. Iron condors can work well when a stock trades sideways and volatility remains low or drops. Let's look at an iron condor on Amazon stock. The technology and retail giant operates across e‑commerce, cloud computing, digital…
The bigger story isn’t that SpaceX isn’t profitable. It’s that the company may be choosing not to be.
Profitability Vs. GrowthSpaceX’s lack of profits has become a key talking point following its public debut. But Walter-Range argues the company could potentially improve its bottom line today if it were willing to slow some of its most ambitious projects.
“Considering the recently announced revenue streams from data center capacity leases to Anthropic and Google, the AI side of the business could be profitable if it brings capex down to a level below revenue,” he said.
The same logic applies to the company’s launch business. “Similarly, the launch side could be profitable today by reducing capex on Starship.”
In other words, profitability may be less of a capability issue and more of a strategic decision.
The Starship InvestmentThe catch is that profitability may not be what investors are paying for.
Walter-Range says the massive spending tied to Starship and AI infrastructure is also a major reason investors are willing to assign SpaceX a premium valuation.
“However, the ambition of those two lines of business is part of what drives investor excitement and a higher multiple,” he said.
That creates a familiar trade-off. Management can maximize current earnings or invest aggressively in future opportunities, but doing both simultaneously is often difficult.
The Amazon ComparisonThat’s where the Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) analogy comes in.
For years, Amazon prioritized reinvesting cash flows into fulfillment networks, cloud infrastructure and new businesses rather than maximizing short-term profits. Investors largely accepted that approach because they believed those investments would create larger profits down the road.
Walter-Range sees a similar dynamic at work with SpaceX.
“I don’t see the company focusing on profitability at the expense of innovation anytime soon,” he said.
Instead, he believes investors are embracing a strategy built around near-term losses and long-term opportunity.
“It’s the Amazon play — get investors to accept near-term losses as long as there is a convincing story as to how the money is being deployed to build future profitability.”
For SpaceX bulls, that future includes Starship, AI infrastructure, satellite connectivity and potentially entirely new markets that have yet to emerge.
Photo Courtesy Company PR
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@WindowsCentral's Daniel Rubino discusses major takeaways from Apple's (AAPL) WWDC 2026 event and expectations for the new Siri capabilities. He says Wall Street is being slightly disingenuous with Apple's earnings; however, it's not the killer moment people are expecting either.
At Microsoft’s Innovation Hub in Amsterdam, immersive technology is used to enable co-creation rather than one-way presentations. In the company’s Immersive Suite, customers, data experts, and technology specialists come together in a shared environment to address complex challenges more effectively.
OSLO, Norway--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Watch Video Case Study >>
As business and technology environments grow more complex, establishing shared understanding across disciplines has become critical. The Immersive Suite is designed for active collaboration, where visual narratives, data, and technical content are explored interactively. This allows participants to test scenarios, align perspectives, and move more efficiently from discussion to decision.
“We deliberately work with familiar tools like PowerPoint. That allows us to focus on storytelling and interaction rather than explaining technology, making collaboration more natural and effective,” says Joris Haverkort, Chief Technology Officer for Microsoft Netherlands.
A key principle is simplicity at scale. Instead of relying on specialized tools, users build content using applications they already use. Cyviz’ platform enables this content to be deployed and experienced seamlessly in an immersive environment, ensuring consistency and reliability across sessions and locations.
“Instead of presenting to customers, we use the Immersive Suite to work together with them, exploring ideas, data, and scenarios in a more interactive way,” Haverkort adds.
Microsoft describes a clear shift from traditional presentations to co-creative working sessions. By allowing participants to interact with content in real time, immersive environments make complex challenges easier to understand and solve collaboratively.
The Immersive Suite in Amsterdam is part of Microsoft’s broader initiative in the Netherlands, helping organizations explore how technology can be applied to real business challenges across industries such as energy, manufacturing, finance, and the public sector.
The solution is delivered by Norwegian technology company Cyviz, which specializes in standardized platforms for high-impact collaboration and decision-support environments.
“Microsoft’s approach shows that immersive environments don’t need to be complex to be powerful,” says John van Laerhoven, Regional Sales Director at Cyviz. “Our role is to provide a platform that enables advanced collaboration around familiar tools, reliably and at scale.”
Facts
Installed at Microsoft’s Innovation Hub in Amsterdam, hosting hundreds of client engagements annually Delivered using Cyviz’ standardized immersive collaboration platform Enables immersive storytelling with tools such as PowerPoint Used for co-creation, customer collaboration, and decision support More News From Cyviz
Ohio has become one of the hottest destinations for hyperscalers looking to build data centers. Because of the state's relatively low land prices, existing facilities, and generous tax breaks, it has looked like a great fit for companies such as Amazon (AMZN 1.24%), Microsoft (MSFT +0.11%), and Meta Platforms (META 0.14%) that want to continue rapidly building artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
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However, the tides are turning and moods are souring as legislators in the once-welcoming state aim to close the door on new data centers. Ohio could be the canary in the coal mine; investors should expect other states to follow suit in removing their welcome mats. The implications will undoubtedly affect earnings and the growth trajectory of AI in the U.S.
The backlash against hyperscalers and their data centers is intensifying for several reasons. Residents living near them complain of noise pollution, strain on local water and electricity supplies, and the disappointingly low numbers of permanent jobs being added to their local economies. The concerns are real, and communities, regulators, and politicians are pushing back against the facilities with growing fervor, according to multiple reports.
Image source: Getty Images.
Many Ohio legislators are now hoping to remove the tax incentives the state had been offering to hyperscalers. The loss of those public subsidies for this private infrastructure would result in higher construction and operating costs, thus cutting into company margins. Delays in data center construction and the cancellation of projects will also slow AI growth for many companies. This will have ripple effects from hyperscalers down through every partner and vendor.
This is a trend that could easily pick up steam. For data center operators, finding places to build new facilities is likely to become more difficult and more expensive.
Catie Hogan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Microsoft (MSFT) is rated a 'Buy' with a fair value estimate of $575, implying 47% upside from current levels. MSFT's strong economic moat spans ~90% of its business, led by Azure's 40% growth and high-margin cloud segments. Recent strategy shifts include expanding from bull Put spreads to a full-sized stock position, emphasizing downside protection.
The recent string of peer debt and equity issuances underscores resilient investor appetite for AI-linked investments, creating a favorable external financing backdrop for Microsoft Corporation. Any potential issuance could pressure the stock near-term, but related volatility would likely create a more attractive entry point into Microsoft's long-term upside. Microsoft's impending AI monetization tailwinds remain underappreciated, with accelerating capacity conversion, recent pricing actions, and expanding adoption across Azure and Copilot expected to drive an incremental uplift to its fundamentals.
Candy Crush All Stars crowned its 2026 Champion. Luana from Brazil emerged victorious, amongst millions of players worldwide who competed for a coveted spot in the Live Final One of the biggest All Stars Live Final yet brought together finalists from the United States, Brazil, Germany, Spain, and beyond, in London to compete on stage for a share of the $1 million prize pool and a custom Icebox championship ring A brand-new bonus round added an extra layer of excitement to the Live Final, with one player winning an additional $10,000 in the tournament's fastest-paced challenge yet , /PRNewswire/ -- What started on a phone screen ended on a live stage in London. Candy Crush All Stars has crowned its 2026 Champion. Luana from Bahia, Brazil claimed the title in the Live Final, after competing against millions of players from across the globe, emerging victorious at the tournament's biggest-ever Live Final in London.
Luana from Brazil is Named Candy Crush’s 2026 All Stars Champion
Custom Candy Crush All Stars 2026 championship ring created by Icebox
All Stars 2026 Finalists Competing at their chance to win this year's tournament She takes home a share of $1 million and a custom Candy Crush-inspired championship ring from Icebox, a multicoloured showpiece set with sapphires, rubies, emeralds and pink sapphires crafted into the game's most iconic shapes, from Colorbombs and clusters to red Candies brought to life in stone. At its centre, a spinning blue Wrapped Candy dome that's as playful as the game itself, with the Candy Crush Saga name etched in gold along the band. Luana barely waited for the moment to sink in before she had the ring on her finger, a one-of-a-kind piece designed just for this moment and for the player who earned it.
The Live Final marked a major evolution for the competition, transforming what began as everyday mobile play into a full-scale live spectacle. Finalists from the United States, Brazil, Germany, Spain, and beyond, competed on stage in front of fans, family, and media. For the first time, the Live Final introduced a bonus round - a fast-paced, high-intensity challenge that pushed players to their limits in a way the competition has never seen before - with the winner of that bonus round walking away with an additional $10,000.
The Live Final brought together an extraordinary group of competitors, reflecting the scale and diversity of the Candy Crush community. Players travelled from across the globe to compete in London, including Ingrid and German, a husband and wife duo from California's Bay Area, who both advanced to the final stage of the tournament independently, turns out two of the world's best Candy Crush players have been sharing a household all along.
After weeks of competition spanning 25 countries and millions of other Candy Crush players to secure a spot at the Live Final, Luana, an art student from Bahia, Brazil, ultimately claimed the championship title in the Live Final, becoming the Candy Crush All Stars 2026 Champion.
"I started playing Candy Crush a while back, it was just something I loved to do, a game that always made small moments fun. I never imagined it would one day take me to a live stage in London to compete against the best players in the world. To come home as the Candy Crush All Stars 2026 Champion is something I will carry with me. I am so incredibly proud," said Luana, Candy Crush All Stars 2026 Champion.
"At King, we've always believed that casual games can create moments of real skill, connection and joy at a huge scale. All Stars brings that to life in a way that only Candy Crush can. Seeing the finalists bring their passion and talent to a live stage in London to compete at such a high level is a powerful reminder of what makes our community so special. This tournament was built for our players, and they continue to surprise and inspire us," said Todd Green, President at King.
With millions of players competing worldwide for a spot in the All Stars Live Final, and the Live Final returning to London at its most ambitious scale yet, Candy Crush continues to demonstrate the enduring appeal of shared play on a global scale. More than a decade after launch, the game remains one of the world's most-loved mobile entertainment experiences, bringing joy to millions of players every day.
Candy Crush Saga® is free to download on iOS and Android. For more information, visit candycrushsaga.com.
*Candy Crush All Stars Tournament was held in London in 2021 on an intimate scale.
About Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga® is one of the world's most popular mobile games. Millions of players around the globe match colorful candies in combinations of three or more to win points, defeat obstacles, and progress through more than 20,000 levels. In November 2022, Candy Crush Saga celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Candy Crush Saga is available to download for free from the Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store, Windows App Store and Facebook.
About King
With a mission of Making the World Playful, King is a leading interactive entertainment company for the mobile world with more than 20 years of history of delivering some of the world's most iconic games in the mobile gaming industry, including the world-famous Candy Crush franchise, as well as other mobile titles such as Farm Heroes Saga. King games are played by more than 200 million monthly active users. King, part of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), has Kingsters in Stockholm, Malmö, London, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Malta. More information can be found at King.com or by following us on LinkedIn, @lifeatking on Instagram.
Candy Crush All Stars crowned its 2026 Champion. Luana from Brazil emerged victorious, amongst millions of players worldwide who competed for a coveted spot in the Live Final One of the biggest All Stars Live Final yet brought together finalists from the United States, Brazil, Germany, Spain, and beyond, in London to compete on stage for a share of the $1 million prize pool and a custom Icebox championship ring A brand-new bonus round added an extra layer of excitement to the Live Final, with one player winning an additional $10,000 in the tournament's fastest-paced challenge yet , /PRNewswire/ -- What started on a phone screen ended on a live stage in London. Candy Crush All Stars has crowned its 2026 Champion. Luana from Bahia, Brazil claimed the title in the Live Final, after competing against millions of players from across the globe, emerging victorious at the tournament's biggest-ever Live Final in London.
Luana from Brazil is Named Candy Crush’s 2026 All Stars Champion
Custom Candy Crush All Stars 2026 championship ring created by Icebox
All Stars 2026 Finalists Competing at their chance to win this year's tournament She takes home a share of $1 million and a custom Candy Crush-inspired championship ring from Icebox, a multicoloured showpiece set with sapphires, rubies, emeralds and pink sapphires crafted into the game's most iconic shapes, from Colorbombs and clusters to red Candies brought to life in stone. At its centre, a spinning blue Wrapped Candy dome that's as playful as the game itself, with the Candy Crush Saga name etched in gold along the band. Luana barely waited for the moment to sink in before she had the ring on her finger, a one-of-a-kind piece designed just for this moment and for the player who earned it.
The Live Final marked a major evolution for the competition, transforming what began as everyday mobile play into a full-scale live spectacle. Finalists from the United States, Brazil, Germany, Spain, and beyond, competed on stage in front of fans, family, and media. For the first time, the Live Final introduced a bonus round - a fast-paced, high-intensity challenge that pushed players to their limits in a way the competition has never seen before - with the winner of that bonus round walking away with an additional $10,000.
The Live Final brought together an extraordinary group of competitors, reflecting the scale and diversity of the Candy Crush community. Players travelled from across the globe to compete in London, including Ingrid and German, a husband and wife duo from California's Bay Area, who both advanced to the final stage of the tournament independently, turns out two of the world's best Candy Crush players have been sharing a household all along.
After weeks of competition spanning 25 countries and millions of other Candy Crush players to secure a spot at the Live Final, Luana, an art student from Bahia, Brazil, ultimately claimed the championship title in the Live Final, becoming the Candy Crush All Stars 2026 Champion.
"I started playing Candy Crush a while back, it was just something I loved to do, a game that always made small moments fun. I never imagined it would one day take me to a live stage in London to compete against the best players in the world. To come home as the Candy Crush All Stars 2026 Champion is something I will carry with me. I am so incredibly proud," said Luana, Candy Crush All Stars 2026 Champion.
"At King, we've always believed that casual games can create moments of real skill, connection and joy at a huge scale. All Stars brings that to life in a way that only Candy Crush can. Seeing the finalists bring their passion and talent to a live stage in London to compete at such a high level is a powerful reminder of what makes our community so special. This tournament was built for our players, and they continue to surprise and inspire us," said Todd Green, President at King.
With millions of players competing worldwide for a spot in the All Stars Live Final, and the Live Final returning to London at its most ambitious scale yet, Candy Crush continues to demonstrate the enduring appeal of shared play on a global scale. More than a decade after launch, the game remains one of the world's most-loved mobile entertainment experiences, bringing joy to millions of players every day.
Candy Crush Saga® is free to download on iOS and Android. For more information, visit candycrushsaga.com.
*Candy Crush All Stars Tournament was held in London in 2021 on an intimate scale.
About Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga® is one of the world's most popular mobile games. Millions of players around the globe match colorful candies in combinations of three or more to win points, defeat obstacles, and progress through more than 20,000 levels. In November 2022, Candy Crush Saga celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Candy Crush Saga is available to download for free from the Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store, Windows App Store and Facebook.
About King
With a mission of Making the World Playful, King is a leading interactive entertainment company for the mobile world with more than 20 years of history of delivering some of the world's most iconic games in the mobile gaming industry, including the world-famous Candy Crush franchise, as well as other mobile titles such as Farm Heroes Saga. King games are played by more than 200 million monthly active users. King, part of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), has Kingsters in Stockholm, Malmö, London, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Malta. More information can be found at King.com or by following us on LinkedIn, @lifeatking on Instagram.
Wall Street is no longer blindly rewarding all artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. According to a recent Reuters poll, most economists now expect the Federal Reserve to keep the federal funds rate at 3.5% to 3.75% for the rest of 2026. With capital remaining expensive, investors need to focus on companies that can convert AI spending into durable revenue and profits.
Against this backdrop, Alphabet (GOOG +0.45%) (GOOGL +0.53%) and Microsoft (MSFT +0.11%) stand out. Here's why.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Alphabet Alphabet is using its AI infrastructure base to strengthen multiple growth engines, including Search, Google Cloud, Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), Gemini models, and the Waymo autonomous-driving platform.
The clearest evidence of this strategy's success is the Google Search business, which continues to grow despite fears of cannibalization from AI answer engines. In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, Google Search & other advertising revenue grew 19% year over year to $60.4 billion. Management said that search queries reached an all-time high. Additionally, AI-powered search features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode helped boost overall user engagement.
Google Cloud is emerging as a key growth catalyst. Google Cloud revenue jumped 63% year over year to $20 billion, while backlog nearly doubled sequentially to reach $462 billion. Management expects to recognize just over half of that backlog as revenue over the next two years. With 75% of Cloud customers already using Google's AI products, AI is increasingly driving customer adoption, deal growth, and revenue visibility for the business.
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Alphabet's custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) are also proving to be a competitive advantage. The company reduced Gemini serving costs by 78% in 2025, highlighting its ability to lower the cost of delivering AI at scale. Waymo also surpassed 500,000 fully autonomous rides per week at the end of the first quarter. Hence, autonomous driving has now become a more visible part of Alphabet's long-term value story.
That makes Alphabet one of the rare AI winners with both near-term monetization and long-term opportunity.
2. Microsoft Microsoft is selling cloud capacity for AI workloads and embedding AI directly into the daily software stack of large enterprises.
Its AI business exited the third quarter of fiscal 2026 (ended March 31) with an annual revenue run rate of $37 billion, up 123% year over year. Microsoft Cloud revenue reached $54.5 billion, while Azure and other cloud services revenue grew 40% year over year in the third quarter. The company's remaining performance obligation (RPO, a measure of backlog) also rose 99% year over year to $627 billion. Hence, the company has impressive revenue visibility.
Copilot is also emerging as a major growth engine. Microsoft 365 Copilot paid seats crossed 20 million in the third quarter, with seat additions up 250% year over year. With weekly Copilot engagement on par with Microsoft Outlook, Copilot is becoming a regular part of the enterprise software stack.
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Microsoft is also focusing on shifting monetization from a per-user software model to a per-user and usage model across productivity, coding, and security applications. The company is also making its most-used Copilot models more efficient at handling AI workloads.
The combination of robust cloud demand, improving Copilot adoption, a shift to usage-based monetization, and increasing cost efficiency makes Microsoft one of the strongest AI stocks to own now.
The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) is the default core holding for tens of millions of investors. It tracks the S&P 500, charges 0.0945% in expenses, pays a 1.25% dividend yield, and has returned about 314% over the past decade on a price basis. The pitch is simple: own the 500 largest U.S. companies for almost nothing and let market-cap weighting work.
Two funds run a different rule on the same names. The Invesco S&P 500 Quality ETF (NYSEARCA:SPHQ) and the iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (NYSEARCA:QUAL) keep only the companies that score well on financial strength, the so-called “S&P 500 minus the junk.” The surprise is what that screen has not done: beat the index over ten years. It offers a different exposure, not a higher return.
What SPY Actually Holds SPY weights its roughly 505 holdings by market capitalization, which concentrates the fund at the top and forces it to carry the bottom regardless of fundamentals. NVIDIA at 7.8%, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL | AAPL Price Prediction) at 6.8%, and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) at 4.7% make up nearly a fifth of the fund, and Information Technology is 37% of it. The tail behind them includes companies with negative free cash flow, weak returns on equity, and high leverage. SPY owns them by market value, not financial health. That is the gap a quality screen tries to close.
The Quality Screen, and What It Actually Returned SPHQ starts with the same S&P 500 universe and keeps only the 100 names that score best on return on equity, accruals, and financial leverage. QUAL applies similar logic across a broader large- and mid-cap universe, screening within each sector to stay roughly sector-neutral.
The numbers are the catch. Over the past ten years, SPY returned about 314%, or 15.49% a year. SPHQ returned about 302%, or 14.91% a year. QUAL returned about 14.27% a year, the lowest of the three. Both quality funds tracked the index closely, and both finished a step behind it. Removing the weakest names did not add return over this stretch. It roughly matched the index while tilting toward financial strength.
So Why Own It The case for a quality screen is not a higher ten-year number. It is the exposure. These funds concentrate capital in companies with durable returns on capital and clean balance sheets, which tend to hold up better when the earnings cycle turns and weaker businesses get punished. That edge stayed hidden in a decade-long bull market that rewarded almost everything.
There is also a live signal. So far in 2026, SPHQ has pulled ahead of SPY, 13.21% against the index’s 9.64% year to date. One stretch is not a trend, but it is the choppier, more selective market where a quality tilt is meant to earn its keep.
The Tradeoffs to Weigh The swap is not free. SPHQ and QUAL both charge 0.15% against SPY’s 0.0945%, a gap of about 5.5 basis points, or roughly $55 a year on $100,000. The income is lower too: QUAL yields 0.86% against SPY’s 1.25%, a small haircut for anyone leaning on the portfolio for cash.
They also run more concentrated and pricier. QUAL holds about 44% of its weight in its top ten names and trades near a 28 P/E. That premium drives the strategy in good times and drags when the market rotates toward cheaper, beaten-down names. And do not assume lower risk: over the past decade SPHQ actually ran higher volatility than SPY, so a quality label is not a safety guarantee.
How to Make the Swap In a tax-advantaged account, the switch is mechanical: sell SPY, buy SPHQ or QUAL, zero tax cost. In a taxable account, the math changes. An investor who bought SPY in 2016 sits on roughly 314% of embedded gain, and a full sale realizes long-term capital gains on all of it. The cleaner path is to stop adding to SPY, route new contributions to the quality fund, and swap inside an IRA first if you hold SPY in both account types.
Where This Leaves the Decision SPY remains the cheapest, deepest, most liquid way to own the S&P 500, and over the last ten years it also delivered the higher return. A quality screen did not beat it; it tracked the index while tilting toward stronger balance sheets. That makes SPHQ or QUAL a reasonable choice for an investor who wants a quality factor and believes it pays off in a more selective market, not for one expecting a bigger ten-year number. SPHQ is the closer analog to a cleaned-up SPY and is leading in 2026; QUAL is the sector-balanced version. For most investors who simply want the index, SPY is hard to beat.
David Tepper’s Appaloosa Management cut its Microsoft position by roughly 82% in the first quarter of 2026, while Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square went the other direction, initiating a brand-new stake of roughly 5.65 million shares worth about $2.09 billion at quarter-end. Ackman started accumulating in February after Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) sold off following fiscal Q2 earnings, calling the stock a “highly compelling valuation” on the strength of Azure and AI. It was his only new buy of the quarter, and the name is also a core holding in Pershing Square USA, giving Ackman dual-vehicle conviction here.
So far, Tepper looks like the one positioned correctly.
What Ackman Actually Bought, And Why Ackman’s thesis rests on the same engine that has powered Microsoft for three years: cloud and AI. In the most recent quarter, Azure grew 40%, the Intelligent Cloud segment hit $34.68 billion (+30% YoY), and the AI business surpassed a $37 billion annualized run rate, up 123% year over year. The forward visibility is the part value investors fixate on: commercial remaining performance obligations reached $627 billion, a contracted backlog that stretches multi-year demand into clear sight.
The valuation case is also real. Microsoft trades at a forward P/E of 21 with a return on equity of 34% and analyst target price of $560.95. The Q3 earnings report at $4.27 EPS vs. $4.07 expected marked a fourth straight quarterly beat. For an investor buying $2 billion of a single name, that combination of beat history, backlog, and a meaningfully lower entry price clears the bar.
Why Tepper Is Winning The Trade So Far The scoreboard is unambiguous. Microsoft is down more than 8% since Feb. 2, falling from $421.49 to $387.95 and is down nearly 18% year to date. Tepper trimmed at higher prices. Ackman bought into the slide and is currently underwater on his entry.
The bear case Tepper appears to be respecting is the spending side of the AI story. Q3 CapEx jumped 84% to $30.88 billion, on top of $29.88 billion the prior quarter. Full-year FY25 free cash flow fell 3% as capex surged 45%. OpenAI-related investment losses climbed to $3.1 billion in Q1 FY26 from $523 million a year earlier. Insiders are not stepping up to defend the price either: Seven insider transactions in the March-June window were all disposals, with no purchases.
The Take For Retirement Investors Following Ackman blindly into Microsoft right now is following a thesis that still has to be vindicated by free cash flow turning back up as the capex cycle peaks. The franchise is exceptional, the backlog is real, and the price is materially below last summer’s 52-week high of $551.05. But Tepper trimmed for a reason, and so far the tape agrees with him. For a retirement-focused investor, the disciplined path is to scale in like Ackman did, not to chase, and to demand evidence that capex intensity is peaking before sizing up. Pay attention to the next earnings report and any signal that free cash flow is inflecting. Until then, this remains a contrarian bet that still needs to be vindicated.
A Microsoft Xbox video game logo is seen at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, in Los Angeles, California, United States, June 17, 2015. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
June 12 (Reuters) - Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab is considering options for its Xbox gaming unit, including a potential spinoff or restructuring as a wholly owned subsidiary, the Information reported on Friday, citing three people with direct knowledge of the discussions.
The Windows maker is also weighing options such as creating a joint venture with other partners as it prepares to overhaul the unit, which could make the gaming business easier to sell, the report said.
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Xbox has struggled in recent years as Microsoft's bet on subscriptions and cloud gaming failed to offset declining console sales and a shortage of blockbuster titles.
While no restructuring is imminent, all the options remain on the table, the Information reported.
Microsoft operates professional network LinkedIn and software development platform GitHub as wholly owned subsidiaries, a model that could serve as a blueprint for the Xbox unit.
Asha Sharma, who took charge as CEO of the gaming unit in February, plans to increase spending to accelerate development of new Xbox titles from its most successful franchises, including "Halo," "Fallout," and "The Elder Scrolls," the report said.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and finance chief Amy Hood have approved Sharma's plan to boost spending on top-tier game development for the fiscal year starting in July, but the budget has not been finalized and could still change, the report said.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
On Wednesday, Bloomberg News reported that Xbox is planning major layoffs next month and significant cuts to marketing and other budgets, marking the first major restructuring under Sharma.
Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Leroy Leo
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
by Todd Bishop on Jun 12, 2026 at 2:15 pmJune 12, 2026 at 3:36 pm
Microsoft has spent years subsidizing Xbox rather than profiting from it, CEO Satya Nadella acknowledged this week, as he addressed the gaming division’s need for a new approach.
His comments came during a Wednesday evening taping of The New York Times’ “Hard Fork” podcast, released Friday. Hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton pressed Nadella on the future of Xbox a few hours after the division’s leadership signaled an upcoming reset.
“No one can accuse Microsoft of not having invested for the last 25 years,” Nadella said of the Xbox and games business. “And now we have to turn this into a sustainable business.”
For all the entertainment value Xbox provides, he said, Microsoft hasn’t been monetizing that entertainment, and has actually been subsidizing it. He added with a chuckle, “In fact, there’s more monetization of Xbox games happening on YouTube than at Microsoft.”
Earlier in the day, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma had told employees in a memo that the division’s heavy spending and declining revenue cannot continue. Sharma, about 100 days into the job, said Xbox will finish the fiscal year at roughly a 3% margin by an internal Microsoft measure, after the company spent more than $20 billion over five years even as annual revenue fell.
Bloomberg News reported that the division is planning major job cuts next month.
On the podcast, Nadella described two pressures on the business. One is temporary: a run-up in prices driven by the shortage of semiconductors and memory, which is squeezing PCs, phones and other consumer electronics, and which he said Microsoft will get through.
The other is lasting — the question of what the Xbox business model should be going forward.
“I think we have to find ways to deliver the games in which it’s economically relevant for the customer and for us,” Nadella said when Newton asked whether he could offer any sort of “carrot” for gamers, or whether consoles and games would simply get more expensive.
Nadella didn’t detail what the new model would look like. Sharma said in her memo that she’ll spend the next 100 days taking what she called a fresh look at the business.
The Information reported Friday that Microsoft hasn’t ruled out restructuring Xbox — potentially as a wholly owned subsidiary, a joint venture, or a spin-off — though it has no imminent plans to do so. The outlet, citing three people with direct knowledge, said Sharma plans to pair layoffs with heavier investment in big franchises like Halo and Fallout, a plan Nadella and CFO Amy Hood have signed off on.
See above for the full conversation, which otherwise focuses largely on artificial intelligence, including the AI backlash over data centers, AI’s impact on jobs, whether the U.S. government should take stakes in AI companies, and how much he buys the idea that AI is about to automate entire jobs.
Germany may finally be moving out of stagnation in 2026, and that could put some of its biggest industrial, software and automotive names back on investor watchlists.
After years of weak growth, Europe's largest economy is expected to return to more meaningful expansion next year. Forecasts for 2026 GDP growth are clustering around 1.0% to 1.4%, with Goldman Sachs projecting 1.1%, while other estimates place the number closer to 1.2% to 1.3%.
That may not sound dramatic, but for Germany, it would mark a clear break from the low growth pattern that has weighed on the market in recent years.
For investors, the more important question is where that recovery shows up first, especially in enterprise software, industrial automation, infrastructure linked manufacturing and electric mobility.
Why It MattersGermany's 2026 story is not about a boom. It is about a shift from stagnation to stabilization.
That matters because even modest growth can be meaningful in a market where valuations and sentiment have been shaped by years of weak industrial activity, trade pressure and low confidence.
The 2026 setup looks more supportive because of:
Fiscal stimulus Higher public investment Services resilience Early signs of manufacturing stabilization Continued investment in automation and energy efficiency For investors, this could turn Germany back into a more selective opportunity rather than a market to avoid.
Germany's Macro Setup Looks Better, But Still SelectiveGermany enters 2026 with a more constructive backdrop than it has had in years.
The government has shifted toward a more expansionary fiscal stance, with large public investment packages tied to:
Infrastructure Defense Technology Climate aligned projects Industrial modernization That should help support domestic demand and reduce some of the drag from weaker exports.
At the same time, the services sector has remained more resilient than manufacturing, giving the economy a stabilizing counterweight while industrial conditions gradually improve.
Still, Germany's recovery is likely to remain uneven.
Long term demographic pressure, trade uncertainty and structural competitiveness challenges mean the best opportunities are still likely to be concentrated in companies tied to productivity, digitization and the energy transition rather than the broad market.
Software Could Be One Of Germany's Cleanest Recovery Trades
Germany's recovery story is not just industrial. It is also digital.
As companies across Europe continue investing in productivity, cloud migration and enterprise systems, software remains one of the most resilient ways to gain exposure to long term corporate spending.
SAP Could Stay At The Center Of The StorySAP (NYSE:SAP) remains Europe's largest software company and one of Germany's most important listed names.
The company generated roughly €20 billion in revenue in 2015. By 2025 to 2026, revenue has risen to more than €32 billion, with more than 85% now recurring and cloud based.
Cloud revenue has also grown at a compound annual rate above 20% over the past five years.
For investors, SAP offers:
Recurring revenue Strong free cash flow Mission critical enterprise exposure A direct link to global digital transformation spending That makes SAP one of Germany's strongest quality names even in a low growth environment.
Industrial Automation Could Benefit From The Next Phase Of Recovery
Germany's industrial recovery may be slow, but automation and productivity spending could still outperform.
That matters because German companies are increasingly investing in:
Automation Robotics Industrial software Smart infrastructure Energy efficiency upgrades Those themes align directly with the country's need to offset labor shortages and improve competitiveness.
Siemens Could Be A Key Name To WatchSiemens (OTC:SIEGY) remains one of the clearest ways to play Germany's industrial transformation.
The company reported roughly €79 billion in revenue in 2016, and by 2026, revenue will exceed €85 billion, with a much larger share now tied to:
Software-driven automation Smart infrastructure Industrial digitalization Electrification Orders in digital industries have also continued growing faster than the broader group.
For investors, Siemens remains one of the most direct plays on Germany's push toward reindustrialization, efficiency and long-term industrial modernization.
Volkswagen Keeps The Auto And EV Angle AliveGermany's auto sector remains central to the country's equity story, even as the transition to electric vehicles continues to reshape the industry.
For investors, the question is no longer whether electric mobility matters. The question is whether scale players can turn heavy investment into stronger long-term earnings.
Volkswagen Could Stay On The RadarThe company generated about €213 billion in revenue in 2015, and by 2026, group revenue will exceed €320 billion.
Electric vehicles now account for roughly 15% to 20% of total deliveries, a major shift from a decade ago.
Volkswagen has also invested more than €180 billion into:
Electrification Battery systems Software platforms Future mobility technologies For investors, Volkswagen offers:
Scale Global auto exposure A stronger electric vehicle mix Leverage to any recovery in European and global vehicle demand That could keep the stock relevant if auto demand stabilizes and the EV transition becomes more financially efficient.
What Could Drive Germany's Market In 2026If Germany's recovery continues gaining traction, investors will likely watch several themes closely:
Whether GDP growth stays above 1% Whether fiscal spending translates into real industrial demand Whether services remain resilient while manufacturing stabilizes Whether software and automation continue to outperform the broader market Whether autos benefit from a more mature electric vehicle cycle Germany may not become Europe's fastest growth market in 2026.
But it does not need to.
If the economy simply moves from stagnation to a steady recovery, some of its best-known large-cap names could once again become more investable.
Bottom LineGermany's 2026 outlook looks more constructive than it has in years, even if the recovery remains modest.
With growth expected to be in the 1.0% to 1.4% range, rising fiscal support, and early signs of industrial stabilization, the country may be entering a more investable phase.
For investors, the strongest opportunities are likely to remain concentrated in companies tied to enterprise software, industrial automation and electric mobility. That could keep SAP, Siemens and Volkswagen in focus as Germany's market shifts from prolonged stagnation toward a more selective recovery trade.
image credit: Author
Benzinga Disclaimer: This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga’s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.
