Market Signal Briefing

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kolibri Global Energy Inc. (the “Company” or “KGEI”) (TSX: KEI, NASDAQ: KGEI) is providing the results of its December 31, 2025, independent reserves evaluation. All amounts are in US$ unless otherwise stated. Wolf Regener, President and CEO, commented: “We are very pleased that our proved developed producing reserves increased by 30 percent due to our successful 2025 drilling program. Proved developed producing reserves valuation (NPV discounted at 10%).

Generally, when investors are looking for growth, they turn to industries such as technology. Here, revenue may be rising in the double or even triple digits, leading to explosive stock performance. But in recent years, one specific area of the pharmaceutical market has offered a similar opportunity. And that is in the weight loss drug space.

Right now, Eli Lilly (LLY 5.94%) leads this market, with Novo Nordisk in second position, but many pharma and biotech players are knocking on the door -- and one of the first to enter may be Viking Therapeutics (VKTX 1.36%). The company is studying its candidate in two different forms in phase 2 and phase 3 trials, and so far, the results have been strong.

So, right now, if you can only buy one weight loss drug stock, which one should you choose: Lilly or Viking? Let's find out.

Image source: Getty Images.

The case for Eli Lilly Eli Lilly actually wasn't the first to the GLP-1 drug market; Novo Nordisk paved the way, gaining approval for Ozempic for type 2 diabetes in 2017. Doctors prescribed the injectable off-label for weight loss, and that set off the rush by patients into GLP-1 drugs -- and the rush by investors to get into GLP-1 stocks.

Lilly entered the market with tirzepatide, commercialized at Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss, shortly after Novo, and began gaining market share. The newcomer focused on investing in manufacturing capacity to address demand, and a head-to-head study showed that Lilly's drug resulted in greater weight loss than Novo's. These elements have helped Lilly push ahead in the U.S. market -- it now holds a 60% share.

Though Novo was the first to launch a weight loss drug in pill form late last year, Lilly's oral candidate may soon enter the market -- it's under regulatory review right now.

Today's Change

(

-5.94

%) $

-58.77

Current Price

$

930.35

The case for Viking Therapeutics Viking Therapeutics is ready to advance its candidate VK2735 in oral form into a phase 3 trial in the third quarter, and the phase 3 study of the candidate in injectable form is ongoing. The drug works in the same way as the Lilly and Novo drugs, stimulating hormonal pathways involved in appetite control and the management of blood sugar levels.

It's often difficult to directly compare the performance of one against another, unless a head-to-head study is done, because trial designs differ. But Viking's performance in trials has been strong, suggesting it could easily compete with the Lilly and Novo drugs.

It's also important to keep in mind that demand for weight loss drugs is high, and at certain points, it even exceeded supply, so there is plenty of room for Viking to carve out a share if its candidate successfully completes trials and wins regulatory approval.

The biotech company also has another intriguing candidate in the pipeline, one that acts on amylin and calcitonin receptors. (These play an important role in metabolism.)

Today's Change

(

-1.36

%) $

-0.49

Current Price

$

35.52

Which is the better buy? Both Lilly and Viking are great buys today and could have bright futures in the weight loss drug market. Though Viking hasn't yet commercialized a product, Lilly already is generating significant growth from tirzepatide; Mounjaro and Zepbound each saw revenue soar in the triple digits in the latest quarter.

Lilly's stock has dropped about 8% so far this year, and it now trades at 28x forward earnings estimates, down from more than 31x just a few weeks ago.

We can't look at Viking using that metric since the company doesn't yet have products on the market. But the stock has climbed about 2% this year and is up about 16% over the past year.

So, Lilly offers a window of opportunity right now. It's also important to keep in mind that regulators may decide whether to approve Lilly's oral weight loss drug in the coming weeks, and that could act as a catalyst for the stock. All of this means right now might be a great time to pick up shares of this weight loss drug leader.

Key Takeaways Several factors lead to the outperformance of stocks. Strong sales growth, margin expansion, and positive earnings estimate revisions are all key. Investors are always looking for stocks that deliver robust gains, trying to squeeze the most out of their buck. Of course, finding big-time winners is much easier said than done, but investors can still deploy a basic framework that puts them on the path to reaping outsized gains.

But what drives market outperformance?

Let’s take a closer look at a few common traits among companies delivering outsized gains.

Sales Growth Remains Key

Sales growth is vital, as it’s the foundation of generating profits. Strong revenue generation allows companies to achieve scaling efficiencies, generate continuous shareholder value, and many other clear benefits.

A clear-cut example of this has been Nvidia over the last several years, whose shares have soared on the back of rock-solid sales growth within its Data Center.

Margins Are Critical

Margin performance reveals how efficiently a company operates, showing whether it’s extracting more profit from each dollar of sales. Expansion indicates that a company is operating more efficiently, with better cost controls and other operational processes driving improved financial health.

Innovation Keeps You Ahead of the Competition

Innovation is crucial for a company to stay relevant, helping it maintain and expand its current market share. Nvidia is again a clear-cut example of this favorable development, whose innovation within artificial intelligence (AI) has launched shares and put it at the forefront of market headlines.  

Earnings Estimates Drive Near-Term Performance

Favorable earnings estimate revisions are key for a stock to move higher, precisely where the Zacks Rank comes into play.

The Zacks Rank uses four factors related to earnings estimates to classify stocks into five groups, ranging from ‘Strong Buy’ to ‘Strong Sell.’ Importantly, it allows individual investors to take advantage of trends in earnings estimate revisions and benefit from the power of institutional investors.

The Zacks Rank can be seen in action below, capturing the bulk of the recent charge higher we’ve seen within SanDisk (SNDK - Free Report) .

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Bottom Line

All investors look to reap outsized gains.

When it comes to outperformance, several factors, including robust sales growth, margin expansion, innovation, and favorable earnings estimate revisions, are all contributing factors.

Sotera Health Company (SHC) 2026 KeyBanc Capital Markets Healthcare Forum March 17, 2026 9:45 AM EDT

Company Participants

Jonathan Lyons - Senior VP & CFO

Conference Call Participants

Brett Fishbin - KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Research Division

Presentation

Brett Fishbin
KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Research Division

All right. I'd like to welcome everyone to the Sixth Annual KeyBanc Healthcare Forum. My name is Brett Fishbin, Senior MedTech analyst, and I'm pleased to be joined today by Sotera Health, who's represented by Jon Lyons, the CFO.

I'll start us off with questions, but it will be a 100% Q&A session and questions can be submitted directly to me by typing in the box below the video screen. And if we have time, I can relay them to Jon.

So Jon, just to kick things off, starting at a high level, it's been a bit over 5 years since the original IPO, and it's been an eventful journey for the company so far. So I was hoping we could maybe just take a step back and just get your high-level thoughts on where the company sits today relative to a few years ago for investors who may be revisiting or new to the story.

Question-and-Answer Session

Jonathan Lyons
Senior VP & CFO

Thanks, Brett, and thanks for having us again here. It's always great to be with you and your investors. that you serve. Before we get started, I do have to remind everybody, I will likely make some forward-looking statements. Please take a look at our SEC filings for details on those and the like.

Just to get into it, it's been an interesting journey, right, since the IPO back in 2020. I think the short answer really, this is the same great business that we IPO-ed. Certainly, we've been through a few things. There have been some

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ: FFAI) (“Faraday Future”, “FF” or the “Company”), a California-based global Embodied AI (EAI) ecosystem company, today announced a new initiative under which executives and other employees will increase their ownership in the Company through a structured share acquisition program in exchange for deferring part of their salaries. This initiative is designed to align management and employee interests more closely with.

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (CWST) JPMorgan Industrials Conference 2026 March 17, 2026 4:20 PM EDT

Company Participants

Ned Coletta - President, CEO & Director
Bradford Helgeson - Executive VP & CFO

Conference Call Participants

Tami Zakaria - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

Presentation

Tami Zakaria
JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

Good afternoon, everyone. This is Tami Zakaria, Head of Machinery, Engineering, Construction and Waste Equity Research at JPMorgan. It is our pleasure to host team Casella Waste with us today. We have Ned Coletta, CEO; and we have Brad Helgeson, CFO. Ned and Brad, welcome.

Ned Coletta
President, CEO & Director

Thank you. Thank you for having us.

Tami Zakaria
JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

I think this is your first JPMorgan conference, right?

Ned Coletta
President, CEO & Director

It is. For a number of years, we used to attend, I don't know, more than 10 years ago. So we're happy to be back.

Tami Zakaria
JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

Well, we are honored to have you here today. So let's dive into the Q&A. Before I start, I wanted to remind investors that this is being webcast and investors listening in online are able to submit questions. So if you submit a question, I'll pose it for you. And we'll open up to the audience in the last 10 minutes of this session if you have any questions for the team.

Question-and-Answer Session

Tami Zakaria
JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division

So with that out of the way, first question to you, Ned. As the new CEO, what are your top 3 priorities near term or over the next 12 months?

Ned Coletta
President, CEO & Director

It's a great question and one I've gotten a few times over the last several months. I've been with Casella for

Dubai, UAE, March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New crypto Pepeto update while the bitcoin price just touched $75,000 for the first time in six weeks according to CoinDesk, and the rally is pulling Dogecoin, XRP, and Ethereum up with it. That matters for one reason. Every time BTC confirms a new leg up, a window opens where early stage Ethereum projects surge faster than anything else in the market. Pepeto just announced a cross chain bridge update right inside that window, introducing adaptive liquidity routing and real time settlement verification across Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana. The bridge tools are approaching completion, the Binance listing will be announced just hours before launch according to the team, and the presale has crossed $8.1 million with capital entering at a pace that only shows up when investors see the full picture coming together.

Strategy has once again strengthened its aggressive digital asset vault, adding another billion-dollar allocation of Bitcoin to its growing treasury. The move reinforces the company’s long-standing belief that BTC represents the most reliable store of value in the digital era, positioning Strategy even further ahead as the largest corporate holder of the cryptocurrency.

What Strategy’s Latest Purchase Means For The Capital Market According to analyst Adam Livingston’s post on X, Bitcoin advocate and Executive Chairman Michael Saylor of Strategy (MSTR) has released its latest Form 8-K, confirming another massive expansion of its BTC standard. Meanwhile, the BTC bears are currently consolidating around the market.

This week, Strategy has intensified its aggressive accumulation strategy after revealing in a new filing that it raised more than $1.5 billion and used the capital to purchase 22,337 additional BTC. The latest acquisition pushes the company’s total BTC holding to approximately 761,068 BTC, reinforcing Strategy’s position as the largest corporate holder of the digital asset. Livingston argues that the balance sheet got heavier, the funding engine got smarter, and the anti-MSRT commentariat got hit with another folding chair made of SEC fillings.

In the video shared by Livingston, the expert explains why Strategy’s latest move is viewed as overwhelmingly bullish for its long-term outlook. Furthermore, Livingston shared insight on how STRC is becoming a game-changer for common shareholders by offering a more efficient way for Strategy to raise capital and expand its BTC holdings without relying on traditional methods. 

The analysis also addresses ongoing criticism around dilution, which many bearish takes fail to account for the underlying mathematics of Strategy’s model. The company is evolving into a powerful BTC accumulation vehicle that is systematically absorbing liquidity from the market and positioning itself as a dominant force in the digital asset space.

Why Cross-Margining Is A Game-Changer For Hedge Funds The recent regulatory developments are marking a significant shift in how Bitcoin is being integrated into traditional finance. Crypto analyst MartyParty revealed that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), alongside institutions like the Options Clearing Corporation, has advanced rules via filings that allow cross-margining using BTC ETF holdings as collateral.

These changes allow hedge funds and institutional investors to use holdings in spot BTC ETFs such as IBIT and FBTC as collateral for equity options trading and other margin requirements. MartyParty highlighted that this development builds on earlier milestones, such as the approval of options BTC ETFs in 2024, including the ongoing expansion. 

Together, these developments reduce friction for institutions, making it easier to integrate BTC into broader portfolios without liquidation or segregating assets. The broader implication is a maturing financial ecosystem where BTC is increasingly treated as a legitimate collateral asset in TradFi, boosting liquidity and efficiency for large players.

BTC trading at $73,900 on the 1D chart | Source: BTCUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

Jack Mallers has been officially confirmed as a speaker at Bitcoin 2026, returning to the stage where he made Bitcoin history to share his perspective on Bitcoin’s expanding role in payments, capital markets, and global finance. As Co-Founder and CEO of Twenty One Capital (NYSE: XXI) and Founder and CEO of Strike, Mallers now sits at the intersection of two consequential Bitcoin companies operating today, one reshaping how people spend and save Bitcoin, the other redefining what a publicly traded Bitcoin company can be.

Twenty One Capital launched on the New York Stock Exchange in December 2025, debuting with a treasury of 43,514 Bitcoin — the third-largest public corporate Bitcoin holding in the world, behind only Strategy and MARA Holdings. The company is majority-owned by Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer, and Bitfinex, with significant minority ownership from SoftBank Group, and has committed to operating with public-market transparency, including publishing on-chain proof of holdings for real-time shareholder verification. Speaking on CNBC at launch, Mallers made the mission clear: the company plans to “buy as much Bitcoin as we possibly can” not as a passive treasury vehicle, but as a full Bitcoin-native operating business building capital markets advisory, lending models, and educational media on top of its BTC holdings.

Strike, the company Mallers founded in 2020, has become one of the most widely used Bitcoin financial platforms in the world. Built on Bitcoin’s Lightning Network, Strike allows users to make and receive payments, buy and sell bitcoin with no added fees, and convert their paychecks directly into Bitcoin all without requiring prior crypto experience. In March 2026, Strike received both a BitLicense and a money transmitter license from the New York State Department of Financial Services, allowing the company to operate in one of the most tightly regulated digital asset markets in the United States. “Strike is building the leading Bitcoin financial institution,” Mallers said in a statement. “With our BitLicense, we can now bring that mission to New York, the global center of finance.”

With Twenty One Capital now live on the NYSE and Strike completing its all-50-states U.S. expansion, Mallers arrives at Bitcoin 2026 carrying more institutional weight than ever, and the same conviction he’s held since day one: that Bitcoin is honest money, and that the infrastructure being built around it will determine what the next chapter of global finance looks like.

JACK MALLERS, FOUNDER & CEO OF STRIKE AND TWENTY ONE, TO SPEAK AT BITCOIN 2026 ⚡️

"It's over man, Bitcoin is going to the moon." 🌕 pic.twitter.com/wHorQFmcYa

— The Bitcoin Conference (@TheBitcoinConf) March 3, 2026 Bitcoin 2026 Returns to Las Vegas Bigger Than Ever

Bitcoin 2026 will take place April 27–29 at The Venetian, Las Vegas, and is expected to be the biggest Bitcoin event of the year.

Focused on the future of money, Bitcoin 2026 will bring together Bitcoin builders, investors, miners, policymakers, technologists, and newcomers from around the world. The event will feature a wide range of pass types, including general admission passes designed specifically for those new to Bitcoin, alongside premium passes for professionals, enterprises, and institutions.

With multiple stages, immersive experiences, technical workshops, and headline keynotes, Bitcoin 2026 is designed to serve both first-time attendees and long-time Bitcoiners shaping the next era of global adoption.

Past Bitcoin Conferences in the U.S. Bitcoin’s flagship conference has scaled dramatically over the past five years:

2021 – Miami: 11,000 attendees 2022 – Miami: 26,000 attendees 2023 – Miami: 15,000 attendees 2024 – Nashville: 22,000 attendees 2025 – Las Vegas: 35,000 attendees 🎟️ Get Your Bitcoin 2026 Pass Bitcoin Magazine readers can save 10% on Bitcoin 2026 tickets using code ‘ARTICLE10‘ at checkout.

Stay at The official hotel of Bitcoin 2026, The Venetian, and get a guaranteed low rate plus 15% off your pass. Hotel Prices increase soon, be in the middle of where the fun is all happening, and where the networking never ends.

And don’t forget:

📍 Location: The Venetian, Las Vegas
📅 Dates: April 27–29, 2026

With tens of thousands of attendees expected and hundreds of major speakers like Jack Mallers already confirmed, now is the time to lock in your ticket.

Buy Bitcoin 2026 Tickets — Save 10%

Why Attend Bitcoin 2026? Bitcoin 2026 is the definitive gathering for anyone serious about the future of money. With 500+ speakers, multiple world-class stages, and programming spanning Bitcoin fundamentals, open-source development, enterprise adoption, mining, energy, AI, policy, and culture, the conference brings every corner of the Bitcoin ecosystem together under one roof.

From headline keynotes on the Nakamoto Stage to deep technical sessions for builders, institutional strategy discussions for enterprises, and beginner-friendly Bitcoin 101 education, Bitcoin 2026 is designed for everyone—from first-time attendees to the leaders shaping Bitcoin’s global adoption.

Whether you’re looking to learn, build, invest, network, or influence, Bitcoin 2026 is where Bitcoin’s next chapter is written.

Bitcoin 2026 Pass Types: Something for Everyone Bitcoin 2026 offers a range of pass options designed to meet the needs of newcomers, professionals, enterprises, and high-net-worth Bitcoiners alike.

🎟️ Bitcoin 2026 General Admission Pass Ideal for newcomers and those looking to experience the heart of the conference.

Limited access on Days 2 & 3 Entry to Main Stage Access to Genesis Stage Full access to the Expo Hall 🎟️ Bitcoin 2026 Pro Pass Designed for professionals, operators, and serious Bitcoin participants.

Includes all General Admission features, plus:

Full 3-day access, including Pro Day Entry to the Pro Pass Reception Access to Enterprise Hall, Enterprise Stage, and Networking Lounge Conference App networking features Access to the Bitcoin For Corporations Symposium Entry to Compute Village and Energy Stage Complimentary lunch, coffee, tea, and snacks Dedicated registration and check-in Reserved seating at Main Stage Huge savings when you bundle your hotel and Pro Pass 🐋 Bitcoin 2026 Whale Pass The all-inclusive, premium Bitcoin 2026 experience.

Includes all Pro Pass features, plus:

Reserved seating at Main Stage All-inclusive gourmet food and beverages Entry to Whale Night and Whale Reception Access to all official after-parties Networking app access to connect with other Whales Premium access to The Deep — an exclusive networking lounge with intimate speaker sessions Complimentary stay at The Venetian when you bundle your whale pass and hotel (use promo code ‘WHALEHOTEL’ here) This is the most immersive way to experience Bitcoin 2026.

🎉 Bitcoin 2026 After Hours Pass Your ticket to the night.

Most deals are done with a drink in your hand. Get exclusive access to 3 official Bitcoin 2026 after-parties across Las Vegas — each with a 2-hour open bar — where the real conversations happen and the best connections are made.

Access to 3 official Bitcoin 2026 after-parties 2-hour open bar at each event Evening events across Las Vegas, April 27–29 Network with Bitcoiners, builders, and industry leaders after hours More headline speaker announcements are coming soon.

Don’t miss Bitcoin 2026.

Injective said on Tuesday that it plans to integrate USD Coin (USDC) and Circle's Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP), aiming to expand stablecoin liquidity and enable native cross-chain transfers on its blockchain.

TL;DR:

Analyst HAMED_AZ identifies a descending channel on the daily chart, noting that the current recovery is only temporary relief before a major correction. A potential 40% drop from current levels is estimated, which would place the market bottom near $47,000, 60% below its all-time high. The critical resistance zone is located between $79,000 and $82,000; until this range is surpassed, market control will remain in the hands of the bears. According to the most recent technical projections, Bitcoin remains bearish; in fact, these suggest that the pioneer crypto has failed to consolidate its uptrend despite recent recovery attempts. The market remains cautious as the asset struggles to hold within vital short-term support structures.

In this context, technical analysis reveals that Bitcoin’s price continues to trade within a descending channel after losing the key support at $79,000. With an RSI reflecting weakness in buying momentum and a market cap facing constant selling pressure, the risk of a capitulation toward the $47,000 demand zone increases significantly.

Technical projections and the risk of a 40% drop Currently, the market is extremely cautious. Analysts maintain that if the price shows signs of rejection or weakness when approaching the upper supply zone, the continuation of the trend in red will be confirmed.

However, an alternative scenario exists with the bulls taking control; but for this to happen, it is crucial for Bitcoin to close above $82,000, breaking the upper limit of the current channel and validating a structural trend change.

In summary, the current outlook for the pioneer crypto remains under heavy selling pressure. The possibility of seeing prices below the psychological $50,000 mark is real if the asset fails to reclaim the mentioned technical resistance zones in the coming days.

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

A sudden rebound has shifted the market into a bullish state once again, and Bitcoin is slowly trending upward. As Bitcoin’s price momentum begins to recover, pushing it back into the $70,000 threshold, derivatives data indicate that the flagship asset is nearing a crucial point in the market structure. 

Bitcoin Encounters Dense Short Liquidity Wall Following a slightly bullish move, Bitcoin is set to undergo a crucial phase, as it could serve as a key part in determining what comes next. Bitcoin’s price may be gradually rising, but the leading cryptocurrency asset has encountered dense short liquidity around a key price zone that holds major significance.

In a post on X, Milk Road, a macro investor and analyst, disclosed that this concentration of large short positions is currently sitting between the asset’s present price and the $76,300 level. Over $1 billion is being held at this level, creating a possible pressure zone for bearish investors and traders.

According to the expert, the bulls are aware that this massive liquidity is held up at that price range, which he calls the “liquidation wall” and the number the market has been circling. If BTC’s price crosses the $76,300 level, the notable short positions will automatically get closed out along the way.

After that, those closings become buy orders from investors, and robust buy orders typically push prices higher. Once prices have been moved upward, there will be more liquidations, which will eventually trigger a cascade. A market setup like this is how a short squeeze works, and it’s among the most erratic price moves in the cryptocurrency market.

Source: Chart from Milk Road on X This is due to the fact that the sellers are compelled to buy, not necessarily because the buyers are combative. When this finally occurs, Milk Road claims that those who bet and shorted BTC are in trouble, pointing to the $1 billion forced buys. This is not subtle; it is hitting the market at once.

Regardless of whether bulls purposefully raised prices to get closer to the squeeze zone or if there was enough organic buying to make it inevitable, the shorts remain trapped. Mlik Road highlighted that the $74,670 is the first major trip wire, holding $500 million of potential shorts liquidations alone. However, a clean break above the level and the market is expected to take action, with analysts targeting an $82,000 range as the next stop if the squeeze kicks off.

A Sign Of Liquidity Absorption Amid current market conditions, a shift in dynamics is drawing attention around the sector. This shift is being observed in the Spot Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) Bias. Crypto Banter Show’s host Kyle Doops reported that the metric has started to recover after a long stretch of pressure from the sell-side.

For a while, it seemed like sellers were hitting bids on every bounce. However, it is starting to look like buyers are reabsorbing liquidity, not just on one crypto exchange, but a few. Despite this, Kyle Doops suggests that investing in Bitcoin at this time is still considered early. Furthermore, demand might easily wane if it does not continue to manifest. Nonetheless, this is the first sign of stabilization that the market has seen in a while.

BTC trading at $74,385 on the 1D chart | Source: BTCUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

Tether’s QVAC Fabric integrates BitNet LoRA to fine‑tune and run multi‑billion‑parameter AI models on consumer GPUs and flagship phones, pushing serious AI work to the edge.

Summary

QVAC Fabric brings BitNet LoRA fine‑tuning and inference to AMD and Intel GPUs, Apple’s Metal stack, and high‑end mobile GPUs, claiming 2–11x speedups over CPU baselines and up to 90% lower memory use.​ Tether says it has fine‑tuned models up to 3.8 billion parameters on Pixel 9, Galaxy S25, and iPhone 16, and up to 13 billion parameters on iPhone 16, pushing on‑device AI far beyond today’s typical sub‑3B demos.​ The release fits Tether’s pivot from pure stablecoin issuer to infrastructure player, complementing earlier QVAC initiatives like the 41‑billion‑token Genesis I dataset and local AI Workbench to challenge Big Tech’s AI moat. Tether’s AI division has quietly shipped one of its most aggressive non‑stablecoin bets to date: a cross‑platform BitNet LoRA framework, integrated into its QVAC Fabric stack, that can train and run multi‑billion‑parameter language models directly on consumer‑grade GPUs and flagship smartphones. If the numbers hold up outside Tether’s own benchmarks, this pushes on‑device AI from “cute demo” territory into something systemically relevant for both hardware vendors and crypto‑aligned infra investors.

The new QVAC Fabric release brings BitNet LoRA fine‑tuning and inference to AMD and Intel GPUs, Apple’s Metal ecosystem, and a range of mobile GPUs in a single framework. Tether claims that, on flagship devices, GPU‑based inference is between 2 and 11 times faster than CPU baselines, while memory usage drops by as much as 90% versus full‑precision models. In practice, this means you can squeeze significantly larger models, or more concurrent sessions, onto the same hardware envelope—critical for phones and laptops where thermal and RAM ceilings are non‑negotiable.

Tether AI breakthrough

Tether AI team just released new version of QVAC Fabric to include the World’s First Cross-Platform BitNet LoRA Framework to Enable Billion-Parameter AI Training and Inference on Consumer GPUs and Smartphones.

Background
Microsoft's BitNet uses one bit… https://t.co/ooy3L6775E

— Paolo Ardoino 🤖 (@paoloardoino) March 17, 2026 The headline numbers are provocative: Tether’s team says it has completed fine‑tuning of models up to 3.8 billion parameters on devices like the Pixel 9, Galaxy S25, and iPhone 16, and has pushed fine‑tuning to as large as 13 billion parameters on the iPhone 16 specifically. That is a sharp escalation from the current norm, where most “on‑device AI” marketing still revolves around sub‑3B parameter models or offloads heavier workloads to the cloud. If reproducible, this suggests a future where serious personalization and domain‑specific adaptation can happen locally, without shipping user data off‑device.​

Strategically, this fits Tether’s ongoing pivot from pure stablecoin issuer to broader infrastructure operator. The company has already plowed billions into energy, mining, and media; now it is adding edge‑AI tooling to the portfolio, with the related QVAC and BitNet LoRA code open‑sourced on GitHub for developers to inspect and build on. Open sourcing is not altruism—it is distribution. If QVAC becomes a default path for indie devs and small labs to push models onto consumer hardware, Tether buys cultural and technical relevance in a stack that sits well outside banking regulation’s direct line of fire.​

For markets, the immediate impact is narrative, not P&L. There is no token here, no obvious “farm this yield” angle. But there is a clear macro story: as more AI work migrates to the edge, infrastructure power shifts from centralized hyperscalers toward whoever controls key toolchains and hardware abstraction layers. Tether is signaling that it intends to be one of those players, leveraging its balance sheet to seed primitives that reduce dependence on any single cloud or jurisdiction. For crypto, an ecosystem increasingly obsessed with AI‑adjacent plays, this is a reminder that not every serious bet needs a ticker symbol attached.​

For now, the obvious questions are technical: how BitNet LoRA’s claimed speedups and memory reductions compare against incumbents like llama.cpp, MLC, or Qualcomm’s own SDKs on the same devices; what the energy and thermal trade‑offs look like in real‑world use; and how permissive the licenses are for commercial deployment. But if even a conservative slice of Tether’s claims prove out under independent benchmarking, QVAC Fabric’s BitNet LoRA integration will mark a tangible step toward turning high‑end smartphones into viable training and inference rigs for mid‑sized language models—shifting AI one notch closer to the edge, and giving Tether yet another foothold in critical digital infrastructure.

Citigroup cuts Bitcoin and Ethereum targets as slower US policy timeline trims the upside caseCitigroup has cut its 12-month targets for Bitcoin and Ethereum, lowering its Bitcoin forecast to $112,000 from $143,000 and its Ethereum forecast to $3,175 from $4,304.

The March 17 revision marks a sharp step down from the bank’s December view and ties that reset to slower US legislative progress, a delay that Citi said is weighing on the policy support it had expected to help drive ETF demand and wider adoption.

The cuts are large enough to change the shape of the one-year crypto outlook without turning Citi bearish on the two assets.

Bitcoin’s new target is about 21.7% below Citi’s prior forecast, while Ethereum’s new target is about 26.2% below the earlier call. Both new targets still sit above current market prices.

Based on the latest CryptoSlate figures, Citi’s revised Bitcoin target still implies roughly 51.8% upside from spot, while its revised ether target implies about 36.8% upside.

Citi still expects Bitcoin and Ethereum to rise over the next year. But it has sharply lowered the ceiling it sees for both assets because the bank no longer expects the same pace of regulatory progress, institutional demand, and network follow-through that shaped its December forecasts.

For a market that has already bounced in recent weeks, the downgrade reads less like a call for immediate downside and more like a warning that the path higher may be slower and narrower than the earlier bull case assumed.

That warning lands as both assets have posted recent gains. Bitcoin trades around $74,000, up 4.5% over seven days, and 7.5% over 30 days. Ethereum sits near $2,300, up 12% over seven days, and 15% over 30 days.

The downgrade arrives as the market has recovered tactically, even as one of Wall Street’s largest banks has lowered its one-year expectations.

Citi’s new targets still point higher, but the one-year range has narrowedCiti’s revision follows a much more upbeat set of targets published in December. At that point, the bank set a 12-month Bitcoin target of $143,000 and a 12-month ether target of $4,304, while also outlining a Bitcoin bull case of $189,000 and an Ethereum bull case of $5,132 in a December report.

The earlier view leaned on regulatory easing and increased adoption. The new view keeps the basic upside case alive, but resets it lower because that policy timeline has not moved as fast as Citi expected.

In practical terms, the bank is saying the market may still move up over the next year, but the fuel it expected to push prices much higher has not arrived on schedule. That is a narrower and more cautious claim than the one Citi made at the end of last year. It also shifts the focus away from pure price prediction and toward the mechanism behind the forecast.

Citi’s December case depended on regulation, ETF demand, and adoption, reinforcing one another. Its March revision suggests that the sequence now looks less certain and less immediate.

The numbers show that clearly.

AssetPrior 12-month targetNew 12-month targetTarget cutCurrent priceImplied upside to new target7-day move30-day moveBitcoin$143,000$112,00021.7%$73,777.1051.8%4.55%7.51%Ethereum$4,304$3,17526.2%$2,320.1236.8%12.7%15.38%The table captures the contradiction at the center of Citi’s revision. Prices have improved over the last week and month, especially for Ethereum, but Citi has still lowered its one-year targets. That suggests the bank is questioning whether the forces needed to sustain a larger move are strong enough to restore the December outlook.

That is especially relevant for Ethereum. Ethereum has outperformed Bitcoin over both the seven-day and 30-day windows in the latest market snapshot. Even so, Citi cut Ethereum's target by a larger percentage than Bitcoin’s, pointing to a more cautious view of the medium-term case for ETH than short-term price action alone would suggest. In other words, recent strength has not been enough to offset Citi’s concerns around adoption, policy timing, and the broader demand backdrop.

For Bitcoin, the change is slightly different. Citi still sees more than 50% upside from current levels, which means the bank has not rejected the broader institutional case for BTC. But by cutting the target from $143,000 to $112,000, it has marked down how far that case can travel in the next year under current conditions.

That leaves Bitcoin with a still-positive but less expansive upside profile, one that depends more heavily on steady inflows and less on a rapid policy tailwind.

Infographic showing Citi lowering its 12-month Bitcoin and Ethereum price targets amid legislative delays in Washington.ETF flows and market performance show support is still there, but Citi is looking past the reboundAccording to Farside, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $199 million in net inflows on March 16, bringing cumulative net inflows to $56.3 billion. Spot Ethereum ETFs posted $36 million in net inflows, with cumulative net inflows of $11.8 billion.

Those numbers show real demand is still present. But they also help explain why Citi’s revision is more nuanced than a simple bearish call. The issue is whether the current pace of flows, combined with a slower policy timeline, is strong enough to support the much higher targets Citi set in December. On that question, the bank’s answer now appears to be no.

That shift is easier to see when the December and March narratives are placed side by side. In December, Citi tied its targets to regulatory easing and wider adoption.

In March, it cut those same targets because US legislative progress had been slower than expected, according to the March 17 report. The underlying change is not that crypto prices have stopped moving. Citi is saying the policy and demand sequence it expected to amplify those moves has not come together fast enough.

CryptoSlate Daily Brief

Daily signals, zero noise.Market-moving headlines and context delivered every morning in one tight read.

5-minute digest 100k+ readers

Free. No spam. Unsubscribe any time.

You’re subscribed. Welcome aboard.

That leaves markets in an unusual position. Bitcoin and Ethereum have both recovered in recent weeks. ETF money is still coming in. Yet a major bank has decided that the one-year payoff should be reduced anyway.

That gap between price performance and target revisions is the more useful signal. It says the market can rally in the short run without persuading every large forecaster that the longer-term setup has improved by the same degree.

It also explains why Citi’s downgrade does not read like a call on day-to-day trading. The bank is cutting a 12-month target, not predicting a near-term crash. That distinction matters. Targets are about the scale of the move over time, not whether prices can keep rising over the next few sessions or even the next few weeks.

By that standard, Citi’s message is straightforward: the market can still go up, but the room above spot is smaller than the bank thought a few months ago.

The next test is whether policy and flows can rebuild the case Citi cut backThe main variable behind Citi’s reset is Washington. In January, Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott announced a digital-asset market structure markup for Jan. 15, then postponed it on Jan. 14 as negotiations continued, according to the committee’s statement and follow-up update. Senators are still working to unlock the stalled CLARITY Act through a compromise tied to stablecoin yield.

That timeline shapes Citi’s reset because it is the clearest reason the bank has given for lowering its targets. A slower policy track delays legislation and weakens confidence that a friendlier rule set will arrive soon enough to accelerate ETF demand, corporate participation, and other forms of institutional adoption within the next year.

The mechanism is concrete: if the policy step slips, the adoption step can slip with it, making price targets tied to that adoption harder to defend.

For Bitcoin, the next question is whether spot ETF inflows can keep building even without a cleaner legislative backdrop. If they can, Citi’s new target could still prove conservative. If inflows flatten or lose momentum, the bank’s cut may look early rather than late.

The same structure applies to Ethereum, but with a tighter margin for error. Ethereum's recent gains have been stronger, yet Citi’s target cut was deeper. That means ETH needs not only continued price support, but stronger evidence that usage and institutional demand can justify a higher one-year ceiling.

None of that requires a dramatic break in either direction. The data already in hand points to a narrower, more conditional setup. Citi still sees upside from current prices. ETF flows remain positive. Both Bitcoin and Ethereum have risen over the last month. But the one-year case now depends more heavily on whether policy negotiations start producing results and whether flows remain strong enough to replace the optimism Citi stripped from its December forecasts.

The next few months should show whether that caution was warranted. A legislative breakthrough, stronger ETF inflow streaks, or firmer adoption data could rebuild the case for higher targets.

More delays in Washington, softer flows, or weaker follow-through from recent market gains would support Citi’s decision to lower the bar.

For now, Citi’s revision leaves crypto with a live but reduced upside case, and with a clear test ahead, whether policy and demand can catch up to the prices that have already moved.

Mentioned in this articlePosted in

Institutional holders quietly added roughly 26,600 BTC to ETF positions during the recent recovery, a 2% increase in total holdings.

Bitcoin (BTC) touched $76,000 on March 17 to register its highest price level since early February, as institutional investors continued to put money into U.S. spot ETFs, extending a multi-day recovery streak coming after heavy outflows in February.

However, the rebound in demand is running into a key constraint, according to analyst Axel Adler Jr., with ETF investors still sitting on an average unrealized loss of $5,174, which he says could affect price action around the $80,000 mark.

ETF Flows Recover, But the $79,962 Realized Price Looms In his latest market update, Adler said that spot Bitcoin ETF flows have gone through what he called a “full cycle” over the past month, going from capitulation in mid-February to a steady recovery in the last few weeks. According to him, from February 15 to 24, the seven-day average of ETF net flows stayed negative, hitting a low of about -1,883 BTC per day on February 18.

However, around February 25, the trend changed, with flows turning positive and peaking at about +3,387 BTC per day on March 2. Adler currently puts the seven-day average at around +1,472 BTC per day, with liquidity conditions also getting better. During the same period, the total number of ETF holdings rose by about 26,600 BTC, which is a little over 2%.

The analyst sees this change as a return of institutional demand after the earlier outflows. He does, however, point out that this demand is below a clearly defined level of resistance.

That level is the realized price for the ETF cohort, which Adler mapped at $79,962, an amount showing the average cost of buying an ETF for all investors. And with BTC trading just above $74,000 after earlier hitting a six-week high, it means the group still has an overall paper loss of over $5,000.

Adler described the gap as one of the most important structural features of the current market. This is because, as Bitcoin gets closer to the realized price, more investors will get closer to breaking even, which can make it more likely for them to sell. For that reason, the market technician says that the $80,000 region is a place where upward movement may slow down unless demand is strong enough to take in the potential extra supply.

You may also like: The Old Whales Aren’t Selling: What Bitcoin’s Plunging CDD Multiple Means for the Rally Bitcoin Surges to Six-Week High as Bulls Eye $80K Bitcoin Derivatives Signal Bull Shift After 178-Hour Bear Run Market to Test Resistance Condition At the time of writing, data from CoinGecko showed BTC up over 5% in the last 7 days and the same across 30 days. However, the uptick was almost 9% over two weeks, although performance still lagged year-on-year, with the asset shedding nearly 11% from its value in that time, keeping it over 41% below its all-time high.

For now, Adler is watching the $80,000 level as the key battleground.

“A spot close above $79,962 combined with sustained ETF net inflow above +2,000 BTC per day would signal a regime change,” he wrote in his analysis.

Tags:

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure

Michael Saylor says Bitcoin could emerge as one of the biggest winners if artificial intelligence compresses corporate “terminal value” and forces markets to stop paying up for long-dated growth. His argument came in response to Chamath Palihapitiya’s latest thought experiment, which framed AI not simply as a productivity engine, but as a force that could undermine the basic assumptions behind modern equity valuation.

Palihapitiya’s core thesis was stark. If AI makes disruption faster, cheaper, and more relentless, investors may no longer be willing to underwrite cash flows far into the future. In that world, equities would stop being valued as long-duration assets and instead trade closer to what they generate right now.

“The entire architecture of modern capital markets rests on a single, rarely examined assumption: that competitive advantages compound over time. Moats persist. Brands endure. Network effects defend,” Palihapitiya wrote. “Strip that assumption away, and you aren’t just repricing some stocks, you would be dismantling the philosophical foundation of how capital has been allocated for a century.”

He then pushed that logic through a valuation framework built around disruption risk. Using a US 10-year yield of roughly 4.5% as a starting point and an equity risk premium of 4% to 5%, Palihapitiya argued that a stable, durable business might justify a 10x to 12x free cash flow multiple. But once AI-driven obsolescence becomes a serious annual risk, those multiples fall fast. At a 20% annual disruption probability, he estimated fair value at about 3.9x FCF. At 30%, it drops to 2.8x. Even 10% only gets to roughly 6.5x.

That matters because, in his telling, markets have done this before. He pointed to newspapers after digital advertising, retailers facing Amazon, oil majors during the energy transition, and even New York taxi medallions after Uber. In each case, the market was not denying the existence of current cash flows. It was repricing how long those cash flows could realistically last.

Palihapitiya extended that argument to the broader market. With the S&P 500 valued at around $58 trillion and corporate free cash flow near $2.8 trillion annually, he argued that repricing the index at 5x FCF would imply a market value of about $14 trillion, or a 75% drawdown. Even a less severe compression would radically change how capital gets allocated.

Saylor’s response was brief and reiterated his previous public stance. “If AI compresses terminal value and makes every moat temporary, capital will rotate to assets with no disruption risk,” he wrote. “Bitcoin is Digital Capital – scarce, neutral, and impervious to AI disruption. $BTC should be the primary beneficiary of this shift.”

That exchange quickly turned to a familiar fault line in Bitcoin debates: quantum risk. Palihapitiya answered that Bitcoin “would need to be quantum resistant by then,” prompting Saylor to push back. “Your AI thesis assumes the digital world is quantum-resistant. If quantum breaks cryptography, it breaks AI, cloud infrastructure, banks, and the internet—not just Bitcoin. The entire stack upgrades together.”

Palihapitiya was unconvinced. “No. A store of value has to be 100% hacking resistant. It’s an existential feature,” he wrote. “For other industries it will be important but less binary/existential.”

Others in crypto added nuance. BitGo CEO Mike Belshe said both sides were partially right, arguing that Bitcoin is likely the “low-hanging fruit” for quantum attackers even if other systems would also be affected. He added: “It’s just too easy relative to other efforts. Similarly, Bitcoin also has the easiest job to be Quantum Resistant – it’s a clean solve technically, suffering only from lack of governance and decisiveness. The banking solution(s) to Quantum will be much harder with a much longer tail of work, but at least the centralized decision making is easier.”

Helius Labs CEO Mert Mumtaz made a similar distinction from another angle: “Those systems can detect, mitigate, and fix against a quantum threat infinitely faster than bitcoin in a non-messy way. That is the cost of decentralization. An EC2 machine getting hacked (won’t happen anyway) is nowhere near the severity of your entire financial getting drained.”

At press time, Bitcoin traded at $74,140.

Bitcoin must break above the 1.0 Fib level, 1-week chart | Source: BTCUSDT on TradingView.com Featured image created with DALL.E, chart from TradingView.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

Bitcoin is no longer moving like a market under control. It is moving like pressure has started slipping out of bearish hands.

On the 17th of March, key signals aligned at once. The Inter-Exchange Flow Pulse rose, Spot sell pressure near $75K weakened, and funding stayed deeply negative.

Therefore, this did not look like a random bounce. It looked like a market preparing to punish stubborn bears.

Bitcoin’s structural signal turns bullish again The Inter-Exchange Flow Pulse crossed back above its 90-day moving average. Historically, that signal appeared when exchange liquidity started rotating with purpose again.

That was not retail noise. Those flows usually reflected activity from market makers, arbitrage desks, and larger hands repositioning capital. In particular, similar flips showed up before stronger expansion phases in 2016, 2019, and 2023.

Source: CryptoQuant After a long stretch of suppressed flows in 2025, this change hit differently. It suggested that professional capital had started moving again instead of sitting frozen.

Meanwhile, that kind of rotation often arrived before broader trading activity expanded. The market rarely sent that message politely.

The $75K sell wall disappears as BTC pushes higher Bitcoin [BTC] then pushed into $75K, and the spot market stopped offering real resistance. Sell orders around that zone thinned out, which meant the overhead wall started losing its teeth.

Source: X That mattered more than most traders wanted to admit. When ask-side liquidity faded, buyers no longer needed to fight through stacked supply.

Therefore, upward movement became easier, cleaner, and more dangerous for anyone still expecting rejection.

This was the ugly part for bears. They had leaned on visible resistance, and that resistance started disappearing in real time. Failure to do so would see the price stall again below the range. It did not, though, and that said enough.

Are negative Funding Rates fueling the next squeeze? Funding stayed deeply negative even as Bitcoin rose, showing shorts were overcrowded and increasingly trapped. Crowded positioning often fueled violent reversals once price refused to break lower.

Source: X However, squeezes needed spot demand too, and with sell pressure already weakening near $75K, this looked stronger than a cheap bounce.

Final Thoughts Bitcoin’s structure improved before sentiment caught up, and that was usually where real moves began. If Spot demand held firm, deeply negative funding could have fueled the next brutal squeeze higher.

TL;DR:

Zcash (ZEC) experienced a rally of up to 20% on March 16, reaching a high of $284 following Cypherpunk Technologies’ financial report. Cypherpunk reported a net income of $4.8 million in 2025, reversing a $67.8 million loss recorded during the 2024 fiscal year. The firm’s treasury holds 294,743 ZEC, valued with unrealized gains of $50.4 million at the close of the fiscal year, despite an average cost of $335.89. This Tuesday, privacy assets reacted strongly. In particular, the cryptocurrency ZEC rose approximately 9% over the last 24 hours, trading above $272 and positioning itself as the top-performing asset in CoinGecko’s Top 100.

This bullish movement is directly linked to the annual results of Cypherpunk Technologies (Nasdaq: CYPH). The company, backed by the Winklevoss twins, achieved a robust market capitalization as the value of its Zcash holdings skyrocketed during the token’s 800% rally in 2025.

The impact of the DAT model on Zcash valuation Cypherpunk’s transition from a biotech firm to a Digital Asset Treasury (DAT) validated its financial strategy. Although the current market price is lower than the company’s average acquisition cost, the profitability report injected confidence into institutional investors.

On the other hand, the reduction of research and development expenses in its biotech subsidiary also contributed to the positive balance. This structural shift allowed CYPH shares to rally 13% today, accumulating growth of over 40% in just five trading days.

In summary, the strategic pivot toward Zcash not only cleaned up Cypherpunk’s accounts but also positioned ZEC as a key asset for public treasuries. The market’s response suggests that the profitability of companies linked to the ecosystem is now a fundamental catalyst for the underlying asset’s price.

In the latest close session, Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL - Free Report) was up +2.36% at $104.36. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.25%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of 0.1%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq increased by 0.47%.

Shares of the company witnessed a loss of 9.43% over the previous month, trailing the performance of the Business Services sector with its loss of 1.02%, and the S&P 500's loss of 1.88%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Duolingo, Inc. in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $0.79, indicating a 9.72% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $288.25 million, up 24.92% from the year-ago period.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $3.08 per share and a revenue of $1.21 billion, representing changes of -64.06% and +16.46%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Duolingo, Inc. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 23.19% lower within the past month. Duolingo, Inc. presently features a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).

Looking at valuation, Duolingo, Inc. is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 33.1. This expresses a premium compared to the average Forward P/E of 15.6 of its industry.

It's also important to note that DUOL currently trades at a PEG ratio of 0.71. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Technology Services industry held an average PEG ratio of 1.34.

The Technology Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 188, placing it within the bottom 24% of over 250 industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our 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.

Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.

In the latest close session, Eli Lilly (LLY - Free Report) was down 5.93% at $930.50. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a gain of 0.25% for the day. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 0.1%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 0.47%.

The stock of drugmaker has fallen by 4.89% in the past month, lagging the Medical sector's loss of 4.79% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.88%.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Eli Lilly in its upcoming release. The company is slated to reveal its earnings on April 30, 2026. The company is expected to report EPS of $7.5, up 124.55% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $17.66 billion, up 38.75% from the year-ago period.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $34.16 per share and a revenue of $81.96 billion, representing changes of +41.1% and +25.74%, respectively, from the prior year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Eli Lilly. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable 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 last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.33% increase. Eli Lilly is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In the context of valuation, Eli Lilly is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 28.95. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 15.23, so one might conclude that Eli Lilly is trading at a premium comparatively.

Also, we should mention that LLY has a PEG ratio of 1.17. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.1 as trading concluded yesterday.

The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry is part of the Medical sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 201, finds itself in the bottom 18% echelons of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.

Realty Income Corp. (O - Free Report) closed at $64.09 in the latest trading session, marking a -1.28% move from the prior day. This change lagged the S&P 500's 0.25% gain on the day. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.1%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 0.47%.

The real estate investment trust's shares have seen a decrease of 1.13% over the last month, surpassing the Finance sector's loss of 5.27% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.88%.

Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Realty Income Corp. in its upcoming release. In that report, analysts expect Realty Income Corp. to post earnings of $1.1 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 3.77%. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $1.5 billion, indicating a 8.57% upward movement from the same quarter last year.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $4.45 per share and a revenue of $6.18 billion, demonstrating changes of +3.97% and +7.5%, respectively, from the preceding year.

Investors might also notice recent changes to analyst estimates for Realty Income Corp. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. 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, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.29% higher. Realty Income Corp. is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Digging into valuation, Realty Income Corp. currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 14.59. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 14.28, so one might conclude that Realty Income Corp. is trading at a premium comparatively.

One should further note that O currently holds a PEG ratio of 4.82. 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 REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.69 as trading concluded yesterday.

The REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry is part of the Finance sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 53, finds itself in the top 22% echelons 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.

Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions.

In the latest trading session, Intel (INTC - Free Report) closed at $44.06, marking a -3.72% move from the previous day. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a gain of 0.25% for the day. At the same time, the Dow added 0.1%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.47%.

The stock of world's largest chipmaker has fallen by 2.2% in the past month, lagging the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 0.87% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.88%.

Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Intel in its upcoming release. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $0, showcasing a 100% downward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $12.26 billion, indicating a 3.24% decrease compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $0.49 per share and a revenue of $53.79 billion, demonstrating changes of +16.67% and +1.77%, respectively, from the preceding year.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Intel. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

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, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 5.16% lower. Intel currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Investors should also note Intel's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 94.1. This indicates a premium in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 31.07.

We can additionally observe that INTC currently boasts a PEG ratio of 2.23. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The average PEG ratio for the Semiconductor - General industry stood at 1.75 at the close of the market yesterday.

The Semiconductor - General industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 166, putting it in the bottom 33% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.

Exxon Mobil (XOM - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $158.81, demonstrating a +1% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.25%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of 0.1%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq increased by 0.47%.

The oil and natural gas company's shares have seen an increase of 5.91% over the last month, not keeping up with the Oils-Energy sector's gain of 7.67% and outstripping the S&P 500's loss of 1.88%.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of Exxon Mobil in its upcoming release. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $1.66, indicating a 5.68% decline compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $82.47 billion, showing a 0.8% drop compared to the year-ago quarter.

In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $7.04 per share and a revenue of $331.8 billion, indicating changes of +0.72% and -0.13%, respectively, from the former year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for Exxon Mobil. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. 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, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 4.49% higher within the past month. Exxon Mobil is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

In terms of valuation, Exxon Mobil is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 22.32. This indicates a premium in contrast to its industry's Forward P/E of 11.87.

Also, we should mention that XOM has a PEG ratio of 1.23. 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. Oil and Gas - Integrated - International stocks are, on average, holding a PEG ratio of 1.13 based on yesterday's closing prices.

The Oil and Gas - Integrated - International industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 49, finds itself in the top 20% echelons of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.

SLB (SLB - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $46.13, demonstrating a +2.6% change from the preceding day's closing price. The stock outperformed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.25%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.1%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.47%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the world's largest oilfield services company had lost 10.78% lagged the Business Services sector's loss of 1.02% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.88%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of SLB in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $0.61, showcasing a 15.28% downward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $8.85 billion, up 4.21% from the year-ago period.

In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $2.88 per share and a revenue of $37.13 billion, indicating changes of -1.71% and +3.97%, respectively, from the former year.

Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for SLB. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.

Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To utilize this, we have created the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model that integrates these estimate changes and provides a functional rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 1.55% downward. At present, SLB boasts a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In the context of valuation, SLB is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 15.62. This denotes a premium relative to the industry average Forward P/E of 15.6.

It's also important to note that SLB currently trades at a PEG ratio of 3.17. 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 Technology Services was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.34 at yesterday's closing price.

The Technology Services industry is part of the Business Services sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 188, positioning it in the bottom 24% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our 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.

Be sure to use Zacks.com to monitor all these stock-influencing metrics, and more, throughout the forthcoming trading sessions.

NRG Energy (NRG - Free Report) closed at $154.75 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.49% move from the prior day. The stock outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.25%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 0.1%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 0.47%.

The power company's shares have seen a decrease of 11.53% over the last month, not keeping up with the Utilities sector's loss of 0.28% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.88%.

The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of NRG Energy in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $1.93, indicating a 26.34% decline compared to the equivalent quarter last year. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $7.42 billion, reflecting a 13.6% fall from the equivalent quarter last year.

Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $8.84 per share and revenue of $30.42 billion, indicating changes of +9.54% and -0.95%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for NRG Energy. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the business and profitability.

Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 6.86% higher within the past month. Right now, NRG Energy possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

In the context of valuation, NRG Energy is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 17.25. This represents a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 19.

The Utility - Electric Power industry is part of the Utilities sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 82, positioning it in the top 34% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow NRG in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.