Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 16th, 2026

Asset Dedication LLC trimmed its holdings in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report) by 25.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 71,879 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock after selling 24,681 shares during the quarter. Apple comprises approximately 1.3% of Asset Dedication LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Asset Dedication LLC’s holdings in Apple were worth $18,242,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AAPL. Rainier Family Wealth Inc. boosted its position in shares of Apple by 14.1% during the 1st quarter. Rainier Family Wealth Inc. now owns 24,386 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $6,189,000 after purchasing an additional 3,014 shares during the period. Eaton Cambridge Inc. raised its position in Apple by 21.3% in the first quarter. Eaton Cambridge Inc. now owns 13,968 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock valued at $3,545,000 after purchasing an additional 2,450 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in Apple in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,178,000. Summit Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Apple by 108.3% during the first quarter. Summit Wealth Partners LLC now owns 34,989 shares of the iPhone maker’s stock worth $8,880,000 after buying an additional 18,188 shares during the period. Finally, Adventist Health System Sunbelt Healthcare Corp purchased a new position in shares of Apple during the fourth quarter worth $105,482,000. 67.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Apple Trading Up 0.2% NASDAQ AAPL opened at $305.93 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Apple Inc. has a 52 week low of $223.78 and a 52 week high of $344.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.46 trillion, a PE ratio of 35.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.09. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $308.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $285.19.

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The iPhone maker reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $109.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $109.04 billion. Apple had a net margin of 27.62% and a return on equity of 135.46%. The company’s revenue was up 16.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.57 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Apple Inc. will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Apple Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th were issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 10th. Apple’s payout ratio is 12.39%.

Insider Activity In other news, insider Ben Borders sold 116 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $295.14, for a total transaction of $34,236.24. Following the sale, the insider owned 38,713 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,425,754.82. This trade represents a 0.30% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP Jennifer Newstead sold 1,439 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $307.75, for a total value of $442,852.25. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 40,107 shares in the company, valued at $12,342,929.25. This trade represents a 3.46% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Apple Here are the key news stories impacting Apple this week:

Positive Sentiment: Apple is reportedly training a China-specific large language model with Alibaba’s support. The initiative could bring Apple Intelligence to Chinese users, improve Apple’s competitive position against Huawei and reduce reliance on third-party AI models in a key market. Apple trains China-specific AI model Positive Sentiment: Apple opened an advanced manufacturing center in Houston that will support AI-server production, Mac mini assembly and workforce training. The facility reinforces Apple’s U.S. investment plans and may improve supply-chain resilience and relations with policymakers. Apple opens Houston manufacturing facility Positive Sentiment: Apple reportedly received about $2.2 billion in tariff refunds. The cash recovery could offset some trade-related expenses and support near-term earnings and cash flow. Apple tariff refund report Positive Sentiment: Apple is discussing usage-based content agreements with publishers to improve the upgraded Siri’s access to current information. A stronger Siri could help narrow Apple’s perceived AI gap and support future services growth. Apple publisher talks for Siri Neutral Sentiment: Apple proposed a 15% commission on purchases made through external links in iOS apps amid its continuing legal dispute with Epic. The proposal could preserve some App Store revenue, but the final regulatory and legal outcome remains uncertain. Apple proposes external purchase commission Neutral Sentiment: Apple’s valuation remains demanding, with a market capitalization near $4.5 trillion and a forward earnings outlook that leaves the stock sensitive to execution. An insider sale by SVP Jennifer Newstead was disclosed, though such transactions do not necessarily indicate a change in corporate fundamentals. Apple insider sale Negative Sentiment: Jefferies downgraded Apple, citing concerns about the canceled or delayed all-glass iPhone concept, limited near-term AI momentum and rising memory-chip costs. Higher component prices could pressure margins and make it harder for Apple to justify its premium valuation. Jefferies Apple downgrade and iPhone concerns Negative Sentiment: Google’s Pixel 11 is placing Gemini more deeply into the smartphone experience, raising the competitive stakes for Apple ahead of the iPhone 18 launch and Siri’s broader overhaul. Analysts Set New Price Targets AAPL has been the topic of several research reports. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. DZ Bank downgraded Apple from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $310.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Maxim Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $350.00 price target (up from $310.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Apple in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective (down from $253.00) on shares of Apple in a research note on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Apple currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $328.60.

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About Apple (Free Report)

Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) is a multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. The company designs, develops and sells consumer electronics, software and services. Over its history Apple has evolved from personal computers to a broad portfolio that spans mobile devices, wearables, home entertainment and digital services.

Apple’s principal hardware products include the iPhone smartphone, iPad tablet, Mac personal computers, Apple Watch wearable devices and a range of accessories such as AirPods and HomePod.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Apple Is Best Buy the AI Winner Hiding in the Electronics Aisle? Applied Materials Beat Everything but Wall Street’s Expectations for Margins Back From Orbit, Intuitive Machines’ Share Price Enters the Buy Zone Texas Roadhouse and Brinker International Have the Recipe Rivals Are Missing Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AAPL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL – Free Report).

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BayBridge Capital Group LLC lowered its holdings in Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META – Free Report) by 67.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 837 shares of the social networking company’s stock after selling 1,729 shares during the quarter. BayBridge Capital Group LLC’s holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $471,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Meta Platforms by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 199,995,630 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $132,015,115,000 after acquiring an additional 7,269,279 shares during the period. Auto Owners Insurance Co raised its holdings in Meta Platforms by 76,587.7% in the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 105,292,277 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $69,502,379,000 after purchasing an additional 105,154,977 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Meta Platforms by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 90,841,345 shares of the social networking company’s stock worth $59,963,463,000 after purchasing an additional 4,395,763 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Meta Platforms by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 52,806,712 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $34,734,628,000 after purchasing an additional 878,396 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors grew its holdings in Meta Platforms by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 39,558,637 shares of the social networking company’s stock valued at $26,112,735,000 after purchasing an additional 310,947 shares during the period. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Meta Platforms News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive on Meta’s long-term outlook, citing 28% revenue growth, resilient advertising demand and additional monetization opportunities in WhatsApp. Some commentary argues that the market is assigning little value to future AI and messaging revenue streams. Meta Has $27 Billion That Isn’t On Its Balance Sheet Positive Sentiment: Meta released Glimmer, an open-weight AI model that users can download and run on their own hardware, supporting Mark Zuckerberg’s strategy of broadening access to AI. The move could strengthen developer adoption and Meta’s competitive position, although its financial payoff is uncertain. Meta’s open AI, and a $250M deal gone very wrong Neutral Sentiment: Meta removed approximately 756,000 suspected under-16 accounts in Australia—462,000 from Instagram and 294,000 from Facebook—as it enforces the country’s youth social-media restrictions. The action demonstrates regulatory compliance but may raise moderation costs and reduce engagement among younger users. Meta says it has taken down 756,000 Australian teen accounts Neutral Sentiment: Institutional trading was mixed: Dodge & Cox increased its position by 1.47 million shares, while Sands Capital and Columbus Hill reduced their stakes. These transactions may influence sentiment but do not by themselves change Meta’s fundamentals. Dodge and Cox boosts Meta Platforms stake Negative Sentiment: A Ninth Circuit ruling removed a procedural barrier to more than 3,000 lawsuits alleging Meta’s product features harm young users. The court did not determine liability, but the decision allows the cases to proceed and adds potential litigation costs, damages and pressure to change platform design. How Serious Are Thousands of Addiction Lawsuits for Meta and Snap? Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that Meta’s roughly $145 billion AI investment plan and major data-center projects could produce diminishing returns, compress margins and weigh on free cash flow before monetization catches up. Meta: Diminishing Q2 CapEx ROI Is Alarming Negative Sentiment: Meta COO Javier Olivan disclosed additional sales under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, while several funds also trimmed holdings. Although planned insider sales are not necessarily bearish, they can add to near-term selling pressure. Meta COO insider stock sale Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages have recently commented on META. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $850.00 to $700.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Rosenblatt Securities cut their price target on Meta Platforms from $1,015.00 to $883.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. UBS Group decreased their price target on Meta Platforms from $766.00 to $715.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Meta Platforms from $800.00 to $750.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Monness Crespi & Hardt dropped their price objective on Meta Platforms from $890.00 to $730.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Meta Platforms presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $785.32.

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Meta Platforms Stock Down 0.9% Shares of META stock opened at $589.85 on Friday. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 1-year low of $520.26 and a 1-year high of $796.25. The company has a market cap of $1.50 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 2.23 and a quick ratio of 2.23. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $595.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $620.41.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The business had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $7.14 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 28.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.525 dividend. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Meta Platforms’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.91%.

Insiders Place Their Bets In other Meta Platforms news, COO Javier Olivan sold 1,258 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $600.00, for a total transaction of $754,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 1,517 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $910,200. This trade represents a 45.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Robert M. Kimmitt sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $561.56, for a total value of $280,780.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 2,943 shares in the company, valued at $1,652,671.08. This represents a 14.52% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 36,280 shares of company stock valued at $22,075,696 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 13.53% of the company’s stock.

Meta Platforms Profile (Free Report)

Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ: META), formerly Facebook, Inc, is a global technology company best known for building social networking services and immersive computing platforms. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company operates a family of consumer-facing products and services that connect users, creators and businesses. In October 2021 the company rebranded as Meta to reflect an expanded strategic focus on augmented and virtual reality technologies alongside its social media businesses.

Meta’s core consumer products include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and community building across mobile and desktop devices.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Meta Platforms Is Best Buy the AI Winner Hiding in the Electronics Aisle? Applied Materials Beat Everything but Wall Street’s Expectations for Margins Back From Orbit, Intuitive Machines’ Share Price Enters the Buy Zone Texas Roadhouse and Brinker International Have the Recipe Rivals Are Missing

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For Alphabet (GOOG -0.12%) (GOOGL -0.13%), I think there's one metric that defines the entire stock: Its cloud computing growth rate. In Q2, Google Cloud revenues grew at an incredible 82% pace. That's about double the pace its cloud computing peers are growing at.

I think this showcases that Alphabet's platform is rising as one of the best available, and if it keeps this growth up, it could push the stock to new heights. I think that adds up to make Alphabet stock a great buy, particularly now, while it's still down by more than 10% from its all-time high.

Image source: Getty Images.

Google Cloud's growth rate isn't done accelerating What makes Google Cloud's Q2 growth rate of 82% so impressive is how quickly it has accelerated. In Q1, it was 63%. In Q4 2025, it was 48%, and in Q3 2025, it was 34%. That's some rapid acceleration, and I think there's a pretty easy explanation for it.

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Alphabet has been spending big on data center infrastructure over the past few years, but those outlays really ramped up in 2025. As the resulting computing capacity came online throughout the year and into 2026, it allowed Alphabet to convert more of its cloud backlog into growth. Last month, Alphabet increased its capital expenditure guidance range for 2026 by another $15 billion to $195 billion to $205 billion, around double 2025's levels.

GOOG Capital Expenditures (TTM) data by YCharts.

This will extend its rapid growth rate well into 2027, but I think that trend could last for several more years beyond that. During Q1's conference call, Alphabet's management team informed investors that 2027's capital expenditures would be "significantly" higher than 2026's. That showcases that the company perceives that there's still massive unmet demand, and that will allow Google Cloud's revenue growth rate to stay elevated.

Another catalyst that's coming later this year and into 2027 is the sales of its custom AI chips, Tensor Processing Units (TPUs). TPUs are incredible computing units and can outperform GPUs on a cost basis as long as the workload is properly configured and within the narrow range of workloads they are designed for. They were designed in-house by Google in collaboration with Broadcom (AVGO -5.94%), and adding sales to external customers to the results from its already booming computing unit will add fuel to the fire.

Over the next few quarters, I wouldn't be surprised to see this business unit post triple-digit percentage growth rates, which will boost Alphabet's business overall. This makes Alphabet a great stock to consider buying now, as it's just beginning to benefit from one of the greatest growth catalysts it has ever experienced.

Essential Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 119.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 5,289 shares of the software giant’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,884 shares during the period. Microsoft makes up 0.7% of Essential Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Essential Partners LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $1,958,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MSFT. Markel Group Inc. raised its holdings in Microsoft by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 537,630 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $199,014,000 after acquiring an additional 1,950 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in Microsoft by 8.4% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 6,921,677 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $2,562,197,000 after buying an additional 537,634 shares during the period. Taylor Securities Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Microsoft in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,616,000. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 15.7% during the 4th quarter. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management now owns 12,492 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $6,041,000 after acquiring an additional 1,698 shares during the period. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 138.8% in the first quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 1,356,359 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $502,077,000 after acquiring an additional 788,297 shares during the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Microsoft Trading Down 0.3%
NASDAQ MSFT opened at $495.40 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $3.68 trillion, a P/E ratio of 27.58, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.11. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $411.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $408.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Microsoft Corporation has a 52 week low of $349.20 and a 52 week high of $553.72.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The business had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.65 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Announces Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.27%.

Microsoft News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Microsoft this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to highlight Microsoft’s Azure expansion, accelerating Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption, and the company’s ability to sustain double-digit earnings growth. Microsoft’s latest quarter also exceeded expectations, with revenue of approximately $90 billion and earnings growth supported by Azure. Microsoft’s Cloud Gains Can Sustain Double-Digit Earnings Growth
Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its Microsoft price target to $625, citing stronger Copilot demand and accelerating infrastructure investment. Other analysts remain bullish, with a six-month median target near $540, reinforcing investor confidence in Microsoft’s long-term AI positioning. JPMorgan Raises Microsoft Price Target
Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is combining its consumer and enterprise Copilot applications into a unified platform, potentially improving distribution, user engagement, and monetization as it competes with ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. Microsoft Unifies Copilot Applications
Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft approved the first AI data-center deployment under its $9.7 billion agreement with IREN, supporting Azure capacity expansion. The deal improves supply visibility but also underscores Microsoft’s substantial capital requirements. IREN Delivers First AI Cloud Deployment
Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that Microsoft’s roughly $175 billion AI infrastructure spending plan could pressure free cash flow and cloud margins. A reported decline in cloud gross margin and higher data-center, chip, electricity, and labor costs raise questions about how much of the company’s large AI backlog will translate into profit. Microsoft’s AI Backlog and Profitability Concerns
Negative Sentiment: Reports that Microsoft has closed at least 15 China offices and joint ventures add geopolitical and operational uncertainty, although Azure reportedly provides a profitable reason to retain a limited China presence. Microsoft Retreats in China

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of equities analysts have weighed in on MSFT shares. Rothschild & Co Redburn cut their price target on shares of Microsoft from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Mizuho decreased their target price on Microsoft from $515.00 to $490.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. China Renaissance cut their price target on shares of Microsoft from $630.00 to $550.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $660.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, UBS Group set a $525.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Microsoft has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $560.27.

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Insider Transactions at Microsoft
In related news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. The trade was a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total value of $2,388,068.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 37,310 shares of company stock worth $17,256,219. Corporate insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

About Microsoft
(Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft develops, licenses and supports a broad range of software products, services and devices for consumers, enterprises and governments worldwide. Its operations span personal computing, productivity software, cloud infrastructure, enterprise applications, developer tools and gaming.

Microsoft’s product portfolio includes the Windows operating system and the Microsoft 365 suite of productivity and collaboration tools (Office apps, Outlook, Teams).

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).

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Avalon Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 264,958 shares of the Internet television network’s stock, valued at approximately $18,918,000. Netflix makes up 1.2% of Avalon Trust Co’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Netflix by 912.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 390,014,981 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $36,567,805,000 after buying an additional 351,493,659 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Netflix by 927.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 176,780,995 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $16,574,986,000 after acquiring an additional 159,578,053 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Netflix by 892.0% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 99,598,678 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $9,305,336,000 after acquiring an additional 89,558,684 shares during the period. Capital World Investors raised its position in shares of Netflix by 859.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 89,341,444 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $8,376,656,000 after acquiring an additional 80,025,890 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of Netflix by 685.8% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 86,058,878 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $8,068,882,000 after purchasing an additional 75,107,069 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes
Several research firms have recently issued reports on NFLX. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $95.00 price target on Netflix and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Pivotal Research cut their target price on Netflix from $96.00 to $70.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Barclays reduced their target price on Netflix from $85.00 to $80.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 17th. Raymond James Financial restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Netflix in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $90.00 price target (down from $115.00) on shares of Netflix in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have assigned a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Netflix currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $103.48.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Netflix

Netflix Stock Performance
Shares of Netflix stock opened at $78.16 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $74.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $84.54. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company has a market capitalization of $325.45 billion, a PE ratio of 24.60, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.52. Netflix, Inc. has a 12 month low of $65.08 and a 12 month high of $126.71.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 16th. The Internet television network reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $12.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.58 billion. Netflix had a return on equity of 40.02% and a net margin of 28.22%.The company’s revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.72 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Netflix, Inc. will post 3.59 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, CEO Theodore A. Sarandos sold 105,850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.03, for a total transaction of $7,730,225.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 206,266 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,063,605.98. This represents a 33.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Spencer Adam Neumann sold 9,248 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.79, for a total transaction of $700,905.92. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 73,787 shares in the company, valued at $5,592,316.73. This trade represents a 11.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 600,295 shares of company stock worth $49,056,671 in the last three months. 1.24% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Netflix
Here are the key news stories impacting Netflix this week:

Positive Sentiment: Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square disclosed a new Netflix position of approximately 3.15 million shares, representing about 4.9% of the fund’s portfolio. Ackman said Netflix has effectively “won the streaming wars,” renewing investor interest after the stock’s major sell-off. Reuters article
Positive Sentiment: Analysts and investing commentators point to Netflix’s resilient fundamentals: second-quarter revenue rose 13.4% year over year to $12.6 billion, earnings per share slightly exceeded estimates, and profitability remained strong. The advertising business, expanding margins and a valuation viewed as reasonable relative to growth are supporting the bullish case. Zacks article
Positive Sentiment: Netflix’s continued push into live sports—including an MLB “Field of Dreams” game—and the extension of its Seinfeld agreement could strengthen engagement, advertising opportunities and content retention. MLB live sports article
Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning is mixed: some large investors added shares while others reduced holdings. Analysts’ reported price targets remain above the current market level, but investors still must weigh valuation and slowing growth expectations.
Negative Sentiment: Netflix closed its Hollywood-based Night School gaming studio and plans to close Helsinki-based Moonloot. The closures may improve focus and reduce costs, but they also raise questions about the company’s gaming strategy and ability to expand beyond streaming. Los Angeles Times article
Negative Sentiment: Reported insider trading shows 30 Netflix open-market sales and no purchases over the past six months. While such sales may reflect compensation or diversification, the one-sided pattern can weigh on sentiment and contrasts with Ackman’s new bullish position. Quiver Quantitative article

Netflix Company Profile
(Free Report)

Netflix, Inc (NASDAQ: NFLX) is a global entertainment company that provides subscription-based streaming of films, television series, documentaries and other video content. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph and headquartered in Los Gatos, California, the company began as a DVD-by-mail rental service and introduced streaming video in 2007. Netflix later expanded into producing and distributing original programming, beginning notable original hits in the 2010s, and now operates a content production and distribution ecosystem alongside its licensing activity.

The company’s primary product is its on-demand streaming service, which can be accessed on a wide range of internet-connected devices and delivered through a suite of apps and web platforms.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NFLX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX – Free Report).

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 16th, 2026

ABN AMRO Bank N.V. purchased a new position in shares of Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 162,736 shares of the network equipment provider’s stock, valued at approximately $19,114,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in CSCO. Summit Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Cisco Systems during the second quarter valued at approximately $703,000. S&CO Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the 2nd quarter worth $12,583,000. Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the 2nd quarter worth $1,703,000. EJMK Ventures LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the second quarter valued at about $1,200,000. Finally, Bellars Harris Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Cisco Systems in the second quarter valued at about $13,255,000. Institutional investors own 73.33% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. New Street Research boosted their price target on shares of Cisco Systems from $82.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Cisco Systems from $132.00 to $138.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Cisco Systems from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Cisco Systems from $116.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Cisco Systems from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Cisco Systems presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $129.43.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Cisco Systems

Insider Buying and Selling at Cisco Systems In other Cisco Systems news, EVP Oliver Tuszik sold 2,607 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.12, for a total value of $315,759.84. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 172,727 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,920,694.24. This trade represents a 1.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Charles Robbins sold 21,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.03, for a total value of $2,568,642.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 637,085 shares in the company, valued at approximately $76,469,312.55. The trade was a 3.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,134 shares of company stock valued at $3,739,000. Company insiders own 0.01% of the company’s stock.

Cisco Systems Stock Performance Shares of CSCO stock opened at $111.68 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.93. The firm has a market cap of $440.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.02. Cisco Systems, Inc. has a 52 week low of $65.75 and a 52 week high of $130.37. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $117.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $99.09.

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The network equipment provider reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.05. Cisco Systems had a net margin of 20.95% and a return on equity of 30.16%. The firm had revenue of $17.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.99 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Cisco Systems has set its FY 2027 guidance at 5.050-5.110 EPS and its Q1 2027 guidance at 1.320-1.340 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Cisco Systems, Inc. will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Cisco Systems Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 2nd. Cisco Systems’s dividend payout ratio is 50.30%.

Key Stories Impacting Cisco Systems Here are the key news stories impacting Cisco Systems this week:

Positive Sentiment: AI demand is accelerating. Cisco reported fiscal Q4 revenue of approximately $17.3 billion, up 18% year over year, and adjusted EPS of $1.22 versus the $1.17 consensus estimate. AI infrastructure orders increased 4.5 times to $9.3 billion for fiscal 2026, while management expects approximately $7.5 billion of hyperscaler AI infrastructure revenue in fiscal 2027. Chuck Robbins Says AI Is Fueling a Networking Supercycle Positive Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 guidance exceeded expectations. Management forecast roughly 15% revenue growth, supported by hyperscaler spending, data-center switching and broader networking upgrades. Several firms—including UBS, Truist, Wells Fargo, KeyCorp, Morgan Stanley and Rosenblatt—raised their price targets and maintained bullish ratings, suggesting long-term upside if the AI networking cycle continues. Cisco Just Gave Investors Three Big Reasons to Be Bullish Neutral Sentiment: The market is demanding faster growth. Despite the earnings beat and upbeat outlook, Cisco’s shares have decreased because expectations were already elevated after a substantial rally. Investors are questioning whether the company’s AI momentum can remain strong beyond the current infrastructure buildout and whether Cisco’s premium valuation is justified. Cisco Shares Slide Despite Earnings Beat and Strong Guidance Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure is the primary concern. AI infrastructure growth is arriving mainly through lower-margin hardware, creating mix-related gross-margin compression and raising questions about how profitably Cisco can scale orders. HSBC downgraded CSCO to Hold from Buy and reduced its price target to $120 from $137, citing a lack of near-term catalysts even after the strong quarter. Cisco Beat on Every Line, Then Fell on What AI Costs to Ship Cisco Systems Profile (Free Report)

Cisco Systems, Inc is a global technology company that designs, manufactures and sells networking hardware, software and telecommunications equipment. Its core business focuses on enabling enterprise and service-provider networks through products such as routers, switches, network security appliances and wireless systems. Over time Cisco has broadened its portfolio to emphasize software-defined networking, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure and edge computing solutions that help organizations build and manage modern IT environments.

In addition to hardware, Cisco offers a growing range of software platforms and subscription services for network management, security, analytics and collaboration.

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 16th, 2026

Bridgewater Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 7,677 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,089,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ORCL. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC increased its stake in Oracle by 76.9% in the third quarter. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 115 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Sherman Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Oracle by 5.5% in the 1st quarter. Sherman Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,054 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock worth $155,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Southern Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Oracle by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Southern Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,446 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock valued at $654,000 after buying an additional 57 shares during the period. Global Financial Private Client LLC grew its holdings in Oracle by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Global Financial Private Client LLC now owns 7,836 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock valued at $1,153,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the period. Finally, Talisman Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Oracle by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Talisman Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,086 shares of the enterprise software provider’s stock valued at $675,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 42.44% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages have recently weighed in on ORCL. Arete Research set a $255.00 price objective on shares of Oracle and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Oracle in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on shares of Oracle from $319.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, June 11th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Oracle in a report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Scotiabank reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Oracle in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Oracle presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $263.97.

View Our Latest Analysis on ORCL

Oracle News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Oracle this week:

Positive Sentiment: Oracle and Amazon Web Services expanded their long-term collaboration, with Oracle AI Database@AWS now available in 22 AWS regions. The offering includes Exadata-class performance and pay-per-use pricing, potentially accelerating enterprise cloud migrations and AI-related revenue. Oracle and AWS Deepen Strategic Collaboration Positive Sentiment: A multiyear partnership with Quantinuum will bring quantum-computing capabilities to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. Although an early-stage opportunity, the deal broadens Oracle’s AI and cloud growth narrative and helped support investor interest. Quantinuum’s Cloud Deal With Oracle Neutral Sentiment: Oracle’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with revenue rising 20.6% year over year and earnings surpassing consensus estimates. However, investors remain focused on whether growth can offset the capital requirements of Oracle’s AI infrastructure buildout. Neutral Sentiment: Technical coverage has identified the 50-day moving average as an important support or resistance level. This may encourage short-term trading activity but does not materially change the company’s fundamental outlook. Oracle Crossed Above the 50-Day Moving Average Negative Sentiment: Reports that Oracle is considering additional layoffs have heightened concerns about cash flow and operating pressure as the company funds aggressive AI data-center expansion. The spending is also increasing leverage and debt-servicing risk. Oracle Weighs Another Round of Job Cuts Negative Sentiment: Credit-downgrade concerns, higher bond-insurance costs and Oracle’s substantial debt burden are fueling fears that AI investment could strain its balance sheet. These concerns are the primary reason behind the recent sell-off. Oracle Junk Bond Fears and Debt Surge Negative Sentiment: Investor Michael Burry reportedly increased his short position in Oracle, arguing that excess AI-computing capacity could emerge by 2028. The high-profile bearish call adds pressure to a stock already facing skepticism about AI valuations and spending returns. Michael Burry Doubles Down on Oracle Shorts Insider Activity at Oracle In related news, Vice Chairman Jeffrey Henley sold 400,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.16, for a total transaction of $63,664,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 400,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $63,664,000. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 40.90% of the company’s stock.

Oracle Price Performance Oracle stock opened at $150.32 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $149.89 and a 200-day moving average of $161.60. Oracle Corporation has a 52-week low of $114.50 and a 52-week high of $345.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $432.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.78, a PEG ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.72.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, June 10th. The enterprise software provider reported $2.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.15. Oracle had a net margin of 25.37% and a return on equity of 58.62%. The business had revenue of $19.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.10 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.70 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 20.6% on a year-over-year basis. Oracle has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 1.720-1.760 EPS and its FY 2027 guidance at 8.050-8.050 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Oracle Corporation will post 6.47 EPS for the current year.

Oracle Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Oracle’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.31%.

Oracle Profile (Free Report)

Oracle Corporation is a multinational technology company that develops and sells database software, cloud engineered systems, enterprise software applications and related services. The company is widely known for its flagship Oracle Database and a portfolio of enterprise-grade software products that support data management, application development, analytics and middleware. Over recent years Oracle has expanded its focus to include cloud infrastructure and cloud applications, positioning itself as a provider of both platform and software-as-a-service solutions for large organizations.

Oracle’s product and service offerings include Oracle Database and the Autonomous Database, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), enterprise resource planning (ERP), human capital management (HCM) and supply chain management (SCM) cloud applications (often grouped under Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications), middleware such as WebLogic, and developer technologies including Java and MySQL.

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« PREVIOUS HEADLINEApplied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Royal Bank Of Canada Analyst Says

NEXT HEADLINE »5,862 Shares in Danaher Corporation $DHR Acquired by Bridgewater Advisors Inc.

Adobe (ADBE -2.39%) trades at $264.02 as of this writing, about 29% below its 52-week high of $370.86. After that slide, the stock costs about 15 times the earnings it reported over the past year. It costs about 11 times the non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings management expects for the current fiscal year, and roughly 10 times what analysts project for the year after that.

Multiples like these are what the market typically assigns to businesses whose profits have stopped growing, or are about to. Adobe grew revenue 13% last quarter, to a record. In other words, the price and the results disagree.

Is the creative software giant a business in decline, or one of the cheaper growth stocks in the market?

Image source: Getty Images.

Records, not decline Adobe's fiscal second quarter of 2026 (the period ended May 29) was the best in the company's history by revenue -- $6.62 billion, up 13% year over year, or 11% in constant currency. Growth was 11% in the year-ago quarter and 12% in this year's fiscal first quarter. Measured in constant currency, all three quarters grew 11% -- steady, not accelerating.

The growth was broad, too. Subscription revenue from the company's business professionals and consumers group (the one built around Acrobat and other everyday productivity tools) rose 16% year over year, while subscription revenue from the larger creative and marketing professionals group grew 13%. Profits kept pace. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $5.96, up 18% year over year, alongside $4.25 per share on a GAAP basis.

The recurring base kept building as well. Adobe exited fiscal Q2 with $27.1 billion in annualized recurring revenue (including about $480 million from newly acquired Semrush), and its remaining performance obligations (contracted revenue not yet recognized) stood at $22.3 billion. On the strength of the quarter, management raised its full-year targets for both revenue and adjusted earnings per share, and it said annualized recurring revenue from its artificial intelligence (AI)-first products tripled year over year, exceeding $500 million.

And the company keeps shrinking its share count. Adobe generated $2.17 billion in operating cash flow during the quarter and repurchased about 8.5 million shares -- roughly 2% of its shares outstanding, in three months.

The AI worry Of course, there are reasons the stock is this cheap, and the biggest is the AI threat itself. Generative AI can now produce images, video, and design work on its own, and if that is where creation is headed, fewer people may need Adobe's professional tools.

For now, however, the fear shows up in Adobe's stock price far more than in its reported numbers. The soft spots are modest. Total annualized recurring revenue is on pace to grow about 10% this fiscal year, slower than revenue -- and that pace leans on the roughly $480 million of recurring revenue that arrived with the Semrush deal, so the organic base is likely slowing more than the headline number shows. The company took a roughly $70 million goodwill impairment on its publishing and advertising unit in fiscal Q2.

And Adobe's chief financial officer departed in June, with Steve Day, a 20-year company veteran, stepping in on an interim basis. The bigger open seat is the top one. CEO Shantanu Narayen said in March, after 18 years in the job, that he'll step aside once the board names a successor. Each of those is worth watching, and none of them shows up in the growth numbers yet.

The AI-first recurring revenue figure cuts the other way entirely. A product group tripling to more than $500 million in annualized recurring revenue inside Adobe is, so far, evidence of AI adding to the company's sales. The threat may still arrive. It hasn't yet.

Today's Change

(

-2.39

%) $

-6.47

Current Price

$

264.02

A decline the numbers don't show At roughly 10 times next year's expected earnings, the market is pricing Adobe as if its growth is about to stop.

But things don't look that way.

A company growing revenue at a double-digit rate, raising its guidance, and buying back 2% of its shares in a single quarter doesn't usually trade at these multiples unless the market believes something is about to break.

Maybe something will. AI is arguably the most serious competitive threat Adobe has faced in a long time, and a technology shift this large could eventually pull customers away faster than it adds revenue.

But that would be a future problem showing up in future numbers. In the reported ones, revenue set a record last quarter, the revenue and adjusted earnings targets went up in June, and the products the market fears most are the ones growing fastest. The stock is priced for a decline that, for now, exists only in the forecast.

Ultimately, I think shares look attractive here.

Real world assets (RWAs) are playing an increasingly influential role in decentralized finance, according to recent data from Hyperliquid and DeFiLlama Research. The integration of tokenized traditional assets into on-chain markets has contributed substantially to new-user adoption patterns during the first half of 2026.

Surge in RWA-First User AdoptionBetween January and June 2026, the Hyperliquid platform recorded 534,362 wallets making their first trades. Of this group, 169,514 wallets began their activity by trading RWAs, according to DeFiLlama’s analysis. This RWA-driven group represented 31.7% of all new-user onboardings during the period.

DeFiLlama Research noted that these new wallets did not simply diversify their portfolios but entered the DeFi ecosystem specifically for access to tokenized real world assets. This suggests that RWA markets are drawing in a unique user segment distinct from existing crypto participants.

Trading and Fee BreakdownRWA-First wallets contributed $111.6 billion in trading volume during the period, accounting for 31.5% of total new-user trading activity. However, these users largely limited their activity to RWA products, reinforcing the notion that tokenized traditional assets can attract dedicated market participants.

RWA-First wallets generated $34.1 million in fees, representing 8.3% of the $412.6 million in new user fees. Over 80% of fees were attributed to Other-First wallets, indicating that long-standing crypto users contribute more platform revenue compared to RWA-focused newcomers.

Other-First wallets, typically crypto-native users, accounted for a significant proportion of RWA market volume by progressively diversifying their activity into these products. Specifically, DeFiLlama’s analysis found that crypto-focused users contributed 40% of RWA market volumes, while RWA-First wallets remained primarily active in their initial product segment.

Wallet TypeNumber of New WalletsTrading Volume ($)Fees Generated ($)Share of RWA VolumeRWA-First169,514$111.6 billion$34.1 million60%Other-First364,848Data not specified$378.5 million40%Product Expansion and Market WavesThe surge in RWA onboarding follows the launch of Hyperliquid’s HIP-3 framework in October 2025. This permissionless listing system allows qualifying market builders to introduce new perpetual contracts by staking 500,000 HYPE. The initiative expanded access to multiple asset classes, including equities, commodities, indices, and foreign exchange.

DefiLlama observed significant spikes in user adoption correlating with new market launches. For example, the S&P 500 perpetual market attracted over 38,000 unique wallets within eight days of opening. Similarly, in June, the introduction of a SpaceX pre-IPO market drove another onboarding wave.

Mini dictionary: HIP-3: A Hyperliquid framework enabling any qualified participant to create and list new perpetual futures markets for various asset classes, provided they stake the required amount of the HYPE token. This system removes centralized control from market listings, supporting broader user-driven innovation.

Despite robust user engagement, economic returns from RWA-First onboarding appear mixed. The research highlights that user acquisition and trading activity are increasing, while monetization remains centered on more established, crypto-native users who are active across multiple markets.

Outlook for Hyperliquid and RWAsLooking ahead, Hyperliquid’s growth in the RWA segment will likely depend on whether users initially attracted by tokenized traditional assets expand their involvement into broader market offerings. Current data signals that RWA markets are successfully enlarging DeFi’s user base, but the platform’s economic value hinges on encouraging cross-market participation.

Hyperliquid is a decentralized trading platform known for supporting perpetual futures across digital and tokenized real-world assets.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

Recent price declines in XRP have not dampened the optimism of cryptocurrency commentator X Finance Bull, who expressed increased confidence following a significant announcement from Evernorth Holdings. The company, which manages a large XRP treasury, has revised its plans for a proposed listing on Nasdaq, maintaining its strategy while taking steps that could increase investor exposure to XRP with each share.

X Finance Bull pointed to changes in Evernorth’s subscription agreements regarding a private placement of its common shares. The modification is linked to the company’s proposed business combination with Armada Acquisition Corp. II. Unlike the original arrangement, which used a fixed XRP price of $2.36 set at the time of signing, the updated structure will use XRP’s market value at closing to determine the final deal terms.

With this adjustment, if the value of XRP changes by the time the transaction closes, the number of shares issued could be affected. Specifically, a higher XRP value at closing would lead to fewer shares being issued, meaning each share represents a larger portion of Evernorth’s XRP reserves. This structure gives investors greater XRP exposure per share if market conditions are favorable at closing.

Evernorth’s updated agreement aims to align its capitalization more closely with the current market value of its underlying XRP holdings, with the intention of increasing XRP per share and sustaining ecosystem development.

Evernorth stated that its overall strategy and the amount of XRP in its treasury remain unchanged with these amendments. The company reiterated its goal of growing the XRP ecosystem and maximizing the value of each share through active treasury management.

Mini dictionary: Evernorth Holdings is a company focused on cryptocurrency investments, particularly XRP, and it is pursuing a public market listing through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

Over 95% of capital backers approve structural changesX Finance Bull noted that institutional support for Evernorth’s revised deal terms remains strong. The company confirmed that more than 95% of investors who committed capital to the transaction have agreed to the amended structure.

Key supporters of the plan include well-known firms such as Arrington Capital, SBI Group, Ripple, Pantera Capital, Kraken, and GSR. This backing from major industry names supports the credibility of Evernorth’s approach ahead of its possible public-market debut.

X Finance Bull emphasized that Evernorth’s public market strategy is distinguished by its commitment to increasing the value of XRP per share through strategic treasury operations and broader ecosystem engagement.

The commentator argued that the combination of Evernorth’s treasury-focused business model and the recent adjustments makes the company more than just another investment vehicle in the market.

Key Evernorth BackersSupport RateArrington Capital, SBI Group, Ripple, Pantera Capital, Kraken, GSROver 95% of committed capitalX Finance Bull’s positive stance centers on Evernorth’s stated goal of maximizing the amount of XRP behind each share. He believes that if Evernorth completes its proposed Nasdaq listing and attracts new public-market capital, it could further scale its XRP treasury and ultimately boost XRP per share over time.

For now, Evernorth continues working toward its Nasdaq debut, while the revised deal terms ensure that the share count at closing will directly reflect XRP’s market price on the day the transaction is finalized.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

Binance has extended its rewards push around Ripple USD with another four-week campaign offering one million XRP to eligible RLUSD holders. 

Summary

Binance extended its RLUSD rewards campaign through September 11 with one million XRP available overall. Eligible users need at least 0.01 RLUSD and $500 in average daily derivatives trading volume. One million XRP will be distributed across four weekly installments beginning August 21 to participants. Borrowed stablecoin-funded RLUSD receives a 60% haircut when Binance calculates qualifying margin balances for rewards. Ripple officially reported $1.59 billion of RLUSD circulating against $1.70 billion in reserve funds recently. The new campaign began at 00:00 UTC on Aug. 14 and runs through Sept. 11, according to the exchange’s updated announcement. Rewards will be distributed every Friday across four installments.

The follow-on program started immediately after Binance’s first RLUSD campaign ended on Aug. 14. That earlier promotion offered $800,000 worth of XRP across four weekly distributions beginning July 17. As crypto.news previously reported, the first campaign tied XRP rewards to eligible RLUSD balances held through Binance Earn and Margin products.

Binance keeps RLUSD eligibility rules largely unchanged To qualify, users must maintain at least 0.01 RLUSD in an eligible Earn or Margin account and record at least $500 in average daily Margin or Futures trading volume. The trading volume can come from any supported pair as long as RLUSD is being used as collateral.

Binance calculates rewards using each user’s qualifying RLUSD balance and an effective annualized percentage rate determined for each weekly period. The lowest RLUSD balance observed during hourly snapshots becomes the qualifying balance for that day. There is no stated individual reward cap.

RLUSD created by borrowing other stablecoins receives different treatment. Binance applies a 60% haircut to the leveraged portion after accounting for liabilities involving USDT, USDC, U, USD1 and FDUSD. RLUSD that is itself recorded as a borrowing liability is excluded from the qualifying balance.

One million XRP will be distributed through Sept. 11 The first distribution under the new campaign is scheduled for Aug. 21, followed by payments on Aug. 28, Sept. 4 and Sept. 11. Binance will determine the effective APR and XRP valuation for each period at the time of distribution.

The prior campaign shows how those rates can move. Its effective APR started at 22.25% for the first week, then fell to 8.22%, 8.08% and 7.69% in subsequent distributions. Binance warns that the APR is “not indicative of future results” and may fluctuate from week to week.

The new reward pool is denominated directly in one million XRP rather than a fixed dollar value. Its final dollar value will therefore depend on the XRP price Binance uses for each weekly distribution.

U.S. and European users face participation restrictions The campaign is not available globally. Binance’s current exclusion list includes the U.S., UK, Canada, Japan and numerous European Economic Area jurisdictions. Users must also complete KYC and remain in an eligible jurisdiction. Binance notes that the exclusion list can change as regulatory requirements develop.

The geographic limits are particularly relevant for RLUSD because Binance warns that unauthorized stablecoins face restrictions for EEA users under MiCA. Holding RLUSD alone does not make a user eligible for the promotion.

RLUSD supply remains near $1.6 billion The campaign comes after Binance listed RLUSD and XRP-linked trading pairs in January, expanding the stablecoin’s availability on one of the largest crypto trading platforms.

Ripple’s latest official transparency data shows $1.5896 billion of RLUSD in circulation against $1.7026 billion of reserve funds as of Aug. 6. Standard Custody & Trust Company issues RLUSD under supervision from the New York Department of Financial Services, while independent CPA attestations are published monthly.

What happens next The next confirmed milestone is the first new XRP distribution on Aug. 21. Binance will then publish the effective APR and XRP token value used for that reward period. Three additional weekly distributions are scheduled before the campaign closes on Sept. 11.

For users, the amount received will depend on qualifying RLUSD balances, total eligible balances across the campaign and the effective APR. The one million XRP figure is the total pool rather than a guaranteed amount or fixed return for any individual participant.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik published an article outlining the core goals of Ethereum’s current scaling strategy. He first acknowledged the Bitcoin community’s pioneering technical contributions, then clarified that Ethereum’s proposed scaling strategy is advancing along that direction. Vitalik emphasized: “We want Ethereum to have both UTXO-style state, dynamic state, and all the advantages of both.” This means Ethereum is seeking to integrate the Bitcoin UTXO model’s strengths in efficient state management, light node verification, and scalability with its own flexible account model, smart contract ecosystem, and dynamic state capabilities. Vitalik reiterated that the ultimate goal of Ethereum’s scaling efforts is to achieve “hyperscaling” for the vast majority of activities on the network, without sacrificing three core attributes: decentralization, node operation convenience, and censorship resistance. Ethereum’s roadmap is shifting from a sole focus on scalability to a systematic effort to strike a better balance between scalability and decentralized resilience.

Relevant content

Binance Life token surges 8%, briefly breaks through $0.54

According to HTX market data, after CZ announced he would donate the 'Binance Life' token from his public address to Giggle Academy and deactivate that address, the Binance Life token rallied 8% in the short term, breaking above $0.54. It is now trading at $0.51, with a 24-hour gain of 8.2%.

6 hours ago

CZ announced that he will disable public addresses to prevent his operations from being overinterpreted by the community, noting that BNB and "Binance Life" will be donated to Giggle Academy.

Binance founder CZ stated at Binance Square that many people are overinterpreting the meaning behind his actions. Today, while testing Trust Wallet, he found so many meme tokens in the wallet that it was difficult to even locate BNB. He then attempted to burn some of the tokens, a move that sparked extensive community discussion. CZ noted he realized he could never fully "clean up" all meme coins from that address: the more he burns, the more people will send coins to it. The transparent nature of blockchain means any activity on this address will be overinterpreted by the community. He even considered requesting the Trust Wallet team to add an "Ignore Coin" feature to prevent interface clutter, but pointed out that 99.99% of users would never use such a function. His plan is to donate BNB and the "Binance Life" tokens purchased with BNB to Giggle Academy, then cease using this address and leave it as a burn address.

6 hours ago

Tom Lee: In the AI era, the scarcity of the "human" element in investments is emerging as a core pricing factor. I am heavily invested in Robinhood because I am bullish on Vlad Tenev.

BitMine, the firm holding the largest Ethereum treasury, Chairman Tom Lee laid out a core thesis in an interview: In AI and high-growth sectors, a founder’s vision and leadership have emerged as the true differentiated competitive advantage, even outweighing technology itself. The directional sense of top-tier founders cannot be replaced by AI. Sam Altman would never ask ChatGPT “What should I do?”; the same applies to Anthropic’s founder and Elon Musk. OpenAI’s survival hinges entirely on Sam Altman himself, not on passively feeding questions to AI for answers. Tom Lee argues this is the key differentiator: a founder’s foresight and judgment cannot be replicated by AI, even as models can be open-sourced and technology can be caught up. Under this framework, Tom Lee classifies Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev into the same “founder vision-driven” category. Robinhood operates in markets like retail trading, new-generation investors, and fintech penetration—all growing far faster than the overall economy. Vlad’s leadership and vision are critical to the company’s ability to seize these opportunities. A major reason Tom Lee’s own firm Fundstrat holds a heavy Robinhood position is Vlad Tenev himself: rather than focusing solely on valuations or short-term metrics, Fundstrat recognizes the founder’s long-term vision and execution. In the AI era’s investment framework, the scarcity of “human” factors is becoming a core pricing driver.

6 hours ago

Meme coin MarsCoin slumped to a market cap of $7 million, plunging 65% in a single minute after nearly halving in value.

According to GMGN data, the BSC-based meme coin MarsCoin (contract address starting with 0x1706) saw a sharp short-term plunge after surging over 400x in a single day, hitting an all-time high of over $36 million in market cap earlier tonight. Its market cap then nearly halved to $21 million within an hour, before plummeting 65% in one minute at 22:07, dropping to $7 million. A wallet address linked to Binance CEO CZ showed unusual activity this afternoon, burning 4,444 units of the MarsCoin meme token. Separately, Binance Alpha previously listed a token of the same name, MarsCoin (contract address starting with 0xfe18), which currently has a market cap of $52 million, up 6% on the day. BlockBeats reminds users that most meme coins lack real-world use cases, are highly volatile, and investors should exercise caution.

6 hours ago

U.S. debt risks have surged, leading to a shift toward short-term Treasury bonds to meet growing borrowing demands.

The U.S. Treasury’s reliance on short-term debt is growing: Currently, U.S. Treasury bills make up 21% of the tradable Treasury securities market, a share near its highest level since 2020. Back then, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. federal government’s borrowing spiked. This is far above the 10-15% range recorded between 2012 and 2019. By contrast, during the 2008 financial crisis, this proportion reached roughly 34%. Meanwhile, the U.S. government is increasingly leaning on short-term Treasuries to cover its rising borrowing needs, rather than long-term bonds. If the U.S. Treasury continues issuing long-term debt at its current pace through fiscal 2027, long-term Treasuries will account for 25% of total debt—their highest share since 2004. However, this strategy amplifies the government’s vulnerability to short-term interest rate swings. If rates stay elevated or climb again, debt servicing costs will become far more unsustainable. The U.S. debt crisis is now fully unfolding.

6 hours ago

A certain crypto address sold MarsCoin worth $171,000 too early, then chased the rally to buy it again.

According to on-chain analyst Ai Yi (@ai_9684xtpa), address 0x333…29cd2 offloaded 5.12 million MarsCoin tokens at a low price of $0.00006885 just two days before MarsCoin’s sharp surge today, suffering a loss of $4,533. At that time, the token’s market capitalization stood at only $68,000, while that same batch of tokens is now valued at $171,000. The address purchased $2,308 worth of the token 55 minutes ago to chase the rally; though it is currently in an unrealized profit position, it has not yet recouped its overall losses.

6 hours ago

William Shane Trigg, the chief executive officer of AppFolio, Inc. (APPF +0.12%), disposed of 3,718 shares of Class A Common Stock on August 10, according to an SEC Form 4 filing.

Transaction summaryMetricValueTransaction value$742,000Shares sold3,718Post-transaction shares (directly held)72,829Post-transaction value$14.5 millionTransaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average sale price ($199.54); post-transaction value based on the August 10 market close ($199.54).

Key questionsWas this a discretionary trade?
The sale was non-discretionary and executed specifically to cover tax withholding obligations arising from the vesting of multiple equity awards, which does not reflect the insider's individual market view.What is the scope of the underlying vesting event?
The transaction was triggered by the vesting of performance-based restricted stock units (PSUs) from 2024 and 2025 grant cycles, alongside various time-based restricted stock units (RSUs) granted between 2023 and 2026.How much equity does the CEO retain in the company?
Trigg continues to hold 72,829 shares of Class A Common Stock directly, representing a market value of $14.79 million as of the August 11 market close.How has the stock performed leading up to this vesting?
As of the August 10 transaction date, AppFolio shares had realized a one-year decline of about 30%.Company OverviewMetricValueShare Price (as of market close 2026-08-11)$203.02Market Capitalization$7.3 billionRevenue (TTM)$1.0 billionNet Income (TTM)$157.5 millionCompany SnapshotAppFolio provides cloud-based software solutions for the real estate industry, offering integrated platforms that enable property management companies to streamline accounting, reporting, marketing, leasing, maintenance, workflow automation, and communication services.The company operates a subscription-based SaaS business model, generating recurring revenue from property management firms and real estate professionals who rely on its cloud platforms for core operational and administrative functions.AppFolio primarily serves small to mid-sized property management companies and real estate operators in the United States seeking comprehensive, cloud-native solutions to enhance operational efficiency and reduce administrative overhead.AppFolio is a leading cloud-based software provider serving the real estate industry with a market capitalization of $7.3 billion and TTM revenue of $1.0 billion. The company has established a strong competitive position through its integrated platform approach, which consolidates multiple critical functions--from accounting and reporting to marketing and workflow automation--into a unified system of record for property management professionals. AppFolio demonstrates operational efficiency and profitability while maintaining a strategic focus on expanding its addressable market within the fragmented real estate technology sector.

What this transaction means for investorsOn its own, Trigg's sale isn't worth much attention. It covered taxes on vesting stock, and he still holds nearly 73,000 shares worth around $15 million, which seems very fair for a CEO.

What's happening at AppFolio, on the other hand, is certainly worth the attention of long-term investors. The company announced last month it just crossed $1 billion in trailing revenue for the first time, growing the latest quarter 19% to $281 million while widening its margins, and it raised full-year guidance. AI is increasingly being leveraged within the product, with the firm's automated leasing assistant having now handled more than 10,000 leads, lifting applications 30%; plus, its maintenance tool now clears a quarter of work orders on its own. In the earnings release, Trigg said operators are "embracing AI that works because it knows their business."

Still, even while AppFolio is executing well and turning AI into measurable results for property managers, the firm's shares have fallen anyway, which says the market was pricing in loftier expectations. That said, the stock has surged some 30% since lows earlier this year, and if the firm keeps executing, the turnaround could have more room to run.

Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends AppFolio. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Cover image via depositphotos.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.

A major Chainlink (LINK) investor ended a 30-day accumulation period and transferred a batch of 984,550 tokens to the U.S. exchange Coinbase. The whale's move interrupted a quiet phase in the market and sparked concerns among crypto market participants about a possible sell-off.

According to on-chain tracker OnchainLens, the address "0xF5B007...1d8A1" deposited approximately $9.23 million worth of tokens into Coinbase. This move followed a month-long lull, during which the investor methodically withdrew tokens from Binance hot wallets, accumulating around 2.41 million LINK.

Chainlink whale '0xF5B007' shifting nearly 1 million tokens to Coinbase, Source:  OnchainLens / ArkhamThe latest transfer represents only part of the investor's holdings. The whale's wallet currently retains 1.43 million LINK worth around $13.43 million, while the net unrealized profit on the remaining position is estimated at $1.42 million.

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Why the whale awakened at Chainlink's "red wall"The major investor's move coincided with a critical technical turning point on the LINK/USD chart. The token has been trying to break out of a prolonged downtrend that began after the 2024–2025 peaks and recently found a local bottom at $6.35.

LINK/USD daily chart (1D) with 23, 50, and 200 MAs and RSI indicator, Source: TradingViewAt the time of the transaction, the token stood just one step away from a trend reversal:

Resistance wall: The LINK price ran directly into a heavy 200-day moving average, shown by the red line on the chart, at $9.4117.Safety cushion: The 23- and 50-day moving averages are pushing the price from below, around $8.23–$8.48, and now serve as dynamic support.Potential move: The RSI is in a moderately bullish zone at 56.84–60.09 points. This indicates that buyers have enough strength for a move higher, but the appearance of substantial selling pressure directly at the key resistance level could completely extinguish this momentum. You Might Also Like

If the transferred $9.2 million enters the Coinbase order book, LINK risks sliding back toward the $8.20–$8.50 support zone. If the transaction turns out to be an internal asset transfer or an over-the-counter (OTC) deal, the market will retain its chances of breaking through the "red wall" and returning to the psychological $10 level.

John Patrick Darby, EVP and general counsel of Encompass Health Corporation (EHC +0.03%), sold 8,906 shares of common stock on August 10, according to an SEC Form 4 filing.

Transaction summaryMetricValueShares sold (directly held)8,906Transaction value$1.1 millionPost-transaction shares (directly held)75,041Post-transaction value$9.44 millionTransaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average sale price ($125.95); post-transaction value based on the August 10 market close ($125.81).

Key questionsHow does this sale impact the executive's overall equity exposure?
The disposal of 8,906 shares accounted for 11% of the insider's direct common stock position, resulting in a remaining direct stake of 75,041 shares.What was the execution range for the reported transaction?
The shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $125.94 to $126.04, yielding a weighted average price of $125.95.What is the financial profile of Encompass Health at the time of this trade?
The company, a provider of post-acute healthcare services, reported $6.2 billion in trailing-twelve-month revenue and $621.0 million in net income, supporting a market capitalization of $12.5 billion as of the August 10 market close.Does the insider maintain other forms of beneficial ownership?
Total beneficial ownership is reported at 75,041 shares, which align with the executive's direct common stock holdings following this transaction.Company OverviewMetricValueShare Price (as of market close 2026-08-10)$125.81Market Capitalization$12.5 billionRevenue (TTM)$6.2 billionNet Income (TTM)$621.0 millionCompany SnapshotEncompass Health Corporation operates a diversified post-acute healthcare platform delivering inpatient rehabilitation services and home health and hospice care across the United States through both dedicated facilities and in-home settings.The company generates revenue through its two primary divisions: Inpatient Rehabilitation, which provides focused recovery treatment on an inpatient and outpatient basis, and Home Health and Hospice, which delivers care services directly to patients in their residences.Encompass Health serves patients transitioning from acute care settings, including those recovering from significant illnesses, surgeries, and injuries, with a customer base comprised of healthcare systems, insurance providers, and individual patients requiring post-acute care services.Encompass Health Corporation is a leading operator in the post-acute healthcare sector, with a market capitalization of $12.5 billion and TTM revenues of $6.2 billion, positioning it as a significant provider of rehabilitation and home-based care services. The company's diversified business model across inpatient facilities and home health services provides revenue stability and exposure to the growing demand for post-acute care driven by an aging population and the shift toward value-based care delivery. With over 42,000 employees and a strong net income margin of approximately 10% on TTM revenues, Encompass Health maintains operational scale and profitability in a fragmented market characterized by consolidation opportunities.

What this transaction means for investorsDarby wasn't alone among insiders selling shares after a strong earnings report lifted the stock, and the quarter they sold into had a specific tailwind worth noting. Beyond the 10% revenue growth and the raised guidance, Encompass benefits from a coming Medicare rate increase, the firm noted on its latest earnings call. Federal regulators finalized a rule in late July lifting payments for inpatient rehabilitation by about 2.3% starting in October, and because Medicare covers a large share of Encompass patients, that adjustment flows fairly directly toward its results, and it was part of why management raised its outlook for the second time this year.

The reimbursement backdrop is the real thing for shareholders to track, more than three insiders trimming after a rally. Encompass grows by adding hospital capacity into steady demand, but its pricing leans on government rates, so a favorable Medicare update helps and an unfavorable one would sting.

Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Aave V3 now controls over 50% of all tokenized gold deposited across decentralized finance lending protocols.

The protocol’s dominance in this niche reflects a broader shift in how DeFi users think about collateral. Gold-backed tokens like PAXG (Pax Gold) and XAUT (Tether Gold) offer something most crypto assets cannot: relative price stability anchored to a physical commodity.

How Aave cornered the gold market
PAXG has been accepted as collateral on Aave V3’s Ethereum deployment since the protocol launched, giving users the ability to borrow stablecoins against their tokenized gold holdings.

Governance proposals to integrate XAUT, Tether’s gold token, into the core instance of Aave V3 began circulating in mid-2025. Adding a second major gold token expanded the protocol’s appeal to a wider pool of users who might prefer one issuer over another.

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Aave V3’s isolation mode, a feature introduced back in 2022, played a key role in making this possible. Isolation mode lets the protocol onboard newer or less liquid assets with tighter risk parameters, essentially ring-fencing potential problems before they can spread.

That cautious engineering paid off during a market stress event in March 2026, when Aave V3 successfully processed liquidation clusters for XAUT without significant disruption.

The numbers tell two stories at once
Combined collateral for PAXG and XAUT on Aave V3 and Morpho sat at approximately $63 million as of early-to-mid 2026. That is a meaningful figure for a single protocol category, but it also reveals how early this market still is.

The total market capitalization for PAXG and XAUT combined runs roughly $4.2 billion. That means only about 1.5% of all tokenized gold is actively deployed as collateral on major DeFi platforms.

Tokenized gold trading volumes, meanwhile, surpassed $90 billion in Q1 2026.

Real-world assets meet DeFi lending
But the integration is not without friction. Tokenized gold requires trust in the issuer’s reserves, custody arrangements, and audit processes. PAXG is backed by London Good Delivery gold bars held in Brinks vaults, while XAUT is backed by gold stored in Swiss vaults. Both issuers publish attestations, but the trust model is fundamentally different from holding a purely decentralized asset like ETH.

What to watch from here
The 1.5% utilization rate is the number that matters most going forward. Even moving to 5% utilization of the $4.2 billion market cap would mean roughly $210 million in deployed collateral, more than triple the current level.

Competitors will also matter. Morpho already appears alongside Aave in the collateral data, and other lending protocols will likely look at Aave’s market share in this segment as an invitation to compete.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Shiba Inu (SHIB), a meme-inspired cryptocurrency recognized for its vibrant online community, was recently listed on the Australian exchange FameEX. Following this development, SHIB’s price briefly surged to $0.00001004 on the platform, reflecting renewed market interest.

New Listings and International ExpansionFameEX, a digital asset trading platform based in Australia, added Shiba Inu to its list of tradable tokens, expanding SHIB’s accessibility to a broader investor base in the Asia-Pacific region. Soon after this listing, the cryptocurrency experienced a noticeable rally.

Additionally, Shiba Inu users can now spend the token at Dubai Duty Free airport stores, further extending SHIB’s use beyond online trading. This marks a significant move towards real-world adoption, especially within a prominent global travel hub like Dubai.

Mini dictionary: FameEX, an Australian cryptocurrency exchange that offers trading services for various digital assets, aims to expand crypto adoption in the Oceania and Asia-Pacific markets.

Market Performance and Investor SentimentDespite renewed attention, Shiba Inu has faced persistent challenges over the past 18 months. The token peaked at $0.000032 in December 2024 but has since been on a downward trend, missing the strong momentum seen in leading cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP during the 2025 market rally.

Analysts tie SHIB’s underperformance to its reputation as a memecoin, which typically carries higher risk than other digital assets. Investor risk appetite remains subdued, limiting positive price action for speculative tokens like SHIB.

Shiba Inu initially achieved spectacular gains, rallying by several million percent in the months after its August 2020 launch. However, interest and enthusiasm for memecoins have cooled considerably, and the online hype that once fueled SHIB’s rise has declined.

While Shiba Inu benefited from a record-breaking launch, enthusiasm has faded, leading to lower demand and lackluster market performance compared to other major cryptocurrencies.

Prospects for Future GrowthThe recent Australian listing and Dubai retail useability signal growing support for SHIB and may provide additional exposure among new users. However, many market observers remain cautious about the token’s ability to sustain upward momentum without improvement in broader crypto market conditions.

Current retail sentiment toward meme-inspired tokens is wary, and any significant price breakout for SHIB may depend on a general recovery in the digital asset sector, particularly if Bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies return to stronger performance levels.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article does not constitute investment advice. Investors should be aware that cryptocurrencies carry high volatility and therefore risk, and should conduct their own research.

It had been a difficult year for shareholders of Microsoft (MSFT -0.30%), who saw the stock grind lower throughout 2026. Then, fourth-quarter earnings (fiscal year 2026) happened, and shares shot up 18% in a week, a remarkable move for a stock worth over $3 trillion.

And just like that, Microsoft's stock is positive for the year. Months of anguish have fallen to the wayside. Perhaps the best news yet, it's not too late to buy the stock. Here's what you need to know.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Microsoft's Azure and AI continue to roll on
The first question is naturally: why did Microsoft surge on Q4 earnings? Investors went into earnings laser-focused on Microsoft's AI progress and apparently came away impressed.

Revenue grew by 18% year over year to $90 billion for the quarter, and net income soared 31% versus the prior year. Azure is the primary engine driving this, with 43% growth and topping $100 billion in annual revenue for the first time.

Importantly, Microsoft's AI strategy is progressing.

CEO Satya Nadella noted that Microsoft 365 Copilot has surpassed 30 million paid seats, an encouraging sign that the company's infamous stickiness with enterprises is bearing fruit once again. Nadella also emphasized that AI demand continues to outpace supply, despite the ongoing investments into data centers and other infrastructure.

One of the world's best tech companies still trades at a reasonable price
Microsoft's hefty AI investments have been a legitimate concern, and the stock's slide has much to do with questions regarding whether the company can generate a sufficient return on all that spending.

Nadella has repositioned Microsoft as a more cost-effective AI provider, leaning harder into its own silicon and frontier models. This seems to be resonating with customers as the market raises concerns over how expensive some of these cutting-edge frontier models can be to wield at scale.

Today's Change

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Prior to earnings, Microsoft's stock was sitting there at roughly 19 times forward earnings estimates. That's a modest valuation for arguably the world's most prominent technology company. In that light, it's not a shock that a strong quarter sprung the stock.

Better yet, the stock is still very appealing for long-term investors at its current price. Shares now trade at a more expensive forward P/E ratio of 25. That said, analysts do expect Microsoft to grow earnings by an average of 15% to 16% annually over the next three to five years. It's hard to dismiss those estimates after net income just jumped 31% in the most recent quarter.

As long as Microsoft remains competitive in AI, and that seems like a safe bet thanks to Azure, the stock has a good shot at generating healthy returns from its current price over the next five years.

SafePal has officially announced a security vulnerability in its order tracking plugin that enabled unauthorized access to some customers’ order information. Approximately 39,798 users are affected, all of whom placed orders between March 2, 2025 and April 11, 2026. Leaked data includes names, email addresses, shipping addresses, phone numbers and purchase details. Notably, users’ wallets, mnemonics and private keys remain fully secure—this incident does not involve mnemonics, private keys, wallet passwords, bank account information, payment card numbers or government-issued identification. The issue has been resolved, and additional security measures have been implemented. All affected customers have been individually notified via email, and SafePal has launched an official verification page where users can check their impact status using their order number and shipping country. SafePal apologized for the incident, reminding users never to disclose mnemonics, private keys or passwords, stay vigilant against phishing and impersonation attempts, and will release further updates on its official blog.

Relevant content

Vitalik: Ethereum’s scaling roadmap will integrate the advantages of UTXO-style models, ultimately achieving ultra-large-scale expansion without sacrificing decentralization and censorship resistance.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik published an article outlining the core goals of Ethereum’s current scaling strategy. He first acknowledged the Bitcoin community’s pioneering technical contributions, then clarified that Ethereum’s proposed scaling strategy is advancing along that direction. Vitalik emphasized: “We want Ethereum to have both UTXO-style state, dynamic state, and all the advantages of both.” This means Ethereum is seeking to integrate the Bitcoin UTXO model’s strengths in efficient state management, light node verification, and scalability with its own flexible account model, smart contract ecosystem, and dynamic state capabilities. Vitalik reiterated that the ultimate goal of Ethereum’s scaling efforts is to achieve “hyperscaling” for the vast majority of activities on the network, without sacrificing three core attributes: decentralization, node operation convenience, and censorship resistance. Ethereum’s roadmap is shifting from a sole focus on scalability to a systematic effort to strike a better balance between scalability and decentralized resilience.

3 hours ago

Binance Life token surges 8%, briefly breaks through $0.54

According to HTX market data, after CZ announced he would donate the 'Binance Life' token from his public address to Giggle Academy and deactivate that address, the Binance Life token rallied 8% in the short term, breaking above $0.54. It is now trading at $0.51, with a 24-hour gain of 8.2%.

3 hours ago

CZ announced that he will disable public addresses to prevent his operations from being overinterpreted by the community, noting that BNB and "Binance Life" will be donated to Giggle Academy.

Binance founder CZ stated at Binance Square that many people are overinterpreting the meaning behind his actions. Today, while testing Trust Wallet, he found so many meme tokens in the wallet that it was difficult to even locate BNB. He then attempted to burn some of the tokens, a move that sparked extensive community discussion. CZ noted he realized he could never fully "clean up" all meme coins from that address: the more he burns, the more people will send coins to it. The transparent nature of blockchain means any activity on this address will be overinterpreted by the community. He even considered requesting the Trust Wallet team to add an "Ignore Coin" feature to prevent interface clutter, but pointed out that 99.99% of users would never use such a function. His plan is to donate BNB and the "Binance Life" tokens purchased with BNB to Giggle Academy, then cease using this address and leave it as a burn address.

3 hours ago

Tom Lee: In the AI era, the scarcity of the "human" element in investments is emerging as a core pricing factor. I am heavily invested in Robinhood because I am bullish on Vlad Tenev.

BitMine, the firm holding the largest Ethereum treasury, Chairman Tom Lee laid out a core thesis in an interview: In AI and high-growth sectors, a founder’s vision and leadership have emerged as the true differentiated competitive advantage, even outweighing technology itself. The directional sense of top-tier founders cannot be replaced by AI. Sam Altman would never ask ChatGPT “What should I do?”; the same applies to Anthropic’s founder and Elon Musk. OpenAI’s survival hinges entirely on Sam Altman himself, not on passively feeding questions to AI for answers. Tom Lee argues this is the key differentiator: a founder’s foresight and judgment cannot be replicated by AI, even as models can be open-sourced and technology can be caught up. Under this framework, Tom Lee classifies Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev into the same “founder vision-driven” category. Robinhood operates in markets like retail trading, new-generation investors, and fintech penetration—all growing far faster than the overall economy. Vlad’s leadership and vision are critical to the company’s ability to seize these opportunities. A major reason Tom Lee’s own firm Fundstrat holds a heavy Robinhood position is Vlad Tenev himself: rather than focusing solely on valuations or short-term metrics, Fundstrat recognizes the founder’s long-term vision and execution. In the AI era’s investment framework, the scarcity of “human” factors is becoming a core pricing driver.

3 hours ago

Meme coin MarsCoin slumped to a market cap of $7 million, plunging 65% in a single minute after nearly halving in value.

According to GMGN data, the BSC-based meme coin MarsCoin (contract address starting with 0x1706) saw a sharp short-term plunge after surging over 400x in a single day, hitting an all-time high of over $36 million in market cap earlier tonight. Its market cap then nearly halved to $21 million within an hour, before plummeting 65% in one minute at 22:07, dropping to $7 million. A wallet address linked to Binance CEO CZ showed unusual activity this afternoon, burning 4,444 units of the MarsCoin meme token. Separately, Binance Alpha previously listed a token of the same name, MarsCoin (contract address starting with 0xfe18), which currently has a market cap of $52 million, up 6% on the day. BlockBeats reminds users that most meme coins lack real-world use cases, are highly volatile, and investors should exercise caution.

3 hours ago

U.S. debt risks have surged, leading to a shift toward short-term Treasury bonds to meet growing borrowing demands.

The U.S. Treasury’s reliance on short-term debt is growing: Currently, U.S. Treasury bills make up 21% of the tradable Treasury securities market, a share near its highest level since 2020. Back then, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. federal government’s borrowing spiked. This is far above the 10-15% range recorded between 2012 and 2019. By contrast, during the 2008 financial crisis, this proportion reached roughly 34%. Meanwhile, the U.S. government is increasingly leaning on short-term Treasuries to cover its rising borrowing needs, rather than long-term bonds. If the U.S. Treasury continues issuing long-term debt at its current pace through fiscal 2027, long-term Treasuries will account for 25% of total debt—their highest share since 2004. However, this strategy amplifies the government’s vulnerability to short-term interest rate swings. If rates stay elevated or climb again, debt servicing costs will become far more unsustainable. The U.S. debt crisis is now fully unfolding.

3 hours ago

August 16, 2026 12:00 PM

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Table of contents

Two significant token unlocks are landing on August 16, 2026, adding fresh supply pressure to a market that’s already trading soft. YZY is releasing roughly 22.83% of its entire circulating supply, worth an estimated $35.8 million, while Arbitrum is unlocking 92.65 million ARB tokens, about 1.61% of circulating supply and worth roughly $7.2 million, with the latter already weighing on price ahead of today’s release.

YZY’s Unlock Is the Larger Story by Percentage
YZY’s release stands out for its sheer size relative to the token’s existing float: nearly a quarter of everything currently in circulation is becoming available in a single day. Unlocks of that magnitude typically create meaningful sell-side pressure, since early holders and insiders often look to realize gains once tokens become liquid, regardless of where the broader market is trading. Whether YZY absorbs the new supply cleanly will depend heavily on current trading volume and how much of the unlocked allocation belongs to long-term holders versus short-term participants looking to exit.

Arbitrum’s Unlock Has Already Moved the Price
Arbitrum’s unlock is smaller as a share of supply but has already had a measurable market impact. ARB fell 3.9% over the roughly 39 hours leading into the release, a decline attributed to a combination of the pending unlock and broader risk-off sentiment across altcoins this week. No underlying protocol issues have been identified behind the move, suggesting the drop reflects positioning ahead of the event rather than any fundamental concern about the network itself.

Why Token Unlocks Matter for Price
Scheduled unlocks are known well in advance, which means sophisticated traders often price in some of the expected selling pressure before the event actually occurs, exactly the pattern seen in Arbitrum’s pre-unlock decline this week. That dynamic can cut both ways: if the anticipated selling is already reflected in price by the time tokens actually unlock, the token can sometimes stabilize or even recover once the event passes and uncertainty clears.

What This Means for the Days Ahead
The more consequential test is YZY, given the scale of supply hitting the market relative to what’s already circulating. How the token trades over the next few sessions will offer a clearer read on whether holders are treating the unlock as a reason to exit or a non-event already priced in. Arbitrum’s price action in the days following its own unlock will be worth watching for early signs of stabilization, particularly if broader market sentiment improves.

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AUTHOR

Max delves deep into the cryptocurrency realm, with a passion for altcoins and NFTs. Convinced of crypto's transformative potential, he envisions a decentralized financial future. Max's background in the financial sector grants him unique insights into global monetary systems. In his leisure, Max embraces the thrill of adventures and is an avid sports enthusiast, finding balance and rejuvenation away from work.

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August 15, 2026

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August 14, 2026

Nebius (NBIS +8.88%) has been steadily raising its capacity guidance for the end of 2026. The company told investors in February that it expected to have 3 gigawatts of contracted power by the end of 2026. That number jumped to 4 gigawatts in May, and when the company released second-quarter results in August, it told investors to expect 5 gigawatts by the end of the year.

This steady growth comes as the company adds new sites throughout North America and Europe. It also suggests that the stock's rally isn't close to over, even though its price has almost tripled year to date.

Image source: Getty Images.

A larger-gigawatt pipeline leads to more revenue Nebius operates in one of the hottest industries right now. It's the largest of the neocloud providers  -- a group of companies that's playing a critical role in the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. Tech giants like Meta Platforms (META -0.86%) and Microsoft (MSFT -0.30%) have already turned to Nebius to help them meet their AI capacity needs.

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Meta Platforms has made multiple cloud compute deals this year, in addition to one last year. Its biggest deal came in at $27 billion over the next five years. It's split between a five-year, $12 billion agreement and a second five-year, $15 billion deal. Nebius says it will start to deliver this capacity in early 2027.

It's normal for tech giants to secure hundreds of megawatts in a single deal, and Nebius anticipates having roughly 5 gigawatts of contracted power by the end of 2026. (1 gigawatt equals 1,000 megawatts.) It's entirely possible that Nebius will raise its contracted power capacity guidance again before the end of the year, based on its history.

The ceiling for Nebius' potential revenue will get higher as it secures more megawatts and builds additional data centers. That potential for the business to scale up has been showing up in its recent results. Nebius delivered $582.3 million in Q2 revenue, which was a 454% year-over-year increase. It may continue to deliver similar growth rates for another year as it secures more deals and delivers on existing contracts.

Those same data centers are expensive to build Although the potential for parabolic revenue growth will excite many investors, it costs a lot of money to build AI data centers, obtain energy, and buy hardware such as Nvidia's (NVDA -0.06%) powerful processors. That's part of the reason Nebius issued $4 billion in private convertible notes earlier this year, and some bears point to the company's debt load as a major concern.

Nebius will have to continue borrowing money to build enough data centers to offer 5 gigawatts of AI capacity to hyperscalers. As long as its operating income remains negative, Nebius will have to rely on that type of funding. There is, however, a path out of borrowing money as it realizes revenue from its deals.

The newest Meta Platforms deal alone will provide Nebius with more than $5 billion in annual recurring revenue once it is set up. That's more than the $3 billion in annual recurring revenue that Nebius currently generates. The company expects to have up to $9 billion in annual recurring revenue by the end of the year.

The investment thesis always viewed financing as a way to bridge the gap between Nebius' AI data center ambitions and its net operating losses.

Prepayments make it easier to build the data centers Even though Nebius won't realize recurring revenue from its investments until it delivers AI capacity to its customers, the company has been securing high prepayments. In its Q2 shareholder letter, it revealed that 70% of deals had partial prepayment, with that prepayment often covering 50% to 60% of associated capital expenditures.

Thus, Nebius gets immediate cash infusions from its contracts, and the ability to negotiate more lucrative deals once those contracts expire. A key note in the shareholder letter hinted at Nebius' leverage as demand for AI cloud capacity surges.

"We could sell our entire 2027 capacity on these terms today. We are deliberately not doing so because we see higher value in retaining some capacity for immediate customer needs," the company said in its shareholder letter.

A slowdown in deal-making indicates that Nebius thinks it can secure better terms by waiting a little longer. It also means capital constraints are not an immediate concern as it builds its gigawatt pipeline and approaches revenue recognition on multiple deals.

Coca-Cola (KO +0.33%) quietly extended its dividend growth streak to 64 consecutive years this past February. That kept it in the illustrious group of Dividend Kings, companies with 50 or more consecutive annual dividend increases.

While mature dividend payers tend to be lower-returning stocks, that's not the case this year. Coca-Cola stock is up over 25% this year, crushing the surprisingly meager 4.4% return of faster-growing "Magnificent Seven" stocks.

Image source: Getty Images.

Plenty of pop this year Coca-Cola raised its dividend by 4% earlier this year. Even with that pay raise, the stock's yield has compressed to less than 2.5% these days due to the surge in its share price. Though that's still well above the Magnificent Seven (yields between 0% and 0.7%).

The company's slower growth had led it to underperform this fast-growing group in recent years. However, that has changed in 2026, with Coca-Cola beating every single name in the Magnificent Seven year to date:

KO data by YCharts

That's due to a couple of factors. Investors are growing concerned about burgeoning capex budgets as these tech giants race to build out AI infrastructure and products. This spending is weighing on investor sentiment, as these investments might not pay off over the long run.

That's driving some sector rotation as investors trim their tech positions and shift more of their portfolio into defensive sectors. That has benefited Coca-Cola, which has proven its durability over the decades. It's also having a strong year. Its revenues grew 7% in the second quarter, while its earnings per share jumped 16%.

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While Coca-Cola is having a strong year, that hasn't altered its long-term growth trajectory. The beverage giant's long-term growth ambition is to deliver 4%-6% annual organic revenue growth and 7%-9% annual earnings-per-share growth. That's a lot slower than the growth ambitions of the Magnificent Seven.

However, that's not to take anything away from the important role Coca-Cola can play in a portfolio. It can provide income, stability, and diversification, helping smooth out returns when investors' tastes abruptly change.

Matt DiLallo has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Coca-Cola, Meta Platforms, and Tesla and has the following options: long December 2028 $650 calls on Meta Platforms, long June 2028 $180 calls on Amazon, short December 2028 $660 calls on Meta Platforms, short September 2026 $280 calls on Amazon, and short September 2026 $300 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Applied Materials (AMAT -5.12%) came into Thursday's fiscal third-quarter report about 28% beneath its 52-week high of $739.67, closing the session at $534.54.

The chip-equipment maker then posted records on nearly every line. Revenue came in at $9.1 billion, up 25% year over year. Non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings per share rose 41% to a record $3.50. Operating income and operating cash flow set records, too, with the latter topping $3 billion.

Management then guided fiscal fourth-quarter revenue to $10.25 billion, plus or minus $500 million, good for 51% year-over-year growth at the midpoint. The stock fell about 5% in after-hours trading anyway.

A company reporting records while its shares sit more than a quarter below their high makes for a disagreement worth taking seriously. What is the market discounting that the income statement isn't showing?

Image source: Getty Images.

Accelerating growth
Not only is the growth strong, but it's also speeding up. Revenue rose 15% sequentially -- growth that CEO Gary Dickerson called "the highest quarter-on-quarter revenue growth in the company's history" on the earnings call -- on top of the 25% year-over-year gain. Non-GAAP gross margin reached 50.4%, the 13th consecutive quarter of year-over-year expansion, and non-GAAP operating margin hit a record 34%. DRAM revenue, which includes high-bandwidth memory (HBM) packaging, grew 52% year over year to record levels.

And the fiscal fourth-quarter guide points the same direction: 25% year-over-year growth in fiscal Q3 becomes 51% at the fiscal Q4 midpoint, with non-GAAP earnings per share guided to $4.02, up 85% -- a comparison helped by a soft year-ago quarter, when revenue had dipped.

The demand behind those numbers is the artificial intelligence (AI) build-out. Management said leading-edge chipmaking, DRAM, and advanced packaging should represent about 80% of the growth in the wafer fab equipment market in 2026 and 2027. Those are the areas it calls most important to AI computing, and where it says it holds leadership positions. It also expects a very significant increase in DRAM revenue in the second half of the calendar year as memory makers expand cleanroom capacity.

Even the familiar overhang softened. The company said it now expects its China revenue to increase this calendar year, led by investments in 28-nanometer chipmaking, where it has strong market positions. And shareholders get a large share of the cash. Management said it expects to distribute 80% to 100% of free cash flow, with $12.8 billion remaining on its buyback authorization.

Why is the stock down, then?
Semiconductor equipment is a cyclical business, and the spending boom driving these records is also the reason for the market's caution. Applied's customers are racing to add AI capacity, and when capacity races end, equipment orders are among the first things cut.

The guided quarter would put revenue about 50% above a year earlier. The bigger the step up, the further orders could fall if spending normalizes.

The stock's own path shows how much optimism came and went. Shares ran from a 52-week low of $154.47 to a high of $739.67 inside a year. Even after the pullback since, the stock has more than tripled off that low as of Thursday's close.

And the price still assumes a lot. At Thursday's close, the multiple on Applied's last 12 months of earnings is about 50. On analysts' estimates for the next 12, it is about 31. A price like that already pays for the guided surge -- the forecast 85% earnings jump for fiscal Q4 is baked in.

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A high bar either way
Sure, 31 times forward earnings is a high bar for a cyclical company. But shares this far below their high are not priced with euphoria, either. The market appears to be paying up for next year while refusing to pay for the years after it.

I'd argue that split is about duration, and duration is the honest uncertainty here. Applied's records say nothing about how many quarters of 50% growth remain, and no guide can say much beyond the quarter it covers.

What Thursday's report did establish is that the current stretch of demand keeps strengthening -- the two strongest quarters in the company's history are this one and, if guidance holds, the next one.

The gap between record results and a stock more than a quarter below its high comes down to how long the AI equipment cycle runs. The report added one more quarter of evidence that demand is still building. It couldn't add more than that.

Since reporting its second-quarter 2026 financial results on Aug. 4, Energy Transfer (ET +1.40%) has seen its shares climb more than 2%, trading near its 52-week high of $21.11.

Before the announcement, Energy Transfer units were trading around $20.20 to $20.28. The question is whether the price rise in the energy stock can continue. Three reasons why it can, with one reason why it may not:

Image source: Getty Images.

Surging natural gas demand from data centers
Energy Transfer is a diverse midstream energy company and is uniquely positioned to capture massive, long-term demand for natural gas infrastructure driven by artificial intelligence (AI) data center build-outs, power grid expansions, and Gulf Coast natural gas liquids (NGL) export facilities. In the second quarter, management for the master limited partnership highlighted expanded takeaway capacity in key basins, including the Permian, ensuring high utilization across its expansive pipeline network.

The company reported that its 442-mile Hugh Brinson Pipeline has come online earlier than expected, though full capacity isn't expected until March 2027. The Brinson pipeline moves natural gas from processing facilities in West Texas to existing pipelines south of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, allowing customers the ability to reach several destinations in Texas and Louisiana. As it was, in the second quarter, NGL exports were up 25% year over year, a company record.

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The company also completed upgrades to its Lone Star Express NGL pipeline and pressed into service its third and fourth 10-megawatt natural-gas-fired electricity generation plants. The company's power generation business serves 15 states with approximately 185 plants connected directly or indirectly via its extensive natural gas pipeline network. The company has long-term power agreements that directly or indirectly help hyperscalers such as Oracle, Cloudburst Technologies, and Meta Platforms.

It sees improvements to its free cash flow and capital returns
Energy Transfer reported distributable cash flow of $2.59 billion in the second quarter, up 32% year over year. That rise is what's behind the company's $500 million guidance hike to full-year adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), now in the range of $18.8 billion to $19.1 billion, reflecting strong fee-based cash flows that insulate the business from short-term commodity price swings.

This expanding cash generation directly supports further leverage reduction and continued quarterly distribution growth for unitholders.

Despite its nearly more than 26% rise so far this year in price, the company continues to trade at a modest trailing enterprise-value-to-EBITDA multiple of around 9.7, low compared to its historical averages and its main midstream peers of Enbridge, Enterprise Products Partners, and Kinder Morgan. As institutional confidence improves following consistent operational execution and debt paydown, the stock has room for valuation re-rating.

The company's strong dividend
Energy Transfer just raised its distribution for the 19th consecutive quarter to $0.34 per share , and at the stock's current price, the yield is around 6.43%. That's superior to its main midstream competitors. If it matches its expected distributable cash flow, it has more than enough to cover its dividend and planned capital expenditures.

Watch for a drop in commodity prices
The price of natural gas has declined around 29% since peaking in late January. If sustained low natural gas prices or broader macroeconomic slowdowns force upstream oil and gas producers to trim drilling budgets or shut in production, gathering, and processing (G&P) volumes could contract.

While Energy Transfer relies heavily on fee-based, take-or-pay contracts, prolonged volume declines across regional basins would cap top-line growth and squeeze margins on uncommitted capacity.

This AI Lender Has Big Upside Potential—And Big Risks Pagaya Technologies NASDAQ: PGY CFO Jonathan Dobres outlined the company’s growth strategy, funding model and profitability trajectory at the 46th Annual Canaccord Growth Conference, emphasizing expansion with existing lending partners as well as new partner additions.

Dobres described Pagaya as a technology platform that connects lending partners with institutional capital, using an AI-based decisioning engine to evaluate loans that are funded primarily off balance sheet. The company currently operates with about 35 lending partners across personal loans, auto lending and point-of-sale financing, with approximately $14 billion in annualized consumer loan volume, he said.

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The Next Market Leaders? 5 Growth Stocks to Watch in 2026Pagaya reported net income of $45 million in the prior quarter, according to Dobres, and has increased net income in each of the past six quarters since becoming profitable. He said the company expects to exit the year with a $200 million GAAP net income run rate.

Growth Through Products and Partner Expansion Dobres said Pagaya’s growth is driven less by widening its credit criteria or increasing consumer marketing spending and more by adding lending partners, launching products and gaining access to a larger portion of partners’ application funnels.

5 Small-Cap Stocks With Impressive Growth and Upside PotentialEarlier in the year, Pagaya reduced or largely eliminated originations in its two riskiest credit tiers after identifying those lower-income borrower groups as potentially more exposed if consumer conditions weakened. Despite that step, the company continued to grow by accessing more applications through its lending partners, Dobres said.

In the second quarter, Pagaya’s total dollar value of applications exceeded $300 billion for the first time. Dobres said product-led growth was a contributor to the company’s 140% year-over-year auto growth.

In auto lending, Pagaya previously received applications that a partner had declined. The company now works with partners to identify borrowers whom the lender may technically approve but whose original offers may be less likely to convert. Pagaya can offer those borrowers different loan terms, potentially resulting in a funded loan under the partner’s name while allowing the partner to retain customer contact, servicing revenue and dealer relationships.

Dobres said this higher-funnel access has supported stronger borrower and collateral characteristics. In personal lending, he said Pagaya’s average borrower has about $120,000 in income and a FICO score in the 670-to-680 range. In auto lending, the average vehicle at loan inception is now about three years old with 30,000 miles, compared with vehicles that were roughly five to six years old with 60,000 miles two years earlier.

Pagaya has added five partners so far this year and expects to add three more before year-end, including two regional banks, Dobres said. New partners may take roughly 12 months to reach maturity, as integrations are completed and the company evaluates how its models perform with the new lending relationships.

Funding Mix and Institutional Demand On funding, Dobres said Pagaya’s current annualized funded-volume run rate is approximately $14 billion. Pre-funded securitizations account for about 60% of the company’s funding and provide roughly three to five months of visibility into future funding, he said.

Pagaya has more than 175 institutional investors with which it regularly engages, including asset managers, insurers and pension funds, according to Dobres. Over the prior three weeks, the company completed about $2 billion of oversubscribed securitizations, he said.

The company is also expanding its use of forward-flow arrangements, which provide six to 18 months of funding visibility, and longer-term revolving structures. Dobres said Pagaya is pursuing 12-to-24-month committed facilities in which it invests capital alongside banks and asset managers. While Pagaya may initially provide 3% to 5% of capital in such arrangements, the capital can be redeployed as the structure revolves over time.

“What we care about is diversity and commitment,” Dobres said, referring to long-term funding visibility.

Margins, Operating Leverage and Balance Sheet Dobres said Pagaya’s fee revenue less production costs, or FRLPC, reached a record level in the latest quarter. The company expects FRLPC to remain in a 4% to 5% range as a percentage of network volume, though it expects to operate at the lower end of that range for the rest of the year.

That lower-end positioning reflects the addition of newer partners and products, which initially generate lower margins before scaling, as well as the effect of higher benchmark rates on funding-side contributions, he said.

Still, Dobres said the company’s core operating expenses have remained approximately flat over the last six quarters, supporting operating leverage. He said FRLPC dollars convert to the bottom line at margins of roughly 90%, aided by Pagaya’s limited marketing spending.

Pagaya has about $1 billion in investments on its balance sheet, consisting of risk-retention and discretionary investments in securitization and other funding vehicles, Dobres said. About half of that amount is in equity portions of securitizations, while the other half consists of B and BB bond tranches that produce cash yields in the low- to mid-teens.

Dobres said the bond tranches have never missed a payment or been impaired in Pagaya’s history. The company’s net investment as a percentage of volume was about 2.4% over the last 12 months, he added.

About Pagaya Technologies (NASDAQ:PGY)Pagaya Technologies is a financial technology company that applies artificial intelligence and machine learning to the credit and asset management industries. Through its proprietary data-driven platform, Pagaya analyzes vast datasets from consumer credit portfolios to build predictive risk models, enabling institutional investors to gain access to alternative credit products. The company’s solutions streamline underwriting, optimize portfolio construction and facilitate the efficient securitization of consumer loans, credit card receivables and other asset classes.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in New York, Pagaya has expanded its operations to serve financial institutions and asset managers primarily in the United States.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

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