Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Getting big returns from financial portfolios, whether through stocks, bonds, ETFs, other securities, or a combination of all, is an investor's dream. But for income investors, generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments is your primary focus.

Cash flow can come from bond interest, interest from other types of investments, and, of course, dividends. A dividend is the distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders; it's often viewed by its dividend yield, a metric that measures a dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends account for significant portions of long-term returns, with dividend contributions exceeding one-third of total returns in many cases.

Headquartered in Pasadena, East West Bancorp (EWBC - Free Report) is a Finance stock that has seen a price change of 18.01% so far this year. The bank holding company is currently shelling out a dividend of $0.80 per share, with a dividend yield of 2.41%. This compares to the Banks - West industry's yield of 2.66% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.41%.

Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $3.20 is up 33.3% from last year. Over the last 5 years, East West Bancorp has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 18.17%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. East West Bancorp's current payout ratio is 32%, meaning it paid out 32% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.

Earnings growth looks solid for EWBC for this fiscal year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $10.61 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 11.80%.

From greatly improving stock investing profits and reducing overall portfolio risk to providing tax advantages, investors like dividends for a variety of different reasons. However, not all companies offer a quarterly payout.

For instance, it's a rare occurrence when a tech start-up or big growth business offers its shareholders a dividend. It's more common to see larger companies with more established profits give out dividends. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that EWBC is not only an attractive dividend play, but also represents a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

[url="]MNTN[/url] (NYSE: MNTN), the technology platform bringing performance marketing to Connected TV, today announced a new integration with [url="]HubSpot[/

Investors interested in stocks from the Oil and Gas - Production and Pipelines sector have probably already heard of Transportadora De Gas Sa Ord B (TGS) and MPLX LP (MPLX). But which of these two stocks is more attractive to value investors?

Momentum investing is all about the idea of following a stock's recent trend, which can be in either direction. In the "long context," investors will essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." And for investors following this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving in that direction. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

While many investors like to look for momentum in stocks, this can be very tough to define. There is a lot of debate surrounding which metrics are the best to focus on and which are poor quality indicators of future performance. The Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at Semtech (SMTC - Free Report) , which currently has a Momentum Style Score of A. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Semtech currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market?Let's discuss some of the components of the Momentum Style Score for SMTC that show why this chipmaker shows promise as a solid momentum pick.

A good momentum benchmark for a stock is to look at its short-term price activity, as this can reflect both current interest and if buyers or sellers currently have the upper hand. It's also helpful to compare a security to its industry; this can show investors the best companies in a particular area.

For SMTC, shares are up 10.39% over the past week while the Zacks Semiconductor - Analog and Mixed industry is up 4.23% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 21.12% compares favorably with the industry's 1.62% performance as well.

While any stock can see its price increase, it takes a real winner to consistently beat the market. That is why looking at longer term price metrics -- such as performance over the past three months or year -- can be useful as well. Shares of Semtech have increased 126.51% over the past quarter, and have gained 325.93% in the last year. In comparison, the S&P 500 has only moved 11.66% and 24.19%, respectively.

Investors should also take note of SMTC's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. Right now SMTC is averaging 3,731,887 shares for the last 20 days..

Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score encompasses many things, including estimate revisions and a stock's price movement. Investors should note that earnings estimates are also significant to the Zacks Rank, and a nice path here can be promising. We have recently been noticing this with SMTC.

Over the past two months, 6 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost SMTC's consensus estimate, increasing from $2.19 to $2.66 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 6 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.

Bottom LineTaking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that SMTC is a #2 (Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of A. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep Semtech on your short list.

Momentum investing is all about the idea of following a stock's recent trend, which can be in either direction. In the "long context," investors will essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." And for investors following this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving in that direction. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

Even though momentum is a popular stock characteristic, it can be tough to define. Debate surrounding which are the best and worst metrics to focus on is lengthy, but the Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at Diversified Healthcare (DHC - Free Report) , which currently has a Momentum Style Score of A. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Diversified Healthcare currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market?Let's discuss some of the components of the Momentum Style Score for DHC that show why this residential care real estate investment trust shows promise as a solid momentum pick.

Looking at a stock's short-term price activity is a great way to gauge if it has momentum, since this can reflect both the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand at the moment. It's also helpful to compare a security to its industry; this can show investors the best companies in a particular area.

For DHC, shares are up 5.86% over the past week while the Zacks REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry is up 2.67% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 8.01% compares favorably with the industry's 4.75% performance as well.

Considering longer term price metrics, like performance over the last three months or year, can be advantageous as well. Shares of Diversified Healthcare have increased 34.58% over the past quarter, and have gained 159.48% in the last year. In comparison, the S&P 500 has only moved 11.66% and 24.19%, respectively.

Investors should also pay attention to DHC's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. DHC is currently averaging 1,874,424 shares for the last 20 days.

Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score also takes into account trends in estimate revisions, in addition to price changes. Please note that estimate revision trends remain at the core of Zacks Rank as well. A nice path here can help show promise, and we have recently been seeing that with DHC.

Over the past two months, 1 earnings estimate moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. This revision helped boost DHC's consensus estimate, increasing from $0.57 to $0.60 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 1 estimate has moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.

Bottom LineTaking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that DHC is a #2 (Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of A. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep Diversified Healthcare on your short list.

Starting the shortened trading week on a bullish note, D-Wave Quantum (QBTS +14.68%) stock raced out of the gate this morning. With an analyst providing an auspicious outlook, investors are now running to pick up shares of the quantum computing stock.

As of 12:20 p.m. ET, shares of D-Wave Quantum are up 13.6%.

Image source: Getty Images.

An industry leader with a stock that has room to run Maintaining an outperform rating, Vijay Rakesh, a Mizuho analyst, upwardly revised the price target on D-Wave Quantum stock to $35 from $29. The action echoes those of analysts who similarly raised their price targets on D-Wave Quantum stock two weeks ago. Roth Capital boosted its price target to $40 from $30, and B. Riley lifted its price target to $40 from $36.

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Based on D-Wave Quantum's stock closing price of $23.37 on Friday, Rakesh's price target implies upside of more than 20%.

According to Thefly.com, Rakesh grounded his outlook in the recognition that the company has extended its gate-model roadmap, aiming to reach 10 logical qubits by 2030, steadily scaling to a 100-logical-qubit system that can successfully perform more than 1 million operations by 2032.

Is now the time to take a quantum leap in your tech exposure with D-Wave Quantum stock? While the consensus among analysts is that D-Wave Quantum stock has room to run, those seeking quantum computing stock exposure should weigh the company's achievements more heavily than analysts' opinions. Instead of simply clicking the buy button because analysts are bullish, potential investors should look for green flags from the company that make its 2030 and 2032 targets seem achievable.

Should the company succeed in attaining its goal of delivering a 17-physical-qubit system that supports logical error rates 2 times lower than physical error rates, investors will have more material cause to buy D-Wave Quantum stock.

Scott Levine 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.

As tech companies invest in artificial intelligence (AI), many investors have been targeting stocks that are involved with energy. These types of stocks may benefit from the rising energy needs that come with building data centers and, thus, can potentially lead to significant long-term returns.

Oklo (OKLO +4.89%) is a prime example of that. Despite generating no revenue today, there's the hope that in the future it'll be a key energy company, with its small power plants providing data centers with energy around the clock, in a safe and efficient manner.

The stock has fallen 20% this year as investors may have been put off by its high valuation. But with it being down around 70% from its 52-week high of $193.84, could it be a great time to invest in Oklo right now?

Image source: Getty Images.

There are big opportunities for Oklo to tap into According to analysts from MarketsandMarkets, the global data center power market could be worth $50.5 billion by the end of the decade. That translates into a compounded annual growth rate of 7.5% and highlights the ongoing opportunities stemming from data center growth.

If Oklo's powerhouses prove effective and help address the need for more reliable energy, the business could thrive, generate significant revenue, and potentially have a path to profitability. In the trailing 12 months, the company has incurred net losses totaling $129 million as it has been incurring expenses but has generated no revenue, and it could be multiple years before it generates meaningful top-line numbers.

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Oklo's stock may be down, but it's not cheap when you consider the risks Although Oklo's stock is down significantly from its high, that doesn't mean that it's become a good buy today. It's less expensive than it was at its peak, but that simply means its valuation isn't as outlandish as it was back then; by no means is the stock a bargain buy right now.

Power plants take time to build and can be incredibly costly. While Oklo has some exciting long-term opportunities, its margins may remain tight, making it difficult for the company to hit breakeven anytime soon. That's just one risk to consider. Another is whether demand for data centers could slow down, especially as AI becomes more efficient. Expectations are high today, but that could change in the future.

Given all the risks and uncertainty around Oklo's business, the stock is by no means a bargain. It may be a better idea to put the stock on a watch list and hold off on buying it, at least until there's a clearer indication of how strong its financials might be as it scales its operations, as that can help investors get a better idea of how long it may be until it's able to turn a profit. Until then, this will remain a highly risky and speculative energy stock to own.

Fiserv, Inc. remains a Strong Buy despite the recent CEO departure and ongoing operational uncertainty. FISV's valuation is deeply discounted, trading at ~5x 2026 earnings, with significant upside if stability and growth targets are met. Clover, FISV's fintech platform, is a major value driver, with potential for 15%+ annual revenue growth and strategic monetization opportunities.

Here’s what investors need to know.

POET Technologies shares are climbing with conviction. What’s fueling POET momentum? Why Macroeconomic Shifts Directly Impact POET TechnologiesThe market-wide surge follows a peace agreement between the United States and Iran, which reopens the crucial Strait of Hormuz. The deal sent crude oil prices plunging 5% to a two-month low, significantly easing global inflation anxieties. Concurrently, U.S. Treasury yields declined, creating an ideal backdrop for growth-oriented tech equities.

As a developer of advanced optical interposers and networking solutions for AI data centers, POET is highly sensitive to macroeconomic shifts. Lower yields and cooling inflation directly benefit high-growth companies by improving long-term valuation metrics.

Furthermore, with the Nasdaq-100 jumping over 3% and chip names leading Monday’s top gainers, POET is benefiting from a “rising tide lifts all boats” phenomenon. Investors are rotating back into AI infrastructure components on Monday as geopolitical risk premiums unwind, driving POET higher.

Critical Price Levels To Watch For POETFrom a trend perspective, POET is still in clear "uptrend mode": it's trading 8.7% above its 20-day SMA ($13.39) and 96.4% above its 200-day SMA ($7.41), which tells you buyers have controlled the intermediate and long-term tape. The golden cross in April (50-day SMA above the 200-day SMA) reinforces that the bigger-picture trend flipped bullish and has stayed that way.

Momentum is best read through RSI right now, because it's describing whether the move is getting stretched or simply resetting. RSI is 50.77 (neutral), which suggests the stock has room to push without immediately flashing an "overheated" signal; RSI measures how extended recent buying or selling pressure is versus the stock's own recent history.

The chart is also working through key reference points from the last few months: after the recent swing high in May and swing low in March, price is back pressing toward the upper part of its 52-week range ($3.87 to $20.81). That keeps the focus on whether buyers can keep defending pullbacks above rising moving averages, rather than giving back the trend.

Key Resistance: $15.50 — a nearby pivot/round-number area where upside attempts can stall if momentum cools Key Support: $11.50 — a prior buyer-defense zone that also sits closer to the stock's rising intermediate trend structure POET Stock Price Movement on MondayPOET Stock Price Activity: POET Technologies shares were up 15.80% at $14.51 at the time of publication on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Image: Shutterstock

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Ondas Holdings remains a risk-aware Buy as revenue targets and backlog have surged, while valuation multiples have compressed significantly since February. ONDS's 2026 revenue target has jumped to ~$390m, backlog is ~$457m, and gross margins are holding near 50% despite rapid scaling and integration. Share dilution concerns are mitigated by revenue growth outpacing issuance; consensus revenue estimates for 2027 and 2028 are increasingly credible.

TeraWulf stock is at critical resistance. What’s behind WULF new highs? BofA Initiates Coverage With Buy RatingBofA Securities analyst Michael Funk started coverage of TeraWulf with a Buy rating and set a $34 price objective. The target is built on a 9.5x EV-to-revenue multiple applied to Funk’s 2028 revenue forecast, a multiple the analyst said sits in line with peers and reflects a balance between the company’s growth potential and the risks tied to financing and development.

Funk’s bullish view is rooted in TeraWulf’s pivot away from bitcoin mining toward high-performance computing infrastructure built for AI workloads under long-term contracted leases.

The analyst projects the company’s capacity pipeline will grow from 60 megawatts to over 1 gigawatt while revenue climbs from $226 million in 2026 to $1.06 billion in 2027 and $1.8 billion in 2028. Net operating margins are forecast to reach around 85% as adjusted EBITDA jumps from $63 million in 2026 to $686 million in 2027 and $1.25 billion in 2028.

Site Portfolio And Upcoming MilestonesAccording to the note, TeraWulf’s contracted capacity totaled 522 megawatts in the first quarter of 2026 across its Lake Mariner site in New York and the Abernathy joint venture in Texas. Funk flagged the completion of Lake Mariner buildouts by year end 2026 and a customer announcement for the Justified Data project in Kentucky as near term catalysts with that site expected online in the second half of 2027.

The analyst also referenced TeraWulf’s newly added Muskie Data site in eastern Kentucky which is expected to bring 500 megawatts online in the second half of 2028 with another 500 megawatts following by 2030.

Fluidstack Leases And Power StrategyFunk highlighted TeraWulf’s lease agreements with Fluidstack which carry credit support from Google as a major factor strengthening the reliability of its revenue base. The analyst said robust AI demand combined with limited power availability across markets plays to TeraWulf’s strategy of choosing sites with existing high voltage transmission access which gives it a more predictable path to securing power.

Key Risks And OpportunitiesFunk identified financing access along with construction delays and tenant timing as the biggest risks to the thesis with labor shortages supply chain issues and local opposition as secondary concerns. He estimated that a slowdown of 10% to 20% in megawatt delivery would lower 2028 revenue by about 6% to 12% and reduce adjusted EBITDA by as much as 12.3%.

On the upside, Funk pointed to accelerating AI infrastructure demand and the potential for TeraWulf to secure better contract terms such as longer lease durations higher rate escalators and credit backstops as it builds a stronger track record with major customers.

WULF Shares Are JumpingWULF Price Action: TeraWulf shares were up 7.83% at $28.10 at the time of publication on Monday. The stock is trading at a new 52-week high, according to Benzinga Pro.

Image: Piotr Swat/Shutterstock.com

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© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Growth stocks are attractive to many investors, as above-average financial growth helps these stocks easily grab the market's attention and produce exceptional returns. But finding a growth stock that can live up to its true potential can be a tough task.

That's because, these stocks usually carry above-average risk and volatility. In fact, betting on a stock for which the growth story is actually over or nearing its end could lead to significant loss.

However, the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects, makes it pretty easy to find cutting-edge growth stocks.

Seagate (STX - Free Report) is on the list of such stocks currently recommended by our proprietary system. In addition to a favorable Growth Score, it carries a top Zacks Rank.

Studies have shown that stocks with the best growth features consistently outperform the market. And for stocks that have a combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), returns are even better.

While there are numerous reasons why the stock of this electronic storage maker is a great growth pick right now, we have highlighted three of the most important factors below:

Earnings GrowthEarnings growth is arguably the most important factor, as stocks exhibiting exceptionally surging profit levels tend to attract the attention of most investors. And for growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is definitely preferable, and often an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.

While the historical EPS growth rate for Seagate is 2.6%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 84.3% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 73%.

Impressive Asset Utilization RatioGrowth investors often overlook asset utilization ratio, also known as sales-to-total-assets (S/TA) ratio, but it is an important feature of a real growth stock. This metric exhibits how efficiently a firm is utilizing its assets to generate sales.

Right now, Seagate has an S/TA ratio of 1.29, which means that the company gets $1.29 in sales for each dollar in assets. Comparing this to the industry average of 0.68, it can be said that the company is more efficient.

In addition to efficiency in generating sales, sales growth plays an important role. And Seagate is well positioned from a sales growth perspective too. The company's sales are expected to grow 32.5% this year versus the industry average of 22.3%.

Promising Earnings Estimate RevisionsSuperiority of a stock in terms of the metrics outlined above can be further validated by looking at the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is of course favorable here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

There have been upward revisions in current-year earnings estimates for Seagate. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 0.3% over the past month.

Bottom LineSeagate has not only earned a Growth Score of A based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above, but it also carries a Zacks Rank #1 because of the positive earnings estimate revisions.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

This combination indicates that Seagate is a potential outperformer and a solid choice for growth investors.

Shares of Perma-Pipe International Holdings, Inc. (PPIH - Free Report) have declined 18.9% since the company reported its earnings for the quarter ended April 30, 2026, significantly underperforming the S&P 500 index, which has gained 0.2% over the same period. Over the past month, the stock has fallen 18.7%, compared with a 0.3% decline for the broader market index, reflecting a notably weaker performance relative to the benchmark.

Perma-Pipe reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings per share of 22 cents, which dropped from 61 cents in the prior-year quarter.

Net sales of $50.3 million indicated a 7.5% rise from $46.7 million in the prior-year quarter, driven by higher sales volumes in North America and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. 

However, profitability declined sharply. Net income attributable to common stock fell to $1.8 million from $5 million a year earlier, a decrease of about 63.6%. Income before taxes declined to $3.9 million from $7.4 million. Gross profit decreased 12.5% to $14.6 million despite the higher revenue base.

Other Key Business MetricsThe company’s backlog reached $136.5 million as of April 30, 2026, representing an increase of approximately 12% from $121.6 million at Jan. 31, 2026. Management highlighted that recently awarded AI-driven data center projects in North America contributed significantly to the increase. The company also reported strong bidding activity across infrastructure, energy, industrial, water-related and data center markets.

On the balance-sheet front, total assets increased to $221.6 million from $217.5 million at the end of fiscal 2025. Stockholders’ equity rose to $92.2 million from $90.6 million, while total liabilities edged up to $112.9 million from $111.2 million.

Management CommentaryPresident and chief executive officer Saleh Sagr said first-quarter results were affected by geopolitical developments in the Middle East that delayed the execution of certain projects, impacting the timing of revenue recognition and profitability in the MENA region. He emphasized that no projects had been canceled and that customer demand remained strong.

Sagr also pointed to emerging growth opportunities in the region, including investments in alternative oil and gas export infrastructure aimed at reducing reliance on the Strait of Hormuz and increased focus on long-term water security initiatives. He said continued expansion of AI and cloud computing infrastructure is expected to support future demand for the company’s products and services.

Factors Influencing Quarterly ResultsWhile revenue increased, several factors weighed on margins and earnings. Gross profit declined primarily because of project and product mix across different jurisdictions, particularly seasonal factors affecting Canada. The company also incurred start-up and ramp-up costs related to its new manufacturing facilities in Ohio and Qatar.

Operating expenses increased as well. Total operating expenses rose to $10 million from $8.8 million a year ago. General and administrative expenses increased due to higher professional fees associated with the company’s transition to accelerated filer status and ongoing Sarbanes-Oxley compliance initiatives. Net interest expense rose to $0.6 million from $0.4 million, reflecting incremental borrowings during the quarter. Additionally, the effective tax rate increased to 34% from 21%, driven by the geographic mix of earnings across tax jurisdictions.

Guidance and OutlookDespite the softer earnings performance, management maintained a positive outlook for fiscal 2026. The company said it continues to anticipate both revenue growth and net income growth for the full fiscal year compared with fiscal 2025. Management expects project execution in the MENA region to normalize over the coming quarters and believes its growing backlog, healthy project pipeline and expanding manufacturing footprint will support improved financial performance.

Other DevelopmentsDuring the quarter, Perma-Pipe continued expanding its manufacturing capabilities. Management highlighted the commissioning and ramp-up of its new Ohio facility as a significant milestone that strengthens the company’s North American presence and positions it for future growth. The company also announced plans to begin quarterly earnings conference calls starting with the second quarter of fiscal 2026 to enhance transparency and engagement with investors.

On June 15, Direxion expanded its leveraged single-stock ETF lineup with the introduction of the Direxion Daily SpaceX Bull 2X ETF (LOFF). The fund has an expense ratio of 97 basis points. It aims to generate daily investment results double the performance of SpaceX (SPCX). LOFF debuted just one business day after the company’s IPO last Friday. It extends Direxion’s position as the largest single-stock ETF issuer in the U.S.

“Direxion has been managing leveraged ETFs and mutual funds for decades, and this wealth of experience and best-in-class risk management has allowed for our team to move as quickly as we have,” said Mo Sparks, Direxion’s Chief Product Officer. “Our goal is to provide traders the tactical tools they need, and as the SpaceX IPO has captured the market’s full attention, it is an important part of our offering to provide a leveraged solution as quickly as we felt reasonably possible.”

“As the global leader in single stock ETFs, we have portfolio managers who have navigated volatility throughout their careers. This, combined with our risk management processes, enables our team to launch into what likely will be a volatile market. Volatility comes with the territory at Direxion. It’s one of the leaders of the leveraged and inverse ETF market,” Sparks added. 

The Business Behind the Bet SpaceX develops and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. However, the company’s primary driver of revenue historically has come from its Starlink satellites. These satellites accounted for $11.4 billion of revenue in 2025. Despite the AI business recording a net loss prior to IPO, the company is expected to transform its xAI and its AI assistant, Grok, into a paramount $1.75 trillion driver of business. The company already exhibits opulent spending. Analysis from Neuberger expects its capital expenditures to reach $300 billion by 2030.

The fund caters to short-term investors with a high risk tolerance. Distinct from broadly diversified ETFs, LOFF tracks the price of a single stock rather than an index. This eliminates the diversification benefits seen in other products. 

“Direxion is the largest leveraged single stock ETF issuer in the world and has been managing these strategies as long as they have been permitted in the US,” Sparks noted. “This scale and experience should give traders the comfort they need to feel confident that LOFF will provide the exposure they are looking to trade as soon as it comes to market.”

LOFF joins a rapidly expanding portfolio of single-stock leveraged ETFs, building on the firm’s momentum from Q1 2026 releases such as ADBU, PYPU, TXNU, and UNHU. Direxion continues to cement its role providing investment vehicles to traders seeking tactical, specialized exposure in an evolving market.

For more news, information, and analysis, visit VettaFi | ETF Trends.    

Across online investing forums, users complained of allocations as small as a single share of SpaceX despite requesting far larger amounts. Those who did receive stock are taking sharply different approaches, with some selling into the company's market debut while others are holding for the long haul.

Sandisk (SNDK +6.19%) stock surged 6.6% through 12:05 p.m. Monday -- and for a reason that may surprise you.

In a note out this morning, Canadian private equity shop Lynx Equity told investors that even though the SpaceX IPO is over, and even after the space company's shares are up 31%, there's still a way for investors to make money on the SpaceX IPO:

By buying Sandisk (SNDK +6.19%) stock.

Image source: Getty Images.

SpaceX is flush with cash now SpaceX made history last week, both scoring a gigantic valuation (currently $2.3 trillion -- quite a lot for a space stock with no profits) and raising $75 billion in cash.

Now SpaceX will have to figure out how to deploy all this cash to keep its growth rate going. And here's the thing: Lynx thinks SpaceX will spend quite a lot of this cash on semiconductors.

While still thought of by most investors as a space company, you see, the gigantic tech company that IPO'ed last week is really much more of an AI stock. Indeed, while the entire space launch market is currently valued at single-digit billions per year, at least some investors believe that SpaceX's AI business could eventually be worth $30 trillion annually.

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What this means for Sandisk For SpaceX to come anywhere near fulfilling this dream, however, it's going to need to build a huge AI business -- and spend heavily on AI chips and the memory chips that support AI inference work by those chips.

This means more money flowing to Nvidia (NVDA +3.44%), for example (which is in fact Lynx's favorite play on SpaceX), and also more money flowing to Sandisk (SNDK +6.19%) as well.

The best news of all? Even valued at 23x sales, Sandisk stock is still 5x cheaper than SpaceX!

Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

SpaceX SPCX has recently had the most monumental initial public offering in Wall Street history, making a breathtaking debut on the Nasdaq exchange.

The aerospace and tech powerhouse raised a historic $75 billion – blowing past all prior financial records, instantly driving its market valuation past the $2.1 trillion mark.

However, beneath the euphoric ringing of the opening bell in New York and Texas, a big disconnect has emerged.

While public equity markets are treating Elon Musk’s firm as an unstoppable, multi-faceted giant, decentralized prediction platforms paint a remarkably skeptical picture regarding the firm’s ability to hit its most defining long-term operational objective.

The central pillar of SpaceX’s grand existential ethos – and a dominant theme throughout its SEC prospectus—is the colonization of Mars.

Yet, according to data from the prediction market platform Kalshi, crowdsourced intelligence bets heavily against near-term success.

Traders on the platform are pricing in a meager 18% probability that SPCX will successfully launch a crewed mission to the Red Planet by December 31, 2029.

Despite continuous public relations momentum and routine Starship test flights, this collective skepticism is deeply entrenched; odds have failed to cross a one-in-four threshold since the event contract debuted.

This collective doubt aligns seamlessly with SpaceX’s own regulatory disclosures, which candidly admit that building a Martian colony relies heavily on unproven or currently “non-existent” tech, rendering concrete timelines virtually impossible to guarantee.

For standard corporations, missing a core strategic goal would trigger a massive sell-off, but for SPCX shares, the short-term fallout of missing the 2030 Mars milestone is surprisingly negligible.

Institutional investors are not valuing the giant as an “immediate” interplanetary transport system.

Instead, Wall Street is infatuated with its highly lucrative, Earth-bound monopolies.

The company's financial engine is driven by its Starlink satellite broadband division, which brought in a towering $11.4 billion in revenue, commanding over 60% of total corporate inflows.

When combined with its undisputed 84% stranglehold on the global orbital launch market and its newly integrated Colossus AI data center division, SpaceX possesses robust infrastructure plans that somewhat insulate the stock from deep-space delays.

Ultimately, SpaceX stock occupies a unique duality on Wall Street, operating simultaneously as a highly profitable commercial monopoly (Starlink) and a speculative astrofuturistic bet.

Musk’s personal financial incentives are structurally tied to the extreme macro-vision—requiring a functioning colony of one million inhabitants on Mars before his restricted stock bonuses unlock—but retail and institutional traders are focused on more immediate financial metrics.

With an impending fast-track inclusion into the Nasdaq-100 index set to trigger tens of billions in passive institutional buying, the immediate trajectory for SPCX stock remains “decoupled” from deep-space timelines.

While prediction markets are likely correct that footprints won’t be left on Martian soil this decade, SpaceX’s earthly financial empire may prove sufficient to keep its stock soaring.

ToplineElon Musk’s fortune increased by more than $110 billion Monday, reaching a record high $1.2 trillion and extending his lead as the world’s richest person, as shares of SpaceX surged more than 14% on the first full trading day after the company’s historic IPO.

The world’s richest person became the first trillionaire after SpaceX’s trading debut.

Getty Images

Key FactsShares of SpaceX surged 14% as of Monday afternoon to just over $183, extending Friday’s opening rally of 19%, as Tesla shares also rose slightly (0.9%).

A further boost in SpaceX shares added $112.6 billion to Musk’s net worth, valued at a record $1.2 trillion, as he ranks the world’s richest by around four times the net worth of any other person, well ahead of Google cofounders Larry Page ($302.9 billion) and Sergey Brin ($279.5 billion) and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos ($255.5 billion), according to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires list.

Musk owns 4.8 billion SpaceX shares and an additional 350 million stock options with an exercise price of $8.40 per share, bringing his stake to about 38%.

big number$85.7 billion. That’s how much SpaceX raised in its IPO, the company said Monday. That came after the brokers behind the offering purchased an additional 83.3 million shares to accommodate stronger investor demand following SpaceX's initial $75 billion raise. The initial public offering reportedly brought in more than $350 billion, including roughly $100 billion from retail traders and the remaining $250 billion from institutional investors.

key backgroundSpaceX’s trading debut last week swelled Musk’s stake in the company to about $821 billion, making him the world’s first trillionaire, with a net worth of $1.1 trillion. His fortune has soared ahead of the trillion-dollar milestone and is the latest of many over the last year, after Musk in October became the first person to be valued at $500 billion in October, then hit $600 billion in December and $700 billion just four days later.

further readingForbesSpaceX Says Historic IPO Raised More Than $85 BillionBy Ty Roush

ForbesSpaceX Opens At $150—Surging 20% After Largest IPO Ever (Live Updates)By Ty Roush

MIAMI, June 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Defiance ETFs today announced the launch of the Defiance Daily Target 2X Short SpaceX ETF (SPCQ), expanding its lineup of single-stock leveraged ETFs designed for active traders seeking amplified exposure to innovative growth companies. SPCQ is designed for traders seeking magnified, short-term inverse exposure to Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (“SpaceX”) (NASDAQ: SPCX), a leading aerospace and satellite communications company that recently completed its initial public offering and is focused on reusable launch systems, commercial space transportation, and global broadband connectivity through its Starlink network.

By seeking to deliver -200% of the daily percentage change in the share price of SpaceX, the Fund allows investors to express tactical bearish views on the company within the accessibility and transparency of an exchange-traded fund.

Investment Objective

The Fund seeks daily inverse investment results, before fees and expenses, of -2 times (-200%) the daily percentage change in the share price of Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: SPCX). The Fund does not seek to achieve its stated investment objective for a period other than a single trading day.

Underlying Company: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (“SpaceX”)

Space Exploration Technologies Corporation is a company listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker SPCX, which recently completed its initial public offering, and that designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. Founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, SpaceX develops and operates launch vehicles for commercial, government, and defense customers, and provides satellite-based broadband services through its Starlink network. The company is a leading participant in the commercial space industry, contributing to the expansion of global satellite communications and orbital launch capabilities.

An investment in the ETF is not a direct investment in SpaceX.

The Fund is not suitable for all investors. The Fund is designed to be utilized only by knowledgeable investors who understand the potential consequences of seeking daily leveraged inverse (-2X) investment results, understand the risks associated with the use of leverage, and are willing to monitor their portfolios frequently. The Fund is not intended to be used by, and is not appropriate for, investors who do not intend to actively monitor and manage their portfolios. The Fund pursues daily leveraged investment objectives, which means it is riskier than alternatives that do not use leverage. The Fund magnifies the inverse performance of the Underlying Security and is designed strictly for short-term use. For periods longer than a single day, the Fund's performance will be the result of compounded daily returns, which is very likely to differ from -200% of the return of SpaceX over the same period. It is possible investors could lose their entire principal within a single trading day.

Media Contact:

Sylvia Jablonski
[email protected]
833.333.9383

IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES

Defiance ETFs LLC is the ETF sponsor. The Fund’s investment adviser is Tidal Investments, LLC (“Tidal” or the “Adviser”).

The Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses must be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other important information about the investment company. Please read the prospectus and/or summary prospectus carefully before investing. Hard copies can be requested by calling 833.333.9383.

Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. As an ETF, the Fund may trade at a premium or discount to NAV. Shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. A portfolio concentrated in a single issuer or sector may be subject to a higher degree of risk. There is no guarantee the Fund’s strategy will be properly implemented, and an investor may lose some or all of its investment.

SPCX Price Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s inverse investment strategy, the Fund enters into swap agreements and options contracts based on the share price of Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: SPCX) (the “Underlying Security”). This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted shares of the Underlying Security, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect -2X exposure to changes in the share price of the Underlying Security, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Underlying Security’s share price increases. If the share price of the Underlying Security increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses. The Fund may also be subject to the following risks:

Indirect Investment in SpaceX Risk. SpaceX is not affiliated with the Trust, the Fund, the Adviser, or their respective affiliates, and is not involved with this offering in any way. SpaceX has no obligation to consider the Fund or its shareholders in taking any corporate actions that might affect the value of Fund shares. Investors in the Fund will not have voting rights or other ownership privileges associated with holding shares of SpaceX.

SpaceX Performance Risk. SpaceX may fail to meet publicly announced expectations about its business, launch operations, satellite deployments, or commercial growth initiatives, which could cause the value of the Underlying Security to decline. SpaceX operates in a highly capital-intensive and technologically complex industry where launch failures, manufacturing defects, delays in deployment schedules, or operational disruptions could materially affect its business and financial condition.

Commercial Space Industry Risks. Companies engaged in the commercial space industry operate in an environment characterized by rapid innovation, high development costs, evolving regulatory oversight, and uncertain demand. The success of these businesses depends on their ability to maintain technological competitiveness, execute reliable launches, and secure ongoing funding and customer demand. Increased competition, regulatory changes, launch failures, or reductions in government spending could adversely affect SpaceX and the Fund’s performance.

Satellite Communications Industry Risks. Companies involved in satellite communications and broadband services face significant operational, technological, and competitive risks. These businesses require substantial investment in satellite constellations, infrastructure, and network operations, and depend on continued regulatory approval for spectrum access and orbital positioning. Competition from terrestrial broadband providers and other satellite operators may limit growth opportunities and negatively impact the Underlying Security.

Elon Musk Influence Risk. The value of SpaceX may be significantly impacted by the actions, decisions, and public statements of Elon Musk. Public perception regarding Mr. Musk, his leadership, or involvement in other ventures may materially affect investor sentiment and the performance of the Underlying Security.

Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment that diversifies risk or tracks the market generally. The Fund’s value may fluctuate more sharply in response to events affecting SpaceX than funds that invest in a broader range of issuers.

Recent IPO and Derivatives Capacity Constraints Risk. The Fund’s ability to achieve its daily leveraged investment objective depends, in part, on the availability of swaps, options, and other financial instruments that provide exposure to the Underlying Security. For a recently public company, these instruments may be limited, illiquid, costly, or unavailable, particularly shortly after an IPO or during periods of significant volatility or market demand.

Compounding and Market Volatility Risk. The Fund’s performance for periods greater than a trading day will be the result of each day’s returns compounded over the period, which is likely to differ from 200% of the Underlying Security’s performance. During periods of higher volatility, compounding effects may cause the Fund to lose value even if the Underlying Security’s share price increases over the longer term.

Daily Correlation/Tracking Risk. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve a high degree of leveraged correlation to the Underlying Security. Market disruptions, volatility, or limitations in the availability of derivatives may cause the Fund’s performance to deviate from its daily leveraged investment objective.

Leverage Risk. The Fund will seek 2X long exposure through financial instruments, which exposes the Fund to the risk that losses may be magnified. Leverage increases the Fund’s volatility, and a relatively small movement in the Underlying Security’s share price may result in significant losses for the Fund.

Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk due to its use of derivatives. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, the Fund may experience delays or losses, which could negatively affect its performance.

Derivatives Risk. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks greater than those associated with directly investing in securities. These risks include increased volatility, imperfect correlation with the Underlying Security, liquidity constraints, valuation challenges, and the potential for losses exceeding the amount initially invested.

Rebalancing Risk. If the Fund is unable to rebalance its portfolio correctly or in a timely manner, its exposure may not be consistent with its investment objective. This may increase the Fund’s risk exposure and cause its performance to diverge from its intended daily leveraged results.

Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is non-diversified, it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a single issuer. As a result, the Fund may be more sensitive to adverse events affecting SpaceX than a diversified fund.

Swap Agreements. The use of swap transactions is a highly specialized activity, which involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions.

Fixed Income Securities Risk. When the Fund invests in fixed income securities, the value of your investment in the Fund will fluctuate with changes in interest rates.

High Portfolio Turnover Risk. Daily rebalancing is expected to result in high portfolio turnover. High portfolio turnover may increase transaction costs, which could reduce the Fund’s returns and potentially result in higher taxable distributions for shareholders.

Liquidity Risk. Some securities or financial instruments held by the Fund may be difficult to sell, particularly during periods of market stress or volatility. Reduced liquidity may make it difficult for the Fund to adjust its exposure or meet its investment objective.

New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with a limited operating history. As a result, there is limited performance history upon which investors can evaluate the Fund.

Distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ab71dab4-a168-4a8c-98b0-f191b922e095

Defiance Launches SPCQ: Daily 2X Short ETF for SpaceX Defiance ETFs today announced the launch of the Defiance Daily Target 2X Short SpaceX ETF (SPCQ), ex...

Ten leveraged SpaceX ETFs launched this week alongside the public debut of Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SPCX), which began trading on the Nasdaq, giving traders an immediate lineup of tools to bet for or against the stock.

Key Takeaways: Ten leveraged SpaceX ETFs launched alongside SPCX’s Nasdaq debut. Expense ratios range from 0.75% to 2.20%, with Leverage Shares by Themes carrying the lowest fee. Tuttle Capital Management handed the SPCX ticker to SpaceX ahead of its Nasdaq listing. The flood of launches means traders now have a full toolkit to express a directional view on SpaceX from the first session. Ten funds from six issuers all target the same underlying stock. According to press releases from the respective issuers, all ten seek to deliver either two times or inverse two times SPCX’s daily price move, before fees and expenses.

SpaceX sought to raise roughly $75 billion in its IPO, which would make it the largest public offering in history, surpassing Saudi Aramco’s 2019 listing, according to a Themes ETF Trust announcement. Reuters reported more than $250 billion in indications of interest, or roughly 3.5 to 4 times the planned offering size. As much as 30% of the allocation could go to retail investors, according to the announcement.

SpaceX is not just a rocket business. According to Defiance ETFs’, the company operates across three segments: launch services, satellite connectivity through its Starlink network, and artificial intelligence, following its acquisition of xAI in February.

Starlink generated $11.4 billion in revenue for the year ended Dec. 31, up 49.8% year over year, and served about 10.3 million subscribers across 164 countries and territories, according to Defiance ETFs.

SpaceX ETFs Cover Both Sides at Varying Costs Issuers moved quickly to meet that demand. Leverage Shares by Themes launched the Leverage Shares 2X Long SpaceX Daily ETF (SPCH) and the Leverage Shares 2X Short SpaceX Daily ETF (SSPC), both trading on Cboe, each carrying a 0.75% expense ratio, the lowest in the group, according to a Themes ETF Trust announcement.

According to Themes ETF Trust, SPCH’s fee runs about 38% below what the issuer calls the industry average for comparable two-times long SpaceX funds, while SSPC’s fee is roughly 47% below average for comparable inverse products.

Defiance ETFs launched the Defiance Daily Target 2X Long SpaceX ETF (SPCU) and the Defiance Daily Target 2X Short SpaceX ETF (SPCQ), both on Cboe, each at a 1.31% expense ratio. According to Defiance ETFs, the SPCU provides traders with exposure to SpaceX’s AI infrastructure, Starlink broadband, and reusable rocket business.

Tradr ETFs launched the Tradr 2X Long SpaceX Daily ETF (SPCM) and the Tradr 2X Short SpaceX Daily ETF (SPCG), both on Cboe, at 1.49%, according to a Tradr ETFs announcement.

“Some traders see a transformational business with enormous growth potential, while others see a stock that may face high expectations and significant valuation questions,” said Matt Markiewicz, head of product and capital markets at Tradr ETFs. “We launched both SPCM and SPCG because active traders need tools that allow them to express either view with precision.”

More Issuers Join the SpaceX ETF Field GraniteShares launched two funds on Cboe: the GraniteShares 2x Long SpaceX Daily ETF (SPAL) at 1.5% and the GraniteShares 2x Short SpaceX Daily ETF (SNK) at 2.2%, the highest fee in the group.

REX Shares and Tuttle Capital Management launched the T-REX 2X Long SpaceX Daily Target ETF (SPAX) on NYSE Arca at 1.5%. According to REX Shares, SPAX gives traders two-times daily exposure to SPCX. The T-REX suite now covers more than 40 leveraged and inverse single-stock ETFs.

In a post on X, SpaceX thanked Tuttle Capital Management for handing over the SPCX ticker, a symbol the firm had used for one of its own ETFs before passing it to SpaceX for the Nasdaq listing, according to REX Shares.

Direxion, which describes itself as the largest issuer of single-stock ETFs in the U.S., also launched the Direxion Daily SpaceX Bull 2X ETF (LOFF), a long-only fund seeking two-times daily exposure to SPCX.

See more: Direxion Debuts Daily SpaceX Bull 2X ETF

For more news, information, and strategy, visit ETF Trends.

When investors think of the biggest winners of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, Meta Platforms (META +4.95%) probably doesn't usually come to mind. Not only has the stock suffered this year, with shares falling nearly 10% year to date, but the company is still thought of first as a social media company that sells ads, while the AI label goes to chipmakers and the biggest cloud computing providers.

Yet the irony is that AI may already be doing more for Meta's business than for almost any other company.

Meta's first-quarter revenue, helped by AI, rose 33% year over year to $56.3 billion -- an acceleration from about 24% growth just one quarter earlier.

Here are three reasons Meta is becoming one of the market's best AI stocks for investors to consider.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. AI is already a catalyst for Meta AI is already foundational to Meta's business momentum.

The clearest evidence sits inside the feed. On Instagram, ranking improvements with the help of AI lifted time spent on Reels by 10% during Q1 -- and total video time on Facebook climbed more than 8% globally -- the company's largest quarterly gain in four years.

More time on the platform, of course, means more room for ad inventory. To this end, ad impressions across its apps rose 19% in the quarter, while the average price per ad increased 12%.

And the same AI-driven systems that are improving content ranking across its platforms are also helping each ad work harder. Management said that new ad-ranking models drove a more than 6% jump in conversion rates for one common ad format. And the annual revenue run rate of Meta's value-optimization tools, which steer ad budgets toward customers most likely to buy, has more than doubled over the past year to over $20 billion.

2. A distribution advantage few can match Building good AI is one thing. Getting it in front of people is another -- and here Meta starts with an enormous head start. More than 3.5 billion people use at least one of its apps every day, so a new feature can reach a global audience as it rolls out.

That reach is already on display. After Meta rolled out Muse Spark, the first model from its new Meta Superintelligence Labs, along with a rebuilt version of its Meta AI assistant in April, sessions per user climbed by a double-digit percentage. And more than half a billion people on Facebook and Instagram now watch AI-translated videos every week. Further, business AIs that field customer questions for advertisers handled more than 10 million conversations a week by the time of the first-quarter call, up from about 1 million at the start of the year.

3. Spending backed by profits, not promises But one problem for Meta is the high cost of scaling its AI infrastructure. To support its ambitious compute initiatives, Meta now expects capital expenditures of $125 billion to $145 billion this year -- up from a prior range of $115 billion to $135 billion and nearly double the roughly $72 billion it spent in 2025.

A commitment this large would strain many companies' balance sheets. But Meta is a financial fortress. Its spending is backed up by extraordinarily profitable operations. The social networking specialist's first-quarter operating income rose 30% to $22.9 billion, and it generated $32.2 billion in operating cash flow and $12.4 billion in free cash flow. Additionally, the company ended March with about $81 billion in cash and marketable securities.

In other words, the AI build-out is largely being funded by profits the core business is already generating.

Meta is also trimming its workforce and designing its own chips to fund the push more efficiently.

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An attractive bet Still, the boldest part of this growth stock's AI bet has yet to pay off. The new models are meant to power personal and business agents Meta can eventually monetize, but that business is still nascent. Further, Muse Spark's developer API has reportedly been delayed on multiple occasions.

But the reason Meta belongs in the AI conversation arguably isn't its more speculative long-term ambitions to build a superintelligence. Instead, it's that the technology is already lifting the advertising business that funds everything else, even while it waits for its longer-term initiatives to pay off.

"[T]he trend over the last few years seems clear that we are seeing an increasing return on the amount that we can improve engagement for people and value for advertisers," said Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg during Meta's first-quarter earnings call.

And the other part of the bull case is the stock's valuation. Trading at just 22 times earnings, the stock looks attractive relative to its impressive top-line momentum and considering the attractive economics of the underlying business.

Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) is up 5% at $595.57 this afternoon, after the tech concern launched new AI features on social media platform Facebook. META sports a grim 28% year-to-date deficit, with even today's overdue pop facing off with pressure at the 20-day moving average and $600 level.

A frequent flyer on Schaeffer's Quantitative Analyst Rocky White's list of stocks sporting the most active options over the past two weeks, Meta Platforms has ushered in 4.6 million calls and 2.3 million puts during this most recent time frame. The June 720 call and the weekly 6/3 620-strike call have been the most popular over the past 10 days.

Bulls have been circling for longer than that as well. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), META's 50-day call/put volume ratio of 2.10 ranks in the 88th annual percentile of its annual range. 

The equity's premium is affordably priced at the moment, too. This is per the stock's Schaeffer’s Volatility Index (SVI) of 34% that stands in the 34th percentile of its annual range.

The SpaceX IPO is now behind us, but we may not be done with big news from Elon Musk. Traders on prediction market Kalshi are pricing a 49% chance that Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX +16.00%) will merge with electric vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA +0.90%) before May 1, 2027.

As both companies are headed by Musk and rely heavily on artificial intelligence, there’s long been speculation that the two companies could eventually merge. CNBC reported on May 27 that Tesla and SpaceX were already considering a merger, and Musk himself has reportedly raised the issue.

Speculation heated up even more as SpaceX had its record-breaking IPO on June 12, with Wedbush analyst Dan Ives estimating there was an 80% chance the companies would merge, and SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell acknowledging that a merger “might make Elon’s life a little easier, actually.”

“There’s no question that there’s synergies between Tesla and SpaceX in our futures, definitely,” Shotwell told CNBC. “There’s a convergence of a kind of what we’re all trying to accomplish in the future.”

There are natural elements that make SpaceX and Tesla a potential match. In addition to both being Musk's brainchildren, Tesla and SpaceX rely heavily on artificial intelligence. A merger enables them to more easily benefit from training models, share talent, and consolidate resources. Ross Gerber, a longtime Tesla investor, said a merger of Tesla and SpaceX would fulfill a Musk ambition to create an AI-driven conglomerate.

So, it seems plausible that such a merger will happen one day. But would it happen within a year, as Kalshi traders are betting? Here are three issues that would factor into such a deal.

Tesla and SpaceX have vastly different markets -- and one mission in commonTesla is an EV company -- and the electric vehicle industry is highly competitive. That means investors are watching Tesla’s production and delivery numbers every month and pushing for Tesla to maintain a profit margin that keeps the stock appealing. Last year, those margins took a significant hit as Tesla discounted its vehicles amid rising competition and the expiration of a federal tax credit. Tesla stock struggled throughout most of 2025 and underperformed the S&P 500.

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SpaceX, meanwhile, is a government contractor with its rocket-launching business, which to date has carried out more than 660 missions, including trips to the International Space Station. Then there’s Starlink, which is SpaceX’s most profitable business to date. Starlink provides internet and mobile connectivity to hard-to-reach and rural areas via a network of satellites. Neither faces the competitive pressure that Tesla faces in its EV business.

But SpaceX is getting most of its attention for xAI -- a standalone company also owned by Musk that was folded into SpaceX earlier this year. xAI operates Grok, the large language model, and X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Musk uses xAI to integrate AI throughout his companies, including Tesla.

It’s the latter business that works most smoothly in a Tesla merger.

Valuation could be difficultAt this writing, SpaceX is actually the more valuable company, with a market cap of around $2.2 trillion. Tesla’s market cap is $1.5 trillion -- ranking them both in the top echelon of publicly traded companies.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

But Tesla turns a profit and SpaceX does not. In 2025, Tesla reported revenues of $94.82 billion and net income of $5.8 billion. And those profits continued into the first quarter, when Tesla recorded $22.38 billion in revenue and $1.45 billion in net income.

SpaceX had $18.7 billion in revenue in 2025, which was up from $14 billion in 2024. But it also recorded a net loss of $4.9 billion for the year. Its Starlink segment was successful, bringing in $11.4 billion in revenue and $4.4 billion in operating income. But the rocket-launching business lost $657 million for the year, and xAI lost $6.4 billion.

On top of that, SpaceX will continue to spend a massive amount of money to build out its AI ambitions. Goldman Sachs projects that SpaceX will have a negative free cash flow of $105 billion in 2029.

So, how would you value SpaceX stock in a merger? Shares are currently trading at a trailing price-to-sales ratio of more than 110, compared to Tesla’s 14.6.

Musk’s compensation would need to be addressedAt Tesla, Musk famously received a huge compensation package at the last shareholder meeting. It could be worth as much as $1 trillion should Musk reach valuation and operational targets, such as 20 million vehicle deliveries, 10 million active full self-driving subscriptions, 1 million Optimus robots, and 1 million commercially deployed robotaxis.

Musk has an even greater say in SpaceX, where he owns 42% of the equity and about 82% of the voting power. And the successful SpaceX IPO made Musk the world’s first trillionaire.

A merger may impact Musk’s compensation at Tesla, as well as the rights of Tesla shareholders. Like the other issues, this isn’t an insurmountable obstacle, but it would likely need to be addressed before a merger happens. And it explains why Kalshi traders are likely seeing the merger before May 1, 2027, as more of a coin flip than an inevitability.

Uber’s (NYSE:UBER | UBER Price Prediction) business is firing on every cylinder: 3.6 billion trips, 199 million monthly active platform consumers, and 50 million Uber One members now driving half of Gross Bookings. Yet the stock is down.

Uber trades at $68.85, off 15.74% year to date, while non-GAAP earnings power compounds. Can shares reclaim $100 before 2027? That is the question I want to answer with real numbers.

The Real Reason Uber Is Down 15.7% This Year The headline problem is optics. Q1 2026 GAAP net income collapsed to $263 million from $1.78 billion a year earlier, an 85.19% drop driven by a $1.50 billion equity investment revaluation headwind. Revenue also missed by 0.45%, and business model changes shaved roughly nine percentage points off reported revenue growth.

Autonomous vehicle competition fears (Waymo, Tesla robotaxi chatter) add to the pressure, with the stock down 7.83% in the past month and 19.59% over the past year. With a beta of 1.12, Uber moves with the broader market, and sentiment has not been kind. This is sentiment-driven, and sentiment can flip fast.

Wall Street Sees 51.7% Upside. Our Model Says Even More Sell-side consensus targets $104.43, with 9 Strong Buys, 36 Buys, 5 Holds, and just 1 Sell. That is 88% bullish. Our internal model pegs a 12-month base case at $116.65, implying 69.43% upside, with a bull case of $129.61 and a bear case of $99.80.

Confidence is 90%, the highest this framework gets. Analysts are anchored to recent multiple compression and underweighting the platform flywheel. The base case at $88.47 by year-end 2026 already concedes that $100 is the stretch.

The Path to $100 Per Share Reaching $100 from today’s price of $68.85 requires a gain of 45.2%. With forward EPS of $5.43, a price of $100 implies a forward P/E of 18x. Our base case of $116.65 already implies 13x, meaning the $100 target requires roughly 5.1x additional multiple expansion versus base-case math.

Why is that re-rating reachable? The 247Factor adjustment of 1.157 is powered by an 88% bullish analyst consensus and a 15% sector momentum multiplier from technology innovation tailwinds.

Q2 2026 guidance calls for non-GAAP EPS of $0.78 to $0.82, growth of 31% to 38% YoY, with Gross Bookings of $56.25B to $57.75B. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company enters “2026 with a rapidly growing topline, significant cash flow, and a clear path to becoming the largest facilitator of AV trips in the world.”

Delivery revenue jumped 34% YoY, and Uber repurchased $3.011 billion of stock in Q1 alone. The primary risk is that AV partners turn into AV competitors faster than the platform can monetize them.

Where Uber Trades Today vs Its Earnings Power At $68.85 against $5.43 forward EPS, Uber trades at roughly 13x forward earnings. That is cheap for a business growing non-GAAP EPS 44% YoY with free cash flow of $2.29 billion in a single quarter.

Shares sit near the 52-week low of $67.19, well below the $101.99 high. The 10-year return of just 65.62% shows how patient long-term holders have had to be. Today’s setup looks like a coiled spring rather than a broken story.

Is $100 Realistic? Reclaiming $100 by year-end requires a 45.2% gain, putting forward P/E at 18x. It is a stretch, but not a long shot.

Three things need to go right: Q2 results land at the high end of guidance, the AV narrative flips from threat to platform optionality, and buybacks keep shrinking the share count at the current pace. A recession that crimps Mobility growth back into single digits derails it. We’ve outlined the blueprint for how Uber could reach $100 in 2026.

Headlines are once again celebrating Uber (NYSE:UBER | UBER Price Prediction) for its 50 million Uber One members and a robotaxi roadmap CEO Dara Khosrowshahi calls “a clear path to becoming the largest facilitator of AV trips in the world.”

The underlying numbers tell a more complicated story.

The Hot Trade Is Quietly Cracking Uber’s Q1 2026 numbers, filed May 6, 2026, look strong on a slide. Underneath, the structure is fraying. Revenue of $13.203 billion missed the $13.263 billion consensus, and GAAP net income collapsed to $263 million from $1.78 billion a year earlier, gutted by a $1.5 billion pre-tax headwind on equity investment revaluations. That is the second consecutive quarter of multi-billion-dollar revaluation noise, with FY25 EPS landing at $2.45 versus a $5.37 estimate.

Meanwhile, long-term debt has climbed to $10.52 billion, insurance reserves swelled from $2.75 billion to $3.39 billion, the Freight segment is still unprofitable, and management is committing $100 million-plus to AV charging infrastructure into the teeth of a crowded autonomous arms race. Reddit captured the mood when a wallstreetbets post titled “Why Uber’s latest earnings report was a major red flag for the state of the consumer” drew 609 upvotes, while sentiment scores have sat at 28 to 38 through June 13. The stock is down 19.59% over the past year. This is a saturated Western platform, throwing capital at low-margin moonshots, with a multiple no longer protected by macro tailwinds.

The Redirect: A Profitable Super-App On Sale Grab Holdings (NASDAQ:GRAB) is the dominant Southeast Asian super-app, and it is trading near its 52-week low of $3.18 with a market cap of just $13.08 billion, roughly one-tenth of Uber’s. Three factors stand out when comparing the two platforms.

1. Profitable inflection, accelerating growth. Grab delivered its first full year of net profit in FY25 at $200 million, then opened Q1 2026 with revenue of $955 million, up 23.5% YoY, beating consensus by 3.78%. Net income jumped 400% YoY to $120 million, Adjusted EBITDA expanded 46% to $154 million, and management reiterated FY26 Adjusted EBITDA guidance of $700 million to $720 million, growth of 40% to 44%. That is a different trajectory than Uber’s GAAP whiplash.

2. A fortress balance sheet funding capital returns. Grab is sitting on $2.95 billion in cash against that $13 billion cap, with a $500 million buyback authorized in February 2026 and a $250 million ASR plus $150 million contingent forward already executed. Grab is executing buybacks from a net-cash position while its digital banking arm holds $1.6 billion in GXS and GXBank customer deposits.

3. An uncrowded, dominant footprint. Mobility grew 19%, Deliveries 23%, and Financial Services 43%, with the loan portfolio up 130% YoY to $1.438 billion. A foodpanda Taiwan acquisition closes in H2 2026, the inaugural Singapore-Johor cross-border ride-hail licence opens a new corridor, and there is no AV capex arms race weighing on the model. CEO Anthony Tan summed it up: “Our On-Demand GMV growth accelerated to 24% year-over-year… marking another quarter of record profitability.”

Wall Street’s 27 buy or strong buy ratings, zero sells, and a $5.97 target point to substantial upside from $3.30. The setup is straightforward: a high-growth Southeast Asian platform trading near a 52-week low against a Western incumbent wrestling with revaluation noise and AV capex.

For investors watching platform economics, Grab presents a different profile than Uber: profitable inflection, net-cash balance sheet, and a less crowded competitive footprint worth monitoring into the second half of 2026.