Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is building early traction around its Muse AI platform, but BNP Paribas analyst Nick Jones says the product still needs to prove sustained engagement and a clearer path to monetization.

Jones maintains a positive view on Meta with an $885 price forecast, implying 23% upside from the cited Oct. 8 price of $720.90.

Muse Downloads Show Early MomentumJones said Meta Muse has accumulated more than 8.2 million downloads since its Sept. 8 launch. Downloads climbed through day 12 before stabilizing through day 23.

Meta also launched a native iPad version of Muse on Oct. 7.

Jones said Muse’s early U.S. downloads surpassed Sora and ChatGPT, helped by Meta’s large installed base across Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook.

However, Muse’s mobile app open rate jumped shortly after launch and then stabilized below Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google, ChatGPT and Meta’s Family of Apps.

Jones said that pattern suggests Muse has generated initial interest but has not yet built habitual engagement.

Monetization Remains an Open QuestionMeta currently charges partners small transaction fees, while Muse remains free at the basic level and offers monthly subscriptions for heavier usage.

Jones said long-term monetization remains uncertain, though advertising could become more meaningful if engagement increases.

He expects Meta to continue using its Family of Apps to drive Muse downloads.

Jones Flags Competitive and Execution RisksJones does not see Muse as a near-term threat to vertical marketplaces because adoption remains early and the platform lacks direct inventory, transaction capabilities and customer-service features.

He said investors should watch traction for OpenAI’s Dots, competing consumer AI agents from Google and SpaceX, new partnerships and daily active-user trends.

Jones also flagged emerging security and privacy concerns around Muse, including additional privacy questions.

He said stagnant daily active users, even with steady downloads, could signal that Meta needs to adjust the product to improve market fit.

META Price Action: Meta Platforms shares were up 1.58% at $730.01 during premarket trading on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Photo via Shutterstock

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Long-time Shiba Inu community member and Shiba Eternity advisor Mazrael has flagged a fake SHIB alert circulating on social media. He describes the campaign as a wallet drainer and urges users not to interact with the links shared.

An X account, obviously a fraudulent one, mentioned that the 'SHIB airdrop hype' was back and claimed to be eligible after checking his wallet while sharing a link to a fraudulent website.

In his post, Mazrael alerted the Shiba Inu community to the fake SHIB campaign, saying there is no such airdrop and that it is a wallet drainer, urging users not to interact with the links.

HOT Stories

care. no such airdrop. this is a drainer. they are flooding time line recommend not click and report. https://t.co/GeeImCDcYD

— Mazrael.shib (@Mazrael_shib) October 12, 2026 "care. no such airdrop. this is a drainer," Mazrael wrote, adding that several scam posts of this kind were flooding timelines and urging users to avoid clicking the links and report the accounts or posts responsible.

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A fraudulent airdrop page may request a wallet connection or ask users to approve a transaction or token permission. Depending on what the victim signs or authorizes, attackers could gain the ability to transfer assets from the connected wallet.

Crypto drainers explainedAs previously indicated, Mazrael described the tactics being utilized by the scammers to target Shiba Inu holders as a 'drainer'.

A crypto drainer is a type of malicious software or phishing tool specifically designed to steal digital assets directly from cryptocurrency wallets. Unlike traditional phishing that steals usernames and passwords, crypto drainers target the smart contract permissions and transaction approvals that govern wallets. Drainers can also operate via malicious browser extensions or compromised dApps.

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First, scammers create fake websites that mimic legitimate platforms, and in the instance flagged by Mazrael, the URL shared was a fake Shiba Inu link, as Shib.io remains Shib's official website.

The scammers promote these malicious links intended to deceive unsuspecting users, who are prompted to connect their crypto wallets to the site.

Once connected, the site shows a transaction pop-up, which is in fact an approval request or a malicious signature. By signing it, the user unknowingly grants the drainer smart contract permission to spend or transfer their tokens.

That is why crypto users are advised to always check official project channels before clicking on links shared on social media or Discord, even if they appear to be coming from verified accounts.

Strathmore Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 6,477 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $2,576,000. Microsoft comprises approximately 0.7% of Strathmore Capital Advisors Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Auto Owners Insurance Co increased its position in Microsoft by 56,160.8% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 60,116,384 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $29,073,486,000 after buying an additional 60,009,531 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Microsoft by 234.5% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 17,822,280 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $8,619,211,000 after buying an additional 12,493,786 shares during the last quarter. Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 30.8% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 41,675,076 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $15,426,862,000 after acquiring an additional 9,814,598 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in shares of Microsoft by 64.3% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 24,264,779 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $8,982,083,000 after acquiring an additional 9,493,778 shares during the period. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Microsoft by 38,442.1% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,810,388 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $2,521,001,000 after acquiring an additional 6,792,718 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ MSFT opened at $535.07 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $501.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $435.10. Microsoft Corporation has a 1-year low of $349.20 and a 1-year high of $553.72. The company has a market cap of $3.97 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.10.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. Microsoft’s revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.65 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current year. Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a $0.98 dividend. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.27%.

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

Positive Sentiment: Microsoft introduced Microsoft-Decision-1, an AI model it says makes decisions substantially faster than GPT-6 Sol. The launch reinforces Microsoft’s competitive position in enterprise AI and could support demand for Azure and Copilot services. Microsoft launches Microsoft-Decision-1 Positive Sentiment: Analyst and investor commentary remains bullish on Microsoft’s AI stack, Azure acceleration, Copilot adoption and a large reported backlog. Wells Fargo reportedly raised its price target to $725, while Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 target. Morgan Stanley rating Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is attempting to revive Windows and expand on-device AI with new Nvidia-powered Surface hardware, including the premium Surface Laptop Ultra. Local AI processing could strengthen the Windows ecosystem and stimulate higher-value PC sales. Surface Laptop Ultra Positive Sentiment: The company is nearing a $4 trillion market capitalization after a strong earnings beat, with revenue and earnings growth continuing to support the recent rally. The next major test is Microsoft’s expected October 28 earnings report. Microsoft approaches $4 trillion valuation Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft’s new Xbox division, focused on film, television, events and theme parks, could expand the reach of its gaming franchises, although the strategy is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. Microsoft forms new Xbox unit Negative Sentiment: The U.S. suspension of Microsoft’s PERM green-card sponsorship program creates hiring and retention uncertainty, particularly for specialized AI and engineering workers. Investors are weighing potential compliance costs and the risk of an “AI brain drain.” U.S. suspends Microsoft green-card program Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned game companies over virtual currencies, adding regulatory risk to the gaming business. Italy gaming investigation Insider Activity In related news, 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 transaction 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 in the last ninety days. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MSFT shares. UBS Group cut shares of Microsoft from a “buy” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Evercore upgraded shares of Microsoft from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. Citigroup raised shares of Microsoft from a “market outperform” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane downgraded shares of Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Forty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $578.73.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSFT

About Microsoft (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Microsoft 3 Stocks Chopped in Half: Why These Drops May Be Structural, Not a Dip Home Depot and Lowe’s Hit 52-Week Lows—But Analysts Aren’t Giving Up Utilities Are Bouncing Back—These 2 Giants Could Signal the Next Big Sector Rally Q3 Earnings Could Blow Past Consensus—Be Ready for What Comes Next

Receive News & Ratings for Microsoft Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Microsoft and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda. bought a new position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 60,399 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $22,530,000. Microsoft accounts for 3.7% of Turim 21 Investimentos Ltda.’s holdings, making the stock its 11th largest holding.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. one8zero8 LLC acquired a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $15,283,000. Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $14,710,000. Addison Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth approximately $1,399,000. DeLarme Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth approximately $734,000. Finally, Mmbg Investment Advisors CO. acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth approximately $75,701,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

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

Positive Sentiment: Microsoft introduced Microsoft-Decision-1, an AI model it says makes decisions substantially faster than GPT-6 Sol. The launch reinforces Microsoft’s competitive position in enterprise AI and could support demand for Azure and Copilot services. Microsoft launches Microsoft-Decision-1 Positive Sentiment: Analyst and investor commentary remains bullish on Microsoft’s AI stack, Azure acceleration, Copilot adoption and a large reported backlog. Wells Fargo reportedly raised its price target to $725, while Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 target. Morgan Stanley rating Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is attempting to revive Windows and expand on-device AI with new Nvidia-powered Surface hardware, including the premium Surface Laptop Ultra. Local AI processing could strengthen the Windows ecosystem and stimulate higher-value PC sales. Surface Laptop Ultra Positive Sentiment: The company is nearing a $4 trillion market capitalization after a strong earnings beat, with revenue and earnings growth continuing to support the recent rally. The next major test is Microsoft’s expected October 28 earnings report. Microsoft approaches $4 trillion valuation Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft’s new Xbox division, focused on film, television, events and theme parks, could expand the reach of its gaming franchises, although the strategy is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. Microsoft forms new Xbox unit Negative Sentiment: The U.S. suspension of Microsoft’s PERM green-card sponsorship program creates hiring and retention uncertainty, particularly for specialized AI and engineering workers. Investors are weighing potential compliance costs and the risk of an “AI brain drain.” U.S. suspends Microsoft green-card program Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned game companies over virtual currencies, adding regulatory risk to the gaming business. Italy gaming investigation Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts recently issued reports on MSFT shares. KeyCorp reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, July 20th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered shares of Microsoft from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. UBS Group downgraded shares of Microsoft from a “buy” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lowered shares of Microsoft from a “moderate buy” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Forty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $578.73. Get Our Latest Stock Report on Microsoft

Microsoft Price Performance Shares of MSFT opened at $535.07 on Monday. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $349.20 and a 12 month high of $553.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $501.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $435.10. The company has a market cap of $3.97 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.79, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.10.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.65 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be issued a $0.98 dividend. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is 20.27%.

Insider Activity In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 486,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 in the company, valued at $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 in the last 90 days. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Microsoft (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Microsoft 3 Stocks Chopped in Half: Why These Drops May Be Structural, Not a Dip Home Depot and Lowe’s Hit 52-Week Lows—But Analysts Aren’t Giving Up Utilities Are Bouncing Back—These 2 Giants Could Signal the Next Big Sector Rally Q3 Earnings Could Blow Past Consensus—Be Ready for What Comes Next

Receive News & Ratings for Microsoft Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Microsoft and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

Portland Financial Advisors Inc bought a new position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 1,485 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $554,000. Microsoft accounts for about 1.0% of Portland Financial Advisors Inc’s holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest holding.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Frankly Finances LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft in the second quarter worth about $35,000. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Microsoft by 37.4% during the second quarter. Fiduciary Advisors Inc. now owns 125 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter valued at approximately $60,000. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $101,000. Finally, Glynn Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Microsoft by 34.2% in the 2nd quarter. Glynn Capital Management LLC now owns 255 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. 71.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts recently weighed in on MSFT shares. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Microsoft in a research note on Monday, October 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Wolfe Research lowered Microsoft from an “outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Microsoft from $500.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 1st. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on Microsoft from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, Evercore raised Microsoft from an “underperform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Forty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $578.73.

Get Our Latest Research Report on MSFT Microsoft Stock Performance Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $535.07 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $3.97 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.79, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.22. Microsoft Corporation has a 1 year low of $349.20 and a 1 year high of $553.72. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $501.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $435.10.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.65 earnings per share. Microsoft’s revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. 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: Microsoft introduced Microsoft-Decision-1, an AI model it says makes decisions substantially faster than GPT-6 Sol. The launch reinforces Microsoft’s competitive position in enterprise AI and could support demand for Azure and Copilot services. Microsoft launches Microsoft-Decision-1 Positive Sentiment: Analyst and investor commentary remains bullish on Microsoft’s AI stack, Azure acceleration, Copilot adoption and a large reported backlog. Wells Fargo reportedly raised its price target to $725, while Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 target. Morgan Stanley rating Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is attempting to revive Windows and expand on-device AI with new Nvidia-powered Surface hardware, including the premium Surface Laptop Ultra. Local AI processing could strengthen the Windows ecosystem and stimulate higher-value PC sales. Surface Laptop Ultra Positive Sentiment: The company is nearing a $4 trillion market capitalization after a strong earnings beat, with revenue and earnings growth continuing to support the recent rally. The next major test is Microsoft’s expected October 28 earnings report. Microsoft approaches $4 trillion valuation Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft’s new Xbox division, focused on film, television, events and theme parks, could expand the reach of its gaming franchises, although the strategy is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. Microsoft forms new Xbox unit Negative Sentiment: The U.S. suspension of Microsoft’s PERM green-card sponsorship program creates hiring and retention uncertainty, particularly for specialized AI and engineering workers. Investors are weighing potential compliance costs and the risk of an “AI brain drain.” U.S. suspends Microsoft green-card program Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned game companies over virtual currencies, adding regulatory risk to the gaming business. Italy gaming investigation Insider Activity at Microsoft In related news, EVP Amy Hood sold 41,674 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.27, for a total transaction of $20,764,903.98. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 533,624 shares in the company, valued at $265,888,830.48. This represents a 7.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 143,009 shares of company stock valued at $71,420,699. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft Profile (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Microsoft 3 Stocks Chopped in Half: Why These Drops May Be Structural, Not a Dip Home Depot and Lowe’s Hit 52-Week Lows—But Analysts Aren’t Giving Up Utilities Are Bouncing Back—These 2 Giants Could Signal the Next Big Sector Rally Q3 Earnings Could Blow Past Consensus—Be Ready for What Comes Next 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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Northcape Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 17,981 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $6,707,000. Microsoft accounts for about 1.8% of Northcape Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 10th largest position.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MSFT. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth $239,551,000. Geneva Partners LLC bought a new position in Microsoft during the second quarter worth $2,551,000. Portland Financial Advisors Inc bought a new position in Microsoft during the second quarter worth $554,000. Strathmore Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at $2,576,000. Finally, United Bank acquired a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at $8,836,000. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Microsoft Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ MSFT opened at $535.07 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $3.97 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.10. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $553.72. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $501.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $435.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.65 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a dividend of $0.98 per share. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Microsoft’s payout ratio is currently 20.27%.

Insider Activity at Microsoft In related news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total value of $2,388,068.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,188,276.96. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. This trade represents a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 143,009 shares of company stock worth $71,420,699 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

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

Positive Sentiment: Microsoft introduced Microsoft-Decision-1, an AI model it says makes decisions substantially faster than GPT-6 Sol. The launch reinforces Microsoft’s competitive position in enterprise AI and could support demand for Azure and Copilot services. Microsoft launches Microsoft-Decision-1 Positive Sentiment: Analyst and investor commentary remains bullish on Microsoft’s AI stack, Azure acceleration, Copilot adoption and a large reported backlog. Wells Fargo reportedly raised its price target to $725, while Morgan Stanley reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $600 target. Morgan Stanley rating Positive Sentiment: Microsoft is attempting to revive Windows and expand on-device AI with new Nvidia-powered Surface hardware, including the premium Surface Laptop Ultra. Local AI processing could strengthen the Windows ecosystem and stimulate higher-value PC sales. Surface Laptop Ultra Positive Sentiment: The company is nearing a $4 trillion market capitalization after a strong earnings beat, with revenue and earnings growth continuing to support the recent rally. The next major test is Microsoft’s expected October 28 earnings report. Microsoft approaches $4 trillion valuation Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft’s new Xbox division, focused on film, television, events and theme parks, could expand the reach of its gaming franchises, although the strategy is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. Microsoft forms new Xbox unit Negative Sentiment: The U.S. suspension of Microsoft’s PERM green-card sponsorship program creates hiring and retention uncertainty, particularly for specialized AI and engineering workers. Investors are weighing potential compliance costs and the risk of an “AI brain drain.” U.S. suspends Microsoft green-card program Negative Sentiment: Italy launched an EU-backed antitrust investigation into Microsoft-owned game companies over virtual currencies, adding regulatory risk to the gaming business. Italy gaming investigation Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have commented on MSFT shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised shares of Microsoft from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $530.00 to $575.00 in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Morgan Stanley lowered Microsoft from an “overweight” rating to a “negative” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $586.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Microsoft from $545.00 to $512.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their target price on Microsoft from $550.00 to $610.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. Forty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $578.73.

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About Microsoft (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

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Point Break Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report) by 14.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 67,799 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after buying an additional 8,505 shares during the period. NVIDIA comprises approximately 14.8% of Point Break Capital Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its largest holding. Point Break Capital Management LLC’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $13,566,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. LightSquare Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of NVIDIA by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. LightSquare Wealth Management LLC now owns 18,695 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $3,741,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Defender Capital LLC. lifted its position in shares of NVIDIA by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Defender Capital LLC. now owns 7,534 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $1,507,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Kooman & Associates lifted its position in shares of NVIDIA by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Kooman & Associates now owns 8,464 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $1,694,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Roof Eidam Maycock Peralta LLC boosted its stake in shares of NVIDIA by 0.3% during the second quarter. Roof Eidam Maycock Peralta LLC now owns 18,827 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $3,767,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Persium Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of NVIDIA by 3.5% during the second quarter. Persium Advisors LLC now owns 1,466 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $293,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 65.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts recently issued reports on NVDA shares. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and set a $390.00 price objective on shares of NVIDIA in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. HSBC increased their target price on NVIDIA from $360.00 to $365.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on NVIDIA from $280.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of NVIDIA in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, China Renaissance boosted their price target on NVIDIA from $319.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-nine have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $321.89.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on NVDA Insider Buying and Selling at NVIDIA In other NVIDIA news, Director Mark Stevens sold 622,239 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $231.62, for a total value of $144,122,997.18. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 2,336,531 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $541,187,310.22. This trade represents a 21.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Colette Kress sold 34,918 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.05, for a total value of $7,648,787.90. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 765,103 shares in the company, valued at $167,595,812.15. The trade was a 4.36% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,766,118 shares of company stock worth $399,450,353. 3.94% of the stock is owned by insiders.

NVIDIA Stock Performance Shares of NVDA stock opened at $229.28 on Monday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $222.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $209.66. The company has a market cap of $5.53 trillion, a PE ratio of 28.99, a PEG ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 2.22. The company has a current ratio of 4.59, a quick ratio of 3.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. NVIDIA Corporation has a 12-month low of $164.27 and a 12-month high of $243.37.

NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The computer hardware maker reported $2.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.13. NVIDIA had a return on equity of 96.04% and a net margin of 63.66%. The firm had revenue of $96.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $92.27 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.05 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 105.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that NVIDIA Corporation will post 9.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

NVIDIA Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 10th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 10th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. NVIDIA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.64%.

NVIDIA announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Monday, September 28th that authorizes the company to buy back $150.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the computer hardware maker to reacquire up to 2.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Share buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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

Positive Sentiment: AI infrastructure demand remains robust. TSMC reported third-quarter revenue growth of 50%, while analysts cited continued hyperscaler spending and projected U.S. data-center capital expenditures of roughly $2 trillion next year—supportive of NVIDIA’s accelerator demand. NVIDIA AI spending outlook Positive Sentiment: SpaceX reportedly plans to raise as much as $40 billion to purchase NVIDIA AI chips, highlighting the scale of demand from emerging AI customers. NVIDIA also committed $1 billion over five years to U.S. scientific research in areas including quantum computing, healthcare and energy security. SpaceX NVIDIA chip purchase report Neutral Sentiment: Options activity is mixed: a large bullish trade suggests some investors expect further gains, but heavier put buying in the semiconductor ETF indicates increased hedging and caution across the chip sector. Technical analysts also see resistance near $235 and potential support around $215–$220. NVIDIA and semiconductor options activity Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that AI spending may be debt-funded and approaching a peak. The withdrawal of NVIDIA-backed Firmus Grid’s proposed multibillion-dollar IPO, alongside reports that OpenAI’s annualized revenue was below earlier expectations, has raised questions about AI infrastructure valuations and customer funding. Firmus IPO withdrawal Negative Sentiment: Leadership and governance headlines add limited uncertainty: NVIDIA’s head of corporate communications left after roughly four months, while a legal challenge to the company’s Groq technology transaction could create additional execution and reputational risk. NVIDIA communications chief departure NVIDIA Profile (Free Report)

NVIDIA Corporation is a technology company that designs accelerated computing platforms, graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), networking products and related software. Its technologies are used in artificial intelligence, data centers, scientific and technical computing, gaming, professional visualization, automotive systems and robotics.

The company’s products include GeForce GPUs and gaming software, data center computing platforms, networking solutions, and enterprise software for AI development and deployment.

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than NVIDIA 3 Stocks Chopped in Half: Why These Drops May Be Structural, Not a Dip Home Depot and Lowe’s Hit 52-Week Lows—But Analysts Aren’t Giving Up Utilities Are Bouncing Back—These 2 Giants Could Signal the Next Big Sector Rally Q3 Earnings Could Blow Past Consensus—Be Ready for What Comes Next

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Roberts Glore & Co. Inc. IL boosted its stake in NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report) by 10.0% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,225 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,660 shares during the quarter. NVIDIA comprises about 1.4% of Roberts Glore & Co. Inc. IL’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest holding. Roberts Glore & Co. Inc. IL’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $5,848,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Valtrion Capital Management LLC grew its stake in NVIDIA by 24.2% in the second quarter. Valtrion Capital Management LLC now owns 7,487 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $1,498,000 after acquiring an additional 1,457 shares during the period. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new stake in shares of NVIDIA in the second quarter worth about $16,156,076,000. Wedbush Fund Advisers LLC raised its position in shares of NVIDIA by 7.7% during the second quarter. Wedbush Fund Advisers LLC now owns 261,432 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $52,310,000 after purchasing an additional 18,717 shares during the period. ABS Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NVIDIA during the second quarter worth about $80,000. Finally, EFG International AG raised its position in shares of NVIDIA by 6.1% during the second quarter. EFG International AG now owns 1,342,712 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $268,593,000 after purchasing an additional 77,160 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.27% of the company’s stock.

NVIDIA Stock Performance Shares of NASDAQ NVDA opened at $229.28 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 4.59, a quick ratio of 3.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $222.66 and a 200-day moving average of $209.66. NVIDIA Corporation has a 12 month low of $164.27 and a 12 month high of $243.37. The company has a market capitalization of $5.53 trillion, a P/E ratio of 28.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 2.22.

NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The computer hardware maker reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.13. NVIDIA had a return on equity of 96.04% and a net margin of 63.66%. The company had revenue of $96.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $92.27 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.05 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 105.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that NVIDIA Corporation will post 9.25 EPS for the current year. NVIDIA declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Monday, September 28th that allows the company to buy back $150.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the computer hardware maker to reacquire up to 2.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

NVIDIA Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 10th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 10th. NVIDIA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.64%.

Insider Buying and Selling In other NVIDIA news, Director Mark A. Stevens sold 622,239 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $231.62, for a total transaction of $144,122,997.18. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 2,336,531 shares in the company, valued at $541,187,310.22. This represents a 21.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Colette Kress sold 34,918 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.05, for a total value of $7,648,787.90. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 765,103 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $167,595,812.15. The trade was a 4.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 1,766,118 shares of company stock worth $399,450,353. Corporate insiders own 3.94% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth NVDA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded NVIDIA from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of NVIDIA in a research note on Friday. Daiwa Securities Group lowered their target price on NVIDIA from $255.00 to $245.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of NVIDIA in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, President Capital raised their target price on shares of NVIDIA from $295.00 to $330.00 in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-nine have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $321.89.

Get Our Latest Research Report on NVDA

Trending Headlines about NVIDIA Here are the key news stories impacting NVIDIA this week:

Positive Sentiment: AI infrastructure demand remains robust. TSMC reported third-quarter revenue growth of 50%, while analysts cited continued hyperscaler spending and projected U.S. data-center capital expenditures of roughly $2 trillion next year—supportive of NVIDIA’s accelerator demand. NVIDIA AI spending outlook Positive Sentiment: SpaceX reportedly plans to raise as much as $40 billion to purchase NVIDIA AI chips, highlighting the scale of demand from emerging AI customers. NVIDIA also committed $1 billion over five years to U.S. scientific research in areas including quantum computing, healthcare and energy security. SpaceX NVIDIA chip purchase report Neutral Sentiment: Options activity is mixed: a large bullish trade suggests some investors expect further gains, but heavier put buying in the semiconductor ETF indicates increased hedging and caution across the chip sector. Technical analysts also see resistance near $235 and potential support around $215–$220. NVIDIA and semiconductor options activity Negative Sentiment: Investors remain concerned that AI spending may be debt-funded and approaching a peak. The withdrawal of NVIDIA-backed Firmus Grid’s proposed multibillion-dollar IPO, alongside reports that OpenAI’s annualized revenue was below earlier expectations, has raised questions about AI infrastructure valuations and customer funding. Firmus IPO withdrawal Negative Sentiment: Leadership and governance headlines add limited uncertainty: NVIDIA’s head of corporate communications left after roughly four months, while a legal challenge to the company’s Groq technology transaction could create additional execution and reputational risk. NVIDIA communications chief departure NVIDIA Company Profile (Free Report)

NVIDIA Corporation is a technology company that designs accelerated computing platforms, graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), networking products and related software. Its technologies are used in artificial intelligence, data centers, scientific and technical computing, gaming, professional visualization, automotive systems and robotics.

The company’s products include GeForce GPUs and gaming software, data center computing platforms, networking solutions, and enterprise software for AI development and deployment.

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Every time the market panics about AI and hammers Nvidia shares, one investor reaches for the buy button instead of the exit. Here is the specific case he makes for why this moment looks less like a warning and more…

I have bought NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction) in calm months and ugly ones. Every time the market panics about AI, I add more. Last week gave me another chance when Nvidia, Oracle, CoreWeave and other AI stocks sank on an OpenAI revenue report. I bought again.

Why My Buy Button Stays Warm The case is simple. NVIDIA sells the equipment that runs the AI economy, and its customers want more than it can build. On the latest call, management said customer forecasts point to growth doubling next year. NVIDIA still expects revenue to grow approximately 70% in fiscal 2028 because it can’t get enough supply. Jensen Huang put it simply: “Our demand is much higher than that.”

Investors of every size who kept adding to a company like this have built real wealth. Split-adjusted, NVIDIA shares went from $1.62 in October 2016 to $229.28 on October 9, 2026. That works out to a 14031.78% gain.

Three Numbers That Keep Me Adding Growth is still speeding up. Second-quarter fiscal 2027 revenue reached $96.22B, up 105.8% year over year. Data Center revenue grew 117% to $89.02B. That was the 5th consecutive earnings beat. Third-quarter guidance calls for $108.0B, and that figure includes no China Data Center compute revenue.

Profits back up the growth. NVIDIA posts a 60.38% operating margin and a 101.49% return on equity. It carries almost no debt: the leverage ratio stands at 0.0726 and interest coverage at 503.4x.

I’m still paying a fair price for the future. The stock trades at a trailing P/E of 46 but only about 17 times forward earnings. The yield is just 0.0176%, so my income stocks pay the bills while NVIDIA builds the estate. Even so, management returned about $26.0B to shareholders last quarter and has $99.0B left on its buyback authorization. It also raised the quarterly dividend from $0.01 to $0.25 per share.

Why My Money Skips AMD and Broadcom Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD) is the obvious alternative. Its P/E is about 229, and its non-GAAP gross margin is 56%, compared with NVIDIA’s 75.0%. AMD’s Data Center unit brought in $6.72 billion last quarter. I’d be paying far more for a smaller, less profitable business.

Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) invites the income side of me. It pays a $0.65 quarterly dividend and has raised it for fifteen consecutive years. However, Broadcom’s own filings list heavy debt as a risk, and MarketWatch describes an AI credit scare weighing on Broadcom while NVIDIA has largely avoided it.

Risk That Could Actually Hurt Me NVIDIA now helps finance its own customers, and that worries me. Supply commitments rose to $279B, and guarantee obligations go as high as $108.5B. The company has put nearly $50 billion into frontier AI labs. Huang himself noticed critics who call this “circular financing.” If AI spending stalls, those commitments become a burden.

I still hold my thesis because the spending timeline keeps getting longer. Top-five hyperscaler capex is expected to reach nearly $800 billion in 2026 and $1.3 trillion in 2027. Colette Kress said the compute NVIDIA ships goes to investment-grade customers or to customers backed by one. I also size my position so a hard decline doesn’t put my retirement at risk (riding a boom is fine as long as the exit is planned, which is the whole point of our free bubble survivor’s handbook).

What Keeps Me Buying From Here Huang summed up the moment: “Now, compute is revenue.” Vera Rubin is already in full production, and supply remains tight at least through the end of fiscal year 28. Every scare that marks down the company selling that compute looks to me like a discount on the next decade.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA, XETRA:NVD), the American chipmaker, is reportedly considering an acquisition of Reflection AI or a further investment in the startup as it expands its involvement in open-weight artificial intelligence models.

The discussions remain at an early stage, with no terms agreed upon, and could still fall apart, although an agreement could emerge within weeks, Reuters reported, citing the Financial Times.

Options under consideration include a full acquisition, an acqui-hire arrangement under which Nvidia would hire Reflection's employees and license its technology, or an agreement to supply additional chips or increase its existing equity stake.

Nvidia has already invested $800 million in Reflection, a company founded in 2024 by former Google DeepMind researchers Misha Laskin and Ioannis Antonoglou.

Laskin, Reflection's chief executive, was seeking new investment at a valuation of $25 billion before additional funding in April, indicating the possible scale of a transaction.

The startup develops artificial intelligence tools for software development and is targeting enterprise customers and governments seeking to build customised AI systems.

Reflection launched Beam, its first open-weight AI model, on 5 October, aiming to compete with Chinese models in coding, advanced reasoning and agentic tasks, which involve AI systems carrying out multistep activities.

Open-weight models make their trained parameters available to external developers, allowing them to adapt and deploy the technology rather than relying entirely on closed systems controlled by model providers.

Reflection says Beam performs comparably to Z.AI's GLM-5.2 on advanced reasoning benchmarks, positioning the company to challenge lower-cost Chinese alternatives.

A transaction would reinforce Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang's support for open-weight models and extend the chipmaker's investment in the artificial intelligence ecosystem, where demand for computing power remains central to model development and deployment.

Nvidia and Reflection did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the reported discussions, Reuters reported.

Key Takeaways
Johnson & Johnson’s latest earnings report is set to be released Tuesday morning.Recent options prices suggest traders see the stock swinging up to 4% by the end of the week.Sales are expected to have grown about 6% year-over-year, though profits likely declined.

Johnson & Johnson is due to report earnings Tuesday morning, with traders expecting a move that could bring the stock closer to its recent record.1

Current options pricing indicates Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) shares are seen swinging up to 4% in either direction by the end of the week. A move of that size from Friday’s close could push the shares above $270, approaching last month’s record, or drag them below $253.

Johnson & Johnson shares are up more than 25% from the start of the year after a string of positive trial results and amid broader strength in the healthcare sector.

Why This Matters to Investors
Johnson & Johnson could provide signals for how the rest of the pharmaceutical and medical devices sector performed in the quarter.

Analysts at Morgan Stanley wrote in a note to clients recently that they believe the stock still has significant room to rise, citing optimism about new product cycles. The analysts said investors will likely be focused on the success of Johnson & Johnson’s newest drug launches.2

Analysts expect the drug and medical device maker to report $25.43 billion in third-quarter revenue, a gain of 6% year-over-year. Adjusted earnings are seen coming in at $2.75 per share, down 5 cents from the year-ago quarter, per Visible Alpha estimates.

Analysts are broadly bullish on Johnson & Johnson. Six of the seven tracked by Visible Alpha consider the stock a “buy,” while one holds a neutral rating. Their mean target just under $290 would suggest upside of about 11% to Friday’s close.

Do you have a news tip for Investopedia reporters? Please email us at

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SummaryMO remains a hold as the risk-to-reward ratio is less attractive following a valuation shift and ongoing segment challenges. MO’s oral tobacco segment, especially on!, shows modest growth but remains a small contributor, while earlier brands continue to decline. Management raised 2026 EPS guidance to $5.61–$5.72, signaling confidence, but top-line growth expectations remain muted amid industry headwinds. I value MO’s robust dividend and buyback program, but prefer to await a pullback before adding to my position. krblokhin/iStock Editorial via Getty Images

I love Altria Group (MO). It's one of the first dividend businesses I've ever bought. I keep adding to my position from time to time. I mean, the last time I added was almost a year

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of PM, MO either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

The information, opinions, and thoughts included in this article do not constitute an investment recommendation or any form of investment advice.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Starbucks on Monday denied that it is considering acquiring Chipotle Mexican Grill in what would be the biggest ever restaurant takeover.

"Starbucks is not buying Chipotle," a Starbucks spokesperson told CNBC.

Chipotle's stock was down more than 2% in premarket trading Monday following the denial, while Starbucks shares were more than 1% higher.

The coffee giant's denial comes after days of rumors about a potential mega-deal between the two restaurant companies.

On Thursday, the Financial Times reported that Starbucks has been working with advisers on a takeover proposal of Chipotle in recent months. The newspaper cited people familiar with the matter.

Earlier in October, Semafor reported that Chipotle had hired advisers to defend against activist investors or an unwanted takeover bid. The fast-casual chain is trying to recover from a rocky 2025, when traffic to its restaurants fell. Chipotle shares are down about 20% over the last year, making it a cheaper target.

The deal rumors sent shares of Chipotle higher, while Starbucks stock fell on the reports.

Chipotle investors were looking forward to a potential reunion with Brian Niccol, who previously led Chipotle and is now CEO of Starbucks. But Starbucks shareholders were largely concerned about an expensive distraction while the coffee chain is in the middle of its own turnaround.

Adobe keeps beating earnings estimates and raising guidance, yet the stock has cratered 30% this year while peers held up far better. One Bernstein analyst sees a massive mispricing that the rest of Wall Street is not ready to believe.

Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE | ADBE Price Prediction) is now trading at $242.27, and Wall Street’s average price target is $275.06. Roughly 13.5% of implied upside to consensus remains.

Adobe sells the professional creative toolkit (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere), plus Acrobat and an enterprise marketing suite. It keeps beating estimates and raising guidance, and the stock keeps falling anyway. Bernstein’s Mark Moerdler reads that as a mispricing. His Street-high $373 target means about 54% upside, well above the 40% line that usually marks a serious disconnect.

The whole debate sits between a modest consensus and that aggressive bull target. One possibility is that Adobe is making money from AI faster than the market gives it credit for. The other is that its moat is wearing away faster than the reported numbers show.

Record Quarters Failed to Stop a 30% Slide The main driver is fear that generative AI tools will erode Adobe’s creative moat. That fear has pushed the stock down 30.78% year to date from a starting price of $349.99. A record Q3 didn’t stop it. Revenue of $6.76 billion rose 12.9% and beat the $6.70 billion consensus. Non-GAAP EPS of $6.13 beat the $6.09 estimate, the fifth straight beat. Even so, shares fell 4.94% over the past month.

Bears focus on the forward-looking numbers. Total ARR grew 11.2%, and full-year guidance calls for 10.2% ARR growth. Both trail the 14% gain in subscription revenue. RPO rose just 8%. There’s also a leadership change. After 18 years, Shantanu Narayen hands the CEO role to Anil Chakravarthy effective December 1. Retail investors have turned bearish, and one popular WallStreetBets post declared “ADOBE is cooked.”

Bernstein’s $373 Case Hinges on Enterprise AI Dollars Most of the Street isn’t convinced. Here’s how the 39 analysts rate the stock:

Strong Buy: 4 Buy: 7 Hold: 23 Sell: 4 Strong Sell: 1 In September, Moerdler cut his target from $379 to $373 and kept his Outperform rating. His thesis is built around three drivers. The first is enterprise monetization. With Firefly built into Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere and GenStudio, he expects growth from more enterprise seats, higher pricing levels and paid AI credits. So far, AI-first ARR is above $650 million and growing more than 150%. Firefly ARR grew 40% quarter over quarter, and GenStudio ARR is up over 20%.

The second pillar is a “safe AI” moat. Firefly is trained on Adobe Stock and licensed content, so Adobe can protect customers against copyright claims (IP indemnification), which Fortune 500 legal teams require before using AI at scale. The third pillar is cash. Q3 free cash flow was $2.44 billion, Adobe bought back about 9.5 million shares for $2.232 billion, and roughly $24.55 billion remains under its buyback authorization.

Earnings estimates are moving the bulls’ way. Over the past 30 days, analysts made 26 upward revisions to fiscal 2026 EPS against 3 cuts. The fiscal 2027 consensus is $27.6733. Still, reaching $373 requires the stock’s valuation multiple to expand, and a Street dominated by Hold ratings doesn’t expect that yet.

Software Sold Off Together, but Adobe Fell Hardest The whole peer group fell, but Adobe fell furthest.

Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) is down 13.51% this year. With shares at $229.13 and a $283.36 target, it offers about 23.7% upside. Ratings lean much more bullish, with 6 Strong Buy ratings, 32 Buy, 15 Hold and 2 Strong Sell.

Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) is down 20.49% year to date but has rebounded 10.81% over the past month. With shares at $235.35 and a $307.54 target, it means about 30.7% upside. It carries 7 Strong Buy ratings, 23 Buy and 6 Hold, with no Sells.

Autodesk has the largest consensus upside in the group. Adobe has the lowest despite the steepest drop, and only Bernstein’s outlier target puts it on top. Every one of these targets is an estimate.

A 9x Forward Multiple Meets a Hold-Heavy Street Adobe trades at $242.27, against a $275.06 average target from 39 analysts, for 13.5% implied upside. Shares are down 30.78% year to date and 30.28% over the past year. Over the same periods, the S&P 500 gained 14.17% and 16%.

Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has ranged from $190.12 to $363.70. It trades at about 14 times trailing earnings and 9 times forward earnings. Analyst targets are one input among many.

Adobe’s 9x Multiple Sets Up a Decisive AI Test Bulls get more support if AI-first ARR keeps compounding, enterprises turn Firefly credit use into more paid seats, and total ARR growth climbs back above the 10.2% guidance. That’s the path to $373: proof that AI is growing Adobe’s business.

The bear case gains ground if ARR keeps slowing down, AI-native rivals like Canva and OpenAI’s image and video tools keep winning new creators, and the CEO transition stalls execution. Under those conditions, 9x earnings could prove a value trap.

Valuation leans toward the bulls. A forward multiple of 9 prices in a long decline even as estimates rise. Chakravarthy’s first quarter-end earnings report as CEO will be the real test.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Salesforce just delivered a massive earnings beat, sent analyst targets soaring, and still managed to lose ground against the broader market. Something about the AI story is not adding up, and the next two quarters will force a reckoning.

Salesforce (NYSE:CRM | CRM Price Prediction) trades at $228.97. The stock keeps swinging hard in both directions no matter how strong the reported numbers look. CNBC recently described the shares as sitting at the epicenter of AI confusion.

Salesforce leads the market for customer relationship management software and now wants to be the system enterprises use to run AI agents through Agentforce. Its latest quarter brought non-GAAP EPS of $5.90 against a $3.27 estimate, and revenue of $11.35 billion. Shares jumped 22.58% on earnings day, then fell 10.61% over the next 30 days.

Agentforce Momentum Meets a 14x Forward Earnings Multiple Agentforce ARR exceeded $1.5 billion, up over 240%, and combined Agentforce and Data 360 ARR reached nearly $3.9 billion. Current RPO rose 14% to $33.5 billion. The stock still trades at a forward P/E of 14 with a free cash flow yield of 7.64%.

Management raised fiscal 2027 revenue guidance to $46.1 billion to $46.4 billion and non-GAAP EPS guidance to $16.67 to $16.71. Analysts followed, with 48 upward revisions and zero downward over 30 days. A buyback cut diluted shares to 821 million from 962 million.

Earnings Beats Keep Fading While Next Year’s Estimates Soften Salesforce has delivered six consecutive EPS beats, yet the stock is down 12.9% year to date. The latest beat contained about $2.53 per share of investment profits, and operating income stayed flat at $2.33 billion. Restructuring charges rose to $94 million from $4 million.

The consensus for fiscal 2028 EPS is $16.02, below the fiscal 2027 figure of $16.75. The January quarter drew 32 downward revisions versus 6 upward. Cash flow growth is expected to only 4% to 5%. Its headless strategy, where “people don’t have to come to Salesforce to get work done,” could also weaken seat-based pricing power.

Strong Demand, Unproven Monetization Model Net new AOV growth was the strongest in four years, and attrition sits near record lows. Those figures point to durable demand. AI pricing, though, still includes per-user, per-agent, consumption and outcome-based models, and management admitted to “continued volatility in overall license revenue.”

Two items will decide it: the promised second-half organic reacceleration and smooth completions of the Contentful and Fin deals. Third-quarter guidance calls for revenue of $11.42 billion to $11.5 billion and cRPO growth near 14%.

Wall Street Sees 24% Upside That the Market Keeps Ignoring The average analyst target of $283.36 implies about 23.75% upside. Among 55 analysts:

Strong Buy: 6 Buy: 32 Hold: 15 Strong Sell: 2 Targets are one input and guarantee nothing. Over the past year, Salesforce fell 5.79% while the S&P 500 gained 16%. Year to date, the index is up 14.17%. The 52-week range of $146.06 to $267.80 shows how much the stock has moved.

Salesforce Needs AI to Show Up in Organic Growth At $228.97, Salesforce faces a key test.

The valuation is cheap, but cheap stocks can stay cheap. After each of the last two quarterly reports, the stock fell more than 10% within 30 days. That pattern suggests investors see the AI story as unproven.

A stronger outlook would require third-quarter organic revenue growth at the top of guidance, steady cRPO growth and stable fiscal 2028 estimates. A weaker outlook would follow a missed reacceleration or slipping integration progress. The next one or two quarters will test that theory.

Salesforce trades at a low multiple, and Agentforce must lift organic growth to change the market’s view.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Fastly, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLY) stock is edging lower in Monday’s premarket trading after surging 15.86% on Friday, following a bullish analyst upgrade driven by improving growth prospects and artificial intelligence opportunities.

Oppenheimer Sees Growth PotentialOn Friday, Oppenheimer analyst Param Singh upgraded Fastly from Perform to Outperform and announced a $35 price forecast.

The analyst cited improving growth prospects, supported by larger customer contracts, stronger demand for security products and early efforts to monetize agentic AI traffic.

Earnings In FocusFastly is scheduled to report quarterly earnings on Nov. 4, 2026.

Analysts expect earnings of 12 cents per share, compared with 7 cents a year earlier. Revenue is projected to reach $187.70 million, up from $158.22 million.

The stock carries a consensus Buy rating and an average analyst price forecast of $28.70. Recent analyst actions include:

Oppenheimer: Upgraded Fastly to Outperform from Perform with a $35 price forecast on Oct. 9. DA Davidson: Maintained a Neutral rating with a $23 price forecast on Sept. 24. Freedom Broker: Maintained a Buy rating and raised its price forecast to $37 on Sept. 23. The iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF (NYSE:IDGT) holds a 5.90% portfolio weighting in Fastly, providing investors with indirect exposure to the company.

Technical AnalysisFastly remains in an uptrend, trading above its 20-day, 50-day, 100-day and 200-day simple moving averages.

The 20-day average stands at $25.78, while the 50-day average is $24.85. The 100-day and 200-day averages are $21.81 and $20.36, respectively.

Moreover, the moving average convergence divergence indicator, or MACD, remains above its signal line. This suggests positive momentum.

Traders are watching resistance near $31 and support around $24.50.

The stock’s 52-week range stands between $7.74 and $34.82.

FSLY Price ActionFSLY Price Action: Fastly shares were down 0.38% at $29.19 during premarket trading on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Photo via Shutterstock 

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Bitcoin’s next major move could depend on the US bond market. Treasury yields surged to their highest level in 24 years, making government bonds more attractive to investors and putting fresh pressure on cryptocurrencies.

According to Bitunix’s October market analysis, the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield climbed above 5.35%. Bitcoin fell below $82,000, while selling spread across the wider crypto market.

The exchange warns that continued pressure from high bond yields could make a sustained crypto recovery difficult.

Why Rising US Bond Yields Threaten Bitcoin US Treasury bonds offer investors regular interest payments backed by the government. When their yields rise, investors can earn higher returns without taking the same risks associated with cryptocurrencies.

US LONG-TERM TREASURY YIELDS HIT A 24-YEAR HIGH

The 10-year yield briefly climbed to 5.35%, while the 30-year yield reached around 5.7% – levels not seen since 2002

The latest ISM services report added fresh pressure to the bond market, with the prices index rising to 74, its… pic.twitter.com/VHkzllH8dE

— BeInCrypto (@beincrypto) October 5, 2026 Bitcoin pays no fixed interest. As a result, higher Treasury yields can encourage investors to move capital into government bonds or hold cash.

Bitunix argues that this shift in investor preferences is creating additional pressure on Bitcoin and other speculative assets.

The risk extends beyond crypto. Higher yields also increase borrowing costs and can reduce the appeal of technology stocks. Bitunix reported weekly declines in crypto-linked equities, including Strategy and Circle.

However, the direction of bond yields remains critical. A sustained decline could improve investor appetite for risk and help Bitcoin recover.

Crypto Market Weakness Goes Beyond Bitcoin The broader crypto market suffered even heavier losses during October 3–9.

Bitcoin declined 3.80%, while Ethereum lost 8.39% and XRP fell 7.09%.

More importantly, only around 20% of the top 300 cryptocurrencies tracked by Bitunix recorded gains. Their median weekly return was -5.18%.

Decentralized finance tokens also struggled. Uniswap’s UNI declined 18.37%, while PancakeSwap’s CAKE lost 15.92%.

Yet speculative trading continues.

The Sandbox’s SAND rallied 57.71%, even as Bitunix found little evidence of improving project fundamentals. The exchange attributed the move primarily to trading sentiment and capital flows, although it could not establish the precise drivers.

Meanwhile, commodities followed a different path. Gold returned to $4,200, while Brent crude climbed above $100 per barrel.

SAND Token Price Rallied Over 80% in a Month. Source: CoinGecko October 14 Inflation Report Could Decide Bitcoin’s Direction The next major test comes on October 14, when the US releases September’s Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Bitunix cites an expected annual inflation rate of 3.6%, up from the previous 3.4%.

Higher-than-expected inflation could strengthen expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates elevated. Treasury yields could rise further, creating additional selling pressure on Bitcoin and other risk assets.

Conversely, softer inflation could ease pressure on bond yields and support a crypto recovery.

For traders, the key signal will be how Treasury yields react to the CPI data.

Bitunix’s central warning is that Bitcoin could remain vulnerable to further losses while US government bonds continue offering unusually attractive returns.

Disclaimer

BeInCrypto independently reports and controls this Feature. Quoted views belong to their speakers. This content is general and non-personalized; it does not consider your circumstances and is not investment research, financial, investment, legal or tax advice, or an offer, endorsement or recommendation to transact in any crypto-asset, product or service. Verify material information before acting. Crypto-assets are volatile and may result in total loss. BeInCrypto gives no warranty as to completeness, accuracy or timeliness, except where required by law.

Regna AI will bring mission-specialized fine-tuned AI models to governments and enterprises 

WEST PALM BEACH & MIAMI, FL / ACCESS Newswire / October 12, 2026 / Ondas Inc. (Nasdaq:ONDS) ("Ondas" or the "Company"), a leading provider of advanced autonomous systems and next-generation defense and security technologies, and Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) announce the formation of Regna AI. Regna AI is a standalone private company, powered by Palantir and bootstrapped by Ondas that is expected to scale with institutional partners and help customers develop and deploy mission-specialized fine-tuned AI models within their own sovereign environments. Ondas will serve as Regna AI's first customer, deploying fine-tuned models to run autonomous mission orchestration on the edge. Established to serve the broader market, Regna AI will also partner with governments, businesses, and institutions seeking to bring sovereign AI capabilities to mission-critical operations.

Regna AI's models will be designed for deployment within customer environments and on edge hardware, including ISR systems such as drones, stratospheric balloons, ground vehicles and surface vessels as well as command-and-control nodes, supporting operations in denied, degraded, intermittent, or limited (DDIL) connectivity conditions. Capabilities will help operators assess evidence, compare options, and propose mission-plan updates for human review and authorization.

"No government should have to build its AI strategy on models or data infrastructure it does not control," said Eric Brock, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ondas. "Regna AI combines open-weight models, customer-controlled mission data, and Palantir's operational platform to give defense organizations control over the AI that supports their missions. We believe Regna AI can become a foundational AI platform for the U.S. Department of War, allied governments and the defense and industrial companies that serve them."

Palantir will provide model-training infrastructure and support delivery, with Regna AI and Palantir collaborating on forward-deployed engineering to tailor and adapt capabilities to customer workflows and needs. In response to growing interest in sovereign, mission-specialized AI, Ondas is seeing significant demand for these capabilities and will work with Regna AI and Palantir to scale the platform and support initial customer deployments over the coming months.

"Sovereign AI, trained on mission knowledge and tradecraft, outperforms frontier models while removing dependence on them," said Alex Karp, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Palantir Technologies. "All layers of the stack are owned and controlled by the sovereign institution. Regna AI will put that within reach of institutions that could never justify building a frontier model of their own."

Regna AI is initially wholly-owned by Ondas, and will build on Ondas and Palantir's existing collaboration on SkyWeaver C4I, an open-architecture capability that integrates layered surveillance from the stratosphere to the tactical edge. Combining embedded agentic AI with edge processing, the program provides an operational foundation for Regna AI's mission-specialized models in multi-domain and degraded-connectivity environments.

Sovereign AI is becoming the defining requirement for defense. Governments and their defense partners face a difficult choice between accelerating with AI and protecting sovereign data, because commercial AI providers own the models they train and mission data cannot freely cross security boundaries. Built on Palantir's AIP, Regna AI will remove that tradeoff without the hundreds of millions to billions of dollars it can cost customers to build a model from scratch. Regna AI launches as America's AI Action Plan encourages open-source and open-weight models. Beginning with ISR and its foundational work with Ondas, Regna AI plans to expand into additional mission areas and into security, critical infrastructure and industrial markets, extending its opportunity well beyond defense.

About Ondas Inc.

Ondas Inc. (Nasdaq:ONDS) is a leading provider of autonomous systems, robotics, and mission-critical technologies for defense, homeland security, public safety, critical infrastructure, and industrial markets. The Company develops and deploys integrated unmanned and autonomous platforms across air, ground, and stratospheric environments, including autonomous drone systems, counter-UAS technologies, robotic ground systems, advanced unmanned aircraft and propulsion solutions, demining and engineering systems, and integrated sensing and communications technologies designed to support intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, security, and operational missions in complex environments. Ondas' solutions are deployed globally by government, defense, and commercial customers to protect infrastructure, borders, transportation networks, personnel, and strategic assets.

For additional information on Ondas Inc., visit www.ondas.com.

About Palantir Technologies, Inc.

Foundational software of tomorrow. Delivered today. Additional information is available at palantir.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We caution readers that forward-looking statements are predictions based on current expectations as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management as of that time with respect to future events. These statements may relate to, but are not limited to, Palantir's expectations regarding the amount and the terms of the contract and the expected benefits of Palantir's software platforms. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond Palantir's or Ondas' control. These risks and uncertainties include the ability to meet the unique needs of customers; the failure of the platforms and systems to satisfy customers or perform as desired; the frequency or severity of any software and implementation errors; the platforms and systems reliability; and customers' ability to modify or terminate contracts. Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties is included in the filings Palantir and/or Ondas makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Except as required by law, neither Palantir nor Ondas undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise.

Contacts

IR Contact for Ondas Inc.
888-657-2377
[email protected]

Media Contact for Ondas Inc.
Escalate PR
[email protected]

Preston Grimes
Marketing Manager, Ondas Inc.
[email protected]

Palantir
Lisa Gordon
[email protected]

SOURCE: Ondas Inc.

If you bought $10,000 worth of Micron Technology (MU -0.66%) stock in October five years ago, you would have over 148,300% today. This life-changing return of over 138,000% was driven by the company's rapidly rising revenue and profits amid insatiable demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

That said, strong past performance doesn't necessarily guarantee similar results in the future. So let's dig deeper into the pros and cons of Micron to decide if the memory giant is still a compelling long-term buy.

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A fundamentals-driven rally Micron's stock price growth has been driven by incredible operating results. Just take the company's fiscal fourth-quarter earnings as an example. Revenue soared by a blistering 379% year over year to $54.2 billion, driven by high sales to data center and cloud computing clients.

As AI accelerators become more powerful, memory has emerged as one of the biggest bottlenecks in running and training advanced models. This has led to soaring demand for specialty products like high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which is distinct from conventional DRAM because of its significantly higher performance. These chips are typically paired with graphics processing units (GPUs) and other AI accelerators, and move massive amounts of data quickly and efficiently within a data center.

As companies like Micron commit more and more of their production capacity to HBM, it is leading to shortages throughout the memory market. This trend is exemplified by the company's Mobile and Client segment, which supplies lower-end chips for things like smartphones and laptops. This once-mature business saw its Q4 growth skyrocket 248% year over year to $13.1 billion, mainly because clients are willing to pay more for these products than they were in the past.

Higher-margin sales helped drive fiscal 2026 net income to $86.8 million, an eye-popping 816% jump compared to the prior year.

What is the catch? If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. And Micron's spectacular growth coupled with its low valuation of just 7 times forward earnings should be setting off some alarm bells for investors. Clearly, many people on Wall Street don't expect the boom to last very long.

The biggest warning comes from history. The memory industry has a long track record of boom and bust cycles, including the PC boom during the 90s and the smartphone boom during the late 2010s. These booms typically start with demand outstripping supply and end with a market glut as production capacity catches up. Bulls will argue that this time will be different because of long-term purchasing contracts and the sheer importance of the new AI industry, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Over the next few years, a massive amount of HBM supply is expected to hit the market. Micron itself plans to pour $250 billion into U.S. manufacturing capacity through 2035. Not only will this dramatically increase the amount of memory available, but it will also soak up a lot of the company's cash flow that could have otherwise gone to dividends and buybacks. China is another long-term threat, as new entrants like CXMT plan to scale up their production over the next few years.

Image source: Getty Images.

Whether or not you believe Micron stock is a good buy in October depends on what you expect to happen in the AI industry. If you think the AI boom is just getting started and that current levels of data center spending will continue to rise, the stock will look like a great buy because its low valuation reflects a slowdown you don't believe will happen.

However, based on historical patterns in the memory industry and Micron's own huge investments into production capacity, the risk of a future glut seems to outweigh the potential rewards right now. And the stock will probably continue trading sideways until more information becomes available.

, /PRNewswire/ -- Medtronic plc (Medtronic; NYSE: MDT) today announced that, based on preliminary results, its previously announced offer to exchange shares of common stock of MiniMed Group, Inc. (MiniMed; Nasdaq: MMED) for outstanding Medtronic ordinary shares was oversubscribed. The exchange offer expired at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, at the end of the day on October 9, 2026. Medtronic has decided to exchange all of its remaining interest in MiniMed, totaling 252,813,348 shares of MiniMed common stock. Under the terms of the exchange offer, 4.5939 shares of MiniMed common stock will be exchanged for each Medtronic ordinary share accepted in the exchange offer.

According to the exchange agent, Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, 298,024,452 Medtronic ordinary shares were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn, including 93,311,404 shares that were tendered by notice of guaranteed delivery and 757,890 shares that tendered in aggregate by "odd-lot" shareholders (holders of fewer than 100 shares) not subject to proration (including odd-lot shareholders that tendered by notice of guaranteed delivery). Medtronic intends to accept 55,032,401 of the tendered shares in exchange for 252,813,348 shares of MiniMed common stock. Because the exchange offer was oversubscribed, Medtronic is accepting only a portion of its ordinary shares that were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn, on a pro rata basis in proportion to the number of shares tendered. Shareholders who owned odd-lots and have validly tendered all of their shares will not be subject to proration, in accordance with the terms of the exchange offer.

Based on the total number of Medtronic ordinary shares reported to be tendered prior to the expiration of the exchange offer, it is estimated that approximately 18.3% of the tendered Medtronic ordinary shares will be exchanged, assuming all shares tendered by guaranteed delivery procedures are delivered under the terms of the exchange offer. This preliminary proration factor is subject to change based on the number of tendered shares that satisfy the guaranteed delivery procedures. Medtronic expects to announce the final proration factor on October 14, 2026, promptly following the expiration of the guaranteed delivery period. Medtronic ordinary shares tendered but not accepted for exchange will be returned to the tendering shareholders in book-entry form promptly after the final proration factor is announced. Following the completion of the exchange offer, Medtronic will not retain any of the outstanding shares of MiniMed common stock.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and BofA Securities, Inc. are the dealer managers for the exchange offer.

About Medtronic
Bold thinking. Bolder actions. We are Medtronic. Medtronic plc, headquartered in Galway, Ireland, is the leading global healthcare technology company that boldly attacks the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions. Our Mission — to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life — unites a global team of 95,000+ passionate people across more than 150 countries. Our technologies and therapies treat 70 health conditions and include cardiac devices, surgical robotics, insulin pumps, surgical tools, patient monitoring systems, and more. Powered by our diverse knowledge, insatiable curiosity, and desire to help all those who need it, we deliver innovative technologies that transform the lives of two people every second, every hour, every day. Expect more from us as we empower insight-driven care, experiences that put people first, and better outcomes for our world. In everything we do, we are engineering the extraordinary.

Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to risks and uncertainties, including risks related to the expected effects on Medtronic and MiniMed of the exchange offer, the anticipated timing and benefits of the exchange offer, Medtronic's ability to satisfy the necessary conditions to consummate its separation of MiniMed, Medtronic's ability to successfully consummate the separation of MiniMed and realize the anticipated benefits from the separation (including consummating the transaction on a basis that is generally tax-free to shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes), MiniMed's ability to succeed as an independent publicly traded company, competitive factors, difficulties and delays inherent in the development, manufacturing, marketing and sale of medical products, government regulation, geopolitical conflicts, changing global trade policies, general economic conditions, and other risks and uncertainties described in Medtronic's and MiniMed's periodic reports on file with the SEC including their most recent respective Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words or expressions, such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "looking ahead," "may," "plan," "possible," "potential," "project," "should," "going to," "will," and similar words or expressions, the negative or plural of such words or expressions and other comparable terminology. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results. Medtronic does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements or any of the information contained in this press release, including to reflect future events or circumstances.

Additional Information and Where to Find It
This communication is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell or exchange, a solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange any securities or a recommendation as to whether investors should participate in the exchange offer. There shall be no solicitation, offer, sale or exchange of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such solicitation, offer, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. MiniMed has filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement") that includes a Prospectus. The exchange offer is made solely by the Prospectus. The Prospectus contains important information about the exchange offer, Medtronic, MiniMed and related matters, and Medtronic has delivered the Prospectus to holders of Medtronic ordinary shares.  INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROSPECTUS, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC BEFORE MAKING ANY INVESTMENT DECISION, BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. None of Medtronic, MiniMed or any of their respective directors or officers or the dealer managers appointed with respect to the exchange offer makes any recommendation as to whether you should participate in the exchange offer.

Medtronic has filed with the SEC a Schedule TO, which contains important information about the exchange offer.

Holders of Medtronic ordinary shares may obtain copies of the Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Schedule TO and other related documents, and any other information that Medtronic and MiniMed file electronically with the SEC free of charge at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. Holders of Medtronic ordinary shares may also obtain a copy of the Prospectus by clicking on the appropriate link at http://www.dfking.com/MDTSeparation.

Medtronic has retained D.F. King & Co., Inc. as the information agent for the exchange offer. To obtain copies of the exchange offer Prospectus and related documents, or for questions about the terms of the exchange offer or how to participate, you may contact the information agent at +1 (877) 361-7972 (toll-free for shareholders) or +1 (646) 845-0146 (banks, brokers, and all others outside the United States).

Contacts:
Justin Paquette
Public Relations
+1-612-271-7935

Ingrid Goldberg
Investor Relations 
+1-763-505-2696

SOURCE Medtronic plc

Software‑driven upgrades to increase range and efficiency

, /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, has been awarded a contract from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to develop advanced target‑detection capabilities for naval radar systems.

Under the contract, Raytheon's Advanced Technology team will develop and evaluate advanced signal and data-processing algorithms and integrate targeted software upgrades to significantly extend detection range, increase sensitivity and improve radar-system efficiency. These enhancements will undergo rigorous laboratory and field testing to validate performance and operational use, preparing them for transition into Raytheon's SPY‑6 family of radars and other future naval radars.

"Modernizing fielded radar systems with software-first upgrades is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to deliver mission-ready capability," said Colin Whelan, president of Advanced Technology at Raytheon. "These enhancements will enable naval operators to detect smaller objects at greater distances and classify targets more quickly, providing the fleet with faster, more informed decision‑making."

The program continues Raytheon's extensive work in software-defined apertures and leverages knowledge gained from prior ONR initiatives, including ASPIRE and STORM, which established foundational hardware and software advancements for next-generation radar capability.

Work under this contract will be conducted at Raytheon facilities in Portsmouth, R.I., and Andover, Massachusetts, through 2031.

Raytheon is significantly expanding its engineering workforce to support critical military programs. Opportunities are available for emerging talent, experienced professionals, and veterans. Discover open roles on our website and apply today.

About Raytheon
Raytheon, an RTX business, is a leading provider of defense solutions to help the U.S. government, our allies and partners defend their national sovereignty and ensure their security. For more than 100 years, Raytheon has developed new technologies and enhanced existing capabilities in integrated air and missile defense, smart weapons, missiles, advanced sensors and radars, interceptors, space-based systems, hypersonics and missile defense across land, air, sea and space.

About RTX
With more than 180,000 global employees, we push the limits of technology and science to redefine how we connect and protect our world. With industry-leading capabilities, we advance aviation, engineer integrated defense systems for operational success, and develop next-generation technology solutions and manufacturing to help global customers address their most critical challenges. The company, with 2025 sales of more than $88 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

For questions or to schedule an interview, please contact [email protected].

Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited.

SOURCE RTX

CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) stock is moving higher in Monday’s premarket session, extending its rebound after a two-day decline that ended Friday, as fresh analyst optimism supports sentiment.

On Friday, Needham analyst Mike Cikos maintained a Buy rating and raised his price forecast from $250 to $310.

Analyst Sees Falcon Flex As Demand DriverFollowing a discussion with CrowdStrike, Cikos said Falcon Flex appears to be generating new demand rather than simply shifting purchases forward. The offering lowers procurement barriers and makes it easier for customers to adopt the broader Falcon platform.

He also identified Next-Gen SIEM as an underappreciated growth driver, noting that the expansion of AI agents is expected to increase both the volume and value of data.

Capturing and storing the growing stream of agent-generated telemetry could further boost demand for CrowdStrike’s SIEM offering.

The analyst estimates revenue of $6.0 billion in 2027, up 24.8% year over year, and $7.36 billion in 2028, up 22.5%.

CrowdStrike Urges Shareholders To Reject Mini-Tender OfferSeparately, on Friday, CrowdStrike said it received an unsolicited mini-tender offer from Tutanota LLC to purchase up to 500,000 shares for $260 per share in cash, representing less than 0.05% of its outstanding shares.

The offer requires CrowdStrike’s closing share price to exceed $260 on the final trading day before expiration.

If Tutanota does not waive this condition, shareholders could receive less than the market price at the time the offer expires.

CrowdStrike advised shareholders not to tender their shares, citing the offer’s conditions, including financing requirements, which may not be satisfied.

Tutanota may extend the offer and delay payment. The offer is scheduled to expire at 5 p.m. New York City time on Oct. 19, 2026.

CRWD Price Action: CrowdStrike Holdings shares were up 0.71% at $277.00 during premarket trading on Monday. The stock is trading near its 52-week high of $286.98, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Photo via Shutterstock 

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VANCOUVER, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ZoomInfo (NASDAQ: GTM), the all-in-one AI GTM platform, has confirmed a native integration with n8n, the workflow automation platform teams use to connect apps and build AI agents. The integration allows joint customers to combine verified ZoomInfo intelligence with n8n's automation and agent capabilities with immediate effect.

GTM.AI connects ZoomInfo's data and agentic orchestration through API and Model Context Protocol, so any workflow or agent can plug in the same way.

Share The integration ships as a verified node inside n8n, built and maintained by ZoomInfo. Once a workflow authenticates with a customer's own ZoomInfo credentials, it can call ZoomInfo's GTM Context Graph directly: verified data on more than 100 million companies, 500 million contacts, and billions of buying signals.

Workflow teams have typically stitched ZoomInfo data into automations through static exports that go stale within weeks. The native node removes that step. A workflow now reads the current record at run time instead of a snapshot a person uploaded weeks earlier.

ZoomInfo Data Now Available Inside n8n Workflows

Inside a workflow, the node can search contacts by company, title, seniority, and location, enrich existing contact and company records, search companies by size, revenue, and industry, and monitor buyer intent, organizational changes, and news coverage on target accounts. Every result returns as an individual item, so a workflow can loop, filter, and pass the data downstream to a CRM or another system.

The node also works as a tool an n8n AI agent can call on its own. Instead of running on a fixed schedule with fixed parameters, an agent can decide mid-workflow to research a company, enrich a contact, or check an intent signal, and use the result to plan its next action.

"Our users build workflows that run sales and marketing operations every day, and the quality of the data behind them decides whether those workflows deliver. With ZoomInfo's verified node now inside n8n, teams can pull current company and contact intelligence at run time, and give their AI agents a trusted source to research, enrich, and act on. It's a natural fit for how our community already builds," said Hugues Vincent, Head of Partnerships, n8n.

n8n joins a growing list of platforms connected to GTM.AI, ZoomInfo's headless GTM context layer, alongside Salesforce, Microsoft, Claude, ChatGPT, and more. GTM.AI connects ZoomInfo's data and agentic orchestration through API and Model Context Protocol, so any workflow or agent can plug in the same way.

Authentication and permissions stay tied to each customer's own ZoomInfo account. Access control, data lineage, and audit logging apply to the n8n node the same way they apply across every other surface GTM.AI powers.

Connect: https://n8n.io/integrations/zoominfo/

About ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo (NASDAQ: GTM), the all-in-one AI GTM platform, enables sales, marketing and customer success teams to execute their go-to-market strategy with confidence. Powered by the industry’s most comprehensive B2B data, including more than 100 million companies, 500 million contacts and billions of signals, ZoomInfo delivers the intelligence, automation and integrations that modern revenue teams need to identify, engage and convert their best buyers.

GTM.AI is ZoomInfo’s headless GTM context layer. It is the API and Model Context Protocol home for AI agents, powering integrations across Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft, Anthropic, OpenAI, Perplexity, and dozens more.

Learn more at zoominfo.com and gtm.ai.

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LEHI, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Weave (NYSE: WEAV), a leading AI-powered patient communications and payments platform purpose-built for healthcare practices, today announced the live availability of its integration with CareCredit, a leading patient financing solution from Synchrony (NYSE: SYF). The integration gives front-office staff real-time visibility into a patient's financing options directly within Weave — bringing one of healthcare's hardest conversations forward, before the appointment begins.

"The Weave team has built a seamless experience for practices that want to offer CareCredit at the point of care," said Greg Pierce, SVP Network Solutions at Synchrony (CareCredit).

Share For most patients, the question of how to pay comes last: after the exam, after the recommendation, often as a surprise at checkout. That timing has consequences. Out-of-pocket costs remain one of the most common reasons patients delay or decline treatment. By surfacing a patient's CareCredit status and available credit at the start of the visit, Weave replaces sticker shock with an informed conversation — and gives practices a way to solve cost alongside the patient rather than let it stand between them and care.

It's also the latest expression of Weave's single-system approach: financing no longer lives in a separate portal, but inside the workflow where the front office already works.

"Affordability is one of the defining challenges facing patients, and practices are navigating shrinking margins at the same time," said Marcus Bertilson, Chief Operating Officer at Weave. "By making CareCredit a native part of the front-office experience, we're giving practices the tools to meet patients where they are financially — and to move more care forward. When staff can see a patient's available credit before the appointment, cost stops being the obstacle and starts being part of the plan."

Key benefits of the integration include:

The financial conversation, moved up front. Staff can view a patient's CareCredit status and available credit directly within Weave — no switching between systems. CareCredit helps broaden access to recommended treatment. Promotional financing options help more patients confidently move forward with the care they want or need. Deeper payments adoption. 43% of recently surveyed Weave payments customers said they would use Weave's payment services exclusively once CareCredit is added. A modern, mobile-first experience. Practices can initiate CareCredit payments in-office or via a text-to-pay link, and patients can apply for credit directly within Weave or on their own device — meeting patients where they already are. "The Weave team has built a seamless experience for practices that want to offer CareCredit at the point of care," said Greg Pierce, SVP Network Solutions at Synchrony (CareCredit). "When financing options are visible earlier in the patient journey — at a moment when clearer options can make a real difference — practices can have more confident conversations, and more patients move forward with the treatment they need."

To learn more about Weave Payments, visit https://www.getweave.com/carecredit/.

About Weave

Weave is a leading vertical SaaS company delivering an AI-powered patient engagement and payments platform purpose-built for modern healthcare practices. More than software, Weave is an always-on teammate—handling patient interactions across voice and text and operating at the center of the patient journey. Through agentic AI workflows and authorized integrations with practice management systems, Weave ensures critical tasks like scheduling, insurance verification, and payments happen seamlessly, so nothing falls between the cracks. By embedding AI directly into daily operations, Weave reduces administrative workload, frees up staff to focus on human-centered care, and delivers real-time insights that help practices run smarter and grow with confidence. Serving over 40,000 customer locations, Weave was named a 2026 Best Software Awards winner for healthcare software products by G2. To learn more, visit getweave.com/newsroom.

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Warren Buffett handed Greg Abel the keys to a $1 trillion empire, but Berkshire is quietly sitting on a record cash pile while the market chases AI stocks. The setup forming right now may be one the Oracle himself would…

Warren Buffett stepped down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.B) on December 31, 2025, after six decades of leading the conglomerate he transformed from a struggling textile mill into a $1 trillion empire. The “Oracle of Omaha” left his successor, Greg Abel, with a very concentrated portfolio: 77% of Berkshire’s $355 billion equity portfolio is invested in just seven stocks. Abel, who has served as vice chair overseeing non-insurance operations, officially took over as CEO on January 1, 2026. At 95, Buffett isn’t fully retiring, but he did recently step down as board chair and announced that his son, Howard, will take his place. Warren Buffett remains chairman emeritus.

While Berkshire Hathaway has erased some of its 2026 underperformance against the S&P 500, it still boils down to a few compounding and frustrating headwinds: a $365 billion cash pile earning T-bill yields while the market rallied hard, a deliberate retreat from equities at exactly the wrong time, and a leadership transition that shook investor confidence. Its sheer size makes transformative acquisitions nearly impossible, and its “old economy” focus on railroads, insurance, and energy meant it missed the AI-driven tech surge that powered index returns. Remember, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq are up this year only because the technology sector outperformed. In short, Berkshire was penalized for being cautious and conservative, though for patient, long-term investors, that may ultimately prove to be a feature, not a bug.

Here are the five reasons why Berkshire Hathaway is my favorite stock for the rest of 2026 and beyond.

Gigantic Pile of Cash Berkshire Hathaway is still sitting on the largest cash pile in its history: $365.5 billion at the end of Q3 2026, equal to roughly 53% of its investable assets. Abel drove the cash drawdown from $397 billion largely by deploying capital, including a $4.53 billion stock buyback program. It’s still enough cash to buy 465 S&P 500 companies entirely. That massive reserve acts as a powerful safety net in a recession or market downturn, while giving CEO Abel tremendous flexibility to pursue attractive acquisitions or make bold capital investments in businesses Berkshire already owns. When the right deal finally appears, and it always does, this kind of financial firepower is truly exceptional.

Strong Earnings The company reported second-quarter results in August that beat consensus. Berkshire’s operating earnings rose 16.3% to $12.9 billion year-over-year. Net income soared to $25.6 billion. This isn’t accounting noise; it reflects genuine operational strength across Berkshire’s massive business portfolio. Total revenue reached a stunning $101.8 billion for the quarter. Net earnings totaled $25.7 billion. Third-quarter results are due on November 6.

Portfolio Built to Withstand Disruption Over the past 60 years, Berkshire has assembled a portfolio of operating businesses and investments that are remarkably resilient to disruption from AI and emerging technologies. Railroads, insurance, energy, and consumer staples form the core. These are classic businesses protected by wide, durable competitive moats that are unlikely to be upended overnight.

Buybacks That Have Started Berkshire ended its 21-month buyback moratorium because its shares finally became attractive enough to repurchase. The price-to-book ratio stayed at a strong 1.44, well below the 60% to 80% premium range that had kept buybacks on hold for nearly two years. Consistent with Berkshire’s long-standing policy, the company repurchases shares only when management believes the stock is trading below its intrinsic value. The resumption of buybacks therefore signals that they view the current price as undervalued. If they think it is, investors will, too.

The Right Man to Lead the Way Abel personally purchased $15 million of Berkshire shares. That amount is roughly equal to his entire after-tax annual salary. In addition, he has committed to repeating the buy each year. Given his decades-long tenure at the company, Abel is unlikely to make abrupt changes to Berkshire’s direction. However, his more active management approach could still unlock meaningful growth in the years ahead. Abel’s personal investment and commitment to cultural continuity send a powerful signal. A signal that will likely continue to resonate with investors for decades to come.

Berkshire Hathaway’s Wholly Owned Private Companies  When you own shares, you own much more than the 26 companies in the stock portfolio.

Insurance

GEICO (auto insurance) General Re (reinsurance) Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group Alleghany Corporation Kansas Bankers Surety Transportation & Logistics

BNSF Railway (one of the largest freight railroads in North America) FlightSafety International (pilot training) NetJets (fractional aircraft ownership) Energy & Utilities

Berkshire Hathaway Energy (parent of MidAmerican Energy, PacifiCorp, NV Energy, Northern Powergrid) Manufacturing & Industrial

Marmon Holdings (100+ industrial businesses) Precision Castparts (aerospace/industrial components) IMC International Metalworking Companies Acme Brick Company OxyChem, acquired in January 2026 for $9.7 billion — the most recent major addition Retail & Consumer

Dairy Queen See’s Candies Ben Bridge Jeweler Borsheims Fine Jewelry Nebraska Furniture Mart Building & Home

Benjamin Moore & Co. (paints) Clayton Homes (manufactured housing) Shaw Industries (flooring) Johns Manville (insulation/building products) Taylor Morrison (acquisition recently completed) Finance & Services

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (real estate brokerage) CORT Business Services (furniture rental) Berkadia (mortgage financing, 50% JV) Berkshire has a staggering 800 subsidiaries worldwide, but these are the flagship names that drive the bulk of operating earnings.

The Berkshire Hathaway shares are trading roughly 5% off their all-time high, sitting on a record cash pile, with buybacks just resuming and a new CEO who’s eating his own cooking. For long-term investors, that’s a rare combination. That said, always do your own due diligence before investing. With an overbought stock market and the AI/data center trade still ruling investor groupthink, this may be the best opportunity to own a legendary company.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.