Market Signal Briefing

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It was a week that reminded investors how quickly the Magnificent 7 can splinter. AI optimism and fresh earnings momentum gave way to macro headwinds, geopolitical jitters, and stock-specific news pulling the cohort in opposite directions.

The S&P 500 fell 1.98% for the week, and the Nasdaq 100 dropped 1.24%. The Magnificent 7 mirrored that split: Microsoft surged while Apple fell, and Alphabet dropped 4.25% with the rest scattered in between.

The VIX fear gauge spiked 27.5% week-over-week, reaching 23.75 by Thursday, pushing into elevated uncertainty territory. Investors were navigating an Iran conflict mid-week, continued AI capital expenditure scrutiny, and a Friday S&P 500 rebalancing that added more AI stocks into the widely followed index.

This Week’s Biggest Winners and Losers in the Magnificent 7 Ticker Company Feb 27 Close Mar 6 Close Weekly Return MSFT Microsoft $392.74 $408.96 +4.13% AMZN Amazon $210.00 $213.21 +1.53% NVDA NVIDIA $177.19 $177.82 +0.36% META Meta $648.18 $644.86 -0.51% TSLA Tesla $402.51 $396.73 -1.44% AAPL Apple $264.18 $257.46 -2.54% GOOGL Alphabet $311.76 $298.52 -4.25% Broad Industry News Mid-week geopolitical tensions tied to the Iran conflict rattled markets. The headline is oil prices have surged. That’s raised the fear gauge and led to a broad sell-off of stocks. Friday’s close was especially ‘fear-driven’ as investors fled stocks seen as more risky. AI darlings like Lumentum and Bloom Energy saw steep declines in the last 30 minutes of trading before the weekend.

Yet, after the market closed, Lumentum (and the broader AI industry) received a strong stamp of approval.

On Friday night, the S&P 500 completed a quarterly rebalancing that added several AI infrastructure names including Vertiv, Lumentum, Coherent, and EchoStar, effective March 23, reflecting how deeply AI infrastructure has penetrated the broader index. As we noted in our preview of the rebalancing, Lumentum and Coherent were seen as ‘long shots’ to join, while Vertiv was the favorite.

Microsoft Leads the Pack on AI Narrative Shift Microsoft was the clear standout this week. A Seeking Alpha analysis framed Microsoft’s heavy AI capital expenditure as profit-driving rather than margin-destroying, a narrative that directly contrasts with how the market has treated the stock since its latest earnings.

Product news added fuel. Microsoft announced new Cloud PC devices with ASUS and Dell, launching by Q3 2026, devices that boot directly into Windows 365 Cloud environments. Meanwhile, Morningstar identified Microsoft as a top pick expected to thrive regardless of AI disruption, a notable exception after the firm downgraded six other software companies including Adobe and Salesforce.

Reddit sentiment on MSFT leaned bullish, with a high-engagement post about Trump’s mid-week AI energy strategy meeting with Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, and OpenAI generating over 1,000 upvotes on wallstreetbets.

The bottom line is that investors broadly rotated back into software-adjacent stocks that could be (relative) beneficiaries if tariff fears begin weighing on the market again. Amongst Dow stocks, Microsoft was a winner alongside IBM and Salesforce.

Alphabet Breaks Below $300 as CapEx Concerns and Legal Risks Pile Up Alphabet had a rough week on multiple fronts. The stock slipped below the $300 critical support level as a weaker-than-expected U.S. labor report hit megacap tech broadly. But Alphabet’s drop was sharper than peers for reasons beyond macro.

The core concern is capital allocation. Alphabet’s 2026 CapEx guidance of $175-185 billion is drawing scrutiny over near-term free cash flow pressure, even as the company wins meaningful enterprise AI business. Positive Google Cloud announcements included a partnership with CVS for an AI-powered health platform called Health100 using Gemini models, plus a Waystar partnership preventing $15 billion in denied healthcare claims. Good news, but not enough to offset the macro and structural concerns weighing on the stock.

Legal and regulatory headwinds also emerged. Multiple articles on the company this week zeroed in on a wrongful-death lawsuit involving the Gemini chatbot, a Play Store commission settlement, and Waymo facing NTSB regulatory review. Prediction markets reflect the caution: markets priced only a 39.5% probability of Alphabet closing above $300 by March 9. Analysts remain constructive with a consensus price target of $366.57 and a Moderate Buy rating from 51 brokerages, but the near-term picture looks challenged.

Apple Launches Seven Products, Stock Falls Anyway Apple unveiled seven new products including the MacBook Neo at $599, the iPhone 17e at $599, iPad Air M4, MacBook Pro M5, and a new Studio Display. The MacBook Neo generated buzz as the first Mac with an A-series chip, with one analysis calling it “the most consequential product in a decade.”. Apple TV also launched an exclusive Formula 1 deal that scored a bullish sentiment reading among analysts covering the services segment.

Yet the stock fell 2.54%. The disconnect comes down to valuation and sector pressure. UBS and Jefferies both maintained Neutral ratings, arguing current pricing already reflects near-term growth, while broader tech selling dragged the stock lower. MacBook price increases tied to a memory chip shortage also raised supply cost concerns that partially offset the product launch enthusiasm. Reddit sentiment remained bullish, centered on a thread titled “The $599 iPhone 17e made me rethink AAPL’s near term outlook”, suggesting retail investors view the product strategy positively even as the stock drifted lower.

Data from LSEG/Lipper shows that American investors have pulled $52 billion out of U.S. stocks in 2026. Meanwhile, major international stock indexes have outperformed the U.S. stock market for the past year.

Did you buy ORCL common stock between June 12, 2025, and December 16, 2025?

Affected Oracle Corporation Investor Summary

Who: Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL)What: Securities fraud class action lawsuit filedClass Period: June 12, 2025, through December 16, 2025Deadline to Seek Lead Plaintiff Status: April 6, 2026Key Lawsuit Allegations: Material misstatements and/or omissions concerning the company’s data center capabilities for artificial intelligence infrastructure and capital expenditures.Investor Action: Contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) for recovery options at no cost to investor RADNOR, Pa., March 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP informs investors that the firm has filed a securities fraud class action lawsuit against Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) (Oracle) on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired Oracle common stock between June 12, 2025, and December 16, 2025, inclusive (the Class Period). This action, captioned Barrows v. Oracle Corporation, et al., Case No. 1:26-cv-00127-JLH, was filed on February 3, 2026, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and is pending before the Honorable Jennifer L. Hall.

Important Deadline Reminder: Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Oracle common stock during the Class Period may, no later than April 6, 2026, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class.

CONTACT KTMC TO DISCUSS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS:
If you purchased or acquired Oracle common stock and lost money on your investment, you are encouraged to contact KTMC attorney Jonathan Naji, Esq. at:

(484) 270-1453
[email protected]
https://www.ktmc.com/orcl-oracle-corporation-class-action-lawsuit?utm_source=Globe&utm_medium=pressrelease&utm_campaign=orcl&mktm=PR

There is no cost or obligation to speak with an attorney.

Learn more about Oracle Corporation on YouTube:

Oracle Corporation Securities Class Action Lawsuit (long video)Oracle Corporation Securities Class Action Lawsuit (short video) ORACLE CORPORATION CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT - COMPLAINT ALLEGATION SUMMARY:
Oracle, a Delaware corporation with its principal executive offices in Austin, Texas, is a technology company that provides, among other things, infrastructure for operating artificial intelligence (AI) programs.   During the Class Period, Defendants misled investors by touting the Oracle’s contracts to develop data center capabilities for AI infrastructure and falsely assuring investors that the Company’s significant capital expenditures (CapEx) would quickly result in accelerated revenue growth.

The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts, about Oracle’s business and operations. Specifically, Defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Oracle’s AI infrastructure strategy would result in massive increases in CapEx without equivalent, near-term growth in revenue; (2) Oracle’s substantially increased spending created serious risks involving Oracle’s debt and credit rating, free cash flow, and ability to fund its projects, among other concerns; and (3) as a result, Defendants’ representations about Oracle’s business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

Why did Oracle’s Stock Drop?
The truth began to be revealed on September 24, 2025, when S&P Global Ratings warned that OpenAI “could account for more than a third of total Oracle revenues by fiscal 2028 and even a greater share by fiscal 2030,” creating risks given that “OpenAI’s ability to meet contractual obligations will be contingent on AI tailwinds continuing and its models being a market leader to continue to raise external financing.” On this news, the price of Oracle common stock declined $5.37 per share, or nearly 2%, from a close of $313.83 per share on September 23, 2025, to close at $308.46 per share on September 24, 2025.   

Oracle’s stock price continued to fall in response to multiple additional disclosures, the last of which was on December 17, 2025, when the Financial Times reported that Blue Owl Capital—“the primary [financial] backer for Oracle’s largest data centre projects in the US”—had backed out of funding a $10 billion Oracle data center intended to serve OpenAI. According to the report, Blue Owl pulled out of the deal as a result of concerns about Oracle’s spending commitments and rising debt levels. On this news, the price of Oracle common stock declined $10.19 per share, or approximately 5.4%, from a close of $188.65 per share on December 16, 2025, to close at $178.46 per share on December 17, 2025.

WHAT ORCL INVESTORS CAN DO NOW:

File to be lead plaintiff by April 6, 2026.Contact KTMC for a free case evaluation.Retain counsel of choice or take no action. THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS FOR ORACLE CORPORATION INVESTORS:
Oracle investors may, no later than April 6, 2026, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation.  The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Oracle investors to contact the firm for more information.

ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP (KTMC):

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (KTMC) is a leading U.S. plaintiff-side law firm focused on securities-fraud class actions and global investor protection. The firm represents individual investors as well as institutions, such as major pension funds, asset managers, and international investors. KTMC has led some of the largest recoveries in securities litigation and has been recognized by peers and the legal media with numerous accolades, including The National Law Journal’s Plaintiff’s Hot List and Trailblazers in Plaintiffs' Law, BTI Consulting Group’s Honor Roll of Most Feared Law Firms, The Legal Intelligencer’s Class Action Firm of the Year, Lawdragon’s Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers, and Law360’s Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar. The firm operates globally with offices in Pennsylvania and California.  KTMC has recovered over $25 billion for our clients and the classes they represent. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP, please visit www.ktmc.com.   The complaint in this matter was filed by KTMC.

CONTACT:

Jonathan Naji, Esq.
(484) 270-1453
280 King of Prussia Road
Radnor, PA 19087
[email protected]

        May be considered attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG 4.49%) had been one of the restaurant industry's steadier stocks. For two straight years, transactions grew around 5% annually. Then last year, traffic turned negative in all four quarters.

Entering 2026, the restaurant landscape had shifted. Fast-casual and fast-food prices had climbed so much that some diners needed a rest. Casual dining chains like Chili's picked up traffic, while Wingstop and Chipotle lost it. A brand built on affordable food and quality ingredients is not supposed to be on that list.

Management has been fairly specific about who is pulling back. Households earning under $100,000 a year make up about 40% of Chipotle's sales. Younger diners in the 25 to 35 range are visiting less, too. Lunch and snack visits took the biggest hit last year.

The company says these customers aren't leaving for competitors. They're eating out less often and shifting more spending to groceries and food at home. Maybe. But not every investor is going to buy the idea that they are suddenly home, cooking for themselves.

Image source: Getty Images.

Fewer orders, same overhead Transactions fell 4.9% in the second quarter, improved to a 0.8% decline in Q3, then slipped to negative 3.2% in Q4. That's not a recovery. It's a bounce that faded.

For the full year, same-store sales fell 1.7%. Check growth alone won't cover the fixed costs. The efficiency that makes this model best in class on margins is the same reason there's not much flexibility when volume drops.

When traffic falls, Chipotle is still running the same kitchens with the same labor for fewer orders. It is a model built for throughput, and weaker traffic shows up quickly in margins.

Restaurant-level operating margin fell from 28.9% in Q2 2024 to 23.4% in Q4 2025, roughly 550 basis points in six quarters. In a model this lean, it is tough to cut fat. The fix is getting customers back through the door.

No discounts, just patience Management's answer is to push the value messaging harder without discounting, feeling the menu is already cheaper than most fast-casual competitors.' They've called it a multiyear effort.

Domestic labor markets were disrupted last year, and that may need to settle before Chipotle's numbers start to improve. The company is guiding for roughly flat same-store sales in 2026.

Today's Change

(

-4.49

%) $

-1.67

Current Price

$

35.40

Chipotle has not stopped generating cash. Free cash flow held steady at $1.5 billion last year, but at 33 times trailing free cash flow and 32 times forward earnings, the stock is still priced for growth.

Average check has grown about 1.5% annually over the past two years, enough to hold the line but not enough to close the gap. Chipotle needs to get both components of same-store sales heading in the right direction to support its valuation.

Bryan White has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool recommends Wingstop and recommends the following options: short March 2026 $42.50 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Lemonade (LMND +0.22%), the online insurer that uses AI chatbots to onboard customers and process claims, went public at $29 per share in July 2020. Today, its stock trades at about $55 -- yet it's still below Wall Street's median price target of $65. Should you buy Lemonade's stock before it hits that price? Let's review its business model and growth rates to make a decision.

Image source: Getty Images.

How fast is Lemonade growing? Lemonade's digital-first approach attracted many younger and first-time insurance buyers who were intimidated by the byzantine process of buying insurance. It initially offered only homeowners and renters insurance, but expanded into the term life, pet health, and auto insurance (via its acquisition of Metromile) markets after its public debut.

Today's Change

(

0.22

%) $

0.12

Current Price

$

55.16

At the end of 2025, Lemonade served 2.98 million customers, up from 1.00 million at the end of 2020. Over the past five years, it consistently grew its in-force premium (IFP) and gross-earned premium (GEP) at high double-digit rates while reducing its gross loss ratio. That stable expansion boosted its gross margins, but it's still unprofitable.

Metric

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Customer Growth (YOY)

56%

43%

27%

12%

20%

23%

IFP Growth (YOY)

87%

78%

64%

20%

26%

31%

GEP Growth (YOY)

110%

84%

68%

37%

23%

28%

Gross Loss Ratio (TTM)

71%

90%

90%

85%

73%

64%

Adjusted Gross Margin

33%

36%

25%

23%

33%

41%

Data source: Lemonade. YOY = Year-over-year. TTM = Trailing 12 months.

However, Lemonade expects its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) to turn positive (for at least a quarter) this year as its AI platform trims its expenses and economies of scale kick in. It also expects its IFP to increase from $1.24 billion in 2025 to about $10 billion in the "coming years".

From 2025 to 2027, analysts expect Lemonade's revenue to grow at a 41% CAGR, with adjusted EBITDA turning positive in the final year. With an enterprise value of $4.5 billion, it still looks reasonably valued at 3.8 times this year's sales.

Will Lemonade's stock rise to $65 and beyond? If Lemonade's stock rises 18% to $65, it would still trade at 4.4 times this year's sales. If it matches Wall Street's estimates in 2028, and trades at a more generous five times forward sales by the beginning of the year, its stock could rise nearly 130% over the next two years.

That could easily outperform the S&P 500's average annual return of 10%. Still, investors should keep a close eye on its stock-based compensation expenses (which accounted for 8% of revenue in 2025) and its share count (which has risen 39% since its IPO). That said, Lemonade could still have a bright future -- as long as it keeps pulling younger customers away from conventional insurers while steadily expanding its ecosystem with new policies and features.

Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Lemonade. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

As Warren Buffett approached the end of his tenure as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA 0.39%) (BRKB 0.28%), he went on a selling streak unlike any in history. He sold more stock than he bought in each of the last 13 quarters of his time in charge of Berkshire's massive marketable equity portfolio. That led to an astounding cash pile of $373 billion at the end of 2025.

Buffett took the axe to some of Berkshire's biggest positions, and last quarter was no different. He continued to trim its massive stake in Apple (AAPL 0.96%) and began selling Berkshire's Amazon (AMZN 2.61%) shares as well. Those sales totaled an estimated $4.5 billion. Meanwhile, Buffett started a new position in a company that's been around since the 1850s.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Cutting a couple of longtime holdings Buffett invested over $30 billion in Apple between 2016 and 2018, making it one of his largest-ever investments. And boy, did it pay off.

Berkshire's shares approached nearly $200 billion in value in 2023 prior to Buffett's decision to trim the position. At one point, the stock accounted for more than 50% of Berkshire's marketable equity portfolio. Even after selling more than three-quarters of its shares, the position is still worth about $60 billion today.

Buffett has previously said he doesn't mind a high concentration of his highest-conviction stocks in a portfolio, a sentiment echoed by new CEO Greg Abel in his first letter to shareholders. While Buffett may have been comfortable with 50% of Berkshire's portfolio in a single stock, he probably wasn't as comfortable with the valuation of that stock.

Apple's trailing P/E climbed from around 10 when Buffett first started buying the shares to about 29 when he first started selling shares in 2023 and 34 at the end of 2025. The valuation remains elevated, even on a forward-looking basis, with the stock trading for 31 times analysts' estimates for the next 12 months.

Even after selling a huge chunk of Apple shares, the stock remains its largest marketable equity position, accounting for about 19% of the total portfolio as of this writing. Abel said investors should expect "limited activity" with regard to Berkshire's Apple stake in the future, so Berkshire may be done selling Apple stock.

Today's Change

(

-0.96

%) $

-2.49

Current Price

$

257.80

The decision to sell Amazon comes after Berkshire has held roughly the same position since early 2019. Many believe the Amazon position was established by Todd Combs, who left the company last quarter. As a result, it's not a big surprise that the company would want to dispose of some of the stocks he was in charge of managing for Berkshire.

Amazon looks like a relative value compared to where it was when Berkshire initially bought shares in 2019. Its P/E ratio fell to 32 by the end of 2025, compared to the 80 times earnings multiple it garnered when Berkshire bought it.

That said, there may be concerns about its free cash flow as it invests heavily in new data centers to meet demand for artificial intelligence (AI) compute. Amazon surprised investors with its $200 billion capital expenditure budget for 2026, which will likely result in negative free cash flow for the year.

Today's Change

(

-2.61

%) $

-5.71

Current Price

$

213.23

Apple and Amazon aren't the only stocks Buffett sold last quarter. And continued selling in Berkshire's portfolio is a sign that Buffett still thinks much of the market is overvalued at this point. That said, there are pockets of opportunities, and Buffett may have found another one right before he retired.

Out with the old, in with the ... older In his 2023 letter to shareholders, Buffett told investors, "Berkshire is not big on newcomers." He mentioned it as an aside when describing two of his favorite stocks: American Express and Coca-Cola.

Amex began operations all the way back in 1850, and Coca-Cola got its start in 1886. Buffett's latest investment started in 1851 when it published the New-York Daily Times. Today, it's known as The New York Times (NYT 1.90%). Buffett's bet on the newspaper company comes at a time when the news media, particularly the print news media, are facing significant disruption. But Buffett's no stranger to the news business.

Berkshire previously held shares of Graham Holdings, which owned the Washington Post before Amazon founder Jeff Bezos bought it. Buffett served on the board there for a combined 37 years across two stints. Today, the Post is facing significant turmoil, and it recently laid off 30% of its workforce after posting a loss exceeding $100 million in 2025.

But The New York Times has been able to buck the trend. It pushed revenue 9% higher in 2025 while keeping expenses low, leading to a 23% increase in its operating profit. Net income came in at $344 million, up 18% for the year.

Today's Change

(

-1.90

%) $

-1.56

Current Price

$

80.39

That's owed to the publisher's digital transformation, which includes top-tier content across multiple categories beyond news. Its Cooking and Games content keep readers subscribed and coming back to The New York Times for its journalism. Additionally, it expanded its addressable market with sports coverage (The Athletic), product reviews (Wirecutter), and podcasts. The New York Times has managed the shift to digital better than any other 174-year-old publisher and even much younger ones.

Subscriber growth remains strong for the company, up 1.4 million for the year, and 96% of its 12.8 million subscribers are digital-only and pay an average of $9.72 per month. Management expects its strength to continue in the first quarter, with digital-only subscribers rising between 14% and 17% year over year, which should lead to low double-digit revenue growth.

It's worth noting that investors currently have to pay up for the high-quality company. Shares trade for close to 30 times forward earnings estimates. Buffett likely got a much better deal on the shares, which traded for a multiple in the low-to-mid-20s in the third quarter. That seems like a fair price to pay for a wonderful business. At the current price, though, it might be worth waiting for a better entry point.

In a scenario that was nearly unthinkable as recently as last year, the State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLP +0.43%) is up some 13% year to date. In comparison, the equivalent technology exchange-traded fund (ETF) is saddled with about a 4.5% loss.

That's great for investors who bought the consumer staples ETF late last year or in early 2026, but its credentials as a value fund are debatable. Consider this: Costco Wholesale and Walmart, the ETF's two largest holdings, sport price-to-earnings ratios above Nvidia's. To be sure, that's an interesting, perhaps concerning factoid.

Mondelez is offering value and dependable dividend growth. Image source: Getty Images.

It doesn't mean the consumer packaged goods sector is lacking value. Investors just need to know where to look, and they don't have to look far: Mondelez International (MDLZ +0.50%) offers not only value but also reliable income. That combination could make this a stock worth snacking on.

Take a bite of this fundamental outlook Depending on an investor's perspective, the Triscuit maker is either in dubious or illustrious company, as it's one of just 13 S&P 500 consumer staples stocks yielding more than 3% that are also in the red over the past 12 months. To be precise, Mondelez is off 10.6% over that span, and to be fair, that period includes a lengthy stretch in which U.S. stocks were led higher by growth equities while the defensive staples sector faltered.

Specific to Mondelez, which is considered a wide-moat name, the Oreo maker was hindered by market participants' affinity for more glamorous investment themes and lack of appreciation for this company's enviable brand portfolio. Those skeptics may have glossed over Mondelez's crucial investments in innovation, which are speeding up the timeline for bringing new and refreshed products to market.

There's a silver lining. Not only is the stock considered undervalued by some analysts, but the company is pacing toward 4% organic sales growth on operating margins of 18%, which tops the five-year average of 16.5%, according to Morningstar.

Today's Change

(

0.50

%) $

0.29

Current Price

$

58.47

Of course, the dividend is a major draw for this stock. Investors considering a long-term relationship with Mondelez can take heart in knowing its past payout growth track record is impressive, and some analysts believe those increases will continue at a high-single-digit pace through 2034.

Mondelez is right for right now, too The appropriate context for shares of the Ritz cracker maker is as a long-term investment, but at the same time, the stock is up more than 9% year to date, indicating it can deliver the goods over shorter holding periods.

Its 2026 showing may be a sign that Mondelez is worth owning amid geopolitical stress and tariff tumult. Cocoa prices, which are 70% below 2024 highs, also fortify the near-term case for this consumer staples stock.

Indeed, if investor anxiety runs high and market breadth widens this year, Mondelez could add to its year-to-date gain while setting up for a durable, long-term rally.

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE: DIA) had a rough week, falling 2.95% as tariff anxiety, macro uncertainty, and a VIX spike to 23.75 rattled blue-chip investors.

That fear gauge is now sitting at its 88th percentile over the past year, we’ll see if that continues as much of this week’s sell-off came from worries the war in Iran could drag out and leave oil prices elevated for an extended period.

Stock Weekly Change IBM +7.76% Microsoft (MSFT) +4.13% Salesforce (CRM) +3.76% Sherwin-Williams (SHW) -9.02% Caterpillar (CAT) -8.34% Nike (NKE) -8.31% The headline story of the week was that consumer staples stocks, which have been a safe haven so far in 2026, came under pressure. That sell-off was best seen in the price of Sherwin-Williams, which declined 9.02% last week. Sherwin-Williams shares were trading for 32X earnings, a high multiple for a company that’s expected to see 4% sales growth this year.

On the other hand, software stocks that have been broadly sold-off in 2026 saw a rebound last week. IBM shares may be down more than 11% year-to-date, but they bounced back 7.8% in the past week as this rotational trade drove investors back into the sector.

Let’s look at a few other Dow stocks with major news this week.

Salesforce: Two Analysts, Two Very Different Stories Salesforce gained 3.76% this week, closing at $202.11, but the real story is the analyst war playing out in the background. On March 6, two firms went in opposite directions on the stock.

Stephens cut its price target from $285 to $241 while maintaining an Equal Weight rating, reflecting concern over sluggish revenue growth. On the same day, Phillip Securities analyst Paul Chew reiterated a Buy rating with a $253 price target, pointing to rapid Agentforce adoption and expanding AI revenues as the bull case. Meanwhile, Citi’s Tyler Radke held his Hold rating, nudging his target only to $200 from $197.

The divide reflects a genuine debate about whether Salesforce’s AI pivot is a growth accelerator or a distraction from decelerating core software revenue. The bull case has real data behind it: Agentforce ARR hit $800 million, up 169% year over year, with 29,000 deals closed since launch. The bear case continues to focus on margin erosion across software: Morningstar downgraded Salesforce’s moat rating from wide to narrow, citing AI disruption to traditional seat-based software models. It’s worth noting however that their price target of $300 still would give substantial upside to the stock.

The stock is still down nearly 24% year to date, so one good week does not resolve the debate. However, the recent change in software sentiment is worth paying attention to.

Microsoft Gains Despite Japan Antitrust Probe and Copilot Headwinds Microsoft added 4.13% this week, closing at $408.96, even as a pair of regulatory and product concerns surfaced. On March 7, reports confirmed Microsoft faces an antitrust probe in Japan, adding to an already crowded list of regulatory risks for the company. Separately, a March 6 analysis identified four obstacles slowing paid Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption: confusing product naming, high costs relative to free AI alternatives, difficulty proving ROI, and compliance concerns.

On the positive side, Microsoft announced new Cloud PC devices launching in Q3 2026 in partnership with ASUS and Dell, deepening its Windows 365 ecosystem. The White House’s emerging AI policy framework, which would mandate “any lawful use” access for AI firms, could also benefit Microsoft’s broad AI infrastructure footprint if implemented.

The stock remains down 15% year to date, so this week’s bounce should be read as stabilization, not a reversal. The underlying business remains strong: Azure grew 39% last quarter and the Intelligent Cloud segment crossed $50 billion in a single quarter for the first time. But regulatory friction and Copilot adoption challenges are real variables that investors will need to track heading into the next earnings cycle.

Nike Joins the Tariff Casualty List Nike dropped 8.31% this week to $57.01, making it one of the Dow’s worst performers alongside Caterpillar, which fell 8.34%. The common thread: tariff exposure.

For Nike specifically, new 15% global tariffs are forcing the company to restructure its supply chain and reduce manufacturing in China for U.S.-bound footwear. That compounds an already difficult setup: Greater China revenue fell 17% in Nike’s most recent quarter, and gross margins are already under pressure from tariff-related costs. Consumer sentiment is not helping either, with the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment index sitting at 56.4, well below the 80 threshold that typically signals healthy consumer spending.

Caterpillar faces a parallel problem from the industrial side. The company absorbed $1.03 billion in tariff-related manufacturing costs last quarter, and with no specific 2026 guidance provided at earnings, investors have little visibility into how management plans to navigate an escalating trade environment.

So, this week saw new pressures on many stocks that have been seeing strong gains in 2026, such as Caterpillar, while providing a needed ‘bounce back’ for deeply sold off stocks like Salesforce and Microsoft.

Did you buy PYPL common stock between February 25, 2025, and February 2, 2026?

Affected PayPal Holdings, Inc. Investor Summary

Who: PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL)What: Securities fraud class action lawsuit filedClass Period: February 25, 2025, through February 2, 2026Deadline to Seek Lead Plaintiff Status: April 20, 2026Key Lawsuit Allegations: Material misstatements and/or omissions concerning the company’s projected revenue outlook and anticipated growth.Investor Action: Contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) for recovery options at no cost to investor RADNOR, Pa., March 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com), a nationally recognized securities litigation law firm, informs investors that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed against PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PayPal) (NASDAQ: PYPL) on behalf of those who purchased or acquired PayPal common stock between February 25, 2025, and February 2, 2026, inclusive. Investors have until April 20, 2026, to file for lead plaintiff status.  

CONTACT KTMC TO DISCUSS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS:
If you purchased or acquired PayPal common stock and have lost money on your investment, you are encouraged to contact KTMC attorney Jonathan Naji, Esq. at:

(484) 270-1453
[email protected]
https://www.ktmc.com/pypl-paypal-holdings-inc-class-action-lawsuit?utm_source=Globe&utm_medium=pressrelease&utm_campaign=pypl&mktm=PR

There is no cost or obligation to speak with an attorney.

Learn more about PayPal Holdings, Inc. on YouTube:

PayPal Holdings, Inc. Securities Class Action Lawsuit (long video)PayPal Holdings, Inc. Securities Class Action Lawsuit (short video) PAYPAL HOLDINGS, INC. CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT - COMPLAINT ALLEGATION SUMMARY:
The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about PayPal’s business and operations. Specifically, Defendants created the false impression that they possessed reliable information pertaining to PayPal’s projected revenue outlook and anticipated growth while also minimizing risk from seasonality and macroeconomic fluctuations. In truth, PayPal’s optimistic plan for growth through various initiatives to bolster PayPal’s Branded Checkout offerings fell short of reality as the 2027 targets were not achievable under the tenure of PayPal’s CEO and required both an unrealistically stable consumer landscape and strong execution with clear direction from PayPal and its management.

Why did PayPayl’s Stock Drop?
On February 3, 2026, PayPal announced a surprise leadership change replacing the company’s CEO. The leadership change coincided with PayPal’s fourth quarter and full year 2025 earnings report, wherein PayPal missed consensus estimates for both revenue and profit. On this news, PayPal’s stock price fell $10.63, or 20.3%, to close at $41.70 per share on February 3, 2026.

WHAT PYPL INVESTORS CAN DO NOW:

File to be lead plaintiff by April 20, 2026.Contact KTMC for a free case evaluation. All representation is on a contingency fee basis, there is no cost to you.Retain counsel of choice or take no action. THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS FOR PAYPAL HOLDINGS, INC. INVESTORS:
PayPal investors may, no later than April 20, 2026, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation.  The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages PayPal investors to contact the firm for more information.

ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP (KTMC):

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (KTMC) is a leading U.S. plaintiff-side law firm focused on securities-fraud class actions and global investor protection. The firm represents individual investors as well as institutions, such as major pension funds, asset managers, and international investors. KTMC has led some of the largest recoveries in securities litigation and has been recognized by peers and the legal media with numerous accolades, including The National Law Journal’s Plaintiff’s Hot List and Trailblazers in Plaintiffs' Law, BTI Consulting Group’s Honor Roll of Most Feared Law Firms, The Legal Intelligencer’s Class Action Firm of the Year, Lawdragon’s Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers, and Law360’s Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar. The firm operates globally with offices in Pennsylvania and California.  KTMC has recovered over $25 billion for our clients and the classes they represent. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP, please visit www.ktmc.com.   The complaint in this matter was not filed by KTMC.

CONTACT:

Jonathan Naji, Esq.
(484) 270-1453
280 King of Prussia Road
Radnor, PA 19087
[email protected]

        May be considered attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Taking on trillion-dollar companies is no easy feat. That's evident in the recent performances of both The Trade Desk (TTD 1.75%) and AppLovin (APP 1.16%). The two adtech companies have seen their share prices slashed amid competitive pressures from tech giants Amazon (AMZN 2.61%) and Meta Platforms (META 2.38%).

While growing competition from deep-pocketed tech giants with established relationships with millions of small businesses creates significant uncertainty for smaller competitors, the sell-off in both stocks may present an opportunity for investors. If you have to pick one, though, which stock should you buy: The Trade Desk or AppLovin?

Image source: Getty Images.

2026 outlook for pure-play adtech stocks While fears of competitive pressure have impacted both The Trade Desk and AppLovin, the threat is most evident in The Trade Desk's financial results.

The Trade Desk has produced slowing revenue growth in each of the last three quarters. 2025 revenue growth slowed to 18% for the year, down from 26% in 2024.

Management's first-quarter outlook is far from encouraging, too. It expects just 10% revenue growth. That doesn't bode well for the rest of the year. Making matters worse, management's guidance suggests that adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) will decline this quarter.

However, The Trade Desk CFO Tahnil Davis assured investors the adjusted EBITDA margin for the full year is expected to match last year's. The company will experience higher costs in the first quarter due to investments in infrastructure and talent.

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Many investors attribute the slowdown in growth to Amazon's demand-side platform. CEO Jeff Green has repeatedly argued that Amazon primarily sells its owned-and-operated inventory, whereas The Trade Desk operates on the "open internet," as the CEO puts it. However, the financial results clearly show a competitive impact on the company.

At AppLovin, however, the threat of Meta's reentry into in-app advertising bidding has yet to show up in its financials. Revenue grew 66% year over year in the fourth quarter, and the adjusted EBITDA margin expanded from 77% to 84%. Management's first-quarter revenue guidance came in ahead of analysts' expectations, projecting 19% growth at the midpoint as it digests the strong earnings growth of 2025. Analysts expect revenue to climb 46% for the full year.

Could artificial intelligence be a turnaround catalyst? The Trade Desk's Green told analysts, "We think our business model is more conducive to, and will benefit more from, AI than any of our competitors," during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call. That starts with its new ad-buying platform, Kokai, which puts AI at the center. After a rough transition, nearly all its clients are now running through Kokai as of late February.

Green argues that The Trade Desk's advantage with artificial intelligence (AI) stems from its objectivity, which enables it to leverage first- and third-party data to optimize bids for ad buyers. Competitors like Amazon or Meta will always prioritize what's best for themselves. If it can deliver on that promise with Kokai, it could reaccelerate growth.

AppLovin's recent acceleration in revenue growth has been driven by its Axon 2 model, which optimizes ad bidding to increase return on ad spend. While The Trade Desk aims to use AI to help facilitate advertisers' decisions, AppLovin is using AI to make those decisions for them. Meta uses a similar "black box" ad optimizer.

AppLovin CEO Adam Foroughi argues that it has built a dominant AI model in the space that won't be overcome by Meta or any other competitor. "It is a closed-loop model that is continuously reinforcing itself and getting smarter," he told analysts on the company's fourth-quarter earnings call.

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Meanwhile, AppLovin sees a couple more initiatives that could boost its revenue growth. First, it's rolling out self-service tools in the first half to ease the bottleneck for onboarding new customers. Second, it's testing generative AI tools that can develop ad campaigns for marketers. Both have the potential to increase the number of advertisers and the number of ads they run on AppLovin's platform, enabling it to win more placements and generate more revenue.

While AppLovin currently trades at a much higher earnings multiple than The Trade Desk, it looks like a better value right now. AppLovin's forward P/E of 29 looks like a bargain, as analysts expect earnings growth above 40% this year and around 33% next year. The Trade Desk shares are cheap, at just under 12 times earnings expectations, but the deteriorating performance makes shares tough to own.

One word of caution about AppLovin, though: It's currently under SEC investigation regarding its data-collection practices. That provides an overhang on the stock and could explain its relatively low P/E ratio, given its growth expectations. Investors may want to hold off on purchasing shares until the SEC concludes the investigation. Otherwise, it's prudent to consider a smaller position size given the risk.

Did you buy QURE ordinary shares between September 24, 2025, and October 31, 2025? 

Affected uniQure N.V. Investor Summary

Who: uniQure N.V. (NASDAQ: QURE) What: Securities fraud class action lawsuit filed Class Period: September 24, 2025, and October 31, 2025 Deadline to Seek Lead Plaintiff Status: April 13, 2026 Key Lawsuit Allegations: Material misstatements and/or omissions concerning the company's Huntington's disease gene therapy drug. Investor Action: Contact Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) for recovery options at no cost to investor , /PRNewswire/ -- Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP informs investors that the firm has filed a securities fraud class action lawsuit against uniQure N.V. (NASDAQ: QURE) (uniQure) on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired uniQure ordinary shares between September 24, 2025, and October 31, 2025, inclusive (the Class Period). This action, captioned Scocco v. uniQure N.V., et al., Case No. 1:26-cv-01124, was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Important Deadline Reminder: Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired uniQure ordinary shares during the Class Period may, no later than April 13, 2026, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class.

CONTACT KTMC TO DISCUSS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS:
If you purchased or acquired uniQure ordinary shares and have lost money on your investment, you are encouraged to contact KTMC attorney Jonathan Naji, Esq. at:

(484) 270-1453 [email protected] https://www.ktmc.com/qure-uniqure-nv-class-action-lawsuit?utm_source=PR_Newswire&utm_medium=pressrelease&utm_campaign=qure&mktm=PR There is no cost or obligation to speak with an attorney.

Learn more about uniQure N.V. on YouTube:

uniQure N.V. Securities Class Action Lawsuit (long video) uniQure N.V. Securities Class Action Lawsuit (short video) UNIQURE N.V. CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT - COMPLAINT ALLEGATION SUMMARY:
uniQure is a biotechnology company developing gene therapies for rare diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD). uniQure's leading drug candidate is AMT-130, a novel gene therapy being developed to slow the progression of HD. During the Class Period, uniQure misled investors about its Phase I/II clinical trials (Pivotal Study) of AMT-130 as well as the prospects and timeline of uniQure's Biologics License Application (BLA) submission to the FDA for approval to use AMT-130 to treat patients with HD.

The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts, about uniQure's business and operations. Specifically, Defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the design of uniQure's Pivotal Study—including comparison of the Pivotal Study results to the ENROLL-HD external historical data set—was not fully approved by the FDA; (2) Defendants downplayed the likelihood that, despite purportedly highly successful results from the Pivotal Study, uniQure would have to delay its BLA timeline to perform additional studies to supplement its BLA submission; and (3) as a result, Defendants' statements about uniQure's business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis.

Why did uniQure's Share Price Drop?
Investors learned the truth about the company's prospects and the BLA timeline for AMT-130 on November 3, 2025, when uniQure revealed that "the FDA currently no longer agrees that the data from the Phase I/II studies of AMT-130 in comparison to an external control, as per the prespecified protocols and statistical analysis plans shared with the FDA in advance of the analyses, may be adequate to provide the primary evidence in support of a BLA submission." Although the Company "plan[ned] to urgently interact with the FDA to find a path forward for the timely accelerated approval of AMT-130," uniQure admitted that "the timing of the BLA submission for AMT-130 is now unclear." On this news, the price of uniQure ordinary shares plummeted $33.40 per share, or more than 49%, from a close of $67.69 per share on October 31, 2025, to close at $34.29 per share on November 3, 2025. 

WHAT QURE INVESTORS CAN DO NOW:

File to be lead plaintiff by April 13, 2026. Contact KTMC for a free case evaluation. Retain counsel of choice or take no action. THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS FOR UNIQURE N.V. INVESTORS:
uniQure investors may, no later than April 13, 2026, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.

Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages uniQure investors to contact the firm for more information.

ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP (KTMC):
Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (KTMC) is a leading U.S. plaintiff-side law firm focused on securities-fraud class actions and global investor protection. The firm represents individual investors as well as institutions, such as major pension funds, asset managers, and international investors. KTMC has led some of the largest recoveries in securities litigation and has been recognized by peers and the legal media with numerous accolades, including The National Law Journal's Plaintiff's Hot List and Trailblazers in Plaintiffs' Law, BTI Consulting Group's Honor Roll of Most Feared Law Firms, The Legal Intelligencer's Class Action Firm of the Year, Lawdragon's Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers, and Law360's Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar. The firm operates globally with offices in Pennsylvania and California. KTMC has recovered over $25 billion for our clients and the classes they represent. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP, please visit www.ktmc.com. The complaint in this matter was filed by KTMC.

CONTACT:
Jonathan Naji, Esq.
(484) 270-1453
280 King of Prussia Road
Radnor, PA 19087
[email protected]

May be considered attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP

Tech investors have had a volatile start to 2026, and artificial intelligence (AI) darling Nvidia (NVDA 2.94%) hasn't been spared. As of this writing, the semiconductor giant's stock has fallen almost 5% year to date.

With shares taking a breather after an incredible multi-year run, investors might be wondering if this is a rare opportunity to buy the dip.

Or is the market right to be cautious about a stock?

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Firing on all cylinders Looking at the company's latest results, it's hard to find much to complain about. The business is undeniably strong.

In its fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 (ended Jan. 25), Nvidia's revenue was $68.1 billion, up 73% year over year. This top-line surge was fueled by the company's crucial data center segment, where revenue jumped 75% from a year ago to a record $62.3 billion.

"Computing demand is growing exponentially -- the agentic AI inflection point has arrived," noted CEO Jensen Huang in the company's earnings release.

The company's massive revenue growth efficiently trickled down to the bottom line. Nvidia's fourth-quarter earnings per share skyrocketed 98% year over year to $1.76.

And management is also putting its immense cash generation to work. During fiscal 2026, Nvidia returned $41.1 billion to shareholders through share repurchases and cash dividends. A buyback of this scale highlights management's confidence and directly benefits shareholders by reducing the overall share count.

Even more, the company isn't forecasting a slowdown anytime soon. Management guided for first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenue of approximately $78.0 billion, indicating sequential growth will persist. Even more, this guidance represents an acceleration, implying about 77% year-over-year growth, compared to the 73% growth the company reported in fiscal Q4.

Competition and margin uncertainty The problem, however, lies in what the future might hold as the AI landscape matures.

The risk is not necessarily a sudden collapse in AI spending. It is rising competition and the potential for margin erosion over time as the competitive environment intensifies.

Hyperscalers like Amazon (AMZN 2.61%), Alphabet, and Microsoft are spending heavily on Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs) today, but they are also leaning increasingly on their own custom silicon solutions. These massive tech companies are some of Nvidia's largest customers, but it makes sense for them to find ways to reduce their dependence on Nvidia over time. Alphabet, for example, has spent years deploying its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), while Amazon continues to tout the cost-efficiency of its Trainium chips for training AI models.

Amazon specifically called out the need for cheaper AI computing chips during its earnings call, noting that it's working to address the issue of high-priced chips directly.

"A significant impediment today is the cost of AI chips," explained Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. "Customers are starving for better price performance [...] and, understandably, the dominant early leaders aren't in a hurry to make that happen. They have other priorities. It's why we built our own custom silicon in training."

This push for cheaper, custom alternatives could eventually pressure Nvidia's pricing power.

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Priced for perfection But with shares trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 36 as of this writing, Nvidia stock isn't priced as if margins will erode over time. It's priced as if the company remains the dominant leader with significant competitive advantages for the foreseeable future.

Of course, this isn't an outlandish assumption, considering Nvidia's extraordinary momentum.

Still, the risk of intensifying competition is one investors should consider carefully. If Nvidia is forced to compete more aggressively on price in the future to maintain its market share against these hyperscalers -- who represent a massive concentration of its revenue base -- margins could face severe pressure.

With this significant customer concentration risk and the potential for margin compression in mind, I'd be cautious at this price.

The company is fantastic, but the stock's valuation demands continued dominance for not just the next few years, but for the next decade. For most investors, therefore, I think buying at this price doesn't make sense. However, for investors who truly believe we are still in the early innings of the AI build-out and that Nvidia will maintain its iron grip on the market, this 5% pullback could be a reasonable opportunity to start a small position. But I'd keep any position size modest and recognize the risks involved.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In Varonis To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options

If you purchased or acquired securities in Varonis between February 4, 2025 and October 28, 2025 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

[You may also click here for additional information]

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - March 7, 2026) - Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Varonis Systems, Inc. ("Varonis" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: VRNS) and reminds investors of the March 9, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.

As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: Defendants provided overwhelmingly positive statements to investors while, at the same time, disseminating materially false and misleading statements and/or concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of Varonis' ability to convert its existing customer base; notably, that it was not truly equipped to convince existing users of the benefits of converting to the SaaS offering or otherwise maintain those customers on its platform, resulting in significantly reduced ARR growth potential in the near-term. Such statements absent these material facts caused Plaintiff and other shareholders to purchase Varonis' securities at artificially inflated prices.

On October 28, 2025, Varonis announced its financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2025, disclosing a significant miss to ARR and reducing its projections for the full fiscal year 2025, despite previously uplifting guidance for the previous two consecutive quarters. The Company attributed its results and lowered guidance on weaker than expected renewals and conversions in their federal and non-federal on-premises subscription business. Varonis further resultantly announced the end of life of the self-hosted solution and a 5% headcount reduction.

Following this news, Varonis' common stock declined dramatically. From a closing market price of $63.00 per share on October 28, 2025, Varonis' stock price fell to $32.34 per share on October 29, 2025, a decline of about 48.67% in the span of just a single day.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Varonis's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

To learn more about the Varonis Systems class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/VRNS or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/286587

Source: Faruqi & Faruqi LLP

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A big trend right now is investors looking for opportunities beyond the U.S. market. If you want to diversify your portfolio away from U.S. stocks and bonds, one way to do it is to buy an international bond fund, like the Vanguard Total International Bond ETF (BNDX 0.29%).

But if you want to earn higher yields and are willing to accept some additional risk, you could buy the Vanguard Emerging Markets Government Bond ETF (VWOB 0.67%). This international bond fund lets you own government debt from up-and-coming markets. The VWOB has outperformed the BNDX and another popular bond index fund, the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND 0.14%), for the past year.

VWOB Total Return Price data by YCharts

Here are a few reasons why you might want to consider the VWOB for your bond portfolio -- and why you should also beware of the risks.

What it means to invest in emerging market bonds When you buy emerging-market bonds, you are investing in debt issued by foreign governments from nations with emerging economies. That includes countries with economies that are more developed than some of the world's poorer nations, but that have not yet reached the more prosperous levels of advanced economies like the U.S., Japan, Canada, or Western Europe.

Some emerging economies represented in the Vanguard Emerging Markets Government Bond ETF include:

Saudi Arabia (13.5% of the fund) Mexico (11%) Turkey (6.4%) Indonesia (6.1%) United Arab Emirates (5.6%) Argentina (3.9%) Qatar (3.8%) Brazil (3.4%) The Vanguard Emerging Markets Government Bond ETF holds 902 bonds and charges an expense ratio of 0.15%. It has delivered average annual returns (by net asset value) of 2.6% for the past five years, 9.99% for the past three years, and 11.6% in the past year.

Image source: Getty Images.

Risks of emerging market bonds High yields on bonds can be tempting. But emerging markets' government debt tends to be riskier than advanced economies' debt. Some of these countries are politically unstable, vulnerable to economic crises, or otherwise might struggle to repay their debts to bond investors like you.

Let's compare the risk of emerging market government bonds to U.S. bonds. For example, about 41% of the emerging-market bonds in the VWOB have a credit rating of BB or lower, making them speculative grade. But in the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF, 69% of the fund's bonds are U.S. government bonds (generally considered some of the safest in the world), while the other 31% of the bonds have investment-grade credit ratings of BBB or higher.

If you want to own emerging market bonds, a lower-risk strategy might be the Vanguard Total International Bond Market ETF (BNDX). This international bond fund holds 6,612 bonds from around the world, with 7.5% of its holdings in emerging markets. The BNDX could give you a more diversified way to capture some of the upside of emerging-market bond yields, while including plenty of bonds from lower-risk markets.

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Diversifying your bond investments with international exposure can be a good idea, but try not to take more risk than you can afford. Emerging-market bonds might pay higher yields but could have higher volatility and bigger price declines.

Ben Gran has positions in Vanguard Charlotte Funds - Vanguard Total International Bond ETF and Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Hims & Hers (NYSE: HIMS) Health stock experienced a dramatic surge in after-hours trading on Friday, transforming what had been a subdued regular session into one of the most explosive moves of the day.

The shares closed the regular trading session at $15.74, a decline of about 0.88% amid lingering investor concerns over regulatory pressures on compounded weight-loss medications and broader market caution. However, in after-hours trading, HIMS stock jumped 39% to $22.

HIMS one-week stock price chart. Source: Finbold The rapid after-hours surge quickly drew the attention of traders and analysts. The rally was driven by a key development in the company’s ongoing dispute with pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO).

Reports indicated the two firms had resolved a legal conflict that escalated earlier this year. Tensions had arisen over Hims & Hers offering compounded alternatives to Novo Nordisk’s branded obesity drugs, including Wegovy, which triggered lawsuits, patent challenges, and regulatory scrutiny.

Those issues had weighed heavily on investor sentiment, contributing to significant declines in the stock throughout 2026 as uncertainties mounted over the future of compounded GLP-1 therapies.

Under the emerging partnership, Novo Nordisk plans to make its authentic, FDA-approved weight-loss medications available directly through the Hims & Hers platform. 

The collaboration effectively ends the prior feud and positions Hims & Hers to benefit from branded product sales rather than relying solely on compounded versions that faced legal and regulatory headwinds.

HIMS stock new opportunities  The arrangement opens new revenue opportunities for the telehealth provider while alleviating a key overhang that had pressured the stock for months.

Market participants viewed the news as a significant positive shift, removing a major risk factor and potentially enhancing long-term growth prospects in the booming obesity treatment market.

The announcement, expected to be formalized as early as Monday, sparked immediate enthusiasm among retail and institutional investors. 

After-hours trading volume surged as the news spread across financial outlets and social platforms, boosting momentum. Shares of Novo Nordisk also rose modestly in extended trading, reflecting the perceived mutual benefits of the partnership and expanded distribution.

The rally followed earlier weakness in Hims & Hers stock, which had faced sharp pullbacks linked to FDA scrutiny of compounded drugs, patent litigation, and softer forward guidance after strong prior-year results.

The partnership news quickly shifted sentiment, highlighting the stock’s sensitivity to developments in the weight-loss market and its potential for rapid repricing on positive catalysts.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses In Franklin To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options

If you purchased or acquired securities in Franklin between November 5, 2024 and February 11, 2026 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

[You may also click here for additional information]

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - March 7, 2026) - Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. ("Franklin" or the "Company") (NYSE: FBRT) and reminds investors of the April 27, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.

As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) Defendants recklessly overstated Franklin BSP Realty Trust's prospects; (2) Defendants recklessly overstated Franklin BSP Realty Trust's ability to maintain the $0.355 dividend; and (3) as a result, Defendants' statements about Franklin BSP Realty Trust's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

On February 11, 2026, Franklin announced its financial results for fourth quarter and full year 2025. Among other items, Franklin reported fourth quarter earnings per share of only $0.12, missing consensus estimates by $0.16, and revenue of only $81.12 million, compared to the consensus estimate of $93.65 million. In a press release, Franklin's Chief Executive Officer said that "2025 was a year of transition" and that "it has taken longer to resolve and sell" certain real estate assets "than we originally planned."

On this news, Franklin's stock price fell $1.44 per share, or 14.19%, to close at $8.71 per share on February 12, 2026.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Franklin's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

To learn more about the Franklin BSP Realty Trust class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/FBRT or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/286577

Source: Faruqi & Faruqi LLP

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In 2026, evaluating Advanced Micro Devices (AMD 3.46%) stock has arguably become a struggle for investors. After almost returning to its all-time high in January, its most recent earnings report appeared to disappoint investors, leading to a 25%-plus decline from the stock's October 2025 all-time high price. It now trades around $196 a share.

Despite the recent drop, the 2025 surge has some investors wondering if AMD stock could reach $300 per share. There are reasons to believe that milestone could come in 2026, and here's why.

Image source: AMD.

Where AMD stock stands AMD is a semiconductor company specializing primarily in the design and sale of CPUs, GPUs, and embedded chips. Although it still drives significant revenue from all of those business segments, the artificial intelligence (AI) chip market is its largest and fastest-growing. Management is forecasting a 35% revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next three years for AMD. That CAGR rises to 60% for the data center segment, which designs AI chips. Although Nvidia leads the AI chip market, AMD is emerging as the second-most prominent company in this area.

AMD has historically been adept at catching up to competitors, and AI chips are no exception. The MI450 will have a 2-nanometer node thanks to its work with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, an advantage over Nvidia's Vera Rubin, which will run on the 3nm node. Moreover, AMD's MI450 chip just delivered its first megadeal, as Meta Platforms has agreed to a $100 billion deal where Meta will purchase 6 gigawatts of custom AMD Instinct MI450 GPUs and sixth-gen AMD EPYC CPUs.

This includes a performance-based warrant for Meta to purchase up to 160 million AMD shares, about 10% of the current total shares. AMD made a similar deal with OpenAI for another 160 million shares. Admittedly, those deals could be somewhat dilutive in later years, but they are undoubtedly a huge step forward for its business.

Today's Change

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The numerical path higher for AMD AMD is coming close to its growth target fast. In 2025, revenue of almost $35 billion rose 34% from year-ago levels. With that, AMD kept cost and expense growth in check and earned additional income from investors. Thus, its $4.3 billion in net income in 2025 increased by 164% yearly.

Looking forward, analysts forecast 34% revenue growth again in 2026. Additionally, they predict the growth rate will rise, bringing a 43% revenue increase in 2027, a factor that should further fuel stock price growth.

Valuations are also unlikely to stop the surge. Even though AMD's P/E ratio is at 74, its forward P/E ratio of 30 is arguably low, assuming it can meet or exceed growth forecasts. That indicates AMD could reach $300 per share this year without needing an excessively high valuation.

Is AMD going to $300 per share? AMD is on track to deliver the growth it needs to surge to $300 per share and likely beyond.

Aside from the high interest in the MI450, AMD remains a diversified growth business on track to deliver gains from AI chips and its other products.

Admittedly, the P/E ratio may appear high. Still, the much lower forward P/E ratio and the fact that its 34% revenue growth is on track to accelerate next year should provide the needed tailwinds to reach the $300-per-share milestone.

Will Healy has positions in Advanced Micro Devices. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - March 7, 2026) - WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) resulting from allegations that Santander may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Santander securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=22671 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

WHAT IS THIS ABOUT: On February 27, 2026, Reuters published an article entitled "Wall Street hit by UK mortgage lender collapse, raising fears of more credit 'cockroaches.'" The article stated that "Wall Street lenders on Friday were rocked by the implosion of little-known UK mortgage provider Market Financial Solutions Ltd, fueling concerns about wider losses among banks and reviving warnings of more "cockroaches" in the booming private credit industry." Further, it stated that Santander faces potential losses from the collapse.

On this news, Santander's American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") fell 4.48% on February 27, 2026, and a further 3.2% on February 28, 2026.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. At the time Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

-------------------------------

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/286662

Source: The Rosen Law Firm PA

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, /PRNewswire/ --

Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces it has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of securities of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE: APO) between May 10, 2021 and February 21, 2026, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 1, 2026 in the securities class action first filed by the Firm.

So What: If you purchased Apollo Global securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

What to do Next: To join the Apollo Global class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=1323 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 1, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

Details of the Case: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) defendants Marc Rowan and Leon Black, among other leadership figures at Apollo Global, frequently communicated with Jeffrey Epstein in the 2010s regarding Apollo Global's business; (2) as a result, Apollo Global's assertion that Apollo Global had never done business with Jeffrey Epstein was untrue; (3) because of the entanglement between Apollo Global's leaders and Jeffrey Epstein, the harm to Apollo Global's reputation was more than a mere possibility; and (4) as a result, defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. 

To join the Apollo Global class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=1323 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
[email protected]
www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.

The news doesn't stop when markets close. Hosts David Gura, Christina Ruffini and Lisa Mateo bring clarity and context to the weekend's biggest headlines, LIVE from New York.

, /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that purchasers of Soleno Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SLNO) common stock between March 26, 2025 and November 4, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"), have until May 5, 2026 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the Soleno class action lawsuit.  Captioned City of Pontiac Police and Fire Retirement System v. Soleno Therapeutics, Inc., No. 26-cv-01979 (N.D. Cal.), the Soleno class action lawsuit charges Soleno and certain of Soleno's top executive officers with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the Soleno class action lawsuit, please provide your information here:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-soleno-therapeutics-inc-class-action-lawsuit-slno.html

You can also contact attorney J.C. Sanchez of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at [email protected].

CASE ALLEGATIONS: Soleno is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of rare diseases.  At the time of the Soleno class action lawsuit's filing, Soleno's only commercial product is diazoxide choline extended-release tablets ("DCCR") for the treatment of hyperphagia in individuals afflicted with Prader-Willi syndrome ("PWS").

The Soleno class action lawsuit alleges defendants throughout the Class Period failed to disclose that: (i) the Soleno Phase 3 clinical trial program for DCCR had systematically downplayed, misrepresented, and/or concealed significant evidence of safety concerns potentially related to the administration of DCCR, including issues related to excess fluid retention in clinical trial participants; (ii) as a result, the administration of DCCR to treat hyperphagia in individuals with PWS posed materially greater safety risks than disclosed by Soleno or its executives; and (iii) consequently, DCCR had materially lower commercial viability and undisclosed risks related to the likelihood of significant and widespread adverse events after its commercial launch, including risks related to patient discontinuation rates, lower patient adoption, prescriber reluctance, adverse regulatory action, and potential reputational and legal fallout.

On August 15, 2025, the Soleno investor class action alleges that Scorpion Capital LLC published a critical report regarding Soleno, DCCR, and Soleno's Phase 3 clinical trial program, titled "Russian Roulette With Prader-Willi Children: How The Latest Rare Disease Price-Gouging Scheme Fleeced the FDA, Parents, And Its Own Study Investigators With A Worthless, Toxic Drug; Suspect Data; And Sham Clinical Trials To Push A $500K/Year Knockoff Of A 50-Year-Old Generic Compound – Triggering One Of The Worst Launch Failures And Safety Catastrophes In Post-Approval History."  On this news, the price of Soleno common stock declined nearly 12% over two trading days, the complaint alleges.

Then, on September 10, 2025, Soleno filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a current event report on Form 8-K disclosing that a patient had died after taking DCCR, the Soleno shareholder lawsuit alleges.  On this news, the price of Soleno common stock declined approximately 19% over two trading days, the complaint alleges.

Finally, on November 4, 2025, Soleno reported its financial results for its third fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2025, revealing that the Scorpion Capital Report had caused a "disruption" in DCCR's launch trajectory and concerns within the PWS community, with a lower number of patient start forms and increased discontinuations beginning after the report's publication, the Soleno class action alleges.  On this news, the price of Soleno common stock declined approximately 27%, the complaint alleges

The plaintiff is represented by Robbins Geller, which has extensive experience in prosecuting investor class actions including actions involving financial fraud.  You can view a copy of the complaint by clicking here.

THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits any investor who purchased Soleno common stock during the Class Period to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the Soleno class action lawsuit.  A lead plaintiff is generally the movant with the greatest financial interest in the relief sought by the putative class who is also typical and adequate of the putative class.  A lead plaintiff acts on behalf of all other class members in directing the Soleno investor class action lawsuit.  The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the Soleno shareholder class action lawsuit.  An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery of the Soleno class action lawsuit is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the world's leading law firms representing investors in securities fraud and shareholder rights litigation.  Our Firm ranked #1 on the most recent ISS Securities Class Action Services Top 50 Report, recovering more than $916 million for investors in 2025.  This marks our fourth #1 ranking in the past five years.  And in those five years alone, Robbins Geller recovered $8.4 billion for investors – $3.4 billion more than any other law firm.  With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the largest plaintiffs' firms in the world, and the Firm's attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history, including the largest ever – $7.2 billion – in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig.  Please visit the following page for more information:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/services-litigation-securities-fraud.html

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices. 

Contact:
            Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP
            J.C. Sanchez
            655 W. Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101
            800-449-4900
            [email protected]

SOURCE Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP

The PI Network price is suddenly back on traders’ radar this weekend. Not because it exploded into a massive rally but because something subtler is happening beneath the surface: volume is quietly heating up.

And in crypto markets, rising volume during a price recovery tends to get people paying attention. According to data from CryptoQuant’s spot volume bubble map, trading activity has started climbing alongside the recent PI/USD move. Now, before anyone starts screaming “breakout,” there’s a catch. The indicator still labels the current volume environment as neutral.

Oddly enough, that’s not bad news. Neutral volume during a rising price trend often hints that accumulation might still be underway rather than a full-blown speculative frenzy.

Take a closer look at the volume map and the pattern becomes clearer. The bubbles tracking spot activity have been gradually expanding, signaling a rise in trading interest. But they’re not glowing red-hot or light orange yet. In other words, momentum hasn’t strengthened yet and to reach peak speculation territory it needs some more efforts to do it.

For long-term watchers of the PI Network price chart, that distinction matters. If volume remains controlled while price edges upward, it can suggest investors are slowly building positions rather than chasing a short-term pump.

Still, crypto has a long history of teasing traders before pulling the rug.

The $0.28 Fakeout WarningHistory provides a useful cautionary tale here. Back in Q4 2025, the asset surged from roughly $0.19–$0.20 but ran into a stubborn ceiling at $0.28. That level ultimately triggered a loss of strength, turning the rally into what traders later labeled a classic fakeout.

Fast forward to Q1 2026, and the story looks slightly different. This time, the asset found support much lower, in the $0.13–$0.14 zone. From there, it managed to reclaim $0.20, a move that technically signaled a shift in short-term trend.

But the real test hasn’t arrived yet. If price once again stalls beneath $0.28, the market could start asking uncomfortable questions about whether history is repeating itself.

Network Updates Fuel Investor InterestSo why the renewed attention now? Two recent developments inside the ecosystem appear to be driving the interest.

First came the announcement that Protocol v19.9 migration has been successfully completed, with the next upgrade, v20.2, targeted for completion before Pi Day 2026. Node operators were advised to ensure their systems are updated ahead of the next phase.

Then things got even more interesting. A separate update revealed a proof-of-concept project exploring a new Pi Node utility for decentralized AI training and computing tasks. The project reportedly uses spare computing power from over 421,000 Pi Nodes to process AI-related workloads.

The initiative was conducted in collaboration with OpenMind, a robotics startup backed by Pi Network Ventures. The experiment showed that Pi Nodes could handle AI workloads and return useful results quickly, an early step toward integrating the network into distributed AI infrastructure.

PI Network Price Eyes BreakoutSo where does that leave things?

Simple. The PI Network price prediction debate now circles around a single technical hurdle.

If the PI Network price climbs decisively above $0.28, the probability of the current rally being another fakeout drops significantly. Rising volume on CryptoQuant’s chart could then signal accelerating momentum.

And if that momentum continues building, some traders believe the next long-term target could eventually stretch toward $1. But first things first. The market still has one stubborn ceiling to deal with.

Trust with CoinPedia:CoinPedia has been delivering accurate and timely cryptocurrency and blockchain updates since 2017. All content is created by our expert panel of analysts and journalists, following strict Editorial Guidelines based on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Every article is fact-checked against reputable sources to ensure accuracy, transparency, and reliability. Our review policy guarantees unbiased evaluations when recommending exchanges, platforms, or tools. We strive to provide timely updates about everything crypto & blockchain, right from startups to industry majors.

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Bitcoin slips over 4%, trading near $67.8K. $119.12M in BTC liquidations hit the market.

South Korea is preparing to open the crypto market to corporate investors, but stablecoins like USDT and USDC may be left out of the rulebook, according to a new report from Herald Economy.

The country’s financial watchdog says including stablecoins would conflict with existing foreign exchange laws that do not recognize them as official payment instruments. Regulators are also concerned about early-stage market risks.

South Korea’s Foreign Exchange Transactions Act requires all international transactions to be conducted through licensed foreign exchange banks.

Since stablecoins are not classified as legitimate foreign payment tools under the law, permitting companies to hold them could allow businesses to send payments abroad directly, sidestepping the country’s FX control framework, as noted in the report.

A proposed amendment to the Foreign Exchange Act that would classify stablecoins as payment instruments is currently under review, but until it is approved, their use remains restricted.

South Korea’s crypto space has long been dominated by retail investors, but the authorities’ upcoming introduction of the Corporate Virtual Currency Trading Guidelines would allow institutional players to enter the market once the Digital Asset Basic Act is finalized.

Under the framework, companies could potentially hold crypto assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, similar to the way some firms in Western markets manage digital assets on their balance sheets.

While stablecoins run into foreign exchange barriers in South Korea, in the US, policymakers are finalizing a unified framework for digital asset markets.

However, the legislation, also known as the CLARITY Act, faces obstacles due to ongoing tensions between banks and crypto firms over the issue of stablecoin yields.

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

Crypto analyst Chart Nerd has predicted that the XRP price could drop to as low as $1 as part of a liquidity grab, after which the altcoin could see a relief bounce to the upside. This comes as the XRP ETFs record their first weekly net outflows in over a month.

XRP Price Could Still Drop To $1 As Iran War Pressures Crypto Prices In an X post, ChartNerd stated that the altcoin could drop to $1 based on the current liquidity heatmap. The analyst noted a liquidity stack between $1 and $1.20, while there is also a liquidity stack at $1.80.

$XRP Liquidity Heatmap 🔥
Move Brewing?

SS Liquidity Stack = $1/$1.20 ✅️
BS Liquidity Stack = $1.80 ✅️

What wouldnt be suprising? 🤔
A liquidity grab back to the lower $1.20/$1 SS range before sweeping the strong BS liquidity around $1.80..

If so, March will be on track 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/HFVsXuqTKB

— 🇬🇧 ChartNerd 📊 (@ChartNerdTA) March 7, 2026

As such, he stated that it won’t be surprising if there is a liquidity grab to the $1.20 to $1 SS range before sweeping the strong BS liquidity around $1.80. ChartNerd also opined that things could play out the other way, with the XRP price rallying to the $1.80 level before declining to sweep back the lower $1 range. He added that this is the most likely scenario for XRP in March.

It is worth noting that the altcoin is currently facing downside pressure amid the U.S.-Iran war, especially as oil prices rise to multi-year highs. The rising oil prices have raised concerns that inflation could trend higher, which could cause the Fed to hold rates steady for longer, a move that is bearish for risk assets.

However, as CoinGape reported, a positive for the XRP price is that the XRP whale Flow 30-DMA on-chain metric, which measures whale activity over 30 days, has now turned positive after more than 3 months. This signals a renewed buying interest, which could spark a rebound.

ETFs Record Net Weekly Outflows SoSoValue data shows that the XRP ETFs recorded net weekly outflows of just over $4 million, their first weekly outflows since January 30. Notably, these funds saw net inflows in the first three days of trading this week but then recorded net outflows on March 5 and 6.

Source: SoSoValue The XRP ETFs saw net outflows of $16.62 million yesterday, their largest since January 29. The outflows came as the XRP price fell below $1.40, mirroring Bitcoin’s decline below $70,000. BTC fell below this level as oil prices climbed above $90.

It is worth noting that the Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana ETFs also saw outflows of $349 million, $83 million, and $8 million, respectively. Market participants are currently pricing in the possibility of the U.S.-Iran war dragging on for a while, which could further put downward pressure on crypto prices.