Market Signal Briefing

Explore how each ETF’s sector focus and dividend strategy shapes its appeal for growth seekers and income investors alike.

The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG +0.48%) and the iShares Core High Dividend ETF (HDV +0.59%) both aim to provide access to dividend-focused U.S. stocks, yet their approaches and portfolios differ significantly. VIG is more growth-oriented with a tech tilt, while HDV favors higher yields and defensive sectors.

This comparison breaks down cost, performance, risk, and portfolio makeup to help clarify which fund may better suit a particular income or growth preference.

Snapshot (cost & size)MetricHDVVIGIssueriSharesVanguardExpense ratio0.08%0.05%1-yr return (as of Nov. 30, 2025)2.26%8.79%Dividend yield3.09%1.64%Beta (5Y monthly)0.620.86AUM$11.7 billion$115.1 billionBeta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.

VIG comes with a slightly lower expense ratio, making it a bit more affordable for long-term holders. However, HDV delivers a notably higher dividend yield, which could appeal more to income-focused investors.

Performance & risk comparisonMetricHDVVIGMax drawdown (5 y)-16.52%-20.40%Growth of $1,000 over 5 years$1,411$1,605What's insideVIG spreads its assets across 338 holdings and has been around for nearly 20 years. The fund leans toward technology (29%), financial services (22%), and healthcare (16%), with top positions in Broadcom, Microsoft, and Apple.

Its approach focuses on companies with a consistent record of dividend growth, and its large assets under management (AUM) and sector allocation offer broad exposure across the U.S. equity market.

HDV, by contrast, holds 75 stocks and is more concentrated in consumer staples (25%), healthcare (22%), and energy (21%). Its largest positions are Exxon Mobil, Johnson & Johnson, and Chevron.

The fund’s focus on higher-yielding, established companies creates a different risk and income profile compared to VIG’s growth-oriented strategy.

For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.

Foolish takeBoth VIG and HDV focus on companies with higher dividend payouts, making them smart options for income-focused investors looking to build a steady stream of passive dividend income.

HDV has the edge in terms of dividend payout, with a much higher yield of 3.09% compared to VIG's 1.64%. It's also the more stable of the two funds, with a lower beta and less severe max drawdown over the last five years -- indicating smaller price fluctuations.

Because HDV's top holdings and sectors are in defensive sectors -- which are more resilient to economic downturns and generally experience consistent demand -- this ETF is likely to see less volatility going forward as well.

VIG, however, shines with its growth potential. Compared to HDV, it's more focused on stocks with the potential to grow their dividend over time. Additionally, because it's much more technology-oriented than HDV, it also has the potential for higher total returns.

VIG has outperformed HDV fairly significantly with its one- and five-year total returns, which may be a perk for those seeking investment income in addition to dividend income. With its lower expense ratio, investors can save some money on fees, too.

GlossaryETF: Exchange-traded fund; a basket of securities traded on an exchange like a stock.
Dividend yield: Annual dividends paid by a fund or stock expressed as a percentage of its current price.
Expense ratio: Annual fee, as a percentage of assets, that a fund charges to cover operating costs.
Beta: A measure of an investment's volatility compared to the overall market, typically the S&P 500.
AUM: Assets under management; the total market value of assets a fund manages on behalf of investors.
Max drawdown: The largest percentage drop from a fund's peak value to its lowest point over a specific period.
Defensive sectors: Industries like consumer staples or healthcare that tend to be less sensitive to economic cycles.
Concentration: The degree to which a fund invests in a small number of holdings or sectors, increasing exposure to specific risks.
Holdings: The individual securities or assets owned within a fund or portfolio.
Dividend growth: An investment strategy focusing on companies that regularly increase their dividend payments over time.
Total return: The investment's price change plus all dividends and distributions, assuming those payouts are reinvested.
Sector allocation: The distribution of a fund's investments across different industry sectors.

Katie Brockman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Chevron, Microsoft, and Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and Johnson & Johnson and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Semiconductor stocks like Nvidia, Broadcom, and Advanced Micro Devices have produced tremendous long-term returns due to their artificial intelligence (AI) chips.

While semiconductors are the early winners, the next trillion-dollar AI opportunity may be in cybersecurity. It's always been a hot sector due to cloud platforms and websites needing protection. However, AI can unlock a gold mine for cybersecurity stocks that results in long-term outperformance.

Hackers are using AI to launch more coordinated attacks

Image source: Getty Images.

Although AI has helped many businesses and consumers, it's also a weapon that cyber criminals have used to infiltrate systems. It automates and enhances cyberattacks and doesn't require as much effort to access sensitive information.

The influx of cyberattacks will increase the value of cybersecurity software that prevents cyberattacks. AI can also increase the number of hackers, resulting in more attacks and bad actors.

Anthropic recently wrote an article detailing how one cybercriminal group manipulated Claude into hacking large corporations. The targets included tech giants, government agencies, and banks.

"We believe this is the first documented case of a large-scale cyberattack executed without substantial human intervention," Anthropic wrote in the post.

Just as power has become a bottleneck for AI, cybersecurity can also become a critical part of AI's long-term scalability. AI models will continue to get smarter, to the benefit of hackers and cybersecurity companies.

Physical AI increases vulnerability points
Most of the AI investing thesis has centered around chips and software, but physical AI may present the biggest opportunity for investors. However, cybersecurity stocks can be unexpected winners of the physical build-out.

Alphabet's Waymo cars and Tesla's Optimus robots are two examples of physical AI. Autonomous vehicles and robots that can perform various tasks can revolutionize productivity and become mainstream products once they become reliable.

However, those same autonomous cars and robots are at risk of cyberattacks. The consequences of a hacker infiltrating physical AI can be dire and damage corporate reputations much quicker than a typical website hacking that reveals sensitive customer information.

Cybersecurity companies will have to enhance their software to address this risk, and many businesses will line up for the best digital protection available.

Viewing each physical AI product as something that must be protected by cybersecurity software highlights the long-term opportunity. More hackers and more vulnerability points can translate into significant revenue growth for the companies that keep people and companies safe.

Cybersecurity companies generate annual recurring revenue
Cybersecurity stocks performed well before ChatGPT and other AI models became mainstream. Businesses have to keep their information -- and their customers' information -- safe. A cyberattack can hurt a company's reputation, reduce sales, and result in significant legal expenses.

That's why businesses turn to cybersecurity companies, but it's never for a one-time payment. CrowdStrike (CRWD +1.47%), Fortinet (FTNT +0.72%), and Palo Alto Networks (PANW +2.58%) all offer subscription plans for their customers. Annual recurring revenue leads to predictable cash flow that grows each year as existing customers upgrade their plans and new customers sign up.

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Palo Alto Networks opened up fiscal 2026 with $5.9 billion in annual recurring revenue, which is a 29% year-over-year increase. CrowdStrike ended its Q2 of fiscal 2026 with $4.66 billion in annual recurring revenue, marking a 20% year-over-year improvement.

Both stocks have lofty valuations that require continued growth. Continued AI growth, with a special emphasis on physical AI, may be the catalyst that accelerates growth rates and results in a golden age for cybersecurity stocks.

It may take some time before investors recognize this opportunity since physical AI is still in its early stages. However, cybersecurity companies have the digital infrastructure to keep hackers out of autonomous vehicles and robots. That infrastructure will become more valuable as the AI build-out continues.

Marc Guberti has positions in Broadcom. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, CrowdStrike, Fortinet, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and Palo Alto Networks. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

If you are looking to own a stock for the long term, these out-of-favor drugmakers have proven they have what it takes to survive.

Pfizer (PFE 0.04%) and Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY 0.10%) are two of the largest and most respected pharmaceutical companies in the world. If you are looking to buy high-quality companies, they should be on the short list in the healthcare sector. And they both happen to look undervalued right now, opening up an opportunity for buy-and-hold investors.

Although they both face a similar headwind today, Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb have demonstrated that they can effectively address the challenges they encounter. Here's a look at each one of these drug stocks and their lofty dividend yields.

1. Pfizer has the riskier dividend
What income investors will probably find most attractive about Pfizer is its lofty 6.7% dividend yield. There's just one small problem with that yield. It is backed by a trailing 12-month dividend payout ratio that is hovering around 100%. And a recently announced, multibillion-dollar acquisition could put added financial pressure on the company and the dividend it pays.

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However, that acquisition is a net positive because it demonstrates that Pfizer can and will take the necessary steps to get its business back on track. Part of the reason Pfizer's yield is so high is that it is facing a patent cliff, which is when blockbuster drugs lose patent protection and face generic competition. Revenue tends to decline after a drug loses patent protections. Pfizer's patent situation isn't great, but it is a fairly normal situation for pharmaceutical companies.

History shows that Pfizer knows how to deal with patent cliffs. The pending acquisition of Metsera and its obesity drug candidates show the company is already taking decisive action. While the lofty payout ratio is a risk, if you view Pfizer as a value stock rather than a dividend stock, it appears that now could be a good time to buy it. Notably, the stock's price-to-sales and price-to-book value ratios are both below their five-year averages. If the dividend survives, it's icing on the cake.

Image source: Getty Images.

2. Bristol Myers Squibb's dividend looks safer
Bristol Myers Squibb's payout ratio is currently a little over 80%. There's some risk that comes with the well-above-market 5% dividend yield, but not as much as accompanies Pfizer's dividend. If you are focused on dividends, Bristol Myers Squibb is probably a more attractive opportunity.

Like Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb is facing down a patent cliff. And like Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb has demonstrated over time that it can effectively handle such situations. This time around, the pharmaceutical giant is working on novel drugs in the bispecific immunotherapy space. If things go well, it could be a first move in this emerging cancer treatment approach. In other words, there's a potential catalyst that could quickly get investors excited about Bristol Myers Squibb again. While leverage is slightly elevated following the acquisition of Celgene, the company has already begun reducing its leverage, and this probably shouldn't be a deal-breaker, even for conservative investors.

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Currently, however, the stock's price-to-sales ratio is below its five-year average, and the dividend yield is at the high end of its historical yield range, suggesting investors are getting a bargain price.

Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb aren't going anywhere
The big story here, however, is that these two healthcare stocks produce valuable products that will remain in high demand for years to come. Those products may change over time, highlighted by the near-term concern of patent cliffs, but both Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb have repeatedly demonstrated that they possess the research capabilities to thrive in the long term. If you are looking for buy-and-hold stocks and don't mind stepping in while others are fearful, both could easily find a home in your portfolio today.

November 30, 2025 9:29 PM EST | Source: The Rosen Law Firm PA
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - November 30, 2025) - WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE: FCX) between February 15, 2022 and September 24, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important January 12, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action first filed by the Firm.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Freeport-McMoRan 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 Freeport class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=45553 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 January 12, 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. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. 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. 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 made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Freeport-McMoRan did not adequately ensure safety at the Grasberg Block Cave mine in Indonesia; (2) the lack of proper safety precautions constituted a heightened risk that could foreseeably lead to the death of Freeport's workers; (3) this constituted an undisclosed heightened risk of regulatory, litigation, and reputational risk; and (4) as a result, defendants' statements about Freeport-McMoRan's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Freeport class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=45553 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.

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

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/276392

SummaryThe S&P 500 is approaching previous highs, prompting caution due to historical tendencies for pullbacks at such levels.Sharp recent rallies and a low VIX suggest market complacency, increasing the risk of a short-term retreat before new highs are reached.To prepare, consider trimming positions, holding some cash, and using hedges, like inverse ETFs or options, especially if prone to panic selling.Despite caution, I expect the S&P 500 to surpass its old high soon; long-term investors should stay the course and ignore potential volatility.Black Friday Sale 2025: Get 20% Off Abstract Aerial Art/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Why Caution? The high for the S&P 500 is 6920.34; it closed Friday up 36.48 to 6849.09. If we were to use this increment of +36, we would exceed 6920.34 in 3 days. I am not making a prediction; stock prices almost never rise all at

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

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

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

Please review our legal disclosures at https://www.kerrisdalecap.com/legal-disclaimer-2/.

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

SummaryCubeSmart remains a Buy, supported by resilient financials, more attractive dividend yield now, and long-term industry tailwinds.CUBE's Q3 results showed stable occupancy and improved guidance, but near-term expense pressures may weigh on NOI and AFFO growth.Macroeconomic factors, especially potential rate cuts, are key catalysts for CUBE's recovery, though refinancing at higher rates poses risks.CUBE's intrinsic value is estimated above current levels, with continued expansion and diminishing new supply headwinds supporting the investment thesis.onurdongel/iStock via Getty Images

Introduction Back when I first covered CubeSmart (CUBE), I highlighted this self-storage REIT's resilience, with strong AFFO generation, high occupancy, and renewed acquisition activity supported by efficiency initiatives and favorable insurance renewals.

Now, with macro factors such

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a purchase of the stock, or the purchase of call options or similar derivatives in CUBE over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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

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LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Deepgram, the world's most realistic and real-time Voice AI platform, today announced native integration with Amazon SageMaker AI, delivering streaming, real-time speech-to-text (STT), text-to-speech (TTS), and the Voice Agent API as Amazon SageMaker AI real-time endpoints, no custom pipelines or orchestration required. Teams can now build, deploy, and scale voice-powered applications inside their existing AWS workflows while maintaining the security and compliance b.

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. (NYSE: INSP) between August 6, 2024 and August 4, 2025, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important January 5, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Inspire Medical common stock 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 Inspire Medical class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=21452 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 January 5, 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. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. 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, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. 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, throughout the Class Period, defendants misrepresented and failed to disclose key facts about Inspire V, a sleep apnea device, including the actual market demand for the device and whether Inspire Medical had taken the steps necessary to launch it. Defendants issued a series of materially false and misleading statements that led investors to believe that demand for Inspire V was strong and that Inspire Medical had taken the necessary steps for a successful launch. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Inspire Medical class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=21452 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, 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

BRENTWOOD, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Canary Capital Group LLC (“Canary Capital”), a digital asset–focused investment firm, announced that its assets under management (AUM) in Canary XRP ETF (Nasdaq: XRPC) is greater than all other U.S.-listed spot XRP ETFs combined.1 Totaling more than $336 million in AUM since its launch, XRPC leads the market as the largest spot XRP ETF in the United States as of 11/26/25.

Sezzle is a fintech company known for its buy now, pay later services.

At the annual Motley Fool member event, Motley Fool co-founder and CEO Tom Gardner talked with Sezzle co-founder and CEO Charlie Youakim about entrepreneurship, competition, and the business of buy now, pay later.

To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out our podcast center. When you're ready to invest, check out this top 10 list of stocks to buy.

A full transcript is below.

This podcast was recorded on Nov.16, 2025.

Charlie Youakim: Well, I think we're early days still in this market. I think we have like seven to ten years of growth or strong growth in the BMPL space. I think it's going to be a rising tide for all the players.

Mac Greer: That was Charlie Youakim, co founder and CEO of Sezzle. I'm Motley Fool producer Mac Greer. Now, at our recent Motley Fool member event, Motley Fool co founder and CEO Tom Gardner talked with Youakim about entrepreneurship, competition, and the business of By now Pay Later.

Tom Gardner: We're going to talk about Sezzle a second, but I think I just want to start with your background. What caused you to become an entrepreneur? What made you think about starting the first company you started? How did it lead you to Sezzle?

Charlie Youakim: Well, I wasn't a lemonade stand kid. That's for sure. I was a video gamer. I love science technology, coding, building computers, basically a nerd. But no entrepreneurs in my, like, family or friend group, or anywhere nearby. I just always thought it was interesting. I think my first job out of school, like, I wasn't that pressured. It wasn't that high of a bar. I had time on my hand. I was tinkering, playing with stuff. I remember building, like, a dropbox like product before Dropbox I wish I would have known how to start a company back then. Then it just happened. I was talking to my cousin about starting a company, going to business school, and it was during the global financial crisis, and we just said, let's do it. Let's try it. I mean, I think we're both adventurers, and we just decided to do it and just jumped in and learned the hard way every which way in the first company. That's for sure.

Tom Gardner: How many companies have you started?

Charlie Youakim: Just two.

Tom Gardner: Just two. What is happening with the first company? What was the business, and what is it doing now?

Charlie Youakim: It's a company called Passport, and we did mobile payment apps. First of all, we had the wrong idea at the start, though. We started into parking hardware. Way too hard for us with low capital. We went into mobile payments for parking. Everyone thought we couldn't do it because at that time, there were two big leaders, park mobile, pay by phone that were deleting the way. People in the parking industry were like, you guys just give up. We just didn't just kept on innovating and adapting. We invented the wallet functionality. We invented White Label, and we just worked our way up, and that company is currently market in that space.

Tom Gardner: That is a private.

Charlie Youakim: It's a private.

Tom Gardner: Separate company. Got it.

Charlie Youakim: I moved on from that company in the end of 2015 and then wanted to stay in payments because I knew payments, but I wanted to go after something bigger. Retail payments. Again, wrong idea at the start. We were trying to do, like, a Venmo for checkout. To lower processing fees, and then we noticed Buy now Pay later, this paying for technology taking off in Australia, we pivoted to it, and it was just a rocket ship from that point forward.

Tom Gardner: I still think there's a lot of misunderstanding about buy now pay later. I mean, if you look out in the commons areas about Buy now Pay Later stocks in our case, out in our community, and elsewhere, there are skeptics that think people are buying things they can't afford, and this is a bad alternative. It should never have been brought to market. Maybe explain the difference between buy now pay later and typical traditional credit card usage and why you favor BNPL.

Charlie Youakim: I think customers are making these purchases anyway. On their credit cards if they didn't have BNPL. I think the difference being that with BNPL, the customer actually feels safer. It also computes to a lower cost product for the customer as well. I don't think they're sitting here with a calculator figuring it out, but I think they're figuring it out through usage. Here's the reason why I say that's the case. Well, I'll give an empirical example as well, but I think the customer when they use BNPL, the payments are planned. We got down payment today, one at two weeks, four weeks, and six weeks, which matches to these pay cycles for these young customers, mid to low income, like these bi weekly pay schedules, they view it as budgeting. I think they want to use BNPL because they don't want to get over their skis. Because what happens with BNPL, the moment there's a missed payment, i.e, you've overextended, you can't use this anymore. You've got to catch up before you can use this again. BNPL companies like Sezzle but I think all of us, we're all 100% aligned with financially allocating credit to these customers. If we overextend them, we also get into trouble because if they get too overextended, they're less inclined to want to catch up with us. Now, flip that to the credit card companies. I think they're inclined to get people over their skis, which is the very reason why these young customers are afraid of credit cards because if they overspend, they find themselves with end of a month balance they can't catch up on. They've got to make the minimum payment. They spend more, and they get in this never ending cycle. They can't catch up. The upcoming holiday period is the greatest example of that, I think. For us, our credit decision teams, it's like we're getting ready for war. We batten down the hatches, we pull back limits across the board. We shut off some new customer groups, especially to new products. We really play defense in the holidays to make sure people don't overextend themselves. I think that's when the revolver is created for the credit card company. I think they don't mind the overextension at that period, because now they got a revolver for five years. It's a better product.

There was a moment in time where I remember learning the term that credit cards use for their customers that pay their cards off at the end of the month is dead bee. That's when I realize it's pretty good to be a fool in this world, or another time I realize it's pretty good to be a fool in this upside down world. I'm pretty clear in my thinking on it, but I do encounter a lot of people that aren't sure about whether this is a beneficial solution that's being provided in the marketplace. But I see no advantage to using your credit card over BNPL. But I'm sure there is some. Obviously, some larger payment, you have to make points, etc. But I think the average balance on a buy now pay later maybe it Sezzle is around 85 bucks that is not paid into the credit card. It's like $6,000. Is that anywhere near close?

Charlie Youakim: It's near close. We're in the low hundreds. I think these are different credit tools for different products or usages and different stages of life. You can interchange the two, as well.

Tom Gardner: Got it. I want to talk a little bit about what will happen to Sezzle during a recessionary period because there are a lot of questions for Sezzle's shareholders, and, of course, we're all here as fools. In fact, raise your hand if you own shares of Sezzle. Great. We have probably about a third of the room that are Sezzle's shareholders. You're speaking to them, and then you're speaking to the two thirds that haven't yet been convinced, which is fine. The fear is that there will be a lot of defaults. Transactions will slow down, your earnings will get clobbered, and what will happen even just in a normal recession, like a two or three quarter recession. What do you think happens to Sezzle during that?

Charlie Youakim: Well, I think, first of all, our customer is more paycheck to paycheck than the average customer anyway, they're mid low income, younger. Our CFO, she's always been in this sort of, like, lending area, and she says, This customers already in a bit of a recession. They're in there, that situation already, just a level set. But I think here's where the big benefit we have at Sezzle versus other companies in the credit space. First of all, incredibly short durations. With an incredible amount of data points coming in really fast per customer. We can detect a customer reaching some sort of financial difficulty early, they get shut off. The moment they miss a payment, they get shut off, extension of further credit is stopped. Credit card is not the case. They can continue to purchase. We stop the extension of credit, we stop the runaway train to that customer. Then we can also, if we're starting to see, like, abnormalities in our system, which we see every day, we watch data every day. We see abnormalities, we can lower limits across the board. Again, a tool a lot of other companies cannot do, especially credit cards, credit cards have to give 45 day notice just to lower a limit to a customer. We can lower limits next hour if we're seeing things we don't like across the board. Then we can also shut off new customer groups or tighten across the board and new customer groups. What the downside might lead to, I think, is maybe lower volumes, maybe at the start. But if you look at a downturn in the economy, I think it actually could pull higher scoring credit groups, potentially or people that may not have used BNPL. Into trying out the BNPL. Maybe a spouse got laid off in that time period. Hey, maybe we should try this other credit product. It might help us in this time period. We might pull more users into the space, which could offset our tightening to the existing customer group and offset that. Then I said, the last thing that I think makes me, I'm a big shareholder. This makes me feel good about our system. We have really strong gross margins already, great safety factors. Right now our PLRs are about, 2%, kind of running 2% principal loss rates. But our top line revenue percentage is like 11%. Our gross margin is on volumes. Our gross margin on volumes, 6% or so. We can basically triple our loss rates and still come out with a profit. I mean, I don't think we'd be high five in at then it is. But we'd be profitable still. Great safety factors.

Tom Gardner: Got it. Can you talk about what your customers are using Sezzle for to purchase? For example, the natural inclination of a critic, and I understand, is they're buying unnecessary items, and this is just encouraging people to overspend. But what percentage of it is spent on what you would consider to be basic necessities, for example?

Charlie Youakim: Well, I think, it's growing, actually. What's happening? Is this growing? Where the business started was we were partnering with e-commerce merchants, getting our product displayed on their website, helping them make the sale. Those types of products initially were, like, beauty, cosmetics, fashion apparel, supplements, you name it across all the Internet companies. Like if you see Internet e-commerce companies, that's where Sezzle was and other BNPLs. But Sezzle is a little bit different than the rest of the competition. We started to go to what I call open loop products faster. What I mean by that is we went direct to consumer and said, Hey, you don't have to look, wait for us to find us at a website. You can sign up for Sezzle premium. You can sign up for Sezzle anywhere. We'll issue you a virtual card. Now you can go tap this card anywhere. Then what happened to Tom when we started issuing these cards, we became more general purpose. People are using it as a target. They're using it as a Walmart. They're using as Home Depot, Lowe's. Everywhere in their lives, probably where they're making something like 100 to $120 purchase. Like, Oh, I'll sezzle this one and split it up over my paycheck. That's where we're seeing more and more purchase behavior is toward that just general purpose purchase.

Tom Gardner: But two or three reasons that you think somebody would use Sezzle instead of Klarna.

Charlie Youakim: Well, I think one is we've got credit building. That's the tool in the tool belt that we really believe in. We've got young customers, mid to low income, and actually a good number that are new to credit completely. When we launched our BNPL products, all of our competitors were doing nothing with credit reporting. We decided, Let's do that. The reason wasn't just because our competitors were not doing it. The reason we decided to do it was these are young customers. They don't have good credit scores or they have no credit score. Let's help them build their credit scores up, by the way, so the audience understands, young people generally have low credit scores. Your credit score grows with age, typically, if you look at the profiles. You actually want to start building your credit reporting at a younger age because it helps you get your credit score up over time, which gives you access to renting an apartment, buying a house, buying a car. When we were talking about it within our management team, we were thinking about this, and I was thinking even about my own family. I have a little kid right now, but he's not. But if he was 18-years-old, I would have not told him to use Sezzle when he was 18 I would have been like, You got to build your credit score. I was like, If I couldn't recommend the very product I'm helping build to my son, what the hell am I building? We just viewed it as, like, This is just the right thing to do. That's one big difference between us and a Klarna. I said, the other big one is the open loop products. I think we just have this fantastic suite of open loop products that reach direct to consumers. Consumers don't have to wait to find us on a merchant website. When they like the way Sezzle operates and the way the system works, they can just get the card and tap away. The reason I think that's really important is think about the evolution or think about a credit card in your wallet. Would you rather have 15 private label credit cards or would you rather just use your general purpose credit card? I think that's what the BNPL customers finding. I'd rather just have a general purpose credit card that I can use everywhere. In this case, BNPL?

Tom Gardner: I've heard you speak positively about the competition. We've had two conversations in an interview, and then we had an opportunity to have lunch, both of which I so much enjoyed. When I hear that from a CEO, obviously, one scenario that CEOs delusional. We don't want any competition. We want to crush everyone, eliminate everyone. The other scenario is the market is still so misunderstood and so early on that actually there's a benefit to just people getting in the game with one of the solutions because it's going to open their eyes to other possibilities. I'm presuming that's more of how you see the market developing or where it is now. Of course, I do like CEOs that admire their competition and learn from them. Maybe talk a little bit about how you think about competition for this stage of the market.

Charlie Youakim: Well, I think we're early days still in this market. I think we have like seven to ten years of growth or strong growth in the BMPL space. I think it's going to be a rising tide for all the players. Our view is get our elbows out and gain more of the share of it. I win the game as we do that. I really view business as like a sport. I view it as like we're going out to play tennis. Tennis would really suck if you're sitting up against a board all day. I mean, maybe not. In terms of, like, we're going to win all day. But you're going to have the monopoly. But it's way more fun. You wake up in the morning. What's the competition doing? What can we do to outcompete them? I think that helps at least drive me, like, getting up in the morning, what to do, what to do. I really do believe Tom that we have good competition. My last industry passport, this parking space, I think it was a great industry for me to start in as an entrepreneur. But I almost call nowadays, like, the minor leagues of business, it doesn't drive as much talent. But you in the retail payments or the payments industry we're in. Wow. It's the major leagues. Actually, I'm thankful that I had passport behind my belt before I came into Sezzle because it better prepared me for this level of competition. I mean, we've got Klarna. We've got a firm. We've got PayPal. We've got Afterpay, which is a part of the block now. We've got ZIP. I mean, these are all really good teams. We're always excited to see what they've got, and our goal is still just keep on keep on gaining market share ahead of them.

Tom Gardner: Well, you're definitely an innovator and a visionary. I'm sure you're operating the business very well, as well, but I know you have a lot of ideas. How far out is your vision, do you think? I mean, obviously, maybe there are flashes of it, but, a tangible vision for Sezzle goes how far for you, and what does it look like?

Charlie Youakim: I usually like to think five years ahead, like where we're going to be with our products and services. I think five years from now, we're gonna be hitting the same customer group. Younger, mid to low income, which, by the way, is the heart of America. It's like this is a huge percentage of America. The way I see it is I want that group of consumers to see us as a must have application on their phone. A must have for financial services and a must have for shopping services. If they find out what their friend does and have the app on their phone, why don't you have Sezzle? You got to download it.

Tom Gardner: Charlie Youakim, the founder and CEO of Sezzle and I will say before we give him applause, Charlie took a red eye flight last night and did not sleep at all, and he performs at this level on zero Sleep. Charlie, thank you so much for the half hour.

Mac Greer: As always, people in the program may have interest in the stocks they talk about, and the Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for or against, so don't buy or sell stocks based solely on what you hear. All personal finance content follows Motley Fool editorial standards and is not approved by advertisers. Advertisements for sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. To see our full advertising disclosure, please check out our show notes. For the Motley Fool Money team, I'm Mac Greer. Thanks for listening, and we will see you tomorrow.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing is one of the smartest stocks to buy today.

We are still in a market led by growth stocks, and the biggest driving force in the stock market remains artificial intelligence (AI). The technology could prove to be the biggest technological shift of our generation, and it still appears to be in its early stages.

While there are many ways to invest in AI, I believe one of the smartest investments someone can make right now is in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM +0.54%). With the market still near highs -- although seeing some recent volatility -- starting with a smaller amount, like $1,000, and then adding to your position if the stock dips, could be a good way to start a position in the stock.

Let's look at why I think Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) is one of the smartest stocks to buy right now.

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A market leader
TSMC is the world's leading semiconductor contract manufacturer. Manufacturing chips is a difficult endeavor. To be successful at it, companies need not only technological expertise but also scale and high utilization rates to run a profitable operation. It's also a capital-intensive business requiring a lot of upfront costs to build a fab (chip manufacturing facility). As such, most companies that design chips today outsource their manufacturing to third parties like TSMC.

When it comes to manufacturing advanced chips, like graphics processing units (GPUs) or those found in smartphones, TSMC is part of an oligopoly of companies that can fabricate these chips, along with Samsung and Intel. However, its two rivals have struggled to produce advanced chips at small node sizes with high yields (few defects) at scale. This is important because chip designers are constantly looking to fit more transistors on a chip (nodes) to increase processing power and improve energy efficiency.

As the only company capable of doing this at scale, TSMC finds itself in an enviable position. It's become not just a chip manufacturer but also an invaluable part of the semiconductor value chain. Nearly every major advanced chip designed now relies on it, and it partners closely with its largest customers on their future roadmaps to increase capacity to meet their future demand.

This gives TSMC great visibility, and it has been rapidly expanding its capacity and building new fabs to help its customers meet soaring demand for AI chips. As a result, the company believes that demand for AI chips will increase at a mid-40% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next few years.

TSMC's strong position as the go-to chip manufacturer has also given the company strong pricing power, which has helped boost its gross margins. Its gross margins have gone from 46.3% in 2019 to 56.1% last year. According to the media, the company is projected to raise prices by between 3% and 10% in 2026, while prices for its latest 2-nanometer (nm) node processing technology are expected to be 50% more than its 3nm technology.

Image source: Getty Images.

An attractively valued stock
The great thing about TSMC is that it wins no matter who takes market share in the AI chip market. If Nvidia remains the market leader, that's great; it makes its GPUs. If Advanced Micro Devices makes some inroads, that's fine too. If Alphabet's tensor processing units (TPUs) or other ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits) start becoming the chip of choice for AI training or inference, no worries; it manufactures them, as well.

As long as the need for computing power continues to grow, TSMC is set to be one of the biggest beneficiaries, regardless of which chip designer leads the charge. Best of all, the stock is still attractively valued, trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 22 times 2026 analyst earnings estimates. Between its growth opportunities, indispensable position in the semiconductor space, and valuation, TSMC is one of the smartest stocks to buy right now.

Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Intel, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short November 2025 $21 puts on Intel. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

November 30, 2025 7:21 PM EST | Source: The Rosen Law Firm PA
New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - November 30, 2025) - WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of common stock of StubHub Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: STUB) pursuant and/or traceable to the Registration Statement issued in connection with StubHub's September 2025 initial public offering (the "IPO"). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 23, 2026.

SO WHAT: If you purchased StubHub common stock 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 StubHub class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=48412 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for more information. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 23, 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, at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. 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, the Registration Statement was materially false and misleading and omitted to state that: (1) StubHub was experiencing changes in the timing of payments to vendors; (2) those changes had a significant adverse impact on free cash flow, including trailing twelve months ("TTM") free cash flow; (3) as a result, StubHub's free cash flow reports were materially misleading, and that; (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about StubHub's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the StubHub class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=48412 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for more information.

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, 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/276087

ATLANTA & NEW YORK & HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE), a leading global provider of technology and data, today announced that InnovestX Securities Co. Ltd., a leading brokerage and securities company in Thailand and a subsidiary of SCBX , the parent company of Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Southeast Asia's leading financial institutions, has selected ICE's Portfolio Analytics (IPA) platform to enhance its risk management and analytics capabilities. “At.

Dec 1 (Reuters) - Australia's AUB Group said on Monday its suitors EQT and CVC Asia Pacific had walked away from takeover talks that valued the insurance broker at A$5.25 billion ($3.44 billion), sending its shares more than 17% lower.

Gold edged up. Precious metals were likely supported by a combination of erratic trading hours on the CME and continued Fed dovishness, Sucden Financial said.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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

Shoppers are starting to draw the line on what they will pay for a new car, with some turning to used vehicles, taking on longer car loans and holding out for deals.

Yearn Finance confirmed an active exploit affecting its yETH product on Sunday, after an attacker minted an effectively unlimited amount of yETH and drained liquidity from Balancer pools. 

The incident triggered heavy on-chain movement, including multiple 100 ETH transfers routed through Tornado Cash. 

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Sponsored

Infinite-Mint Attack Drains Liquidity From Balancer PoolsAccording to blockchain data, the exploit occurred around 21:11 UTC on November 30, when a malicious wallet executed an infinite-mint attack that created roughly 235 trillion yETH in a single transaction. 

some other balancer related stuff looking like an exploit considering heavy interactions with tornado

yearn, rocket pool, origin, dinero and other LST going around pic.twitter.com/wUuexeQJyg

— Togbe (@Togbe0x) November 30, 2025
Nansen’s alert system later confirmed the attack and identified the event as an infinite-mint vulnerability in the yETH token contract, not in Yearn’s Vault infrastructure.

The attacker used the newly minted yETH to drain real assets—primarily ETH and Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs)—from Balancer liquidity pools. Early estimates suggest roughly $2.8 million in assets were removed. 

Around 1,000 ETH was laundered through Tornado Cash shortly after the attack. Several helper contracts used in the exploit were deployed minutes before the incident and self-destructed afterward to obscure the trail.

some other balancer related stuff looking like an exploit considering heavy interactions with tornado

yearn, rocket pool, origin, dinero and other LST going around pic.twitter.com/wUuexeQJyg

— Togbe (@Togbe0x) November 30, 2025
Yearn stated that V2 and V3 Vaults were not affected, and the vulnerability appears limited to the legacy yETH implementation. 

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Sponsored

The protocol’s Total Value Locked (TVL) remains above $600 million, according to CoinGecko, suggesting core systems were not compromised. 

YFI Price Spikes as Market Reverses Initial Panic

However, the market reaction created an unexpected dynamic. Shortly after the exploit was flagged on social media and by blockchain analysts, YFI’s price spiked sharply, climbing from near $4,080 to over $4,160 within an hour. 

The move came despite the negative headlines surrounding the broader Yearn ecosystem.

Yearn Finance YFI Token Price Chart. Source: CoinGeckoThe price reaction appears tied to market misinterpretation in the early minutes of the incident. Initial claims of a “Yearn exploit” prompted high-leverage short positions on YFI, given the token’s thin liquidity and historically aggressive downside moves during hack events. 

The attack was isolated to yETH and not Yearn’s Vaults, and short-sellers began covering their positions. This triggered a brief short squeeze and a volatility-driven price spike.

YFI’s circulating supply is only 33,984 tokens, making it one of the most illiquid major DeFi governance assets. This structure amplifies price movements, particularly during periods of uncertainty or rapid liquidation flow. Derivatives data also showed elevated funding volatility immediately after the exploit alert.

For now, losses appear contained to the yETH and Balancer pools touched by the exploit. Investigations remain ongoing, and it is unclear whether any recovery options exist for the stolen assets. 

Markets will likely watch for a formal Yearn disclosure detailing root cause, patching efforts, and potential governance actions.

While decentralized perpetual exchanges, or perp DEXes, clocked an eye-popping $1.2 trillion in volume in October, the data reveals their November tally eased slightly, trading a bit softer than the prior month's fireworks. While the dip clocked in at just $70 billion, November's perp DEX haul still loomed 71.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has strongly criticized S&P Global and critics, dismissing the agency's assessment as based on “outdated legacy models. He argued that the downgrade of the stablecoin's rating was based on incomplete information and did not accurately reflect the company's real financial strength.

Shiba Inu once showed high upside potential. But that was four years ago.

For the year, meme coin Shiba Inu (SHIB 1.81%) is down 59%. Of even more concern, Shiba Inu is down a whopping 90% from its all-time high in October 2021.

If you're expecting a stunning reversal of fortune for Shiba Inu, it may be time to rethink your assumptions. Here's why.

Shiba Inu's coin supply problem
The core problem with Shiba Inu is its coin supply. Simply put, there are too many Shiba Inu coins to go around. The current circulating supply is 589 trillion coins.

Image source: Getty Images.

By way of comparison, the total circulating supply of Bitcoin (BTC 1.45%) is just 21 million coins. There's a good reason why Bitcoin has soared to a price near $100,000 while the price of Shiba Inu has tanked to a price of just $0.000008.

It's just the Law of Supply and Demand. If you shrink the coin supply, and demand remains constant or increases, the price is supposed to go up.

Admittedly, Shiba Inu has taken steps to shrink the coin supply. But it's nearly impossible to burn hundreds of trillions of coins in one fell swoop. As a result, Shiba Inu has almost zero possibility of ever hitting the $1 price point. Doing so would imply a market cap of $589 trillion!

Shiba Inu is no longer best in class
There's another big problem with Shiba Inu -- it's no longer the top dog-themed meme coin. At one time, the only real competitor to Shiba Inu was Dogecoin (DOGE 1.48%), the original dog-themed meme coin.

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However, the entire dog-themed meme coin concept has exploded in popularity, and even among the top 100 cryptocurrencies, there are other rival dog-themed meme coins. In addition to Dogecoin, there's also Bonk (BONK 2.47%) and Floki (FLOKI 1.41%). Beyond the top 100 cryptocurrencies, there are plenty more to choose from, with all of these meme coins riffing on the avatar of a cute, cuddly Shiba Inu dog.

On top of that, the broader animal-themed meme coin space has exploded in popularity, so it's not even certain that dog-themed meme coins are the way to go these days. There are cat-themed meme coins, penguin-themed meme coins, and frog-themed meme coins.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing inherently wrong with dog-themed meme coins. For some people, they might represent a fun and entertaining way to learn about investing. But I wouldn't touch Shiba Inu with a 10-foot pole. The coin supply is simply too large, and there are just too many other cryptocurrencies out there with much higher future upside potential.