Market Signal Briefing

SummaryBlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Fund is a closed-end fund that invests in the equity of large-cap, dividend-paying, and value-oriented stocks, mostly from the Russell-1000 Value index.The fund utilises a buy-write strategy (selling call options) on nearly 50% of the portfolio value using the underlying holdings.BDJ's NAV has remained stable over many years, with distributions well covered by income and capital gains.BDJ offers a high-income yield of almost 8.5% and a moderately high discount of roughly 7%. It is a good long-term holding for conservative income investors.Black Friday Sale 2025: Get 20% Off Khanchit Khirisutchalual/iStock via Getty Images

Introduction: BlackRock Enhanced Equity Dividend Fund (BDJ) was launched in August 2005. In fact, the fund has recently completed 20 years of its existence. The fund invests in a portfolio of U.S.-based equity stocks of large

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of ABT, ABBV, CI, JNJ, PFE, NVS, NVO, AZN, UNH, CL, CLX, UL, NSRGY, PG, TSN, ADM, BTI, MO, PM, KO, PEP, EXC, D, DEA, DEO, ENB, MCD, BAC, PRU, UPS, WMT, WBA, CVS, LOW, AAPL, IBM, CSCO, MSFT, INTC, T, VZ, CVX, XOM, VLO, ABB, ITW, MMM, LMT, LYB, RIO, O, NNN, WPC, ARCC, ARDC, AWF, CII, CHI, DNP, PEO, TLT 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.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational purposes only and in no way should be construed as financial advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any stock. The author is not a financial advisor. Please always do further research and do your own due diligence before making any investments. Every effort has been made to present the data/information accurately; however, the author does not claim 100% accuracy. The stock portfolios presented here are model portfolios for demonstration purposes. For the complete list of our LONG positions, please see our profile on Seeking Alpha.

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 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.

If the calls for Bitcoin running to $1 million prove accurate, this ETF could mint a new generation of millionaires.

Easily one of the most compelling attributes of cryptocurrency as an asset class is the potential for generating significant wealth, often in short order. For those keeping score at home, as of the end of September, there were 241,700 crypto millionaires around the world, representing a 40% year-over-year increase.

Impressively, 69,000 of those suddenly affluent digital currency investors joined the millionaire club over the 12 months ending in September 2025. Due to Bitcoin's (BTC +2.64%) status as the largest cryptocurrency, it's not surprising that 60% of digital asset millionaires entered this rarefied territory through Bitcoin.

This Bitcoin ETF could punch some investors' tickets to millionaire status. Image source: Getty Images

So the easy answer to the question "Is the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT 2.02%) a millionaire maker?" is "Potentially, yes." Let's dive into how this exchange-traded fund (ETF) could help a new batch of investors enter seven-figure territory.

How much (Bit)coin do you have?
Assessing whether the iShares ETF is a millionaire maker boils down to two simple factors: Bitcoin's price action and the number of shares of the fund an investor owns. As of late Monday, Nov. 17, an investor would need to own 1,754.30 shares of the ETF to have holdings equivalent to a single Bitcoin.

A single token doesn't make an investor a Bitcoin whale, but getting there isn't cheap, as highlighted by the cryptocurrency's late Nov. 17 price of about $91,950. The iShares ETF is significantly more affordable at $52.09, but remember, market participants need 1,754.30 shares just to get to a single Bitcoin. So the most effective way for this fund to create millionaires would be for Bitcoin to notch a more than 11-fold increase from current levels, blessing those fortunate enough to own 1,754.30 shares in the process.

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Of course, Bitcoin eventually becoming a $1 million asset has been widely discussed. Strategy (formerly known as MicroStrategy) CEO Michael Saylor sees the king of crypto heading to $1 million and beyond. Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood recently stated that Bitcoin could reach $1.2 million by 2030. If accurate, that forecast implies that investors wouldn't need to own an entire Bitcoin, as represented by the iShares ETF, in order for the fund to make them millionaires.

Still, the math is the math. Investors aiming to become millionaires by way of Bitcoin ETFs either need the token to move to $1 million and beyond, or they have to own a substantial amount of the ETF's shares, so smaller price appreciation could potentially catapult them to millionaire status.

This Bitcoin ETF just won a big endorsement
Regardless of the asset in question, it usually takes patience and time to become a millionaire. It's why many wealthy individuals say, "The first million is the hardest." Anxious market participants can take heart in knowing the iShares Bitcoin ETF is garnering support from some noteworthy circles.

Harvard Management Co.'s recently released third-quarter 13F filing confirms the largest disclosed position held by the Ivy League university's endowment is this Bitcoin ETF. In fact, the investment manager more than tripled its stake in the fund from the second quarter. That's not enough to make all of this ETF's holders millionaires, but it does indicate Bitcoin is generating support among the smart money crowd.

SummaryArtisan International Explorer Fund portfolio returned -0.14% during the quarter, while our benchmark returned 6.68%.Our top three contributors in Q3 were Impro Precision Industries, Glenveagh (GLVHF) and U-Blox (UBLXF).Our top three detractors in Q3 were FDM Group Holdings (FDDMF), M&C Saatchi (MSAAF) and Zuken. Richard Drury/DigitalVision via Getty Images

The following segment was excerpted from the Artisan International Explorer Fund Q3 2025 Commentary.

Top Contributors and Detractors Our portfolio returned -0.14% during the quarter, while our benchmark returned 6.68%.

We have not participated

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An overseas e-commerce, cloud-hosting, and AI play has a lot to say this week.

You might have to travel far to find your next $1,000 investment, but I promise you won't need a travel visa. Alibaba (BABA 0.23%) does most of its business at the other end of the globe, but the Chinese e-commerce pioneer could be a great growth stock for stateside investors.

With the company about to check in with fresh financials -- it reports Tuesday morning before the U.S. market opens -- it's a good time to get up to speed with Alibaba. Let's take a closer look to see why it could be the ultimate growth stock to buy with $1,000 right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

Playing with house money
Alibaba is uniquely positioned among tech companies. As many players are financing bets in artificial intelligence (AI) and other next-gen growth opportunities through secondary offerings or taking on debt, Alibaba's money machine is already inside the house.

The heart of Alibaba's business is its business-to-consumer e-commerce platform Tmall and its consumer-to-consumer marketplace Taobao. Those two businesses combined produce 45% of Alibaba's consolidated revenue in the fiscal year 2025 that ended in March, but they also generated 113% of its consolidated adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA).

The dynamic duo -- combining for a jaw-dropping 44% adjusted EBITDA margin -- is covering Alibaba's efforts in international e-commerce (you may be familiar with AliExpress), the development of AI chips (a business that's ready to benefit from trade restrictions between China and U.S. semiconductor companies), and other long-term investments.

I didn't lump Alibaba's fast-growing Cloud Intelligence hosting business into the last group. It is part of that 55% of the parent company, but it's actually generating positive adjusted EBITDA. Oh, and it gets better.

There's still money to go around after investing in future growth as its e-commerce workhorses meander through a ho-hum economy. Alibaba returns money to its shareholders in the form of a modest dividend and a steady diet of share buybacks. Since picking up the pace on stock repurchases in fiscal 2022, Alibaba has bought back its stock in at least 14 consecutive quarters. It has already announced that it invested $241 million in repurchases for the fiscal second quarter, which it will discuss later this week.

In a world where AI-minded leaders are bloating their balance sheets, Alibaba's packing roughly twice as much cash and short-term investments as it does long-term debt. With share counts elsewhere ballooning, Alibaba's diluted shares outstanding are declining for the fifth year in a row.

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Ready for whatever comes next
This has been an earnings season with plenty of twists and turns, and Alibaba bringing up the rear with its financial update on Tuesday will make some investors nervous. Analysts are bracing for a slide in profitability on a mere 3% year-over-year uptick in consolidated revenue.

It's not pretty, but keep in mind that the market already expects this to be a rough quarter. The outlook can improve if any of its costly side quests -- particularly on the AI front as China looks to fill the trade-war void on chips with domestic producers -- show signs of life in the report.

In the meantime, Alibaba is cheaper than you think. Despite having less than half of the company generating more than all of its profitability, Alibaba is trading for less than 16 times what analysts see it earning in the fiscal year that starts in April 2026. And those same Wall Street pros see revenue growth accelerating in the next fiscal year, with the bottom line bouncing back even faster.

Alibaba was even cheaper at the start of this year. The stock has soared 80% over the past year, but it has retreated 20% from its early October highs. You have time to dive into your own due diligence. No matter which way the stock moves following Tuesday's report, this is a growth tale with a long tail. Be patient, but pay attention. Alibaba is different in a good way.

NEW YORK, Nov. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of American Depositary Shares (“ADS” or “ADSs”) of WPP plc (NYSE: WPP) between February 27, 2025 and July 8, 2025, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important December 8, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased WPP ADSs 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 WPP class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=46121 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 December 8, 2025. 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 complaint, 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 WPP’s media arm; notably, that it was not truly equipped to handle the ongoing macroeconomic challenges while competing effectively and had instead begun to lose significant market share to its competitors. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the WPP class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=46121 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.
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        [email protected]
        www.rosenlegal.com

Crypto has struggled as of late, and some of the world's largest tokens have seen significant declines this year.

After rapidly rising following President Donald Trump's election win in November 2024, and with a strong start to the year despite many regulatory tailwinds, most cryptocurrencies have found themselves in a bit of a rut.

The price of XRP (XRP +7.53%), the fourth-largest cryptocurrency in the world, is only up about 6.5% this year (as of Nov. 18), trailing the broader stock market. Meanwhile, the price of Shiba Inu (SHIB +4.85%), the 24th largest cryptocurrency, has crashed 58% this year. Still, many believe crypto will bounce back like always and has a bright future ahead. Is XRP or Shiba Inu more likely to make you a millionaire?

Image source: Getty Images.

XRP must become a force to be reckoned with in payments
At this point, investors have picked through most of the low-hanging fruit when it comes to XRP. The Trump administration implemented new leadership at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which quickly resolved a long-standing lawsuit against Ripple, the company behind XRP, and its co-founders. Trump has worked to remove regulatory roadblocks, instituted a U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile, and spot-XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have now been approved and launched.

XRP's next mission is to effectively leverage its use case, which is to attract more banks and institutions to utilize Ripple and, consequently, XRP for international payments. Ripple is building a network to bridge the gap between mainstream finance and crypto. XRP's network is well-suited for payments, as it can process up to 1,500 transactions per second.

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The company leverages XRP and its stablecoin, RLUSD, in its Ripple Payments network to assist clients with a range of payment activities, including sending instant payments, serving as a custodian for digital assets, and transacting with stablecoins. Ripple also owns a large multi-asset prime brokerage, which could be useful for institutional investors trading a range of financial instruments, including crypto.

The question is, can Ripple Payments achieve critical mass in international payments across the global financial world? Well, many of the world's top investment groups think so, considering Ripple just raised $500 million from a strong group of investors, including Fortress Investment Group, affiliates of Citadel Securities, and Galaxy Digital. The latest funding round values Ripple at $40 billion. As Ripple grows, there's a good chance that demand for XRP follows.

Shiba Inu: From meme token to real-world utility?
Shiba Inu initially launched as a joke, taking its name from the Shiba Inu dog, a breed associated with Dogecoin's mascot. However, the token gained traction at the right time and has remained relevant ever since. Shiba Inu has, for the most part, lacked real-world utility and not served any real purpose, other than a viral sensation.

However, in 2023, developers built a layer-2 blockchain solution for Shiba Inu called Shibarium. Shiba Inu was launched as an ERC-20 token, meaning it was deployed on Ethereum's network and governed by a set of protocols that all ERC-20 tokens must adhere to. However, Shibarium provided Shiba Inu with an additional layer to process transactions off Ethereum's main network, enabling faster Shiba Inu transactions and lower fees.

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Shibarium also provided smart contract functionality, allowing developers to build decentralized applications (dApps) and games for Shiba Inu's vibrant ecosystem. Earlier this year, media outlets reported that Shiba Inu had 1,200 dApps built on Shibarium. Shibarium also features a burning mechanism, where tokens are eliminated from circulation through specific transactions. This may help reduce the massive supply of Shiba Inu over time, creating a more balanced supply-and-demand dynamic.

Which is more likely to make a millionaire?
Investors should be aware that both of these tokens remain highly volatile. While they certainly have long-term potential, there is still much we don't know about the sector as a whole, which is why investors should keep positions in both of these tokens smaller and more speculative.

That said, if I had to pick one to make a millionaire, I'd go with XRP. Not only is the network better from a technical perspective, but it also has the Ripple ecosystem behind it, which, as I mentioned above, is now valued at $40 billion and provides real payment solutions for mainstream banks and institutional investors. It remains to be seen whether Ripple and XRP can significantly scale from here, but if they do, I suspect XRP will perform quite well in the process.

Sun, 23/11/2025 - 12:04

A total of over 46 million SHIB have been burned, with the market still yet to feel the impact.

Cover image via U.Today

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

In the last seven days, a total of over 46 million SHIB have been burned without causing an impact in burn rate, rather the SHIB burn rate took a decline.

According to Shibburn, a total of 46,597,909 SHIB were burned in the past seven days, with the weekly burn rate dropping 94.35%.

Contributing to the low amount burned weekly is a drop in the amount burned on a 24-hour basis, which stayed slightly above 1 million SHIB. In the last 24 hours, a total of 1,345,602 SHIB were burned, resulting in a drop in daily burn rate by 33.48%.

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Despite the low amount of SHIB burned, it still contributed to a reduction in Shiba Inu's total supply, suggesting it is not utterly useless. According to Shibburn data, the Shiba Inu total supply now stands at 
589,246,313,129,194 SHIB, a drop from the initial 1 quadrillion token supply at inception.

HOURLY SHIB UPDATE$SHIB Price: $0.00000786 (1hr 0.98% ▲ | 24hr -0.12% ▼ )
Market Cap: $4,634,988,090 (-0.08% ▼)
Total Supply: 589,246,313,129,194

TOKENS BURNT
Past 24Hrs: 1,345,602 (-33.48% ▼)
Past 7 Days: 46,597,909 (-94.35% ▼)

— Shibburn (@shibburn) November 23, 2025 The drop in Shiba Inu burns across daily and weekly time frames follows lackluster action in the broader crypto markets, with Shiba Inu falling to lows last seen in October 2023.

The drop also coincided with the appearance of the first ever death cross on Shiba Inu's weekly chart.

Shiba Inu gets December surpriseMajor crypto exchange Coinbase has recently announced it would be launching new U.S. perpetual-style futures for Shiba Inu, giving retail traders access to one of the most widely used derivatives products in crypto within a regulated environment. Shiba Inu also stands to benefit from the upcoming launch of 24/7 trading for altcoin monthly futures.

Beginning Dec. 5, 24/7 trading will go live for all altcoin monthly futures from Coinbase Derivatives, while on Dec. 12, U.S. perpetual-style futures for Shiba Inu will go live in the U.S.

In a recent listing, Gemini crypto exchange launched perpetual contracts for Shiba Inu, allowing users to take long or short positions with up to 100x leverage.

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13h05 ▪
4
min read ▪ by
Luc Jose A.

Summarize this article with:

Two ETFs backed by XRP have just been listed on the NYSE, a first meant to propel Ripple to the rank of institutionalized crypto assets. However, the market sends an opposite signal. The crypto collapses below 2 dollars, down 35 % for the quarter. Far from a bullish turning point, this regulatory advance reveals a persistent disinterest. The ETF effect, expected as a driver, seems to have had no tangible echo.

In brief

Two ETFs backed by XRP were launched on the New York Stock Exchange by Grayscale and Franklin Templeton.
Despite this institutional advance, the price of XRP falls 35 % for the quarter and falls below the $2 mark.
Unlike Ethereum, XRP does not benefit from the ETF effect and remains largely behind technically.
On-chain data reveals a loss of trust: only 57 % of tokens are in profit, and realized losses explode.

A launch without echo on the markets
Two ETFs backed by XRP issued by Grayscale and Franklin Templeton, were launched this week on the New York Stock Exchange, a first for the Ripple ecosystem.

These exchange-traded funds are designed to offer traditional investors regulated exposure to XRP without having to hold the crypto directly. In a market usually very reactive to such announcements, one might have expected a clear bullish movement. However, the expected effect did not materialize.

The context is even more revealing given that other major projects like Ethereum have managed to capitalize on similar announcements in the recent past. In the case of XRP, no indicator responded positively to the institutional signal so strongly represented by these ETFs. The market remained deaf to this Wall Street opening, and the price reaction was clearly bearish. Here are the key points to remember :

Two XRP ETF products were approved and listed on the NYSE by Grayscale and Franklin Templeton, offering regulated exposure to the asset ;

No price increase was observed; on the contrary, XRP fell below 2 dollars, down 35 % for the quarter ;

Trading volumes did not show any significant renewed interest ;

XRP remains far from its peaks, not having regained its July level at $3.60.

Despite considerable regulatory progress, Ripple has failed to trigger buying momentum or attract notable institutional flows. The crypto community is now wondering : is this a simple delayed effect, or a lasting disinterest in an asset long carried by promises struggling to materialize ?

Trust is crumbling among XRP holders
Beyond the silence of the markets, it is the on-chain data that reveal the extent of this critical situation.

Indeed, only 57 % of the circulating XRP supply is currently in profit, a historically low level not reached since November 2024, when the token traded around 0.53 dollars.

Thus, the majority of long-term XRP holders are now at a loss. More worryingly, the 30-day moving average of daily losses now reaches 75 million dollars, the highest level since last April. This trend reveals a form of progressive capitulation, where investors prefer to realize their losses rather than wait for a hypothetical reversal.

This on-chain decline is coupled with a worrying technical signal. Unlike Ethereum, which has managed to bounce back and regain its previous levels, XRP remains stuck below 2 dollars. The absence of bullish momentum, even in the presence of objectively positive news such as the launch of ETFs, indicates an erosion of fundamental trust in the Ripple ecosystem.

The launch of ETFs was not enough to reverse the trend. Thus, the price of XRP remains stuck below 2 dollars. Between investor skepticism and degraded technical signals, Ripple enters a phase where regulation no longer guarantees performance. The market demands concrete proof.

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Luc Jose A.

Diplômé de Sciences Po Toulouse et titulaire d'une certification consultant blockchain délivrée par Alyra, j'ai rejoint l'aventure Cointribune en 2019.
Convaincu du potentiel de la blockchain pour transformer de nombreux secteurs de l'économie, j'ai pris l'engagement de sensibiliser et d'informer le grand public sur cet écosystème en constante évolution. Mon objectif est de permettre à chacun de mieux comprendre la blockchain et de saisir les opportunités qu'elle offre. Je m'efforce chaque jour de fournir une analyse objective de l'actualité, de décrypter les tendances du marché, de relayer les dernières innovations technologiques et de mettre en perspective les enjeux économiques et sociétaux de cette révolution en marche.

DISCLAIMER

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.

Cardano Temporarily Splits Into Two Chains After Attacker Uses AI-Generated Script to Exploit a Known BugThe divergence emerged when newer nodes accepted a malformed transaction that older nodes rejected. Nov 23, 2025, 12:30 p.m.

A malformed transaction pushed Cardano into a brief chain split on Saturday, as older and newer node versions validated transaction data submitted to the network differently.

The mismatch caused some block producers to follow a “poisoned” chain while others stayed on the normal one, prompting an emergency patch and network-wide upgrade instructions.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

The incident — which has since been traced to a wallet belonging to a former testnet participant — is being investigated as a potential cyberattack.

Cardano ecosystem governance body Intersect said in a post-mortem report that the divergence emerged when newer nodes accepted a malformed transaction that older nodes rejected.

The inconsistency exploited a bug in an underlying software library that validation logic failed to trap. Once propagated, block producers began building on different branches of the chain, creating what the group called a “poisoned” ledger and a parallel “healthy” chain.

Devs rushed to deploy patched node software, and operators were instructed to upgrade to rejoin the canonical chain.

Exchanges and wallet providers paused deposits and withdrawals throughout the incident as a precaution, though Intersect said no user funds were lost and most retail wallets were insulated because they relied on components that safely ignored the malformed transaction.

Cardano co-founder Charles Hoskinson characterized the event as a targeted, premeditated attack by a disgruntled stake-pool operator who had been seeking ways “to harm the brand and reputation” of Input Output Global (IOG).

He warned the disruption affected all users from block producers losing rewards to DeFi protocols encountering inconsistent state and said restoring full network uniformity could take weeks.

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Meanwhile, an X user posting as “Homer J.” claimed responsibility, saying he acted alone, did not short or sell ADA, and did not intend to cause harm.

The user said he relied on AI-generated terminal commands to block external traffic while trying to replicate the malformed transaction and only realized the extent of the disruption when block explorers froze.

“I’m ashamed of my carelessness,” he wrote. “I didn’t have evil intentions, but I endangered the network and caused unnecessary stress.”

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ADA fell more than 6% following the disruption, leading losses among major tokens, as traders likely reacted to the apparent lack of coordinating large-scale upgrades in decentralized proof-of-stake networks.

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As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.View Full Report

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VanEck CEO Concerned About Bitcoin's Encryption and Privacy, Says Firm Could Walk Away

2 hours ago

Jan van Eck questioned whether Bitcoin offers enough encryption and privacy, saying some longtime holders are examining Zcash as the market reassesses long-term assumptions.

What to know:

VanEck CEO Jan van Eck questioned whether Bitcoin has “enough encryption” and “enough privacy” in a CNBC interview.Some longtime Bitcoin holders are looking at Zcash’s stronger privacy features, he said.The remarks drew both support from technologists focused on quantum risks and sharp pushback from some long-term ("OG") Bitcoin advocates.Read full story

Bitcoin has recovered slightly from a steep sell-off this week that sent bitcoin spiraling toward $80,000, stoking fears a bitcoin price crash nightmare could be about to come true.

Sign up now for CryptoCodex—A free crypto newsletter that will get you ahead of the market

The bitcoin price sell-off since it soared to a record high of $126,000 per bitcoin just last month sparked warnings of a looming $1 trillion crypto crash.

Now, as U.S. president Donald Trump is predicted to “open the flood gates,” traders are scrambling to adjust to wildly swinging odds of a December Federal Reserve interest rate cut—which have suddenly flipped dovish.

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ForbesEthereum Cofounder Issues Stark BlackRock Warning That Could Spell Disaster For Bitcoin Amid Sudden Price Sell-OffBy Billy Bambrough

Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell is weighing wether to cut interest rates in December—something that could send the bitcoin price sharply higher.

Getty Images

Odds for a 25 basis point rate cut at the Fed’s December meeting have shot up to 70%, climbing from just 39% a day ago, according to the CME FedWatch tracker.

The jump comes after comments soothed market concerns the Fed could leave interest rates on hold next month following stronger than expected jobs data from September.

“I still see room for a further adjustment in the near term to the target range for the federal-funds rate to move the stance of policy closer to the range of neutral,” New York Fed President John Williams told the Wall Street Journal.

"Looking ahead, it is imperative to restore inflation to our 2% longer-run goal on a sustained basis. It is equally important to do so without creating undue risks to our maximum employment goal."

The change in tone from a top Fed official comes after meeting minutes from Fed’s last meeting revealed deep divisions among policy makers and the delayed U.S. jobs data came in hot, drastically reducing the possibility of a third consecutive 25 basis point cut.

Bitcoin and crypto traders have sounded positive notes despite the souring monetary policy backdrop this week, remaining upbeat even as bitcoin charts a near-40% drawdown in just over a month.

“Bitcoin’s plunge from its October highs above $125,000 to now sitting below the $90,000 mark reflects a convergence of headwinds resulting in a sharp risk-off shift,” Nicholas Roberts-Huntley, the chief executive of Blueprint Finance, said via email.

"The downturn has been driven by tariff headlines, a stronger dollar, and a wave of forced liquidations that hit an overstretched market all at once. That said, nothing about the long-term fundamentals has changed. If anything, this kind of reset tends to clear out excess leverage and set the stage for a healthier move higher. Into year-end, I expect bitcoin to stabilize and grind back upward, with a reasonable trading range between the $95,000 and $110,000 benchmarks. If macro conditions ease and flows turn positive again, a strong price push by December is absolutely still on the table.”

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ForbesJPMorgan Just Called The Bitcoin Price Bottom—Predicts Massive $28.3 Trillion Gold Challenge In 2026By Billy Bambrough

The bitcoin price has dropped sharply from its all-time high of $126,000 per bitcoin, with some predicting a bounce back is about to begin.

Forbes Digital Assets

Bitcoin and crypto market watchers have also pointed to the bitcoin price struggles through 2025 as a sign the latest bull market has yet to begin.

“The bear market began in December 2024,” Andreas Brekken, founder of trading platform SideShift.ai, said in emailed comments.

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"This is clear from the BTC/EUR and BTC/GOLD charts. It was disguised by historic inflation levels of the dollar. Now that we’re already seeing blood in the streets and wide-spread capitulation I expect the next bull market to begin in the first quarter of 2026."

Others have named the Fed’s planned ending of its quantitative tightening program, designed to suck liquidity out of the system, as potentially helping to reignite the bitcoin price boom heading into 2026.

“With Fed quantitative tightening ending on December 1, the highs between August-October may prove to be just a midpoint,” Robert Le, head of research at institutional onchain asset and yield management platform Kiln, said via email.

“If bitcoin is decoupling from its programmed cadence, I think the market could be mispricing both upside potential and downside risk, and this may be the first cycle where the peak doesn’t look like a peak.”

Bitcoin mining is undergoing a period of significant strain as the hashprice, a crucial metric for miners, has plummeted to an all-time low while mining difficulty has reached an unprecedented peak. This combination of factors is putting immense pressure on the mining sector, raising concerns about potential capitulations that could reshape the cryptocurrency landscape.

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

The crypto market heads into the final full week of November with a setup that looks nothing like the exhaustion you would expect after two months of pressure and instead resembles one of those rare transition points where historical seasonality, ETF inflows and liquidation imbalances collide to produce conditions traders tend to underestimate until they see the big-time move.

TL;DRDOGE and SHIB show statistical conditions for a "Santa Rally."XRP ETF absorption places a path toward $5 on the table.Bitcoin bulls recaptured $37 million in liquidations despite a tough week.Price history for DOGE and SHIB hints at "Santa Rally" opportunityHistorical seasonality for DOGE and SHIB is one of those things everyone stops talking about until it suddenly becomes relevant again. DOGE, being the older and more "grown-up" meme asset, usually enters December with one of the most reliable year-end patterns on the entire retail side of the market.

CryptoRank’s table shows the same thing every cycle: the November-December block delivers green far more often than it does not, with multiple years printing triple-digit moves or at least very clean recoveries from whatever damage the fall did before that.

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Source: TradingViewThis is important because DOGE spent most of 2025 moving sideways inside a long, dull structure while still managing to keep a year-to-date gain of around 23%. Historically, this exact part of the calendar is where DOGE either snaps upward with a real move or resets just enough to let new capital in, which is exactly what happened last year when it ran for several weeks straight and only cooled off once January arrived.

SHIB has the same timing but a completely different volatility shape. Its extreme month is still October 2021 with that absurd +833.6%, yet even in calmer years the back end of Q4 tends to tilt positive. The Shiba Inu coin is down about 57% this year, which means it does not need much — just a slight improvement in liquidity or a small sentiment shift — to flip into a recovery leg.

Put both charts together and the picture is obvious. DOGE held green across the year, SHIB bled nonstop, but both opened their rally windows at the same moment 12 months ago. That is why the "Santa Rally" idea is being taken seriously again.

XRP to $5? Here's how XRP ETF demand can make it realXRP continues to hold the $1.90 zone, which capped the entire 2021 bull run and has since become one of the main liquidity bases of this cycle. The market has pushed XRP into this area four times this year, and each time, the bounce was fast enough to demonstrate substantial support, rather than the superficial support that traders pretend to care about.

The ETF angle changes the whole structure: spot ETFs could remove 4-5 billion XRP from circulation by the end of the year if inflows continue. Canary Capital picked up more than $281 million worth of XRP in its first week. This means that the next issuers — Franklin Templeton, Grayscale and 21Shares — will likely absorb far more once their products launch.

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Combined, ETF flows could exceed Canary's by roughly tenfold. Under that setup, the path toward $5 becomes the main recovery scenario, not an overly optimistic prediction. A weaker inflow phase keeps XRP near $3.20, while a very strong inflow opens the door to prices above $6.00.

XRP/USD by TradingViewThe chart supports this idea. RSI sits around 37, placing XRP at the lower edge of its long-term channel without breaking any major trend. With the key liquidity floor at $1.90 and ETF demand increasing, XRP enters December with one of the cleanest asymmetric setups in the large-cap group.

Bitcoin bulls trigger $37 million liquidation imbalanceAccording to CoinGlass, Bitcoin saw $56.8 million in liquidations over the last 24 hours, with only $9.85 million coming from longs and everything else hitting shorts, which is a strange outcome considering the asset spent the entire week under pressure, dropped 8.78% at one point and even touched $80,600 before the market caught its breath again.

Despite all the stress, headlines and red candles, bulls still walked away with about $37 million reclaimed through short liquidations, and the price managed to rebound toward $85,900 in the same window, turning what looked like another heavy week into a setup where the lower $80,000 area acts more like a liquidity trap for aggressive shorts than an actual breakdown.

Source: CoinGlassThe overall picture is that short-side pressure is far more fragile than the chart suggests, and the liquidation map reinforces that by showing clusters building exactly where shorts keep entering and getting flushed. Even though Bitcoin still sits inside a difficult environment, this pattern — bullish liquidations into a red weekly structure — rarely comes without some kind of positioning reset under the surface.

Crypto market outlookDOGE and SHIB continue to show seasonal patterns that often lead to cleaner rallies late in the year, XRP reacts more to ETF mechanics than sentiment, and Bitcoin’s liquidation profile leans slightly in favor of buyers even after a tough week. These elements shape the final stretch of November and set the early-December tone.

Bitcoin (BTC): Holding $85,900 rebound while $80,600-$82,000 stays in the liquidity zone. Needs $90,000 to flip bias.XRP: Trading near $2.03-$2.10 after defending $1.90 again. ETF flows keep $2.20-$2.24 as the first upside gate.Shiba Inu (SHIB): Sitting around -57% YTD, any move through $0.00000890-$0.00000900 opens its seasonal recovery window.
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Whales sold 190M XRP in 48 hours, pushing price toward key support. XRP price prediction explores whether the $1.81 level can trigger a Q1 recovery.

Aster’s steady three-week uptrend has been abruptly interrupted as broader market conditions weakened, dragging the altcoin lower. The shift reflects rising bearish pressure across the crypto market, putting Aster at risk of deeper losses. 

However, whale behavior suggests that a full breakdown may still be avoided if their support continues.

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Aster Whales Stand FirmAster’s MACD indicator is signaling a potential shift in momentum.

For the first time, the altcoin is nearing a bearish crossover as the signal line edges closer to moving above the MACD line. This alignment typically marks a transition from bullish to bearish momentum and raises caution among traders.

The histogram reinforces this warning with shrinking bars that indicate fading bullish strength.

As momentum recedes, investor sentiment may shift, making Aster more vulnerable to additional declines. The potential crossover could be Aster’s first major momentum reversal since the uptrend began.

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ASTER MACD. Source: TradingViewDespite weakening indicators, whale activity has remained surprisingly supportive. Over the past week, addresses holding between 1 million and 10 million ASTER accumulated 30 million tokens, worth more than $35 million. This consistent buying helped stabilize price action during earlier volatility.

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Although whale accumulation has paused, these holders have not shifted to selling. Their willingness to hold despite market turbulence provides a critical cushion against sharper losses.

If whales maintain their positions, Aster may avoid a deeper decline, even if market conditions deteriorate further.

Aster Whale Holding. Source: SantimentASTER Price Could RecoverAster trades at $1.18, sitting just below the $1.20 resistance level. The altcoin’s nearly three-week uptrend broke in the last 24 hours, creating uncertainity about the trajectory ahead.

Given the current indicators, Aster could reclaim $1.20 as support and either consolidate below $1.28 or climb toward $1.39. This outlook relies heavily on bullish stability and continued backing from accumulation-heavy investors.

ASTER Price Analysis. Source: TradingViewHowever, if whales reverse course and begin to sell, Aster’s price could fall to $1.07. Losing that level would invalidate the bullish thesis.

This would confirm that bearish momentum has taken control, potentially leading to a deeper correction.

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

Bulls are trying to return to the game on the last day of the week, according to CoinMarketCap.

Top coins by CoinMarketCapXRP/USDThe rate of XRP has risen by almost 7% since yesterday. Over the last week, the price has fallen by 10.44%.

Image by TradingViewOn the hourly chart, the price of XRP is going down after setting a local resistance at $2.0760. If the daily bar closes far from that mark, the correction is likely to continue to the $2 zone.

Image by TradingViewOn the bigger time frame, neither side is dominating as the rate is far from the key support and resistance levels.

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In this case, the sideways trading in the range of $1.90-$2.10 is the more likely scenario over the next few days.

Image by TradingViewFrom the midterm point of view, the situation is similar. If the weekly bar closes near its low, the correction may lead to a test of the $1.50 zone by the end of the month.

XRP is trading at $2.0258 at press time.

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

The rates of most of the coins are rising today, according to CoinStats.

ETH chart by CoinStatsETH/USDThe price of Ethereum (ETH) has gone up by 3.18% over the last 24 hours.

Image by TradingViewOn the hourly chart, the rate of ETH has made a false breakout of the local resistance of $2,834.

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However, if the daily candle closes near that mark or above, the upward move may continue to the $2,900 range soon.

Image by TradingViewOn the bigger time frame, the price of the main altcoin is far from the main levels. The volume has declined, which means traders are unlikely to see sharp moves by the end of the week.

Image by TradingViewFrom the midterm point of view, one should pay attention to the weekly bar closure in terms of the $2,857 level. If a false breakout happens, traders may see a local bounce back to the $3,000-$3,200 zone.

Ethereum is trading at $2,817 at press time.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of PINS 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.

Looking for future "winners" may not be best approach for most investors.

The market's recent decline has undoubtedly rattled many investors. The sell-off hit artificial intelligence (AI) stocks hard as high valuations, massive investments in capital expenditures (capex), and the uncertainty about future rate cuts have undoubtedly weighed on the minds of investors.

Such questions may lead investors to assume that they need to abandon the hottest AI-oriented tech stocks and look to the next round of "winners." Those feelings are understandable, and times like this should prompt a reevaluation of one's holdings. Nonetheless, this is likely a time to hold to time-tested investment principles rather than chase the next hot stocks, and here's why.

Image source: Getty Images.

Where AI stocks stand now
First, investors should remember that the effects of the sell-off are most significant on certain individual stocks. Despite the declines in some of the top AI stocks, the Nasdaq is down by only 7% at the time of this writing. That means it is far short of correction territory, which most analysts define as a drop of 10% or more.

Still, a top AI stock like Nvidia (NVDA 0.97%) may offer a different story. It is down 14% from its high, indicating a correction. Additionally, despite concerns about trading in bubble territory, Palantir Technology's current 25% decline puts it in bear market territory, defined as a decline of 20% or more.

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Instead, the most notable sell-offs have come from smaller stocks, such as CoreWeave, which is down 60% since June. Additionally, the drop in these stocks could easily continue, and investors have not seen any meaningful signs of relief as of the time of this writing.

Interest rate effects
Moreover, most investors had assumed that a December interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve was a near certainty before the central bank wavered on this prospect.

Admittedly, interest rates matter little to some companies. A company like Google parent Alphabet, which holds around $98 billion in liquidity, can afford the staggering $91 billion to $93 billion it plans to spend on capex this year.

However, smaller AI companies such as CoreWeave are in a different situation. It sustained massive losses as it borrowed heavily and spent over $6.2 billion in the first nine months of 2025 on capital expenditures (capex) to meet demand. Thus, if it has to pay higher interest rates than it had anticipated, it could slow a potential recovery.

What investors should do
Given these challenges, investors should probably focus less on finding the next multibagger and instead look for great companies at fair prices, as Warren Buffett advises.

For one, such advice makes sense since we are in a sell-off. If the selling continues, investors could find themselves in a situation where no company fits their definition of a "hot stock."

Furthermore, finding such stocks before the fact is extremely difficult. For example, Nvidia has increased in value by more than 1,400% since October 2022. Still, few could have foreseen its massive success in the AI accelerator market, and likewise, the next hot stock might be just as difficult to find.

Knowing that, investors should consider seeking stocks with the potential to outperform the market rather than looking for the winner. Such an approach may or may not get an investor into a "hot stock," but it increases the likelihood of earning market-beating returns.

Stick to tried-and-true investing principles
Instead of focusing on potential winners, investors should probably follow Buffett's advice and seek great companies at fair prices.

Indeed, we have experienced a significant decline in AI stocks. This could signal the end of the boom or merely a correction.

Nonetheless, this sell-off is probably a sign to stop looking for the next Nvidia or Palantir. Moreover, winners will likely emerge over time, but they are nearly impossible to predict before they start making significant gains.

Ultimately, the approach recommended by Buffett may or may not deliver outsized gains. However, it will increase the likelihood of earning market-beating returns in the long run, a path that should ultimately benefit the investor.

Each breakout from the symmetrical triangle pattern led to sharp upward moves. In 2025, gold reached a new high of $4,380 at the upper boundary of the broadening wedge and then pulled back. This correction is now forming another symmetrical triangle, which appears to be a bullish consolidation pattern.

As the price consolidates between the recent high of $4,380 and the lower levels of $3,900, more short-term patterns may emerge. However, historical behaviour within this structure suggests that these consolidations will likely resolve to the downside. If the price clears the $4,400 level, the next move could bring even stronger volatility, driven by ongoing economic stress and shifts in liquidity.

S&P 500-to-Gold Ratio Breakdown Signals Regime Shift
The changing market dynamics between the S&P 500 and gold are reflected in the S&P 500-to-gold ratio chart below. Historically, a falling ratio has signalled a shift in market leadership from growth-oriented risk assets to defensive real assets, such as gold.

It is observed that the S&P 500-to-gold ratio peaked in 2000, marking a significant low in gold prices and initiating a strong upward cycle in gold. When the ratio bottomed in August 2011, gold reached its all-time high and entered a long-term consolidation phase.

However, the ratio has formed a triple top between 2018 and 2024, evolving into a rounding top pattern. This significant topping structure suggests that the next major move in the ratio is likely to be sharply lower. This breakdown indicates a potential shift in market leadership back toward gold.

These sectors lead the economy into and out of recessions. If job losses continue to decline, it would likely trigger a broader risk-off shift across markets. Historically, these contractions precede downturns, as the multiplier effect of job losses spreads across the economy.

Conclusion: Gold Leads as Capital Rotates to Safety
The divergence between gold and the S&P 500 signals a potential turning point. Equities have retreated from record highs amid tightening liquidity, while gold holds above its long-term support. This contrast reflects growing market caution, with capital increasingly shifting from growth to safety.

Moreover, a declining Treasury General Account may inject liquidity into the system. If the Fed also slows its pace of tightening, market conditions could stabilize. However, risk assets remain vulnerable if macroeconomic uncertainty persists. On the other hand, gold tends to benefit from increased investor fear.

Investor sentiment and job data continue to paint a weak economic picture. Consumer confidence has collapsed to historic lows, while key cyclical sectors are shedding jobs. These developments mirror past environments that favoured gold over equities. As a result, the breakdown in the S&P 500-to-gold ratio signals a broader rotation into hard assets.

Therefore, this is a time to focus on capital preservation. Exposure to defensive assets offers a hedge against inflation, volatility, and policy uncertainty. As market leadership shifts, gold may take on a more prominent role in portfolio strategy.

The recent price action in the gold market shows strong consolidation below the $4,380 level. This consolidation reflects seasonal patterns and builds a positive structure for the next move higher. A breakout above $4,400 would likely trigger a strong rally toward $5,000. Therefore, investors may consider buying on dips ahead of the next leg up.

Where have all the buyers gone, now that Rocket Lab has had a 38% price rollback?

It's been an interesting year for Rocket Lab (RKLB +2.08%) investors.

2025, if you recall, was supposed to be the year that Rocket Lab would conduct its first-ever launch of an orbital-class, medium-lift, reusable rocket that could both launch and land back on Earth: Neutron. As investors anticipated the imminent launch, Rocket Lab's stock price -- well, it rocketed, hitting an intraday high just shy of $74 a share on Oct. 15, and closing north of $69 a share, up 176% since the start of the year.

It's been mostly downhill since.

From Oct. 15 through Nov. 18, Rocket Lab stock lost $26 worth of its value, closing below $43 this past Tuesday. That's a 38% plunge in just over one month. And granted, a lot of the decline happened just last week, after Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck admitted that the company will almost certainly have to delay Neutron's first launch until early 2026 -- but that's not the only reason Rocket Lab is down.

It's also down because... it stopped going up.

Image source: Getty Images.

Rocket Lab was a momentum stock
Rocket Lab became something of a momentum stock this year -- verging on a meme stock.

I say this not to detract from Rocket Lab's successes. Since starting operations eight years ago, Rocket Lab has launched Electron rockets 75 times, mostly to orbit (some were suborbital hypersonic tests for the Department of Defense), and mostly (about 93%) successful. Each passing year sees the company's launch cadence accelerate. Beck himself believes the company will succeed in launching at least 20 times this year, even if Neutron isn't one of them.

Rocket Lab's also scored some successes on the financial front. Although not yet profitable on the bottom line, Rocket Lab has grown its annual revenue 15 times in size over the past five years and flipped from gross losses to gross profits (and a 32% gross profit margin, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence).

Once Neutron begins launching, analysts forecast the company will quickly complete its quest to become profitable on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis, and begin generating positive free cash flow. Currently, 2027 is the target year for achieving both milestones.

And yet, by Beck's own admission, a delay in Neutron flying to 2026 will probably mean a delay in the company's plans to progressively grow the rocket's launch cadence -- and a delay in profitability as well. While a tiny setback in the grand scheme of things, Rocket Lab stock was priced for perfection before news of the delay broke.

And now that it has broken, Rocket Lab's stock price momentum has broken as well.

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What this means for investors
This won't come as a huge surprise to the smart money analysts who kept on telling ordinary investors like you and me -- the "dumb money" in this market -- to keep on buying Rocket Lab stock even as it soared to irrationally exuberant heights. It didn't take a genius to realize that, at a market capitalization 63 times its annual sales pre-earnings, Rocket Lab stock had become priced for perfection and was due for a pullback.

What is kind of surprising is that, now that Rocket Lab stock has hit its inevitable stumble, and now that the share price has fallen 38%, more Wall Street analysts aren't putting their reputations where their ratings are, and urging investors to take advantage of the buying opportunity.

Why might that be? Doesn't the stock's huge post-earnings haircut mean it is now safe to buy Rocket Lab?

Unfortunately, no. I mean, just look at the numbers. With $555 million in trailing sales and a stock valued at nearly $23 billion, Rocket Lab still sells for a very rich price-to-sales multiple of 40. It's still unprofitable and, with Neutron delayed, its profitability has also probably been delayed by a year. In a situation like this, with momentum having also broken, doubling down on a buy rating could prove doubly embarrassing for any analyst who risks it.

As for me, as a longtime Rocket Lab shareholder, I remain a huge fan of Rocket Lab's business, and I feel no real need to sell the stock I own.

I just won't be buying any more shares, not until Rocket Lab earns its first profit -- or gets even cheaper than it already is today.

This player offers investors stability and growth.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Warren Buffett has impressed the financial world with his investment skills for nearly 60 years. As chairman and chief executive officer, he's helped guide Berkshire Hathaway to market-beating gains over that time period -- with a compounded annual increase of almost 20% compared with a 10% such increase for the S&P 500.

So, it's easy to understand why, when Buffett makes a move, investors take note – and sometimes follow along. The billionaire today is close to retirement as he aims to hand over the CEO hat to Greg Abel, currently vice-chairman of non-insurance operations, at the start of 2026. But in his final months on the job, he's made a significant move, scooping up a $3.4 trillion-dollar stock that makes a great buy before any potential market crash. Let's check out Buffett's best move yet.

Image source: Getty Images.

The S&P 500's recent performance
First, though, an important note: Though the S&P 500 has pared some of its gains in recent weeks, the index still is heading for a double-digit increase this year. And though investors have worried about slower-than-expected interest rate cuts or the possibility of an artificial intelligence (AI) bubble on the horizon, we haven't seen signs of a market crash ahead.

But, regardless of the current environment, it's always important to prepare your portfolio for a future crash. That's because the market passes through bull and bear cycles, and over time, crashes do occur. I have two pieces of good news for you, though: The S&P 500 always has recovered and gone on to thrive after a crash, and there are ways to reinforce your portfolio to limit potential damage during tough moments.

One way to prepare for such an event is through buying shares of quality companies with established businesses and solid long-term prospects. In the event of a crash, these players may suffer somewhat, but they have what it takes to manage the difficult times and quickly rebound as the environment improves.

Buffett's latest move
Buffett, during the third quarter of this year, added one such player to Berkshire Hathaway's holdings. I'm talking about Alphabet (GOOGL +3.50%) (GOOG +3.33%), owner of the world's top search engine, Google Search, and cloud computing business, Google Cloud.

Alphabet has delivered many years of earnings growth to investors and established itself as a leader in these two business areas.

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Buffett is known for appreciating companies with solid moats, or competitive advantages, and he's surely recognized Alphabet's. This is in the form of leadership in the search business. Google Search has steadily held about 90% market share worldwide and even entered our vocabulary as we often say we're going to "Google" something.

Importantly, advertising across the Google platform drives Alphabet's revenue, and here's some more good news: Alphabet's push into AI is improving Google Search and the advertising experience, and this should keep advertisers spending here.

The promise of growth
Meanwhile, Alphabet also offers investors the promise of growth through its cloud business. Google Cloud is benefiting from the AI boom as it offers customers access to top AI products and services. In the recent quarter, the cloud business saw revenue jump 34% to more than $15 billion. And since demand is high for AI capacity, something that Google Cloud provides, we could see this growth continue throughout the phases of the AI boom.

Buffett's purchase of Alphabet surprised investors since he isn't one to invest in many tech companies. But this player offers key elements the billionaire likes, such as the moat I mentioned above and well-run businesses that have proven themselves. On top of this, Alphabet might have won over Buffett for its value – the company's valuation is very reasonable, and some might even call it cheap.

During the quarter of Buffett's purchase, it traded from about 17x forward earnings estimates to about 23x estimates. Valuation has since climbed to 27x estimates, but even at this level, the stock remains reasonably priced.

All of this means Buffett's best move -- getting in on Alphabet recently -- is one to follow. This top stock is a secure player to own during tough times, such as during a crash, and during better times, it may help power your portfolio higher.

Concerns about the steep valuations of artificial intelligence (AI) stocks and a questionable outlook for an interest rate cut in December weighed on investor sentiment in recent trading sessions. For now, however, Nvidia's solid earnings last week seemed to undermine the idea that everything tied to AI investment is in a bubble.

Investors looking to capitalize on the recent selloff and pick up some attractive stocks for the long term can track the recommendations of top Wall Street analysts. These experts can help provide key insights into a company's growth potential.

Here are three stocks favored by the Street's top pros, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance.

MicrosoftWindows and Xbox owner Microsoft (MSFT) is viewed as one of the major beneficiaries of the AI boom. Last month, the company reported better-than-expected results in its fiscal first quarter, with revenue from the Azure cloud business growing by 40%.

Recently, Baird analyst William Power initiated coverage on Microsoft with a buy rating and a price target of $600. TipRanks' AI Analyst is also optimistic on MSFT, giving it an "outperform" rating and a price target of $628.

"Microsoft is leading the AI revolution with infrastructure and applications, aided by its OpenAI relationship, providing an end-to-end AI platform for enterprises and consumers alike," said Power, explaining his optimism.

Power sees MSFT's partnership with ChatGPT parent OpenAI as a key differentiator, helping it run AI at scale and speed. The 5-star analyst said that after a commitment to invest $13 billion, Microsoft recently announced an incremental $250 billion Azure investment over several years.

The analyst discussed the impressive growth in MSFT's total revenue and Azure business in the September quarter, with the cloud business now constituting 60% of the overall top line. Power also highlighted the strength in Microsoft's core applications, including Microsoft 365, LinkedIn and Dynamics. He noted that MSFT's revenue growth in Q1 FY26 was accompanied by a solid operating margin of 49% and free cash flow margin of 33%. Microsoft's strong margins are ensuring continued double-digit EPS growth, he said.

Power believes in Microsoft's near- and long-term potential, despite any immediate pressure stemming from AI capital spending concerns.

Power ranks No. 287 among more than 10,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been successful 57% of the time, delivering an average return of 17%. See Microsoft Ownership Structure on TipRanks.

Booking HoldingsOnline travel agent (OTA) Booking Holdings (BKNG) is another pick this week. The Priceline and Kayak owner posted impressive third-quarter results, with double-digit gains in gross bookings and revenue.

Impressed by the Q3 performance and attractive valuation, Wedbush analyst Scott Devitt upgraded BKNG to buy from hold with a price targe of $6,000. By comparison, TipRanks' AI Analyst has a "neutral" rating on Booking Holdings with a price target of $5,406.

"Booking remains the best-positioned OTA in our view," benefiting from several positives, from the company's scale and diversification to solid liquidity to free cash flow conversion, Devitt said.

The top-rated analyst also noted management's impressive history of successfully executing major strategic initiatives. Devitt highlighted Booking Holdings' widening market share in alternative lodging while optimizing costs and driving efficiencies. The company's cost savings are supporting reinvestment in growth initiatives to achieve longer-term targets, he said.

Additionally, Devitt discussed Booking's impressive growth across key metrics in the third quarter amid better-than-anticipated global travel demand. Third-quarter gross bookings growth of 14% surpassed management's guidance by 400 basis points, the analyst said. ASs a result, Devitt raised his 2025 gross bookings growth estimate by 100 basis points from his prior forecast, to 11.5%. Further, he expects BKNG to report adjusted EBITDA of $9.8 billion, reflecting year-over-year margin expansion of about 180 basis points.

Devitt ranks No. 660 among more than 10,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 50% of the time, delivering an average return of 12.3%. See Booking Holdings Financials on TipRanks. 

DoorDashDevitt also upgraded his rating for food delivery platform DoorDash (DASH) to buy from hold with a price target of $260. TipRanks' AI Analyst rates DoorDash "neutral" with a price target of $211.

DASH shares took a hit when the company announced mixed third-quarter results and said it expects to spend "several hundred million dollars" on new initiatives and development in 2026.

Devitt believes that the pullback in DASH shares presents an attractive risk/reward opportunity, with the stock now trading at about 17.7x his 2027 adjusted EBITDA estimate. The Wedbush analyst noted that the post earnings selloff was mainly due to concerns about the level of capital spending and pressured profit margins.

Devitt admits that the higher level of spending will hurt near-term margins, but argues such investments in growth initiatives are warranted given that they'll expand DASH's addressable market and bolster its product offerings.

Specifically, Devitt highlighted management's plans to direct incremental investments toward three key areas: "(1) creating a cohesive global tech platform, (2) building new verticals and products, and (3) scaling geographic expansion."

Overall, Devitt is bullish on DoorDash, believing it has held a dominant position in the U.S. food delivery sector. Moreover, he noted the company's solid execution across strategic initiatives as management pushes for long-term sustainable growth. See DoorDash Hedge Fund Activity on TipRanks.

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.

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Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of LB, TPL, AM 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.