Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Nate Geraci, an influential figure in the ETF analysis space, highlighted a shift in Washington’s cryptocurrency debate this week. The central issue for policymakers, he noted, has moved beyond whether digital assets will enter the financial mainstream, focusing instead on how their integration will be structured. For XRP, the digital asset developed by Ripple Labs for global payments, these regulatory nuances are especially significant due to its complex legal journey in the United States.

Debate shifts toward system architectureEchoing Kristin Smith, President of the Solana Policy Institute, Geraci explained that current regulatory discussions now revolve around constructing the architecture for crypto’s potential coexistence or integration with established financial systems. This shift comes as the CLARITY Act nears a decisive Senate procedural vote on Sept. 15, while federal bodies continue updating crypto rules even before formal legislative decisions are made.

This two-track strategy stands out for XRP because of its unique progression through the U.S. regulatory landscape compared to many other digital assets.

Geraci summarized: Policymakers are no longer fixated on whether crypto should become a part of traditional finance. Attention is now on the framework that will govern its role in the system.

Impact of court decisions and legislative provisionsRipple Labs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission put an end to their respective appeals in August 2025, establishing the district court’s final judgment as authoritative. District Judge Analisa Torres ruled that Ripple’s programmatic sales of XRP did not constitute unregistered securities transactions, although certain institutional sales did fall under existing securities law.

A crucial discussion point for XRP is the proposed Section 105 in the Senate’s draft legislation. If adopted, this provision would restrict the SEC’s jurisdiction when a non-appealable U.S. court judgment, pre-dating the law, determines a digital asset is not a security.

However, legal analysts caution that the impact of this clause has limits. Judge Torres’s findings applied specifically to certain types of XRP transactions, rather than issuing a blanket determination for all sales of the token. As a result, debates about the security status of XRP continue and remain closely tied to the specific circumstances of each transaction.

This uncertainty keeps the institutional infrastructure question at the forefront of the discussion regarding XRP’s place in regulated markets.

SEC proposals and technological integrationOn Sept. 1, the SEC introduced its first significant update in decades to transfer-agent regulations, specifically acknowledging the role of blockchain technology in securities offerings and share transfers. Transfer agents manage crucial elements of U.S. securities settlement and ownership, positioning them at the center of market operations.

Coinpaper analyzed the intersection of these proposed blockchain-focused transfer-agent rules with both Ripple and the XRP Ledger’s expanding tokenization infrastructure.

For Ripple and the XRP Ledger, these developments align with ongoing efforts to expand into tokenization, institutional custody, stablecoin strategies, and broader financial infrastructure. XRP-linked investment vehicles, such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), are also becoming more common within regulated finance circles.

Mini dictionary: Transfer agents, in finance, are responsible for maintaining records of investors and facilitating securities transfers, settlements, and ownership changes for corporations and funds.

EventDateXRP ImpactProgrammatic sales not securitiesDistrict Court, 2025FavorableSEC transfer-agent rule proposalSept. 1, 2025Expands blockchain recognitionXRP price movementSept. 3, 2025$1.32 (down 2%)XRP market response and outlookRipple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has maintained that passing the CLARITY Act could eliminate a significant regulatory obstacle for the XRP ecosystem, paving the way for broader adoption by institutional investors and financial platforms.

Despite these policy developments, the immediate effect on XRP’s market value has been limited. XRP traded at approximately $1.32 on Wednesday, representing a decline of nearly 2% on the day and about 9% from its August 27 level of $1.45.

While policy shifts promise long-term clarity, current market sentiment suggests that traders and investors do not view them as immediate drivers for XRP price action.

Industry participants see Washington’s focus evolving from existential questions of whether crypto belongs in traditional finance, to the logistical challenges of shaping its regulated participation. For XRP, the main regulatory milestone ahead centers on solidifying the structures through which it can function within established U.S. markets, rather than debating its eligibility for access.

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for 3D Systems (DDD - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 7.6% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is 3D Systems due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent catalysts for 3D Systems Corporation before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.

DDD Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Strong Printer Sales Aid Top Line3D Systems reported a second-quarter 2026 non-GAAP loss of 4 cents per share, narrower than the year-ago loss of 6 cents and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 55.56%.

Revenues slipped 0.3% year over year to $94.6 million but surpassed the consensus mark by 0.48%. Double-digit growth in metal and polymer printer systems, along with strength in key healthcare and industrial markets, supported the quarter.

Adjusted for software divestitures completed in 2025, total revenues increased 1.4% year over year. The improvement reflected accelerating sales of newly launched printers as customers expanded their use of additive manufacturing across production applications.

DDD’s Printer Sales Support Core GrowthProduct revenues rose 1.9% year over year to $54.8 million, while services revenues declined 3.2% to $39.7 million. 3D Systems highlighted double-digit growth in both metal and polymer hardware printer systems, underscoring improving demand for the company’s refreshed equipment portfolio.

Healthcare Solutions revenues increased 6.8% year over year to $48.1 million, making the segment the company’s largest business during the reported quarter. Growth was driven primarily by higher sales of new printer systems in Med Tech and continued expansion in Personalized Healthcare Services.

Med Tech revenues grew more than 20%, while Dental revenues increased 3%. Management said customers in these markets continued adopting 3D printing as a core manufacturing technology and broadening the range of applications deployed.

However, Industrial Solutions revenues declined 6.7% year over year to $46.5 million. Excluding the impact of software divestitures, the segment’s revenues decreased 3.7% year over year, reflecting the exit of a non-core product offering and lower hardware services revenues. Sequentially, Industrial revenues increased 2.4% on higher product sales.

Aerospace & Defense and Data Center Infrastructure each delivered growth of more than 20%, helping offset weakness elsewhere in the portfolio. Aerospace & Defense remained the company’s largest industrial market.

3D Systems’ Margin Pressure Offsets Cost CutsGross profit fell to $34.5 million from $36.2 million reported in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin contracted 170 basis points (bps) to 36.4%, while non-GAAP gross margin excluding software divestitures declined 150 bps to 36.7%.

The margin decline reflected a greater mix of printer sales and certain pricing pressures. These headwinds were partly offset by approximately $2.6 million in tariff refunds recovered during the quarter.

Operating expenses decreased 12.4% year over year to $45.1 million. Research and development expenses dropped to $10 million from $17.4 million, while selling, general and administrative expenses increased to $35.1 million from $34.1 million.

Adjusted EBITDA improved to a loss of $0.8 million from a loss of $4.7 million on a comparable basis. Prior cost-reduction measures and tariff refunds supported the improvement.

3D Systems Strengthens Its Liquidity PositionTotal cash stood at $129 million at June 30, including $128 million in cash and cash equivalents.

The company has $3.9 million of debt principal maturing in the fourth quarter of 2026, with the remaining $92 million due in 2030.

DDD Issues Third-Quarter OutlookFor the third quarter of 2026, 3D Systems expects revenues between $96 million and $99 million. The range is above the second-quarter revenue level and points to continued momentum from new printer introductions and priority end markets.

Adjusted EBITDA is projected between a loss of $3 million and a loss of $1 million. Management remains focused on Med Tech, Dental, Aerospace & Defense and Data Center Infrastructure, all of which recorded growth exceeding 20% during the first half of 2026.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?It turns out, fresh estimates have trended upward during the past month.

The consensus estimate has shifted 26.09% due to these changes.

VGM ScoresCurrently, 3D Systems has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a bit on the Momentum Score front with a C. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock has a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for value investors.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

OutlookEstimates have been trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Notably, 3D Systems has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

A Close Call for Cardano GovernanceCardano (@cardano) has narrowly avoided a significant governance disruption after its Constitutional Committee renewal vote passed both required thresholds. DReps backed the update with 71.4% support, clearing the 67% threshold, while Stake Pool Operator (SPO) support reached 56.3%, surpassing the required 51%.

The stakes were high. Four of the committee's seven seats were set to expire at Epoch 653, and Intersect warned that a failed vote would reduce the committee to just three members, below the protocol's minimum size of five. That outcome would have effectively stalled most major on-chain governance actions, including treasury withdrawals, protocol parameter changes, hard fork initiations, and constitutional amendments, until the committee was rebuilt above the minimum threshold.

The renewal action, formally titled "Update Constitutional Committee 2026," was submitted on-chain on July 31 following an independently audited election. The four incoming members were elected through that community process and were ready to take their seats pending the on-chain vote.

Participation Concerns RemainWhile the outcome secured governance continuity, the margin on the SPO side exposed a structural weakness. Non-participating stake created most of the drag on approval, as uncast SPO votes count against ratification under Cardano's governance rules. The SPO threshold was cleared by a slim margin, pointing to a persistent participation gap that the community will need to address in future governance cycles.

The result keeps Cardano's three-pillar governance structure, comprising DReps, SPOs, and the Constitutional Committee, intact and functioning. The new members are set to serve terms running through Epoch 799, the maximum 146-epoch term permitted under the protocol.

Sources:
CryptoSlate: Cardano clears key voting thresholds for constitutional committee renewal
CryptoSlate: Cardano had two weeks to avoid a governance freeze
CryptoRank: Cardano governance freeze risk explained

USDT0, the infrastructure that brings Tether's USDT to every network, is now live on Stellar using the LayerZero OFT standard. The Stellar ecosystem can now tap into the same deep, global liquidity pool shared across LayerZero-connected blockchain ecosystems. To build on Stellar with LayerZero, visit Developers or reach out to the team.

Stellar moves money in seconds, charges less than a tenth of a cent per transaction, and reaches cash-to-crypto ramps across over 180 countries. For more than a decade, the network has powered cross-border payments, aid distribution, and consumer financial services where reliability and cost control matter as much as throughput.

What Stellar hasn't had until now is dollar liquidity that behaves the same way across every network it touches. Moving USDT cross-chain meant custodial bridges, wrapped representations, and fragmented supply.

Now, the LayerZero endpoint is live on Stellar, and USDT0 is the first asset to deploy on it.

USDT0 is Now Live on Stellar Built on the OFT Standard, USDT0 maintains a single unified supply backed 1:1 by USDT. From day one, Stellar participants can now tap into the same deep, global liquidity pool shared across LayerZero-connected blockchain ecosystems. USDT0 has transferred over $100B of value lifetime across LayerZero rails.

Rather than introducing another bridged or wrapped representation, the deployment anchors USDT0 directly within Stellar's asset model while connecting it to the same unified liquidity framework used across other major ecosystems. For Stellar, this is less about adding a new stablecoin and more about upgrading how liquidity behaves.

"Stellar has spent years proving that payments infrastructure can be fast, cheap, and global without sacrificing reliability," said Lorenzo R., Co-Founder of USDT0. "What it hasn't had until now is dollar liquidity that behaves the same way across every network it touches. That's the problem USDT0 solves. Every payment firm, fintech, and treasury operation on Stellar can now draw from the same $190+ billion in USDT liquidity that the rest of the world is already building on, without friction or fragmentation."

"Stellar has been trusted to power cross-border payments for more than a decade," said Denelle Dixon, CEO and Executive Director of the Stellar Development Foundation. "The addition of USDT0 to the Stellar ecosystem strengthens the network's industry-leading payments stack."

Stellar is Built for Where USDT is Already Used USDT has a deep global footprint, used widely in fast-growing markets across Latin America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, the very regions where Stellar has spent years building payments infrastructure. With USDT0 now on Stellar, users in these regions can move the stablecoin they already trust on infrastructure purpose-built for it: sub-cent fees, five-second transaction finality, and on/off-ramp coverage across 180+ countries.

The LayerZero OFT standard streamlines onchain experiences for asset issuer developers by eliminating the need for intermediary bridges or wrapped assets, so builders benefit from reduced complexity and operational overhead. Critically, asset issuers using the OFT standard get this benefit while simultaneously maintaining the customization and control they need for robust ongoing operations. The result is simpler treasury management, cleaner payment flows, and one less conversion standing between you and your end users.

For exchanges, that means offering USDT0 deposits, transfers and withdrawals on rails that settle in seconds for fractions of a cent, with no destination-chain liquidity to bootstrap. For wallets and fintechs, it means giving users in USDT-dominant markets across Latin America, Africa, and Asia a way to send, receive, and hold the asset they already prefer, while enterprises and PSPs can settle with counterparties in USDT0 and manage USDC, EURC, and USDT0 in a single treasury integration on one network.

Dollar value can now flow across chains while settling on an execution layer that has been battle-tested in production. Start at Developers or reach out to the team.

About LayerZero LayerZero is where finance and the internet converge. It makes any token or application compatible with every type of blockchain. From protocols to institutional asset issuers, organizations use LayerZero to build, issue, and scale digital assets and products. It connects 170+ blockchains, processes millions of messages per year, and powers billions in value transfer. Trusted by Tether, PayPal USD, Ethena, Ondo, and more, LayerZero is the standard for building on blockchains.

Key Takeaways Sezzle adds Gymshark, Debenhams Group and Follett to expand its merchant network.Follett gives Sezzle access to 7.5 million students across more than 1,000 college retail stores.Active subscribers rose 76.4% year over year, while purchase frequency increased to 7.2 times. Sezzle, Inc. (SEZL - Free Report) expands its merchant network with three additions: Gymshark, Debenhams Group and Follett Higher Education. Gymshark now offers Sezzle at U.S. checkout, while Debenhams Group has enabled Sezzle across five brands, including Debenhams, boohoo, MAN, PrettyLittleThing and Karen Millen. Follett has rolled out Sezzle across its campus retail network, with online availability coming soon.

The Follett deal gives Sezzle exposure to more than 7.5 million students across over 1,000 college retail stores, an important channel for back-to-school spending. Debenhams broadens Sezzle's reach among fashion, home and beauty shoppers, while Gymshark adds exposure to a large fitness-focused audience.

For investors, the question is whether recognizable brands can turn checkout visibility into wider consumer use. These additions adress a range of spending needs, from activewear and fashion to textbooks and technology. That mix creates more entry points for shoppers who may not have encountered Sezzle at checkout.

The expansion follows an active second-quarter 2026. Sezzle had already added Poshmark, Gymshark, Debenhams, Brookshire's Food & Pharmacy and RockAuto.com as enterprise merchants. Active subscribers reached 854,000, up 76.4% year over year, while average purchase frequency rose to 7.2 times from 6.1 times in second-quarter 2025.

Management said On-Demand is helping Sezzle offer more competitive pricing to cost-sensitive merchants, contributing to a stronger enterprise sales funnel. Separately, the company reported strong company-wide growth in the second quarter, with gross merchandise volume rising 37.9% to $1.3 billion and revenues increasing 51.7% to $149.7 million. Management also said case studies indicate that adding a second or third BNPL provider can generate incremental sales for merchants.

How Are Its Competitors Faring?Block (XYZ - Free Report) expanded its Cash App merchant network in June 2026 as Afterpay and Cash App Pay were added at new retailers, including Instacart, Sweetgreen, Shoe Carnival, Monday Swimwear and GlassesUSA. The rollout broadened Block’s checkout presence across grocery, fashion, dining, mobility and services.

Affirm (AFRM - Free Report) expanded its Shopify partnership to Australia merchant in August 2026, launching Shop Pay Installments for eligible Australian Shopify merchants. Powered exclusively by Affirm, the service marks the company’s return to Australia and expands its international distribution. As of June 30, 2026, Affirm reported approximately 571,000 active merchants globally.

SEZL’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Sezzle have outperformed in the past six months compared with the broader industry and the S&P 500 Index.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, Sezzle’s shares have a Value Score of D. In terms of forward 12-month P/E, SEZL stock is trading at 18.48X, which is at a discount to the Zacks Financial Transaction Services Market industry’s 18.89X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Sezzle’s estimate revisions reflect a positive trend. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for full-year 2026 EPS has been revised upward to $5.24 in the past month. The consensus estimate for the metric indicates a year-over-year increase of 45.96%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Sezzle currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) said on September 1 that it is leading the Series C equity raise for Félix, the WhatsApp-based remittance platform that settles most of its transfers in USDC. The announcement, published on the a16z crypto blog and authored by partners Ali Yahya and Noah Levine, is the venture firm’s latest bet on stablecoin-powered cross-border payments. Félix is aimed squarely at the U.S.-to-Latin America corridor, where much of the money still moves through costly, cash-heavy networks.

A WhatsApp-First Companion for Cross-Border Payments Félix, founded by Manuel Godoy and Bernardo García, describes itself as an AI financial companion that recreates the comfort of a trusted local banker inside WhatsApp, the dominant messaging app across Latin America. Its conversational AI agent handles onboarding, transaction processing, and customer support, while the company settles most transactions in USDC and converts to local currency through a network of payout partners. Customers never interact with crypto directly, according to the firm.

Eight Billion Dollars Processed and Six Million Users The startup reports it has processed more than $8 billion and now serves six million people across eleven markets, with most new users arriving through word of mouth rather than paid marketing. The founders, who met as MBA students at Wharton and are both immigrants, built the product around a corridor where sending money can still cost about 5% of a transfer, adding up to billions of dollars in annual friction. Around $161 billion was remitted to Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024, roughly 80% of it from the U.S., according to the announcement. Félix is part of a wider push into stablecoin remittances that has drawn payments and compliance firms alike.

Beyond Remittances Into Credit and Savings a16z frames remittances as the first act of a larger opportunity. Félix plans to layer credit and savings products onto its existing relationships, targeting a U.S. Latino population that generates roughly $4 trillion in annual economic output yet remains underserved by traditional finance. Stablecoin rails, the firm argues, make it cheaper and faster to add lending, savings, and yield products than through the legacy banking system, as stablecoin payment rails keep drawing capital. The round’s size was not disclosed in the announcement.

AUTHOR

Kester is an experienced freelance content writer. His focus is primarily on blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. One might even refer to him as a "blockchain enthusiast." He has been following advancements in the crypto and blockchain area for several years, researching and writing his insights in the media. In addition to being a skilled content writer, Mushumir is also knowledgeable in SEO and digital marketing. He aspires to succeed as a content creator in the digital realm, dealing with customers in the finance and tech industries to generate traffic through engaging taglines and content. Mushumir enjoys traveling, reading, and playing cricket when he is not writing. He now works as a news and article writer for BlockchainReporter.

Key Takeaways IREN's June-quarter mining revenues fell to $66.7M as AI Cloud revenues climbed to $70.5M.IREN expects mining to be effectively decommissioned by the end of December 2026.IREN targets over $4B in AI Cloud annualized run-rate revenues by the December quarter. IREN Limited’s (IREN - Free Report) exit from Bitcoin mining is moving faster than AI Cloud revenues can replace it. In the June quarter, total revenues fell to $137.2 million from $144.8 million sequentially as mining revenues dropped to $66.7 million from $111.2 million, while AI Cloud revenues rose to $70.5 million from $33.6 million.

The shift is clear across the full fiscal year, with AI Cloud revenues climbing to $128.8 million from $16.4 million a year earlier, roughly eightfold, while Bitcoin mining still contributed $578.2 million. Management expects mining operations to be effectively decommissioned by the end of December 2026, speeding the revenue mix change.

That exit carries a cost. IREN posted a $684 million fourth-quarter net loss, driven by $450.4 million of non-cash impairments tied to decommissioned mining hardware, plus a $102.1 million reduction in the fair value of mining equipment held for sale. Charges reflect the cost of converting sites for AI Cloud.

The AI business is scaling quickly. IREN says operating annualized run-rate revenues have reached about $1 billion and expects more than $4 billion by the December quarter, already under contract. Horizon 1, a 50 MW deployment for Microsoft, is live, with Horizons 2 through 4 targeted for delivery in the December 2026 quarter.

However, timing is the main test. Much of December capacity is expected to arrive late, so reported revenues should benefit mainly in March. Full fiscal year 2027 capital spending is guided at $25 billion to $30 billion, making financing and GPU delivery key variables.

IREN’s Peers Accelerate AI Shift as Mining Revenues FadeCipher Digital Inc. (CIFR - Free Report) is making a shift from Bitcoin mining toward contracted HPC infrastructure. Cipher Digital reported $24.8 million of second-quarter mining revenues, down from $43.6 million a year earlier, while Black Pearl began generating HPC rent in August. Cipher Digital also targets September delivery at Barber Lake, accelerating revenue diversification.

TeraWulf Inc. (WULF - Free Report) is further along in the transition, with HPC already dominating its revenue mix. TeraWulf generated $31.9 million of HPC lease revenues in the second quarter versus $12.8 million from digital assets. TeraWulf also secured a 20-year, $19 billion Anthropic lease, while Kentucky approved 482 MW for its Justified campus.

IREN’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of IREN have declined 2.5% so far in the year, underperforming the S&P 500 composite but better than the broader industry. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

In terms of forward 12-month Price/Sales (P/S), IREN is currently trading at 3.65X, which is at a premium to the industry average of 2.58X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Estimates for IREN’s fiscal 2027 and 2028 earnings have been revised downward in the past 60 days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Currently, IREN carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Key Takeaways Celestica sees strong AI infrastructure demand, with Enterprise revenue rising 167% in Q2 2026.CLS expects 1.6T programs with two hyperscalers to enter mass production in Q3 2026.Celestica's operating cash flow rose to $410.9 million, while free cash flow climbed 22.7%. Earnings estimates for Celestica Inc. (CLS - Free Report) for fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027 have moved up 11.42% to $11.32 and 30.21% to $19.01, respectively, over the past 60 days. The positive estimate revision depicts bullish sentiments about the stock’s growth potential.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

CLS Gains from AI Infrastructure Demand, Portfolio StrengthThe proliferation of AI-based applications is expanding demand for Celestica's data communications and information processing infrastructure. In the second quarter of 2026, Enterprise revenues rose 167%, driven by the accelerated ramp of a hyperscaler AI/ML compute program, while 800G switching continued to scale. The company expects mass production of 1.6T programs with two hyperscalers to begin in the third quarter of 2026, with 10 active programs expected to ramp through 2027.

The company will manufacture advanced AI racks developed in collaboration with Broadcom to support OpenAI's custom accelerator roadmap. Initial deliveries are expected later in 2026, with mass production scheduled for 2027.

AMD is broadening its AI infrastructure offerings with the planned Helios platform. Celestica is playing an important role as a design and manufacturing partner for the platform.

Celestica’s comprehensive portfolio spanning communications, cloud, aerospace and defense, industrial and healthcare markets strengthens its business model by making it less vulnerable to downturn in any single market. Its strong focus on product diversification and high-value markets is supported by R&D, engineering and advanced manufacturing capabilities. This allows the company to maintain its competitive edge in a highly competitive electronics manufacturing services industry where it faces competition from major players such as Jabil, Inc. (JBL - Free Report) , Sanmina Corporation (SANM - Free Report) and Flex.

Healthy Cash Flow and Strong Balance Sheet are PositivesCash provided by operating activities increased to $410.9 million from $152.4 million in the year-ago quarter, supported by stronger earnings despite higher working capital requirements tied to rapid growth. Free cash flow was $147.1 million, up 22.7% year over year.

As of the second quarter of 2026, Celestica’s current ratio stands at 1.23. A current ratio more than 1 implies that the company is well positioned to pay off its short-term debt obligations.

Price PerformanceCelestica shares have declined 1% in the past year against the Electronics - Manufacturing Services industry’s growth of 20.3%. The stock has underperformed the Zacks Computer & Technology sector and the S&P 500 during the same time frame.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The company has underperformed its peers like Jabil and Sanmina. Shares of Jabil have jumped 31.2%, and shares of Sanmina have risen 24.9%.

Key Valuation Metric of CLSFrom a valuation standpoint, CLS is currently trading at a discount compared to the industry. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 17.75 forward 12-month earnings, lower than 18.08 for the industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

End NoteCLS is witnessing solid momentum across several end markets backed by its robust portfolio. Growing investments in AI infrastructure are driving expansion of Celestica's AI compute business. CLS expects AI-related demand to remain a significant contributor to growth in the coming quarter. The company’s strong liquidity better positions it to navigate economic downturns and capitalize on emerging growth opportunities. Celestica’s expanding client base and growing collaboration with tech giants such as Broadcom, AMD and OpenAI bring a multi-billion-dollar revenue-generating opportunity in the next several years. Hence, with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Celestica appears to be a good investment option at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The September 9 launch must defend a franchise supplying nearly half of Apple's quarterly revenue. Summary

Apple needs product excitement that converts into premium pricing.

Apple AAPL, the consumer-technology and digital-services powerhouse, slipped roughly 0.4% to $323.91 Wednesday as the clock ticks toward its September 9 product event. New iPhones will grab the headlines. But speculation around Apple's first foldable model could be the catalyst investors really care about.

Apple is not walking into this launch cold. Its third-quarter results packed real firepower: revenue soared 16% to $109.42 billion, while earnings per share surged 29% to $2.02. The company's financial statements showed iPhone revenue reaching $54.25 billion. That is nearly half of Apple's entire quarterly revenue machine.

Now the pressure is on. A foldable iPhone could crack open a lucrative premium market and spark a fresh upgrade wave—but Apple must nail the hardware, software and supply chain. The valuation snapshot shows the stock trading at $323.91, a hefty 13.91% above its $284.36 GF Value. Investors are already paying for excitement. Apple now needs to deliver it.

Disclosures I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and have no plans to buy any new positions in the stocks mentioned within the next 72 hours.

Click for the complete disclosure

Uber drivers have launched a landmark legal action against the ride-hailing company claiming they live in “constant fear” of a “soulless” algorithm it uses to set pay and allocate jobs.

Drivers from the UK, the Netherlands and other countries have joined the compensation claim that could run into billions of dollars. It alleges an AI-powered pay-setting system breaches data protection laws and pushes down their earnings.

The claim has been filed at Amsterdam’s district court, where the $150bn (£111bn) San Francisco tech company has its European HQ. It is the first collective legal move of its kind, according to the European Trade Union Confederation.

The case centres on an opaque “black box” algorithm fed on information about drivers, which sets a personalised rate for each ride. Drivers fear it pushes down fares to the minimum they are willing to accept.

Drivers have told the Guardian the algorithm has offered the same job to different people at different pay rates and offers them less for a return journey after a long trip because it calculates they will not want to come home empty.

“It is like someone watching you all the time and knowing about your weakness – the boss is the algorithm,” said Mohammed Shirwa, a 41-year-old Uber driver in Rotterdam. “All the time the algorithm is learning about you and what you are willing to accept. So the prices go low but you are stuck. It knows you need the job.”

Kola Oba, from Tottenham in north London, claims Uber exploits information it collects about him to push down fares.Kola Oba, who calls the algorithm “soulless”, was taking a break in Tottenham, north London, with another driver when they were offered the same job.

The other driver was offered £27 and Oba was offered £23. The pair suspected it was because Oba, 48, had taken several cheap jobs and the AI assumed he would accept a lower price. Uber has previously said such discrepancies were down to other features of its system including GPS, surge pricing, promotions and testing.

“It’s scary – they have all my information and they are using it against my own wellbeing,” Oba said. “It defines how much I earn, how long I have to work, my time with my family, my resting time.”

AI models take an increasing role in assigning work to humans by using their rapidly increasing power to learn about a business’s needs and staff behaviour and then acting as a “synthetic manager”.

The Dutch data protection authority fined ⁠Uber €825m (£708m) last month for deactivating driver ⁠accounts through automated systems without ​adequate notice. Uber said it would appeal. The company is also planning to roll out driverless cars in European cities from London to Zagreb, initially with human supervisions.

The legal case is being led by the Worker Info Exchange, a campaign group whose founder, James Farrar, secured a UK supreme court ruling that Uber drivers should have worker rights.

Relating to about 241,000 drivers across the EU and the UK, the claim alleges that Uber has unlawfully used automated decision-making, including profiling, in dynamically setting pay and allocating work.

The lawsuit, which also claims the company unlawfully used driver data to train its AI models, is seeking damages for affected drivers and an injunction to halt the conduct which it claims breaches GDPR data regulations.

The drivers claim Uber has operated dynamic pay-setting in the UK since 2023, pushing down their annual incomes by about £5,000. The system was introduced in the Netherlands this year.

Uber’s chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, said in 2023: “I think that what we can do better is targeting of different trips to different drivers based on their preferences or based on behavioural patterns that they’re showing us.”

Uber, which has its headquarters in San Francisco, said it categorically rejected the allegations. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty ImagesUber said it did not adjust the price offered for a trip based on an individual driver’s behaviour and that a history of accepting or rejecting trips was not used to personalise pay offers. Instead, it said, dynamic pricing allowed it to increase pay on less attractive trips, boosting a driver’s earning potential.

“While we haven’t seen the claim yet, we categorically reject the allegations,” an Uber spokesperson said. “The Uber app uses real-time information about the trip such as journey, duration and destination to calculate fares.

“Drivers see their earnings and where a trip is going before they decide whether to accept it. The vast majority of total fares continue to go where they belong: into drivers’ pockets, and the percentage that Uber keeps from fares has remained relatively flat.”

A 2025 study by academics at the University of Oxford, which Uber said relied on incomplete and selective data, found there had been substantial cuts in driver earnings after the “dynamic” algorithm was introduced.

Farrar said: “It’s bad enough that Uber’s dynamic pay algorithms have squeezed driver pay for years now but the intrusive and underhanded way in which Uber uses its technology to monitor and influence drivers’ behaviour is an affront to their dignity as workers and as human beings.”

Anton Ekker, a Dutch lawyer leading the case, said: “A computer algorithm should not independently make decisions that strip individuals of their livelihood. Like so many other online platforms, it should be held accountable for the large-scale exploitation of vulnerabilities of European citizens.”

Confluence Wealth Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) by 48.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 47,283 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock after buying an additional 15,356 shares during the period. Confluence Wealth Services Inc.’s holdings in Amazon.com were worth $11,269,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AMZN. Red Crane Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Amazon.com by 2.3% during the first quarter. Red Crane Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,663 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock valued at $346,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Robinson Smith Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Amazon.com by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Robinson Smith Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,509 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock worth $1,147,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Sfam LLC increased its stake in Amazon.com by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Sfam LLC now owns 1,224 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock valued at $255,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. increased its stake in Amazon.com by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. now owns 1,206 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock valued at $251,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust lifted its position in shares of Amazon.com by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. CoreFirst Bank & Trust now owns 3,620 shares of the e-commerce giant’s stock worth $754,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.20% of the company’s stock.

Amazon.com News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Amazon.com this week:

Positive Sentiment: AWS and AI expansion remain key catalysts. Amazon’s planned $5.3 billion investment in a Saudi Arabia cloud region, expanded access to OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic models through AWS GovCloud, and a deeper partnership with Nvidia—including two million additional GPUs—could strengthen AWS’s position in government and enterprise AI. AMZN’s Saudi Arabia investment Positive Sentiment: New commerce initiatives could broaden monetization. YouTube’s integration of Amazon products into its Shopping Affiliate Program may increase product discovery and sales, while Alexa’s personalized shopping alerts and Amazon Pharmacy’s Solv integration could improve customer engagement and conversion. YouTube Amazon partnership Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive. Citi reiterated a Buy rating and a $350 price target despite the legal risks, while recent results showed $200.6 billion in revenue and substantially stronger-than-expected earnings, with AWS revenue reportedly growing 36.7% year over year. Analyst reiterates Amazon Buy rating Neutral Sentiment: Zoox is expanding its robotaxi efforts. Amazon’s autonomous-vehicle unit plans testing in Houston and San Diego, but the initiative is still early-stage and has limited near-term earnings impact. Zoox and Waymo robotaxi expansion Negative Sentiment: The FTC lawsuit is driving the immediate pressure. The FTC and 22 states allege Amazon manipulated advertising auctions and overcharged approximately 1.2 million advertisers by more than $20 billion. Potential penalties, refunds, operational changes, and limits on ad-pricing practices threaten a rapidly growing, high-margin business. Amazon denies the allegations. FTC lawsuit against Amazon Negative Sentiment: AI spending and shareholder concerns remain overhangs. Investors are weighing the capital required for Amazon’s AI infrastructure against future returns, while reports of an institutional investor trimming its stake add near-term selling pressure. Amazon.com Trading Down 1.9% Shares of AMZN stock opened at $254.92 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $252.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $241.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Amazon.com, Inc. has a 1 year low of $196.00 and a 1 year high of $287.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.75 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.51, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.44. Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The e-commerce giant reported $5.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.82 by $3.93. The firm had revenue of $200.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $197.03 billion. Amazon.com had a return on equity of 18.00% and a net margin of 17.44%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 19.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.68 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Amazon.com, Inc. will post 8.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Amazon.com In other Amazon.com news, CEO Andrew R. Jassy sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $259.01, for a total value of $5,180,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 2,235,766 shares in the company, valued at $579,085,751.66. This trade represents a 0.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Brian T. Olsavsky sold 6,172 shares of Amazon.com stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $260.31, for a total value of $1,606,633.32. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 109,207 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,427,674.17. The trade was a 5.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 70,589 shares of company stock worth $18,314,015 in the last three months. 8.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have recently issued reports on AMZN. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $375.00 target price (up from $335.00) on shares of Amazon.com in a report on Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $335.00 price objective (up from $330.00) on shares of Amazon.com in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Robert W. Baird set a $310.00 price objective on Amazon.com and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Monness Crespi & Hardt raised their target price on Amazon.com from $315.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price (up from $315.00) on shares of Amazon.com in a research note on Friday, July 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifty-six have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $323.09.

View Our Latest Research Report on Amazon.com

Amazon.com Profile (Free Report)

Amazon.com, Inc is a diversified technology and retail company best known for its e-commerce marketplace and broad portfolio of consumer and enterprise services. Founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company launched as an online bookseller and expanded into a global retail platform that sells products directly to consumers and provides a marketplace for third-party sellers. Over time Amazon has grown beyond retail into areas including cloud computing, digital media, devices and logistics.

Key businesses and offerings include Amazon’s online marketplace and fulfillment services, the Amazon Prime membership program (which bundles expedited shipping with streaming and other benefits), Amazon Web Services (AWS) which supplies on-demand cloud computing and storage to businesses and public-sector customers, and a range of content and advertising services such as Prime Video and Amazon Advertising.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Amazon.com Dutch Bros Sell-Off Creates a Growth Opportunity NVIDIA’s MediaTek Bet Shows How It Plans to Defend Its AI Moat Is Abercrombie & Fitch’s Hot Streak Just Getting Started? Medtronic’s Stars Are Aligning for a Price Recovery Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMZN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN – Free Report).

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Cox Capital Mgt LLC boosted its stake in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) by 13.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,610 shares of the software giant’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,669 shares during the quarter. Microsoft makes up approximately 4.7% of Cox Capital Mgt LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Cox Capital Mgt LLC’s holdings in Microsoft were worth $8,434,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSFT. WFA Asset Management Corp raised its position in shares of Microsoft by 27.0% during the first quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 1,016 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $427,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. boosted its holdings in Microsoft by 0.3% in the second quarter. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. now owns 12,658 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $5,658,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Discipline Wealth Solutions LLC boosted its holdings in Microsoft by 410.4% in the third quarter. Discipline Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 2,659 shares of the software giant’s stock valued at $1,144,000 after acquiring an additional 2,138 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Group Ltd. increased its position in Microsoft by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Group Ltd. now owns 2,374 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $1,000,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Finally, Eagle Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Microsoft by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Eagle Capital Management LLC now owns 23,097 shares of the software giant’s stock worth $9,735,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In MSFT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $550.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $575.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $575.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $640.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $640.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $562.49.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on MSFT Insider Transactions at Microsoft In other news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at $21,188,276.96. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total value of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 21,810 shares of company stock worth $10,110,874. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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

Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target to $600 from $500 and maintained a Buy rating. The bank cited accelerating cloud growth, improving AI efficiency and better visibility into returns on investment. Its thesis includes approximately 43% Azure growth and more than 30 million paid Copilot seats, implying substantial upside. Microsoft’s AI strategy accelerates cloud growth and efficiency: analysts Positive Sentiment: Microsoft expanded its HUMAIN partnership in the Middle East and Africa. The companies plan to combine HUMAIN ONE with Microsoft 365 Copilot and IQ capabilities for as many as one million enterprise users, while also bringing Arabic-language AI models to Microsoft’s ecosystem. The deal supports Microsoft’s international AI distribution and enterprise monetization strategy. Microsoft extends HUMAIN tie up Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial media continue to view Microsoft as a leading hyperscaler, citing Azure demand, Copilot adoption, strong cash generation and a valuation that remains reasonable relative to its growth prospects. Technical coverage also places MSFT in or near a potential buy zone after its recent rally. Why Microsoft’s stock could rally another 20% Neutral Sentiment: Microsoft customers can now deploy Laurel through the Microsoft Marketplace, adding another application to the company’s enterprise distribution ecosystem, though the immediate financial effect was not disclosed. Laurel Now Available in the Microsoft Marketplace Negative Sentiment: Microsoft 365 and Outlook outages persisted into a second day. Although service appeared to be improving, prolonged disruptions could frustrate enterprise customers and raise questions about reliability. Microsoft 365 outage drags on Negative Sentiment: Investors remain focused on Microsoft’s approximately $116 billion in fiscal 2026 property and equipment spending. Continued AI infrastructure investment may support long-term growth but could pressure depreciation, margins and returns if demand fails to keep pace. Rising interest rates and Windows 11 update problems add further near-term risk. Microsoft Trading Down 1.2% Shares of NASDAQ MSFT opened at $501.02 on Wednesday. Microsoft Corporation has a twelve month low of $349.20 and a twelve month high of $553.72. The stock has a market cap of $3.72 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The company’s fifty day moving average is $436.21 and its 200-day moving average is $413.78.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. The business had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%.The firm’s revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.65 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.59 EPS for the current year.

Microsoft Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $3.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.27%.

Microsoft Profile (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft develops, licenses and supports a broad range of software products, services and devices for consumers, enterprises and governments worldwide. Its operations span personal computing, productivity software, cloud infrastructure, enterprise applications, developer tools and gaming.

Microsoft’s product portfolio includes the Windows operating system and the Microsoft 365 suite of productivity and collaboration tools (Office apps, Outlook, Teams).

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Microsoft Dutch Bros Sell-Off Creates a Growth Opportunity NVIDIA’s MediaTek Bet Shows How It Plans to Defend Its AI Moat Is Abercrombie & Fitch’s Hot Streak Just Getting Started? Medtronic’s Stars Are Aligning for a Price Recovery Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).

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Bluefin Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 50,750 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $29,481,000. Advanced Micro Devices makes up about 7.4% of Bluefin Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Advanced Micro Devices by 50.0% in the 1st quarter. Southpoint Capital Advisors LP now owns 900,000 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock worth $183,087,000 after acquiring an additional 300,000 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Advanced Micro Devices by 6,228.8% in the fourth quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 308,021 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock valued at $65,966,000 after purchasing an additional 303,154 shares during the period. Boomfish Wealth Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Advanced Micro Devices during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,193,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Advanced Micro Devices by 6.0% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,142,516 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,045,954,000 after buying an additional 291,165 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Williamson Legacy Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Advanced Micro Devices during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,118,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.34% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Advanced Micro Devices Here are the key news stories impacting Advanced Micro Devices this week:

Positive Sentiment: AMD, Cisco and HUMAIN said AMD Instinct MI355X-based AI infrastructure is now live and serving customers in Saudi Arabia. The partners plan up to 250 megawatts of additional capacity beginning in 2027, potentially scaling to 1 gigawatt by 2030. The deployment provides tangible evidence of commercial AI demand for AMD’s GPUs and CPUs. AMD’s Instinct Systems Are Now Live in Saudi Arabia Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive, with a reported median price target of $490 and several targets above $600. Recent commentary also highlights AMD’s strong AI growth prospects and the possibility that optimization advances could make AMD-based inference systems more competitive with Nvidia’s offerings. AMD Stock Is Up 115% YTD Neutral Sentiment: AMD’s recent results remain a fundamental support: quarterly revenue rose about 50% year over year to $11.5 billion and exceeded expectations. However, investors are weighing that growth against a high valuation after the stock’s substantial advance. Negative Sentiment: A global bond selloff pushed long-term yields higher, pressuring high-multiple technology and semiconductor stocks. AMD declined alongside Nvidia, Intel and other chipmakers, indicating sector-wide risk reduction rather than a company-specific setback. Semiconductor Stocks Slide as Yields Rise Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns are intensifying. Analysts question how much upside remains after AMD’s rapid rally, while tightening export controls and competition from Nvidia’s expanding edge-to-cloud ecosystem could limit future gains. AMD: There’s Little Upside Here Negative Sentiment: ARK Invest reportedly sold tens of millions of dollars of AMD shares while reallocating capital toward Nvidia and Broadcom. The move may reinforce short-term profit-taking concerns, although it represents one fund’s portfolio decision rather than a change in AMD’s fundamentals. Cathie Wood Sells AMD and Buys Another Chip Stock Insider Activity In other news, SVP Ava Hahn sold 2,993 shares of Advanced Micro Devices stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $488.69, for a total transaction of $1,462,649.17. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 26,623 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,010,393.87. The trade was a 10.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Jean X. Hu sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $474.08, for a total value of $7,111,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 160,979 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $76,316,924.32. The trade was a 8.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 232,577 shares of company stock valued at $109,509,170. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. William Blair reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Advanced Micro Devices in a report on Friday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Advanced Micro Devices from $385.00 to $550.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Advanced Micro Devices from $450.00 to $640.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $650.00 price target on shares of Advanced Micro Devices in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Argus upped their price target on shares of Advanced Micro Devices from $450.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Advanced Micro Devices presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $553.72.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Advanced Micro Devices

Advanced Micro Devices Price Performance Shares of AMD opened at $459.61 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a current ratio of 2.61. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. has a twelve month low of $149.22 and a twelve month high of $584.73. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $502.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $389.16. The firm has a market cap of $750.30 billion, a PE ratio of 118.15, a PEG ratio of 4.87 and a beta of 2.48.

Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:AMD – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The semiconductor manufacturer reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.62 by $0.04. Advanced Micro Devices had a return on equity of 12.30% and a net margin of 15.58%.The company had revenue of $11.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.31 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.48 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 50.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. will post 6.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

(Free Report)

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc (NASDAQ: AMD) is a global semiconductor company that designs and sells microprocessors, graphics processors, chipsets and adaptive computing solutions for a broad set of markets. The company’s product portfolio includes consumer and commercial CPUs under the Ryzen and Threadripper brands, data center processors under the EPYC brand, and Radeon graphics processing units for gaming and professional visualization. AMD also offers semi-custom system-on-chip (SoC) products for gaming consoles and other specialized applications, and provides supporting software and platform technologies for OEMs, cloud service providers and end users.

Founded in 1969, AMD has evolved from a supplier of logic chips into a diversified, fabless semiconductor designer.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Advanced Micro Devices Dutch Bros Sell-Off Creates a Growth Opportunity NVIDIA’s MediaTek Bet Shows How It Plans to Defend Its AI Moat Is Abercrombie & Fitch’s Hot Streak Just Getting Started? Medtronic’s Stars Are Aligning for a Price Recovery Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD – Free Report).

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Nvidia NVDA , the AI-chip powerhouse with data centers at 92.5% of revenue, took its regulatory fight to the G20 on Wednesday. According to Reuters, CEO Jensen Huang urged governments to tackle proven AI damage instead of writing sweeping rules for dangers that remain hypothetical.

The timing is no accident. Nvidia's second-quarter results delivered $96.2 billion in revenue, with data centers supplying $89 billion. Sales doubled year over year. Adjusted gross margin hit 75%. Management then guided for roughly $108 billion in third-quarter revenue. Nvidia's AI engine is running flat out.

The chart tells the same story: Nvidia's 95/100 GF Score reflects exceptional growth, profitability and financial strength, while GF Value remains its weakest category. Huang won no policy concessions, but he spotlighted the risk sitting beside Nvidia's extraordinary numbers. Faster AI adoption can send earnings sharply higher. Tougher deployment, security or model rules could squeeze nearly the entire revenue machine.

Jim Cramer and a top Wall Street analyst both see Nvidia as mispriced, but their prescriptions could not be further apart, and only one of them has the earnings to back it up.

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Two CNBC voices looked at the same stock inside the same 12-hour window and reached opposite conclusions about what it needs. Jim Cramer wants NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction) to launch a buyback roughly equal to a tenth of its market value to fix what he sees as broken price discovery. New Street Research’s Pierre Ferragu says the earnings will do the work themselves.

Ferragu’s $400 Call, No Corporate Action Required Speaking Tuesday morning, Ferragu said a $400 stock price is “very, very, very likely” within 18 months, driven by earnings power alone. He cited Jensen Huang’s guidance for at least 70% business growth next year and framed NVIDIA as operating in “halcyon days” with no visible cycle top. His valuation argument leans on multiple compression: NVIDIA, he argues, is trading at “single digit earnings multiples” against a forward earnings base most investors have not fully repriced.

From the September 1 close of $217.44, a move to $400 implies roughly 84% upside and a market cap approaching $10 trillion. The stock traded at $226.67 on Wednesday morning.

Cramer’s Half-Trillion-Dollar Prescription Cramer’s remedy is louder. He wants NVIDIA to buy back roughly a tenth of itself, which against a $5.46 trillion market cap pencils out to more than $500 billion. NVIDIA’s board authorized $80 billion in additional repurchase capacity on May 18, 2026, leaving approximately $99 billion remaining at quarter end. That is a fraction of what Cramer is asking for.

Cramer recently disclosed his highest cash position in 25 years, then prescribed the largest corporate repurchase in history to lift a stock he says is mispriced. NVIDIA has been actively returning capital. Management said it returned “$26 billion to shareholders” in the latest quarter, comprising “$20 billion through share repurchases” and “$6 billion through our quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share.”

Why the Fundamentals Favor Ferragu Q2 FY27 revenue reached $96.22 billion, up 105.8% year over year, with Data Center revenue of $89.02 billion. Non-GAAP EPS came in at $2.22, the fifth consecutive beat. Huang told analysts that “AI is now doing productive and useful work” and “AI is generating profitable tokens.” Consensus already reflects the acceleration: analysts model FY2028 EPS of 13.1277 on revenue of $573.6 billion. At those earnings, a $400 share price requires a forward multiple in the low 30s, roughly where the stock trades now.

The full-chain put/call ratio of 0.48 shows options traders are positioned in Ferragu’s direction. Cramer’s buyback demand may make headlines. Ferragu’s math is the one that would compound.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Key Takeaways Mastercard's VAS revenues rose 20% year over year in Q2 2026, reaching 41.2% of net revenues.Security, AI, cybersecurity and fraud prevention remain key drivers of VAS growth and customer engagement.Around 60% of Mastercard's VAS net revenues are linked to its payment network, supporting service expansion. Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) continues to strengthen its Value-Added Services and Solutions (VAS) business, making it an increasingly important part of the company’s growth strategy. VAS’ net revenues increased 20% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, accounting for 41.2% of total net revenues and underscoring its growing contribution to the company’s top line.

Security remains a key growth driver for the VAS business as payment fraud and digital threats become more sophisticated. MA is expanding its capabilities across cybersecurity, authentication and fraud prevention while using data and artificial intelligence to address evolving risks. Its Merchant Trust Services offering, for example, uses AI to help identify potentially fraudulent merchants, adding another opportunity to deepen customer relationships.

MA is also broadening VAS through consumer engagement, personalization, digital services and data-driven solutions. Around 60% of VAS net revenues are linked to the company’s payment network, allowing Mastercard to combine its transaction infrastructure with additional services. Its Advantage Partner program, which has more than 200 partners, further expands the range of solutions available to customers.

However, sustained growth will likely depend on continued demand for cybersecurity, data and AI solutions, along with Mastercard’s ability to expand cross-selling opportunities across its customer base. With VAS already rising at a double-digit rate and benefiting from several structural trends, the business could remain a key source of revenue growth while supporting MA’s broader strategy of increasing the value generated from each relationship. We expect VAS net revenues to rise 17% year over year in 2026.

How Are Competitors Faring?Some of MA’s competitors in the value-added services include Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) and American Express Company (AXP - Free Report) .

Visa is also expanding its VAS portfolio across issuing, acceptance, risk and security, and advisory services. V continued investing in AI, cybersecurity and digital solutions to broaden its services opportunity. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, VAS revenues rose 34% year over year in constant dollars and now account for roughly one-third of total company revenues.

American Express is steadily strengthening its value-added services through fraud protection, merchant analytics, digital payments, loyalty programs and AI-enabled tools. AXP’s closed-loop network provides rich transaction data, helping deepen customer engagement, improve merchant outcomes and reinforce its differentiated payments ecosystem.

Mastercard’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesIn the year-to-date period, MA’s shares have risen 1.8% against the industry’s fall of 3.7%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, MA trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 26.54, above the industry average of 19.18. MA carries a Value Score of D.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mastercard’s 2026 earnings implies 16.8% growth from the year-ago period.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Mastercard currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The new objective implies roughly 16% upside and reflects stronger expectations for J&J's pharmaceutical pipeline. Summary

Wall Street is pricing pipeline acceleration beyond current earnings.

Johnson & Johnson JNJ, the pharmaceutical and medical-technology powerhouse, surged roughly 1.2% to $274.395 Wednesday after UBS cranked its price target from $280 to $320. Barron's reported that J&J became the Dow's biggest point booster in early trading. Wall Street heard the message loud and clear: UBS sees more fuel in this rally.

The firm kept its Buy rating, pointing to faster growth and more value hiding inside J&J's pharmaceutical pipeline. The operating engine is already delivering. J&J's second-quarter results showed sales climbing 6.6% to $25.3 billion, while management raised its 2026 sales midpoint to $101.1 billion and adjusted earnings guidance to $11.68 per share.

But the valuation is flashing yellow. The picture shows J&J trading 42.25% above its $192.90 GF Value, leaving little room for pipeline stumbles. UBS's $320 target still points to roughly 16.6% upside from $274.395, but J&J must earn every dollar. Clinical wins, regulatory approvals and successful launches now matter more than another round of multiple expansion.

Disclosures I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and have no plans to buy any new positions in the stocks mentioned within the next 72 hours.

Click for the complete disclosure

Cisco is posting hyperscaler AI order numbers that would make pure-play networking rivals jealous, yet its valuation still reflects a company selling switches to office parks. Something in that gap deserves a closer look.

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Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO | CSCO Price Prediction) has quietly become one of the most important names in the AI infrastructure buildout, yet trades like a legacy networking vendor. With $9.3 billion in FY2026 hyperscale AI orders and management guiding to $7.5 billion in AI infrastructure revenue in FY2027, the setup for the next twelve months looks compelling.

Our 24/7 Wall St. price target for Cisco is $134.21, roughly 21.47% above the recent close of $110.49. Our recommendation is buy, with a high confidence rating of 90%.

24/7 Wall St. Price Target Summary Metric Value Current Price $110.49 24/7 Wall St. Price Target $134.21 Upside 21.47% Recommendation BUY Confidence Level 90% A Rerating That Hyperscaler Orders Are Powering Cisco is up 45.51% year to date and 63.21% over the past year, driven by a rerating around AI networking. Shares are down 4.74% over the past month after touching a 52-week high of $129.88.

Q4 FY2026 revenue reached $17.252 billion, up 17.58%, beating estimates by 2.52%, while non-GAAP EPS of $1.22 topped consensus by 4.38%, extending the beat streak to five consecutive quarters. Networking revenue grew 28%, and Q4 networking product orders climbed 40%, an eighth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.

Bull Case for $140+ The bull thesis is straightforward: CEO Chuck Robbins says “we believe the accelerating adoption of agentic AI is fueling a networking super cycle”, and the order book supports it.

Four of the top hyperscalers each grew AI infrastructure orders in Q4, and Acacia optics alone generated over $1 billion in orders (Cisco is one of several picks-and-shovels beneficiaries of that buildout, and we profiled seven of them, from power to cooling to networking, in a free AI infrastructure report).

FY2027 guidance calls for revenue of $72.2 billion to $73.4 billion and non-GAAP EPS of $5.05 to $5.11. If Cisco holds a forward multiple of 27x on FY2028 EPS estimates near $5.60, the bull scenario reaches $139.87, aligning with Wall Street consensus of $137.74.

What Could Go Wrong Non-GAAP gross margin fell to 66.3% from 68.4% year over year on a mix shift toward high-volume AI hardware, and tariff exposure remains a live risk. Restructuring charges announced in May 2026 could weigh on GAAP results.

Management stated operating margin is now the better profitability gauge as hyperscaler scale requires limited incremental operating expense. Our bear-case path lands at $111.44, essentially flat from here.

How Cisco Compares to Arista and HPE Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET) is the pure-play AI networking comp. Q2 2026 revenue grew 37.7% to $3.04 billion, but Arista trades at a trailing P/E near 70x. Cisco’s 21x forward P/E looks cheap for a business showing accelerating networking growth.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE) is the closest scaled competitor post-Juniper. HPE’s Networking segment grew 148.2% in Q2 FY2026 to $2.69 billion, but runs on thinner margins with a trailing P/E stretched by acquisition charges. Against both peers, our $134.21 target for Cisco looks reasonable, arguably conservative given the FY2027 AI revenue ramp.

Company Forward P/E Latest Revenue Growth Cisco 21x 17.58% Arista Networks 70x trailing 37.7% HPE Elevated on charges 40% Cisco Price Prediction 2026-2030 The 24/7 Wall St. price target of $134.21 with a buy rating and 90% confidence reflects a company translating a networking super cycle into real dollars.

The bull case strengthens if FY2027 AI infrastructure revenue tracks toward the $7.5 billion guide. The setup weakens if gross margin dips below 65% without offsetting operating leverage. Right now, the risk/reward tilts constructive.

Year 24/7 Wall St. Price Target 2026 $118 2027 $136 2028 $157 2029 $169 2030 $185 These projections assume Cisco continues executing on hyperscaler AI wins and campus refresh. Meaningful upside or downside could result from Silicon One design wins accelerating or hyperscaler capex normalizing.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. bought a new stake in Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 4,677 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,981,000.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Lam Group Inc. bought a new stake in Caterpillar during the first quarter worth $26,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 220.0% in the 4th quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 48 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 440.0% during the 2nd quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Matrix Trust Co boosted its stake in Caterpillar by 93.8% in the second quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 31 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar Price Performance CAT stock opened at $778.59 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $885.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $838.23. The company has a market capitalization of $357.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.50, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.60. Caterpillar Inc. has a 52-week low of $410.52 and a 52-week high of $1,073.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.37.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $1.95. The company had revenue of $20.54 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.34 billion. Caterpillar had a net margin of 14.51% and a return on equity of 55.53%. Caterpillar’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $4.72 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.35 EPS for the current year. Caterpillar Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 20th were paid a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 20th. This is a positive change from Caterpillar’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.51. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is currently 28.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Caterpillar In other news, CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $808.98, for a total transaction of $26,211,760.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 34,555 shares in the company, valued at $27,954,303.90. This trade represents a 48.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Caterpillar News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings expectations: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS forecast for Caterpillar to $27.50 from $24.78, above the current analyst consensus of $27.14. The firm maintains a “Hold” rating, so the estimate increase is positive but not a strong bullish endorsement. Erste Group Bank Predicts Stronger Earnings for Caterpillar Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable: Caterpillar has received a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, while a separate analysis highlighted the stock as a potential beneficiary of improving industrial activity. However, brokerage recommendations can be overly optimistic and may have limited immediate impact. Caterpillar Receives Consensus Rating of Moderate Buy Positive Sentiment: Improving durable-goods demand: July durable-goods orders increased 1.1%, supporting the view that a manufacturing recovery could benefit Caterpillar’s equipment demand and broader industrial stocks. 4 Industrial Stocks to Grab on Robust Jump in Durable Goods Orders Neutral Sentiment: Investors are watching the pullback: Commentary focused on Caterpillar’s recent decline, suggesting the stock’s technical performance and elevated valuation remain important considerations even after strong quarterly earnings. Why We’re Watching the Caterpillar Stock Pullback Negative Sentiment: Market-wide pressure: Caterpillar was among the stocks weighing on the Dow as investors reduced exposure to major companies, indicating that broader market sentiment—not just company-specific fundamentals—is contributing to the weakness. NVIDIA Corp., Caterpillar Share Losses Lead Dow’s Fall Negative Sentiment: CEO insider selling: CEO Joseph E. Creed sold 32,401 shares for approximately $26.2 million, reducing his position by 48.39%. The sale may concern investors, although insider transactions can reflect personal financial planning rather than a change in the company’s outlook. SEC Insider Transaction Filing Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have commented on CAT shares. Citigroup boosted their target price on Caterpillar from $1,020.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $800.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price objective on shares of Caterpillar from $700.00 to $950.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $1,050.00 to $1,155.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,103.00 price target on shares of Caterpillar in a report on Monday, May 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $995.52.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Caterpillar

Caterpillar Profile (Free Report)

Caterpillar Inc is a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and locomotives. The company’s product portfolio includes earthmoving machines such as excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders and off‑highway trucks, as well as a range of power generation products including generator sets and power systems for industrial and commercial use. Caterpillar serves customers across heavy construction, mining, energy, transportation and related industries with both equipment and integrated technology solutions.

In addition to manufacturing, Caterpillar provides a broad range of aftermarket parts and support services, including maintenance, repair, remanufacturing and fleet management tools.

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Last week, Salesforce (CRM -1.37%) reported strong second-quarter results, but the bigger story was a deal that makes Anthropic's Claude the default reasoning engine inside Salesforce's products. Claude runs in Agentforce, Slack, and Slack's coding product, so Salesforce customers get a frontier model without ever leaving its ecosystem. The stock had its best day since 2020, jumping nearly 23% on the news.

In short, it seems the bearish thesis that large language models would erode Salesforce's competitive moat is beginning to fade. CEO Marc Benioff addressed it, stating, "This is not the SaaSpocalypse."

Image source: The Motley Fool.

The upgrade path The deal with Anthropic does two things for Salesforce. First, it removes a near-term risk by bringing a potential rival into the fold. "We're huge Salesforce customers," Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei confirmed. "We're not interested in destroying anyone."

Second, it strengthens the company's primary path to monetizing AI. Salesforce's premium editions cost 60% to 80% more per seat, and the new AI features are only available with premium subscriptions.

Given that just 5% of its sales and service users are currently on premium tiers, this deal provides Salesforce with a powerful new opportunity to upsell its customers and fuel further revenue growth. Importantly, it doesn't lock Salesforce's clients into using only Claude.

Its second-quarter results were solid, with revenue up 11% and earnings per share up 16% after excluding gains related to the company's stake in Anthropic. Annualized revenue for Agentforce, its AI product line, climbed 240% to $1.5 billion. And current remaining performance obligations (the value of signed contracts due within a year) grew 14%, up modestly from last quarter's 13%.

Aiding clients with AI I think this partnership is a smart move by Benioff. It puts the top large language model inside Salesforce's product, out of the box, and users can swap models if they prefer.

The best way for Salesforce to encourage AI adoption is to help its clients use AI to improve efficiency while protecting their data. The company is moving in that direction, but it still faces an uphill battle with seat-based pricing. Benioff admits Salesforce is "still trapped in some ways in old per-user pricing models."

Premium Feature

Moneyball Superscore

83/100

Today's Change

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-1.37

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-3.55

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254.57

After the stock's recent run, shares trade at a reasonable 17.5 times forward earnings. The overhang of disruption-related fears is lifting, which should reinforce investor confidence in Salesforce's long-term value. Moving forward, the company can focus on driving growth.

Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec bought a new position in NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,291,400 shares of the utilities provider’s stock, valued at approximately $288,886,000. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec owned 0.16% of NextEra Energy at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of NextEra Energy by 692.3% in the 4th quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 309 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the period. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of NextEra Energy during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in NextEra Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC grew its holdings in NextEra Energy by 223.8% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Watch Advisors INC now owns 327 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new position in NextEra Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.72% of the company’s stock.

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

Positive Sentiment: AI-driven power demand is strengthening NextEra’s growth pipeline. The company’s approximately 35.1-gigawatt backlog is benefiting from hyperscalers seeking reliable, quickly deployable electricity for data centers. This could support future renewable generation, storage and transmission investments. Can AI Driven Data Center Growth Continue to Strengthen NEE’s Backlog? Positive Sentiment: NextEra is expanding its Florida gas infrastructure. Chesapeake Utilities agreed to sell a 49% stake in a Florida gas project to NextEra, potentially adding to the company’s regional energy assets and improving its ability to serve rising electricity demand. Chesapeake Utilities sells 49% stake in Florida gas project to NextEra Energy Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain moderately optimistic. Recent coverage says NEE has outperformed the broader utilities sector, supported by its regulated utility base, renewables portfolio and long-term growth opportunities. NextEra Energy Stock: Is NEE Outperforming the Utilities Sector? Neutral Sentiment: NextEra and Dominion Energy are opposing a proposed 60-day extension of the review of their merger application. A faster review could reduce uncertainty, but the dispute highlights continuing regulatory scrutiny. NextEra Energy Pushes Back On 60 Day Merger Review Delay Neutral Sentiment: FPL launched an assistance center offering bill-support programs, including a one-time $200 credit for eligible customers. The initiative may improve customer relations but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. FPL Launches New Assistance Center Negative Sentiment: Valuation commentary suggests NEE may be fully priced for a mature utility. Its strong three-year gain and dividend-discount analysis imply limited near-term upside unless earnings growth accelerates. NextEra Energy Stock Looks Fully Priced for a Mature Utility Negative Sentiment: Erste Group expects weaker earnings for NextEra, which could weigh on sentiment if lower profit expectations challenge the company’s current valuation. Erste Group Bank Expects Weaker Earnings for NextEra Energy Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth NEE has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $114.00 price target on shares of NextEra Energy and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on NextEra Energy from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of NextEra Energy in a report on Monday, July 27th. Wall Street Zen downgraded NextEra Energy from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut NextEra Energy from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $100.33. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on NEE

NextEra Energy Price Performance NEE opened at $82.89 on Wednesday. NextEra Energy, Inc. has a one year low of $69.24 and a one year high of $98.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.53 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $86.81 and its 200-day simple moving average is $89.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $172.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.65.

NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The utilities provider reported $1.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.04. NextEra Energy had a return on equity of 12.28% and a net margin of 32.40%.The firm had revenue of $7.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.11 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.05 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.4% compared to the same quarter last year. NextEra Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.920-4.020 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that NextEra Energy, Inc. will post 4.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

NextEra Energy Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.6232 per share. This represents a $2.49 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 28th. NextEra Energy’s payout ratio is 55.96%.

NextEra Energy Profile (Free Report)

NextEra Energy, Inc (NYSE: NEE), headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, is a leading clean energy company with both regulated utility operations and competitive renewable generation businesses. The company’s principal operating subsidiaries include Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), a regulated electric utility serving customers in Florida, and NextEra Energy Resources, which develops, constructs, owns and operates a large portfolio of wind, solar and energy storage projects. Together these businesses provide electricity supply, transmission and distribution services as well as utility-scale renewable generation and related services.

NextEra’s activities cover the full lifecycle of power assets, from project development and construction to operation, maintenance and asset optimization.

See Also Five stocks we like better than NextEra Energy Dutch Bros Sell-Off Creates a Growth Opportunity NVIDIA’s MediaTek Bet Shows How It Plans to Defend Its AI Moat Is Abercrombie & Fitch’s Hot Streak Just Getting Started? Medtronic’s Stars Are Aligning for a Price Recovery Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NEE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE – Free Report).

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Aave Captures Nearly Half of a $26 Billion DeFi Lending MarketAave ($AAVE) has hit $12.5 billion in active loans, cementing its position as the dominant force in decentralized lending. The milestone reflects a sharp pickup in borrowing demand across DeFi, with Aave's loan book growing by more than $1.5 billion over the past month alone.

The broader market context makes the figure even more striking. Total active loans across major decentralized lending protocols climbed to $26.1 billion in August, up from $20.1 billion in June, representing roughly 30% growth in two months. Aave accounts for the lion's share of that activity, commanding approximately $12.5 billion in outstanding loans and roughly 48% of total market share.

Deposits have followed a similar trajectory. Aave founder Stani Kulechov noted that total deposits crossed the $30 billion mark in August, representing a 30% increase over the quarter.

What Is Driving the Borrowing SurgeAave is a non-custodial lending protocol where users deposit crypto assets as collateral and borrow against them, with all activity executed through audited smart contracts and no intermediary involved. Most on-chain borrowing is leveraged positioning: traders deposit ETH or other volatile assets as collateral, borrow stablecoins, and use those stablecoins to buy more crypto.

The renewed demand is also translating into protocol revenue. Aave collects a spread between borrowing and lending rates, and that spread multiplied by a $12.5 billion loan book generates meaningful cash flow.

Aave's nearest competitor, Morpho, sits well behind at $5.1 billion in active loans, while Spark rounds out the top three at $2.1 billion. The gap is telling: Aave holds more than double Morpho's loan book, and nearly six times Spark's. The rebound is also significant from a historical perspective. DeFi lending had been contracting for several months before this summer's turnaround, with borrowers pulling back, utilization rates declining, and protocol revenues shrinking accordingly. The latest numbers suggest that cycle has clearly reversed.

Sources:
Aave accounts for 48% of active loans as DeFi lending surges 30% to $26.1B — Crypto Briefing
Aave V3 TVL, Fees and Revenue — DefiLlama

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR - Free Report) . Shares have added about 10.6% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Palantir Technologies due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.

PLTR Beats Q2 Earnings EstimatesPalantir Technologies delivered another exceptional quarter, with second-quarter 2026 results comfortably surpassing Wall Street expectations.

Revenues reached $1.94 billion, increasing 92.8% year over year and 19% sequentially, while beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.81 billion by 7.2%.

Earnings per share came in at 41 cents, up from 16 cents a year ago, representing 156.3% year-over-year growth, while rising from the previous quarter's 34 cents (20.6% sequential growth). EPS also exceeded the consensus estimate of 35 cents by 17.1%.

Commercial Business Remains PLTR’s Primary Growth EngineCommercial revenue climbed to $945 million, increasing 109.7% year over year and accounting for nearly 49% of total quarterly revenue. Government revenue reached $990 million, rising 79% from the prior-year quarter and representing about 51% of total sales.

The company's U.S. operations remained the biggest contributor to growth. U.S. revenues totaled $1.57 billion, representing more than 81% of company-wide revenue, reflecting exceptionally strong customer demand for enterprise AI deployments.

Large contract activity remained particularly robust. During the quarter, the company closed 220 deals worth at least $1 million, reflecting increasing adoption of its Artificial Intelligence Platform across commercial enterprises and government agencies.

Margins and Cash Flow Highlight PLTR’s Operational StrengthThe company's rapid revenue expansion was accompanied by outstanding profitability. Adjusted gross margin remained exceptionally high at 86%, highlighting the scalability of Palantir's software platform. Adjusted operating margin expanded to 62%, among the highest across enterprise software companies.

Cash generation remained equally impressive. Cash from operations totaled $1.216 billion, while adjusted free cash flow reached approximately $1.22 billion during the quarter. These figures translate into an adjusted free cash flow margin of roughly 63%, illustrating Palantir's ability to convert revenue growth into substantial cash generation.

The company ended the quarter with $9.2 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term U.S. Treasury securities, providing considerable financial flexibility to fund product development and future expansion initiatives.

While management acknowledged that gross margin experienced modest pressure from assuming cloud-hosting responsibilities for a government customer, executives indicated that the move should improve implementation speed and strengthen long-term customer relationships.

Bookings Show Demand Remains Exceptionally StrongBeyond reported revenue, forward-looking indicators also strengthened. Total contract value bookings reached $3.4 billion, reflecting another record quarter for customer commitments.

Net dollar retention stood at 157%, demonstrating that existing customers continue expanding their usage significantly after initial deployments.

Total remaining deal value increased to $13.1 billion, while remaining performance obligations reached $4.9 billion, providing strong visibility into future revenue growth.

These metrics suggest that Palantir's current momentum is not solely driven by recent contract wins but is increasingly supported by long-term customer expansion.

AI Platform Expands PLTR’s Competitive PositionPalantir's product strategy increasingly revolves around enabling enterprises to deploy AI models while maintaining full ownership over their data, workflows and operational knowledge.

Management emphasized that customers increasingly prioritize flexibility, allowing organizations to benchmark different AI models and replace them whenever necessary without becoming dependent on a single provider.

This positioning appears to resonate strongly with enterprises seeking greater control over rapidly evolving AI technologies. Rather than competing directly on foundation models, Palantir continues focusing on the software layer that integrates, manages and operationalizes AI across organizations.

Management also highlighted growing demand from customers that initially adopted Foundry but are now expanding toward broader AI deployments across multiple business functions.

Management Raises Guidance AgainPerhaps the most significant takeaway from the quarter was management's increased confidence in future growth. For the third quarter of 2026, Palantir expects revenues between $2.16 billion and $2.164 billion, implying another sequential increase of roughly 12% from the second quarter. Adjusted income from operations is projected between $1.292 billion and $1.296 billion.

Management also substantially increased full-year guidance. Revenues are now expected between $8.15 billion and $8.158 billion, up from the previous outlook of $7.65$7.662 billion. The midpoint of the guidance therefore increased by nearly $500 million, representing one of the company's largest upward revisions. The company also lifted its U.S. commercial revenue forecast to more than $3.424 billion compared with the earlier expectation exceeding $3.224 billion.

Adjusted operating income guidance increased to $4.889-$4.897 billion, while adjusted free cash flow guidance rose to $4.5-$4.7 billion, reinforcing management's confidence that profitability will continue improving alongside revenue growth.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?In the past month, investors have witnessed a upward trend in estimates revision.

The consensus estimate has shifted 10.74% due to these changes.

VGM ScoresCurrently, Palantir Technologies has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with an F. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated a score of F on the value side, putting it in the fifth quintile for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of F. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

OutlookEstimates have been trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. It comes with little surprise Palantir Technologies has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.

Performance of an Industry PlayerPalantir Technologies belongs to the Zacks Internet - Software industry. Another stock from the same industry, Automatic Data Processing (ADP - Free Report) , has gained 4.8% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended June 2026.

ADP reported revenues of $5.47 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +6.8%. EPS of $2.64 for the same period compares with $2.26 a year ago.

For the current quarter, ADP is expected to post earnings of $2.78 per share, indicating a change of +11.7% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

ADP has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of D.

Iyo Bank Ltd. bought a new position in Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 14,298 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $16,504,000. Micron Technology accounts for about 5.0% of Iyo Bank Ltd.’s holdings, making the stock its 5th largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. High Note Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Micron Technology by 65.4% in the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 86 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in Micron Technology during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bayban purchased a new position in Micron Technology in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Luken Investment Analytics LLC purchased a new stake in Micron Technology during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, WealthCollab LLC grew its holdings in Micron Technology by 4,500.0% during the 2nd quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 276 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.84% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes MU has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Micron Technology in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Micron Technology from $1,400.00 to $1,150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Micron Technology from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $1,500.00 price target on shares of Micron Technology in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Wolfe Research set a $1,500.00 price target on shares of Micron Technology in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Micron Technology presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,295.63.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on MU Micron Technology Stock Down 2.6% Shares of MU opened at $933.44 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.05 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.13 and a beta of 2.22. Micron Technology, Inc. has a 1 year low of $114.25 and a 1 year high of $1,255.00. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $944.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $724.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 3.42 and a quick ratio of 2.98.

Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, June 24th. The semiconductor manufacturer reported $25.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $21.39 by $3.72. Micron Technology had a net margin of 55.91% and a return on equity of 71.13%. The firm had revenue of $41.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.91 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.91 earnings per share. Micron Technology’s revenue for the quarter was up 345.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Micron Technology has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 30.000-32.000 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Micron Technology, Inc. will post 72.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Micron Technology Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 6th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 6th. Micron Technology’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 1.36%.

Key Headlines Impacting Micron Technology Here are the key news stories impacting Micron Technology this week:

Positive Sentiment: Analyst earnings upgrades and optimism about Micron’s AI memory opportunity supported the bullish case. Bernstein reportedly maintained a Buy rating with a $1,300 price target, while other published targets extend as high as $2,000. Micron Technology Gains Driven by Earnings Upgrades Positive Sentiment: Micron’s latest results significantly exceeded expectations, with quarterly revenue of $41.46 billion and earnings of $25.11 per share. Revenue increased more than 345% year over year, reinforcing confidence in the current memory and AI infrastructure cycle. Positive Sentiment: Reports argue that high-bandwidth memory capacity is sold out through 2026 and supported by long-term customer agreements. This could provide unusually strong revenue visibility and help protect margins despite concerns about new competitors. Why China’s Memory Chip Breakthrough Won’t Crash the Market Positive Sentiment: Investors remain focused on the possibility that AI demand has structurally altered Micron’s historically cyclical memory business. Some commentary describes the recent pullback as an opportunity because demand for AI-related wafer capacity continues to exceed supply. Neutral Sentiment: China’s CXMT reportedly began small-batch production of HBM3E and plans LPDDR6 production, creating a longer-term competitive and geopolitical consideration. However, analysts argue that its initial output is too small to ease the global AI memory shortage in the near term. MU and SNDK Face New China Memory Challenge Neutral Sentiment: Broader semiconductor weakness, higher bond yields, oil-price volatility, and uncertainty surrounding potential tariffs have reduced investors’ willingness to pay elevated valuations for technology stocks. Negative Sentiment: Unions representing roughly two-thirds of Micron’s Taiwan workforce, or nearly 10,000 employees, threatened possible strike action unless the company increases bonuses and profit sharing. A walkout could disrupt manufacturing, raise labor costs, and delay shipments. Micron’s Taiwan Unions Threaten Strike Over Bonus Dispute Negative Sentiment: Micron’s heavy manufacturing exposure to Taiwan adds geopolitical and operational risk, while reports of widespread insider selling may reinforce investor caution after the stock’s substantial run-up. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, EVP April S. Arnzen sold 40,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,083.94, for a total value of $43,357,600.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 85,737 shares in the company, valued at $92,933,763.78. The trade was a 31.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Scott R. Allen sold 879 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,000.00, for a total transaction of $879,000.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 34,958 shares in the company, valued at $34,958,000. This represents a 2.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 177,204 shares of company stock worth $182,156,264. Insiders own 0.24% of the company’s stock.

Micron Technology Company Profile (Free Report)

Micron Technology, Inc is a global semiconductor company that designs and manufactures memory and storage solutions. Its product portfolio includes dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), NAND flash memory, solid-state drives (SSDs), memory modules and embedded memory solutions for a wide range of computing and electronic devices. Micron supplies components used in data centers, enterprise and cloud infrastructure, client computing, mobile devices, automotive systems and industrial applications, and also markets consumer-facing products under the Crucial brand.

Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Micron has grown into an international manufacturer with research, development and production facilities across multiple regions.

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Micron Technology Dutch Bros Sell-Off Creates a Growth Opportunity NVIDIA’s MediaTek Bet Shows How It Plans to Defend Its AI Moat Is Abercrombie & Fitch’s Hot Streak Just Getting Started? Medtronic’s Stars Are Aligning for a Price Recovery

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Fund Advisors of America Inc FL purchased a new stake in Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 3,158 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock, valued at approximately $3,646,000. Micron Technology accounts for about 3.3% of Fund Advisors of America Inc FL’s holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest position.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. M.E. Allison & CO. Inc. increased its stake in Micron Technology by 0.8% in the second quarter. M.E. Allison & CO. Inc. now owns 1,324 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,528,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Cherrydale Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Micron Technology by 1.4% in the second quarter. Cherrydale Wealth Management LLC now owns 972 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock worth $1,122,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. Bellevue Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Micron Technology by 25.5% during the second quarter. Bellevue Asset Management LLC now owns 64 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the period. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Micron Technology by 8.8% during the second quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC now owns 161 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock worth $186,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the period. Finally, Red Door Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Micron Technology by 0.7% during the second quarter. Red Door Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,914 shares of the semiconductor manufacturer’s stock valued at $2,209,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.84% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Micron Technology In other news, EVP April S. Arnzen sold 40,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,083.94, for a total value of $43,357,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 85,737 shares in the company, valued at approximately $92,933,763.78. This trade represents a 31.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Lynn A. Dugle sold 1,300 shares of Micron Technology stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,150.43, for a total value of $1,495,559.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 17,728 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,394,823.04. This represents a 6.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 177,204 shares of company stock valued at $182,156,264. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Micron Technology Stock Performance NASDAQ:MU opened at $933.44 on Wednesday. Micron Technology, Inc. has a 1 year low of $114.25 and a 1 year high of $1,255.00. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $944.21 and a 200-day moving average of $724.85. The company has a current ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 2.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.05 trillion, a P/E ratio of 21.13 and a beta of 2.22. Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, June 24th. The semiconductor manufacturer reported $25.11 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $21.39 by $3.72. Micron Technology had a return on equity of 71.13% and a net margin of 55.91%.The business had revenue of $41.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.91 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.91 EPS. Micron Technology’s revenue for the quarter was up 345.8% on a year-over-year basis. Micron Technology has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 30.000-32.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Micron Technology, Inc. will post 72.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Micron Technology Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 6th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 6th. Micron Technology’s dividend payout ratio is presently 1.36%.

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

Positive Sentiment: Analyst earnings upgrades and optimism about Micron’s AI memory opportunity supported the bullish case. Bernstein reportedly maintained a Buy rating with a $1,300 price target, while other published targets extend as high as $2,000. Micron Technology Gains Driven by Earnings Upgrades Positive Sentiment: Micron’s latest results significantly exceeded expectations, with quarterly revenue of $41.46 billion and earnings of $25.11 per share. Revenue increased more than 345% year over year, reinforcing confidence in the current memory and AI infrastructure cycle. Positive Sentiment: Reports argue that high-bandwidth memory capacity is sold out through 2026 and supported by long-term customer agreements. This could provide unusually strong revenue visibility and help protect margins despite concerns about new competitors. Why China’s Memory Chip Breakthrough Won’t Crash the Market Positive Sentiment: Investors remain focused on the possibility that AI demand has structurally altered Micron’s historically cyclical memory business. Some commentary describes the recent pullback as an opportunity because demand for AI-related wafer capacity continues to exceed supply. Neutral Sentiment: China’s CXMT reportedly began small-batch production of HBM3E and plans LPDDR6 production, creating a longer-term competitive and geopolitical consideration. However, analysts argue that its initial output is too small to ease the global AI memory shortage in the near term. MU and SNDK Face New China Memory Challenge Neutral Sentiment: Broader semiconductor weakness, higher bond yields, oil-price volatility, and uncertainty surrounding potential tariffs have reduced investors’ willingness to pay elevated valuations for technology stocks. Negative Sentiment: Unions representing roughly two-thirds of Micron’s Taiwan workforce, or nearly 10,000 employees, threatened possible strike action unless the company increases bonuses and profit sharing. A walkout could disrupt manufacturing, raise labor costs, and delay shipments. Micron’s Taiwan Unions Threaten Strike Over Bonus Dispute Negative Sentiment: Micron’s heavy manufacturing exposure to Taiwan adds geopolitical and operational risk, while reports of widespread insider selling may reinforce investor caution after the stock’s substantial run-up. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. ThinkEquity reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Micron Technology in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Bank of America raised their target price on Micron Technology from $950.00 to $1,500.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Micron Technology from $1,500.00 to $1,550.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Micron Technology from $1,375.00 to $1,300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Micron Technology from $1,050.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,295.63.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on MU

Micron Technology Company Profile (Free Report)

Micron Technology, Inc is a global semiconductor company that designs and manufactures memory and storage solutions. Its product portfolio includes dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), NAND flash memory, solid-state drives (SSDs), memory modules and embedded memory solutions for a wide range of computing and electronic devices. Micron supplies components used in data centers, enterprise and cloud infrastructure, client computing, mobile devices, automotive systems and industrial applications, and also markets consumer-facing products under the Crucial brand.

Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Micron has grown into an international manufacturer with research, development and production facilities across multiple regions.

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Micron Technology Dutch Bros Sell-Off Creates a Growth Opportunity NVIDIA’s MediaTek Bet Shows How It Plans to Defend Its AI Moat Is Abercrombie & Fitch’s Hot Streak Just Getting Started? Medtronic’s Stars Are Aligning for a Price Recovery

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