Market Signal Briefing

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has issued a grim warning that increased adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) will trigger a wave of job losses in the coming years. Amid the grim warning, CZ argues that investing in cryptocurrencies now will be a shield against AI-induced job losses.

Buy And Hold Crypto To Stay Ahead, Says CZ In an X post, CZ warned of dire risks to the global workforce, noting that rising AI utility could erode jobs. According to CZ, AI will erase millions of jobs, noting that an investment in cryptocurrencies will be the “silver bullet” to protect individuals.

The Binance founder disclosed that purchasing and holding cryptocurrencies at current prices will be enough protection. He suggested that in the near future, digital assets’ prices will surge, allowing holders to retire comfortably.

“AI will make you jobless. Crypto will make you not need a job,” wrote CZ. “Buy and hold now, retire in a few years.”

CZ noted that digital assets have allowed several early investors to retire early, predicting a similar wave in the near future. However, the crypto billionaire warned that his forecast is not to be considered “financial advice.”

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Meanwhile, CZ is betting on an upcoming crypto supercycle in 2026, citing a string of positive industry reports. The Binance founder is hanging his forecast on the SEC’s move to remove cryptocurrencies from its priority list and a surge in institutional appetite for digital assets.

Describing the supercycle as the “most obvious thing in the world,” CZ has tipped Bitcoin to reach $200K in the near future. Apart from betting on BTC, CZ has significant exposure to BNB, which makes up a lion’s share of his holdings.

AI threatens the global workforce CZ’s statement comes on the heels of similar warnings on the dangers of AI on employment figures. A study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) found that one in four jobs is at risk of redundancy due to generative AI, with entry-level roles identified as the hardest hit.

With the rise of agentic AI, experts predict that management roles will also be affected. Labour experts are making the case for employee upskilling to ensure relevance in a rapidly changing global workplace.

Meanwhile, others like CZ are turning their gaze to cryptocurrencies with the most bullish estimates tipping Bitcoin to clinch $1 million before the end of the decade.

Ethereum gas fees have dropped considerably, despite on-chain data showing network activity has increased. Meanwhile, a looming breakout from a triangle pattern suggests a rally to $4,000 may be imminent, despite ongoing market volatility. At press time, Ethereum was trading at $2,952, up 0.59% over the past 24 hours, amid surging long liquidations across the broader crypto market.

Ethereum Gas Fees Remain Low as Network Activity Peaks  On-chain data suggests the Ethereum network may have solved the issue of high gas fees that have plagued it for years. According to Etherscan, gas fees have dropped to an average of $0.0027, the lowest level in years.

This drop comes despite network activity increasing, a factor that has always been linked to high fees on the blockchain. Data from YCharts shows that Ethereum daily transactions have soared to 2.39 million, the highest level in more than five years. Additionally, the daily active addresses have doubled in the last two weeks to more than 800,000.

There has also been an influx of new users joining the network. Recently, ZyCrypto reported that Ethereum’s wallet growth has reached a record high, indicating an influx of new users joining the network.

The resilience of Ethereum, with gas fees remaining low even as more users are on the network, can be attributed to network upgrades. The Fusaka upgrade that went live last month is one of the factors attributed to the drop. 

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This month, Ethereum has also adjusted the blob parameters, reducing data costs for layer two rollups. Because of these two improvements, it has become cheaper for users to use Ethereum even when many users are on the network.

Bullish Triangle Pattern Signals Potential Rally to $4,000 As the Ethereum network shows resilience, analyst Ali Charts has shared a bullish outlook for X, predicting the price could surge to $4,000. The analyst attributed his forecast to a bullish ascending triangle pattern, whose breakout could lead to such gains. 

The key resistance level Ethereum needs to break to reach $4,000 is $3,413. If the price can move above this level and push past $3,660, the analyst notes that this breakout rally may be possible.

However, the bullish thesis depends on whether ETH can hold the $3,085 support level for the bullish leg to occur.

XRP has spent most of the past few months trading with lower highs since July 2025, frustrating traders and compressing price action into an increasingly tight range. 

However, a technical breakdown shared by crypto analyst ChartNerd argued that what looks like stagnation may actually be the final preparation phase before a historic move. The price structure suggests something far bigger that sends XRP on its most aggressive rally in eight years, but the implications only become clear when the full setup is examined.

A 400-Day Rectangular Reaccumulation Still Holding Structure According to technical analysis done by ChartNerd, XRP’s price action has been locked inside a rectangular reaccumulation zone for about 400 days, and this has led to the formation of what looks like a rectangular bull flag on a macro timeframe. The technical chart shows a strong impulsive move from July 2024 to December 2024 acting as the flagpole, right when XRP peaked at the $3.4 price zone back then.

This impulsive flagpole has been followed by a long period of sideways trading where XRP’s price has repeatedly respected a clearly defined support around $1.8 and resistance boundaries around $3.6. This type of structure is associated with reaccumulation within the support and resistance zones, especially when it is playing out after a sharp expansion move and holding for this length of time.

XRPUSD now trading at $1.91. Chart: TradingView Each dip into reaccumulation support has been absorbed, preventing any sustained breakdown and keeping the broader pattern intact. ChartNerd noted that the rectangular flag will be valid as long as this support level is defended, and this will activate the expansion journey.

XRP Price Chart. Source: @ChartNerdTA on X

Macro Breakout Projection Puts XRP Price Target At $23 According to ChartNerd, bearish participants are increasingly pressured by the fact that this fractal is still holding despite repeated attempts to invalidate it. The longer XRP’s price action is trapped inside the rectangle without breaking down, the more likely it becomes that the eventual resolution favors the dominant trend that preceded the consolidation. In this case, that trend was bullish, which strengthens the case for an upside breakout once resistance is cleared.

If the rectangular bull flag resolves to the upside as projected, the chart outlines a breakout trajectory that would carry XRP into double-digit territory, with a long-term target region near $23. This price target projection is derived from the height of the flagpole extended from the top of the reaccumulation range.

ChartNerd labelled this possible move as one of the most aggressive rallies XRP could see in seven to eight years. At the time of writing, XRP is trading around $1.92, meaning a move toward the $23 region would represent a gain of over 1,000% from current levels, which is a type of percentage expansion XRP has played out well in the past.

Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView

A Former Goldman analyst has ignited a firestorm across the X social media platform with his bold XRP price prediction of $1,000 by 2030. For the Ripple-promoted crypto to reach those levels, it would need to rally over 52,000% from current levels.

An audacious figure of $1,000 per XRP was predicted by ex-Goldman Sachs analyst Dom Kwok for 2030-end.

Kwok, who is the co-founder of EasyA, a Web3 education platform with direct XRPL grants, has doubled down on his forecast in a Jan. 23 X post. 

“fyi i did not go grey at the age of 30 for $XRP to be worth any less than $1,000 by 2030,” Kwok wrote on X.

The analyst’s stance is in line with the view that XRP’s growth trajectory should be assessed through a long-term lens rather than short-term price spikes.

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XRP is the native cryptocurrency on the XRP Ledger, a blockchain designed to enable real-time, low-cost cross-border settlements. Ripple uses XRP to provide fast payment solutions to financial institutions such as banks, payment service providers, and crypto businesses.

The XRP price was hovering around $1.91 as of press time, maintaining its position as the fifth-largest cryptocurrency with a market cap of $116.3 billion. A $1,000 price target implies an astonishing 52,256% upside. This price tag would also translate to a market cap of over $100 trillion, which is five times the current global GDP.

Nonetheless, XRP adherents believe token burns, institutional demand fueled by inflows into spot ETFs, cross-border volume, strategic partnerships, ongoing ecosystem development, and increased regulatory clarity will produce the liquidity surge and demand shock required to trigger a rapid price eruption toward quadruple-digit levels.

As you may recall, Ripple officially settled a prolonged lawsuit with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in August 2025, a case that had negatively weighed on the XRP price for years. The falling exchange reserves further keep the bigger-picture case intact for XRP. But whether the payments-focused token could realistically reach the ambitious $1,000 mark by 2030 remains to be seen. 

In the meantime, XRP’s journey, buoyed by solid fundamentals, ensures it will remain a recognized crypto with a promising future in both the cryptocurrency and fintech worlds.

XRP has been on a January 2026 roller coaster, kicking off the month with confidence before running headfirst into a sharp pullback. It jumped about 20% in the first week, topping out near $2.41 on Jan. 6, but fast forward to today and the crypto asset is changing hands at $1.91.

The Ethereum Foundation has formed a dedicated Post-Quantum (PQ) team to accelerate the network's preparations for quantum computing threats, with senior researcher Justin Drake calling it a "top strategic priority" in an X post on Friday.

The new team will be led by Thomas Coratger, a cryptographic engineer at the foundation, with support from Emile, a cryptographer closely associated with the foundation's leanVM project. Drake described leanVM, a minimalist zero-knowledge proof virtual machine optimized for quantum-resistant hash-based signatures, as the "cornerstone" of Ethereum's post-quantum strategy.

"After years of quiet R&D, EF management has officially declared PQ security a top strategic priority," Drake wrote. "It's now 2026, timelines are accelerating. Time to go full PQ."

The foundation is putting significant funding behind the effort, announcing a $1 million Poseidon Prize to strengthen a hash function central to Ethereum's zero-knowledge proof systems, adding to the $1 million Proximity Prize targeting broader post-quantum cryptographic research announced last year.

On the engineering side, multi-client post-quantum consensus development networks are already running, with Lighthouse and Grandine having implemented PQ devnets and Prysm expected to follow. Biweekly developer sessions on post-quantum transactions will begin next month, led by researcher Antonio Sanso. Drake also outlined community initiatives including a three-day workshop in October and a session ahead of EthCC in March.

The announcement comes amid intensifying industry focus on quantum preparedness. On Wednesday, Coinbase formed an independent advisory board to evaluate quantum risks to blockchain networks, with Drake among its members alongside Stanford cryptographer Dan Boneh and University of Texas professor Scott Aaronson.

The move also follows Buterin's January 12 outline of the "walkaway test", a framework for assessing whether Ethereum could remain secure if core developers stepped away. Buterin listed quantum resistance as non-negotiable and has previously estimated a 20% probability that quantum computers capable of breaking current cryptography could emerge before 2030.

Last week, Jefferies strategist Christopher Wood removed a 10% bitcoin allocation from his model portfolio, citing quantum computing as an "existential" risk. Unlike Bitcoin, which would likely require a contentious hard fork consensus for quantum-resistant upgrades, Ethereum's account abstraction roadmap provides a clearer migration pathway.

Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2026 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

Institutional research is reshaping crypto narratives as Blackrock's latest outlook frames Ethereum as a central beneficiary of surging stablecoin use and tokenization, signaling a shift from speculative trading toward real-world financial infrastructure adoption.

Smart Money Exit Solana’s Seeker Token after 200% RallySeeker price down 25% as smart money slashes exposure by 56%.Whales added 16 million SKR, but exchange inflows surged by 45 million tokens.A 4H close below $0.028 risks deeper downside toward $0.012.Seeker price has entered a pullback phase. After delivering a sharp 200% post-launch rally earlier this week, SKR is now down nearly 25% over the past 24 hours. That shift becomes all the more important as the buyers driving the move have changed.

In our earlier analysis, we showed how smart money absorbed airdrop selling and helped stabilize the price. That setup is no longer intact. Smart money has started cutting exposure, exchange balances are rising, and yet whales are quietly adding. The result is a market pulled in opposite directions, with a 5% cliff now in focus.

Critical Breakdown Triggered Smart Money ExitThe first crack appeared on January 24.

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On the one-hour chart, the Seeker price lost its Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP) line. VWAP represents the average price traders paid, weighted by volume.

When the price holds above it, buyers are in control. When it breaks, it often signals distribution rather than healthy consolidation.

Seeker Loses VWAP: TradingViewWant more token insights like this? Sign up for Editor Harsh Notariya’s Daily Crypto Newsletter here.

That breakdown lined up closely with smart money behavior.

Over the past 24 hours, smart money wallets reduced their SKR holdings by 56.48%. Based on the on-chain data, this cohort cut roughly 8.5 million SKR from their positions in a single day. This was not slow trimming. It was a decisive exit following the loss of short-term structure.

Smart Money Cuts Supply: NansenThis matters because smart money tends to move first. When they step aside after a VWAP loss, it usually signals that near-term upside no longer offers a favorable risk-reward.

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That explains why Seeker’s bounce attempts have been muted, even as price tries to stabilize. But smart money selling is only one side of the equation.

Whales Buy the Dip as One Divergence Signals AccumulationWhile informed traders were exiting, whales moved in the opposite direction.

From January 23 to January 24, the Seeker price continued trending lower, but the Money Flow Index (MFI) moved higher over the same period. MFI tracks buying and selling pressure using both price and volume. When price falls while MFI rises, it signals accumulation beneath the surface.

Dip Buyers:TradingViewThat divergence helps explain whale behavior.

Over the past 24 hours, whale holdings increased by 40.78%, lifting their total balance to 56.49 million SKR. This means whales added approximately 16.3 million SKR during the pullback.

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Unlike smart money, whales are not trading short-term structure. They are positioning into weakness, which lines up perfectly with the MFI dip buying.

Seeker Whales: NansenThis creates a clear contrast in intent. Smart money stepped away after VWAP failed. Whales stepped in as momentum cooled and dip-buying signals appeared.

However, whale accumulation does not automatically translate into price strength. Whales can absorb supply, but they cannot stop a decline if selling pressure elsewhere continues to rise. That brings exchange behavior into focus.

Exchange Inflows Keep Seeker Price Breakdown Risk AliveDespite whale buying, supply pressure remains elevated.

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Exchange balances increased sharply over the past 24 hours, rising by 10.94% to 453.67 million SKR. That implies roughly 44.8 million SKR moved onto exchanges during this period. Smart money exits contributed to this flow, and retail profit-taking likely added to the pressure as well.

This supply shift shows up clearly in volume data.

On the four-hour chart, On-Balance Volume (OBV) has trended lower even as price remained elevated between January 21 and January 24. OBV tracks whether volume confirms price moves. When price holds up, but OBV falls, it signals that rallies are being driven by thinning demand rather than strong accumulation.

This is why whale buying has not yet translated into upside follow-through. More so, as the exchange inflow surge easily trumps their accumulation numbers.

The technical risk is now clearly defined. On a four-hour closing basis, $0.028 is the key level, a 5% move from the current level at press time. A clean close below it, accompanied by an OBV trendline breakdown, would signal that selling pressure is overpowering accumulation, opening downside risk toward $0.0120.

Seeker Price Analysis: TradingViewOn the upside, Seeker needs to reclaim $0.043 to restore confidence. Beyond that, $0.053 remains the most important resistance zone, where prior supply has been concentrated. Without a shift in volume behavior, those levels remain difficult to reach.

The structure tells a simple story. Smart money has stepped aside. Whales are accumulating. Exchanges are filling up. As long as this imbalance persists, Seeker price remains vulnerable.

Disclaimer

In line with the Trust Project guidelines, this price analysis article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. BeInCrypto is committed to accurate, unbiased reporting, but market conditions are subject to change without notice. Always conduct your own research and consult with a professional before making any financial decisions. Please note that our Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

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Swiss banking giant UBS, with assets under management (AuM) of up to $7 trillion, is set to launch Bitcoin trading for some of its clients. This comes amid predictions that regulatory clarity and broader adoption could send the BTC price to as high as $200,000. 

UBS To Offer Bitcoin Trading To Some Wealth Clients Bloomberg reported that UBS is planning to launch crypto trading for some of its wealth clients, starting with its private bank clients in Switzerland. The bank will reportedly begin by offering these clients the opportunity to invest in Bitcoin and Ethereum. At the same time, the crypto offering could further expand to clients in the Pacific-Asia region and the U.S.

The banking giant is currently in discussions with potential partners, and there is no clear timeline for when it could launch Bitcoin and Ethereum trading for clients. This move is said to be partly due to increased demand from wealth clients for crypto exposure. UBS also faces increased competition as other Wall Street giants are working to offer crypto trading. 

Morgan Stanley, in partnership with Zerohash, announced plans to launch crypto trading in the first half of this year, starting with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana. The banking giant may soon also be able to offer its crypto products, as it has filed with the SEC to launch spot BTC, ETH, and SOL ETFs. 

Furthermore, JPMorgan, another of UBS’ competitors, is considering offering crypto trading to institutional clients, although this plan is still in the early stages. The bank already accepts Bitcoin and Ethereum as collateral from its clients. Last year, it also filed to offer BTC structured notes that will track the performance of the BlackRock Bitcoin ETF.

Can Bank’s Entry Trigger A BTC Rally To $200,000   Kevin O’Leary predicted that Bitcoin could rally to between $150,000 and $200,000 this year, driven by the passage of the CLARITY Act. His prediction came just as White House Crypto Czar David Sacks said banks would fully enter crypto once the bill passes. As such, there is a possibility that BTC could reach this $200,000 psychological level in anticipation of the amount of new capital that could flow into BTC from these banks once the bill passes. 

BitMine’s Chairman, Tom Lee, also predicted during a CNBC interview that Bitcoin could reach between $200,000 and $250,000 this year, partly due to growing institutional adoption by Wall Street giants. Meanwhile, Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao said that a BTC rally to $200,000 is the “most obvious thing in the world” to him.

At the time of writing, the Bitcoin price is trading at around $89,600, up in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

BTC trading at $89,661 on the 1D chart | Source: BTCUSDT on Tradingview.com Featured image from Pixabay, chart from Tradingview.com

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Explore how portfolio concentration, sector tilt, and risk profiles set these two major ETFs apart for different investor priorities.

SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA 0.56%) and iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM 1.85%) differ sharply in market coverage, sector exposure, and risk profile, with DIA offering concentrated blue-chip exposure and IWM targeting the broad U.S. small-cap segment.

IWM aims to capture the performance of 1,954 U.S. small-cap stocks, while DIA provides access to just 30 of the largest, most established U.S. companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. This comparison looks at cost, returns, risk, and portfolio makeup to help investors decide which approach may fit their goals.

Snapshot (Cost & Size)MetricIWMDIAIssuerISharesSPDRExpense ratio0.19%0.16%1-yr return (as of 2026-01-09)20.0%18.1%Dividend yield1.0%1.4%Beta1.130.91AUM$77.7 billion$44.6 billionBeta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.

DIA is modestly less expensive than IWM and currently offers a higher dividend yield, which may appeal to those seeking a slightly lower-cost, higher-payout option among major index ETFs.

Performance & Risk ComparisonMetricIWMDIAMax drawdown (5 y)-31.91%-20.76%Growth of $1,000 over 5 years$1,341$1,749What's InsideDIA tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average, holding just 30 blue-chip U.S. stocks—making it one of the most concentrated major index ETFs. Its sector exposure leans heavily on financial services (28%), technology (20%), and industrials (15%). The largest positions include Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS 3.75%), Caterpillar Inc (CAT 3.36%), and Microsoft Corp (MSFT +3.45%). With 28 years of history and a focused lineup, DIA may appeal to those seeking established names and lower volatility.

IWM, by contrast, holds roughly 1,950 U.S. small-cap stocks, delivering broad diversification across the market’s smaller companies. Its sector allocation is more balanced, with healthcare (19%), financial services (16%), and technology (16%) as the main weights. Top positions like Bloom Energy Class A Corp (BE 0.54%), Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd (CRDO 1.44%), and Kratos Defense And Security Solutions (KTOS 3.04%) comprise a much smaller slice of assets, reflecting the ETF’s wide reach.

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

What This Means For InvestorsThe SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) and iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) are two of the best-known and largest ETFs around. Each fund tracks an iconic stock market index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Russell 2000 index, respectively. So, here's what retail investors need to know about these two ETFs.

To start, the most significant difference between these two funds is the size and type of their holdings. The DIA holds only 30 stocks, while IWM holds close to 2,000. In addition, the DIA tilts heavily towards large and megacap stocks. Meanwhile, IWM's extensive portfolio tilts far more towards medium and small caps.

As for the key financial and performance metrics, DIA comes out ahead of IWM. DIA has the lower expense ratio, higher dividend yield, and greater total return over the last five years. What's more, it also has experienced less volatility, with its max drawdown being -21% as compared to -32% for IWM.

Therefore, many investors may favor DIA over IWM given its combination of positive attributes. However, IWM may still hold appeal for investors that are seeking diversification and greater exposure to small and mid cap stocks.

GlossaryETF: Exchange-traded fund that holds a basket of assets and trades on stock exchanges like a stock.
Index ETF: An ETF designed to track the performance of a specific market index, before fees and expenses.
Small-cap: Companies with relatively low market value, typically more volatile and faster-growing than large, established firms.
Blue-chip stocks: Shares of large, established companies with stable earnings and long records of reliability.
Expense ratio: Annual fund operating costs expressed as a percentage of the fund's average assets.
Dividend yield: Annual dividends per share divided by the share price, showing income return percentage.
Beta: Measure of an investment’s volatility relative to a benchmark index, often the S&P 500.
AUM (Assets under management): Total market value of assets that a fund or manager oversees.
Max drawdown: The largest peak-to-trough decline in an investment’s value over a specific period.
Risk-adjusted metrics: Measures that compare investment returns to the amount of risk taken to achieve them.
Sector exposure: The percentage of a fund’s assets invested in specific industries or sectors.
Diversification: Spreading investments across many securities to reduce the impact of any single holding’s performance.

The Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Premium Income ETF targets enhanced yield by combining broad U.S. equity exposure with a premium income strategy.

What happenedAccording to a January 20, 2026, SEC filing, Guild Investment Management, Inc. initiated a new position in Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Premium Income ETF (GPIX +0.08%), acquiring 53,890 shares. The estimated transaction value for the quarter was $2.85 million, based on the quarterly average price.

The position’s value at quarter-end also totaled $2.85 million, reflecting both the purchase and market movement during the period.

What else to knowThis is a new position, representing 2.11% of Guild Investment Management’s reported 13F assets under management after the filing.

Top holdings after the filing:

NYSEMKT:PHYS: $12.01 million (8.9% of AUM)NYSEMKT:CLIP: $11.29 million (8.4% of AUM)NYSEMKT:BIL: $10.40 million (7.7% of AUM)NASDAQ:NVDA: $8.99 million (6.7% of AUM)NASDAQ:VTIP: $8.14 million (6.0% of AUM)As of January 20, 2026, shares of GPIX were priced at $52.19. The fund posted a one-year gain of about 12.9% and outperformed the S&P 500 by 0.26 percentage points over that period.

The ETF’s annualized dividend yield stands at 8.15%, and it was 2.45% below its 52-week high as of January 21, 2026.

ETF overviewMetricValueAUM$2.67 billionPrice (as of market close January 20, 2026)$52.19Dividend yield8.15%1-year total return12.87%ETF snapshotThe ETF’s investment strategy seeks to generate premium income by investing at least 80% of assets in S&P 500 equities, while maintaining benchmark-like style and sector exposures.The portfolio is composed primarily of S&P 500 constituent stocks, aiming for diversified exposure across market capitalizations and industries.The fund’s scale, with a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, supports liquidity and efficient portfolio implementation.The Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Premium Income ETF provides investors with access to S&P 500 equity exposure while targeting enhanced income through a premium income strategy. By tracking the S&P 500 and maintaining a focus on income generation, GPIX appeals to investors seeking both yield and broad U.S. equity market participation.

What this transaction means for investorsGuild Investment Management purchasing shares in the Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Premium Income ETF (GPIX) is noteworthy because the investment firm’s decision to initiate a new position in GPIX suggests it has a bullish outlook towards the ETF.

GPIX is designed to closely track the performance of the S&P 500, and along with this, it delivers a robust dividend yield of more than 8%. As a result, this ETF is a great way to obtain passive income.

However, its expense ratio of 0.29% is on the pricey side. That said, the cost is understandable since GPIX is an actively-managed fund, which helps it outperform other income-focused ETFs in terms of dividend yield.

Therefore, GPIX looks like an attractive ETF to consider investing in for those who intend to buy and hold for the long term, want a good dividend, and desire the steady, reliable performance of the S&P 500.

AI spending is expected to stay elevated in 2026.

If you followed my advice for the three chip stocks I recommended in 2025, you're probably a happy investor. I recommended you purchase Nvidia (NVDA +1.60%), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM +2.21%), and ASML Holding (ASML 0.44%) for 2025, and if you did that and held on, you made a huge profit.

The "worst" performer (if you can even call it that) was Nvidia, which rose 39%. Taiwan Semiconductor and ASML each increased by 54%, delivering monstrous gains. Regardless of whether you followed my advice or not, every investor must make a decision on whether these stocks are worth holding on to or buying more of in 2026. I think there are two I'd much rather own, although each of them could still beat the market.

Image source: Getty Images.

Each stock represents a different part of the chip supply chain These three companies all play different roles in the chip industry. Nvidia designs chips, specifically for its graphics processing units (GPUs). GPUs have become the top option to train and run generative AI workloads, and the demand they have created is unprecedented. However, Nvidia only designs the chips; it doesn't manufacture them.

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That's where Taiwan Semiconductor comes in. It operates a chip factory where clients can give it designs, and it produces them. This is a great relationship, as it allows Taiwan Semiconductor to stay neutral. It's only offering its foundry capabilities, versus competing against Nvidia. Part of the reason companies like Nvidia don't produce their own chips is the massive amount of equipment and expertise required to manufacture cutting-edge chips. This process requires expensive and specialized machines, such as those made by ASML.

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ASML makes extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, which help lay the tiny electrical traces on chips. ASML is the only company in the world with this technology, so it's guaranteed growth as long as chip demand continues to rise.

All three of these companies are vital, but which ones are buys for 2026?

ASML has gotten expensive for its growth For the next fiscal year, Wall Street analysts expect 51% growth for Nvidia, 31% for Taiwan Semiconductor, and 15% from ASML. There's a clear break in expectations for these three. Yet they trade at differing valuations.

ASML trades for 34 times forward earnings, while Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor trade for 25 and 21 times forward earnings, respectively. ASML has gotten too expensive for its relatively slow growth rate, so I think Taiwan Semiconductor and Nvidia are much better buys. While ASML can still deliver strong results, I'm more confident in the other two for 2026.

Keithen Drury has positions in Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Alphabet, Micron, and Costco each have something unique to offer investors.

If you have $1,000 to invest right now, you might be scanning the vast array of stocks available to you and wondering where the best place to put it is. Despite some very recent volatility, the tech sector is often a good place for investors to get the best returns, and two great companies to consider now are Alphabet (GOOG 0.73%) (GOOGL 0.73%) and Micron Technology (MU +0.52%).

If tech isn't your thing, that's all right: Costco Wholesale (COST +0.72%) is a fantastic company that's worth a $1,000 investment as well. Here's why these stocks deserve to be on your buy list.

Image source: Getty Images.

Alphabet is benefiting from its AI prowess There are many reasons to buy Alphabet right now, and one of the most important is the company's position in the artificial intelligence (AI) race. The company's Google Gemini is the second most-popular chatbot -- behind OpenAI's ChatGPT -- with 650 million monthly active users, up from 400 million six months prior.

Management took a big step toward expanding its AI position with its recently announced collaboration with Apple, in which Gemini will become the underlying AI model for a new version of Apple's Siri. That will potentially put Gemini into millions more hands and give Alphabet an estimated $1 billion annually from Apple.

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And while there are plenty of AI stocks to choose from these days, not all are as profitable as Alphabet. The company had $97.7 billion in net income and generated about $50 billion in free cash flow in the first nine months of 2025. And with Google Gemini users expanding quickly and its new collaboration with Apple, now could be a good time to buy shares.

Micron's AI memory chips are flying off the shelves Chatbots aren't the only AI play; hardware stocks can be great investments, too. Just ask Micron shareholders. The stock has soared 269% over the past 12 months as the company's dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash memory fly off the shelves.

Micron's sales increased 56% in the first quarter (which ended Nov. 27) to $13.6 billion, and adjusted earnings per share rose 167% to $4.78. The proliferation of AI data centers is causing a huge increase in memory demand, leading management to say last month that the company is "more than sold out."

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Hardware demand can be cyclical, but Micron is tapping into a significant trend right now as the world's largest tech companies are expected to spend an estimated $3 trillion to $4 trillion on data centers by 2030. This means Micron likely has many more years of impressive growth ahead.

Choose Costco for your non-AI play AI isn't the only game on Wall Street, and investors would be wise to consider Costco stock right now as the company continues to grow. It ended the first quarter with an impressive 81.4 million paid members, up 5.2% from the year-ago quarter.

Sales also increased by 8% to $67.3 billion, outpacing Wall Street's consensus estimate of $67.1 billion. Some investors are worried that the company's membership renewal rates have slowed a bit, but considering that the rate in North America is still a very impressive 92.2% I think those concerns are overblown.

There's some economic uncertainty right now, with layoffs rising to a four-year high last year and hiring slowing. But Costco customers see their memberships as a way to save money, so they are likely to stick around if the economy slows.

With each of these companies growing at a healthy clip and expanding within their receptive niches, now could be a good time to buy some of their shares.

Though its stock price is down about 74% from all-time highs, its underlying business is growing at double-digit rates.

Typically reporting its fourth-quarter results in the first few weeks of February, The Trade Desk (TTD 0.71%) is due for a quarterly update soon. Shareholders of the advertising technology company are likely hoping the report can bail them out of dismal performance recently. The stock is down about 74% from an all-time high closing price of more than $139. Even more, the last five years have been atrocious for the stock. During this period, shares are down about 55%.

While performance like this may scare many investors away, this is actually a good time to look at the stock. After all, even though the stock has been crushed, The Trade Desk's revenue and earnings have performed well over the last five years. Could this be a classic opportunity to "be greedy when others are fearful," as famed investor Warren Buffett is known for saying?

Image source: Getty Images.

Growth continues, but at a slower pace The Trade Desk's third-quarter revenue was $739 million, up 18% year over year. That was a deceleration from 19% growth in Q2 and 26% growth for the full year of 2024.

Still, this isn't bad performance -- at least not the type of performance you'd expect from a company with a stock that has lost about three-fourths of its value. The reality is that The Trade Desk's underlying business is actually performing quite well. In fact, management noted in its third-quarter update that customer retention stayed above 95%, extending a streak that has now lasted 11 consecutive years.

Further, the Trade Desk business momentum is actually better than it looks. The company is up against a tough comparison due to big political spending in 2024. When adjusted to exclude political spend, the Trade Desk's third-quarter 2025 revenue actually grew 22% year over year, as customers continue to ramp up their ad spend on the company's new AI (artificial intelligence)-powered programmatic ad-buying platform, Kokai.

"The momentum continues to be fueled by new product innovations we've launched across our Kokai platform," said CEO Jeff Green.

Further, the company has been repurchasing a meaningful amount of its shares. In its third-quarter update, The Trade Desk announced an additional $500 million share repurchase authorization, after using $310 million to repurchase shares during Q3 alone.

A demanding valuation What has caused the stock to perform so poorly? An extraordinarily high valuation. Even after the stock's recent huge beating, shares are trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of about 42 -- well above the valuations of some more diversified, fast-growing tech companies like Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Microsoft.

This is a pretty high premium to pay given The Trade Desk's recent slowdown in top-line growth. And the company's fourth-quarter top-line guidance doesn't help either. Management guided for revenue of "at least $840 million," implying about 13% year-over-year growth. And even when you exclude political spend from the year-ago comparison, this translates to 18.5% growth -- a deceleration from the company's 22% ex-political spend revenue growth in Q3.

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Is The Trade Desk stock a good buy today? Given the stock's high valuation now, I don't believe there is enough room for error baked into the current stock price. Of course, this doesn't mean that shares will go down when The Trade Desk reports its fourth-quarter results (there's no way to know what will happen). But given the company's decelerating revenue growth, I'd rather wait for a potentially better buying opportunity before building a position in this growth stock.

Of course, if the Trade Desk demonstrates the ability to achieve higher revenue growth rates again, I might reconsider and buy shares of the Trade Desk. For now, however, the company's recent trend of decelerating growth is concerning -- especially when held up against the stock's pricey valuation.

Daniel Sparks and his clients have no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

These two top global ETFs offer exposure to international companies, but each has unique features that may appeal to investors.

Both the SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW +0.71%) and Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS +0.57%) are core international funds designed for broad exposure outside the United States, but their coverage differs: SPDW tracks only developed markets, whereas VXUS includes both developed and emerging economies. This comparison highlights how these differences play out in terms of costs, returns, risk, and portfolio construction.

Snapshot (cost & size) MetricVXUSSPDWIssuerVanguardSPDRExpense ratio0.05%0.03%1-yr return (as of Jan. 24, 2026)31.69%32.6%Dividend yield3.02%3.14%Beta0.750.82AUM$573.72 billion$35.07 billionBeta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.

SPDW has a slightly lower expense ratio and a higher dividend yield. However, it pays dividends semi-annually, whereas VXUS pays quarterly.

Performance & risk comparisonMetricVXUSSPDWMax drawdown (5 y)-29.43%-30.20%Growth of $1,000 over 5 years$1,256$1,321What's inside SPDW tracks developed markets outside the U.S. and holds 2,413 stocks, with a sector tilt toward financials, industrials, and consumer cyclical. Its top holdings include ASML Holding N.V. (AMS:ASML), Samsung Electronics (LON: SMSN), and Roche Holding AG (SWX:ROG).

Although it has a similar sector allocation, VXUS is far broader, covering both developed and emerging markets across 8,673 holdings. Top positions include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (2330.TW), Tencent Holdings Ltd. (0700.HK), and ASML Holding N.V. (AMS:ASML).

What this means for investorsInvestors should be aware that international stocks in ETFs like those mentioned can move very differently from U.S. stocks and exhibit price movement that U.S. investors may not be accustomed to. Foreign stocks may move more closely in line with the relevant country’s economic and political structures and events, which could add or decrease volatility to both ETFs compared to domestic funds.

Four of the top five holdings in SPDW are European companies, with all assets having less than 2% weight. In VXUS, four of its top five holdings are Asian, with TSMC as the only stock with a weight over 2%. U.S. investors may want to keep an eye on relevant events in the relevant foreign country or continent to better understand the international stocks associated with each ETF.

Regardless, for a stronger international tech exposure, VXUS may be the better option, but for a more balanced focus, SPDW has the edge.

GlossaryETF: Exchange-traded fund that holds a basket of securities and trades on an exchange like a stock.
Expense ratio: Annual fund fee, expressed as a percentage of assets, covering management and operating costs.
Dividend yield: Annual dividends paid by a fund divided by its current share price, shown as a percentage.
Developed markets: Economies considered mature, stable, and highly industrialized, such as Japan, the U.K., and Western Europe.
Emerging markets: Developing countries with faster growth potential but generally higher economic and political risk.
AUM (Assets under management): Total market value of all assets a fund or manager oversees for investors.
Beta: Measure of a fund’s volatility relative to a benchmark index, typically the S&P 500.
Max drawdown: Largest peak-to-trough decline in a fund’s value over a specified period.
Total return: Investment performance including price changes plus all dividends and distributions, assuming reinvestment.
Sector allocation: How a fund’s holdings are distributed across different industries, such as technology or financials.
Holdings: Individual securities, like stocks or bonds, that a fund owns in its portfolio.
Diversification: Spreading investments across many securities or markets to reduce the impact of any single holding.

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

Explore how these two leading ETFs differ on risk, yield, and portfolio makeup—key factors for building a balanced global strategy.

Schwab International Equity ETF (SCHF +0.60%) and SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW +0.71%) both keep costs extremely low and provide broad developed-market exposure, but differ on fund size, yield, and risk-adjusted performance.

Both the Schwab International Equity ETF and the SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF are designed as core international equity building blocks, tracking broad developed markets outside the United States. This comparison explores their similarities and differences across cost, recent returns, portfolio construction, risk, and trading characteristics to help investors decide which may fit their needs.

Snapshot (Cost & Size)MetricSCHFSPDWIssuerSchwabSPDRExpense ratio0.03%0.03%1-yr return (as of 2026-01-09)35.1%35.3%Dividend yield3.3%3.2%Beta0.860.88AUM$57.7 billion$35.1 billionBeta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.

Both funds are among the most affordable in the category, each charging just 0.03% in annual expenses. SCHF edges out SPDW with a slightly higher dividend yield, offering a marginally greater payout for income-focused investors.

Performance & Risk ComparisonMetricSCHFSPDWMax drawdown (5 y)-29.15%-30.20%Growth of $1,000 over 5 years$1,593$1,567What's InsideSPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF offers diversified exposure to developed-market equities outside the United States, holding 2,390 stocks and tilting toward financial services (23%), industrials (19%), and technology (11%). Its top holdings include Roche Holding Ag, Novartis Ag, and Toyota Motor Corp. With an 18.7-year history, SPDW aims to mitigate country-specific risk and serve as a core holding for international diversification.

Schwab International Equity ETF takes a very similar approach, focusing on developed markets and holding 1,499 stocks with a comparable sector mix: financial services (25%), industrials (18%), and technology (12%). The largest positions are Asml Holding Nv (ASML 0.43%), Samsung Electronics Ltd, and Roche. Neither fund incorporates quirks such as leverage, currency hedging, or ESG overlays, so both maintain plain-vanilla international exposure.

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

What This Means For InvestorsFor investors seeking international exposure, both Schwab International Equity ETF (SCHF) and SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (SPDW) are ETFs worth considering. Here's what average investors should know about these two funds.

For starters, these two funds are quite similar. They both have an identical, near rock-bottom expense ratio of 0.03%, which means investors only pay $3 in annual fees for every $10,000 invested. Similarly, their volatility profiles are very similar. SCHF has a beta of 0.86, while SPDW has a beta of 0.88, making SPDW very slightly more volatile. Both funds have experienced a max drawdown of approximately -30%. Finally, their respective performance over the last five years has mirrored one another.

As for differences, perhaps the most obvious is in size. SCHF has nearly $58 billion in AUM, compared to $35 billion for SPDW. Yet, while this contrast is large, it shouldn't result in any significant difference in liquidity for investors buying or selling their shares.

In summary, a case can be made for either of these ETFs. For investors seeking international exposure, both SCHF and SPDW offer that exposure at a reasonable cost, with SCHF offering marginally higher yield.

GlossaryETF (Exchange-traded fund): A fund that trades on stock exchanges like a stock, holding a basket of assets.
Expense ratio: The annual fee a fund charges investors, expressed as a percentage of assets invested.
Dividend yield: Annual dividends paid by a fund or stock divided by its current share price.
Beta: A measure of an investment’s volatility compared with the overall market, typically the S&P 500.
Developed markets: Economies considered mature and stable, such as Europe, Japan, Canada, and Australia.
AUM (Assets under management): The total market value of all assets a fund or manager oversees.
Max drawdown: The largest peak-to-trough decline in an investment’s value over a specific period.
Total return: Investment performance including price changes plus all dividends and distributions, assuming reinvestment.
Core holding: A foundational investment intended to be a long-term, central part of a portfolio.
Country-specific risk: Risk that economic, political, or regulatory events in one country hurt investment returns.
Currency hedging: Using financial strategies to reduce the impact of exchange-rate movements on investment returns.
ESG overlays: Investment screens or rules based on environmental, social, and governance criteria applied to a portfolio.

Navan delivers AI-powered travel and expense management software for enterprise clients seeking streamlined operations.

Lunate Capital disclosed a position in Navan (NAVN 0.73%) as of its January 23 SEC filing, acquiring 200,000 shares—an estimated $3.42 million trade based on quarterly average pricing.

What happenedAccording to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dated January 23, Lunate Capital Ltd established a position in Navan by acquiring 200,000 shares. The quarter-end value of the stake also registered at $3.42 million.

What else to knowThis was a new position for Lunate Capital, making up 1.29% of reportable assets under management as of December 31.

Top holdings after the filing:

NASDAQ:RVMD: $174.93 million (66.2% of AUM)NASDAQ:SAIL: $60.69 million (23.0% of AUM)NASDAQ:LINE: $21.00 million (7.9% of AUM)NASDAQ:NMRA: $3.80 million (1.4% of AUM)NASDAQ:NAVN: $3.42 million (1.3% of AUM)As of Friday, Navan shares were priced at $15.09, down about 60% from their IPO price of $25.

Company overviewMetricValuePrice (2026-01-23)$15.09Market Capitalization$3.46 billionRevenue (TTM)$656.3 millionNet Income (TTM)($371.9 million)Company snapshotNavan, Inc. provides an AI-powered software platform for travel, payments, and expense management, supporting the full travel lifecycle from booking to reporting.The company generates revenue by offering SaaS solutions that streamline travel and expense processes.Primary customers include finance, human resources, and travel managers across mid-sized to large organizations seeking to optimize travel and expense operations.Navan, Inc. operates at scale in the technology sector, leveraging artificial intelligence to simplify and automate business travel and expense management for enterprise clients. The company's integrated platform delivers end-to-end solutions, enabling efficiency and policy compliance for organizations with complex travel needs.

What this transaction means for investorsIn a portfolio where nearly 90% of capital sits in just three names, adding a new holding at 1.3% of assets reads less like a conviction swing and more like a measured probe. That context is important given Navan’s volatile post-IPO tape and the sharp reset in its share price.

What makes the timing notable is that the fundamentals have not collapsed alongside the stock. In its most recent quarterly release, Navan reported revenue of $195 million, up 29% year over year, while gross booking volume climbed 40% to $2.6 billion. Non-GAAP operating income reached $25 million, a meaningful inflection from prior periods, driven by scale in enterprise customers and improving operating leverage. CEO Ariel Cohen said the company is seeing “continued momentum in the enterprise market” as its AI-first platform gains adoption across travel and expense workflows, along with “new highs in customer satisfaction.”

At the same time, GAAP losses remain large at $79 million, stock-based compensation is substantial, and the business is seasonally strongest in the quarter just reported. Against that backdrop, the relatively small position size looks deliberate. For long-term investors, the takeaway is less about calling a bottom and more about watching execution.

Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

This longtime stock market winner is trading below its peak price.

Netflix (NFLX +3.09%) just reported Q4 2025 revenue and earnings per share that came in ahead of Wall Street analysts' estimates. This might not be surprising news to investors, as it seems the streaming juggernaut has consistently operated from a position of fundamental strength.

Shares have risen 691% in the past 10 years as of Jan. 21, but they're well off the peak right now. Should you invest $1,000 in Netflix stock?

Image source: Netflix.

Reaching 325 million subscribers While the company stopped revealing every quarter what its customer count is, Netflix just told shareholders that it ended 2025 with 325 million subscribers. That's up 23 million from 12 months before.

What's more, advertising revenue, a relatively new business line, climbed more than 150% last year. That growth was in line with what management previously expected.

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Reasons to pump the brakes Netflix might be firing on all cylinders, but the stock's valuation is still expensive. Shares trade at a price-to-earnings ratio of 35. Investors should wait for a more compelling entry point.

The pending acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery's film and TV studios, HBO Max, and content catalog in a new all-cash offer adds a lot of uncertainty to the mix as well. At a time when its business is thriving, there is a major risk that Netflix overpays and ends up saddled with excess debt, while figuring out how to integrate the new assets it just bought.

Investors shouldn't buy the stock with $1,000 today.

Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

These ETFs can be good supplemental pieces in a portfolio.

Vanguard is one of the largest producers of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the world, with over 80 available. Some of its ETFs -- like the Vanguard S&P 500, Vanguard Growth ETF, and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF -- are commonly invested in, but there are other under-the-radar Vanguard ETFs that can be great supplemental pieces in a portfolio. Let's cover two of these ETFs with unique focuses that could warrant splitting $1,000 between them.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF While some dividend ETFs prioritize companies with high dividend yields, the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG 0.39%) prioritizes companies that have consistently increased their annual dividend payout. To be included in VIG, a company must have raised its dividend for 10 consecutive years and not be in the top 25% highest-yielding eligible companies. The latter requirement helps you avoid yield traps. 

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VIG's dividend yield is a modest 1.6%, which is lower than that of other popular dividend ETFs. However, investing in VIG isn't about the current yield; it's about playing the long game. You invest expecting your payout to be much higher in the years to come.

Plenty of VIG's top holdings have below-average dividend yields, but have routinely increased their dividends and offer growth and income opportunities. Here are five examples:

CompanyPercentage of ETFDividend YieldConsecutive Years of Dividend IncreaseBroadcom6.66%0.69%15Microsoft4.41%0.74%23Apple4.15%0.40%14Visa2.54%0.74%17Walmart2.25%0.79%52 Table by author. Dividend yields as of market open on Jan. 19. ETF percentages as of Dec. 31.

With VIG, you get exposure to many more tech and growth stocks than other traditional dividend ETFs.

2. Vanguard Total International Stock ETF It's generally wise to include some international stocks in your portfolio to hedge against any rough patches in the U.S. economy. That's why I'm a fan of the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS +0.57%). It contains companies from both developed and emerging markets, allowing you to take advantage of what both offer.

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Developed markets generally have established industries, mature financial markets, and infrastructure that supports reliable economic growth (think: the U.S., Germany, Japan, the U.K., and Australia). Emerging markets are growing and industrializing quickly, but still lack some infrastructure and regulatory control (think: China, Brazil, Mexico, and India). Below is how a $500 investment would be divided between regions:

Europe: 38.20% ($191.00) Emerging Markets: 26.80% ($134.00) Pacific: 25.60% ($128.00) North America: 8.10% ($40.50) Middle East: 0.80% ($4.00) Other: 0.50% ($2.50) VXUS doesn't routinely outperform the S&P 500, but it does thrive in certain cycles, like in 2025. It finished the year up 28%, compared to the S&P 500's 16.4%. Having around 5% to 10% of your portfolio in international stocks can serve you well.

Stefon Walters has positions in Apple, Microsoft, Vanguard Total International Stock ETF, Visa, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF, Vanguard Total International Stock ETF, Visa, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The tech giant's cloud backlog is growing quickly, but can these catalysts live up to the software giant's huge AI-driven spending?

It's a timely moment to look at Microsoft (MSFT +3.45%) stock. Not only is it down more than 10% in three months, but it reports fiscal second-quarter results after market close on Wednesday.

Going into the report, we know demand is surging for the company's cloud-computing business, Azure. So this part of the software giant's business should report another spectacular quarter. But we have less clarity about how quickly the company's capital expenditures will grow and whether its backlog will continue to expand at the extraordinary rate it was in fiscal Q1.

While we'll have to wait until the update to get clarity on these items, do we have enough information in the meantime to know whether the stock is a buy now? Or is waiting for more information from the earnings report before making a decision the better move?

Image source: Getty Images.

Demand for Azure is surging As is the case for many tech companies during the AI (artificial intelligence) boom we find ourselves in today, the story at Microsoft right now is all about its cloud business, Azure. Demand for AI-capable cloud computing at Azure helped the company's "Azure and other cloud services" revenue soar 40% year over year in fiscal Q1.

And Azure commitments are showing up in the company's commercial backlog, too.

"Our commercial [remaining performance obligations (RPO)] increased over 50% to nearly $400 billion," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in the company's fiscal first-quarter earnings call.

Microsoft's soaring RPOs, or the contracted revenue that it hasn't recognized as revenue yet, highlight its customers' incredible appetite for cloud computing as enterprises integrate more AI into their businesses.

With demand like this, Microsoft's Azure growth will likely be strong in fiscal Q2. But the bigger question will be whether RPOs are still trending as sharply higher as they were in fiscal Q1. Any significant deceleration in this metric could spook investors.

Notably, Microsoft chief financial officer Amy Hood said in the company's earnings call that Azure demand again exceeded supply across workloads, and she guided for Azure revenue growth of about 37% in constant currency for fiscal Q2, noting that Microsoft expects to remain capacity-constrained through at least the end of its fiscal year.

AI spending is soaring Still, the biggest risk for Microsoft right now is probably on the spending front -- not demand.

Capital expenditures were $34.9 billion in fiscal Q1, driven by demand for Microsoft's cloud and AI offerings. And management said the rate of growth in its capital expenditures in fiscal 2026 will be greater than the rate of growth it saw in fiscal 2025.

You can see the pressure show up in profitability, even with strong top-line growth. Microsoft's fiscal first-quarter gross margin was 69%, down slightly compared to the year-ago quarter, with Hood attributing this to "investments in AI, including the impact of scaling our AI infrastructure and the growing usage of our AI product features."

Still, it's worth noting that Microsoft continues to generate substantial cash flow even as its spending ramps up. Free cash flow was $25.7 billion in the quarter, up 33% year over year.

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Ultimately, Microsoft's underlying business looks good, and its soaring RPOs are a positive sign for this growth potential. But with the stock commanding a price-to-earnings ratio of about 33, even as spending soars, it might make sense to hold off on buying shares.

This doesn't mean that the stock will fall when Microsoft reports earnings next week. There is no way to know how the market will react to its report. But it doesn't hurt to be cautious, hoping for a better entry point. After all, given the stock's current valuation, much of the excitement about AI is arguably already priced in.

These two crypto-related funds are fairly new to the ETF market. But their volatile price movements offer a fresh opportunity for seasoned investors.

Both the VanEck Bitcoin ETF (HODL +0.16%) and Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF (BITQ +2.53%) offer access to the crypto economy, but they approach it in fundamentally different ways. HODL provides direct Bitcoin (BTC 0.16%) price exposure, whereas BITQ invests in companies tied to the crypto ecosystem, from miners to exchanges. This comparison unpacks how their costs, returns, and risk features stack up for investors considering either route.

Snapshot (cost & size)MetricHODLBITQIssuerVanEckBitwiseExpense ratio0.25%0.85%1-yr return (as of Jan. 24, 2026)-14.30%17.16%AUM$1.4 billion$438.21 millionThe 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.

BITQ charges a notably higher expense ratio than HODL, making HODL the more affordable option.

Performance & risk comparisonMetricHODLBITQMax drawdown (2 y)-93.68%-51.22%Growth of $1,000 over 2 years$482$2,023What's insideBITQ is a fairly young ETF, having been in existence for less than five years. It offers diversified exposure to the crypto economy by holding 37 companies, with a sector mix primarily composed of financial services, technology, and consumer cyclical. Its largest positions include IREN Ltd. (IREN +8.46%), Coinbase (COIN 2.77%), and Strategy Inc. (MSTR +1.32%) This approach gives investors indirect crypto exposure through equities, benefiting from the broader digital asset ecosystem.

HODL is a significantly newer ETF, with its portfolio consisting solely of Bitcoin. Unlike BITQ, HODL’s returns and volatility are directly tied to the price of Bitcoin, which can offer a similar high-risk/high-reward potential like the digital token.

What this means for investorsAs with cryptocurrencies, investors must be aware of the risks of crypto-related ETFs, whether directly or indirectly. HODL especially comes with a higher risk than BITQ because it’s only been on the market for barely a year, and holds only Bitcoin. So the fund’s price can be highly volatile and relies on the coin’s success. And while BITQ’s holdings are actual stocks, many of its top holdings are tied to the crypto market and can experience high volatility in turn.

It should also be noted that no beta measurement is provided for either ETF. The beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500, and is often calculated from five-year weekly returns. And since both funds are less than five years old, that type of measurement isn’t applicable at the moment.

Neither funds offer dividend payouts, unlike many ETFs. Plain and simple: if investors are willing to take on more risk for the potential of higher returns, HODL is ideal. But for less volatile exposure to the crypto market, BITQ is a solid choice.

GlossaryETF: Exchange-traded fund that trades on stock exchanges and holds a basket of underlying assets.
Expense ratio: Annual fund fee, expressed as a percentage of assets, deducted from investor returns.
AUM: Assets under management; the total market value of all assets a fund manages.
Beta: Measure of an investment’s volatility relative to a benchmark index, typically the S&P 500.
Max drawdown: The largest peak-to-trough decline in an investment’s value over a specific period.
Total return: Investment performance including price changes plus any income or distributions, assuming reinvestment.
Sector diversification: Spreading investments across different industries to reduce exposure to any single sector’s risk.
Equities: Ownership shares in companies, commonly referred to as stocks.
Volatility: Degree of variation in an investment’s price over time, indicating how much it fluctuates.
Crypto economy: The ecosystem of digital assets, services, and companies built around cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology.
Bitcoin tracker: Fund designed to closely follow Bitcoin’s market price, before fees and expenses.
Indirect exposure: Gaining investment exposure to an asset through related securities, rather than holding the asset directly.

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

The window of opportunity is open. But should you actually reach through it for this unique income-generating growth name?

A good stock is an even better buy when a pullback has lowered its price. A discounted price resulting from a dip, however, doesn't necessarily make a stock worth buying.

That's the conundrum anybody eyeing a stake in Brookfield Asset Management (BAM 0.70%) right now is facing. The stock's slow and steady 15% slide from its August peak has pumped its fast-growing dividend's yield up to an attractive 3.4%. But the sell-off might not have run its full course yet. Broad market weakness could continue dragging BAM lower. What's an interested investor supposed to do?

Buy it anyway, while you can do so at any price near $50 (it recently traded at about $52). It's worth buying even if there's still more downside in store.

What's Brookfield Asset Management? If the name rings a bell, there's a reason. Several publicly traded outfits that are part of the Brookfield family bear the same name, like Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, Brookfield Renewable Partners, Brookfield Business Partners, and a handful of other operating entities. Most of these outfits are limited partnerships serving as pass-through entities paired with a counterpart corporation. All of them pay comparable dividends, however. Just bear in mind that direct owners of the partnerships must deal with slightly more complicated tax rules.

None of that really matters to Brookfield Asset Management shareholders though. The company simply manages all the Brookfield entities for a recurring fee, of course. Organized as an ordinary corporation and effectively acting as a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) manager, most of its fee-based earnings are passed along to investors in the form of dividends, or distributions.

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51.26

And business is good. Brookfield Asset Management has not only paid a dividend every quarter since it was spun out of what's now called Brookfield Corporation in late 2022, but has raised its quarterly payout from $0.32 per share then to just under $0.44 per share now. That's an annualized growth rate of nearly 11%.

This is still just the beginning though, and it arguably understates what awaits.

Why you want to own a stake in Brookfield Brookfield Asset Management is a well-run outfit to be sure. You would be plugging into a piece of an admittedly complicated company with decades of success within the investment management business.

Its pedigree isn't the big reason income-minded investors might want to take on a stake in Brookfield Asset Management though. Neither is its forward-looking dividend yield of 3.4%, as solid as that number may be.

Rather, the chief reason to own a piece of the company here and now is the nature of the underlying businesses it manages, and how well positioned they are for continued growth.

Take the aforementioned Brookfield Infrastructure Partners as an example. It's "one of the largest owners and operators of critical global infrastructure networks which facilitate the movement and storage of energy, water, freight, passengers and data." This includes stakes in artificial intelligence data centers... 140 of them, in fact. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners also holds stakes in utility companies serving this fast-growing market, leveraging more than 3,000 kilometers of power transmission lines. These are business that are not only never going away, but industries that are only going to become more lucrative as capacity to deliver on all of these fronts becomes even more strained.

Image source: Getty Images.

Ditto for Brookfield Renewable Partners, which -- just as the name suggests -- is capitalizing on the shift away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner alternatives, like wind, solar, and hydro, as well as storage. For perspective on the opportunity, BRP recently inked a 20-year deal with Alphabet's Google to sell it as much as 3,000 megawatts' worth of electricity from its hydroelectric power production facilities in Pennsylvania.

This agreement between Alphabet and Brookfield underscores another noteworthy nuance here. That is, holding a stake in this outfit offers you exposure to specific, hand-crafted opportunities that aren't accessible any other way. In other words, Brookfield Asset Management has a private equity component to it in an environment where many publicly traded stocks have become too volatile or too overvalued to comfortably own.

Perhaps more important for investors is simply that Brookfield has made a point of establishing itself in businesses that are increasingly critical. That's why the company is comfortable touting that it's targeting growth of between 15% and 20% for the foreseeable future, with dividend growth likely to be in the same ballpark. You would be hard-pressed to find a stronger pace of improvement that can be sustained for the long haul.

Perspective Is Brookfield Asset Management the highest-yielding or least volatile dividend payer you can buy right now at a comparable valuation? No. But it's certainly an attractive all-around package that would be tough to beat. It offers strong dividend growth now and for the foreseeable future. Plus, it's consistent. The yield's solid, too, for a stock of this caliber and risk. That's why Brookfield Asset Management is a buy while it's under $55, although really, any price below analysts' average target of $62.46 would be a fair price to pay.

Just don't lose sight of what Brookfield Asset Management is, and what you can reasonably expect from it. Its underlying businesses mean it's almost as much of a growth stock as it is a dividend payer. But it isn't immune to sweeping market weakness. So, don't be shocked if the current sell-off persists for a while longer.

Just don't panic if it happens either. It wouldn't be anything particularly unusual for this sort of stock.

The company got some bad news to start 2026.

Competition in the weight loss market is heating up. The two leaders, Eli Lilly (LLY 2.12%) and Novo Nordisk (NVO 0.01%), have robust pipelines, with several candidates recently approved or expected to be approved soon. One of them for Eli Lilly is orforglipron, an oral GLP-1 medicine. Although orforglipron looks promising, it recently experienced a setback that sent Eli Lilly's shares down by about 4% in one day. Was the market's reaction justified? Let's find out.

A longer review time After it aced phase 3 studies last year, Eli Lilly requested approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for orforglipron in December. The agency granted the medicine a new voucher that allows for a one- to two-month review time, much shorter than the usual 10 to 12 months. So, orforglipron should earn approval by the end of February, or that was the original plan. The FDA recently announced that it was extending the review time and now expects to decide on whether to approve orforglipron by April 10.

Image source: Getty Images.

There's one crucial reason why this matters. Novo Nordisk earned approval for the oral version of Wegovy in December and has already launched it. Oral GLP-1 drugs could reach patients who are harder to attract with the weight loss options that have been on the market for several years now, which are administered subcutaneously. Some dislike needles, and others, perhaps because they are constantly traveling, have issues accepting the cold storage requirements of subcutaneous injections.

Oral pills address these problems. And now, Novo Nordisk will have even more time to capture a large portion of this market before Eli Lilly can launch its own challenger.

Today's Change

(

-2.12

%) $

-23.09

Current Price

$

1064.29

Should you give up on Eli Lilly? It is worth remembering that the original version of Wegovy was approved in 2021, over two years before Eli Lilly's Zepbound. Yet, as of the third quarter of 2025, Zepbound was generating higher sales. A first-mover advantage matters in this market, but other factors such as efficacy, safety, tolerability, and breadth of application are even more important.

Oral Wegovy may have been the first oral GLP-1 approved for weight loss, but orforglipron showed competitive efficacy, especially in patients with diabetes who have a harder time losing weight. Further, besides orforglipron, Eli Lilly has an attractive mid- and late-stage pipeline in its core therapeutic area, and that's before we move beyond it and look at the company's work elsewhere.

Financial results remain strong, the company's prospects are attractive thanks to its leadership in the rapidly growing weight loss market, and the stock offers other perks, such as a robust dividend program. The market may have overreacted to the FDA taking an extra month or so to review orforglipron's data. The company's shares remain a buy.

These two ETFs will help take your portfolio around the world, with each fund making longer pit stops in certain continents.

Both the Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEMKT:VWO) and SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF (NYSEMKT:SPDW) are broad international equity ETFs, but their focus differs by continent. This comparison explores fees, returns, risk, and portfolio makeup to help investors decide which best suits their goals.

Snapshot (cost & size)MetricVWOSPDWIssuerVanguardSPDRExpense ratio0.07%0.03%1-yr return (as of Jan. 24, 2026)28.53%35.3%Dividend yield2.64%3.2%Beta0.560.82AUM$111.14 billion$35.1 billionBeta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.

SPDW offers a lower expense ratio while maintaining a higher dividend yield and one-year return, giving it some advantages over VWO.

Performance & risk comparisonMetricVWOSPDWMax drawdown (5 y)-34.31%-30.20%Growth of $1,000 over 5 years$1,069$1,321What's insideThe SPDR Portfolio Developed World ex-US ETF offers exposure to 2,413 companies across developed international markets, with financial services, industrials, and technology as its largest sectors. Its top holdings are Roche Holding AG (SIX:ROG.SW), Novartis AG (SIX:NOVN.SW), and Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), each representing less than 2% of assets, which helps limit single-company risk. 

By contrast, VWO tilts toward emerging markets, with substantial stakes in technology, financial services, and consumer cyclical sectors. Its largest positions are Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (2330.TW), Tencent Holdings Ltd. (0700.HK), and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (9988.HK), with Taiwan Semiconductor alone making up over 10% of assets. This concentration may introduce greater volatility than SPDW’s broader diversification.

What this means for investorsWith both ETFs holding little to no U.S. stocks, investors based in the U.S. should be aware of the risks associated with investing in these ETFs compared to U.S.-centered funds.

International stocks can move very differently from American stocks and exhibit volatility that U.S. investors may not be used to, as those foreign stocks may move more closely in line with the relevant country’s economic and political structures and events.

The top five holdings of SPDW are European companies, while VWO’s holdings are primarily Asian companies. U.S. investors may want to keep an eye on relevant data and events in the relevant foreign country or continent to better understand the companies and the stock associated with each ETF.

For those who want an ETF with a more tech-focused exposure and TSMC leading the charge, VWO is ideal, while SPDW is a cheaper, more balanced ETF with a higher dividend yield.

GlossaryETF (Exchange-traded fund): A fund holding many securities that trades on an exchange like a stock.
Expense ratio: Annual fund operating costs expressed as a percentage of the fund’s average assets.
Dividend yield: Annual dividends paid by a fund divided by its current share price, shown as a percentage.
Emerging markets: Economies in earlier stages of development, often faster-growing but generally riskier than developed markets.
Developed markets: Economies with mature financial systems and higher income levels, such as Europe, Japan, and Canada.
Sector: A group of companies operating in the same part of the economy, like technology or financials.
Max drawdown: The largest peak-to-trough decline in an investment’s value over a specific period.
Growth of $1,000: Illustration showing how a $1,000 investment would have increased or decreased over time.
Beta: A measure of how much an investment’s price moves relative to the overall stock market.
AUM (Assets under management): The total market value of all assets managed within a fund.
Concentration risk: Risk that performance is heavily influenced by a few large holdings or sectors.
Diversification: Spreading investments across many securities to reduce the impact of any single holding.

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

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - January 24, 2026) - WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Ardent Health, Inc. (NYSE: ARDT) between July 18, 2024 and November 12, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important March 9, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Ardent Health securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Ardent Health class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=50392 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than March 9, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

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

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made misrepresentations regarding Ardent Health's accounts receivable. Defendants publicly reported Ardent Health's accounts receivable on a quarterly basis. They further stated that Ardent Health employed an active monitoring process to determine the collectability of its accounts receivable, and that this process included "detailed reviews of historical collections" as a "primary source of information." Further, defendants represented that Ardent Health considered "trends in federal and state governmental healthcare coverage" and that its "management determines [when an] account is uncollectible, at which time the account is written off." When defendants began to reveal increased claim denials by third-party payors, they downplayed the issue, stating that the increased payor denials were "turning [] more into a slow pay versus not getting paid," and did not write-off the uncollectible accounts. In addition, defendants represented that Ardent Health maintained professional malpractice liability insurance in amounts "sufficient to cover claims arising out of [its] operations[.]" In truth, Ardent Health did not primarily rely on "detailed reviews of historical collections" in determining collectability of accounts receivable nor did "management determine[] [when an] account is uncollectible." Instead, Ardent Health's accounts receivable framework "utilized a 180-day cliff at which time an account became fully reserved." This allowed Ardent Health to report higher amounts of accounts receivable during the Class Period, and delay recognizing losses on uncollectable accounts. And Ardent Health did not even maintain professional malpractice liability insurance in amounts "sufficient to cover claims arising out of [its] operations[.]" In truth, Ardent Health's professional liability reserves were insufficient to cover "significant social inflationary pressure in medical malpractice cases the past several years," which had been an "increasing dynamic year-over-year" in Ardent Health's New Mexico market. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Ardent Health class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=50392 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

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

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

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

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To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/281460

Source: The Rosen Law Firm PA

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