Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

9h05 ▪ 4 min read ▪ by Fenelon L.

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A slight increase in interest rates on bank deposits could slow the growth of stablecoins. This is the finding of a study by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), which highlights competition between bank savings and these cryptocurrencies pegged to traditional currencies. However, the effect varies depending on the players: Circle’s USDC appears more sensitive to this competition than Tether’s USDT.

In Brief A one basis point increase in deposit rates reduces stablecoin growth over ten weeks, from 15% to 12% in the main estimate, and down to 6% in an alternative estimate. USDC reacts more than USDT, especially due to its closer ties with American users. The study neither proves deposit outflows nor credit contraction. It also highlights the limits of an analysis conducted during a period of high rates. Higher Savings Rates to Slow Stablecoins The question of the links between banks and stablecoins continues to fuel debate. Tether already contested, at the end of August, the BIS’s reading on tokenized deposits. This time, the institution moves on to data analysis with a study by Rashad Ahmed and Iñaki Aldasoro.

The researchers studied American weekly data from January 2019 to June 2025. They notably took into account policy rates, bond yields, the dollar, and stock market volatility.

Their finding is clear: a one basis point increase, or 0.01 percentage point, reduces stablecoin growth over ten weeks from about 15% to 12%. Another estimate, which adjusts for banks’ reactions in setting their rates, brings this growth to about 6%.

Why? The rates offered by banks do not mechanically follow those of the central bank. They change little when rates remain low, then adjust more strongly beyond a certain threshold. 

The researchers use this difference to measure the effect of rates on stablecoins. Their results hold up to several tests, including excluding the Silicon Valley Bank episode.

USDC and USDT, Different Sensitivity to Bank Rates The study also highlights a difference between the two main stablecoins. Circle’s USDC reacts more to changes in deposit rates than Tether’s USDT. The researchers attribute this gap mainly to Circle’s proximity to American users.

The results also do not seem to reflect a simple overall trend in the crypto market. An additional test does not show the same link between the instrument used by the researchers and the growth of other cryptocurrencies.

Furthermore, a Federal Reserve note explains that funds placed in stablecoins can return to the banking system in the form of deposits held by issuers. Deposits therefore do not necessarily disappear, but their distribution changes. Banks may nonetheless have to hold more liquid assets if they depend on more volatile funding.

The Study’s Limits and Open Questions However, caution is needed not to draw excessive conclusions. The study does not demonstrate either an actual decrease in deposits or a credit contraction. In addition, it covers only one episode of high rates. Yield-bearing stablecoins and tokenized money market funds could also change this competition by directly offering a return to their holders.

On the regulatory side the Federal Reserve proposed at the end of September a two-day deadline to reimburse stablecoin holders. In January, the head of Bank of America also mentioned the risk of several thousands of billions of dollars leaving bank deposits.

In essence, banks have a simple lever to remain competitive: better remuneration of savings. The competition with stablecoins therefore relies not only on technology but also on the yield offered to liquidity holders.

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Fenelon L.

Passionné par le Bitcoin, j'aime explorer les méandres de la blockchain et des cryptos et je partage mes découvertes avec la communauté. Mon rêve est de vivre dans un monde où la vie privée et la liberté financière sont garanties pour tous, et je crois fermement que Bitcoin est l'outil qui peut rendre cela possible.

DISCLAIMER

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

Table of contents

Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek confirmed on October 17 that Richard James Schueler — the founder of HEX, PulseChain and PulseX widely known as Richard Heart — was detained in Istanbul on October 14. The arrest closes a years-long international pursuit of one of crypto’s most controversial founders, and it raises the question now hanging over the tokens he built: what actually happens to HEX and PulseChain with their creator in custody?

Gürlek announced the operation in a statement on X, describing Heart as a U.S. citizen reported to have an Interpol red notice issued against him on allegations of perpetrating a $1 billion cryptocurrency fraud in the United States and Finland. Heart was taken into custody along with his wife.

What Turkish Authorities Say They Found
The operation was coordinated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office with the city police’s intelligence and financial crimes units, supported by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT). Searches across 15 addresses in Beşiktaş, Üsküdar and Sarıyer recovered $7.15 million in U.S. currency and 160,000 Turkish lira, six cold wallets, and a list of goods Gürlek enumerated in full: 300 bags, 100 pairs of shoes, 136 pairs of glasses, 28 watches, 97 pieces of jewelry, 29 phones, 12 laptops, 11 computer towers, 19 solid-state drives and external disks, 46 USB drives, and 19 graphics cards.

Police also seized four long-barreled rifles, three unlicensed pistols and 1,400 rounds of ammunition. Three men identified as Heart’s bodyguards were detained in a follow-up, and state news agency Anadolu reported that nine vehicles registered to Heart’s wife were impounded. Judicial proceedings and examination of the seized material are ongoing.

From an SEC Lawsuit to an Interpol Red Notice
The arrest is the latest turn in a legal record that stretches back years. In July 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued Heart and his three entities, alleging they raised more than $1 billion through unregistered crypto asset securities offerings and that he misappropriated at least $12 million for personal luxury purchases. That case remains unresolved. A separate Interpol red notice was issued at Finland’s request in December 2024 over suspected aggravated tax fraud tied to his crypto activities, the basis Turkey cited in confirming the detention.

HEX, the certificate-of-deposit-style token Heart launched in 2019, is the common thread across both cases. A BlockchainReporter breakdown of HEX tracks how the token’s own positioning eventually gave way to a slide toward all-time lows.

What the Arrest Means for HEX and PulseChain
Heart’s detention does not stop the networks he built. PulseChain is a running layer-1 blockchain and PulseX a live decentralized exchange, both maintained by community participants rather than a single company. But the arrest removes the figure whose personal brand anchored the ecosystem, and the seized cold wallets are now a focal point: authorities have not said what they hold or whether the assets relate to the alleged fraud.

The situation echoes other cases where a founder’s legal exposure left a live network in limbo. Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon’s extradition was authorized by a court after a similarly drawn-out international pursuit, a reminder of how slowly such proceedings can move.

What Happens Next
Turkish officials have not announced an extradition decision, and it is not yet clear whether Heart would be sent to Finland, the United States, or face proceedings in Turkey first. The allegations against him remain unproven. For now the immediate question is procedural — where the case is heard next — while the longer-term question is whether HEX and PulseChain can keep functioning without the founder whose name is attached to both.

AUTHOR

Jide Idowu is a skilled freelance writer with expertise in blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, and digital finance. Known for his ability to break down complex topics into clear, engaging content, Jide crafts articles, blog posts, and analyses that resonate with both beginners and seasoned professionals. His work spans a wide range of subjects, from emerging crypto trends to in-depth explorations of blockchain innovations. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for educating readers, Jide is a reliable voice in the rapidly evolving world of digital assets.

NEW YORK, Oct. 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) between November 18, 2025 and August 17, 2026, inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important November 13, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Baidu 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 Baidu class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/baidu-inc-2026/join 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 November 13, 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 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 billions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Baidu had overstated the ability of its AI business to mitigate rapid declines in its legacy online marketing business; (2) as a result, Baidu’s revenue was reasonably likely to decline; and (3) as a result of the foregoing, defendants’ positive statements about Baidu’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Baidu class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/cases/baidu-inc-2026/join 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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Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX -1.74%), also known as SpaceX, is famous for its rockets. But those launches explain surprisingly little about how Wall Street values the company. The 35 analysts tracked by TipRanks have 12-month price targets ranging from $75 to $450. The average consensus estimate of $217 is nearly 50% above the stock's price as of this writing.

Image source: Getty Images.

The wide range reflects more than differing expectations for rocket launches. Analysts are assigning very different values to Starlink's future profits, SpaceX's artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions, and the enormous capital required to turn those opportunities into sustainable cash flow.

Rockets contribute surprisingly little direct value
Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas has a $300 price target on SpaceX. Yet the investment bank reportedly assigns just $8 per share, or less than 3% of that target, to its external launch business. The investment bank attributes $118 per share to the Starlink-powered connectivity business and $165 per share to the enterprise AI business.

SPCX Space Exploration Technologies$146.03-$2.59 (-1.74%)

NASDAQ · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

SpaceX's financials help explain why. The company's revenue reached $7.81 billion in the second quarter, but its Space segment contributed just $962 million. In the Space segment, external launch services generated only $648 million, or roughly 8% of total revenue.

The Space segment recorded a $542 million operating loss in Q2. SpaceX has also spent approximately $1.08 billion on research and development in this segment, largely associated with the next-generation rocket launch system Starship.

Much of SpaceX's launch capacity also supports its own businesses. Of the 38 launches completed during Q2, 28 were internal missions, including Starlink deployments and development tests. SpaceX doesn't recognize launch revenue when deploying its own Starlink satellites. Instead, it includes those costs in the value of its satellite assets.

Hence, rocket launchers are not merely products SpaceX sells. They are infrastructure that could reduce the cost of deploying and replacing satellites. If Starship eventually makes launches substantially cheaper, much of the benefit could accrue to Starlink's economics rather than to its rocket revenue.

Hence, rockets may have relatively little stand-alone valuation while remaining essential to SpaceX's biggest growth opportunities.

Starlink earns profits, while AI consumes capital
SpaceX's Connectivity segment generated $4.29 billion in Q2 revenue and $1.66 billion in operating income, representing an impressive operating margin of nearly 39%. Starlink's subscribers doubled year over year to 12 million at the end of Q2. However, average monthly revenue per subscriber fell from $85 to $66 year over year as SpaceX expanded into lower-priced markets.

Despite this decline, Connectivity's operating income was up 79% year over year in Q2, partly driven by the more than doubling of enterprise and government revenues. This suggests that SpaceX can improve the profitability of its connectivity business, even as average subscriber revenue declines.

SpaceX is also focusing on mobile connectivity. The company recently agreed to acquire Grain Management's 800-megahertz spectrum portfolio for a reported $8 billion. This could enable Starlink Mobile to provide connectivity through both satellite and ground-based networks. However, the transaction requires regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission. Competing with traditional carriers could also involve substantial additional infrastructure spending.

AI presents an even bigger opportunity, but with much greater financial uncertainty. SpaceX's AI revenue surged nearly 247% year over year to $2.56 billion in Q2, driven largely by cloud computing agreements. Yet the segment recorded a $1.26 billion operating loss. While management has reported positive adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of $1.15 billion for the AI business, that figure excludes approximately $1.89 billion in depreciation and amortization. These expenses matter because expensive computing equipment eventually needs replacement. AI also accounted for $15.83 billion, or 86%, of SpaceX's quarterly capital expenditures.

Why analysts disagree so sharply
SpaceX's AI contracts demonstrate strong demand, but not necessarily durable revenue.

One customer accounted for 19.5% of consolidated Q2 revenue, entirely within AI. This accounts for nearly 60% of the AI segment's revenue, highlighting excessive reliance on a single client.

SpaceX's cloud agreements generally allow termination with 90 days' notice after an initial capacity-ramp period. This creates a major risk. Computing equipment may require years of profitable use to recover its costs, while some customer commitments can end much sooner.

Morgan Stanley's original July 2026 model, which established its $300 price target, projected $2.6 trillion in annual AI revenue by 2040. However, the same model also estimated roughly $670 billion in external financing needs between 2027 and 2034. Phillip Securities has set a price target of $75 and expects approximately $90 billion in cumulative negative free cash flow through 2030.

SpaceX's financing needs are already substantial. Reuters reports that the company is seeking $40 billion in debt financing to purchase Nvidia chips. SpaceX has also completed the $60 billion acquisition of Cursor, which involved issuing approximately 391 million shares. This highlights how SpaceX's expansion can also dilute existing shareholders.

The valuation leaves little room for disappointment. SpaceX is trading at nearly 93.7 times trailing revenue (as of Oct. 15, 2026). This premium valuation reflects enormous expectations for future growth and profitability, even as SpaceX continues investing heavily in AI infrastructure.

SpaceX also plans to deploy AI computing infrastructure in orbit, potentially using solar-powered satellites to process data in space. However, this opportunity remains commercially unproven. A U.S. Government Accountability Office report highlights major challenges involving power, cooling, communications, and hardware durability. If SpaceX overcomes these obstacles, orbital computing must still become cost-competitive with data centers on Earth to generate sustainable profits.

SpaceX's rockets are critical to its growth ambitions. However, its multi-trillion-dollar valuation ultimately depends on whether Starlink and AI can generate enough sustainable cash flow to justify their enormous infrastructure investments. Successful launches alone cannot establish that value.

Oracle (ORCL -4.64%) stock was near $130 as of this writing, about 60% off its record close at $328.33 on Sept. 10, 2025. Shares are down 33% this year, but the S&P 500 (^GSPC -1.09%) returned about 13% through September.

A fall this sharp makes the stock tempting, and on earnings it's arguably cheap.

But I think Oracle's cash flow statement matters more over the next few years. The cloud giant is spending more on its artificial intelligence (AI) build-out than its business takes in, and it plans to spend even more this fiscal year.

My prediction is that Oracle stock trails a fund tracking the S&P 500 from now through 2030.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

The spending is still climbingOracle's spending already topped its cash last fiscal year (the company's fiscal years end May 31). Capital expenditures were $55.7 billion in fiscal 2026, while operating cash flow grew 54% to $32.0 billion. That put free cash flow at negative $23.7 billion.

The pace keeps rising. Quarterly capital expenditures climbed over most of fiscal 2026, from $8.5 billion in the first quarter to $18.6 billion in the third, before slipping to $16.5 billion in the fourth. Then spending surged to $28.5 billion in the fiscal first quarter of 2027 (the quarter ended Aug. 31, 2026), more than triple the year-ago total.

For the full fiscal year, management is still guiding for capital expenditures of $90 billion to $95 billion. Customers will fund part of that up front. Even net of customer prepayments and timing effects, though, Oracle plans to spend as much as $70 billion this fiscal year. On the same basis, it spent around $48 billion in fiscal 2026.

The prepayments didn't close the gap in fiscal Q1, either. Operating cash flow surged 184% year over year to $23.1 billion, lifted by $11.4 billion in customer prepayments. Free cash flow was still negative $5.4 billion, the sixth straight quarter below zero.

When does the cash come back?On Oracle's fiscal Q1 earnings call in September, an analyst asked when the company expects to return to positive free cash flow.

"We have not given a particular time frame on that," chief financial officer Hilary Maxson said. She added that each of Oracle's data center projects "by nature, is a strong free cash flow generating project" once it ramps up.

That could well be right. My worry is how long the ramp takes. Oracle's remaining performance obligations (contracted revenue it hasn't recognized yet) hit $664 billion at the end of fiscal Q1. But the company expects to recognize only around 13% of that in the next 12 months. About half isn't expected to become revenue until after August 2029.

The costs, of course, come sooner. Depreciation was $3.2 billion for fiscal Q1, up from $1.4 billion a year before. And Maxson said in June that gross margin would fall this fiscal year as new data centers ramp toward full revenue.

Shareholders are funding the waitUntil the cash turns, Oracle needs to fill the gap with fresh money. It sold $20 billion in stock under an at-the-market program in fiscal Q1, part of the approximately $40 billion in debt and equity it expects to raise this fiscal year.

Both cost shareholders something. The average number of shares outstanding grew 5% year over year in the quarter. And interest expense climbed 55% to $1.4 billion, mainly because of the $43 billion of bonds Oracle sold in fiscal 2026.

An index fund doesn't need its owners to wait out a build-out like this.

ORCL Oracle$128.23-$6.24 (-4.64%)

NYSE · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

Sure, Oracle stock looks cheap. Using the $8.10 of non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings per share management expects this fiscal year, Oracle trades at around 16 times earnings, under the S&P 500's forward price-to-earnings ratio of nearly 19 as of Sept. 30.

Management's long-term outlook also calls for earnings per share to compound at 28% a year through fiscal 2030. If Oracle delivers that on schedule, I might be wrong.

But earnings per share isn't cash, and the earnings may keep getting spread over more shares for as long as the gap stays open.

So, will Oracle stock keep up with the index through 2030? I don't think so. The business may well be far bigger by then. But the stock needs to get through years of high spending, new debt, and new shares first, and I think an S&P 500 fund is the better bet over that time.

Gold remains at risk of staging a deeper correction. Though the dollar has eased back a bit along with yields, both still remain fundamentally supported. The US 10-year yield holds support around 5% and a late surge in oil prices on Friday revives inflation concerns. In fact, both precious metals reversed lower on Friday after initially extending Thursday's broad-based recovery, a sign that the sellers have not gone away. With crude elevated and yields still near recent highs, the risk to the near-term gold forecast is tilted to the downside, although central bank buying could limit the damage.

The US 10-year yield is testing former resistance between 5.00% and 5.05% as support. Crude added around $3 late on Friday as concerns over a potential US attack on Iran resurfaced. Central bank demand, including from the People's Bank of China, could provide a floor under gold. Watch the Full Video

Oil rally revives the risk premium Oil prices surged in the final hours of Friday's session, with crude adding around $3 as concerns over a potential US attack on Iran resurfaced. With no obvious new catalyst in the headlines, the move appears to reflect lingering anxiety over the possibility of US military action, particularly after reports that the Pentagon was preparing for potential ‘mother of all bombs’ strikes on Iran.

Donald Trump did not directly push back against those reports when given the opportunity, although he has previously said the US would not attack Iran before the midterm elections. That leaves markets trying to reconcile two conflicting signals, while the risk premium in crude remains elevated. Iran itself could also seek to escalate tensions, since higher oil prices and the squeeze on global consumers could give Tehran additional leverage, even at considerable cost.

Whatever the explanation, the oil move is increasingly spilling into other markets. Higher crude prices reinforce inflation concerns and complicate the outlook for interest rates. The Nasdaq suffered one of its worst sessions of the year, falling around 2.2%. Any further gains for oil could be particularly problematic for equities, and it could also limit the downside in bond yields, creating a more favourable backdrop for the dollar and a difficult one for gold.

Bond yields find a floor around 5% The US 10-year yield is meanwhile holding its own above a major area of support between 5.00% and 5.05%, which acted as resistance until the big breakout on 23 September. The pullback in yields earlier in the week, despite hotter-than-expected CPI and PPI readings, raised questions over whether yields had topped out. I don't think they have. With no change in the underlying macro backdrop, the path of least resistance for yields remains higher, and a renewed climb from this former resistance area could allow the dollar to make a comeback at gold's expense.

With a light US calendar next week, oil and Treasury yields are likely to dominate the outlook for the dollar and gold.

Central bank buying could put a floor under gold That said, the fundamental backdrop is more complicated than the short-term price action suggests. China provides the main macro event on Monday. The world's second-largest economy grew 4.3% year on year in the second quarter, slightly below expectations, while third-quarter growth is forecast to edge up to 4.4%. Industrial production, retail sales and employment data are also due. A weak set of numbers would probably weigh on metals, particularly industrial metals such as copper and silver, and gold could also come under pressure if concerns over Chinese demand intensify.

For gold, however, Chinese demand is only part of the story. Continued buying by the People's Bank of China and other central banks remains an important structural support, and there is little evidence so far that official-sector demand is about to disappear in the final months of the year. If purchases remain strong, investors and speculators could attempt to front-run that demand through ETFs, spot and futures markets. In other words, while the near-term technical picture has deteriorated, central bank buying could provide an important floor under gold.

Technical gold outlook and key levels to watch From a technical analysis point of view, gold staged a decent recovery from key support around $4,075 to $4,100, the base of the rally that began in early August, before reversing lower on Friday. Friday's bearish close suggests the sellers are still active, and silver's collapse through key support at $59 earlier in the week is a warning that gold could follow.

Source: TradingView.com For gold, a move above the trend line would be a constructive signal, but the area of resistance above it near $4,223-$4,282 also needs to be taken out before a bottom can be confirmed. Until then, XAUUSD could face another bout of selling early next week, especailly if oil remains elevated and Treasury yields recover.

Consolidation remains the name of the game until gold clears resistance or loses its August base.

Frequently Asked Questions Why could higher oil prices weigh on gold? Higher crude prices reinforce inflation concerns and could limit the downside in bond yields, which in turn could help the dollar recover at gold's expense.

How could China's GDP data affect gold? Weak Chinese data would probably weigh on metals, particularly copper and silver, and gold could also suffer if concerns over Chinese demand intensify.

Could central bank buying support gold prices? Continued purchases by the People's Bank of China and other central banks remain an important structural support. If that demand holds up, it could cushion gold even if the dollar strengthens or yields rise.

-- Written by Fawad Razaqzada, Market Analyst | Follow Fawad on Twitter @Trader_F_R

Meta recently updated its commercial terms of use, declaring that the company can “use any content from [a business account’s] domains, web pages, or URLs to provide, develop, improve, research, train, and maintain the integrity of” Meta products and services.

According to legal experts interviewed by Nieman Lab, this looked like a “remarkable provision” that could give Meta permission to scrape the website of any publisher with a Meta business account and use the content to train the company’s AI models. (While Meta defeated a high-profile lawsuit over alleged copyright infringement last year, other cases against AI companies, including Meta, continue.)

However, a Meta spokesperson insisted that the updated terms did not reflect a change in the way Meta crawls the web. And now, The Verge reports that the provision has been removed.

“We’ve heard you and want to clarify: the crawling terms we consolidated only applied to our ads and business products, and we’ve clarified that in the terms themselves,” the company said in a statement. “It does not change how Meta uses web crawlers.”

When Warren Buffett stepped down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA +1.08%) (BRKB +1.21%), there were a lot of eyes on his successor, Greg Abel. Would Buffett's replacement follow the Oracle of Omaha's approach to buying stocks?

Less than a year into Abel's tenure, we're getting an answer. Berkshire went on a buying spree during the second quarter, adding to its positions in Alphabet (GOOGL -2.47%) (GOOG -2.32%) and Delta Air Lines (DAL -3.47%). And another purchase stood out -- $4.5 billion of Berkshire Hathaway's own stock.

Here's what that means for investors.

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel. Image source: Getty Images.

Berkshire is putting its cash to work For years, Buffett accumulated an enormous cash reserve at Berkshire Hathaway, preferring to wait for attractive investment opportunities rather than overpay for stocks.

That approach helped Berkshire build a reputation for finding companies with strong competitive advantages and buying their shares when they traded below their intrinsic value -- what the underlying business is actually worth.

Abel appears to be following that philosophy, although he's becoming more aggressive about putting Berkshire's money to work.

During the second quarter, Berkshire increased its Alphabet holdings substantially, adding millions of shares of the Google parent company. It also bought an additional 17.5 million shares of Delta, increasing its stake by 44%. Berkshire opened a position in Delta during the first quarter -- Abel's first as CEO -- and now has more than 57 million shares of Delta stock.

BRKB Berkshire Hathaway$532.02+$6.34 (+1.21%)

NYSE · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

Berkshire ended June with approximately $359.2 billion in cash and short-term investments. Even after its recent purchases, Abel has plenty of money available for additional investments.

Why Berkshire's buybacks matter Berkshire Hathaway spent approximately $235 million buying back shares during the first quarter, then increased that amount to $4.5 billion in the second quarter.

Berkshire has a specific rule governing repurchases. According to its second-quarter regulatory filing, the company can buy back shares only when its CEO determines that the price is below Berkshire's conservatively estimated intrinsic value. So, Abel isn't buying Berkshire shares simply because the company has money available. He's buying because he believes the stock offers value.

Berkshire purchased Class B shares at an average price of $476.01 in May and $487.98 in June. Those figures give investors something useful -- actual prices at which Berkshire's leadership was willing to invest billions of dollars in its own business.

Should you buy Berkshire Hathaway stock, too? One of Berkshire Hathaway's strengths is that it's a conglomerate -- the company owns dozens of businesses, including insurance companies, consumer goods such as Duracell, and iconic brands like Dairy Queen. It also has a huge investment portfolio, with large stakes in blue chip companies like Apple and Bank of America. That means it has exposure to several different parts of the economy.

For investors considering Berkshire Hathaway, the company's recent repurchases provide a useful starting point for evaluating the stock.

After all, when Berkshire's own management is willing to spend billions buying its shares, that's worth a closer look.

Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Patrick Sanders has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Apple, and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool recommends Delta Air Lines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Bitcoin

17 October 2026
|
20:41

AI agents can now order a Bitcoin mix. Flash Mixer, launched this year, has added an MCP server, the plug-in standard that AI apps such as Claude Desktop use to call outside tools.

In an October 15 report, blockchain analytics firm Elliptic said it is the first mixer it has found doing so.

Read Flash Mixer’s own setup guide, though, and the agent turns out to need a human at both ends. The access key is issued only after its owner places a manual order on the website and pays for it. Even with the key, the guide’s sample workflow hands the decisive step back to a person: “user sends BTC.”

AT A GLANCE

What it is: A Bitcoin mixing service launched in 2026, reachable by website, Telegram bot, Tor, and now MCP.

What’s new: Five tools that let an AI agent check fees, create mixing orders and track payouts.

What still needs a person: Getting the access key, and sending the bitcoin.

What nobody knows yet: How much, if anything, agents have mixed through it.

What can an agent actually do with it?
Flash Mixer’s integration guide on GitHub lists five tools. One returns the current pool limits, fee ranges and payout delays. A second works out how much bitcoin to send to receive a given amount. A third creates the order: the agent chooses the standard or premium pool, a fee percentage, and one or two payout addresses, each with its own delay of up to 72 hours. The last two check whether the deposit has arrived and how the payouts are progressing.

The guide includes ready-made configuration for Claude Desktop and PyCharm’s AI Assistant. Every order comes back with its own deposit address and an order ID. There are no customer accounts, so that ID is the only handle anyone has on the order.

1Check limits and fees. The agent reads the current pool settings and BTC/USD rate.
2Calculate the amount to send. Fees are added on top of what the payout addresses should receive.
3Create the order. Flash Mixer returns a fresh deposit address and an order ID.
4Someone sends the bitcoin. None of the five tools can do this. The guide leaves it to the user.
5Track the payouts. The agent polls the order until both payouts complete.

Source: Flash Mixer’s MCP integration guide, “Typical agent flow.”

Why can’t the agent just pay?
Nothing in the toolset can sign a Bitcoin transaction. The server never touches a wallet. It hands back an address and waits for coins to arrive.

Getting connected in the first place also takes a human. According to the guide, the MCP key appears once on the status page of a paid manual order, after the deposit reaches three confirmations, and isn’t shown again. So the first mix through Flash Mixer is done by a person, not a model. The documentation is rough in places: its closing notes describe ordering and status checks as “no-key capabilities,” contradicting the authentication section a few screens earlier.

The footprint is small so far. When we checked the GitHub repository on October 17, it had 18 stars and four forks. There is no public data on how many orders have come through the MCP route.

So where is the gap?
In the agent’s wallet. Flash Mixer doesn’t need a payment integration of its own. An agent that has the Flash Mixer tools and a wallet that will pay any address already has everything it needs: step three produces an address, and the wallet pays it.

That deposit address is new for every order. A wallet that blocks known mixer addresses won’t recognise it, because nobody has seen it before. The rule that does stop the payment works the other way round: the agent may only pay addresses on an approved list, and anything new goes to a person.

Spending caps alone don’t close the gap. MoonPay’s PayBox for ChatGPT and Claude lets users approve each payment or let an agent spend on its own within set limits, according to its launch announcement. A limit decides how much an agent can spend. A small payment to a brand-new mixer address fits under almost any cap.

If you’ve given an agent a wallet

Let it pay only addresses you’ve approved. A new address should need your sign-off every time.
Treat MCP servers like browser extensions. Install only ones you’ve read, and note which can create orders or move money.
Log which tool call produced each payment address, so you can trace where a destination came from.
Keep the wallet balance to what the agent needs for its current task, not everything you hold.

Is there a legitimate reason for an agent to mix coins?
Yes, and Elliptic makes the case itself. An agent pays for what it needs as it works, far more often than a person would, and on a public blockchain every one of those payments is visible. Picture an agent buying specialist datasets for a research team. Once its wallet is tied to the company, anyone watching can see the suppliers, the budget and what the team is working on.

Elliptic’s answer is privacy that can be proven on request. Privacy Pools, run by 0xbow, screens deposits before admitting them and lets users later prove their withdrawal came from an approved set without revealing which deposit was theirs. The Ethereum Foundation’s Kohaku wallet includes privacy pool functionality. Flash Mixer’s guide offers nothing of the kind.

Treating every mixer as the same risk gets it wrong in both directions. Tornado Cash came off the US sanctions list in 2025, yet Elliptic’s research found that over the past six months, a third of deposits into its 100 ETH pool drew more than half their funds from illicit sources.

Why does Elliptic think agents change laundering?
Scripted laundering repeats itself: the same hops in the same order, a pattern monitoring rules learn to spot. An agent given a goal picks its own route, choosing which services to use, how to split the funds and when to move them, and does it differently each run. Elliptic says that makes agents harder to monitor than conventional automation, and warns they could break funds into many small, fast “micromixes.”

Volume is the other concern. Elliptic said in September that agentic crypto payments had risen 500% in three months, and argues that human review alone can’t keep up. That view comes from a company that sells blockchain analytics and uses the report to promote its own agent-based compliance tools. The report cites no instance of an agent laundering money through Flash Mixer.

Quick answers
Can an AI agent mix bitcoin on its own?

Not with Flash Mixer’s documented tools alone. They can price and create an order, but sending the bitcoin needs a wallet the agent has separately been allowed to use, and the access key itself requires a paid manual order first.

What is an MCP server?

A connection point that lets AI apps such as Claude Desktop find and call outside tools. The MCP specification recommends that apps show tool activity and let users refuse calls, but leaves the details to each app.

This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial or investment advice.

Author

Alexander Zdravkov is a market analyst and crypto journalist with interests in economics, broader financial markets and digital assets.
His journey into crypto began more than four years ago, driven by a fascination with the rapid evolution of blockchain technology and the transformative potential of decentralized finance. He began analyzing market cycles and identifying emerging trends before they reach the mainstream.
He holds a degree in International Relations - a background that helped shape his broader perspective on global economics, geopolitics, and the interconnected nature of modern financial markets.
Whether covering the latest developments in the crypto sector or exploring broader macroeconomic themes, Alexander focuses on giving readers context rather than simply repeating headlines.
During his career, he has authored more than 5,000 articles covering cryptocurrencies, traditional finance, and global market developments. His work spans everything from Bitcoin and altcoins to macroeconomic trends influencing risk assets worldwide.

Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) has released a detailed set of technical priorities aimed at guiding Bitcoin’s shift toward quantum-resistant security.

In a blog post dated October 13, 2026, the digital assets focused firm emphasized the need for proactive steps on signature scheme upgrades and the gradual relocation of funds, noting that both consensus changes and ecosystem-wide migrations can require multiple years of coordinated effort.

As a custodian holding roughly 5 percent of the total bitcoin supply, Coinbase stated that it is already adapting its own infrastructure while engaging with Bitcoin developers and researchers.

It also contributes engineering resources and participates in the Bitcoin Security Consortium to support related open-source work.

The post is framed as input for community discussion rather than a finalized company position or an announced upgrade path.

The exchange has also stressed that defending the network against future cryptographically relevant quantum computers (CRQCs) extends well beyond simply selecting a new digital signature algorithm.

A workable plan, it argued, must safeguard both funds whose public keys are already visible on-chain and newly created outputs, operate within Bitcoin’s constrained block space, allow full nodes to validate transactions independently, remain compatible with institutional custody systems and ordinary wallets, and offer a realistic route for coins whose owners cannot or will not move them.

Central to Coinbase’s recommendations is the idea of decoupling the output “container” that holds funds from the specific signature scheme used to authorize spending.

Such separation would let post-quantum algorithms be added, swapped, or combined later without redesigning the underlying structure.

The company pointed to constructions such as P2MR (associated with BIP-360) and P2TRv2 as designs that appear to provide this flexibility by keeping public keys hidden until they are needed and leaving room for future signature options.

For the transition period itself, Coinbase favors staged protection.

Active wallets could begin using post-quantum-capable or hybrid formats before any final rules governing older signature types are settled.

One example discussed is a 1-of-2 arrangement in which the same funds support two alternative spending paths—one authorized by a classical ECDSA or Schnorr key and another by a post-quantum key—allowing users to retain familiar methods in the near term while gaining quantum resistance when required.

On the choice of signature algorithms, the post called for a reproducible evaluation process tailored specifically to Bitcoin’s constraints.

General-purpose cryptographic comparisons developed for internet protocols do not map directly, because Bitcoin signatures are stored permanently and verified by every full node.

Suggested candidates include finalized standards such as ML-DSA and SLH-DSA, FN-DSA once standardized, and more compact alternatives such as SHRINCS.

Coinbase also warned that stateful schemes, while potentially smaller or faster, carry the risk that improper state management could enable forgery; therefore any support for them should include reliable stateless fallbacks, along with clear security requirements for wallets and custody providers.

Additional practical considerations include consensus-level limits on signature and script sizes to keep transaction costs manageable, low-friction formats that ordinary users and hardware wallets can adopt, and compatibility with multi-party computation techniques used in institutional custody.

Questions surrounding abandoned or inaccessible coins—those whose private keys are lost or whose owners do not migrate—were described as important but separate.

Coinbase suggested these governance and engineering issues can be debated in parallel so they do not delay the core technical work of adding post-quantum signature support.

Overall, the priorities underscore that preparation must begin well before any announcement of a functional CRQC, because the combination of protocol upgrades, wallet software changes, and user migration across a decentralized network cannot be completed on short notice.

By focusing on flexible designs, staged adoption, rigorous Bitcoin-specific testing, and separation of the abandoned-coin debate, Coinbase aims to contribute to an orderly, multi-year transition that protects both existing and future funds while preserving the network’s ability to operate and validate independently.

ReasonTV

Michael Saylor, co-founder of Strategy Inc., presented Bitcoin as “digital capital” to investors at ParaFi Investor Day, focusing on the recovery of Strategy’s STRC preferred stock and the shift to daily dividends. Saylor highlighted the potential for Bitcoin to underpin a credit model, leveraging STRC’s dividend structure and buybacks. The presentation aimed to position STRC securities within a broader Bitcoin-backed financial strategy, although the transition to daily dividends remains contingent on shareholder approval.

Key Takeaways

Michael Saylor’s presentation appears consistent with supporting a YES outcome for STRC hitting $100, emphasizing Bitcoin’s role as digital capital.
Market pricing suggests increased confidence, with the December 31 sub-market showing 80.7% support for STRC reaching $100.
The move to daily dividends and STRC’s recovery to par value are central to Strategy’s financial strategy, though contingent on shareholder approval.

What to Watch
Markets will closely monitor any announcements from Strategy regarding shareholder approval for daily dividends, which could further support the YES scenario for STRC reaching $100. Additionally, any strategic Bitcoin acquisitions by Strategy could serve as key indicators of confidence in the underlying asset. Watch for updates on STRC’s dividend plans, as these may influence market perceptions and pricing dynamics.

Term Structure

Contract
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December 31
80.7%
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November 1 2026
22.5%
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December 1 2026
67%
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The severe market volatility that affected XRP's price movement last week has also extended to its ETF ecosystem as both retail and institutional investors appear to be taking caution.

The broad XRP ETF market has posted its worst weekly performance in over three months, drawing attention from market analysts about how this could affect XRP's price potential.

Over $1.84 million exit XRP funds last weekAccording to the latest data from SosoValue, XRP ETFs have recorded a net outflow of over $1.84 million over the last week.

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While this marks the first weekly outflow the funds have registered since July 7th, it has come at a time when the market is facing a downturn, raising concerns about whether investor demand for the XRP investment product is beginning to weaken. 

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Notably, the reversal has come after XRP ETFs maintained a steady streak of consistent capital inflows for 13 consecutive weeks. 

As such, the XRP funds have broken the bullish trend with a negative performance this week after seeing sustained investor interest in gaining exposure to the XRP investment product.

XRP demand stalls as price retests $1.30While the performance of the XRP funds provides a bearish outlook for the asset, XRP's recent price movements have contributed to the uncertainty surrounding its short-term outlook.

Despite showing signs of a potential price recovery in the previous day, XRP is back in the red and has once again retested the $1.30 level, placing market sentiment under renewed pressure.

Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin continues to attract significant attention from both XRP supporters and institutional analysts, with fresh analysis highlighting its importance within the Ripple ecosystem. The crypto researcher SMQKE presented findings on how RLUSD strategically complements XRP, particularly in the areas of decentralized finance and broader institutional engagement.

RLUSD and its strategic roleThe analysis positions RLUSD as an asset intended to work alongside, rather than against, XRP. By leveraging RLUSD, Ripple aims to strengthen market presence in low-liquidity environments. The new stablecoin is designed to operate in a way that supports XRP’s key functions, furthering its adoption across DeFi and among institutional investors.

Management of RLUSD reserves was assigned to Standard Custody, which became part of Ripple through an acquisition in 2024. This move seeks to assure both transparency and stability for those using the stablecoin.

RLUSD is structured to complement XRP and expand its adoption, not to compete with it.

Progress in real-world asset tokenizationRipple’s efforts have also extended into real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, an area gaining traction among leading financial institutions. Through a partnership with Archax, Ripple has advanced the integration of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tokenized assets onto the XRP Ledger, positioning itself among established players like BlackRock, JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs, who have also moved toward blockchain adoption.

Tokenized assets require robust infrastructure in terms of both liquidity and stability. Within this structure, RLUSD is tasked with fulfilling the demand for stability, while XRP focuses on transaction settlement and liquidity management. These two assets are designed to perform separate roles but jointly enhance the overall efficiency of Ripple’s solutions.

In a market where a single Fed decision or a sudden altcoin listing can change everything in seconds, switching between multiple apps for trading tools and news can become costly for investors. As a result, more traders are turning to privacy-first platforms like CryptoAppsy, which consolidate real-time charts, news, portfolio tracking, and macro data into one interface, with no account required.

The impact of XRP ETFsMonica Long, referenced in the analysis, expressed confidence in the prospects for an XRP exchange-traded fund, citing regulatory clarity from the United States as a driving force. XRP and Bitcoin are the only digital assets with this level of explicit regulatory recognition in the country, which Long argued would create favourable conditions for an XRP ETF filing.

This view was validated when the first spot XRP ETFs received approval in late 2025. The launch of these products gave traditional investors a new gateway to gain exposure to XRP and removed several longstanding access barriers for large institutional participants.

Community members have discussed the integration of RLUSD within current payment channels. One observer emphasized that placing RLUSD alongside conventional systems such as ACH and wire transfers through shared APIs could expand the ledger’s utility while retaining XRP’s central role as a bridge asset.

Others focused on RLUSD’s US dollar peg, expressing concerns about maintaining stability should the dollar weaken. Some analysts argued that the ongoing development of network effects and broader blockchain adoption remains an area many market participants have yet to fully recognize.

By addressing stability and leveraging liquidity, RLUSD and XRP are positioned to strengthen Ripple’s footprint in tokenized finance and institutional adoption.

A major Ethereum transaction recently caught market attention after 23,528 ETH moved from Coinbase Institutional to an unknown wallet. According to Whale Alert, this transfer was valued at around $57.88 million worth of ETH, marking a significant movement from an institutional custody.

However, the receiving address remained unidentified, leaving the wallet’s ownership and the purpose of the transaction unclear.

Meanwhile, on the other side, BlackRock reportedly sold approximately $69.68 million worth of ETH, introducing another significant institutional development.

These developments notably emerged during a period of significant exchange outflows, reflecting contrasting signals around Ethereum’s institutional activity.

ETH exchange outflows approach fourth consecutive week Here, it’s worth noting that Ethereum’s spot exchange flows recorded three consecutive weeks of net outflows, extending a sustained withdrawal trend. In particular, the recent weekly reading approached -$1.5 billion, hinting at significant withdrawals from trading platforms.

In case netflows remain negative through the weekly close on 19th October, Ethereum will complete its fourth consecutive week of outflows.

These sustained withdrawals have reduced exchange-side supply, potentially limiting the amount of ETH readily available for selling.

The fall in exchange balances, however, did not establish an automatic stronger demand or guarantee a price recovery. Instead, the sustained outflows contrasted with ETH’s weak price performance, hinting at a divergence between exchange activity and market direction.

Source: CoinGlass Are Ethereum traders still betting on a price recovery? Despite the fall in price, Ethereum derivatives traders predominantly maintained a bullish position across major trading platforms.

According to Coinglass, ETH’s OI-Weighted Funding Rate remained positive at 0.0037%, hinting at continued demand for long exposure as longs paid shorts.

Meanwhile, Binance’s top trader accounts recorded a notable imbalance between bullish and bearish positions. Specifically, the long positions accounted for 69.78% compared to the 30.22% holding short positions. The positioning resulted in a Long/Short Ratio of 2.31 as bullish accounts outnumbered the bearish accounts.

These metrics together reflected persistent bullish positioning even when Ethereum failured to record a meaningful price recovery. However, the long positions concentration also increased exposure to potential liquidations in case ETH extends its decline.

Ultimately, the derivatives positioning provided a more optimistic outlook than Ethereum’s underlying technical structure.

Source: CoinGlass ETH approaches $2,400 as bearish signals intensify After correcting from the $2,800-resistance area, Ethereum [ETH] sat at around $2,429. The pullback pushed ETH towards the $2,400-support, although the bulls were trying to prevent a sustained breakdown.

Also, on the daily chart, the price action highlighted repeated attempts to stabilize around the prevailing demand area, keeping the technical support structure intact.

The Parabolic SAR indicator, however, remained above ETH at $2,638.98, validating the prevailing bearish trend.

The MACD indicator fell to -41.36, below its Signal line, to produce a negative histogram. This confirmed that bearish pressure has continued to dominate the market.

The $2,400-support level will remain crucial since a breakdown below it could expose ETH to another corrective leg. Especially if the bears continue to maintain control.

Source: TradingView Final Summary Ethereum’s exchange outflows continued for a fourth potential week despite persistent price weakness. ETH remained above $2,400, but bearish indicators increased the risk of a further fall. 

Euro Technical Forecast: EUR/USD Weekly Trade Levels EUR/USD has fallen more than 5% from the August high, with the latest rebound snapping a five-week losing streak. The decline has reached a major technical support confluence, raising the prospect of a larger price inflection. Weekly momentum has deteriorated and although the broader bearish outlook remains intact, the bears may be vulnerable above critical support. Bulls face significant overhead resistance, with a stronger recovery needed to suggest a more meaningful low is in place. Eurozone and U.S. PMI data headline next week's event risk ahead of the Fed and ECB rate decisions later this month. Resistance 1.1276, 1.1355/65 (key), 1.1483- Support 1.1110/63 (key), ~1.1030s, 1.0905 EUR/USD enters the second half of October at a critical technical juncture after sustained selling pressure drove the pair to its lowest levels in 17 months. The latest recovery offers an initial sign of stabilization, but the broader downtrend remains firmly intact as buyers confront significant resistance overhead. With weekly momentum deeply stretched, the immediate focus is on whether Euro can build on this initial rebound or whether renewed selling pressure triggers another leg lower. Battle lines drawn on the EUR/USD weekly technical chart.

Review my latest Weekly Strategy Webinar for an in-depth breakdown of this EUR/USD setup and more. Join live on Monday’s at 8:30am EST.

Euro Price Chart – EUR/USD Weekly

Chart Prepared by Michael Boutros, Sr. Technical Strategist; EUR/USD on TradingView

Technical Outlook: In last month’s Euro Q4 Outlook we noted that EUR/USD was trading into a pivotal support into the close of Q3 and that, “From a trading standpoint,  rallies would need to be limited to 1.1578 IF price is heading for a break lower on this stretch with a close below 1.1355 needed to fuel the next major leg of the decline.” Euro broke below support the following week with price plunging more than 5.1% off the August highs. The decline has already extended into the next major support barrier with EUR/USD snapping a five-week losing streak on Friday.

The support zone in focus is 1.1110/63- a region defined by the 38.2% retracement of the broader 2022 advance, the 2024 high-week close (HWC), and the 2025 May low-week close (LWC). Weekly RSI has now fallen to the lowest levels since January of 2025 and while the momentum profile continues to favor the bears, the downtrend remains vulnerable while above this key threshold.   

Initial resistance is eyed at the 2023 swing high at 1.1276 and is backed by bearish invalidation at the 38.2% retracement of the 2025 advance and the April 2025 high week close at 1.1355/65. A breach / weekly close above this key pivot zone is needed to suggest a more significant low is in place and a larger reversal in underway. Subsequent resistance objectives are eyed at the median line of the yearly downtrend (currently near ~1.1430s) and the 61.8% retracement of the August decline at 1.1483.

A break below last week’s low would keep the focus on the lower parallel of the yearly downtrend which converges on the 25% parallel of the broader 2025 uptrend near ~1.1030s. Look for a larger reaction there IF reached with a break / weekly close below likely to trigger another accelerated decline. Subsequent support objectives rest with the 61.8% retracement at 1.0905.

           

Bottom Line: EUR/USD responded to a major support zone last week and while the broader outlook remains weighted to the downside, the decline may be vulnerable while above this level. From a trading standpoint, rallies would need to be limited to 1.1355/65 IF price is heading lower on this stretch with a close below 1.1110 needed to fuel the next leg of the decline.

EUR/USD event risk is concentrated at the end of next week, with euro-area flash consumer confidence due Thursday and preliminary October PMIs on Friday. The PMI release will be the key test of whether the recent improvement in euro-area activity is holding into the fourth quarter and could directly shape expectations ahead of the ECB’s October 29 meeting. On the U.S. side, September housing data and the October flash PMIs are also due, while Fed officials remain in their blackout period ahead of the October 27–28 decision. The result is a data-heavy Friday where any divergence between European and U.S. activity could produce a sharp move in EUR/USD. Stay nimble into the releases watch the weekly close for directional guide. I’ll publish an updated Euro Short-term Outlook once we get further clarity on the near-term EUR/USD technical trade levels.

Key EUR/USD Economic Data Releases

Economic Calendar - latest economic developments and upcoming event risk.

Active Weekly Technical Charts Swiss Franc (USD/CHF) Gold (XAU/USD) US Dollar Index (DXY) Canadian Dollar (USD/CAD) Australian Dollar (AUD/USD) S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Japanese Yen (USD/JPY) Bitcoin (BTC/USD) British Pound (GBP/USD) --- Written by Michael Boutros, Senior Technical Strategist

Follow Michael on X @MBForex

Solana shows resilience, but some areas need continued observation, Fidelity saysSolana has had no reported mainnet outages in two years, but concentrations in stake, hosting and client software should be monitored, according to a report.

Solana has made significant progress in terms of network health across resilience, economic security and performance indicators, according to a Fidelity report.

Solana has had no reported mainnet outages in two years, but concentrations in stake, hosting and client software could threaten this, according to the report by Fidelity’s Center for Applied Technology (FCAT).

The report said economic security was supported by substantial staking participation and incentives that reward validator performance. Low latency, expanded capacity and inexpensive transactions also support practical use at scale.

Still, it noted that several areas surrounding decentralization and resilience warrant continued observation, including stake concentrates among a small number of validator identities and operators.

Cointelegraph reported on Aug. 21 that Solana had reduced its slot time to 350 milliseconds, marking the first such reduction since the inception of the network, according to the Solana Foundation’s vice president of technology, Jacob Creech.

In June, the Solana Foundation shared plans to reduce slot times to 200ms, arguing that it would improve latency and accelerate confirmations on the blockchain network. Three further 50ms reductions are planned.

Magazine: France is world’s most dangerous place for Bitcoiners: 90 attacks in 7 months

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

Coinbase has emerged among the top Shiba Inu (SHIB) burners for the month, with over 152.3 million SHIB  sent to dead addresses in the last 30 days, according to Shibburn.

Among the top burners in the last 30 days, Coinbase sits in the second spot, just below the '0xc774406cc' address, which sent 297,572,672 SHIB to dead wallets in just one transaction.

The SHIB tokens burned did not come in one lump sum but rather from various burn transactions that may have originated from Coinbase transactions and trading fees.

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152,307,330 SHIB burned in 9 transactions was attributed to Coinbase in the last 30 days, when a total of 758.92 million was burned, according to the Shibburn page. Tokens sent to recognized burn addresses, often called dead wallets, are generally considered permanently inaccessible, effectively removing those tokens from the circulating supply.

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Coinbase's emergence among the top monthly burners does not, by itself, establish that the exchange deliberately initiated a token-burning campaign, but rather from transactions and trading fees.

SHIB burn rate surges 100%Over 61 million SHIB tokens have been burned in the last 24 hours, causing an uptick in the daily burn rate. According to Shibburn, 61.46 million SHIB were sent to dead wallets in this timeframe, with the daily burn rate rising 100%.

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This marks a rebound from that seen earlier in the week when the burn rate flattened after a collapse on October 11. In line with this, the weekly burn rate was down 59.25% in the last seven days, with 163.52 million SHIB burned, while the monthly burn rate increased 79.30%.

At the time of writing, SHIB price was down 2.36% in the last 24 hours to $0.000005015 following a broader crypto market selloff as investors reacted to a week of strong inflation data, with Thursday's producer price index showing that wholesale prices jumped 6.3% annually in September, the biggest gain since 2022. This came after Wednesday's release of the consumer price index, which also rose.

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh declined to signal the central bank's intentions for its meeting later this month, with the odds of an October interest-rate increase dropping to about 15% from about 30%. 

Arcus, the DEX built by the dYdX team on Robinhood Chain, has nearly $60M in TVL three months after launch and has listed Starknet's $STRK for perps trading.

Arcus, a decentralized exchange that launched in July alongside Robinhood Chain, is approaching $60M in total value locked (TVL), according to DeFiLlama data. The platform has reported a 146% rise in TVL over the past month, and has now added @Starknet's $STRK to its perpetual futures markets with up to 5x leverage.

Arcus TVL climbs as Robinhood Chain maturesDeFiLlama's protocol page lists Arcus TVL at $58.91M, with all of it deployed on Robinhood Chain. A separate chain-level view shows the protocol's TVL at about $61.77M, making it the top-ranked protocol on the network.

That is a sharp climb from earlier in the platform's life. In July, The Defiant reported that Arcus held $17.1M in TVL while the chain as a whole stood at $588.9M by Artemis' measure. DeFiLlama now puts Robinhood Chain's DeFi TVL at about $1.05B.

Arcus was built by the team behind dYdX in partnership with Robinhood Crypto. Crypto Briefing reported that the exchange went live on July 1 with 95 tokenized stocks and 35 perpetual futures contracts, with leverage of up to 50x on real-world asset perps. It runs separately from the dYdX v4 Chain.

Activity on the platform is dominated by derivatives. DeFiLlama data shows Arcus has recorded about $12.4B in cumulative perps volume, against $385.5M in cumulative spot DEX volume. Open interest stands near $99M.

$STRK perps listing adds to the product rangeArcus offers spot and perps trading natively on Robinhood Chain. The addition of $STRK perps, with leverage of up to 5x, widens the set of crypto assets available alongside its tokenized equity and commodity products.

Robinhood Chain is an Ethereum Layer 2 network built on the Arbitrum technology stack. Robinhood's own announcement said the public mainnet launched as a turnkey environment for builders, natively connected to its onchain users.

Leveraged trading carries high risk, and TVL figures can vary by data provider and methodology. DeFiLlama, for example, uses a narrower definition than Artemis, as The Defiant noted in its July report.

Sources:

DeFiLlama: Arcus TVL, fees, revenue and volume
The Defiant: Robinhood Chain overtakes Base on daily active users
Crypto Briefing: Arcus launches on Robinhood Chain

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT – Free Report) by 663.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 116,512 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 101,254 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in Caterpillar were worth $94,467,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. lifted its stake in Caterpillar by 440.0% in the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 27 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co grew its position in Caterpillar by 93.8% in the 2nd 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. Axiom Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Caterpillar during the second quarter worth approximately $36,000. Lam Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Caterpillar in the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Tacita Capital Inc acquired a new position in shares of Caterpillar in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $47,000. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the company’s stock.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have recently weighed in on CAT. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $1,100.00 to $950.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. President Capital initiated coverage on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Friday, September 18th. They set a “buy” rating and a $999.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Caterpillar from $1,225.00 to $1,100.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, October 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Caterpillar from $877.00 to $897.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $749.00 target price on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $967.83. Get Our Latest Research Report on CAT

Key Stories Impacting Caterpillar Here are the key news stories impacting Caterpillar this week:

Positive Sentiment: Caterpillar will invest up to $10 million in North Carolina workforce training, supporting technicians and manufacturing workers as it expands its Sanford operations. The investment complements a previously announced roughly $1 billion facility investment intended to increase compact-equipment production. Caterpillar Invests in North Carolina’s Future Manufacturing Workforce Positive Sentiment: The acquisition of the Fabick CAT dealer network could strengthen Caterpillar’s distribution and customer-support footprint, although financial terms and the transaction’s earnings impact were not provided. Caterpillar acquires Fabick Cat dealer network Neutral Sentiment: Caterpillar scheduled its third-quarter 2026 results for October 29, giving investors a near-term catalyst to assess demand, margins and guidance. Caterpillar Third-Quarter 2026 Results Announcement Neutral Sentiment: Resource Industries President Denise Johnson will retire in February 2027, with Derrick York appointed as her successor effective November 1. Johnson will remain in an advisory role during the transition, limiting immediate disruption concerns. Caterpillar Announces Leadership Transition in Resource Industries Negative Sentiment: An analyst downgrade pressured the stock, while Oppenheimer issued a pessimistic forecast. These actions reinforce concerns about Caterpillar’s valuation and future earnings outlook. Caterpillar Shares Down on Analyst Downgrade Negative Sentiment: A broader unwind in the AI-related power trade also weighed on Caterpillar, as investors reassessed companies expected to benefit from data-center electricity demand. Comparisons with Generac highlighted differences in backlog, valuation and financial strength. AI Power Trade Unwinds Caterpillar Stock Down 0.8% NYSE:CAT opened at $730.01 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $335.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.58. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $812.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $855.37. Caterpillar Inc. has a 12-month low of $510.21 and a 12-month high of $1,073.46.

Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $8.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.22 by $1.95. The company had revenue of $20.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.34 billion. Caterpillar had a return on equity of 55.53% and a net margin of 14.51%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.72 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 27.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Caterpillar Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 26th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 26th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Caterpillar’s payout ratio is currently 28.06%.

Caterpillar Company Profile (Free Report)

Caterpillar Inc is a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. Its products are used in infrastructure development, construction, mining, energy production, transportation, agriculture, forestry, and other industrial applications.

The company markets equipment and related services through a worldwide network of independent dealers. Its operations are generally organized around Construction Industries, Resource Industries, and Energy & Transportation.

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ACT Advisors LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report) by 908.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,300 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,072 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.7% of ACT Advisors LLC.’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. ACT Advisors LLC.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,094,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. State Street Corp grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 31.7% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 23,901,594 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $22,359,224,000 after buying an additional 5,749,362 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 11.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 7,515,031 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,488,203,000 after purchasing an additional 773,651 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 838.9% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 6,125,405 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $5,282,182,000 after purchasing an additional 5,472,968 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,328,729 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,732,836,000 after purchasing an additional 143,150 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.5% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 3,068,312 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,870,314,000 after purchasing an additional 160,893 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Costco Wholesale News Here are the key news stories impacting Costco Wholesale this week:

Positive Sentiment: September sales accelerated: Costco reported September net sales of $30.02 billion, up 13% year over year, while digitally enabled sales increased 19%. The results reinforce the strength of Costco’s membership model, e-commerce business and value-focused offering. September Sales Growth Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains strong: Tigress Financial reiterated a Buy rating while setting a $1,065 price target after previously publicizing a higher $1,250 target. Other coverage highlights Costco’s sales growth, membership loyalty and digital gains, supporting the recent recovery above key moving averages. Tigress Financial Price Target Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained: Costco declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, payable November 13 to shareholders of record October 30. While the approximately 0.6% yield is modest, the payment signals continued cash-flow strength. Costco Dividend Announcement Positive Sentiment: Expansion pipeline: Proposed warehouse projects in Macon and Oakland, along with a planned Merced County relocation, point to continued investment in Costco’s store network. Infrastructure financing of up to $30 million could support the Macon development. Macon Costco Project Neutral Sentiment: Costco’s fiscal 2027 executive bonus plan adds sustainability-related measures. The change may support long-term operational goals, but it is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Costco Executive Bonus Update Negative Sentiment: Valuation and macro risks remain: Costco trades at a high earnings multiple, leaving the stock vulnerable if growth or membership trends slow. Persistent inflation and potentially higher interest rates could also pressure consumer spending and market valuations. Negative Sentiment: An executive sold 1,100 shares worth approximately $1.05 million. The transaction is relatively small compared with Costco’s market value, but it may add a modest cautionary signal for investors. Costco Insider Sale Costco Wholesale Stock Performance NASDAQ COST opened at $989.11 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $438.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.82, a PEG ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a 50 day moving average of $933.15 and a 200-day moving average of $963.28. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 1-year low of $844.06 and a 1-year high of $1,096.50. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $5.87 EPS. Costco Wholesale’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 30th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets COST has been the subject of several research analyst reports. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Argus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Freedom Broker dropped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,030.00 to $1,010.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Twenty-four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,087.40.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on COST

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale In other news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 2,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $915.93, for a total value of $2,015,046.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,134 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,534,244.62. This trade represents a 23.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Profile (Free Report)

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a membership-based warehouse retail business under the Costco name. The company sells a broad selection of merchandise, including groceries, fresh foods, beverages, appliances, electronics, furniture, apparel, jewelry, hardware, and seasonal products. It also offers services such as gasoline, pharmacies, optical departments, hearing-aid centers, food courts, travel services, and business delivery in selected markets.

Costco markets many products under its private-label Kirkland Signature brand and sells merchandise through warehouse locations and e-commerce platforms.

Read More Five stocks we like better than Costco Wholesale Bank of America Stock Sell-Off Looks Like a Buying Opportunity AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff? GlobalFoundries’ $21 Billion Deal Could Change the Economics of Chipmaking Fundamental and Technicals Signals Align for Costco: Is the Stock Finally Breaking Out? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST – Free Report).

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Micron (MU -5.63%) has been on an extraordinary run for the past year. The memory chipmaker has benefited from surging demand amid the AI revolution, combined with limited competition. Micron's stock has skyrocketed nearly 220% in 2026, even after a recent pullback. The company, along with a handful of others, owns the vast majority of the memory market share. That could all change, however, if China has anything to say about it.

MU Micron Technology$878.84-$52.40 (-5.63%)

NASDAQ · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

The threat to Micron's dominance comes from two state-backed Chinese companies. Yangtze Memory Technologies is aiming to overtake its competitors in the NAND market in the near future. It is currently ranked fifth by revenue, behind major players including Micron, Samsung (SSNLF +0.00%), and SK Hynix (SKHY -6.58%).

DRAM is where Micron is exposed
The bigger threat is in the DRAM market, which accounts for 73% of Micron's revenue as of last quarter. ChangXin Memory Technologies is about to launch a new, denser chip by the end of the year. This is an issue for Micron, as it will not only erode the company's market dominance but also undermine its pricing power.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

In the short term, Micron still has an incredible competitive moat. The company's high-bandwidth memory business is generally safe for now. However, DRAM and NAND businesses could suffer more as China creates cheaper models.

Micron's demand still exceeds supply and likely will for the next few years, but China's competitive threat is real and could erode Micron's margins over time. Micron's run isn't over, but I do expect growth to slow. It's still a worthwhile investment for long-term investors, though.

Catie Hogan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Micron Technology. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Banque Pictet & Cie SA cut its holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE:TSM – Free Report) by 7.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 334,782 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 25,798 shares during the period. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing accounts for about 1.1% of Banque Pictet & Cie SA’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Banque Pictet & Cie SA’s holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing were worth $152,733,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Tiger Global Management LLC increased its holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 49.4% during the 1st quarter. Tiger Global Management LLC now owns 5,565,074 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,880,717,000 after purchasing an additional 1,839,600 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,721,823 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,131,025,000 after buying an additional 40,842 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. lifted its position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 11.8% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 2,591,510 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $875,802,000 after purchasing an additional 274,389 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 67.2% during the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,717,515 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $783,513,000 after purchasing an additional 690,523 shares during the last quarter. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 168.6% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,093,115 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $636,077,000 after purchasing an additional 1,313,917 shares during the last quarter. 16.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms recently commented on TSM. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $400.00 to $440.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $530.00 to $560.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Zacks Research raised shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $528.78.

View Our Latest Report on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Key Headlines Impacting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Here are the key news stories impacting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing this week:

Positive Sentiment: Record results and strong guidance support the long-term outlook. Third-quarter net income rose 68.7% year over year to NT$763.1 billion, while revenue increased about 51% and exceeded analyst estimates. TSMC also forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $52.3 billion to $54.3 billion, well above the consensus estimate. TSMC posts record profit for a sixth straight quarter Positive Sentiment: AI demand remains the key growth driver. Advanced technologies represented 79% of wafer revenue, and management reported no signs of a slowdown in demand for AI and high-performance-computing chips. Full-year 2026 revenue growth is expected to be approximately 44%, while annual 2-nanometer capacity is projected to more than double in 2027. Three key takeaways for long-term investors Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish. DA Davidson reaffirmed its Buy rating with a $500 target, while Needham raised its target to $560. Articles also highlight TSMC’s manufacturing scale and competitive moat as potential benefits from continued AI infrastructure investment. TSMC long-term investment outlook Neutral Sentiment: Capacity expansion is both an opportunity and a concern. TSMC is considering additional U.S. expansion, including potential involvement in Elon Musk’s proposed Texas “Terafab,” while Taiwan is planning Texas industrial parks for Nvidia suppliers. These projects could improve customer access and supply-chain resilience but increase execution and investment requirements. TSMC talks with Elon Musk’s Terafab Negative Sentiment: Large capital expenditures are weighing on sentiment. TSMC’s roughly $64 billion spending plan has prompted questions about returns, potential overcapacity and whether AI demand can justify the industry’s investment pace. Investors also remain concerned about AI companies’ debt financing and profitability. Why TSMC’s spending plan concerns investors Negative Sentiment: Sector-wide risk aversion is overpowering the earnings beat. Chip stocks are selling off amid inflation, higher interest rates, concerns about AI financing and questions about whether the AI boom has already been priced into valuations. Commentary also notes that TSMC’s strong results may have raised expectations too high. Chip stocks tumble on AI investment worries Insider Activity at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing In other Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing news, VP Shyue-Shyh Lin bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $74.13 per share, for a total transaction of $74,130.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 30,269 shares in the company, valued at $2,243,840.97. The trade was a 3.42% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Lipen Yuan bought 350 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $73.58 per share, with a total value of $25,753.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $147,160. This trade represents a 21.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have bought a total of 16,043 shares of company stock worth $1,185,746 in the last ninety days. 1.11% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:TSM opened at $413.15 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $434.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $417.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.14 trillion, a PE ratio of 26.59, a P/E/G ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 2.46 and a quick ratio of 2.25. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. has a 12 month low of $266.82 and a 12 month high of $487.47.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 8th. The semiconductor company reported $4.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a net margin of 51.51% and a return on equity of 42.84%. The company had revenue of $46.87 billion during the quarter. As a group, research analysts forecast that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. will post 16.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Cuts Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 7th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 10th will be issued a $1.0854 dividend. This is a drop from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.1136. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 10th. This represents a $4.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing’s dividend payout ratio is 24.96%.

(Free Report)

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE:TSM), commonly known as TSMC, is a Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturer and the world’s largest dedicated semiconductor foundry. Founded in 1987 by Morris Chang, the company pioneered the pure-play foundry model, producing chips designed by other companies rather than selling products under its own semiconductor brand.

TSMC manufactures a broad range of integrated circuits, including advanced logic chips used in high-performance computing, smartphones, automotive systems, communications equipment, and consumer electronics.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Bank of America Stock Sell-Off Looks Like a Buying Opportunity AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff? GlobalFoundries’ $21 Billion Deal Could Change the Economics of Chipmaking Fundamental and Technicals Signals Align for Costco: Is the Stock Finally Breaking Out? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TSM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE:TSM – Free Report).

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Prologis (NYSE:PLD) reported third-quarter core funds from operations of $1.60 per share, or $1.61 excluding net promote expense, as the logistics real estate company cited rising occupancy, strong leasing activity and continued demand from e-commerce, advanced manufacturing and data center-related customers.

Chief Executive Officer Dan Letter said the company signed 60 million square feet of leases during the quarter and replenished its pipeline. Prologis also remained active in capital deployment and recycling and is on track for $15 billion of activity for the year, he said.

“Operating fundamentals are healthy, and we remain constructive on the outlook,” Letter said. He added that higher construction costs, financing costs and return requirements are making new development more difficult to justify at current rents, potentially creating a more favorable supply environment. Occupancy, Rent Growth and Embedded NOI Prologis ended the quarter with 95.6% occupancy, up 10 basis points from the second quarter. Average occupancy was 95.1%, also an increase of 10 basis points.

Rent change on rollover was 38% on a net-effective basis, contributing $85 million of incremental net operating income. On a cash basis, rent change was 23%. The company’s lease mark-to-market stood at 16%, representing about $780 million of embedded NOI at spot rents, according to Chief Financial Officer Tim Arndt.

Same-store NOI increased 5.7% on a net-effective basis and 5.9% on a cash basis. Arndt said the embedded mark-to-market figure does not include additional potential upside from inflation and elevated replacement-cost rents over coming years.

Management said rents required to justify new construction are now 27% above current market levels. Managing Director Chris Caton said the setup supports above-inflation rent growth over time, while noting it was too early to provide a 2027 market forecast.

U.S. net absorption totaled 63 million square feet in the third quarter, which the company said was consistent with a normalized annual range of 230 million to 240 million square feet. Market vacancy declined 10 basis points to 7.1%, while market rents increased 50 basis points for a third consecutive quarter of positive growth.

Caton identified Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, Indianapolis and Northern California among markets projected to record 5% to 6% rent growth this year. Internationally, he said Brazil showed the strongest global momentum, while the Netherlands had the best rent dynamics in Europe.

Development, Acquisitions and Capital Markets Prologis started $1 billion of development during the quarter, bringing year-to-date starts to nearly $5 billion. The company said it owns or controls sites supporting the next $40 billion of logistics development.

The company acquired $950 million of real estate in the quarter at an estimated 20% discount to replacement cost and disposed of $310 million of properties. The year-to-date spread between acquisition and disposition internal rates of return was 150 basis points, Arndt said.

Letter said Prologis evaluates deployment based on total return and believes its balance sheet and access to both private-vehicle and corporate capital provide flexibility that some competitors lack. Arndt noted that a significant portion of quarterly acquisition activity came from one transaction with a high lease mark-to-market.

Management acknowledged that a recent increase in Treasury yields has widened the bid-ask spread in transaction markets. Arndt said the company expects transaction volumes to moderate as buyers and sellers recalibrate, while its reduced contribution and disposition guidance also reflects caution over potential pricing turbulence and the timing of certain transactions moving into the new year.

Prologis raised $2.4 billion of common equity during the quarter and completed about $1.3 billion of debt financing at an average rate just below 4%. Approximately 95% of its debt is fixed rate, with an average remaining life of roughly eight years. Liquidity totaled nearly $9 billion at quarter-end.

Data Centers and SEGRO Transaction Management highlighted data centers as a major growth opportunity. Prologis’ data center pipeline totals 5.8 gigawatts, including 1.7 gigawatts of secured power and 4.1 gigawatts in advanced stages. Letters of intent cover about 1 gigawatt, much of which the company expects to start in 2027.

Letter said the company had already started more than $2 billion of data center projects this year and characterized the business as lumpy because of the size and complexity of hyperscaler decisions. He said the reported pipeline has not been affected by data center moratoriums and that 85% of the 5.8-gigawatt pipeline could start by 2030.

Data center supply-chain customers represented about 10% of Prologis’ global new leasing and 17% of U.S. new leasing during the quarter. The company estimates those customers could require more than 150 million square feet through the end of the decade for data center construction and ongoing service needs.

Prologis also said SEGRO shareholders approved the planned combination on Sept. 28. The transaction is proceeding through regulatory clearances and is still expected to close in the first half of 2027. Following completion, Prologis expects to have a 363 million-square-foot operating portfolio in Europe. Arndt said the company does not expect its initial 2027 guidance to include specific SEGRO impacts because the closing date remains uncertain.

Updated Outlook For the full year, Prologis narrowed its average occupancy outlook to 95.25% to 95.5%. It raised its same-store NOI growth forecast to 5.5% to 6% on a net-effective basis and 7% to 7.5% on a cash basis.

Development starts are now expected to total $6 billion to $6.75 billion on an owned and managed basis. Acquisition guidance increased to $2.1 billion to $2.3 billion. Contributions and dispositions are projected at $3.5 billion to $4.75 billion. Strategic capital revenue, excluding promotes, is forecast at $650 million to $660 million. Net earnings are expected to range from $4.05 to $4.15 per share. Core FFO is expected to range from $6.25 to $6.29 per share, both with and without promotes. Letter said the increased development-start outlook is largely tied to an expected high volume of fourth-quarter build-to-suit activity. Build-to-suit projects are expected to account for 55% to 65% of annual starts.

About Prologis (NYSE:PLD) Prologis, Inc (NYSE: PLD) is a global logistics real estate company that owns, develops, acquires and manages distribution facilities, warehouses and other properties used throughout the supply chain. Its portfolio serves manufacturers, retailers, transportation providers and third-party logistics companies.

The company provides logistics real estate and related services in key markets across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Its properties are generally located near major population centers, transportation hubs, ports and trade corridors, supporting e-commerce, industrial and distribution operations.

Prologis traces its roots to 1983 and was created in its current form through the 1999 merger of ProLogis and Security Capital Industrial Trust.

Banque Pictet & Cie SA grew its stake in Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX – Free Report) by 93.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 130,039 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after purchasing an additional 62,695 shares during the period. Banque Pictet & Cie SA’s holdings in Lam Research were worth $42,719,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. State Street Corp grew its stake in Lam Research by 2.6% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 60,704,130 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $26,320,468,000 after purchasing an additional 1,545,830 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in Lam Research by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 11,244,147 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $4,872,426,000 after purchasing an additional 584,489 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Lam Research by 411.8% in the 2nd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 11,089,395 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $4,805,368,000 after buying an additional 8,922,854 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Lam Research by 7.7% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 22,821,354 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $3,906,559,000 after buying an additional 1,638,406 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of Lam Research during the 2nd quarter worth $3,777,585,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.61% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lam Research In related news, Director Bethany Mayer sold 9,557 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $314.74, for a total value of $3,007,970.18. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 20,995 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,607,966.30. This represents a 31.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Ava Harter sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $302.46, for a total transaction of $1,512,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 42,462 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,843,056.52. This trade represents a 10.53% 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 own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LRCX has been the topic of several recent research reports. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Lam Research from $330.00 to $480.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. B. Riley Financial boosted their price target on shares of Lam Research from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $500.00 price target on shares of Lam Research and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Berenberg Bank set a $420.00 price target on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $385.00 price objective (up from $367.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research note on Monday, October 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $364.59. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on LRCX

Lam Research Stock Performance LRCX opened at $263.94 on Friday. Lam Research Corporation has a 52-week low of $135.50 and a 52-week high of $438.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.91, a current ratio of 2.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The company has a market cap of $330.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.85. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $309.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $308.04.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The semiconductor company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $6.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.66 billion. Lam Research had a return on equity of 67.60% and a net margin of 31.27%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 30.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.33 EPS. Lam Research has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 2.000-2.300 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Lam Research Corporation will post 9.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lam Research Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 23rd were issued a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 23rd. This is an increase from Lam Research’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. Lam Research’s payout ratio is 22.92%.

More Lam Research News Here are the key news stories impacting Lam Research this week:

Positive Sentiment: Lam Research is integrating NVIDIA’s NanoVDB open-source library into its SEMulator3D modeling platform. GPU-accelerated wafer-etch simulations could improve chip-design and manufacturing efficiency, supporting the company’s longer-term role in AI-driven semiconductor fabs. Lam Research Ties AI Fab Push to Faster SEMulator3D Modeling Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to see substantial upside, with Benzinga’s 22-analyst average target near $346 and a separate consensus implying roughly 25.6% potential appreciation. Recent earnings-estimate revisions could provide support if Lam delivers a strong quarterly report. Lam Research Stock Hits Longest Losing Streak Ever Wall Street Analysts See Upside in Lam Research Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are previewing the quarter ended September 2026, focusing on operating metrics beyond headline revenue and earnings estimates. The report could produce a significant re-rating depending on guidance and demand commentary. Lam Research Q1 Earnings Preview Neutral Sentiment: Options markets are pricing a potentially large post-earnings move—about $28.6 billion in implied market capitalization swing—signaling elevated volatility rather than a clear directional view. Lam Research Could Swing After Earnings Negative Sentiment: Hotter-than-expected inflation has renewed fears that higher interest rates could restrain AI infrastructure spending, weighing broadly on semiconductor and equipment stocks, including Lam Research. Semiconductor Stocks Trade Down on Inflation Concerns Negative Sentiment: Lam Research was on track for its ninth consecutive decline, its longest losing streak since 1984. The persistent technical weakness may be encouraging selling despite analysts’ bullish price targets. Lam Research Dips More Than the Broader Market About Lam Research (Free Report)

Lam Research Corporation is a semiconductor equipment company that designs, manufactures, and services systems used in the fabrication of integrated circuits and other electronic devices. Its equipment supports key steps in the wafer manufacturing process, helping semiconductor producers create increasingly small and complex features on silicon wafers.

The company’s portfolio includes systems for etch, deposition, wafer cleaning, surface preparation, and related manufacturing processes.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Lam Research Bank of America Stock Sell-Off Looks Like a Buying Opportunity AST SpaceMobile Is Down 67%—Could SpaceX’s Mobile Push Deepen the Selloff? GlobalFoundries’ $21 Billion Deal Could Change the Economics of Chipmaking Fundamental and Technicals Signals Align for Costco: Is the Stock Finally Breaking Out? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LRCX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX – Free Report).

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Baugh & Associates LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE:AMP – Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 118,786 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $58,484,000. Ameriprise Financial makes up about 20.0% of Baugh & Associates LLC’s holdings, making the stock its biggest holding. Baugh & Associates LLC owned approximately 0.13% of Ameriprise Financial at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Ameriprise Financial by 1,279.7% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 63,365,362 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $29,069,493,000 after purchasing an additional 58,772,775 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ameriprise Financial by 960.8% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,352,117 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,537,817,000 after purchasing an additional 3,036,128 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its holdings in shares of Ameriprise Financial by 980.8% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 2,069,740 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,019,036,000 after acquiring an additional 1,878,244 shares during the last quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP bought a new stake in shares of Ameriprise Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $925,211,000. Finally, Douglas Lane & Associates LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ameriprise Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $575,767,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.95% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities analysts recently issued reports on AMP shares. Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and set a $570.00 price objective (down from $616.00) on shares of Ameriprise Financial in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Ameriprise Financial from $489.00 to $483.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Weiss Ratings raised Ameriprise Financial from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on shares of Ameriprise Financial from $560.00 to $520.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Ameriprise Financial from $560.00 to $595.00 in a research report on Friday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $572.55.

View Our Latest Analysis on AMP
Ameriprise Financial Stock Down 0.3%
AMP stock opened at $500.91 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.16. Ameriprise Financial, Inc. has a 52-week low of $422.37 and a 52-week high of $572.56. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $533.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $497.36.

Ameriprise Financial (NYSE:AMP – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The financial services provider reported $11.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.81 by $0.26. The company had revenue of $4.90 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.87 billion. Ameriprise Financial had a net margin of 20.24% and a return on equity of 64.19%. The company’s revenue was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $9.11 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Ameriprise Financial, Inc. will post 46.14 EPS for the current year.

Ameriprise Financial Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 3rd were paid a dividend of $1.70 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 3rd. This represents a $6.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Ameriprise Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.40%.

Ameriprise Financial declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, September 29th that allows the company to buy back $5.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to purchase up to 12.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Ameriprise Financial
In other news, EVP Deirdre Mcgraw sold 2,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $558.28, for a total transaction of $1,339,872.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,373 shares in the company, valued at $1,883,078.44. The trade was a 41.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Dawn Brockman sold 472 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $558.93, for a total transaction of $263,814.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 713 shares in the company, valued at $398,517.09. This trade represents a 39.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 29,988 shares of company stock valued at $16,316,497. Insiders own 0.60% of the company’s stock.

Ameriprise Financial Company Profile
(Free Report)

Ameriprise Financial, Inc is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company provides financial planning, investment advice, wealth management, retirement planning and insurance solutions to individuals, families, business owners and institutional clients.

Ameriprise serves clients primarily through a network of financial advisors and offers products and services that include brokerage and advisory accounts, mutual funds and other investments, retirement accounts, annuities, life and long-term-care insurance, banking products and personalized financial planning.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE:AMP – Free Report).

Receive News & Ratings for Ameriprise Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ameriprise Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.