Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

First Nebraska Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 94,738 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $35,339,000. Microsoft comprises 2.9% of First Nebraska Trust Co’s holdings, making the stock its 8th largest holding.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Kendall Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth $1,250,000. Kirtland Hills Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,427,000. Vista Investment Management bought a new stake in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,658,000. Welch Capital Partners LLC NY bought a new stake in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,170,000. Finally, Hudson Portfolio Management LLC acquired a new position in Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth $1,413,000. 71.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Microsoft Stock Performance Shares of NASDAQ:MSFT opened at $529.05 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $505.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $440.59. Microsoft Corporation has a 12-month low of $349.20 and a 12-month high of $553.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm has a market cap of $3.93 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.46, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.65 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current year. Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a $0.98 dividend. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.27%.

Insider Activity In other news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Amy Hood sold 7,305 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $545.42, for a total transaction of $3,984,293.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 555,396 shares in the company, valued at $302,924,086.32. This represents a 1.30% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 150,314 shares of company stock worth $75,404,992. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. DA Davidson reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $550.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, September 28th. CLSA restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on Microsoft from $540.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $640.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $589.71.

Get Our Latest Report on MSFT

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

Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Microsoft to remain the only major hyperscaler with positive free cash flow over the next year despite heavy AI investment. This reinforces confidence that the company can fund data-center expansion without substantial external financing. Microsoft Free Cash Flow Expected to Remain Positive Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with NiSource for approximately 1,100 megawatts of power for an Indiana data-center campus beginning in 2028. Securing electricity supports future Azure capacity as grid constraints become a bottleneck for AI expansion. Microsoft Signs Power Deal With NiSource Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s custom Maia AI chips and reports that a new model achieved comparable or better performance than OpenAI’s system using a fraction of the computing power could eventually reduce reliance on expensive third-party GPUs and improve AI economics. Microsoft Wants to Make AI Cheaper Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI monetization and capital expenditures ahead of earnings. Strong demand could support the shares, but the market wants evidence that revenue growth is translating into sustainable margins. Negative Sentiment: The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Microsoft’s grip on business software and says Microsoft and Amazon Web Services may need to do more to address cloud-service barriers. Potential remedies could increase compliance costs or weaken customer-lock-in advantages. UK Regulator Targets Microsoft’s Business Software Grip Negative Sentiment: Questions remain over whether custom chips will deliver meaningful savings: AI infrastructure, power and data-center commitments are rising rapidly, while Microsoft is reportedly seeking substantial cost reductions in Azure. That creates concern about near-term free-cash-flow and margin pressure. Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Microsoft 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?

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

Burk Holdings LLC purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 2,532 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $944,000. Microsoft comprises approximately 0.3% of Burk Holdings LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Elefante Mark B purchased a new stake in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $8,145,000. Pinnacle Holdings LLC purchased a new position in Microsoft during the second quarter valued at approximately $4,310,000. Haverford Financial Services Inc. purchased a new position in Microsoft during the second quarter valued at approximately $18,743,000. Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter worth approximately $4,327,000. Finally, True Freedom Investing LLC bought a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter worth approximately $8,032,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft Stock Down 1.9% Shares of MSFT opened at $529.05 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a 52-week low of $349.20 and a 52-week high of $553.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $505.53 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $440.59. The company has a market capitalization of $3.93 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.65 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current year. Microsoft Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 19th. This is a positive change from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is currently 20.27%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have weighed in on MSFT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $600.00 target price on shares of Microsoft in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings upgraded Microsoft from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Microsoft from $512.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of Microsoft from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $550.00 price objective on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $589.71.

Read Our Latest Research Report on MSFT

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

Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Microsoft to remain the only major hyperscaler with positive free cash flow over the next year despite heavy AI investment. This reinforces confidence that the company can fund data-center expansion without substantial external financing. Microsoft Free Cash Flow Expected to Remain Positive Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with NiSource for approximately 1,100 megawatts of power for an Indiana data-center campus beginning in 2028. Securing electricity supports future Azure capacity as grid constraints become a bottleneck for AI expansion. Microsoft Signs Power Deal With NiSource Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s custom Maia AI chips and reports that a new model achieved comparable or better performance than OpenAI’s system using a fraction of the computing power could eventually reduce reliance on expensive third-party GPUs and improve AI economics. Microsoft Wants to Make AI Cheaper Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI monetization and capital expenditures ahead of earnings. Strong demand could support the shares, but the market wants evidence that revenue growth is translating into sustainable margins. Negative Sentiment: The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Microsoft’s grip on business software and says Microsoft and Amazon Web Services may need to do more to address cloud-service barriers. Potential remedies could increase compliance costs or weaken customer-lock-in advantages. UK Regulator Targets Microsoft’s Business Software Grip Negative Sentiment: Questions remain over whether custom chips will deliver meaningful savings: AI infrastructure, power and data-center commitments are rising rapidly, while Microsoft is reportedly seeking substantial cost reductions in Azure. That creates concern about near-term free-cash-flow and margin pressure. Insider Transactions at Microsoft In other Microsoft news, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of Microsoft stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 100,447 shares in the company, valued at $49,007,086.83. This trade represents a 9.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 150,314 shares of company stock worth $75,404,992 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft Profile (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Microsoft 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 MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).

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

Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 1,704,284 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $635,732,000. Microsoft comprises approximately 1.2% of Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Capital Square LLC purchased a new position in shares of Microsoft in the 2nd quarter worth $2,035,000. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. acquired a new stake in Microsoft during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $56,775,000. Clarion Wealth Managment Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter worth about $1,585,000. Te Ahumairangi Investment Management Ltd bought a new position in Microsoft during the second quarter worth $58,385,000. Finally, Magellan Asset Management Ltd bought a new position in shares of Microsoft during the second quarter valued at approximately $169,977,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

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

Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Microsoft to remain the only major hyperscaler with positive free cash flow over the next year despite heavy AI investment. This reinforces confidence that the company can fund data-center expansion without substantial external financing. Microsoft Free Cash Flow Expected to Remain Positive Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with NiSource for approximately 1,100 megawatts of power for an Indiana data-center campus beginning in 2028. Securing electricity supports future Azure capacity as grid constraints become a bottleneck for AI expansion. Microsoft Signs Power Deal With NiSource Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s custom Maia AI chips and reports that a new model achieved comparable or better performance than OpenAI’s system using a fraction of the computing power could eventually reduce reliance on expensive third-party GPUs and improve AI economics. Microsoft Wants to Make AI Cheaper Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI monetization and capital expenditures ahead of earnings. Strong demand could support the shares, but the market wants evidence that revenue growth is translating into sustainable margins. Negative Sentiment: The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Microsoft’s grip on business software and says Microsoft and Amazon Web Services may need to do more to address cloud-service barriers. Potential remedies could increase compliance costs or weaken customer-lock-in advantages. UK Regulator Targets Microsoft’s Business Software Grip Negative Sentiment: Questions remain over whether custom chips will deliver meaningful savings: AI infrastructure, power and data-center commitments are rising rapidly, while Microsoft is reportedly seeking substantial cost reductions in Azure. That creates concern about near-term free-cash-flow and margin pressure. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts recently weighed in on MSFT shares. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Friday, July 24th. William Blair assumed coverage on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Monday, October 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. TD Cowen upped their target price on Microsoft from $540.00 to $625.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $640.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Microsoft currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $589.71. Read Our Latest Report on MSFT

Insider Transactions at Microsoft In other news, CEO Judson Althoff sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $487.89, for a total transaction of $4,878,900.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 100,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,007,086.83. This represents a 9.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total transaction of $2,388,068.80. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares in the company, valued at $21,188,276.96. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 150,314 shares of company stock valued at $75,404,992. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Microsoft Stock Performance Shares of MSFT stock opened at $529.05 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a one year low of $349.20 and a one year high of $553.72. The stock has a market cap of $3.93 trillion, a PE ratio of 29.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 1.23 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $505.53 and a 200-day moving average of $440.59.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.50. The company had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. Microsoft had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 40.31%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.65 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio is 20.27%.

Microsoft Profile (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

Read More Five stocks we like better than Microsoft 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 MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).

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

Haverford Trust Co acquired a new position in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 1,159,042 shares of the software giant’s stock, valued at approximately $432,346,000. Microsoft comprises about 3.7% of Haverford Trust Co’s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest holding.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of MSFT. Clear Harbor Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Microsoft during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $23,561,000. First Nebraska Trust Co acquired a new stake in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at approximately $35,339,000. Kendall Capital Management acquired a new stake in Microsoft in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,250,000. Kirtland Hills Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter worth $5,427,000. Finally, Vista Investment Management purchased a new position in Microsoft in the second quarter worth $1,658,000. Institutional investors own 71.13% of the company’s stock.

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

Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect Microsoft to remain the only major hyperscaler with positive free cash flow over the next year despite heavy AI investment. This reinforces confidence that the company can fund data-center expansion without substantial external financing. Microsoft Free Cash Flow Expected to Remain Positive Positive Sentiment: Microsoft signed a 20-year agreement with NiSource for approximately 1,100 megawatts of power for an Indiana data-center campus beginning in 2028. Securing electricity supports future Azure capacity as grid constraints become a bottleneck for AI expansion. Microsoft Signs Power Deal With NiSource Positive Sentiment: Microsoft’s custom Maia AI chips and reports that a new model achieved comparable or better performance than OpenAI’s system using a fraction of the computing power could eventually reduce reliance on expensive third-party GPUs and improve AI economics. Microsoft Wants to Make AI Cheaper Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Azure growth, Copilot adoption, AI monetization and capital expenditures ahead of earnings. Strong demand could support the shares, but the market wants evidence that revenue growth is translating into sustainable margins. Negative Sentiment: The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority is investigating Microsoft’s grip on business software and says Microsoft and Amazon Web Services may need to do more to address cloud-service barriers. Potential remedies could increase compliance costs or weaken customer-lock-in advantages. UK Regulator Targets Microsoft’s Business Software Grip Negative Sentiment: Questions remain over whether custom chips will deliver meaningful savings: AI infrastructure, power and data-center commitments are rising rapidly, while Microsoft is reportedly seeking substantial cost reductions in Azure. That creates concern about near-term free-cash-flow and margin pressure. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages have recently commented on MSFT. Barclays increased their price objective on Microsoft from $512.00 to $600.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on Microsoft from $515.00 to $570.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Morgan Stanley downgraded Microsoft from an “overweight” rating to a “negative” rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Microsoft from $575.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, CLSA reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Microsoft in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Forty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $589.71. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Microsoft

Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, EVP Takeshi Numoto sold 4,810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $496.48, for a total value of $2,388,068.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 42,677 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,188,276.96. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Satya Nadella sold 86,525 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $501.46, for a total value of $43,388,826.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 486,763 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $244,092,173.98. The trade was a 15.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 150,314 shares of company stock worth $75,404,992. Company insiders own 0.03% of the company’s stock.

Microsoft Stock Down 1.9% MSFT stock opened at $529.05 on Friday. Microsoft Corporation has a 12 month low of $349.20 and a 12 month high of $553.72. The company has a market cap of $3.93 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.46, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.10. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $505.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $440.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The software giant reported $4.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.50. Microsoft had a net margin of 40.31% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The firm had revenue of $90.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $87.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.65 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Microsoft Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Microsoft Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 19th will be given a $0.98 dividend. This is an increase from Microsoft’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.91. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 19th. Microsoft’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.27%.

Microsoft Company Profile (Free Report)

Microsoft Corporation is a global technology company that develops software, cloud services, devices, gaming products and business solutions. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the company is best known for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity software. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and serves consumers, businesses, governments and educational institutions worldwide.

Microsoft’s productivity and business offerings include Microsoft 365 applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, along with collaboration tools including Teams.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Microsoft 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 MSFT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT – Free Report).

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

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Free Report) by 54.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,990,726 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,051,362 shares during the quarter. Johnson & Johnson accounts for 0.6% of Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned approximately 0.12% of Johnson & Johnson worth $791,765,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of JNJ. Auto Owners Insurance Co lifted its position in Johnson & Johnson by 22,225.6% during the fourth quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 69,419,308 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,436,633,000 after purchasing an additional 69,108,368 shares during the last quarter. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new position in shares of Johnson & Johnson in the 2nd quarter worth $1,967,399,000. Diamant Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 24,436.5% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,473,008 shares of the company’s stock worth $109,338,000 after buying an additional 4,454,778 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 127.3% during the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 6,060,922 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,539,292,000 after buying an additional 3,393,981 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 12.5% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 22,588,696 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,736,851,000 after buying an additional 2,513,321 shares in the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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

Positive Sentiment: Raised 2026 outlook: Third-quarter operational sales grew 6%, reaching $25.4 billion, and management increased full-year operational sales guidance to approximately $100.7 billion at the midpoint. Adjusted EPS also exceeded analysts’ expectations. Johnson & Johnson: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors Positive Sentiment: Pharmaceutical momentum and pipeline potential: Strong demand for TREMFYA, early momentum for ICOTYDE and oncology investments helped offset weakness elsewhere. Investors are also watching J&J’s newly approved surgical robot as a potential long-term MedTech growth driver. Does Raised 2026 Outlook Change the Bull Case for Johnson & Johnson? Positive Sentiment: Defensive appeal and income support: Investors rotating away from technology stocks amid inflation and interest-rate concerns are favoring dividend-paying healthcare companies. J&J also affirmed its $1.34-per-share fourth-quarter dividend, payable in December 2026. Morgan Stanley maintained an “overweight” rating with a $292 price target. Neutral Sentiment: Institutional demand: ETFs recorded approximately $107.4 million of net buying in JNJ, suggesting some portfolio managers continue to view the company as a defensive holding. However, this flow is not necessarily evidence of a change in operating fundamentals. Johnson & Johnson Sees $107.4 Million in Net ETF Buying Negative Sentiment: MedTech weakness remains the main overhang: Medical-device sales missed Wall Street forecasts, while international pricing pressure and acquisition-related costs weighed on results. Analysts described the quarter as setting a negative tone for the broader pharmaceutical sector. Johnson & Johnson Stock Falls on MedTech Miss Negative Sentiment: Valuation and analyst caution: JNJ trades at a premium earnings multiple, increasing the risk of further pressure if growth disappoints. Erste Group expressed a negative view on fiscal 2027 earnings, while RBC lowered its price expectations. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms recently commented on JNJ. Stifel Nicolaus set a $260.00 price target on Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group set a $270.00 price objective on Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $282.00 price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Johnson & Johnson from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $274.87. View Our Latest Report on Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 0.9% Shares of NYSE JNJ opened at $255.54 on Friday. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $184.66 and a twelve month high of $281.07. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $265.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $249.61. The firm has a market cap of $615.82 billion, a PE ratio of 23.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The company reported $2.59 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.06. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 16.20% and a return on equity of 31.54%. The business had revenue of $25.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.80 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.050-11.150 EPS. Analysts expect that Johnson & Johnson will post 11.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Johnson & Johnson Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be paid a $1.34 dividend. This represents a $5.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. Johnson & Johnson’s payout ratio is 81.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling In other news, EVP Elizabeth Forminard sold 15,918 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $257.00, for a total value of $4,090,926.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,367,458. This trade represents a 48.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer L. Taubert sold 15,000 shares of Johnson & Johnson stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $263.36, for a total transaction of $3,950,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 194,451 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,210,615.36. The trade was a 7.16% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 87,569 shares of company stock worth $23,064,544 over the last ninety days. 0.16% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Johnson & Johnson Company Profile (Free Report)

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets products through two primary business segments: Innovative Medicine and MedTech. Its operations serve patients, healthcare professionals and consumers in markets around the world.

The Innovative Medicine segment focuses on prescription medicines in areas including immunology, oncology, neuroscience, cardiovascular and metabolic disease, infectious diseases, and pulmonary hypertension.

Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Johnson & Johnson 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 JNJ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ – Free Report).

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

ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC boosted its holdings in BlackRock (NYSE:BLK – Free Report) by 115.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,166 shares of the asset manager’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,764 shares during the period. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC’s holdings in BlackRock were worth $5,467,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. RMG Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of BlackRock in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Addison Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of BlackRock by 100.0% during the 1st quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 34 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.69% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets BLK has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research cut shares of BlackRock from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Truist Financial set a $1,310.00 price objective on BlackRock in a report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on BlackRock from $1,230.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. UBS Group upped their target price on BlackRock from $1,277.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, TD Cowen increased their target price on BlackRock from $1,190.00 to $1,212.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,312.06.

View Our Latest Report on BlackRock BlackRock Stock Up 1.1% NYSE BLK opened at $1,133.07 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $1,106.23 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,062.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 3.59 and a quick ratio of 3.59. BlackRock has a fifty-two week low of $917.39 and a fifty-two week high of $1,187.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $175.48 billion, a PE ratio of 20.18, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.41.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 14th. The asset manager reported $15.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $14.32 by $1.61. BlackRock had a return on equity of 16.08% and a net margin of 24.22%. The company had revenue of $7.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.42 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $8.43 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that BlackRock will post 56.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BlackRock Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 8th were issued a dividend of $5.73 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $22.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. BlackRock’s payout ratio is 52.11%.

Key BlackRock News Here are the key news stories impacting BlackRock this week:

Positive Sentiment: Strong Q3 results support the rally. BlackRock reported adjusted earnings of $15.93 per share, exceeding the $14.32 consensus estimate, while revenue of $7.75 billion also topped expectations and increased 19.1% year over year. Improved operating income and margins helped ease concerns about profitability. BlackRock Stock Jumps as Q3 Earnings Power Margin Recovery Positive Sentiment: Record inflows point to continued organic growth. BlackRock attracted approximately $205 billion in net new client assets during the quarter, lifting assets under management to roughly $15.5 trillion. Broad ETF demand, fixed income, private markets and technology fees are diversifying the company’s revenue base. How Record Inflows at BlackRock Have Changed Its Investment Story Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their expectations. JPMorgan increased its price target to $1,449 and maintained an Overweight rating, while Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its target to $1,310 with an Outperform rating. Bank of America also reiterated a Buy rating and lifted its target to $1,313, citing strong earnings and ETF inflows. Analysts Boost Forecasts on BlackRock Positive Sentiment: AI infrastructure could create new fee opportunities. Management highlighted financing for data centers and compute infrastructure, along with growth in higher-fee products, as potential longer-term earnings drivers. CEO Larry Fink’s support for continued data-center construction reinforces BlackRock’s positioning in this investment theme. BlackRock Sees Large Opportunity in Developing Compute Market Neutral Sentiment: BlackRock disclosed portfolio changes involving stakes in Qiagen, Suzano, Caledonia Mining and Fagron. These transactions demonstrate ongoing investment activity but are not expected to materially affect BLK’s earnings. Negative Sentiment: Ethereum ETFs experienced another day of net redemptions, led by BlackRock’s ETHA. Persistent crypto-fund outflows could pressure short-term fee revenue, although the impact is limited relative to BlackRock’s broader platform. Ethereum ETFs See Outflows Negative Sentiment: BlackRock faces tougher competition in low-cost Nasdaq-100 ETFs from State Street and other providers, while early inflows remain limited and trading volumes trail the established QQQ product. QQQ vs. Cheaper Nasdaq-100 ETFs BlackRock Company Profile (Free Report)

BlackRock, Inc is a global investment management and financial technology company serving individual investors, institutions, governments and financial professionals. The company provides investment management, risk management and advisory services across a broad range of asset classes, including equities, fixed income, multi-asset strategies, alternatives and cash management.

BlackRock offers investment products through mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and other vehicles. Its iShares brand is one of the company’s principal platforms for exchange-traded funds, providing access to domestic and international markets, industry sectors, bonds, commodities and specialized investment strategies.

The company also provides technology and analytical solutions through its Aladdin platform, which is used by asset managers, institutional investors and other financial organizations for portfolio management, risk analysis, trading and operational support.

See Also Five stocks we like better than BlackRock 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?

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

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE – Free Report) by 10.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,371,297 shares of the technology company’s stock after acquiring an additional 131,297 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned 0.10% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise worth $87,612,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC bought a new stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,027,139,000. Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new position in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the 2nd quarter valued at about $773,225,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the 2nd quarter valued at about $512,721,000. Elliott Investment Management L.P. grew its position in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 47.2% during the 1st quarter. Elliott Investment Management L.P. now owns 27,421,735 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $652,912,000 after buying an additional 8,790,757 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $322,718,000. 80.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts recently weighed in on HPE shares. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $74.00 to $86.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Loop Capital reduced their price objective on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $57.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Barclays cut shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $83.00 to $77.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $54.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $65.44.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on HPE Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director Gary M. Reiner sold 17,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.91, for a total transaction of $967,470.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 65,072 shares in the company, valued at $3,703,247.52. This represents a 20.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Rami Rahim sold 34,456 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.42, for a total value of $2,116,287.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 875,133 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $53,750,668.86. The trade was a 3.79% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 551,456 shares of company stock valued at $35,271,258 in the last three months. 0.44% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Hewlett Packard Enterprise Here are the key news stories impacting Hewlett Packard Enterprise this week:

Positive Sentiment: HPE announced a planned $75 million expansion in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, expected to create 75 jobs. The investment supports the company’s manufacturing and infrastructure operations, although its near-term effect on earnings is likely limited. HPE to spend $75M to expand, add 75 jobs in Chippewa Falls Positive Sentiment: Some investors remain constructive because HPE has reported record revenue, orders and backlog, while demand for traditional servers, AI systems and networking—and higher server prices—has supported recent results. HPE stock was also reported to be up substantially for the year before the latest retreat. What Was HPE Telling You Before Its Stock Ran? Neutral Sentiment: ETF selling added to short-term pressure, while some dip buyers are betting that HPE can convert its AI and server orders into revenue. However, the recent decline has raised questions about whether earlier dip-buying strategies will continue to work. ETFs Are Net Sellers of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Negative Sentiment: Barclays downgraded HPE to Equal Weight from Overweight and lowered its price target to $77 from $83. The firm questioned how quickly corporate customers will adopt AI hardware and suggested that memory-component inflation, rather than new AI deployments, may be driving server revenue growth. Why Hewlett Packard Enterprise Stock Is Trading Lower Today Negative Sentiment: Concerns over how customers will finance large AI infrastructure projects have spread across hardware stocks, including HPE, Dell and Super Micro. The resulting sector-wide selling, combined with scrutiny of HPE’s server revenue quality and adoption timeline, drove a roughly 20% decline between October 9 and October 15. AI Financing Worries Extend Hardware Selloff Hewlett Packard Enterprise Stock Performance Shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise stock opened at $55.32 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market cap of $73.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.39. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $59.34 and its 200-day moving average is $46.33. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company has a one year low of $19.84 and a one year high of $73.56.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, September 2nd. The technology company reported $1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.18. Hewlett Packard Enterprise had a net margin of 6.60% and a return on equity of 15.50%. The company had revenue of $12.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $11.97 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.44 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 33.7% on a year-over-year basis. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.200-1.300 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 3.750-3.850 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company will post 3.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 16th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 17th were given a dividend of $0.1425 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 17th. This represents a $0.57 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s payout ratio is 29.69%.

(Free Report)

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE) is a global technology company that provides information technology products, services and solutions for businesses, governments and other organizations. Its offerings are designed to help customers build, manage and secure data center, cloud and edge-computing environments.

HPE’s portfolio includes enterprise servers, high-performance computing systems, data storage, networking equipment, software and technology consulting services. The company also provides hybrid cloud and as-a-service solutions through HPE GreenLake, allowing customers to access and manage computing, storage, data protection and other IT capabilities through a flexible consumption model.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Hewlett Packard Enterprise 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 HPE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE – Free Report).

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

Annex Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report) by 70.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 116,856 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock after purchasing an additional 48,279 shares during the period. Annex Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $42,896,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. North Capital Inc. bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the third quarter worth $210,000. Milestone Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 14.4% in the third quarter. Milestone Asset Management LLC now owns 12,480 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $4,581,000 after buying an additional 1,570 shares during the last quarter. Detalus Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $431,000. SLT Holdings LLC increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 6.1% during the 3rd quarter. SLT Holdings LLC now owns 7,328 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,690,000 after acquiring an additional 419 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Whitener Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in UnitedHealth Group by 14.9% during the third quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,475 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock worth $1,643,000 after purchasing an additional 582 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.86% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at UnitedHealth Group In other news, CEO Patrick Conway sold 1,169 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $390.00, for a total transaction of $455,910.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 15,328 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,977,920. This represents a 7.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.19% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

UnitedHealth Group News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week: Positive Sentiment: Q3 results and guidance exceeded expectations. UnitedHealth reported adjusted earnings of $4.69 per share versus the $4.14 consensus estimate, while revenue of $112.7 billion also topped forecasts. Management raised its 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to at least $20.50, supporting the recovery narrative. UnitedHealth Stock Moves Higher: What’s Going On? Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains significant. JPMorgan raised its price target to $524 and maintained an “overweight” rating, while Goldman Sachs reportedly lifted its target to $506 after concluding that Medicare Advantage margin recovery is progressing faster than expected. JPMorgan Raises UnitedHealth Price Target Positive Sentiment: Potential growth areas could support 2027 and beyond. UnitedHealth’s focus on Medicare special-needs plans, expanded coverage and care-delivery operations may provide targeted growth while improving margins. Its low beta also makes UNH attractive as a defensive healthcare holding during inflation and market rotation away from technology stocks. Can UNH’s Focus on Special Needs Plans Strengthen Medicare Growth? Neutral Sentiment: Recent gains may have already priced in much of the good news. Commentary noted that the earnings beat and outlook increase were followed by questions about how durable the recovery will be, limiting the immediate upside despite bullish targets. UnitedHealth Beats on Earnings, But Investors Question Growth Path Negative Sentiment: Membership fell and medical costs remain high. Analysts are concerned that shrinking membership and elevated utilization could constrain revenue growth and margins, particularly if higher care costs persist. This is the main reason investors are questioning whether the earnings improvement can continue. UnitedHealth’s Q3 Margins Improve, But Membership Falls Negative Sentiment: Analyst views are mixed. Barclays issued a pessimistic forecast, Robert W. Baird cut its price target, and TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating with a $402 target, signaling limited near-term upside for some investors. UnitedHealth Group Price Performance Shares of UNH stock opened at $401.77 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $387.07 and its 200-day moving average is $384.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $360.62 billion, a PE ratio of 19.92, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 0.74. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 52 week low of $255.96 and a 52 week high of $461.62.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 13th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $4.69 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.14 by $0.55. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 3.53% and a return on equity of 17.95%. The firm had revenue of $112.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $111.31 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.59 EPS. The company’s revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. UnitedHealth Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 20.500- EPS. Equities research analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 20.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 14th were paid a $2.32 dividend. This represents a $9.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 14th. UnitedHealth Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $435.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Evercore raised their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $400.00 to $480.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $470.00 to $493.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $453.00 to $427.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $420.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $462.90.

Read Our Latest Analysis on UNH

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile (Free Report)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care and well-being company serving individuals, employers, health care providers and government programs. Its operations are organized primarily through UnitedHealthcare and Optum.

UnitedHealthcare provides health benefit plans and services, including employer-sponsored coverage, individual and family plans, Medicare and Medicaid offerings, and other government-supported programs. Its services include health insurance administration, pharmacy benefits and care management.

Optum provides health care services, technology and data solutions, pharmacy services, and analytics to health plans, employers, government agencies, health care providers and consumers.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than UnitedHealth Group 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 UNH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH – Free Report).

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

Banque Pictet & Cie SA lowered its stake in Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO – Free Report) by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 67,541 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 3,760 shares during the period. Banque Pictet & Cie SA’s holdings in Moody’s were worth $30,672,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Moody’s by 0.3% in the first quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 6,440 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,810,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Resolute Wealth Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Moody’s by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. Resolute Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 623 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $272,000 after buying an additional 23 shares during the period. Goelzer Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Moody’s by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Goelzer Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,949 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $885,000 after buying an additional 23 shares during the period. Matrix Trust Co grew its position in shares of Moody’s by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 1,706 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $775,000 after buying an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC grew its position in shares of Moody’s by 87.1% during the 1st quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 58 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. 92.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Moody’s Here are the key news stories impacting Moody’s this week:

Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada lowered its price target to $575 from $610 but maintained an “outperform” rating. The revised target still implies substantial upside from Moody’s recent trading level, signaling that RBC views the pullback in expectations as a valuation adjustment rather than a change in the company’s long-term outlook. Benzinga analyst ratings report Positive Sentiment: Wall Street is preparing for Moody’s third-quarter earnings report on October 21, with consensus calling for approximately $4.25 in earnings per share. Investors are focused on whether continued demand for credit ratings, research and risk-management products can sustain the company’s recent double-digit revenue growth and strong profitability. Moody’s Q3 2026 earnings preview Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings coverage is highlighting estimates for revenue, operating margins and other key metrics beyond headline EPS. These previews could increase volatility around the October 21 report, particularly if Moody’s delivers strong earnings but offers cautious guidance. Zacks Moody’s Q3 estimates Negative Sentiment: Jefferies reduced its Moody’s price target to $560 from $610. The cut may weigh on sentiment because it reflects more limited upside following the stock’s recent advance, although the new target remains above the current share price. Jefferies Moody’s price-target update Negative Sentiment: Additional commentary from BMO Capital Markets and other analysts has emphasized a more cautious valuation outlook, reinforcing concerns that expectations and the stock’s premium valuation leave less room for an earnings disappointment. BMO Moody’s forecast Insider Buying and Selling In other Moody’s news, CEO Robert Fauber sold 923 shares of Moody’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $455.00, for a total value of $419,965.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 51,364 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,370,620. The trade was a 1.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades MCO has been the subject of several recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Moody’s from $610.00 to $575.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Moody’s from $587.00 to $594.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Moody’s from $557.00 to $593.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Moody’s from $521.00 to $530.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating and issued a $600.00 price target (up from $565.00) on shares of Moody’s in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $551.26.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Moody’s

Moody’s Price Performance Shares of NYSE MCO opened at $484.71 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.01, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.19. The company has a market cap of $83.95 billion, a PE ratio of 29.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.35. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $477.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $466.64. Moody’s Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $402.28 and a fifty-two week high of $546.88.

Moody’s (NYSE:MCO – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.26 by $0.42. Moody’s had a return on equity of 80.35% and a net margin of 34.25%. The business had revenue of $2.19 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.09 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.56 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 15.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Moody’s has set its FY 2026 guidance at 16.500-17.000 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Moody’s Corporation will post 16.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Moody’s Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 4th. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th were given a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. Moody’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.13%.

Moody’s Profile (Free Report)

Moody’s Corporation (NYSE:MCO) is a global provider of credit ratings, research, data, and analytical tools. Through Moody’s Ratings, the company evaluates the creditworthiness of companies, governments, financial institutions, and structured finance securities, offering opinions and research used by investors, issuers, and other market participants.

Through Moody’s Analytics, the company provides financial intelligence, economic research, risk assessment tools, data, and software. Its products support credit and market risk management, compliance, portfolio analysis, lending, insurance, and corporate planning.

Moody’s traces its origins to 1909, when John Moody published an analysis of railroad securities.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Moody’s 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?

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

Banque Pictet & Cie SA raised its holdings in shares of The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW – Free Report) by 4.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 145,818 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,582 shares during the quarter. Banque Pictet & Cie SA’s holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $14,252,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. USS Investment Management Ltd grew its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 4.6% during the first quarter. USS Investment Management Ltd now owns 288,035 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,068,000 after purchasing an additional 12,789 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. increased its stake in Charles Schwab by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 384,881 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $35,790,000 after acquiring an additional 14,538 shares during the last quarter. Financial Advisory Partners LLC bought a new stake in Charles Schwab in the 1st quarter worth approximately $3,199,000. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC raised its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 112.0% during the 1st quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 89,498 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $8,411,000 after acquiring an additional 47,281 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 91.9% during the 1st quarter. Private Wealth Partners LLC now owns 204,248 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $19,195,000 after acquiring an additional 97,829 shares in the last quarter. 84.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Charles Schwab Stock Down 2.5% NYSE:SCHW opened at $91.81 on Friday. The Charles Schwab Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $83.96 and a fifty-two week high of $114.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $158.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.67, a P/E/G ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.64. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $104.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $98.15.

Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 15th. The financial services provider reported $1.69 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $7.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.18 billion. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 39.33% and a return on equity of 25.79%. Charles Schwab’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.31 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Charles Schwab Corporation will post 6.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Charles Schwab Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th were given a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 14th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Charles Schwab’s dividend payout ratio is presently 23.27%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts have recently commented on SCHW shares. Compass Point assumed coverage on Charles Schwab in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $135.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $117.00 price target on shares of Charles Schwab in a research note on Friday. Truist Financial set a $115.00 price target on shares of Charles Schwab in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Charles Schwab from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Charles Schwab in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $118.95.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on SCHW

Trending Headlines about Charles Schwab Here are the key news stories impacting Charles Schwab this week:

Positive Sentiment: Schwab reported adjusted third-quarter EPS of $1.69, exceeding the $1.66 analyst consensus, while revenue rose 16.9% year over year to a record $7.17 billion. Net income increased 23% to approximately $2.91 billion. Charles Schwab Stock Is Falling Friday: What’s Going On? Positive Sentiment: Client momentum remained a major strength: core net new assets reached a record $190.4 billion, up 38% year over year, total client assets climbed to $13.33 trillion, and the company added roughly 1.2 million brokerage accounts. Higher trading activity, lending, and net interest revenue supported the quarter. Schwab Delivers Record Net New Assets & Earnings Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive. JPMorgan reaffirmed an “overweight” rating with a $147 price target, while Citizens JMP maintained “market outperform” with a $120 target. Schwab is also expanding AI tools, tax-aware products, cryptocurrency services, and prediction-market capabilities, potentially creating additional engagement and revenue opportunities. Neutral Sentiment: Management said clients using AI-enabled trading tools are holding more cash rather than withdrawing funds, which could support Schwab’s deposit and lending franchise. However, the long-term financial impact of these new products remains unproven. Negative Sentiment: Revenue of $7.17 billion was slightly below the approximately $7.18 billion consensus estimate. Analysts characterized the quarter as “somewhat low quality,” citing less impressive net-interest-revenue trends and the possibility that strong market activity, rather than purely organic improvement, drove results. Charles Schwab’s Q3 Print was Somewhat Low Quality Negative Sentiment: Schwab indicated that full-year 2026 revenue and net-interest-margin growth could land at the lower end of its previous ranges. Truist reduced its price target, and some investors appear to be taking profits after the stock’s earlier gains. Insider Buying and Selling at Charles Schwab In other news, insider Dennis Howard sold 28,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.01, for a total value of $2,940,280.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 10,470 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,099,454.70. This trade represents a 72.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, General Counsel Peter J. Morgan III sold 6,952 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $102.03, for a total value of $709,312.56. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 645,582 shares of company stock valued at $69,553,935. Corporate insiders own 6.30% of the company’s stock.

Charles Schwab Profile (Free Report)

Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) is a financial services company that provides brokerage, investment, banking and wealth management services to individual investors, employers, institutions and independent investment advisors. Its offerings include online and mobile trading, securities brokerage, retirement accounts, financial planning, portfolio management, banking products, research and access to mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

The company operates through businesses including Schwab Brokerage, Schwab Wealth Advisory, Schwab Asset Management and Charles Schwab Bank.

Read More Five stocks we like better than Charles Schwab 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 SCHW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW – Free Report).

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

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. purchased a new stake in shares of BXP, Inc. (NYSE:BXP – Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 11,033 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $674,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its position in BXP by 481.7% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 69,907 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $3,626,000 after buying an additional 57,889 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in BXP during the second quarter worth about $6,774,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in BXP during the first quarter worth about $4,938,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in BXP during the second quarter worth about $63,769,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its position in BXP by 18.9% in the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 776,982 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $52,438,000 after acquiring an additional 123,301 shares during the period. 98.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

BXP Stock Down 0.9% Shares of NYSE:BXP opened at $59.17 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $64.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $63.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.07, a current ratio of 3.91 and a quick ratio of 3.91. BXP, Inc. has a one year low of $49.72 and a one year high of $74.96. The company has a market cap of $9.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.69, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.03.

BXP (NYSE:BXP – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.03. BXP had a net margin of 8.44% and a return on equity of 3.88%. The firm had revenue of $895.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $858.07 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.71 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. BXP has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.990-7.050 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.800-1.820 EPS. Analysts anticipate that BXP, Inc. will post 7.02 EPS for the current fiscal year. BXP Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.7%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. BXP’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 150.54%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have weighed in on BXP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of BXP from $79.00 to $87.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of BXP in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of BXP from $88.00 to $72.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Barclays boosted their target price on BXP from $65.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on BXP from $64.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $73.00.

Get Our Latest Analysis on BXP

BXP Company Profile (Free Report)

BXP, Inc (NYSE:BXP), formerly known as Boston Properties, is a real estate investment trust that owns, develops, acquires and manages primarily office properties. The company focuses on high-quality commercial real estate in major U.S. business markets and serves corporate tenants across a range of industries.

The company’s portfolio includes office buildings, mixed-use developments and life science properties, as well as select residential assets. BXP also provides property management, leasing and development services associated with its real estate holdings.

Read More Five stocks we like better than BXP 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 BXP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BXP, Inc. (NYSE:BXP – Free Report).

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

Bitcoin enters the final weeks of October near $82,000 after a brief fall below $80,000. The October 28 Federal Reserve decision, uneven demand for U.S. spot funds and November inflation data will help determine whether the recovery survives. A forecast requires conditions for both gains and losses, not a single number detached from the evidence.

Summary

Bitcoin traded near $81,500 on October 17 after briefly dipping below $80,000 this week. September U.S. inflation reached 3.7% annually, up from 3.4% in August. U.S. spot Bitcoin funds lost a net $614.7 million across October’s first 12 trading sessions, based on Farside’s daily totals. The Fed meets October 27 and 28, before U.S. jobs data on November 6 and inflation data on November 10. A move from $82,000 to $90,000 requires a 9.8% gain; a drop to $75,000 would be an 8.5% loss. Bitcoin has traded around $81,500 on October 17, having recovered from a move below $80,000 during the week. CoinGlass market data put the 24 hour change near negative 0.7% when checked for this article. A live price can move before publication, so the scenarios below use $82,000 as a rounded reference point, not a claim about the exact execution price available to a reader.

The Federal Reserve’s calendar places its next policy decision on October 28. Inflation has complicated the choice: the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ September CPI release put annual headline inflation at 3.7%. November will bring new employment and consumer price readings, giving investors evidence on whether the October decision was the start of another tightening phase or a single step. The price outlook therefore has two clocks: what markets expect before the meeting, and what the incoming data say afterward.

JUST IN: Bitcoin posts its strongest quarter since 2017 with a 43% Q3 gain

The rally now faces tougher conditions as Treasury yields climb above 5%, although weaker US jobs data has cut the odds of another Fed rate hike in October. pic.twitter.com/St18atn53Y

— crypto.news (@cryptodotnews) October 6, 2026 Bitcoin’s October recovery has a weak demand backdrop The starting point is less reassuring than the bounce suggests. Bitcoin slipped below $80,000 and subsequently recovered above $82,000 on October 16. A separate October 16 price assessment at crypto.news placed the market near $81,400 and noted the sequence of lower local highs. Clearing a level intraday is different from sustaining buying through several sessions, especially when the same area has served as both support and resistance.

October’s price movement followed several conflicting signals. U.S. spot Bitcoin funds began the month with two positive sessions, then recorded substantial withdrawals on October 7 and 8. The October 7 fund outflow reached $484.9 million, the largest daily exit since June at the time. October 13 brought $175.7 million back, but October 14 saw $261.4 million leave. Farside Investors’ daily fund table now records an $82.4 million withdrawal for October 16. Daily totals can be revised, and a net flow is not a direct measure of exchange spot purchases on that date.

Price and flow do not have to move together. Bitcoin trades continuously, while the U.S. ETF table reflects the close of an equity trading day. A buyer using an offshore exchange or a derivatives position can move the price while the fund complex loses assets. Authorized participants can acquire or deliver Bitcoin through creation and redemption processes that need not match a single hour of trading. Treating each positive close as proof that ETFs bought the rebound would assign a cause that the available figures cannot establish.

The October 14 CPI report added a macroeconomic complication. Headline consumer prices rose 0.6% during September, while the measure excluding food and energy rose 0.3%. Gasoline accounted for more than half of the monthly increase in the headline index, according to the BLS. Annual core inflation reached 2.6%, below the 3.7% headline reading but above August’s 2.4%. A reader looking only at the headline could miss that the sources of inflation are different; a reader looking only at core could miss the pressure that energy prices put on household spending and market rates.

Bitcoin’s drop after the CPI release left the market near $81,900 on October 14. The report recorded an increase in market-implied odds of an October rate increase after the inflation data, but those odds are a changing price of futures contracts, not a vote by the Fed. They should be checked again near the decision. Positioning against a policy announcement can make an otherwise ordinary price move violent when leveraged traders have crowded into one outcome.

JUST IN: Bitcoin jumps above $85,000 after softer U.S. inflation data

August core PCE rose 3% year-over-year versus 3.3% expected, while markets cut October Fed rate-hike odds, giving $BTC and other risk assets an immediate boost. pic.twitter.com/z1n9vm6GQJ

— crypto.news (@cryptodotnews) September 30, 2026 The Fed decision is only the first date on November’s calendar On September 16, the Federal Open Market Committee raised its target by a quarter percentage point to 3.75% to 4%. The vote was unanimous. Its next scheduled meeting ends October 28 at 2 p.m. Eastern time, followed by a press conference at 2:30 p.m. The October meeting is not marked as one of the scheduled quarterly projection meetings on the Fed’s calendar, so investors should not assume it will include a new dot plot.

The September meeting minutes, released October 7, say most participants considered another increase likely to be appropriate by year end, while stressing that later decisions depended on incoming information. Year end leaves two meetings, October and December. The minutes do not commit the committee to October, and individual September projections are conditional judgments, not instructions to a future meeting. The September median projected policy rate at the end of 2026 was 4.1%, according to the Fed’s projection tables.

Bitcoin rallied after the September rate increase despite fund withdrawals during the decision window. An examination of buyers after the September hike found subsequent ETF demand and derivatives adjustment, showing why the rate announcement alone cannot explain the entire move. Traders had been preparing for the decision beforehand; the same announcement can lift or lower an asset depending on what was already priced in and what the chair says about future policy.

On October 28, the rate decision, statement, and press conference, should be read separately. A quarter point increase with language suggesting a pause would not carry the same implication as an increase followed by concern about more persistent inflation. A hold could still weigh on Bitcoin if officials signal another hike in December. Market prices respond to changes in expected policy paths, not simply to the label attached to one decision.

November’s scheduled releases will then test the Fed’s reading of the economy. The BLS calendar for November lists the October employment report for November 6, October CPI for November 10, and October producer prices for November 13. October CPI will arrive after the Fed meeting, meaning the committee cannot use that report to decide on October 28. It can still change expectations for the December 8 and 9 meeting. Figures and release dates should be rechecked at publication because government calendars can change.

The sequence allows a conditional outlook. An October decision followed by softer inflation and moderate employment growth could ease pressure on bond yields. A decision followed by stubborn inflation or a much stronger labor market could support expectations of more tightening. A weak jobs report is not automatically favorable for Bitcoin if it points to a broad economic shock that sends investors toward cash. None of the official releases predicts a Bitcoin price; they influence the rates and risk appetite against which Bitcoin trades.

Twelve ETF sessions show how much buying the recovery needs The distinguishing figure comes from adding the fund flows rather than citing a single large withdrawal. Farside’s U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF table lists daily totals, in millions of dollars, for the first 12 trading sessions of October: plus 102.7, plus 189.9, minus 89.8, plus 118.8, minus 484.9, minus 244.1, plus 21.1, minus 65.4, plus 175.7, minus 261.4, plus 5.1 and minus 82.4. Adding those published entries gives minus $614.7 million through October 16. The calculation uses the displayed one decimal place and may differ slightly if a provider later revises individual funds.

Across the same 12 sessions, positive days total $613.3 million and negative days total $1.228 billion after rounding the entries. Net outflows are therefore the result of several heavy selling days overwhelming the purchases, not the absence of any positive session. October 7 alone accounts for approximately 79% of the net withdrawal figure, a ratio obtained by dividing $484.9 million by $614.7 million. That ratio describes the arithmetic concentration of the monthly total, not an estimate that one day’s redemptions caused 79% of Bitcoin’s price change.

Four of the first 12 sessions show net gains above $100 million, while four show losses above $80 million. A small positive day does not erase a large negative day. For example, the $175.7 million gained on October 13 was smaller than the $261.4 million lost the next day; together they represent an $85.7 million withdrawal. October 15’s $5.1 million intake did little to counter the $82.4 million that left on October 16. These comparisons explain why a chart of alternating green and red bars can look balanced even when the month is firmly negative.

The calculation answers a narrower question than some headlines imply. It does not tell us how much Bitcoin was sold on exchanges, which participants bought any supply offered, or whether a fund’s holdings changed by the same dollar amount as its flow. Net flow is an accounting estimate for money entering or leaving the listed products. Assets under management fluctuate with Bitcoin’s price. Trading volume can surge even when net flow is zero, because shares can change hands between investors without new fund shares being created.

The starting imbalance creates an observable condition for November. A durable recovery supported by fund demand would require multiple positive sessions large enough to offset withdrawals, not merely a return to zero on one day. At the October 16 balance, a single $100 million intake would leave the October running total around $515 million negative if no other dates changed. Restoring the first 12 sessions to flat would require approximately $615 million of net additions in later sessions. The figure is an arithmetic hurdle for the month, not a threshold Bitcoin must clear to rise.

Fund flows could remain negative while direct spot buyers take the other side. Conversely, positive ETF totals could coexist with selling by long held wallets, corporate treasuries or miners. An October assessment of institutional demand quoted Bitget Wallet research lead Lacie Zhang saying institutional buying must absorb profit taking and miner sales for gains to hold. Her argument concerns the balance of buyers and sellers across venues, not an ETF flow target that guarantees a certain price.

BREAKING: Fed raises its benchmark interest rates for the first time since 2023

The Fed has raised its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 3.75%–4%, while 30-year mortgage rates have climbed to around 7.28%; persistent inflation, higher oil prices and geopolitical tensions are… pic.twitter.com/CXNUmqJqEf

— crypto.news (@cryptodotnews) September 16, 2026 The price cases start from one reference point A November scenario needs an explicit starting value. This article uses $82,000, close to the market around the October 16 rebound, as a common reference. At that price, $85,000 is 3.7% higher; $87,500 is 6.7% higher; $90,000 is 9.8% higher; $95,000 is 15.9% higher. On the downside, $80,000 is 2.4% lower; $78,000 is 4.9% lower; and $75,000 is 8.5% lower. Each percentage is the difference from $82,000 divided by $82,000, rounded to one decimal place. They are arithmetic distances, not modeled probabilities or promised targets.

Recovery case: $87,500 to $95,000. Bitcoin would first need to regain the $84,200 area that traders identified as resistance in the October 16 chart analysis, then build on the move through the upper $80,000s. A sustained run of ETF inflows, stronger spot participation and less aggressive rate expectations after October 28 would support that case. The upper end requires a 15.9% rise from the reference, a material move in a month. The case weakens if ETF flows stay negative through a price rally or if the October 28 message and November 10 CPI push yields higher.

Range case: $78,000 to $87,500. Bitcoin could remain between the October downside area and the late September resistance zone if fund buying returns intermittently but cannot sustain itself. A Fed decision that changes little about December expectations, followed by mixed labor and inflation releases, would fit the setting. The breadth of the range is deliberate: from $82,000 it spans a 4.9% decline to a 6.7% gain. Calling this a base case does not mean assigning it a numerical probability. It describes the path when neither the buying evidence nor the policy evidence resolves decisively.

Downside case: $75,000 to $78,000. A break below $80,000 that persists through several daily closes, together with further ETF redemptions and renewed leverage liquidations, would bring lower price areas into view. A Fed message pointing to continued tightening, followed by another strong inflation print, would make the downside scenario more plausible. The range is an analytical boundary, not a claim that a particular exchange has a buy order at $75,000. A fall through the lower end would invalidate this bounded case and require a fresh analysis rather than a wider target invented after the event.

The ranges overlap at $78,000 and $87,500 because price can trade at a boundary without giving a reliable signal about the next month. Daily closes, participation and changes in flow would be more informative than a brief intraday touch. The upper case is invalidated by persistent selling and a failed recovery of the mid $80,000s; the downside case is invalidated by sustained inflows and a decisive move above resistance. New evidence can invalidate either scenario before November begins.

A pause in rates does not guarantee a Bitcoin rally The strongest argument for recovery is not simply that the Fed might hold rates. Inflation’s September jump was driven heavily by gasoline, while core prices rose more slowly over the year. If energy eases and the labor market weakens enough to limit further hikes without signaling recession, investors could reduce their expectations for future rates. Fund flows have turned around rapidly in earlier periods: after withdrawals around the September decision, demand returned in later sessions. The post hike market assessment from BitGo Research associated the recovery with spot fund demand, lower Treasury yields, softer oil and short covering. No single variable carried the whole explanation.

There is a counterweight. The September minutes show most Fed participants expected another increase by year end. September headline inflation at 3.7% was above August’s 3.4%, and core inflation rose to 2.6% from 2.4%. A pause in October might signal patience while officials wait for data, not the end of tightening. November CPI could reopen the debate almost immediately. Bitcoin can rise in anticipation of a pause and still lose ground if the accompanying statement points to a later hike.

Rate expectations have two effects that need separating. Higher Treasury yields can raise the appeal of interest paying assets relative to Bitcoin, which does not pay a coupon. The same yields can weaken demand for speculative risk across markets. Neither channel fixes Bitcoin’s price mechanically. Liquidity, leverage, international buying and crypto specific events can offset or magnify them. A neat historical average of returns around Fed meetings would miss differences in what investors anticipated before each event.

ETF demand presents a similar two sided argument. The products remain a substantial route for U.S. investors, and a few large positive days can reverse a negative running total. Yet the October arithmetic shows how easily one withdrawal can overwhelm multiple gains. Strong fund flows would improve the recovery case, but treating them as a sufficient condition ignores direct exchange sellers and the derivatives market. Weak flows would not prove that no buyer exists elsewhere. The honest disagreement is about the likely marginal buyer in November, not the existence of all other buyers.

Leverage can change the route without deciding the destination CoinGlass displayed roughly $52.4 billion of Bitcoin futures open interest and about $77 million of Bitcoin liquidations over 24 hours when checked on October 17. Those figures decay quickly and should be refreshed before publication. Open interest is the face value of outstanding positions, not the amount of capital that can be liquidated at once. Both a long and a short stand behind each futures contract; a rising total alone cannot tell the reader which side will win.

Funding rates and open interest together offer a better view of crowding, though neither is conclusive. Positive perpetual futures funding indicates longs are generally paying shorts on venues using that mechanism. If price rises alongside open interest and high positive funding, the move may depend more heavily on leveraged longs. If price rises while open interest falls, some of the gain may come from shorts closing. Spot volume and ETF flows would then help determine whether new cash replaced the departing positions.

The October selloff showed how forced unwinds can speed a move. Long liquidations cause exchanges to close positions according to their margin rules, creating market orders in a falling market. Subsequent short covering can make the rebound appear strong even before sustained spot demand returns. Neither event establishes a fair value for Bitcoin. Derivatives data help describe the path and fragility of a move, while the spot market and flows help assess whether it can persist.

A level such as $80,000 attracts attention partly because traders put orders and stops near round figures. No source can certify that every $80,000 touch is meaningful, and liquidation maps estimate potential pressure from displayed positions rather than commitments by every trader. A briefly broken level followed by recovery deserves different treatment from several closes below it. The same applies to a break above $85,000: a single futures driven spike is weaker evidence than several sessions accompanied by fund additions and spot volume.

The Fed release occurs during U.S. market hours, when the ETF shares trade and the underlying Bitcoin market remains open. The first ETF closing figure after the decision will provide one piece of evidence, but reporting time and creation mechanics can blur attribution. November 6 jobs data and November 10 CPI arrive before the U.S. market opens; Bitcoin can react overnight before fund shares resume trading. Comparing same time windows and the same quotation source matters when describing cause and effect.

The scenario boundaries have important limits The outlook is dated October 17. Bitcoin’s spot price, policy expectations, ETF flows and derivative positions can change substantially before October 28, let alone November 30. A scenario built around an $82,000 starting value must be recalculated if Bitcoin enters November at a very different price. The percentage distances are exact arithmetic from the chosen reference, but the chosen bands reflect observed market areas and conditional judgment. They are not statistical confidence intervals.

Neither a Fed decision nor a CPI release provides a stand alone Bitcoin forecast. Monetary policy can affect bond yields and the dollar, yet investors may have anticipated the change in advance. The September episode showed a hike and a subsequent rally; the October selloff showed inflation concerns alongside withdrawals and deleveraging. Assigning all price movement to the nearest macro headline would ignore the trading evidence.

ETF totals have reporting limits. Providers can differ in coverage, fund cutoff times and revisions. Farside’s table provides the 12 U.S. session inputs used here; an alternative tracker may show a slightly different monthly figure. Gross trading volume, net investor flow and changes in Bitcoin held by funds answer separate questions. None directly identifies the end investor, the seller on the other side or the moment the Bitcoin was acquired.

The projected $75,000 to $95,000 envelope deliberately includes different outcomes rather than implying that any one will occur. A new geopolitical shock, fund launch, regulatory decision, exchange disruption or corporate transaction could move the market outside it. Those events cannot be responsibly assigned a probability from the evidence assembled here. The next observable policy marker is the Fed’s October 28 statement; the next scheduled U.S. employment and inflation releases follow on November 6 and 10, according to the BLS calendar.

What to watch October 28 Fed statement and press conference: Compare the rate decision with the committee’s language about future increases at 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Eastern. Daily U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF flows: Add the November sessions in Farside’s table and distinguish a multi day intake from a single positive close. The $80,000 and $84,200 price areas: Watch daily closes and trading participation around the recent downside and resistance zones, not just intraday touches. November 6 employment and November 10 CPI: Compare the actual releases with expectations and observe the response in yields as well as Bitcoin. Futures open interest and funding: Check whether a move in price is paired with new leveraged positions, short covering or a reduction in crowding. FAQ What is the Bitcoin price outlook for November 2026? From an $82,000 reference on October 17, the conditional recovery range is $87,500 to $95,000, the range case is $78,000 to $87,500, and the downside case is $75,000 to $78,000. None is a guaranteed target or a probability weighted forecast.

When is the next Fed decision? The Federal Open Market Committee meets October 27 and 28, 2026. Its statement is scheduled for 2 p.m. Eastern on October 28, followed by a press conference at 2:30 p.m.

Did the Fed raise rates in September 2026? Yes. On September 16, the Fed raised the target range by a quarter percentage point to 3.75% to 4%. Bitcoin’s subsequent price rise does not establish that the rate increase caused it.

How much did Bitcoin ETFs lose in early October? Adding Farside Investors’ daily U.S. spot fund totals for the 12 trading sessions from October 1 through October 16 gives approximately $614.7 million in net withdrawals. The figure can change if a provider revises its table.

Why does the $80,000 Bitcoin level matter? Bitcoin briefly traded below $80,000 before recovering during the October selloff. Repeated daily closes below the area, especially with withdrawals and long liquidations, would strengthen the downside case more than a brief intraday break.

Could Bitcoin reach $90,000 in November? A move from the article’s $82,000 reference to $90,000 would require a gain of about 9.8%. Sustained spot and fund demand, a recovery through resistance and less pressure from expected interest rates would support the recovery case; none guarantees that price.

What U.S. data arrive after the October Fed meeting? The BLS has scheduled the October employment report for November 6 and October CPI for November 10. October producer prices are scheduled for November 13. The dates should be checked again before those releases.

Does an October Fed pause mean Bitcoin will rise? No. Investors may have priced in a pause, and a hold could still accompany a warning about another rate increase. ETF flows, direct spot trading and leverage affect the outcome as well. This is educational analysis, not investment advice.

Disclaimer: This article is for information and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Figures reflect regulatory filings and reporting available at the time of writing and change with each disclosure. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security or asset. Always do your own research. Information is accurate as of October 17, 2026.

Ripple has entered a strategic partnership with DriveWealth, a global provider of Brokerage-as-a-Service technology, to bring RLUSD stablecoin settlement and payments infrastructure to an international network of financial partners. DriveWealth serves as a technology backbone for more than 100 fintech platforms and financial institutions, offering white-label brokerage services to enable investment access without requiring firms to develop their own infrastructure.

RLUSD stablecoin integration with brokerage operationsThe collaboration will introduce RLUSD stablecoin-based settlement on the XRP Ledger (XRPL), starting in Europe with plans for future expansion into the US market. According to Ripple, the integration targets institutional finance and aims to simplify how fintechs, digital wallets and financial institutions manage payment and collateral flows.

With this partnership, DriveWealth clients may gain the capability to fund and manage collateral accounts using RLUSD stablecoins, which can be rapidly converted to cash. The infrastructure leverages the digital asset minting and redemption features of Ripple’s ecosystem, potentially streamlining operations and improving liquidity management for participating partners.

Standard Chartered, a multinational bank, recently launched custody services for RLUSD, further highlighting growing institutional use of Ripple’s stablecoin technology.

Despite the media attention, DriveWealth and Ripple have not revealed the list of partners that will immediately use the RLUSD settlement option. There were no transaction volume figures or a defined launch date announced.

Mini dictionary: DriveWealth is a US-based fintech firm specializing in API-driven brokerage infrastructure, enabling its clients to offer global investment access without building regulatory and technical systems from scratch.

DriveWealth will enable stablecoin-based funding and settlement solutions on a network of over 100 brokerage partners worldwide, building a link between the blockchain and traditional equities infrastructure.

Potential impact on stock settlement efficiencyOne of the core challenges for global brokerage operations relates to slow processing times for cross-border funding. While US equities now settle under a T+1 cycle, requiring trades to clear one business day after execution, international bank transfers may still lag due to time zone differences and the legacy payment system.

DriveWealth already offers its platform partners access to extended trading hours; however, the movement of cash across borders remains a constraint. RLUSD stablecoin transactions could allow for real-time fund transfers, unrestricted by conventional banking hours.

This structure reflects broader trends in institutional finance, where digital assets are increasingly used to facilitate rapid collateral movement and transaction settlement. Nonetheless, instant funding via RLUSD does not replace the regulatory clearing and settlement required for US stock transactions, but rather focuses on cash management before and after trades.

While rapid stablecoin funding increases efficiency, the regulated clearing process for US equities will continue to operate separately from blockchain-based collateral flows.

Expanding Ripple Prime’s digital asset servicesBeyond payments and collateral, the Ripple and DriveWealth partnership extends into digital asset custody and equity financing services. Ripple Prime—the institutional division of Ripple—aims to enhance market access for large clients by providing secure storage for digital assets and potential financing via equity-linked products.

This development follows DriveWealth’s acquisition of brokerage and market infrastructure player Hidden Road for $1.25 billion, which expanded its capabilities in equity and derivative product offerings.

Ripple is also working to expand its XRPL wallet functionality, which helps integrate digital asset payments into broader financial applications. For $XRP holders, the direct impact of this deal on token demand remains uncertain, as transaction fees and account reserves on XRPL will continue to require XRP, but major inflows or volumes have not been disclosed.

Further details regarding the rollout, partner adoption, and customer usage may be revealed at Ripple Swell, an industry event scheduled in New York on October 28.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin shared a “fun fact of the day” on X, posting two detailed cost tables comparing Bitcoin mining economics to AI inference.

The numbers expose a clear gap: Bitcoin mining costs split roughly 50/50 between compute capex and electricity, while AI inference is dominated almost entirely by hardware capex.

That gap gives power-rich Bitcoin mining operations a structural flexibility advantage that pure AI operators largely cannot replicate.

Vitalik’s Numbers: Bitcoin Mining Is ~46% Electricity, AI Inference Is ~5% Buterin’s tables break down costs per unit of work. For Bitcoin mining, the approximate total cost per BTC mined sits near $93,700.

Compute capex, hardware, cooling, and power gear, accounts for roughly $37,600, or about 40%.

Electricity into the machines adds $40,600, or 43.3%. Other electricity costs lift the total electricity share to about 45.9%.

Labor accounts for $3,200 (3.4%). Facilities rent comes to $2,500 (2.7%). Other expenses, maintenance, insurance, and bandwidth, make up about $7,400 (7.9%).

AI inference per GPU-year tells a very different story. Total costs land near $26,260. Compute capex alone takes up $19,900, or roughly 76% of the total.

Electricity, by contrast, totals just $1,260 across all categories, barely 4.8% of the bill. Labor adds $1,400. Facilities rent comes in at $900. Other overheads make up around $2,800.

Buterin did not frame the comparison as a criticism of either model. He presented it as a factual contrast.

Wu Blockchain highlighted the post as a notable data point for the crypto-AI infrastructure debate, noting that Vitalik has been increasingly vocal on AI and crypto security risks.

He has also built a privacy-focused AI agent that limits identity and data leaks, signaling his deeper engagement with AI infrastructure questions.

Fun fact of the day: Bitcoin mining cost is split about 50/50 between compute capex and electricity. Meanwhile, AI inference is almost completely dominated by compute capex. pic.twitter.com/PCFKZSuNRw

— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) October 17, 2026

Why Bitcoin Miners Are Structurally Positioned to Win in AI Hosting The cost gap carries a direct strategic implication. Because Bitcoin mining electricity costs are large and variable, miners with flexible power contracts can curtail or redirect capacity when hashprice falls.

AI inference operators have no such relief. Once a GPU cluster is financed and deployed, the capex clock ticks whether or not the hardware is fully utilized.

That explains the wave of miner-to-AI pivots already underway. Core Scientific signed an AI data center deal with AMD as it shifted capacity away from mining.

Bitcoin miner MARA is targeting AI growth through a $168M EDF deal. And Anthropic signed a 20-year data center lease with Bitcoin miner TeraWulf, locking in long-term power access through mining infrastructure.

VanEck has also made the case publicly. The asset manager argued that Bitcoin miners’ AI arbitrage could be a game-changer, pointing to the same structural cost gap Buterin’s tables now quantify precisely.

More broadly, Bitcoin miners are diversifying into AI and projecting billions in revenue from hosting and colocation contracts.

Buterin’s post adds a precise, data-backed foundation to a shift the industry has been tracking for months.

Miners that control large, flexible power contracts are not just hedging, they are sitting on a structural asset that AI-only operators cannot easily replicate.

And despite the AI-Bitcoin intersection narrative, Vitalik has rejected claims that AI could crash Bitcoin’s price by 50%, reinforcing his view that the two ecosystems are more complementary than competitive.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake in Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE:ATO – Free Report) by 208.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 507,818 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after buying an additional 342,962 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned about 0.30% of Atmos Energy worth $79,443,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATO. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Atmos Energy in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,624,975,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Atmos Energy in the second quarter worth about $720,212,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new position in Atmos Energy in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $431,677,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in Atmos Energy in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $276,558,000. Finally, GQG Partners LLC bought a new stake in Atmos Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $202,443,000. Institutional investors own 90.17% of the company’s stock.

Atmos Energy Price Performance Shares of Atmos Energy stock opened at $167.48 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $164.05 and its 200 day moving average is $173.16. The stock has a market cap of $28.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.81. Atmos Energy Corporation has a one year low of $154.72 and a one year high of $192.51.

Atmos Energy (NYSE:ATO – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $879.06 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $900.82 million. Atmos Energy had a net margin of 28.50% and a return on equity of 9.67%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.16 EPS. Atmos Energy has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.400-8.500 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Atmos Energy Corporation will post 8.47 earnings per share for the current year. Atmos Energy Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 8th. Investors of record on Monday, August 24th were paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 24th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Atmos Energy’s payout ratio is 47.62%.

Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director William Ware bought 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $167.59 per share, with a total value of $50,277.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 488 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $81,783.92. This represents a 159.57% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.43% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In ATO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Friday, August 28th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Atmos Energy from $190.00 to $179.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, September 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price target (down from $198.00) on shares of Atmos Energy in a report on Friday, September 11th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Atmos Energy from $173.00 to $167.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 1st. Finally, Argus reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $185.00 target price on shares of Atmos Energy in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Atmos Energy has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $183.00.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Atmos Energy

About Atmos Energy (Free Report)

Atmos Energy Corporation is a regulated natural gas distribution and pipeline company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company delivers natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers and is one of the largest natural gas distributors in the United States.

Atmos Energy operates through two primary businesses: natural gas distribution and pipeline and storage operations. Its distribution activities include acquiring, transporting, storing and delivering natural gas, while its pipeline operations provide transportation and storage services and support the company’s distribution network.

The company serves customers across eight states, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.

Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Atmos Energy 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?

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

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

In an X conversation, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson answered whether the Cardano blockchain network is complete. An X user had asked the question, "Is Cardano finished? Meaning completed?"

In response, Hoskinson pointed to one major milestone that remains before he considers Cardano completed: the Leios upgrade.

I'm working on a concept that only midnight can bring to the cryptocurrency space that solves most of the problems. Almost have all of it designed conceptually. It's the magnum opus of my career

HOT Stories

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) October 17, 2026 "After Leios, yes. It has everything I wanted to do," Hoskinson answered. "Decentralized consensus, governance and development, EUTXO, Plutus, infinitely scalable, secure, built with formal methods, multiple independent nodes, recursively self-improving, and millions of people hold Ada," he continued.

The question from the X user about whether Cardano is complete comes after Hoskinson revealed that he was working on a concept that only Midnight a Cardano-related privacy sidechain can bring to the crypto space and that solves most of the problems. Hoskinson stated that he had almost designed it conceptually, describing it as the magnum opus of his career.

Leios upgradeLeios, which was mentioned by the Cardano founder, refers to Cardano's next-generation consensus and scaling upgrade designed to massively increase transaction throughput and speed without sacrificing decentralization or security.

You Might Also Like

Leios delivers a phased throughput increase on mainnet, scaling from 2x to 30x current capacity, with full capacity demonstrated on testnet first. In September 2026, IOG developers demonstrated about 1,000 TPS with Ouroboros Leios in testing.

The public testnet (known as MusashiNet or Musashi Dojo) launched on June 23, 2026, rolling out through five phases (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Void). According to a recent update from Input Output, the Musashi Dojo testnet has entered its Fire phase.

Leios accelerates Cardano throughputCardano's current consensus protocol, Ouroboros Praos, was designed for security and decentralization but was not designed for the throughput that a globally adopted layer 1 needs. Enter Leios, which enhances Praos by adding endorser blocks and committee-based validation, which increase the number of transactions Cardano can process.

You Might Also Like

Leios aims to increase throughput from about 5–10 transactions per second (TPS) to around 100 TPS, with a longer-term target of 1,000 TPS or more, subject to validation and parameter selection.

Areas where higher throughput could have a meaningful impact include global microtransaction ecosystems, decentralized supply chain tracking, scalable DeFi with time-sensitive transactions, decentralized identity for large populations, and real-time voting systems.

The stablecoin market has never looked more lopsided. Data from DefiLlama shows that Tether’s USDT ($183.4B) and Circle’s USDC ($72.7B) together hold roughly $256B, more than 85% of the total $302B stablecoin market.

No other issuer comes close to the $5B threshold. The gap is not narrowing. It is widening.

A Two-Horse Race With a Cliff After the Second Runner
The numbers from DefiLlama as of October 17, 2026, tell a stark story. USDT leads at $183.4B, commanding 60.6% of the stablecoin market alone. USDC follows at $72.7B, driven heavily by institutional and regulated demand.

Then comes the cliff. Sky Dollar (USDS) sits at $6.8B. Ethena’s USDe follows at $4.7B. World Liberty Financial’s USD1 holds $4B. PayPal’s PYUSD sits at $2.8B. Ripple’s RLUSD trails at $2.4B.

Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has pointed to AI agents as the next frontier for USDT adoption.

He predicts as many as one trillion AI agents will transact in USDT within 15 years.

Agents spending USDT is the future. https://t.co/2HLBrmG3DA

— Paolo Ardoino 🤖 (@paoloardoino) October 15, 2026

Ethena is making calculated moves to escape the challenger trap. The protocol recently entered crypto neobanking with a new app to take USDe beyond DeFi.

It also teamed with FalconX on a $1 billion secured facility for USDe backing assets. Both moves signal that USDe is building real-world utility, but at $4.7B, it remains a fraction of the giants.

USD1 is pursuing a payments angle. Mesh recently acquired Bluvo after a WLFI partnership, a deal designed to deepen USD1’s payment rails. Yet at $4B, USD1 still sits well below the threshold that could threaten the two leaders.

Why Flipping the Duopoly Remains Nearly Impossible
Trust and liquidity are the core barriers. USDT dominates trading pairs and emerging-market corridors. USDC leads in regulated, institutional contexts.

Circle’s distribution strategy is accelerating that lead. Visa recently moved USDC prefunding into live operations on Visa Direct.

Circle paid out $819M to distribution partners in H1 2026 alone, reinforcing network lock-in.

Payment infrastructure is also expanding. Coinbase expanded its Marqeta partnership to bring stablecoin-backed payment cards to businesses. These rails make USDC harder to displace in corporate finance.

Traditional finance is circling the space. Wells Fargo’s CEO confirmed the bank is preparing for potential stablecoin opportunities in the US. New bank-issued stablecoins, however, are more likely to deepen USDC’s institutional moat than challenge it.

Regulatory scrutiny adds another layer. A US Senate probe recently found USDT present in 84% of sanctioned Iran’s wallets. Tether has since defended its compliance posture.

The controversy has not dented USDT’s dominance, but it gives regulators a lever that could reshape the stablecoin market in ways no competitor currently can.

For now, the data is unambiguous. Breaking through the $5B ceiling requires more than innovation.

It demands liquidity, regulatory trust, and distribution at a scale that only two issuers have built, and neither shows signs of giving ground.

At the time of its Nasdaq debut in July, Bending Spoons was a little-known holding company out of Italy that owned older internet names like AOL, Vimeo, Eventbrite and Evernote.

Less than four months later, the Milan-based firm has emerged as a surprising home for former high-flying software startups that have been thrust aside by the artificial intelligence boom. Its M&A plan got a major boost this week from the most famous holding company on the planet: Berkshire Hathaway.

Berkshire, which Bending Spoons describes as a "longstanding inspiration" for its strategy, has now invested over $900 million in the company, including a $330 million stake disclosed on Wednesday. Wall Street loved the deal, sending Bending Spoons' stock up 41%, though some of those gains were lost later in the week, leaving the company with a market cap of about $30 billion.

"Berkshire's decision to add to its position just a few months after the IPO and at these levels provides another vote of confidence in the Bending Spoons model from one of the world's most respected long-term investors," wrote analysts at Mizuho, in a report after the announcement.

The other big news out of Bending Spoons this week underscores the flipside of the business: job cuts. In August, Bending Spoons announced it was buying workflow software provider Airtable for about $1.3 billion, or almost 90% below the company's peak valuation from late 2021. Bending Spoons said Monday that a "large portion of the pre-acquisition team" from Airtable would be leaving with "substantial separation packages." Layoffs were previously implemented at Evernote, Vimeo, WeTransfer and others in the portfolio.

For the technology industry, Bending Spoons' moves represent the latest example of how quickly fortunes are turning in the AI era, as new agents powered by large language models displace software developers and the products they built. With Anthropic and OpenAI marching toward trillion-dollar valuations, businesses are putting more valuable work in their hands at the expense of a host of software-as-a-service names, creating a phenomenon that's become known as the "SaaSpocalypse."

Shares of Intuit, HubSpot and Adobe are all down at least 30% this year, and a long list of private SaaS companies that were once venture darlings are now struggling to find capital, with the public market showing no appetite for IPOs. Last month, Bending Spoons agreed to buy collaboration software vendor Miro, once valued at $17.5 billion, for $1.36 billion.

"You're either like a hot thing or you're nothing," said Ethan Kurzweil, founder and managing partner at Chemistry VC and a veteran software investor. Kurzweil said he uses Airtable, and said there are plenty of good SaaS products on the market led by solid teams, "but they're not on the frontier anymore."

An app turned acquirer Bending Spoons was launched in 2013 by friends Luca Ferrari, the CEO, Matteo Danieli and Francesco Patarnello. A mobile app they'd created called Evertale failed to take off, and they used the $40,000 they had left to build an operating company instead of "products nobody wanted," according to the IPO prospectus.

Bending Spoons has announced all of its biggest deals in the last few years, beginning with Evernote in 2022, followed by Brightcove in 2024, and Vimeo, AOL and Eventbrite in 2025.

The company held its IPO on June 30, raising about $1.7 billion at $29 a share, and hit the Nasdaq the next day. The stock closed Friday at $47.07.

Stock chart of Bending Spoons since its July 1st initial public offering date.

Prior to Bending Spoons' recent jump into enterprise software, some of the leading acquirers in the space over the past decade were private equity behemoths Thoma Bravo and Vista Equity Partners. Those firms were aiming to buy what they viewed as undervalued SaaS companies and, through a combination of cost cuts, efficiency improvements and rollups, turn them into assets that could be sold or taken public at a higher price.

Bending Spoons is using a different playbook. The company isn't looking for eventual exits but rather wants to generate profits from the businesses it buys, similar to the Warren Buffett model. But unlike Berkshire, Bending Spoons' focus is technology, and it's taking a hands-on approach with its own software, operations and personnel decisions.

Nick Mehta, former CEO of cloud software vendor Gainsight, said private equity firms are limited now because "they got their nose bloodied."

"They paid much higher prices and have so many troubled companies that it's difficult for them to take swings now," said Mehta, who sold Gainsight to Vista in 2020.

Thoma Bravo and Vista didn't respond to requests for interviews. Bending Spoons told CNBC in a statement that it hadn't been outbid for a target in "several years."

As the company started jumping into SaaS, Mehta said "Bending Spooned" became a verb in Silicon Valley, referring to companies getting scooped up for pennies on the dollar.

"Unfortunately, a lot of my friends in that game are stuck," Mehta said. "Investors want out but there are no buyers. Anything pre-ChatGPT is legacy now."

Lloyd Walmsley, an analyst at Mizuho, said Bending Spoons' model is distinct from the older buyout approach.

"I think there aren't a lot of people that do what these guys do in terms of the depth of operations and the willingness to make substantial product changes," Walmsley said in an interview. "It's not typical of traditional private equity firms to make anywhere near this level of change."

For customers of the companies that Bending Spoons buys, sudden price hikes can follow.

In April 2023, months after the Evernote acquisition, Bending Spoons lifted the annual personal subscription price to $130 from $70. Later, the company changed its offerings, charging $100 for its so-called starter plan and $250 for "Evernote Advanced," compared to the $170 it had been charging for the pro plan.

"My first reaction was like, Oh man, I guess I have to switch to OneNote," said Walmsley, referring to Microsoft's notetaking app. But he said he stuck with Evernote.

"They're really savvy at finding these things that they provide a lot of value, and the switching costs are really high," Walmsley said. "The price isn't that high relative to the switching cost."

Bending Spoons uses the profits from its portfolio companies for future growth, the "overwhelming majority" of which comes from doing more deals, Ferrari told CNBC in an interview on Thursday.

"There are certain opportunities for improvement we can unlock over the first few years, and then the business will have whatever organic growth is intrinsic in that market," Ferrari said.

Read more CNBC tech newsApple's $1,999 iPhone Duo puts the company's status-symbol power to the testTrump says White House didn't order Starlink restrictions in UkraineBlue Origin plans $330 million Florida expansion to ramp New Glenn launchesSpaceX AI policy leader grilled by NYC Council on Grok safety, sexualized imagesFor Berkshire and its fellow Bending Spoons investors, the bet is still unproven.

The products have to remain desirable enough that customers are willing to pay up at a time when AI is squeezing margins across much of the software sector. In its first earnings report as a public company in August, Bending Spoons said revenue more than doubled from a year earlier to over $700 million, with growth almost entirely driven by acquisitions, while net income climbed 171% to $177 million.

That was before the Airtable deal had closed and Miro had yet to be announced. In the coming quarters and years, Wall Street will get a clear picture of whether the firm's structure can revive software.

On the earnings call in August, an analyst asked whether Airtable represents a long-term shift in the M&A strategy towards enterprise.

Ferrari said that about half of Bending Spoons' revenue already comes from professional businesses, largely through Brightcove and Vimeo, which has an enterprise component. The focus on software of late, he said, has more to do with where he's finding value after a hefty selloff.

"Most enterprise SaaS businesses were valued at irrationally high levels until somewhat recently," Ferrari said. "We never saw those prices making any sense."

— CNBC's Ari Levy contributed to this report.

watch now

Monthly bills arrive on a schedule that quarterly dividends cannot match, but five stocks pay 12 times a year with yields climbing as high as 6.65%. Two of them carry risks that could quietly shrink your paycheck before you notice.

When you stop accumulating and start drawing income, timing matters as much as yield, since the mortgage, utilities and insurance premiums come due every month, but most dividends land once a quarter. A monthly payer closes that gap and turns a portfolio into something closer to a paycheck. All five names below pay 12 times a year, and the highest live yield in the group reaches 6.65%. They fall into two camps with very different risks.

Three are real estate investment trusts (REITs) that own property and are measured on adjusted funds from operations (AFFO). Two are business development companies (BDCs) that lend to and invest in private businesses and are measured on net investment income (NII). For each one, the question is the same: how much of its own cash flow does it hand over?

Realty Income Built Its Brand on the Monthly Check
Realty Income (NYSE:O) calls itself “The Monthly Dividend Company,” and the record supports the name. The company had declared 670 consecutive monthly dividends as of the first quarter and has kept the run going since. Shareholders currently receive $0.2715 per share each month, or $3.258 annualized. At a live price of $56.47, that works out to a high-yield 5.77%.

Dividend safety: Realty Income is a REIT, so AFFO is the right measure. Second-quarter AFFO came in at $1.09 per share, and the payout ratio was 74.5%. Full-year AFFO guidance was raised to $4.44 to $4.45 per share. Fitch rates the company “A”, occupancy stands at 98.8%, and pro rata liquidity was about $3.5 billion at quarter end.

Bull case: Scale keeps the monthly check growing. Full-year investment guidance rose to $10 billion, and the quarter’s deals carried a blended yield of 7.4%. The finance chief summed up the position. Simply: “We continue to operate from a position of significant liquidity, conservative leverage, and broad access to multiple capital channels.”

Risk: Leverage is creeping up. Net debt to EBITDAre reached 5.4x from 5.2x the prior quarter, in a portfolio where 65.7% of rent comes from non-investment-grade tenants.

Agree Realty Pairs a Lower Payout With a Fortress Tenant Roster
Agree Realty (NYSE:ADC) has paid monthly since 2021. The current rate is $0.267 per share, or $3.204 annualized, a 4.3% raise from a year earlier. At a live $67.615, the yield is 4.74%, the lowest in this group. You give up some current income in exchange for the strongest coverage profile among the REITs.

Dividend safety: Agree Realty pays out near 70% of AFFO. Second-quarter AFFO rose 7.4% to $1.14 per share, and full-year guidance moved up to $4.57 to $4.59. Management expects free cash flow after the dividend to exceed $140 million this year. Net debt to recurring EBITDA is 3.7x pro forma for forward equity, and liquidity is about $1.9 billion. There are no material debt due dates until 2028.

Bull case: The portfolio reached a company-record 99.8% occupancy across 2,825 properties, with investment-grade exposure at nearly two-thirds of the portfolio. Credit and occupancy loss was just 10 basis points year to date. Management put it directly: “Our consistent and reliable earnings growth continues to support a growing and well-covered dividend.”

Risk: Interest costs are rising. Interest expense rose to $40.3 million from $32.3 million a year ago. And $497 million of floating-rate commercial paper leaves earnings exposed if rates rise again.

EPR Properties Offers the Group’s Best AFFO Coverage
EPR Properties (NYSE:EPR) owns experiential real estate: theme parks, golf venues, theaters and fitness properties. It pays $0.31 per share monthly, or $3.72 annualized, after a 5.1% raise. At a live $55.91, the ultra-high-yield payout comes to 6.65%.

Dividend safety: The second-quarter AFFO payout ratio was 65%, the lowest among these three REITs. AFFO per share rose 15.3% to $1.43, and full-year FFO as adjusted guidance increased to $5.41 to $5.57. Tenants cover rent two times at the unit level, and fixed-charge coverage is 3.4 times. $3 billion of its $3.3 billion of debt is fixed or swapped. A new $1.6 billion credit agreement addresses due dates later this year.

Bull case: EPR is reducing its theater exposure to roughly a third of the portfolio and redeploying into former Six Flags parks and a Netflix House, with Netflix described as an A-rated credit. Investment guidance rose to $600 million to $700 million, and second-quarter deals carried initial cash yields of about 8.5%. Management stated: “Our common dividend continues to be very well covered with an AFFO payout ratio of 65% for the second quarter.”

Risk: Tenant concentration is high. Topgolf and AMC each produced 13.1% of second-quarter revenue, and the top 10 customers made up 63.7%. A stumble at either major tenant would hit the rent roll hard.

Main Street Capital Pays a Regular Check Plus a Bonus You Cannot Count On
Main Street Capital (NYSE:MAIN | MAIN Price Prediction) is a BDC. It owns loans and equity stakes in private lower middle market companies, so its income rises and falls with borrower health and interest rates. Coverage is measured on distributable NII.

The regular monthly dividend is $0.265, or $3.18 annualized. At a live $54.8336, the regular yield is 5.80%. On top of that, Main Street Capital has paid a $0.30 supplemental dividend for 20 straight quarters, totaling $1.20 per share over the trailing 12 months. Including those supplementals, the trailing yield is 7.99%. Treat that higher figure as upside only. Management calls supplementals discretionary and ties them to excess NII, realized gains and stable net asset value (NAV).

Dividend safety: Second-quarter distributable NII was $1.04 per share against $0.795 in regular dividends, a 76% payout. NAV rose to $33.92, non-accruals are just 1.1% of investments, and debt to equity is 0.69 times, below management’s long-term target. The regular monthly dividend has been raised 12 times since the fourth quarter of 2021.

Bull case: Internal management keeps the operating expense ratio at 1.3%, and equity exits keep producing gains, including more than $46 million from Centre Technologies. Annualized return on equity was 18.9%.

Risk: Falling rates will pressure income. Management guided third-quarter NII before taxes to at least 97 cents per share, below the second quarter’s $1.08. And floating-rate loans earn less as benchmark rates fall. That would most likely show up first as smaller supplementals.

Gladstone Investment Has the Thinnest Cushion in the Group
Gladstone Investment (NASDAQ:GAIN) is the second BDC here. It focuses on lower middle market buyouts, matching loans with equity co-investments. It pays $0.08 per share monthly, or $0.96 annualized. At a live $15.43, that is an ultra-high-yield 6.22%.

Dividend safety: Coverage improved, but you need both quarters to see the full picture. In the quarter ended June 30, adjusted NII of $0.26 per share covered $0.24 of distributions, or 108% coverage. In the prior quarter, coverage was only 83%, meaning NII fell short of the payout. The credit facility expanded to $405 million with due dates pushed to June 2031, and interest-bearing investments yield a weighted 12.9%.

Bull case: Gladstone’s model pays supplemental distributions when equity exits generate realized gains, with a significant capital gain anticipated from the sale of its SFEG Holdings subsidiary. The stock trades at 0.962 times book value, slightly below NAV.

Risk: NAV is declining. It fell 3.2% to $16.24 from $16.78, driven by $18.78 million of unrealized depreciation and a $9.0 million realized loss on the Home Concepts restructuring. If another quarter slips back below full coverage, the regular distribution comes under pressure.

Matching Monthly Income to Monthly Bills
EPR Properties has the strongest coverage in this group, with a 65% AFFO payout behind its ultra-high yield. Agree Realty and Realty Income follow closely and add the steadiest property portfolios. Main Street Capital covers its regular dividend well, but its supplementals work best as a bonus on top of a retirement budget. Gladstone Investment is the thinnest.

It went from 83% coverage to 108% in a single quarter, so the next few reports will show whether that improvement holds. Want more names that pay on this schedule? We rounded up seven of our favorite monthly payers in a free report here.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

A childless candy maker secretly handed his fortune to orphans in 1918, and the legal structure he chose still controls one of America's biggest snack companies today. Wealthy donors quietly use a version of the same playbook, but the fine…

In 1918, a childless candy maker quietly moved a large block of company stock into a trust for orphans. He told almost no one.

According to Philanthropy Roundtable, Milton Hershey placed about $60 million of Hershey (NYSE:HSY | HSY Price Prediction) stock into the trust in November 1918. For scale, Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) sold for $25 million that same year. The foundation went back further. Hershey Trust Company was chartered on April 28, 1905, and in 1909 Milton and Catherine Hershey signed a deed of trust for what was then the Hershey Industrial School. Today it is the Milton Hershey School.

A Century-Old Trust Still Controls a Snack Giant
The Milton Hershey School and School Trust’s Form 990 for the fiscal year ending July 2025 shows total assets of about $23.6 billion and net assets of about $23.3 billion. That total covers far more than Hershey stock, and it changes from year to year. Total assets stood at $23.4 billion in July 2024 and $24.2 billion in July 2023.

The trust owns almost all of the Class B stock of Hershey. Bloomberg reported on December 11, 2024 that those shares carried roughly 80% of the company’s voting power. Hershey’s proxy calls the trust company, acting as trustee, the controlling shareholder. As of March 6, 2026, it held 54,612,012 Class B shares, and each one can be converted into a share of common stock. The trust turned away a takeover approach from Mondelez International (NASDAQ:MDLZ) in 2024 and blocked another in 2016.

He Made America’s Orphans His Heirs
Hershey said he had no heirs, so he decided to make the orphan boys of the United States his heirs. He kept the gift private until a 1923 New York Times interview, given at age 66. When he died in 1945, he owned little beyond his home and its furniture. The school serves low-income students. In 2021, ProPublica reported fiscal 2020 figures of about 2,100 students and roughly $90,000 in spending per student per year.

A trust like this does three things. It separates the assets from the donor, ties them to a stated purpose, and keeps them working across generations. The donor gives the assets away for good.

What Today’s Donors Use Instead
The closest modern comparison is a private foundation, though it is a different legal vehicle from Hershey’s 1909 deed of trust. The donor picks the board and the causes, and the foundation can fund international grants, scholarships and direct aid. A donor-advised fund offers less flexibility but allows anonymous gifts. Foundation giving is public.

Based on 2021 reporting, donors can deduct cash gifts to a private foundation up to 30% of adjusted gross income and publicly traded securities up to 20%, with a five-year carryover. Those limits may have changed since. Private foundations must also distribute at least 5% of their assets each year and pay a 1.39% excise tax on net investment income.

Setup Costs Run Well Past a Few Thousand Dollars
Wylie Advisory estimates that attorney-drafted formation documents cost $3,000 to $10,000. The “few thousand dollars” in the headline refers only to the low end of that drafting work. The IRS Form 1023 filing fee is $600. Crewe Foundation Services puts typical total startup costs at $5,000 to $20,000, while American Endowment Foundation says private attorneys often charge $7,500 to $25,000 for the state and federal filings. Wylie estimates annual operating costs of $5,000 to $30,000 or more, not counting investment management fees.

The firm also says many advisors want $3 million to $5 million in assets before recommending a foundation. All of these figures are advisory-firm estimates. A donor-advised fund is the cheaper route. Anyone considering either option should have an estate or tax attorney confirm current costs and limits.

Even Hershey’s Trust Gets Policed
In 1963, $50 million, about 20% of the endowment, was allocated to create the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Courts later blocked attempts to allocated more. In 2002, the trust voted to explore selling the company, and Pennsylvania’s attorney general won a court injunction.

After bids came in, the trustee voted 10 to 7 on September 17, 2002 to turn down them, according to Gadsden. The trust then agreed to notify the attorney general in advance and get court approval before any future sale. In 2016, state regulators sought the removal of several board members. The lesson for donors is that the governing document has to spell out retention, sale and oversight if the original intent is going to last.

Hershey had no heirs, so he chose some. Watch whether court and attorney general oversight keeps that intent intact.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Uniswap just had its best month ever, and most of the credit goes to a blockchain that didn’t exist in June.

The decentralized exchange generated $14.81 million in protocol revenue in September 2026. Robinhood Chain, a Layer-2 network that went live on July 1, 2026, accounted for 53% of that total.

A newcomer carries the quarter
Token Terminal released September figures based on on-chain data in early October 2026. Its numbers put Uniswap’s protocol revenue at approximately $14.7 million, the highest monthly figure the protocol has recorded to date.

Robinhood Chain’s 53% slice works out to roughly $7.8 million. In other words, one network out-earned all of Uniswap’s other deployments combined.

The engine behind that surge was trading in tokenized stocks and other assets. Tokenized stocks are blockchain-based tokens designed to track the value of traditional equities, letting users trade them on-chain rather than through a conventional brokerage.

Why the fees were so rich
Uniswap’s average fee capture on Robinhood Chain sits at 0.465% per trade. Across Uniswap globally, the average is 0.214%.

Uniswap also dominated the chain’s trading flow. On September 1, 2026, Robinhood Chain processed $1.95 billion in total daily volume, and $1.75 billion of that ran through Uniswap’s liquidity pools.

How Uniswap got its foot in the door
Robinhood Chain is built on Arbitrum, one of the established Layer-2 networks that sit on top of Ethereum. Layer-2s batch transactions off the main chain to make trading cheaper and faster.

Uniswap was integrated as the chain’s primary automated market maker from day one. It deployed its full product lineup at launch: v2, v3, v4 and UniswapX.

Fee collection on Robinhood Chain did not begin immediately. Uniswap started collecting protocol fees on the network on July 27, 2026, nearly four weeks after launch.

The October cooldown
By early October 2026, daily transactions on Robinhood Chain had fallen by more than 40%. That signals a moderation in trading activity after September’s surge.

Concentration cuts both ways. The same dependence that powered the record could just as easily drag the next month’s figures lower.

What this means for Uniswap and DeFi
Tokenized stocks are generating fee capture well above Uniswap’s global average, which suggests traders in this asset class are willing to pay more per trade than typical crypto swappers.

A single chain supplying 53% of monthly revenue creates real concentration exposure, and the more than 40% drop in Robinhood Chain’s daily transactions shows how quickly early enthusiasm can cool.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Vivian Nguyen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

Sandisk (SNDK -6.85%) closed at around $1,395 on Oct. 15, its sixth straight daily decline. Over those six sessions, the flash memory maker's stock shed around 18% of its value.

Yet shares are still up about 488% this year, measured from their $237 close at the end of 2025. But they're also around 40% below the stock's June 25 peak close of $2,335.

Both numbers can make a would-be buyer pause. One suggests the big run already happened, and the other shows how fast the stock can drop.

I think the better comparison is to the business. Sandisk's profits are still climbing, just far more slowly than they were in the stretch that brought most of this year's gain.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

Slower profit growthSandisk first closed over $1,395 on May 5, under a week after it released its fiscal third-quarter results.

The business has delivered a lot since then.

Showing how fast its profits rose, Sandisk's non-GAAP (adjusted) earnings per share jumped from $6.20 in fiscal Q2 2026 to $23.41 in fiscal Q3, a 278% sequential gain. Fiscal Q4 (the quarter ended July 3) landed at $39.25, up 68% sequentially and above the $30 to $33 management had guided for. For fiscal Q1 2027, which ended in early October, Sandisk guided for $44 to $46. The midpoint comes to around 15% growth over fiscal Q4.

Sandisk posts the results on Oct. 29. But the guidance already shows growth in earnings per share slowing from almost quadrupling in one quarter to a mid-teens rise.

Much of the slowdown comes down to pricing. Sandisk said around two-thirds of its sequential revenue growth in fiscal Q4 came from higher prices. For fiscal Q1, though, management expects growth from both more storage shipped and only modest price increases.

Its guidance also calls for an adjusted gross margin of 83% to 85%, about level with fiscal Q4's 84.6%.

Compared with what Sandisk earns today, the stock doesn't look pricey. At around $1,395, Sandisk's price-to-earnings ratio is about 19, using the $73.76 in GAAP earnings per share Sandisk reported for fiscal 2026. And the fiscal Q1 guidance alone, at the midpoint, is over 60% of the adjusted earnings per share Sandisk posted for all of fiscal 2026.

Plus, the company is putting its cash to work. In fiscal Q4, Sandisk produced around $5 billion in adjusted free cash flow and spent $4.5 billion to buy back about 2.8 million shares. Later, its board approved another $14 billion in buybacks, leaving $15.5 billion authorized as of early August.

But a low price-to-earnings ratio for a memory company can mislead. Memory prices go in cycles, and these stocks can look cheapest when profits are near their peak.

After all, Sandisk earned just $2.99 a share on an adjusted basis in fiscal 2025, which ended in June last year.

Half of the output is protectedSandisk's answer to that sort of swing is its New Business Model agreements, multiyear supply deals with eight customers. They carry at least $93.9 billion in revenue at floor prices, and management expects them to cover around half of the storage Sandisk sells in fiscal 2027 and about two-thirds in fiscal 2028. The deals also include $16.5 billion in financial guarantees meant to protect Sandisk if a customer doesn't buy what it promised.

Management has said it expects attractive margins on the deals even at floor prices. That's arguably protection Sandisk didn't have in past downturns.

SNDK Sandisk$1,299.30-$95.53 (-6.85%)

NASDAQ · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/16/26

Of course, the rest of Sandisk's output still sells at market prices. And investors were reminded this week of how fast memory stocks can turn, as the group sold off amid worries over funding for artificial intelligence (AI) projects and progress at a Chinese memory chipmaker.

Is it too late to buy Sandisk stock? Not in the way a 488% gain could suggest. The stock is back where it was in early May, and the business has since earned and guided for far more.

But most of this year's gain came as earnings per share were multiplying from one quarter to the next. From here, the stock probably needs profits around today's level to hold for years, and only about half of Sandisk's output is under contracts built to support that. For a company that made less than $3 a share on an adjusted basis a fiscal year earlier, I think that's a lot to bank on, even 40% off the peak.

Banque Pictet & Cie SA lifted its position in shares of CocaCola Company (The) (NYSE:KO – Free Report) by 11.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 239,687 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 24,724 shares during the period. Banque Pictet & Cie SA’s holdings in CocaCola were worth $20,632,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in KO. Louisbourg Investments Inc. acquired a new position in shares of CocaCola in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Guardian Partners Inc. acquired a new position in shares of CocaCola during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Horizons Wealth Management bought a new position in CocaCola during the third quarter worth $31,000. Atomic Invest LLC grew its holdings in CocaCola by 38.7% in the second quarter. Atomic Invest LLC now owns 437 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. Finally, Timbuktu Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in CocaCola in the second quarter worth $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes KO has been the subject of several recent research reports. DZ Bank restated a “buy” rating on shares of CocaCola in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Barclays increased their target price on CocaCola from $93.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of CocaCola from $87.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of CocaCola from a “buy (a-)” rating to a “buy (a+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, CocaCola has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $96.27.

View Our Latest Stock Report on CocaCola Insider Activity at CocaCola In related news, CFO John Murphy sold 152,483 shares of CocaCola stock in a transaction on Friday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.31, for a total value of $13,313,290.73. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 279,917 shares in the company, valued at $24,439,553.27. This trade represents a 35.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, EVP Nancy Quan sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.39, for a total transaction of $4,519,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 223,330 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,186,798.70. This represents a 18.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 926,620 shares of company stock worth $83,075,714 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the company’s stock.

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

Positive Sentiment: KFC switches from Pepsi to Coca-Cola: KFC will replace PepsiCo beverages with Coca-Cola products at its U.S. restaurants next year, ending a relationship that began in 1986. The high-profile contract should provide incremental fountain volume, strengthen Coca-Cola’s North American position and pressure PepsiCo. KFC to switch to Coca-Cola beverages in U.S. restaurants Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: UBS reaffirmed its Buy rating, while Jefferies maintained a Buy rating and Barclays reportedly raised its price target. Analysts view the KFC win as evidence of improving competitive momentum in North America. Jefferies maintains Coca-Cola Buy rating Positive Sentiment: Rotation into defensive stocks: Coca-Cola, Visa and Mastercard reached records as investors rotated away from chip and artificial-intelligence stocks. KO’s low-beta profile and dependable cash flows make it a potential beneficiary if technology-market volatility increases. Coca-Cola, Visa and Mastercard hit records Positive Sentiment: Strong brand and product execution: Coca-Cola Zero Sugar volume grew 16% in the second quarter, outpacing 5% growth for the broader Coca-Cola trademark. Localized pricing, marketing and product strategies are also supporting global consumer engagement. How Coca-Cola is using local execution to fuel global growth Neutral Sentiment: Dividend remains a support: Coca-Cola declared a quarterly dividend of $0.53 per share, or $2.12 annualized, representing an indicated yield of about 2.3%. The payout reinforces KO’s income appeal, although the stock’s elevated valuation limits the margin of safety. Negative Sentiment: Valuation and growth questions: At roughly 28 times earnings, investors are paying a premium for a mature company. The Zero Sugar gains may partly reflect consumers switching among Coca-Cola products rather than creating entirely new demand, which could limit the long-term earnings benefit. Is Zero Sugar creating new demand or shifting existing sales? CocaCola Price Performance NYSE KO opened at $93.72 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $403.23 billion, a PE ratio of 28.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 0.32. CocaCola Company has a 52 week low of $67.27 and a 52 week high of $94.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $88.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $83.34.

CocaCola (NYSE:KO – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $13.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.17 billion. CocaCola had a net margin of 28.56% and a return on equity of 39.38%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.87 earnings per share. CocaCola has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.270-3.300 EPS. Research analysts predict that CocaCola Company will post 3.30 earnings per share for the current year.

CocaCola Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. CocaCola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 63.66%.

CocaCola Company Profile (Free Report)

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a global beverage company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Its portfolio includes sparkling soft drinks, water, sports drinks, coffee, tea, juice, dairy and plant-based beverages, and other ready-to-drink products. The company’s best-known brands include Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Dasani, Powerade, Minute Maid, fairlife, and Georgia Coffee.

Founded in 1886, the company develops, owns, licenses, markets, and distributes beverage brands through a network of bottling partners, distributors, retailers, and food-service operators.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than CocaCola 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?

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

Fosun International Ltd raised its position in shares of NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report) by 46.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 21,945 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,010 shares during the period. NVIDIA accounts for approximately 1.0% of Fosun International Ltd’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Fosun International Ltd’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $4,391,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Lifetime Wealth Management P.C. bought a new position in shares of NVIDIA in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Longview Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in NVIDIA during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Phillip James Consulting Co. bought a new position in NVIDIA in the first quarter worth about $40,000. Bard Associates Inc. grew its stake in NVIDIA by 8,866.7% during the 2nd quarter. Bard Associates Inc. now owns 269 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Frankly Finances LLC purchased a new stake in NVIDIA in the second quarter valued at about $60,000. Institutional investors own 65.27% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages have commented on NVDA. Daiwa Securities Group reduced their target price on NVIDIA from $255.00 to $245.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, September 17th. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $390.00 target price on shares of NVIDIA in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of NVIDIA in a research report on Friday, September 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of NVIDIA from $280.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $230.00 price objective on shares of NVIDIA in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, forty-nine have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $321.89.

Check Out Our Latest Report on NVDA Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Mark A. Stevens sold 622,239 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $231.62, for a total transaction of $144,122,997.18. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,336,531 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $541,187,310.22. This trade represents a 21.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Colette Kress sold 34,918 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $219.05, for a total value of $7,648,787.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 765,103 shares in the company, valued at $167,595,812.15. The trade was a 4.36% 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. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,766,118 shares of company stock worth $399,450,353. Company insiders own 3.94% of the company’s stock.

NVIDIA Price Performance Shares of NVDA opened at $214.13 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $223.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $211.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 3.85 and a current ratio of 4.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.16 trillion, a PE ratio of 27.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 2.22. NVIDIA Corporation has a 52-week low of $164.27 and a 52-week high of $243.37.

NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The computer hardware maker reported $2.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $96.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $92.27 billion. NVIDIA had a net margin of 63.66% and a return on equity of 96.04%. NVIDIA’s revenue was up 105.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.05 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that NVIDIA Corporation will post 9.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

NVIDIA Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, September 10th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 10th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. NVIDIA’s payout ratio is 12.64%.

NVIDIA declared that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Monday, September 28th that allows the company to buy back $150.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the computer hardware maker to purchase up to 2.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Share buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

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

Positive Sentiment: New RTX Spark laptops expand NVIDIA’s addressable market. Systems from ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft and MSI are now available starting at $2,599, combining Blackwell graphics, up to 128GB of memory and local AI capabilities. The launch could create a new consumer and developer revenue stream beyond data centers. NVIDIA RTX Spark PCs Available Today Positive Sentiment: Automotive and enterprise adoption continues. Volvo expanded its partnership with NVIDIA for automated-driving systems, while Adobe is integrating NVIDIA technology across Photoshop, Premiere and other creative tools. These agreements support longer-term demand for NVIDIA hardware and software. Volvo Cars expands automated driving partnership Positive Sentiment: Supply-chain investment and customer deployments remain strong. Taiwan is reportedly considering as much as $4 billion for Texas industrial parks serving NVIDIA suppliers, and customers continue deploying Blackwell systems. The developments reinforce demand, although they may take time to affect revenue. Taiwan Texas industrial parks Neutral Sentiment: NVIDIA is broadening its software and AI-model ecosystem. Paid offerings such as AI Enterprise and Mission Control, along with Nemotron open models and partnerships with AI startups, could make earnings less dependent on hardware. However, the articles provide no near-term financial contribution. Negative Sentiment: AI financing concerns are the main pressure. CoreWeave’s debt has reportedly traded at distressed yields, raising questions about whether highly leveraged customers can continue funding data-center expansion. Higher Treasury yields and inflation concerns are also making large AI projects more expensive. CoreWeave financing worries Negative Sentiment: Investors are questioning AI growth expectations. OpenAI’s reported $50 billion revenue run rate was below the roughly $68 billion previously anticipated, prompting concern that AI demand may mature more slowly. Microsoft’s development of custom Maia chips also highlights the risk of customers developing alternatives to NVIDIA GPUs. OpenAI revenue expectations Negative Sentiment: Reported insider selling adds a sentiment overhang. Recent data showed NVIDIA insiders made numerous sales and no open-market purchases over the past six months, though such transactions may reflect planned diversification rather than a change in business outlook. NVIDIA Profile (Free Report)

NVIDIA Corporation is a technology company that designs accelerated computing platforms, graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), networking products and related software. Its technologies are used in artificial intelligence, data centers, scientific and technical computing, gaming, professional visualization, automotive systems and robotics.

The company’s products include GeForce GPUs and gaming software, data center computing platforms, networking solutions, and enterprise software for AI development and deployment.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than NVIDIA 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?

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

Tech stocks shed over a trillion dollars in a single session while oil and Treasury yields climbed, yet Nvidia's CEO stood in Berlin projecting calm certainty about AI's future. Whether his confidence addresses the forces that actually triggered the selloff…

Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction), spent Friday, October 16, 2026, touring Europe. At an event in Berlin, he gave investors a one-line answer to a rough session: “All of this is going to pass, and the reason for that is very simple.”

The interview was published after the close, and the time he spoke was not disclosed, so his remarks should be read as made during the decline. Tech stocks lost more than a trillion dollars in value on the same day oil hit a five-month high.

The Nasdaq 100 fell 2.5% to 29,187.55, which left it about 7% below its latest all-time high. The S&P 500 lost 1.1%, and the Philadelphia semiconductor index dropped 3.8% for its eighth straight losing day, its longest such streak since 2008.

Nvidia slid only 1.43% to $214.13 and kept a market value of $5.17 trillion. It then rose 0.21% after hours to $214.57. What you need to decide is whether Huang’s confidence speaks to the forces that actually caused the selling.

Huang Offered Conviction but No New Numbers
Huang added: “It’s going to be transformative. It’s going to impact in a very positive way every single industry and every single country. There’s no question it will continue, and we’re at the beginning of that.” He argued that the technology’s benefits will soon outweigh investors’ concerns.

He made no new commitments. Huang announced no orders, no revised guidance, and no customer, so his comments reflect the view of an executive who stands to gain the most from continued AI spending.

His view still matters because he can see order books that outsiders cannot. On the August earnings call, he said, “At this moment, we have supply for 70%… Our demand is much higher than that.”

Investors Kept Nvidia and Sold Riskier Chip Names
AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) fell 5.95%, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) lost 5.79%, Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) dropped 5.63%, and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) gave up 4.52%.

When investors cut risk, they held on to the company with the largest profits. Nvidia’s fiscal second-quarter revenue was $96.22 billion, and its net margin was 55.6%.

Its size works against it too. At 43 times trailing earnings, much of the long-term story is already priced in, and a company this large pulls major indexes down whenever it falls.

Huang Answered a Different Question Than the Market Asked
The selling came through oil and interest rates. West Texas Intermediate crude reached $101.91 a barrel on October 14, 2026, and the 10-year Treasury yield stood at 5.10% on October 15.

Higher yields raise the discount rate, the rate investors use to value future profits, and that hits highly valued growth stocks first. Huang’s argument is about the technology, so it offers little protection if oil keeps rising and rates follow.

Funding is the other risk. Worries about AI funding had already sent chip stocks lower before October 16, and a spending cycle can disappoint even when the technology delivers. Management cited expected top-five hyperscaler capital spending of $1.3 trillion in 2027, and any cut to that figure would matter more than any interview (we profiled seven suppliers riding that same expansion, from power to cooling, in a free report you can grab here).

What Nvidia’s Relative Strength Signals Before the November Earnings Report
Nvidia held up better than its peers. It closed about 12% below its 52-week high of $243.37 and well above its low of $164.27. The way investors sorted the chip group shows Nvidia is the AI stock they trust most under pressure.

Huang is likely right about demand, although the timing of a recovery depends on oil and yields that he cannot control. Expect more swings while the chip losing run continues.

The earnings report expected November 18 is the test. Management guided to fiscal third-quarter revenue of $108.0 billion, plus or minus 2%, with gross margin near 74.0%.

If revenue comes in below that range, or management lowers its forecast of about 70% growth for fiscal 2028, Huang’s prediction that the decline will pass will have been wrong, and the bullish case for the stock weakens with it.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.