Market Signal Briefing

Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - December 28, 2025) -

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

We are writing to you as a group of concerned shareholders (the "Concerned Shareholders") including Mr. Tim de Freitas and other former management individuals (the "Former Executives") of Tuktu Resources Ltd. ("Tuktu" or the "Company") who have invested capital, time and effort into the Company from its earliest restructuring and recapitalization stages through to today. Like you, we have been deeply invested in the long term success of the Company and in seeing your capital properly stewarded towards the Company's full realization of its key assets and ultimate growth potential.

The upcoming Special Meeting represents an important choice for the shareholders of Tuktu (the "Shareholders"), between the narrative of the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") specifically constructed to remove and then undermine the Former Executives, and the broad based Shareholder support in favour of the Former Executives, and the technical team responsible for the acquisition and strategic development of the Company's key assets, continuing to lead Tuktu.

Why Shareholders Requisitioned This Meeting

The Concerned Shareholders did not choose to support the requisition of the Meeting lightly, but they believe strongly that Shareholders would prefer Tuktu be governed by a Board that:

demonstrates strategic understanding of the Company's assets;

supports strong and experienced management team for the Company; and

is aligned with Shareholders on intelligent capital allocation and targeted exploitation of the Company's high potential assets.

The Board's Position

Unfortunately, the Company's Management Information Circular (the "Management Circular") recently distributed by the Board contains numerous statements that are factually incorrect, misleading by omission, or materially oversimplified, particularly in relation to the Company's recent history, technical strategy and cost disclosures under the Former Executives. These statements risk obscuring, rather than illuminating, the real issues Shareholders must evaluate.

We outline our position in further detail below, but put simply, the Board is trying to suggest that a single operational outcome is a reflection on the Company's overall strategy, rather than a result inherent in risky exploration activities. The Board then rashly responded by removing the experienced team that specifically assembled the Company's assets, to place the Company's future in unfamiliar and frankly, untested hands.

In its communications with Shareholders, among other misstatements, the Board has:

Overstated the cost of the 16-20 well by $2.3 million dollars;

Understated the in depth and ongoing communication received from the Former Executives during the 16-20 project;

Wilfully ignored their own involvement in the Company's strategic decision making to date; and

Vastly underestimated the technical learning curve associated with the Company's assets and the Former Executive's comprehensive strategy associated with those assets.

These issues are further compounded when looking at the Board's proposed corporate strategy. The Management Circular presents standard operating activities of the Company as strategic and novel pursuits. The reality is that these proposed actions are already being undertaken and do not result in any material strategic shift for the Company. The Board proposes to:

Divest of Uneconomic Assets.These assets were initially included in a package of more attractive assets targeted by the Former Executives. They have negligible, if not negative, value, and attempts to sell these assets should not be seen as anything more than standard practice for the Company.

Reduce the Company's asset retirement obligations.Again, responsible management of these obligations should be considered standard practice for any oil and gas exploration company. Given Tuktu's limited capital, available funds are better allocated to accretive activities such as further exploration, which could act to enhance Shareholder value rather that just offset existing liabilities. Advancing retirement obligations only serves to make the remaining assets more attractive in a third party sale and does not focus on improving Shareholder value.

Focus on the Monarch Banff Oil Play. While a vertical well is an option for further exploration of this asset, it is only one component of a more comprehensive strategy that should be utilized when dealing with more complex fracture-controlled reservoirs. If, as appears to be the case, additional exploration options are not considered, Tuktu would effectively be drilling with one hand tied behind its back, significantly increasing the likelihood of future failed endeavours and reduced asset value.

Why Change Is Needed Now

The Concerned Shareholders, along with other interested shareholders, executed the Shareholder Requisition dated October 20, 2025 (the "Requisition"), which supports the removal of the Board and replacement with Mr. Tim de Freitas, Mr. Timur Ganiev, Mr. Don Hamilton and Mr. Jim Masikewich (the "Shareholder Nominees").

Approximately 31% of the Company's shareholders supported the Requisition at the time it was signed. This is clearly a significant portion of Shareholders who strongly felt that the Board's proposed sudden new direction was not in line with the founding intention of Tuktu and was made without the support of the majority of Shareholders. Without the near term opportunity to voice these concerns at the Meeting, it can be expected that the Board will continue on their outlined path to strip the Company of its resources and make material expenditures that do not properly prove the potential of Tutku's key assets as envisioned by the Former Executives.

The Shareholder Nominees are not proposing a radical departure from Tuktu's previous strategy that has long been communicated to Shareholders. Rather, they are bringing continuity of asset understanding, capital discipline and technical experience; and combine that with a continued commitment to transparent disclosure and shareholder alignment.

The Board has tried to paint these actions as an attempt to redress personal grievances of the Former Executives. The Company and its asset composition were purposely built by the Former Executives with their particular skills and experience in mind. A large number of Shareholders decided to place their trust in these individuals and their expertise dealing with these types of fracture-controlled reservoirs. We believe they are best placed to exploit these unique assets and lead Tuktu on a strong upward growth trajectory, as they have done with similar assets in the past. The Board's counterproductive actions have only served to jeopardize that path. Shareholders now have the opportunity to correct that mistake.

HOW TO VOTE

The Concerned Shareholders recommend strongly that the Shareholders:

Vote FOR the Dissident Resolution

Vote AGAINST the Director Removal Resolution

In order to vote your shares of Tuktu, please review shareholder voting requirements in the Management Circular and complete the Form of Proxy for the Meeting sent to you along with the Management Circular.

For your vote in favour of the Dissident Resolution to count you must:

vote FOR the Dissident Resolution in the proxy; and

WRITE in the name of your proxy holder.

The Concerned Shareholders recommend you appoint Tim de Freitas as your proxy holder. If you fail to write a name in for your proxy holder, by default, your vote will count against the Dissident Resolution.

The Concerned Shareholders believe this is the only way to return to the Company to a path which leads to exploiting the Company's key assets and maximizing shareholder value. This was the initial vision of Tuktu's founders and many of its Shareholders, which has been impeded by current Board actions.

We ask for your support.

COMPREHENSIVE FACTUAL OVERVIEW

The Concerned Shareholders have reviewed the Management Circular and believe the Board and Chair misunderstand the technical challenges of assembling assets along several new plays and to develop such plays, with the majority of initial capital sourced from "friends and family" and from previous institutional investors that have supported the team through several successful junior oil and gas companies.

Background

Tuktu originated as a restructuring and recapitalization opportunity of a public mining exploration company founded by Mr. Gord Dixon. Mr. Dixon committed significant personal time and capital to support the transition along with the Former Executives in building the Company. While he was still a director, Mr. Dixon passed away. His daughter, Ms. Kathleen Dixon inherited his large ownership stake but not his commitment or shared understanding of the direction of the Company.

From the outset, Tuktu's team focused on naturally fractured foothills and deep basin oil and sweet gas opportunities to deliberately avoid crowded, capital-intensive plays such in more conventional heavy oil fairways. While available capital was limited, the Company successfully raised blind-pool capital through previous institutional and private investors and deployed it opportunistically to acquire assets at attractive valuations, creating a balanced portfolio of gas and oil opportunities with notable resource upside. During this time, Tuktu assembled three key assets in the southern Alberta deep basin and foothills (sweet foothills oil; sweet high-netback gas with a 100% owned gas plant, and Monarch deep basin light oil and associated sour solution gas).

Upper Banff Zone

Tuktu then raised another round of capital through friends and family and recompleted the upper Banff zone. The Management Circular states that this was part of the $10 million financing, which is simply not the case. The upper Banff zone was recognized very early in the review of asset by the Former Executives and previous geologists. It was not delivered to the Company by a third party, as asserted in the Management Circular.

The Company struggled to raise cash at this time, but friends and family stepped in, along with select institutions, which allowed us to follow through on execution of a single recompletion of the upper Banff bypass pay zone. The zone was of low porosity and the risked production outcome was estimated to be about 50-80 bbl/d. Fortunately, under the guidance of the Former Executives, results significantly exceeded expectations.

Subsequent production decline and pressure data from the offset horizontal well indicated that the play was largely fracture enhanced. As described further below, the areal extent of deep-water sandstone is more complex than previously assumed. The exceptional vertical well recompletion result supported a robust financing of $10 million, with which investors expected the Former Executives to execute at least one horizontal exploration offset well, At the time, the upper Banff was still very much exploratory, with questionable seismic imaging characteristics and only a few well penetrations over a large area. Such exploration plays typically have a success case 10-30%. Now that the well has been drilled and the exploration risk profile is realized, the Former Executives been unceremoniously removed from the Company for doing what was expected of them. However, as explained below, future redrills of the upper Banff will need a particular emphasis of fracture fairways, with which the current team has spent most of their careers exploiting in very complex foothills areas, domestically and internationally.

Horizontal offset well to the new pool

In our view, the Management Circular shows the lack of understanding of the Board in the inherent subsurface complexity of fracture-controlled reservoirs or the unpredictable nature of fracture intersection while drilling. These technical challenges are well understood within the industry and are an accepted risk in developing new plays. We believe the Former Executives approached this play informed by a proven track record of successful conventional heavy oil, gas and light oil discoveries in the foothills and other regions.

Contrary to what was stated in the Management Circular, Tuktu planned the well using newly purchased high resolution and reprocessed seismic lines, the heel of the well was nearby (350 m) the vertical discovery and less than this distance from a high quality seismic line, and the toe of the well was within ~100 m of another seismic line. Seismic modeling was completed to show that the zone was unlikely to be seen in available high resolution seismic profiles due to it being approximately 2.5 m to 5 m thick. The reservoir thickness is beyond seismic resolution in available trade data. This is a fact.

Technical professionals across the industry understand that fracture or structural fairways are not readily visible on most seismic data, particularly in structurally complex areas, and can only be properly delineated through drilling efforts and associated drilling-geosteering technologies. To this end, Tuktu employed industry leading structural geosteering software, which included depth converted seismic data, and at-bit geophysical data to navigate within, and successfully land in, the low permeability reservoir. This was not "drilling blind". There was no available 3D for the drilling program and Tuktu utilized the best portion of the seismic trade dataset to help guide drilling, again in contrast to what was stated in the Management Circular.

During the decision making process, the Former Executives ensured the Board was kept abreast of the technical reasoning and proposal for upcoming exploration. A 3D acquisition in this area was expected to cost millions of dollars and would still not have guaranteed an improved understanding of the reservoir structure. Working with all available data, the horizontal well was drilled in a northern orientation towards an offset well showing the presence of an oil charged siltstone in drill cuttings.

Assertions that the well was drilled "out of zone" greatly oversimplify the nature and the risk of exploratory drilling. In actuality, the reservoir facies changed from sandstone rich and 5 m thick at the vertical producer to 2.5 m thick with very little sandstone content through much of the horizontal, despite successfully landing in the correct stratigraphic interval. We believe that Shareholders who invested in the technical strategy understood that risk and supported a delineation driven approach to advancing the play. Even in established resource plays that rely on hydraulic stimulation, multiple wells are typically required to optimize results. Despite exposing hundreds of meters of the upper Banff reservoir and an emplacement of tons of frac-sand, the well underperformed compared to the meager 5 m of open reservoir in the vertical well, a well deliverability contrast that is clearly due to the presence of natural fractures.

These results, and their implications, were communicated to the Board through multiple presentations and technical discussions prior to the termination of the Former Executives. We believe Tuktu and the Former Executives fully executed their mandate, delivering the project within 10% of the approved AFE despite extremely challenging winter operating conditions.

The costs represented by the Board in the Management Circular "the 16-20 well was drilled and completed with a final cost of close to $7 million", are not an accurate representation of the true costs incurred by the Company on the project. See below chart of actual costs as presented to the Board. The Concerned Shareholders further note that all operations were presented to, and approved by, the Board prior to expenditure. We are uncertain why it was felt necessary that these costs be exaggerated in the Management Circular by more than $2.3 million dollars, other than as a way to discredit the former technical team and mislead Shareholders.

at 100% Working InterestAFEActualDrilling$2,896,360$3,011,762Completion$1,285,458$1,668,867TTL Drill & Complete $4,181,818$4,680,629Equip*$893,044$862,303TTL drill complete Equip$5,074,862$5,542,931workover (post equip)$315,933$336,128Total$5,390,795$5,879,060*this is gross cost; partners paid 20% of this cost

We believe much of the provided commentary in the Management Circular is either false or misleading. Specifically, it is inaccurate to state that the team was primarily focused on acquiring deep sour gas in the foothills, when, in reality, the Company's only sour gas holdings are associated with oil assets located at Monarch.

The Management Circular references a "new" strategy for the reduction of Asset Retirement Obligations (ARO), which is also incorrect. The reduction of ARO has consistently been a core component of the Former Executive's strategy and is not a recent development. Given limited cashflow, addressing ARO obligations were justifiably delayed to focus on revenue generating activities.

Additionally, the Management Circular suggests that the Former Executives were focused on acquiring shallow gas assets. In fact, these shallow gas assets were "bolted on" to the main gas acquisition by the vendor. Their appeal was their low decline and long reserve life, supporting stable gas production. Despite concerted efforts to sell, swap, or repurpose these marginal assets, no successful outcomes were yet achieved. These assets have been offered for a nominal amount, but were not attractive to other parties due to the associated surface rental costs. Divesting the shallow gas is not a new strategy, nor is it possible to divest these assets as part of a "new direction" given prior attempts to divest.

It is important to highlight that the acquisition of the gas assets played a pivotal role in closing the Monarch transaction with the same vendor, and both transactions were completed concurrently. Without the gas assets, the company would not have qualified for preferential regulatory treatment from the Alberta Energy Regulator (the "AER"), resulting in reduced security deposit requirements. This favourable regulatory outcome enabled management to negotiate a vendor backed, interest free loan, which was applied toward the AER security deposit and ultimately facilitated the successful closing of both the Monarch and gas asset acquisitions.

GENERAL MATTERS

(a) Information about the parties submitting this broadcast

This document is being filed by Tim de Freitas, Jim Masikewich and Kent Busby pursuant to section 9.2(6)(a) of National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations and Alberta Securities Commission Blanket Order 51-520 in accordance with securities laws applicable to public broadcast solicitations. This solicitation of your support is being made by the Concerned Shareholders and is not by or on behalf of management of Tuktu, whose office is 960, 630 - 6th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 0S8, Canada. Further information about the Shareholder Nominees can be found in the Concerned Shareholder's filing at System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval at www.sedarplus.ca.

Proxies may be solicited by the Concerned Shareholders by broadcast, speech or publication, including websites and other media, as well as exemptions from the solicitation requirements under applicable securities laws. All costs incurred for any solicitation will be borne by the Concerned Shareholders. While the Concerned Shareholders may be entitled to seek reimbursement under applicable law, the Concerned Shareholders will not seek reimbursement from Tuktu for fees incurred in connection with a successful vote in favour of the Requisition.

To the knowledge of the Concerned Shareholders, neither the Concerned Shareholders, nor any of their associates or affiliates of the foregoing, nor any of the Shareholders Nominees or their respective associates or affiliates has: (a) any material interest, direct or indirect, in any transaction since the commencement of the Company's most recently completed financial year or in any proposed transaction which has materially affected or would materially affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (b) any material interest, direct or indirect, by way of beneficial ownership of securities or otherwise, in any matter to be acted on at the Meeting, other than nominating the Shareholder Nominees for election as a director at the Meeting, in the case of Concerned Shareholders, standing for election as a director in the case of each Shareholder Nominee and any employment outstanding related matters in respect of Mr. Tim de Freitas and Mr. Kent Busby.

(b) Forward-looking statements and information

Certain information included in, attached to or incorporated by reference into, this document may contain forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including in respect of the Concerned Shareholder's and Tuktu's respective priorities, plans and strategies for Tuktu and Tuktu's anticipated financial and operating performance and business prospects. All statements and information, other than statements of historical fact, included or incorporated by reference in this document are forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, including, without limitation, statements regarding activities, events or developments that the Concerned Shareholders expect or anticipate may occur in the future. These forward-looking statements and information can often be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe" or "continue" or similar words and expressions or the negative thereof. There can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which these forward-looking statements and information are based will occur or, even if they do occur, will result in the plans, results or performance expected. These forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: expectations relating to Tutku's business operations; the outcome of the shareholder vote at the Meeting and the anticipated benefit derived therefrom; statements regarding Tuktu's upcoming operating and capital budgets; the potential for execution in respect of the Company's assets; results of operations; and financial condition of Tuktu; the composition of the Board and its ability to guide operations of the Company; and the Concerned Shareholders believe with respect to the Requisition and the upcoming vote at the Meeting.

We caution readers of this document not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information contained in this document, which are not a guarantee of performance, events or results and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include: the risk that Shareholders will not vote in favour of the Requisition, changes in strategies, plans or prospects; general economic, industry, business and market conditions; changes in management and board composition; actions of Tuktu and its subsidiaries or competitors; the ability to implement business strategies and plans and pursue business opportunities and conditions in the commodity industry; the availability and pricing of commodities; the effects of competition and pricing; industry capacity and fluctuations in market supply and demand; inflationary pressures; potential legal and regulatory claims, proceedings or investigations; ability to realize any anticipated or planned cost savings; disruptions or changes in the credit or securities markets; risks and liabilities associated with financing, producing, sourcing, processing, transporting and storing commodities; timing of completion of capital and maintenance projects; changes in applicable laws and regulations; foreign currency and interest rate fluctuations; labour strikes or lock-outs or unexpected changes in labour productivity; and various other events that could disrupt Tuktu's operations, including severe or unusual weather conditions, droughts, floods, avalanches, earthquakes, war, acts of terrorism and security threats. Shareholders are cautioned that all forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including those risks and uncertainties detailed in the continuous disclosure and other filings of Tuktu with applicable Canadian securities commissions, copies of which are available on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval at www.sedarplus.ca. We urge you to carefully consider those factors.

The forward-looking statements and information contained in this document are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements and information included in this document are made as of the date of this document and we undertake no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements or information to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

(c) Reliance on Publicly Available Documents or Records

Certain information concerning Tuktu contained in this document has been taken from or is based upon publicly available documents or records on file with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and other public sources. Although we have no knowledge that would indicate that any statements contained in this document that are taken from or based upon those documents and records or other public sources are untrue or incomplete, we do not assume and expressly disclaim any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information taken from or based upon those documents, records and other public sources, or for any failure by Tuktu to disclose publicly events or facts that may have occurred or that may affect the significance or accuracy of any such information, but that are unknown to us.

This document does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities, or the solicitation of a proxy, by any person in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation of an offer or proxy solicitation. The delivery of this document will not, under any circumstances, create an implication that there has been no change in the information set forth herein since the date as of which such information is given in this document.

Tim de Freitas
403-478-0141

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/279077

Source: Concerned Shareholders of Tuktu Resources

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Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of BME, UNH either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Explore how subtle differences in sector mix, holdings, and costs set these two popular growth ETFs apart for investors.

The Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF (VONG +0.01%) and the Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG +0.00%) are both designed for investors seeking exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks, but they track different indexes and show subtle differences in sector allocations and portfolio breadth.

This comparison looks at how each fund stacks up on costs, returns, risk, and portfolio makeup to help clarify which may appeal more to growth-focused investors.

Snapshot (cost & size)MetricVUGVONGIssuerVanguardVanguardExpense ratio0.04%0.07%1-yr return (as of Dec. 28, 2025)18.02%17.17%Dividend yield0.42%0.45%Beta (5Y monthly)1.231.17AUM$353 billion$45 billionBeta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months.

VUG is slightly more affordable with a lower expense ratio, while VONG offers a marginally higher dividend yield. Investors focused on reducing fees may lean toward VUG, while VONG offers a very slight edge for income investors.

Performance & risk comparisonMetricVUGVONGMax drawdown (5 y)-35.61%-32.71%Growth of $1,000 over 5 years$1,970$2,010What's insideVONG tracks the Russell 1000 Growth Index and holds 391 stocks, with a strong tilt toward technology (55% of total assets), followed by consumer cyclical (13%) and communication services (12%). Its top positions are Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft, each making up more than 10% of the fund's total assets.

VUG, by contrast, tracks the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index and holds 160 stocks. Its sector exposure is also tech-heavy (53%), with allocations of 14% each to communication services and consumer cyclical sectors, and its largest holdings match VONG's. Neither fund exhibits unusual quirks or ESG overlays.

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

What this means for investorsVONG and VUG are similar funds in many ways. They both include large-cap growth stocks, share the same top holdings, and offer very similar expense ratios and dividend yields.

Performance-wise, they're also nearly identical. VUG has slightly outperformed VONG over the last 12 months, yet it's underperformed over the last five years. That said, the difference in performance between these two funds is marginal.

Diversification is perhaps the most important factor separating these ETFs. VUG contains far fewer stocks than VONG, with 160 holdings compared to 391. This can be both an advantage and a risk, depending on how the market is faring.

Greater diversification can help limit risk, especially during periods of volatility. With more than twice as many stocks, VONG has the edge here. However, having more stocks also increases the chances that lower performers will dilute the fund's earnings.

Because VUG is more targeted with fewer holdings, it's more likely to outperform if those stocks succeed. But with a slightly higher beta and steeper max drawdown, VUG also has a history of more significant price volatility.

Both of these ETFs can be fantastic choices for growth-focused investors. With its greater diversification, VONG has a slight edge in periods of economic instability. However, investors seeking a more targeted approach may appreciate VUG's smaller portfolio.

GlossaryETF: Exchange-traded fund; a basket of securities traded on an exchange like a stock.
Expense ratio: The annual fee, as a percentage of assets, that a fund charges its investors.
Dividend yield: Annual dividends paid by a fund divided by its current share price, shown as a percentage.
Beta: A measure of an investment's volatility compared to the overall market, typically the S&P 500.
Assets under management (AUM): The total market value of all assets a fund manages for investors.
Max drawdown: The largest observed percentage drop from a fund's peak value to its lowest point over a period.
Sector allocation: The percentage of a fund's assets invested in different segments of the economy, like technology or healthcare.
Index: A benchmark that tracks the performance of a group of securities, which funds may use to guide their investments.
Portfolio concentration: The degree to which a fund's assets are invested in a small number of holdings.
Total return: The investment's price change plus all dividends and distributions, assuming those payouts are reinvested.

Katie Brockman has positions in Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF and Vanguard Scottsdale Funds - Vanguard Russell 1000 Growth ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

The information contained herein is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this article should be taken as a solicitation to purchase or sell securities. Before buying or selling any stock, you should do your own research and reach your own conclusion or consult a financial advisor. Investing includes risks, including loss of principal.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

South Korean e-commerce company Coupang announced on Monday a compensation package of 1.69 trillion won ($1.18 billion) to holders of 33.7 million accounts for a massive data leak that has drawn backlash from users and lawmakers.

HomeStock IdeasLong IdeasHealthcare 

SummaryOutlook Therapeutics (OTLK) faces a pivotal FDA decision for Lytenava on December 31st, following two prior rejections and a 2025 recovery in share price.My bullish stance is underpinned by the NORSE EIGHT trial, conducted under Special Protocol Assessment, and improved manufacturing controls addressing prior FDA concerns.OTLK reported initial Lytenava revenues in Europe, but maintains a high cash burn, with roughly four months of runway and a $139M enterprise value.A negative FDA outcome could trigger a 50–70% sell-off, while approval would validate the strengthened regulatory package and drive forward U.S. commercialization prospects. Milan Markovic/iStock via Getty Images

Thesis Outlook Therapeutics (OTLK) has had a pretty rough 2025. The company, despite having Lytenava approved in the UK and EU, has struggled in recent years to get the FDA on their side. So far, it has resulted

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

These companies pay steadily rising dividends.

One of the smartest investments you can make is investing in companies that consistently increase their dividend payments. Dividend growers have historically delivered the highest average annualized total returns among companies based on their dividend policy, at 10.2% over the last 50 years, according to data from Ned Davis Research and Hartford Funds. They have significantly outperformed companies with no change in their dividend policies (an average annualized total return of 6.8%) and companies that don't pay dividends (4.3%).

ExxonMobil (XOM 0.09%), Agree Realty (ADC +0.00%), and Kimberly Clark (KMB 0.09%) have a long history of increasing their dividends, which is likely to continue. That makes them stand out as some of the smartest dividend stocks to buy right now. They could turn $1,000 into a lucrative and growing income stream.

Image source: Getty Images.

The fuel to grow through 2030 (and beyond)
ExxonMobil has increased its dividend for 43 straight years. Less than 5% of companies in the S&P 500 have reached that milestone. The oil giant's dividend currently yields 3.5%. At that rate, a $1,000 investment would generate about $35 (and growing) of dividend income each year. Exxon's growing dividend has helped fuel its strong performance over the past five years.

The oil giant is one of the most profitable companies in the industry. ExxonMobil expects to make even more money in the future. It recently raised its 2030 plan, which now has it on track to deliver $25 billion of additional earnings and $35 billion of incremental cash flow by 2030 at constant prices and margins compared to 2024. Fueling this growth is Exxon's cost-savings plan and its investments to grow its advantaged assets (the highest margin and lowest cost).

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Exxon's plans have it on pace to produce $145 billion in cumulative surplus free cash flow by 2030 at an average oil price of around $65 per barrel (near the current level). That will provide Exxon with ample funds to continue growing its dividend and repurchasing a substantial amount of its shares each year (it's targeting to buy back $20 billion in 2026).

A high-quality, high-yielding monthly dividend stock
Agree Realty is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on investing in income-producing retail properties. The company currently owns over 2,600 freestanding properties, net leased or ground leased to financially strong retailers, including Walmart and Tractor Supply. Those lease structures provide it with very predictable rental income, especially considering that roughly two-thirds of its rent comes from tenants with investment-grade credit ratings. This stable cash flow supports the REIT's 4.3%-yielding monthly dividend.

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The landlord has grown its dividend at a 5.3% annualized rate over the past decade. This steady growth has supported its robust 11.8% average annual total return since its IPO in 1994.

Agree Realty grows its dividend by acquiring additional income-producing retail properties. It has invested over $10 billion to buy properties since 2010. The REIT has a massive future investment opportunity, as its current retail partners own over 170,000 locations that the REIT could potentially acquire through sale-leaseback transactions in the future. With one of the strongest financial profiles in the industry, Agree Realty has plenty of financial flexibility to continue growing its portfolio and high-yielding monthly dividend payment.

Dividend royalty
Kimberly Clark has paid dividends to its shareholders for 91 straight years. It has increased its payment for 53 years in a row. That qualifies the consumer products company as a Dividend King, a company with 50 or more years of annual dividend increases. The company's payout currently yields 5%.

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It owns a portfolio of trusted consumer brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, and Cottonelle. These brands hold the No. 1 or No. 2 market share positions in about 70 countries. They provide the company with resilient and steadily growing revenue to support its rising dividend payment.

Kimberly Clark routinely enhances its portfolio by acquiring other leading consumer brands. It agreed to buy Kenvue for $48.7 billion earlier this year in a deal it expects to close in 2026. Kenvue owns leading consumer healthcare brands like Band-Aid, Listerine, and Tylenol. The company expects the combination to create shareholder value through $2.5 billion in anticipated cost and revenue synergies within the first couple of years following the transaction's closing. The increased earnings from this deal will help support Kimberly Clark's growing dividend in the future.

Great dividend growth stocks
ExxonMobil, Agree Realty, and Kimberly Clark have excellent track records of growing their dividends. With more growth ahead, these companies should be able to produce attractive total returns for their investors over the long term. That makes them smart dividend stocks to buy right now.

HomeETFs and Funds AnalysisETF Analysis

SummaryU.S. investment-grade corporate bonds gained in the third quarter.The fund outperformed its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Bond Index.Investment-grade corporate bonds outperformed the broader bond market, benefiting from a risk-on market environment.Within the fund, the financials sector remained a notable overweight, and we remained focused on individual security selection and adding incremental yield.The Fed has signaled its intention to lower interest rates further in the waning months of this year. Sumedha Lakmal/iStock via Getty Images

Highlights U.S. investment-grade corporate bonds gained in the third quarter. The fund outperformed its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Bond Index. Individual security selection was additive to performance while sector allocation and yield curve

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Embattled Australian casino operator Star Entertainment said on Monday that its Chief Financial Officer, Frank Krile, had resigned and would be leaving the firm, effective immediately.

Nvidia has been one of the best-performing stocks in the current bull market. The stock has increased by more than 1,000% since the release of ChatGPT, which kicked off the artificial intelligence (AI) spending spree among big tech stocks. Nvidia has been a huge beneficiary of the growing spend on artificial intelligence infrastructure, as its GPUs are best in class for training large language models.

Despite its status as the largest company in the world with a market cap of around $4.5 trillion, analysts think Nvidia could keep climbing higher in 2026. The median price target on the stock is $250, about 30% higher than the stock price as of this writing. That would make it a $6 trillion company.

But another AI leader looks poised to outperform the chipmaker in 2026 thanks to its momentum across hardware, software, and real-world applications of AI. Here's why I expect Alphabet (GOOG 0.23%) (GOOGL 0.18%) to outperform Nvidia next year.

Image source: Getty Images.

Challenging the AI leaders
Alphabet has made tremendous progress in artificial intelligence in 2025, and that should show up in continued financial strength in 2026.

Its Google Cloud division saw revenue growth accelerate to 34% last quarter while its operating margin continued to expand, reaching 24%. Those trends should continue in 2026, as management reported a backlog of $155 billion at the end of the third quarter, up 46% year over year.

Alphabet is seeing notably strong demand for its custom-built Tensor Processing Units (TPUs). The AI accelerator chips are a more cost-efficient alternative to Nvidia GPUs for AI training and inference. Anthropic plans to use TPUs for some of its workload starting in 2026, and Alphabet is reportedly in discussions with Meta Platforms to use the chips and port popular AI framework PyTorch to the hardware. The relative performance of TPUs to Nvidia's GPUs and other custom AI accelerators should continue to fuel growth for Google Cloud in 2026 with significant margin improvements.

Meanwhile, Alphabet also saw strong relative performance for its large language models. Gemini 3.0, released in November, scored highly on most benchmark tests, outperforming top models from both Anthropic and OpenAI at the time. The release spurred OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to declare "code red," as the model performed better than GPT 5.1 and pushed more consumers to download Google's Gemini app, which had 650 million monthly active users as of November.

Alphabet could have a big customer for its LLM next year as well, as Apple is reportedly going to use Gemini for some of its new AI-powered Siri features starting next spring. The iPhone maker will pay $1 billion per year to license the model. Apple will run the model on its own servers, so it would be practically all profit for Alphabet.

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Alphabet benefits from using its own AI innovations
Alphabet isn't just out-innovating the biggest competitors in the field; it's also able to use those innovations in its own business.

As a large language model developer, it's able to take advantage of its massive cloud computing business and TPU development. But Alphabet's also using that large language model to improve its core search engine, which remains a cash cow for the business. It's also continuing to refine various machine learning algorithms, improving its advertisement placement and YouTube engagement.

In search, features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode have increased the types and number of search queries users make. And with Google monetizing those searches at roughly the same rate as those without AI-powered results, it's been a net positive for revenue. Over the last two years, the company has drastically cut the cost of generating AI Overviews, improving profitability. Overall, Google Search revenue accelerated through the first three quarters of 2025, up 15% in the third quarter.

YouTube, likewise, saw revenue growth accelerate, climbing 15% in the most recent quarter. AI features, such as tools that help edit videos and create thumbnails, as well as identify shoppable products in videos, have helped improve engagement and monetization.

Alphabet's also seeing progress with Waymo, its self-driving car business, which is part of its Other Bets segment. The robotaxi service completed 14 million trips in 2025, more than triple the number of trips completed in the previous year. Management says it's on track to complete 1 million rides per week by the end of 2026 as it expands to 20 new cities. The business could be a key source of revenue growth as it scales next year.

The value is there
With growth across hardware, software, and its core businesses, Alphabet presents a diversified growth stock that trades at a good value. Investors can currently pick up shares for less than 30 times forward earnings expectations. By comparison, you'll pay over 40 times earnings for Nvidia shares.

Alphabet should experience strong earnings growth as the cloud computing business scales and operating margin expands. It already generates tens of billions in cash every year, providing room to increase its share repurchase program, further boosting earnings per share. As a result, paying less than 30 times earnings could prove a bargain.

Meanwhile, Nvidia may struggle to build on its gains in 2026, especially as Google's TPUs, competing GPUs, and other companies' custom AI accelerators make progress in eating into its market share. At its current price, it'll have to outperform already high expectations to produce returns like the last few years. It seems more likely that Alphabet will be the better-performing stock in the coming year.

Quantum computing represents a relatively nascent industry.

Quantum computing is a promising field with massive long-term potential, but it is still in its early commercialization phase. This can make investing in quantum computing businesses a high-risk, high-reward proposition suitable for only a small portion of a diversified portfolio.

Investors can approach this sector in two primary ways: through established tech giants or pure-play start-ups. The former offer a more stable entry point, as quantum computing is only a small part of their diversified operations. This approach can limit the impact of quantum-specific volatility on your overall investment.

On the other hand, pure-play quantum computing stocks can be highly speculative, early-stage companies whose stock prices are often volatile and tied to technological breakthroughs and future potential rather than current profits, but which could deliver higher returns if successful.

On today's list, I've included one quantum computing stock from each bucket for long-term investors to consider. Let's dive right in.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Alphabet
Alphabet (GOOGL 0.18%) (GOOG 0.24%), through its Google Quantum AI division, is a leader in developing quantum computing technology focused on creating a large-scale, error-corrected quantum computer for solving problems currently impossible for classical supercomputers. Its recent work has led to significant breakthroughs, including the Willow quantum chip.

The Willow chip, unveiled in late 2024, has achieved two major milestones. First, it can significantly reduce error rates as more qubits (quantum bits, the basic units of quantum information) are added, which is a crucial step for building a scalable and reliable quantum computer. In October 2025, Google Quantum AI announced a breakthrough algorithm called Quantum Echoes run on the Willow hardware that generated a calculation demonstrably faster (13,000x) than any classical supercomputer.

The algorithm also achieved verifiable quantum advantage, which means it is repeatable and can be checked by other quantum systems. The work on the Quantum Echoes algorithm is a major step toward practical applications.

Potential uses range from drug discovery and medicine to materials science. Google Quantum AI is pursuing a six-milestone roadmap to build a large error-corrected quantum computer with a goal of 1 million qubits. The division regularly collaborates with universities and national labs to provide access to their processors via the Google Cloud platform.

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Unlike smaller pure-play quantum computing companies that require constant fundraising, Alphabet can leverage immense profits from its core advertising and Google Cloud businesses to fund decades of research without pressure for immediate commercial viability. A key challenge in quantum computing is error correction. The Willow chip was designed to exponentially reduce errors as qubits are added, which is a major technical advance over competitors.

The company's vision includes integrating future quantum computing capabilities into its existing AI ecosystem and Google Cloud platforms. In the third quarter, Alphabet's revenue grew 16% year over year to $102.3 billion, and net income climbed 33% to about $35 billion. The company is also a leader in artificial intelligence (AI), which is driving real business results and driving heavy investment in data centers and custom chips.

Alphabet maintains a virtually unassailable financial position, with a strong balance sheet including $98.5 billion in cash and marketable securities, and low debt too. Long-term investors who want to add wealth-building stocks to their portfolio should certainly consider taking a position in this business.

2. IonQ
IonQ (IONQ 7.46%) IonQ is a leading pure-play quantum computing company that utilizes trapped-ion technology to build high-performance quantum systems. Unlike competitors like Alphabet and International Business Machines that primarily use superconducting qubits, IonQ's approach leverages naturally occurring, identical trapped ions as qubits.

By using naturally stable atoms that are isolated in a vacuum, IonQ's qubits are less susceptible to environmental noise and decoherence. In short, this can lead to fewer errors and more reliable results.

In October 2025, IonQ achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, a critical industry benchmark that essentially means its quantum computers can perform complex operations with extremely high accuracy. Every qubit in an IonQ system can directly interact with any other qubit. This slashes the computational overhead and errors required to move data between qubits.

IonQ is actively collaborating with partners to solve complex problems in several sectors. The company is working on accelerated drug development workflows with companies like AstraZeneca and Nvidia, it's partnered with Hyundai to use quantum AI for image recognition in self-driving cars, and even collaborated with Airbus to optimize high-complexity cargo loading problems.

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IonQ operates with an evolving business model that's designed to monetize its proprietary trapped ion technology through three primary avenues. One is through QCaaS, or Quantum Computing as a Service, a cloud-based model that lets major cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google access quantum hardware, software, and tools remotely, much like traditional cloud services.

Another revenue source involves partnering with government agencies and enterprises for specialized quantum applications. IonQ is also expanding into quantum networking, sensing, and security after strategic 2025 acquisitions like Oxford Ionics and Vector Atomic.

In Q3, IonQ's revenue surged 222% year over year to $39.9 million. The company reported a substantial GAAP net loss of $1.1 billion, largely due to non-cash charges related to warrant liabilities and acquisition costs. Following a $2 billion equity offering in October, IonQ holds a pro forma cash balance of $3.5 billion and carries zero long-term debt.

IonQ could enrich long-term investors if it successfully transitions from a high-growth speculative play to a dominant utility in the quantum era. It is currently the only pure-play public quantum company with triple-digit annual revenue growth and widespread cloud integration.

HOD HASHARON, Israel, Dec. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Weebit Nano Limited (ASX:WBT) (Weebit or Company), a leading developer and licensor of advanced memory technologies for the global semiconductor industry, announced it has licensed its resistive random access memory (ReRAM) technology to Texas Instruments (TI), a global semiconductor company that designs, manufactures and sells analog and embedded processing chips.

Under the terms of the agreement, Weebit’s ReRAM technology will be integrated into TI’s advanced process nodes for embedded processing semiconductors. The agreement includes IP licensing, technology transfer, design and qualification of Weebit ReRAM in TI’s process technologies.

Weebit ReRAM is a low-power, cost-effective NVM that has proven excellent retention at high temperatures and has been qualified for AEC-Q100 150°C operation.

Amichai Ron, Senior Vice President, TI Embedded Processing, said: “We are excited to collaborate with Weebit Nano to integrate ReRAM memory technology into our process technologies and products. The TI and Weebit Nano collaboration will enable our customers to get access to industry-leading NVM technology in performance, scale, and reliability which will enable us to enhance our position as a leading embedded processors provider.”

Coby Hanoch, CEO of Weebit Nano, said: “TI is one of the world’s foremost integrated device manufacturers, producing tens of billions of chips every year. This agreement is another strong signal that the industry is moving towards ReRAM as the successor to flash memory in SoC designs. It also reinforces Weebit’s position as the leading independent provider of ReRAM technology.”

About Weebit Nano Limited

Weebit Nano Ltd. is a leading developer and licensor of advanced semiconductor memory technology. The company’s ground-breaking Resistive RAM (ReRAM) addresses the growing need for significantly higher performance and lower power memory solutions in a range of new electronic products such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, smartphones, robotics, autonomous vehicles, 5G communications and artificial intelligence. Weebit ReRAM allows semiconductor memory elements to be significantly faster, less expensive, more reliable and more energy efficient than those using existing flash memory solutions. As it is based on fab-friendly materials, the technology can be quickly and easily integrated with existing flows and processes, without the need for special equipment or large investments. See www.weebit-nano.com.

Weebit Nano and the Weebit Nano logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Weebit Nano Ltd. in the United States and other countries. Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

For further information, please contact: 

Media – US
Jen Bernier-Santarini, Weebit Nano
P: +1 650-336-4222
E: [email protected]

Media – Australia
Jasmine Walters, Automic Group
P: +61 498 209 019
E: [email protected]

Investors
Adrian Mulcahy 
P: +61 438 630 422
E: [email protected] 

For those following the moving average, the 52-week indicator at $61.58 is applying the pressure. It has been leaning on buyers and capping rallies since late October. Until this level is overcome with conviction, solid buying volume and a change in the fundamental narrative to bullish, traders will be more inclined to sell rallies into it.

Swing Chart Points to Lower Tops and Lower Bottoms
The swing chart is also pointing down as evidenced by the series of lower tops and lower bottoms. The last swing top at $60.36 is under the 52-week moving average. This means that even if the market changes the trend on the swing chart, it will still face headwinds at the 52-week moving average. So let’s just call the moving average the most important trend indicator.

Chart-watchers are also eyeing a long-term pivot at $63.62. This is another potential headwind.

Aggressive Traders Eye Breakout Above $60.36
Aggressive traders looking for a bigger payoff may enter on the breakout over $60.36 and hope for strong enough buying to overtake both the 52-week moving average and the long-term pivot.

On the downside, a trade through $54.84 will signal a resumption of the downtrend, opening up the possibility of an acceleration into $50.17 to $49.35.

Crude Oil News: Bears Hold Real Numbers, Bulls Bank on Speculation
The fundamentals are stacked for both the bulls and the bears. However, for the bears, the sentiment is backed up by real numbers. Bullish traders are banking on speculative issues that may or may not take place.

Oil Prices Projections: Oversupply Remains Central for 2026
For the bears, oversupply is still central to oil price projections for 2026. Despite a stable week, the long-term expectations are still bearish. The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest Short-Term Energy Outlook projects Brent oil averaging $55 in the first quarter of 2026. This reflects anticipated inventory builds exceeding 2 million barrels per day next year.

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) supply assessment reinforces the view of the EIA, highlighting global supply growth to rise by 3 million barrels per day in 2025 and another 2.4 million barrels per day in 2026. Meanwhile, it projects demand growth to remain under 1 million barrels per day in both years.

Headlines Drive Price Action in Thin Holiday Trading
Even with these bearish assessments, the market has stopped going down, at least temporarily, because the bullish traders have been reading and reacting to the headlines. These headlines involve Venezuelan and Russian supply. During a holiday week when volume is light, these headlines could lead to exaggerated reactions.

Week Ahead: EIA Storage Report and Geopolitical Tensions in Focus
During the upcoming holiday-shortened week, bearish supply-side traders will be focused on the delayed EIA weekly storage report since there are no other major events scheduled. Bullish traders will be reading the headlines, hoping to react to geopolitical stress including U.S. seizures of Venezuelan crude and Ukraine’s escalating strikes on Russian infrastructure—both of which could introduce uncertainty around short-term supply flows.

Technically, traders are likely to sell rallies, using the 52-week moving average and the long-term 50% level as a cushion until they are overcome with fundamentally-backed buying conviction.

More Information in our Economic Calendar.

UPS appears to be on the road to recovery.

UPS (UPS 0.12%) has experienced quite a dip in recent years. Shares of the global logistics giant are currently down more than 50% from their peak a few years ago. As a result, its dividend yield has skyrocketed to 6.5%. It has battled a barrage of headwinds, including high labor costs, tariffs, weaker market conditions, and a strategic decision to reduce its reliance on its top customer, Amazon.

However, while shares of UPS are down, the logistics leader appears to be right on the cusp of turning things around. That makes now a great time to buy the dip before a reacceleration begins.

Image source: Getty Images.

Slowly changing course
UPS has realized that not all volumes are worth the cost. As a result, the company made the strategic decision earlier this year to cut the volumes it ships for Amazon by over 50% by the end of next year. While Amazon contributes around 20% to 25% of its volume, it only supplied about 11% of its revenue last year. Most of the volumes it ships for the top e-commerce company have low profit margins.

As part of the transformational shift away from Amazon, UPS is undergoing a major restructuring. It aims to cut $3.5 billion in costs by the end of this year by reducing its headcount and closing locations.

The company is also investing to grow its more profitable business lines, including healthcare logistics. It closed its $1.6 billion acquisition of Andlauer Healthcare Group in November to enhance its complex healthcare logistics operations.

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The green shoots of a recovery
The slow shift away from Amazon will continue to negatively impact the company's results. Its revenue declined by 3.7% in the third quarter while its adjusted earnings per share fell 1.1%. However, the company is starting to see some underlying progress. Its U.S. revenue per piece grew by 9.8% during the quarter, while its domestic operating margin rose slightly.

Meanwhile, some of the company's other headwinds appear to be slowly fading. Rival FedEx reported better-than-expected results for its fiscal second quarter, despite ongoing trade uncertainty and weak shipping markets. The company also increased its guidance for the fiscal year. It now expects sales to grow 5% to 6% (up from 4% to 6%) and adjusted earnings between $17.80 and $19 per share (increasing the low-end from $17.20 per share). UPS also provided investors with a better-than-expected outlook for the fourth quarter.

Additionally, UPS' free cash flow is improving. It generated $2 billion during the third quarter alone, after producing only $742 million during the first half of the year. Free cash flow should continue heading higher as the company executes its cost-reduction strategy (it achieved $2.2 billion of its $3.5 billion target by the end of the third quarter). That's putting the company's high-yielding dividend on a more sustainable foundation.

Delivering high total return potential
UPS appears to be turning the corner. Its strategy to reduce its reliance on Amazon is improving its profitability, while some market headwinds seem to be abating. If these trends continue, UPS could deliver robust total returns to investors in the future as its stock price rebounds, and it continues to pay its lucrative dividend.

Matt DiLallo has positions in Amazon, FedEx, and United Parcel Service. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and United Parcel Service. The Motley Fool recommends FedEx. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

You don't have to gamble with cryptocurrencies to get dynamic returns.

One of the greatest appeals of cryptocurrencies is their massive potential. That market can be very challenging, and investors are often swept away by some of the sudden, huge gains they read about each year. There are dozens of cryptocurrencies with more than a 100% gain in the last seven days.

However, chasing these kinds of gains can be frustrating, as for every success story, there are digital coins that fade away just as quickly, leaving investors with a proverbial pile of dust. It's impossible to predict which cryptocurrencies will be the next big winners and which will vanish into obscurity.

However, you don't need to chase crypto to build wealth. You can find some great companies in the stock market that will give you outsize gains and make crypto investors green with envy. Tech stocks have been some of the best investments you can make in the last year, and I'm expecting that to continue in 2026.

If you want explosive growth potential, I'd wager that these four tech stocks are great possibilities -- and all of them have a compelling growth story that makes them superior to cryptocurrencies.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Palantir Technologies
It's true that Palantir Technologies (PLTR 2.81%) isn't a perfect company. Its valuation is a major concern, with a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 267 and a forward price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 104 at the time of this writing. Those numbers indicate that for a typical company, these shares are extraordinarily expensive and the stock could be ripe for a correction.

But Palantir isn't a typical company. The data analytics company is growing fast thanks to its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), which allows users to access Palantir's powerful network with minimal training. Palantir saw 63% revenue growth in the third quarter as it closed 204 deals valued at more than $1 million each. It's in high demand among both military and commercial clients.

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Palantir stock is up 155% so far this year -- the third-best performance in the Nasdaq-100 -- and that follows gains of 167% in 2023 and 340% in 2024.

I would be shocked if Palantir stock doesn't grow another 100% or more in 2026.

2. Nvidia
Semiconductor maker Nvidia (NVDA +1.09%) has been slowing down as of late -- but who can really expect the stock price to maintain its torrid pace? Nvidia shares rose 819% from 2023 to 2024, and followed that up with a 37% gain in 2025.

Nvidia is best known for its graphics processing units (GPUs), which are bundled by the thousands in data centers to train and run high-level artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning programs. Nvidia holds a substantial lead in the data center chip market, with estimates ranging from 86% to 92% of its market share. Its huge advantage stems from chip superiority as well as its CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) parallel computing architecture that allows developers to write and develop code on Nvidia GPUs.

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Nvidia reported in its last quarter that it sold out of data center GPUs, and its Blackwell line is flying off the proverbial shelves. When Nvidia rolls out its next-generation architecture Rubin line in 2026, I'm expecting equally strong demand.

3. Iren Limited
We're seeing incredible growth in data centers, and that's going to continue through 2026 and beyond. As more companies develop AI products to help manage their businesses or draw in new customers, there's an increasing demand for data centers to cluster GPUs and run AI programs. Researchers at BloombergNEF estimate that at least 150 data center projects have been announced in the U.S. over the last year, and data center power demand in the U.S. is expected to grow from 25 gigawatts to 106 gigawatts by 2035.

Iren Limited (IREN 3.90%) has six data centers in Texas and Canada with 2.9 GW of capacity. And it has a new $9.7 billion deal with Microsoft to provide cloud computing capacity using Nvidia GPUs.

Building data centers is really expensive, but Iren has an advantage because it makes most of its money from Bitcoin mining, which allows it to operate at a profit while other data center companies are operating in the red. It made $232.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 from Bitcoin mining, accounting for nearly all of its $240.3 million of total revenue.

Iren gives you the advantage of Bitcoin -- the most stable cryptocurrency -- without holding the coins yourself. And you also get to invest in a tech stock that has its fingers in data center expansion.

4. Credo Technology
This one may sound a little out of left field, as Credo Technology (CRDO 3.57%) is down 21% since Dec. 22. But I'm confident that this is just temporary weakness, as Credo is an indispensable company for the data center expansion already discussed.

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Credo makes the wiring that links GPUs together in data centers. Instead of traditional wiring, Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) include signal processors that help the data move faster and more efficiently. Management says they are 1,000 times more reliable and consume half the power as optical wiring.

Credo's revenue in the second quarter of fiscal 2026 (ending Nov. 1, 2025) was $268 million, up 272% from a year ago. Income of $82.6 million resulted in earnings of $0.44 per share.

Despite the recent pullback, Credo stock is up 121% this year and has a strong runway ahead of it.

Both companies are developing promising technology, but are burning significant cash.

IonQ (IONQ 7.67%) and Rigetti Computing (RGTI 8.69%) are two of the more prominent publicly traded stocks in the field of quantum computing.

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What do they do?
Without wading too deep into the weeds of quantum computing, the main difference between the two companies is that IonQ uses a trapped-ion system, whereas Rigetti uses superconducting qubits. What's important is the real-life applications of these technologies and their commercial viability. Both companies are targeting similar industries, spanning from AI to finance to defense to cybersecurity to manufacturing.

Image source: Getty Images.

How their financials compare
IonQ's latest quarterly report was largely positive. The company beat revenue expectations and increased its full-year revenue guidance to as much as $110 million. IonQ's operating costs still overshadow its revenue, however. Operating costs and expenses through the first nine months of the year were $473 million.

IonQ also completed a $2 billion capital raise through the sale of new shares, which diluted existing shareholders. While this program was necessary to raise the funds to keep IonQ's progress moving forward, dilution is always concerning for long-term investors.

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Rigetti Computing is a far smaller company than IonQ with a market cap around $8.4 billion. The company reported revenue of just $5.2 million through the first nine months of 2025. Much like IonQ, its operating losses significantly outpaced revenue, coming in at $63.4 million for the first nine months of the year.

Rigetti's technology is promising, and its semiconductor business has real scalability potential. The company's price-to-sales ratio reflects that future hope. At this time, IonQ's valuation is more attractive than Rigetti's.

RGTI PS Ratio data by YCharts

Who will be the winner?
It's still too early to predict who will be the "winner" or if there will be only one. At this juncture, IonQ is more established and has significant partnerships to leverage. If you're looking for an even higher-risk, higher-reward investment, though, Rigetti could be the stock of the future.

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

Journalist

Posted: December 29, 2025

Dogecoin was one of the leading crypto assets driving social media engagement, noted Santiment.

In a post on X, the analytics platform observed that Dogecoin, alongside Bitcoin [BTC], Ethereum [ETH], and ZCash [ZEC], saw the highest rise in social media engagement.

Dogecoin was trending because it was being mentioned on Reddit for sweepstakes events offering DOGE prizes, as well as skepticism regarding the meme’s status, and on X (formerly Twitter) for market activity and price movements.

Based on the memecoin sector price action, assets such as Dogecoin [DOGE] were not forefront in investors’ minds. Do the onchain metrics indicate sustained bearish pressure, or is there hope for a recovery?

Dogecoin exhibits a network-wide accumulation phase
The increased social media engagement was accompanied by a rise in Mean Coin Age over the past two months. Santiment data showed that DOGE was being accumulated among holder addresses, though the price action remained firmly bearish.

In fact, the Age Consumed Metric, which spikes higher if older, dormant tokens move en masse, has remained quiet since mid-November. This further strengthened the idea that sell pressure was fading.

Moreover, the MVRV reached a six-month low in mid-December and has not improved much since then. It suggested a chunk of investors were facing deep losses.

On average, holders over the past six months were sitting on 36% unrealized loss, the metric showed.

Has Dogecoin begun to consolidate?

Source: DOGE/USDT on TradingView

The 1-day chart showed that DOGE formed a range between $0.122 and $0.133. The longer-term trend was strongly bearish, but the price action of the past ten days was encouraging with this range formation.

A move back above the local high at $0.135 would signal a bullish structure shift.

Investors should be wary even if Dogecoin climbs back above $0.135. The Net Unrealized Profit/Loss metric showed a capitulation phase underway for the memecoin.

If the 2021-2022 downtrend were to repeat, the NUPL has much deeper depths to explore.

Sentiment across the market was fearful.

A Bitcoin [BTC] recovery back to all-time highs and beyond is unlikely. Dogecoin traders should remain bearishly biased despite the onchain accumulation, and use price bounces to sell.

Final Thoughts

Dogecoin showed accumulation onchain, according to the MVRV and age consumed metrics.
Even so, traders and investors should sell into strength, as a recovery to ATHs is unlikely in the coming weeks and months.

Akashnath S is a Senior Journalist and Technical Analysis expert at AMBCrypto. He specializes in dissecting price action, identifying key market trends through advanced chart patterns, and forecasting both short-term and long-term asset trajectories.
His distinct analytical method is grounded in his academic training as a Chemical Engineer. This background provides him with a systematic, process-oriented approach to market data, enabling him to analyze the complex dynamics of financial markets with precision and objectivity.
Having actively covered the cryptocurrency space since the landmark 2017 market cycle, Akashnath possesses years of experience navigating both bull and bear markets. This seasoned perspective is critical to his insightful reporting on market volatility and evolution.
As an active market participant, Akashnath enhances his analysis with crucial, hands-on experience. This practical application of his technical skills ensures his insights are not merely theoretical, but are also relevant and actionable for an audience looking to understand and navigate trading opportunities. He is dedicated to educating readers on the nuances of technical analysis, empowering them with the knowledge to make more informed financial decisions.

Bitcoin miners produced block 929,699 on Dec. 27. What if that was the signal for a New Year’s moment, rather than our traditional calendar?

The pitch is that block height, the ordered count of blocks every full node can verify, can act as a calendar layer for a market that trades and settles across jurisdictions.

For argument's sake, we'll use Bitcoin Block Explorer and the last observed chain tip in this snapshot at height 929,699, timestamped Sat, 27 Dec 2025 09:47:19 UTC, with a mempool around 5,324 transactions at the time of the page’s update.

The same source listed difficulty near 148.26T.

According to YCharts, Bitcoin network hash rate was about 1.150B TH/s (about 1,150 EH/s) as of Dec. 26, 2025, up about 62.69% from a year earlier.

YCharts also showed average difficulty around 148.26T, up about 36.62% year over year, and estimated the next difficulty adjustment around Jan. 8, 2026, with an estimate near +1.40% at the time of capture.

On the supply side, MacroMicro put circulating supply around 19,966,689.8 BTC as of Dec. 24, 2025.

Bitcoin trading in the $88,000–$89,000 zone in late-December conditions.

The idea resonates because midnight by civil time is a jurisdictional convention, while consensus height is enforced by nodes running common rules.

Dual time has precedent. In the United States, railroads consolidated hundreds of local times into standardized zones in 1883, and adoption met resistance because it felt like a loss of autonomy, according to the National Museum of American History.

UTC itself remains a governed system. NIST describes UTC as the internationally agreed time standard and maintains UTC(NIST) as the U.S. representation.

Timekeeping politics also has not ended. The BIPM notes that leap seconds create discontinuities that can break infrastructure, and international bodies have moved toward changing how UTC handles UT1-UTC divergence by or before 2035.

Height and wall time are not interchangeable, and Bitcoin’s rules make that clear. The network targets a 10-minute average block interval and uses difficulty adjustments every 2,016 blocks (about two weeks) to keep that average over time.

Block discovery is stochastic, and even with steady hash rate the number of blocks per day varies, a point Blockchain.com flags in its charting.

Timestamps inside blocks are not atomic time either. Under the Bitcoin Wiki timestamp rules, a block time is valid if it is greater than the median of the prior 11 blocks’ timestamps and less than network-adjusted time plus two hours.

That means “time” in the header is bounded but not a substitute for a clock.

A “Block New Year” can be defined as the first block mined after a chosen height H.

Under the standard proof-of-work model, the waiting time for that next block follows an exponential distribution with a 10-minute mean, consistent with the mining process described in Bitcoin Developer Documentation.

That turns the countdown into a shared suspense event: everyone can agree on the number that flips the year, and nobody can know the second in advance.

Arrival probability for the next block after HApprox. wait time (10-minute mean)Median6.9 minutes90%23.0 minutes95%30.0 minutes99%46.1 minutes99.9%69.1 minutesA block-based “year” also has a measurable drift profile. If a community defines a year as 52,560 blocks (144 per day times 365), the expected length is 365 days.

Randomness alone produces a multi-day band around that targetUnder a 10-minute exponential model, a 90% band for the end of a 52,560-block year is about plus or minus 2.6 days.

A 95% band is about plus or minus 3.1 days, so the boundary is auditable yet not tied to a solar calendar.

Anchoring those abstractions to the current tip makes the concept testable. Starting from height 929,699 at 09:47 UTC on Dec. 27 and using the 10-minute target as a baseline, round-number milestones come with expected arrival times and uncertainty windows.

Actual arrival varies with hash rate and difficulty dynamics, but the bands convey how the suspense scales as blocks accumulate.

Milestone heightBlocks awayExpected UTC (10-min model)Approx. 90% arrival window (UTC)930,0003012025-12-29 11:57Dec 29 07:12 to Dec 29 16:43940,00010,3012026-03-08 22:37Mar 7 18:48 to Mar 10 02:27950,00020,3012026-05-17 09:17May 15 18:13 to May 19 00:211,000,00070,3012027-04-29 14:37Apr 26 13:56 to May 2 15:191,050,000 (next halving height)120,3012028-04-10 19:57Apr 6 20:52 to Apr 14 19:03Definitions, and the incentives they create, decide whether this remains a ritual or becomes a coordination boundary. A “first-seen block after H” is easy to stream, but the chain tip is where short forks happen.

Bitcoin Developer Documentation notes height near the tip is not globally unique during reorganizations, and best practice is to reference blocks by hash.

A middle path is social finality: declare the New Year once the first post-H block reaches N confirmations, such as six, which moves the celebration by about an hour under a 10-minute model and reduces disputes about stale blocks and brief reorgs.

The path from meme to infrastructure runs through paperwork and interfaces. Bitcoin already uses block height and time as transaction constraints via timelocks, which means block time already functions as a coordination substrate at the protocol layer.

That makes it natural for venues to stamp period ends as “as of block hash X” for proof-of-reserves attestations, custody statements, or fund accounting cuts, reducing ambiguity from time zones, leap-second handling, NTP drift, or platform clocks.

The compliance boundary does not move with itTaxes and statutory reporting remain tied to jurisdictional time, which pushes crypto firms toward dual calendars in practice: legal time for filings and network time for shared receipts.

The pitfalls that complicate the celebration also define what would have to be built. If one block becomes culturally or financially special, miners and relays face new incentives around propagation and sniping, and Bitcoin Optech has covered how relay behavior and propagation delays interact with miner revenue.

Interfaces would need to make block time legible with a dual countdown (clock time plus blocks remaining) and communicate how reorg risk fades with confirmations.

Otherwise, the first mainstream experience becomes a dispute about which block counted.

Bitcoin already has protocol-native milestones, including the 210,000-block subsidy cadence noted in Bitcoin Developer Documentation and difficulty epoch tracking on dashboards such as Bitbo.

Bitcoin doesn’t need to replace the calendar to make block time meaningful. It already offers something rarer: a shared, neutral clock that no one can reset, pause, or reinterpret after the fact.

The challenge isn’t inventing new rituals around it, but learning how to live with two times at once, wall-clock time for laws, taxes, and social life, and block time for settlement, scarcity, and finality.

As Bitcoin continues to mature, the question isn’t whether block time becomes culturally dominant, but whether institutions and interfaces can respect it without pretending it can do everything.

It's important to know how these companies operate, and the risk involved, if you're thinking about investing.

In August 2020, software company Strategy (MSTR +0.10%) changed its business model when it started buying Bitcoin (BTC 0.09%). It officially rebranded as a Bitcoin treasury company in February 2025, and over 100 companies now follow the same approach.

At times, Bitcoin treasury companies have outperformed the cryptocurrency itself. While that may sound like an advantage, it's actually related to one of the dangers of this type of business.

Image source: Getty Images.

Using leverage for increased buying power
Bitcoin treasury companies don't always just buy Bitcoin with cash on hand. Many of them use debt to purchase even more. For example, Strategy has issued secured bonds and convertible bonds, along with selling stock.

It has worked, at least in terms of increasing Strategy's stockpile. The company has 671,268 BTC on its balance sheet, worth $59 billion (as of Dec. 25), by far the most of any publicly traded company.

However, leverage increases your risk, whether you're a retail investor or a corporation. Using leverage to buy a volatile asset like Bitcoin looks like a brilliant move during bull markets, but it can turn against you quickly, as we've seen with Bitcoin's recent decline.

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Over the last three years, Strategy has risen by 876%, crushing Bitcoin's 420% return. But over the last six months, it's a different story. Bitcoin has lost 17% of its value, while Strategy has plummeted by 59%.

Bitcoin is risky enough for me without using any leverage. I have a small portion of my portfolio in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and I'd rather stick with owning the coins than putting my money into a Bitcoin treasury company.

Lyle Daly has positions in Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Growth stocks fall in and out of favor with investors, but quality businesses are always worth buying.

Growth stocks abound in a wide range of sectors, although they tend to fall in and out of favor with investors, depending on the macro and/or market environment. Quality growth stocks can augment your portfolio returns with time and offset the more value-oriented businesses in your basket of buys.

If you are looking for top growth stocks to buy and hold well into the 2030s, here are three no-brainer names to consider right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Amazon
Amazon (AMZN +0.06%) continues to underscore the strength of its business and deliver fantastic growth for long-term shareholders. Over the three-year trailing period alone, the stock has delivered a total return of close to 173% for investors. Pull that time frame back 10 years, and you're looking at a total return of more than 600%.

Even though past performance isn't a promise of future returns, Amazon has proven its ability to thrive in a wide range of macroenvironments and capitalize on new growth waves. Amazon Web Services (AWS) remains Amazon's primary profit engine and currently accounts for approximately 30% of the global cloud infrastructure market.

That said, advertising is Amazon's fastest-growing segment, with annualized revenue for the segment set to exceed $60 billion in 2025. By leveraging its unique first-party data and expanding into upper-funnel ads via Prime Video and streaming partnerships, Amazon's ad business could easily approach $100 billion annually within a few years.

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Amazon is investing heavily in AI across its entire ecosystem, and its planned capital expenditures are projected at $125 billion in 2025. Amazon's growing AI ecosystem includes its custom silicon chips, Trainium for AI model training, and Inferentia for running models. These chips aim to provide high performance at a lower cost compared to competitors like Nvidia and are used to power internal services such as the Rufus shopping assistant.

To sustain its e-commerce moat, Amazon has deployed over 1 million robots in its warehouses, and management projects this will save up to $4 billion annually in fulfillment costs. These efficiencies, alongside a shift to regionalized warehouse models, are expected to significantly lift operating margins for the retail segment by 2030.

Amazon's third-quarter revenue totaled $180.2 billion, up 13% year over year. AWS segment sales were up 20% from one year ago. The company's operating income came to $17.4 billion, which was flat year over year but included $2.5 billion for a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settlement and $1.8 billion in severance, without which it would have been $21.7 billion. Net income rose 38% compared to Q3 2024, to $21.2 billion. Amazon continues to look like a compelling buy.

2. Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX 0.01%) boasts a trailing-10-year return in the ballpark of 90%, thanks to its robust cystic fibrosis (CF) drug franchise and growing foothold on the lucrative rare disease drug market. Vertex holds a near-monopoly in the market for drugs that treat the underlying cause of CF, and its key product patents extend into the late 2030s, so it can rely on a stable and highly profitable financial foundation.

The company is actively diversifying its portfolio with several high-potential programs in late-stage clinical development that target large, underserved markets, including kidney disease, pain management, and type 1 diabetes. Vertex has a solid balance sheet with low debt, habitually high profit margins (over 30%), and substantial free cash flow, which gives it the flexibility to fund research and development (R&D) and pursue strategic acquisitions. The company ended Q3 2025 with about $12 billion in cash and investments on hand.

Vertex continues to actively launch Casgevy, the first-ever gene-editing therapy (which it developed with CRISPR Therapeutics) and a functional cure for sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics are expanding access to Casgevy through authorized treatment centers and securing reimbursement agreements in multiple countries. The therapy is approved in the U.S., the E.U., and the U.K. for eligible patients 12 years and older.

Another ongoing major launch is for Journavx, a non-opioid medicine for moderate-to-severe acute pain. Over 300,000 prescriptions have been written for the drug as of mid-October 2025, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just approved the drug for use in the U.S. in January.

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The company is also advancing its candidates inaxaplin (for APOL1-mediated kidney disease) and povetacicept (for IgA nephropathy). Both treatments are in late-stage clinical development for their respective conditions. Vertex completed enrollment in the interim analysis cohort of the AMPLITUDE global phase 2/3 trial for inaxaplin in September 2025. The pre-planned interim analysis is expected once this cohort has been treated for 48 weeks. If the results are positive, this analysis could serve as the basis for seeking accelerated approval in the U.S.

The FDA already granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for povetacicept in IgA nephropathy. Vertex is on track to file for accelerated approval in the U.S. in the first half of 2026 if the 36-week interim analysis data is positive. Another key candidate to watch in late-stage trials is zimislecel, a potential one-time functional cure for type 1 diabetes using stem cell-derived islet cells. The phase 3 trial continues to enroll and dose patients, and the goal is to file for approval after one year of insulin-free follow-up.

So, there could be several new regulatory filings and approvals on the horizon for Vertex in 2026 and 2027. Vertex reported revenue that surpassed $3 billion in Q3 2025, up 11% from the year-ago quarter. It also generated net income of $1.1 billion in the quarter. If you want to invest in a growth-oriented healthcare stock with a tremendous runway still ahead, this looks like a business well worth buying. Its strategy of serial innovation and diversification beyond CF looks poised to drive significant revenue and earnings growth into the 2030s and beyond.

3. TJX Companies
TJX Companies (TJX 0.11%) has experienced a run-up of almost 150% over the last five years and has outpaced the growth of many of its fellow retailers thanks to its innovative, effective business model. TJX's off-price model, which involves opportunistically sourcing brand-name merchandise at a significant discount and creating a treasure hunt experience for shoppers, has proven resilient across various economic cycles and competitive threats, including the rise of e-commerce.

Management is targeting a long-term footprint of 7,000 stores globally, up from over 5,191 at the end of fiscal Q3 2026. So, there's a significant runway for physical growth in existing markets as well as new target markets. Unlike traditional retailers with seasonal stock, TJX stores receive new shipments several times a week to create an ever-changing inventory. This encourages frequent repeat visits from shoppers who enjoy finding hidden gems.

The unpredictability of the assortment creates a sense of adventure and reward, and because items are often unique and sell quickly, shoppers are incentivized to complete their purchases. Many TJX brands have a limited presence or no online presence at all, which also drives consumers to shop in person at their various brick-and-mortar establishments. TJX attracts a wide range of consumers across all income levels. In the current economic climate of 2025, TJX is thriving as cost-conscious consumers shift away from full-price department stores toward off-price options.

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Its stores tend to lack fixed walls between departments, which allows managers to quickly expand or contract categories based on current trends or local consumer demand. With over 21,000 global vendors, TJX's massive buying power ensures it is a preferred partner for brands looking to clear inventory discreetly and keep shelves stocked with desirable labels.

TJX Companies performed well in the third quarter of its fiscal year 2026, beating Wall Street's expectations for both earnings per share (EPS) and revenue. The company reported EPS of $1.28 on $15.1 billion in revenue, 12% and 7% increases year over year, respectively. The company also returned $1.1 billion to shareholders during the quarter through share repurchases and dividends.

TJX Companies pays a dividend that yields around 1% based on current share prices and has raised its dividend every year for almost three decades and counting. This looks like a top retail growth stock to buy and hold for the long run.

Truist was formed through the merger of BB&T and SunTrust in 2019.

In 2019, two strong regional banks, BB&T and SunTrust, announced one of the largest bank mergers of equals in many years, at least at the time. Eventually, the pro forma institution also adopted a new name, Truist (TFC 0.26%), to establish a new brand that better represented the new entity. The pitch for the massive merger was simple in theory: deliver best-in-class efficiency and returns.

More than six years later, that has yet to be accomplished and investors have shown their displeasure, with the stock up just about 7% over the past five years. You can do way better than Truist. Buy and hold this stock forever, instead.

Why mergers and acquisitions are difficult
When a merger or an acquisition is announced, it often sounds very enticing. Management promises that bigger will be better and that scale is necessary to better compete, which is certainly true in the banking sector. However, the devil is always in the details.

Bank investors, in particular, often dislike mergers and acquisitions because they typically require destroying tangible book value (TBV), or a bank's net worth, and what bank stocks often trade relative to, in order to purchase the bank being acquired. Then the bank must earn that TBV back over time through higher earnings accretion.

Image source: Getty Images.

Meanwhile, mergers have regulatory and execution risk, and it's often easier said than done to merge the cultures of two large banks. Additionally, revenue synergies don't always materialize, and numerous technical hurdles must be overcome when merging the complex back- and front-end systems of two banks, which may have been operating on legacy technology stacks.

Interestingly, in the initial merger presentation from February 2019, BB&T and SunTrust, each of which had about $200 billion to $230 billion in assets upon announcement, said the deal would be immediately accretive to BB&T's TBV per share by 6%. BB&T was the technical buyer in the deal. This is a great start for any bank deal.

However, Truist also promised an efficiency ratio, expenses expressed as a percentage of revenue, of 51% (lower is better), and a return on tangible common equity (ROTCE) of 22%. In Truist's most recent quarter, the bank delivered an adjusted efficiency ratio of 55.7% and an ROTCE of 13.6%. Part of the issue was due to higher-than-expected tech integration costs and other technical issues that resulted in backlash from customers.

Now, hopefully, for Truist, those issues are behind the bank. However, after such a long merger process and disappointing stock performance, it will need to recoup lost shareholder value, and there's no guarantee of success.

An easier and safer bet
If you are in the market for a bank stock, a sector expected to do well next year, then look no further than Bank of America (BAC 0.14%). It's the second-largest bank in the U.S. and has one of the strongest retail deposit bases in the country. Bank of America also offers a range of banking services at scale, all under one umbrella, including commercial lending, credit card lending, investment banking, payments, and wealth management.

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On a price-to-tangible book basis, it's more expensive than Truist, but for a good reason. In the bank's most recent quarter, Bank of America generated a ROTCE of over 15.4%. Meanwhile, it still trades at a notable discount to JPMorgan Chase, also for good reason, but I think there's an opportunity to close the gap.

TFC Price to Tangible Book Value data by YCharts.

Bank of America made a significant mistake when it purchased too many low-yielding, long-dated bonds at the beginning of the pandemic, when interest rates were low. Management lacked the foresight to anticipate that inflation would not be transitory and that the Federal Reserve would have to raise interest rates substantially. Those bonds fell deeply underwater, resulting in significant paper losses.

As the bonds mature, Bank of America should be able to recoup its TBV and deploy deposits into higher-yielding assets, which should boost earnings over time. The bank also offers a solid 2% dividend yield and will benefit from deregulation, which will likely come in the form of lower capital and liquidity requirements. That leaves more capital for lending and capital distributions to shareholders.

San Diego, California--(Newsfile Corp. - December 28, 2025) - Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that investors in SLM Corporation a/k/a Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) (NASDAQ: SLMBP) securities between July 25, 2025 and August 14, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), have until February 17, 2026 to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the SLM class action lawsuit. Captioned Zappia v. SLM Corporation a/k/a Sallie Mae, No. 25-cv-18834 (D.N.J.), the SLM class action lawsuit charges SLM and certain of SLM's top executives with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff of the SLM class action lawsuit, please provide your information here:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-slm-corporation-a-k-a-sallie-mae-class-action-lawsuit-slm-slmbp.html

You can also contact attorneys J.C. Sanchez or Jennifer N. Caringal of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at [email protected].

CASE ALLEGATIONS: SLM, through its subsidiaries, originates and services private education loans ("PELs").

The SLM class action lawsuit alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) SLM was experiencing a significant increase in early stage delinquencies; and (ii) accordingly, defendants overstated the effectiveness of SLM's loss mitigation and/or loan modification programs, as well as the overall stability of SLM's PEL delinquency rates.

The SLM investor class action further alleges that on August 14, 2025, investment bank TD Cowen issued a report addressing SLM, flagging that, "[o]verall, July [2025] delinquencies were up 49 bp m/m, higher (worse) than the seasonal (+10 bps) performance for July, driven by a 45 bps increase in early stage delinquencies." Notably, TD Cowen's findings directly contradicted assurances made by SLM's CFO, defendant Peter M. Graham – made late in the month of July 2025 – that defendants were observing delinquency rates that "really are following the normal seasonal trends we would expect in the business," the complaint alleges. Following this news, the price of SLM's stock fell by approximately 8%, the SLM shareholder class action claims.

THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits any investor who invested in SLM securities during the Class Period to seek appointment as lead plaintiff in the SLM class action lawsuit. A lead plaintiff is generally the movant with the greatest financial interest in the relief sought by the putative class who is also typical and adequate of the putative class. A lead plaintiff acts on behalf of all other class members in directing the SLM investor class action lawsuit. The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the SLM shareholder class action lawsuit. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff of the SLM class action lawsuit.

ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the world's leading law firms representing investors in securities fraud and shareholder litigation. Our Firm has been ranked #1 in the ISS Securities Class Action Services rankings for four out of the last five years for securing the most monetary relief for investors. In 2024, we recovered over $2.5 billion for investors in securities-related class action cases – more than the next five law firms combined, according to ISS. With 200 lawyers in 10 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the largest plaintiffs' firms in the world, and the Firm's attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history, including the largest ever – $7.2 billion – in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig. Please visit the following page for more information:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/services-litigation-securities-fraud.html

Attorney advertising.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.

Contact:
Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP
J.C. Sanchez, Jennifer N. Caringal
655 W. Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101
800-449-4900
[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/279047

Source: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP

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