Market Signal Briefing

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.

Toro Today

$79.39 +0.51 (+0.64%)

As of 12/26/2025 03:59 PM Eastern

This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

52-Week Range$62.34▼

$87.46Dividend Yield1.97%

P/E Ratio25.04

Price Target$92.20

The Toro Company’s NYSE: TTC weekly stock chart suggests its bear market is over, a baby bull market has formed, and it’s gaining traction. Not only is the market showing clear support at long-term lows, aligning with prior price action, but support appears to be strengthening; the indications are strong, and a breakout is imminent. The breakout is the critical factor, signalling market commitment and a trigger point for investors, likely to spur an influx of new capital. 

The fundamentals are also critical factors for this industrial stock. A bullish-looking chart without a bullish story is nothing more than a bear market setting itself up for another run lower. In this case, while The Toro Company continues to face hurdles, it is navigating them well, widening margins, and is on track to resume growth in 2026. 

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Market Gets AMPed on The Toro Company’s 2026 Outlook 
The Toro Company did not have a great 2025, with revenue contracting due to weakness in its consumer segment, but strength in the Pro segment offset it and was compounded by cost-saving efforts. The company’s AMP strategy is paying off, resulting in a 220 basis-point improvement in adjusted gross margin and significant outperformance on the bottom line. Investments in growth and technology, as well as the impact of tariffs, cut into earnings; however, adjusted EPS was more than 450 basis points ahead of MarketBeat’s reported consensus, free cash flow hit a record, and cost savings are forecast to continue in the upcoming year. 

Guidance is a driving force for this market and the capital return outlook. The company continues to expect a modest single-digit revenue gain in 2026 but has increased its earnings forecast from prior levels, giving a range whose midpoint exceeds the consensus target. The new guidance includes a 25% increase to the AMP savings target, expected to be realized by the end of fiscal year 2026 (FY2026), and an improved outlook for capital returns. 

Toro Dividend PaymentsDividend Yield1.97%

Annual Dividend$1.56

Dividend Increase Track Record21 Years

Annualized 5-Year Dividend Growth8.73%

Dividend Payout Ratio49.21%

Next Dividend PaymentJan. 12

TTC Dividend History

The Toro Company’s capital return is attractive for investors. The company’s dividend, which yields about 2% as of the end of 2025, is safe at 35% of the earnings forecast and reliable, with a 22-year history of annual distribution increases. The cash flow and balance sheet also allow for share buybacks, which reduced the count by an aggressive 4.4% in FY2025 and are expected to continue in FY2026. 

The Toro Company’s balance sheet is in a strong, fortress-like position, allowing it to support ongoing operations and growth initiatives while returning capital in 2026.

Highlights from FY2025 include the impact of aggressive share reduction, ie, reduced equity, offset by a strong cash position and low leverage. The company’s long-term debt is stable, well-managed, and less than 0.65x equity, about 3x the cash, providing no red flags for investors. 

Institutions Buy The Toro Company’s Deep Value in Q4 2025
Overall MarketRank™79th Percentile

Analyst RatingHold

Upside/Downside16.1% Upside

Short Interest LevelHealthy

Dividend StrengthStrong

News Sentiment0.12 Insider TradingN/A

Proj. Earnings Growth5.90%

See Full Analysis

Analyst activity in TTC stock is modest, with only eight covering it, and sentiment is pegged at Hold. However, the stock is trading well below the low end of its target range, suggesting a minimum 5% upside from the critical resistance level. The consensus, which has been steady over the trailing 12-month period, forecasts more than 15% upside, sufficient for a nearly 18-month high. 

The value opportunity is also seen in the institutional activity. While back-half 2025 activity was subdued relative to the front half, they own nearly 90% of the stock, and the balance of activity is conspicuously bullish. The group netted more than $2 for each $1 sold in Q3 FY2025 and approximately $3 for each $1 sold in Q4 FY2025, providing solid support and a market tailwind. Assuming this trend continues in Q1 FY2026, TTC stock will likely move above the critical $81.50 resistance target before the subsequent earnings release, due in March.

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Binance Coin price rose for the third consecutive day and reached its psychological point at $850.

Summary

Binance Coin price has formed a descending triangle pattern.
It is also about to form a death cross pattern.
Key BSC metrics like transactions and fees have plunged. 

Binance Coin (BNB) token was trading at $856, down by nearly 40% from its highest point this year. This crash has coincided with the ongoing crypto market crash and its deteriorating metrics.

Data compiled by Nansen shows that activity in the BNB Smart Chain has deteriorated in the past few months. For example, the network handled over 402 million transactions in the last 30 days, down by 83% in the last 30 days. 

Like with Ethereum, the network’s fees dropped by 17% in the last 30 days to over $14.3 million. Its fees collection was the second highest after Tron (TRX), which made $29 million in this period. 

More BSC Chain metrics have deteriorated in the past few months as crypto prices slumped. The total value locked in the network has dropped from the year-to-date high of $12.2 billion to the current $8.9 billion. It has dropped to the lowest level since July.

Meanwhile, its DEX volume has continued falling in the past few months. It dropped to a low of $55 billion this month, down sharply from the year-to-date high of $118 billion. 

More data shows that the futures open interest of the BNB token has dropped to over $1.3 billion, down from this year’s high of $2.7 billion. 

Binance Coin price technical analysis
BNB price chart | Source: crypto.news
The daily chart shows that the BNB price has slumped in the past few months. It has slumped from a high of $1,373 to the current $855. 

Binance Coin has formed a descending triangle pattern, a common bearish continuation sign. It is also about to form a death cross pattern as the spread between the 50-day and 200-day moving averages narrows. 

Therefore, the coin will likely have a bearish breakout in the near term. This view will be confirmed if it drops below the lower side of the triangle at $817. A move below that level will point to more downside, potentially to the 78.6% retracement point at $695.

Crypto Writer

Arslan Butt

Crypto Writer

Arslan Butt

Part of the Team Since

Sep 2022

About Author

Arslan Butt is an experienced webinar speaker, market analyst, and content writer specializing in crypto, forex, and commodities. He provides expert insights, trading strategies, and in-depth analysis...

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Last updated: 

December 28, 2026

XRP is trading at $1.87, up roughly 1% over the last day, as cautious buyers start to trickle back in after weeks of sideways trading kept traders in limbo. Daily trading volume stands at a respectable $1.06 bn, indicating steady participation rather than some wild speculative fervor.

As the 5th largest cryptocurrency, with a market cap of $113.2 bn, XRP still has 60.57 bn tokens out of 100 bn in circulation, which gives it a fair bit of stability.

Descending Channel Signals CompressionOn the 4-hour chart, XRP is still stuck inside a descending channel that has been dictating price action since that $2.11 peak earlier this month. Lower highs are still forming, but the channel’s slope is flatter than before, a sign that sellers are losing their grip.

Candle patterns back this up, too. Lately, small-bodied candles, spinning tops & doji formations are dominating the show, all of which are classic signals of indecision. That sharp selloff in December has now fizzled out, and all we’re seeing is some sideways consolidation with price repeatedly bouncing back up off that $1.85-1.86 support zone each time it comes near.

Each time it’s been the buyers that have jumped in, which suggests demand is quietly gathering strength.

XRP/USD Technical Analysis: Why EMA Levels Could Decide the Next MoveIn terms of trend, XRP is still stuck below the 50 EMA at $1.88 & the 100 EMA at $1.92, so from a short-term momentum perspective, it’s still neutral. However, price is no longer drifting away from these averages – in fact, both EMAs are starting to flatten out, which often signals a big move is just around the corner.

The momentum indicators are all telling the same story:

RSI has pulled back into the low 50s, well away from oversold levels
No bearish divergence is in sight, so breakdown risk is lower
Momentum is picking up without any signs of getting out of hand
So all in all, this is showing a balance rather than exhaustion.

XRP Price Outlook and Key LevelsStructurally, XRP price prediction looks like it’s getting ready to make a decision. According to 4-hour chart, a bullish scenario would start when the price breaks decisively above $1.92, opening the door to $1.96 & then $2.05. If that level can hold, then you can bet that $2.10 will be back in play.

XRP/USD Price Chart – Source: TradingviewOn the downside, if support at $1.85 fails then $1.77 is the next port of call, followed by $1.65 near the bottom of that channel.

At the moment, XRP is looking more like a resolution is on the way rather than some continuation of the trend. As long as that support holds, the risk reward profile is looking pretty good, and this sideways consolidation may just be the catalyst that gets the momentum going once again.

Maxi Doge: The Meme Coin Built for Maximum HypeMaxi Doge is exploding in popularity as traders rush toward its high-energy meme identity and fast-growing presale. With over $4.36 million raised, it’s quickly becoming one of the standout meme tokens of the year.

The project mixes bold branding with real engagement features, from ROI contests to nonstop community events, giving it more personality and momentum than typical dog coins. Its shredded, leverage-obsessed mascot has already turned Maxi Doge into a recognizable culture coin.

Holders can also stake $MAXI for daily smart-contract rewards and unlock access to exclusive competitions and partner events. The staking utility adds a passive-earning layer that keeps users active and invested in the ecosystem.

With $MAXI priced at $0.000275 and the next increase approaching, the presale continues to gain speed. If you’re looking for a meme coin built on hype, personality, and real community energy, Maxi Doge is shaping up to be one worth watching.

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The Uniswap price has gained significant attention in the past few days following the rollout of Uniswap’s Unification, which burned 100M UNI tokens. With the supply crunch in place, the UNI price was believed to experience a strong push. In the past 24 hours, the price faced a notable upswing after maintaining a narrow trade, trying to stabalise the latest volatility. With this attempt, trading activity suggests the market remains cautious as it approaches near-term resistance. 

Now the major focus is whether buyers can sustain momentum or if the token remains range-bound in the absence of stronger volume confirmation. 

Uniswap Price Action in the Past 24 HoursUniswap (UNI) has shown a clear attempt to push higher over the past 24 hours, with price trading around $6.25–$6.30, up roughly 5–6% on the day. The token posted an intraday low near $5.90 and a high close to $6.38, indicating buyers are stepping in aggressively on dips while price tests the upper end of its short-term range.

Spot trading volume rose to roughly $390–$400 million, reflecting renewed participation compared to the previous session. Liquidity remains healthy, with UNI holding above key intraday support as price compresses near resistance.

On the derivatives side, open interest sits near $240 million, showing traders are maintaining leveraged exposure. Funding rates remain mixed, hovering around neutral to slightly positive, suggesting no extreme long or short bias. Liquidations over the last 24 hours were relatively modest, with longs accounting for the larger share, pointing to positioning resets rather than panic selling.

What’s Next for the UNI Price?Uniswap (UNI) has experienced heightened volatility over the past quarter, rebounding sharply from sub-$5 levels to highs near $10 before entering a consolidation phase. While price has since cooled, UNI now appears to be stabilizing around its short-term mean, suggesting the market is absorbing prior volatility rather than rolling over. This stabilisation maintains the broader bullish structure, with the focus shifting to a breakout from the descending range that has capped price action since August.

Technically, UNI is attempting to break above a descending trendline, a level that has repeatedly rejected upside moves. This time, however, the attempt is supported by improving participation. On-Balance Volume (OBV), which remained suppressed for an extended period, has started to rebound decisively, indicating a renewed influx of buying volume. At the same time, RSI is trending higher, reinforcing the view that momentum is shifting back in favor of buyers rather than reflecting a weak corrective bounce.

If this setup holds, UNI could challenge the $6.65–$7.00 resistance zone in the near term. A sustained move above this area would place the price back above the 200-day moving average, a level that often acts as a trend filter. Holding above it could turn the average into support and strengthen the case for further upside continuation.

Will the UNI Price Reach $10 in Early 2026?Uniswap (UNI) is gradually regaining traction after defending its recent lows multiple times, a sign that downside pressure is weakening. The latest volume spikes support this view, suggesting renewed buyer interest rather than a passive bounce. If this demand persists, UNI could be setting up for a stronger directional move in the near term.

From a technical perspective, a clean break and acceptance above $7 would be a key trigger. Such a move would open the door for a broader upside extension, with $10 as the next major psychological level, followed by a potential attempt to establish value above $12 if momentum continues to accelerate. On the flip side, a yearly close above $6.5 would be critical to keeping the bullish structure intact. Failure to do so would likely extend the current tight consolidation, delaying any meaningful trend continuation.

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XRP Ledger has set the blockchain security ball rolling with quantum-resistant transactions powered by Dilithium cryptography.

Brian Njuguna2 min read

28 December 2025, 01:08 PM

Source: ShutterstockXRP Ledger Pioneers Quantum-Proof Transactions with Dilithium CryptographyThe rise of quantum computing has sparked growing concern in the blockchain community, as traditional cryptographic methods face the risk of becoming obsolete. 

In a proactive move, the XRP Ledger (XRPL) is pioneering quantum-resistant transactions through the implementation of Dilithium cryptography, positioning itself as a frontrunner in next-generation blockchain security.

RippleXity reports that XRP Ledger’s adoption of Dilithium cryptography prioritizes long-term resilience, providing quantum-resistant security essential for today’s enterprise-grade blockchain applications.

Quantum-resistant security is no longer optional. As blockchains power banks, corporations, and critical infrastructure, vulnerabilities to quantum attacks could threaten transactions, assets, and trust. By integrating quantum-safe cryptography today, XRP Ledger safeguards its network for the future, staying ahead of evolving technological risks.

Dilithium cryptography, a lattice-based algorithm built to resist quantum attacks, positions the XRP Ledger as a forward-thinking, secure blockchain. By adopting it, enterprises can trust that transactions and sensitive data remain protected, today and in the quantum future.

XRP Ledger’s focus on quantum-resistant security underscores a pivotal shift in blockchain: robust protection is now essential, not optional. By proactively addressing emerging threats, it not only fortifies its network but also sets a new standard for the industry, leaving legacy-reliant projects at risk of lagging behind.

This development coincides with Ripple’s latest Asian initiative, which explores XRP-based yield infrastructure and real-world asset (RWA) tokenization on the XRP Ledger.

As quantum computing evolves, quantum-resistant blockchains will shape the future of secure digital infrastructure. By adopting Dilithium cryptography, XRP Ledger showcases forward-looking security, establishing itself as a trusted platform for enterprises and investors seeking long-term protection in a complex technological landscape.

ConclusionBy adopting Dilithium cryptography, XRP Ledger leads in quantum-resistant, enterprise-grade security, protecting assets today while setting the standard for the next era of secure, resilient digital finance.

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Brian Njuguna

Brian Njuguna is a seasoned crypto journalist at Coinpaper, specializing in blockchain innovation, market trends, and regulatory developments. With a background in economics and years of experience covering the digital asset space, Brian delivers sharp, data-driven insights that cut through the hype. His reporting bridges global crypto narratives with emerging market perspectives, making complex topics accessible to a wide audience.

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Latest Cryptocurrencies News TodayXRP (Ripple) News

Sun, 28/12/2025 - 13:10

XRP saw a substantial spike of activity on the network, which is a great sign, but it is unclear what the source of that surge is.

Cover image via U.Today

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

Although on-chain activity just printed a spike that does not neatly fit into the bearish narrative, XRP price action appears weak and directionally unresolved. It is this divergence that is causing concern.

The market continues to put pressure on XRP. The price is firmly below important moving averages in the $1.85-$1.90 range. The 50-, 100- and 200-day averages serve as layered resistance because they are all overhead and sloping downward. Since the post-summer highs, XRP has remained structurally trapped in a declining channel.

Source: XRPScanVolume has continued to decline, and each attempt at a bounce has been swiftly capped. This stagnation is reflected in momentum indicators. The RSI is in the low 40s, indicating weak demand without complete surrender.

HOT Stories

What's moving XRPWhat’s taking place on-chain is difficult to understand. Payment activity has increased significantly over the last month, according to XRP Ledger data. Nearly 900,000 transactions were made every day, which is one of the highest numbers in recent months.

At the same time, there were several spikes in payment volume, some of which were significantly higher than average baseline levels. To put it succinctly, there are more transfers, larger transfers and clustered activity instead of consistent organic growth.

This poses a crucial query: who is transferring XRP, and why at this particular time? You would anticipate at least a slight price response if this were a retail-driven increase in usage. No, it is not.

Internal treasury movements, liquidity rebalancing, corridor testing or institutional settlement flows, rather than speculative trading, are examples of how the activity might be dominated by a few large entities. Put differently, it is possible that XRP is being used without being actively purchased on open markets.

On-chain activity breakdownPositioning ahead of potential catalysts is another option. In the past, XRP has demonstrated times when on-chain activity is weeks or months ahead of the price, particularly when connected to payment rails or cross-border settlement trials. False positives, or spikes in activity that never resulted in long-term gains, have also been produced by it.

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XRP is in a state of limbo as of today's rate of development on the network. Price trends indicate risk-off, but network data indicates something is happening. The market will view these on-chain spikes with suspicion until the price returns to at least the mid-$2 range and exits the declining structure.

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Zcash price is up about 15% over the weekend, pushing toward its next key resistance. The move has sparked discussion about whether the next leg higher is already forming or if a short-term cooldown might occur first.

Sun, 28/12/2025 - 13:33

XRP is making a recovery at the year-end, but volume is yet to catch up.

Cover image via U.Today

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

XRP is trading up early Sunday, extending its weekend recovery alongside the rest of the markets. Altcoins posted broader gains in quiet Sunday trading as the markets considered a surge in precious metals.

XRP reached an intraday high of $1.877 after rising for two straight days since Dec. 26. XRP has reversed a five-day drop in the past week, spanning from Dec. 21 to 25, as traders turned risk-off in quiet pre-holiday trading.

At the time of writing, XRP was trading up 1.7% in the last 24 hours to $1.86. Despite XRP's price recovery, volume seems to be lagging behind, suggesting traders' conviction remains lacking.

HOT Stories

In the last 24 hours, XRP's trading volume has dropped. According to CoinMarketCap data, XRP volume has dropped 37% in the last 24 hours to $1.06 billion.

The drop in volume may not be concerning, given that liquidity remains thin across the crypto market during the holidays. The pattern fits what tends to happen around major holidays, where trading volumes drop and positioning becomes more defensive.

Amid thin holiday liquidity, broader risk appetite has largely faded, with price action for major cryptocurrencies remaining choppy into year-end. Bitcoin rebound attempts have not shown consistent follow-through, and that lack of momentum has kept speculative corners of the market under pressure.

New phase arrives for crypto marketAccording to Coinbase Institutional, crypto markets are entering a phase where activity concentration might matter more than narrative momentum. A new outlook from the major crypto exchange says 2026 might be a test of whether crypto’s core markets can scale under more disciplined conditions.

Coinbase highlights a pillar of growth for the market in 2026 to center on stablecoins and payments, which it describes as crypto’s most persistent source of real-world usage.

Coinbase states that payment activity is becoming increasingly intertwined with other parts of the crypto ecosystem, including automated trading strategies and emerging AI-driven applications.

Related articles

Ethereum’s 2026 roadmap centers on two tracks: expanding rollup data capacity through blobs while pushing base-layer execution higher through gas limit changes.

Those gas limit changes depend on validators moving from re-executing blocks to verifying ZK execution proofs.

The first track is already anchored by Fusaka, which shipped Dec. 3, 2025.

FusakaIt sets up PeerDAS plus blob parameter only (BPO) changes that can raise blob throughput in measured steps, according to ethereum.org.

The second track is less mechanized because it relies on draft EIPs, client implementation, and validator operations that have to stay within decentralization constraints, including bandwidth, block propagation, and proving market structure.

PeerDAS is positioned as the clearest “capacity ramp” lever because it is designed to scale rollup data availability without forcing every node to download every blob.

According to ethereum.org, blob targets do not jump immediately at activation, then can double every few weeks up to a maximum target of 48 as developers monitor network health.

Optimism’s team framed the upper-end case as “at least 48 blob target per block,” paired with a rollup-side throughput move from about 220 to about 3,500 UOPS under that target, according to optimism.io.

Even in that framing, the practical question for 2026 is whether demand arrives as blob usage rather than bidding up L1 execution.

Another open question is whether p2p stability and node bandwidth remain within operator tolerances as BPO increases rollout.

On the execution side, Ethereum is already testing higher throughput through coordination rather than a hard fork.

GasLimit.pics reported a latest gas limit of 60,000,000, with an about 59,990,755 24-hour average at the time shown.

That level matters because it provides a reference point for what validators have accepted in practice.

It also exposes the ceiling of “social scaling” before latency, validation load, and mempool and MEV pipeline strain become binding.

A simple way to translate gas limit talk into throughput ranges is gas per second, using Ethereum’s 12-second slot time (gas per second equals gas limit divided by 12).

The numbers below keep the math explicit and separate base-layer EVM transactions from rollup throughput claims.

Ethereum GasScenarioGas limitGas/sec (≈ gas/12)Tx/sec at 21k gasTx/sec at 120k gasCurrent coordination level60,000,0005,000,000≈238≈422× gas limit case120,000,00010,000,000≈476≈83High-end case (requires validation change)200,000,00016,666,667≈793≈139GlamsterdamThe planned 2026 upgrade branding wraps several execution-oriented ideas into “Glamsterdam,” a shorthand slate that has been discussed around enshrined proposer-builder separation (ePBS, EIP-7732), Block-Level Access Lists (BALs, EIP-7928), and general repricing (EIP-7904).

Each remains in draft form, according to the EIP pages for EIP-7732, EIP-7928, and EIP-7904.

Repricing targets gas schedule mismatches that have persisted for years.

It argues that correcting mispriced compute can raise usable throughput while acknowledging DoS risk and the reality of contracts that hardcode gas assumptions, according to EIP-7904.

BALs are framed as plumbing for parallelism.

The EIP cites parallel disk reads, parallel transaction validation, parallel state-root computation, and “executionless state updates,” while estimating about 70 to 72 KiB average compressed BAL size as overhead, according to EIP-7928.

In practice, those gains only materialize if clients adopt concurrency across the real bottlenecks.

They also depend on whether the extra data and verification steps avoid becoming their own latency tax.

ePBS sits at the center of both MEV and throughput discussions because it aims to decouple execution validation from consensus validation in time, according to EIP-7732.

That temporal slack is also where new failure modes can show up.

An academic paper on the “free option problem” for ePBS estimates option exercise at about 0.82% of blocks on average under an 8-second option window, reaching about 6% on high-volatility days in its modeled conditions, according to arXiv.

For 2026 planning, that research pushes attention toward liveness under stress, not only steady-state fee outcomes.

The more structural bet behind “very high” gas limits is validator ZK-proof adoption.

The Ethereum Foundation’s “Realtime Proving” roadmap describes a staged path where a small set of validators first runs ZK clients in production.

Then, only after a supermajority of stake is comfortable, gas limits can rise to levels where proof verification replaces re-execution for practical validation on reasonable hardware, according to the foundation’s July 10, 2025 post on blog.ethereum.org.

The same post lays out constraints that matter for feasibility rather than narrative, including targeting 128-bit security (with 100-bit accepted temporarily), proof size under 300 KiB, and avoiding reliance on recursive wrappers with trusted setups, according to blog.ethereum.org.

The scaling implication is tied to proving markets: real-time proof supply has to be cheap and credible without concentrating into a narrow prover set that recreates today’s relay-style dependencies in another layer of the stack.

After Glamsterdam, “Hegota” is positioned as a later-2026 named slot that is still about process more than scope.

The Ethereum Foundation published a headliner timeline with a Jan. 8 to Feb. 4 proposal window, followed by Feb. 5 to Feb. 26 discussion and finalization, then a window for non-headliners, according to blog.ethereum.org.

A Hegotá meta-EIP exists as draft (EIP-8081) and lists items as considered rather than locked, including FOCIL (EIP-7805) as currently considered, according to EIP-8081.

The near-term reporting value in that schedule is that it creates dated decision points investors and builders can track without inferring commitments from codenames.

The first is that Hegota headliner proposals close Feb. 4.

Mentioned in this article

In brief
Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs continued generating inflows this year.
Access broadened to products tracking XRP, Solana, and beyond.
The SEC focused on listing standards and staking.
This year, exchange-traded funds opened several doors to crypto on Wall Street, as the SEC forged a fresh approach to the products.

Although asset managers had previously fought tooth and nail to offer products tracking Bitcoin and Ethereum’s spot price, many foresaw opportunities in 2025, as the regulatory environment started to shift with President Donald Trump’s return to power in January.

As of Dec. 15, spot Bitcoin ETFs had generated $57.7 billion in net inflows since their historic debut in January 2024, according to Farside Investors. That represented a 59% increase compared to $36.2 billion at the start of this year. But inflows weren’t consistent.

Investors poured $1.2 billion into spot Bitcoin ETFs on Oct. 6, for example, as the asset approached an all-time high above $126,000, according to CoinGlass. As Bitcoin’s price slipped below the $90,000 mark on Nov. 11, a few weeks later, investors yanked $900 million from the funds.

Still, that was only the second worst day for spot Bitcoin ETFs on record: As Bitcoin plunged in February on fears related to trade and inflation, the products posted $1 billion in outflows.

Since their debut last July, spot Ethereum ETFs had generated $12.6 billion in net inflows, as of Dec. 15, according to CoinGlass. As the cryptocurrency surged toward an all-time high of nearly $4,950 in August, the products generated $1 billion in inflows on a single day.

With signs of growing adoption among financial institutions, those products largely operated in the background, as onlookers focused on the prospect of more ETFs that could potentially boost digital asset prices, or expand access to new investors. Yet some are relatively focused on ETFs tracking multiple cryptocurrencies at once, as products ideal for institutions.

Make it genericWhen the SEC approved generic listing standards for commodity-based trusts in September, the regulator moved to address anticipation that had been building for months.

The stack of applications for ETFs covering a wide range of digital assets had grown thick on its desk, with approvals hinging on an answer that the SEC’s previous leadership had danced around for years: When should a digital asset be treated a commodity?

Instead of being forced to make case-by-case decisions about the eligibility of various cryptocurrencies, from Dogecoin to the president’s meme coin, the SEC instead outlined criteria for exchanges that made digital assets fit for commodity-based trusts.

Among the most important factors, the standards require digital assets underlying ETFs to trade on surveilled markets, have a six-month history of futures trading, or already back an exchange-traded fund with significant exposure.

That meant that at least a dozen cryptocurrencies were instantly “good to go,” Bloomberg Intelligence Senior ETF Analyst Eric Balchunas told Decrypt in September. From his perspective, he described the move as expected.

The approval of generic listing standards is set to greatly expand the number of products that investors have access to, but asset managers are still waiting for answers on at least 126 ETFs, Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Research Analyst James Seyffart recently said on X. 

Those applications focus on tokens from up-and-coming decentralized finance projects like the Hyperliquid, as well as relatively novel meme coins, including Mog.

XRP and SolanaFirst there was Bitcoin, then there was Ethereum. Now, investors in the U.S. have access to ETFs tracking the spot price of XRP and Solana, among a handful of others.

As the fifth- and seventh-largest digital assets by market capitalization, respectively, XRP and Solana both faced regulatory headwinds under the Biden administration, which dissipated on the road to becoming underlying assets for a number of products.

Last year’s debut of spot Bitcoin ETFs unleashed a wave of demand that buoyed the asset’s price to new highs. While the same can’t be said for the smaller cryptocurrencies yet, products dedicated purely to XRP and Solana still generated notable activity.

“I don’t think they’ve had the effect on the price that maybe people hoped for, but I do think, idiosyncratically, they have been huge successes and a validation of investor appetite beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum,” Bitwise Senior Investment Strategist Juan Leon told Decrypt.

Leon said the debut of ETFs for Solana and XRP came in November at a “disadvantageous time,” with macroeconomic conditions driving digital-asset prices lower in recent months.

Still, spot Solana ETFs have generated $92 million in net inflows since launch, as of Dec. 15, according to CoinGlass. Spot XRP ETFs, which debuted the same month, have generated roughly $883 million in net inflows since they began trading.

The debut of Solana ETFs was notable for another reason: They were among the first ETFs to share a portion of their rewards from staking with investors, a development bolstered by new guidance last month from the U.S. Treasury Department and IRS.

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, was among financial giants that have thus far passed up the opportunity to expand their set of crypto-focused products to additional assets, but Leon noted that XRP and Solana’s communities may not need them.

“What we’ve seen with the ETF so far shows that these communities are much more engaged and stronger and larger than maybe many people thought,” he said. “And I think that bodes well for both ecosystems going into 2026.”

Net inflows for spot Dogecoin ETFs stood at $2 million as of Dec. 15, according to SoSoValue.

Index wars?In 2025, individual investors and hedge funds were among the most likely groups to hold spot crypto ETFs, but that dynamic may start shifting materially soon, according to Gerry O’Shea, head of global market insights at Hashdex Asset Management.

He told Decrypt that many advisors and professional investors are still in the process of due diligence for ETFs that track cryptocurrencies, but he has a sense that they could start thinking seriously about allocations to the asset class soon.

Then again, Vanguard signaled earlier this month that it would let its 50 million customers trade some spot crypto ETFs on its brokerage platform. Bank of America, meanwhile, put its stamp of approval on modest crypto allocations for private wealth clients starting next year.

“A year ago or so, there was a lot of regulatory uncertainty, and they weren't really ready to dip their toes into the space” he said. “And now the questions aren’t really whether or not they should get exposure. It's how they should get exposure.”

In that sense, O’Shea believes ETFs that track an index of digital assets will become a bigger part of the conversation next year. Many professional investors appreciate how those funds’ holdings shift over time, giving them relative peace of mind, he said.

“They can make an allocation to an index ETF and get broad exposure to the growth potential of the market without having to have all that sort of detailed knowledge,” O’Shea explained. “They don't need to know everything about every one of these individual assets.”

In February, Hashdex was behind the first spot ETF tracking multiple digital assets in the U.S., with the debut of the Hashdex Nasdaq Crypto Index ETF. Modeled on the Nasdaq Crypto Index, it holds Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar, as well as larger cryptocurrencies.

Franklin Templeton, Grayscale, Bitwise, 21Shares, and CoinShares have debuted similar products, although some seek exposure to digital assets through derivatives. In total, the group of index ETFs offer exposure to 19 digital assets, per ETF Trends.

Although some pension funds in the U.S. have purchased spot Bitcoin ETFs, the State of Wisconsin Investment Board liquidated $300 million in holdings around February. The move was revealed via 13F filings that large institutional investors release quarterly.

Al Warda Investments disclosed a $500 million position in BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF in November. The investment firm is tied to the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment, which acts as a sovereign wealth fund in Abu Dhabi. 

Mubadala itself disclosed a position in BlackRock’s product in February, which was worth $567 million, as of its latest 13F filing. Around the same time, it was revealed that Harvard’s endowment held shares in the ETF worth $433 million. 

Brown University and Emory University also disclosed positions in spot Bitcoin ETFs this year, emerging as early adopters of the asset on an institutional level. Broadly, analysts have said the shift in investors could lead to less volatility for Bitcoin and shallower drawdowns.

“It hasn't been dramatic, but it has been notable,” O’Shea said, in reference to a broadening investment base. “This shift from retail to institutional is very good for the long-term sustainability of the asset class, because you do have these folks with much longer-term time horizons.”

Daily Debrief NewsletterStart every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.

15h05 ▪
5
min read ▪ by
Luc Jose A.

Summarize this article with:

What if 2025 was not the beginning of a long decline, but the end of a bearish cycle ? While fear settles on the markets and bitcoin remains far from its peaks, Samson Mow, founder of Jan3, challenges certainties. According to him, the bear market is already behind us, and what many fear for 2026 could actually mark the start of a historic bull run… lasting ten years.

In Brief

Samson Mow, founder of Jan3, states that 2025 marked the end of Bitcoin’s bear market, not its beginning.
He predicts a potential ten-year bull run, extending until 2035, supported by strong fundamentals.
Meanwhile, several experts, including Peter Brandt and Jurrien Timmer, anticipate a possible correction in 2026.
Other voices, such as Phong Le and Matt Hougan, remind that fundamentals remain healthy despite volatility.

Samson Mow Revives the Bullish Thesis
In a message posted on X on December 27, Samson Mow, founder of the Bitcoin infrastructure company Jan3, stated that the bear market was already behind us.

“2025 was the bear market,” he wrote, suggesting that the consolidation or price retreat seen this year could actually mark the end of a bearish cycle, rather than its beginning.

He goes even further, mentioning the idea of a coming ten-year bull run, extending until 2035. Analyst PlanC shares this conviction : “if you survived until 2025, then you have been through the bear market”. A way of saying the worst is over, and those who exposed themselves to bitcoin this year should reap the rewards in the next bullish cycle.

For these supporters of an optimistic interpretation, several factors strengthen their thesis, despite the current climate of doubt :

The price of bitcoin has dropped by 8.98 % since January 1st, currently reaching 87,888 dollars ;

Over the last 30 days, the decline is 3.29 %, signaling a loss of momentum in a wait-and-see market ;

Bitcoin is on track to close the year in red, which would be a first in its history ;

The euphoric forecasts made earlier this year, notably those of Arthur Hayes and Tom Lee, envisioning a BTC at 250,000 dollars, turned out to be largely unrealistic ;

In response, Mow and his supporters argue a longer-term macroeconomic reading. The current stagnation would be the prelude to a sustainable structural expansion based on network fundamentals and the post-halving context.

This positioning, a minority in a climate dominated by uncertainty, therefore proposes a complete reversal of the dominant narrative. It relies on historical precedents and a strong faith in bitcoin’s resilience, despite declining technical indicators.

2026, the Year of Truth ?
Contrary to this optimistic reading, several renowned analysts warn against premature enthusiasm.

Peter Brandt, a seasoned trader respected for his chart analysis, predicts a fall of bitcoin to 60,000 dollars by the third quarter of 2026. Jurrien Timmer, head of macroeconomic research at Fidelity, also mentions a possible drop in BTC to 65,000 dollars, calling 2026 a year of pause for the asset. These projections rely on a more cyclical market reading and take into account current macroeconomic signals, as well as a possible exhaustion of post-halving dynamics.

Beyond simple price forecasts, it is the market sentiment that triggers concern. Since December 13, the Crypto Fear & Greed index has been stuck in the extreme fear zone, reaching a score of 20 out of 100 on December 26.

This anxiety-inducing climate coincides with a continuous drop in the price of the flagship crypto over the last 30 days (-3.29 %), reinforcing the idea that investor confidence is eroding. Yet, some like Phong Le, CEO of Strategy, maintain that fundamentals remain solid despite this pullback period. Last July, Matt Hougan from Bitwise even stated that 2026 would be a year of recovery.

In this climate of uncertainty, interpretations clash. Some bet on a structural recovery, others fear a prolonged retreat. However, as Changpeng Zhao reminds us, it is better to buy in fear, not in euphoria. A principle that 2026 could once again put to the test.

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Luc Jose A.

Diplômé de Sciences Po Toulouse et titulaire d'une certification consultant blockchain délivrée par Alyra, j'ai rejoint l'aventure Cointribune en 2019.
Convaincu du potentiel de la blockchain pour transformer de nombreux secteurs de l'économie, j'ai pris l'engagement de sensibiliser et d'informer le grand public sur cet écosystème en constante évolution. Mon objectif est de permettre à chacun de mieux comprendre la blockchain et de saisir les opportunités qu'elle offre. Je m'efforce chaque jour de fournir une analyse objective de l'actualité, de décrypter les tendances du marché, de relayer les dernières innovations technologiques et de mettre en perspective les enjeux économiques et sociétaux de cette révolution en marche.

DISCLAIMER

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

Cover image via www.freepik.com

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

The New Year weekend compresses the crypto market into three screens, with Times Square flashing a 589 joke the XRP crowd cannot ignore, SHIB finishing December red while January has a habit of flipping the script and Bitcoin parking on its mid-Bollinger like it is picking a direction for 2026.

TL;DRTimes Square “589” coincidence revives the $589 myth in the XRP community.December is red for Shiba Inu (SHIB), but January seasonality is the bull argument.For Bitcoin, monthly mid-Bollinger is the line — hold for $125,000, lose and downside opens.XRP stuns Times Square with $589 twistA random broadcast mention about light bulbs turned into the biggest symbolic win XRP fans could hope for. The official 2026 numbers unveiled in Times Square were said to contain 589 bulbs — tall steel frames, seven feet high, counted on live television and instantly reposted across crypto X with captions that wrote themselves.

For the XRP crowd, 589 is not just a number, it is folklore — the mythical price prediction that has been echoing through forums and YouTube thumbnails for half a decade, the shorthand for "one day XRP will go where logic stops."

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When the city’s own countdown display lands on that exact figure, it does not matter if it is coincidence or cosmic marketing. Within minutes, “589” was trending again under every post with “Times Square” in it.

XRP itself trades near $1.86 with volume thinning out into year-end, holding its support range after December’s mid-month flush. The number on the screen may be accidental, but it dropped right when XRP needed a morale jolt.

For a token that lives on symbolism as much as on charts, 589 shining lights at the world’s most televised intersection just handed the community a story to run with into 2026. Coincidence or not, you cannot buy that kind of narrative alignment.

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Can Shiba Inu (SHIB) delete zero in January?If there is one thing the Shiba Inu coin has done better than most meme cryptocurrencies, it is staying predictable in its chaos. The final 2025 returns chart paints a painful picture: -10.9% in January, -26.1% in February and an ugly -12.5% for December, turning what started as a speculative revival year into another red calendar.

January is not some automatic SHIB wake-up month, it is a coin flip that has mostly landed red lately: -10.9% in 2025, -13.4% in 2024 and -36% in 2022, with median -12.1%, as per CryptoRank. The bull case is that when it hits, it hits hard, and 2023’s +46.2% is proof that one green January can erase a lot of damage fast.

On the TradingView chart, SHIB/USDT holds around $0.00000734 with a narrow spread, stuck between the floor at $0.00000699 and resistance at $0.000009. Above that sits $0.00001102 and then $0.00001203, which is the level that would literally delete one zero from the quote and trigger every Shiba Inu fan account to start tweeting rockets again.

Source: CryptoRankThis time, the question is less about sentiment and more about math. SHIB’s market cap at this level leaves enough headroom for a 20-30% move without breaking structure, and its burn tracker, which slowed during December’s cold week, could spike again once gas costs normalize.

Add the token’s pattern of bouncing right after a multi-month bleed, and you get the perfect January speculation narrative: SHIB deleting a zero is not just hopium, but a statistical déjà vu waiting for the first green candle of the year to light up.

Bitcoin has three days to prove 40% runEvery monthly close tells a story, but this one comes with a deadline. Bitcoin’s December candle is balancing right on the mid Bollinger band near $88,929 — the exact technical line that splits euphoria from panic.

A close above it this December confirms the channel expansion that targets $125,571 on the upper band, a straight +40% rally potential heading into Q1 of 2026. Slip below it, and the conversation flips instantly toward $52,286, the lower band support that would mean a full correction and the death of the “ETF supercycle” narrative before it even finished printing.

BTC/USD by TradingViewThe candle structure is brutal in its simplicity: open $90,352, high $94,603, low $83,821, current $87,826. Nothing dramatic, just indecision stretched across four weeks of declining ETF inflows and vanishing volume. The holiday slowdown hit Bitcoin hardest because the macro picture refuses to add momentum — rates are stable, the dollar index flatlined, and miner reserves have stopped dropping. With three days left in December, Bitcoin has exactly one task: defend that midline.

If it does, January could start with renewed buying as funds rebalance positions around ETF renewals. If not, the same Bollinger structure that delivered last year’s rally becomes the reason for a retrace that takes months to repair.

Either way, these final candles trade like coin flips with billion-dollar consequences. The irony is that after all the noise about institutions and liquidity, Bitcoin’s next 40% move may come down to nothing more than where this candle closes on Tuesday.

Crypto market outlookHoliday symbolism and technical thresholds collide into year-end. Times Square hands XRP a numerical gift, SHIB leans on its seasonal pattern for a fresh run, and Bitcoin stands at the last checkpoint before a potential Q1 expansion.

Three trading days remain for the market to decide whether the story of 2026 starts with $125,000 BTC headlines or another round of fears, uncertainty and doubts.

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There is now a split in Ethereum. While the rest of the market looks on, the big-money players have quietly gone on a $350 million spending spree since December 26.

The money flow index
You can see this pretty clearly in the data. The Money Flow Index, which tracks how money moves in and out, shows that smaller investors aren’t really putting real cash behind these price moves. In other words, when Ethereum goes up, they’re not rushing in to buy.

From December 18 through 24, Ethereum’s price went up, but the Money Flow Index went down. That’s backwards from what you’d want to see. It shows regular folks just don’t trust what’s happening with the price right now.

Retail investors are unlikely to begin purchasing until the Money Flow Index rises over 37, according to experts. It’s still below that as of right now, which raises the question of whether Ethereum can maintain its value without the small players entering the market.

What the charts are saying
Chart users believe they are aware of what the whales are viewing. An inverted head-and-shoulders pattern may be emerging on Ethereum’s chart. It may sound complicated, but it simply means that if specific conditions are met, the price may shift from falling to rising.

There’s another clue worth noting. What traders refer to as a bullish divergence is being displayed by the Relative Strength Index, or RSI. Ethereum’s price reached a lower low between November 4 and December 25, yet the RSI actually reached a greater low during that time. Even if the price hasn’t yet shown it, this typically indicates that selling pressure is beginning to lessen.

But Ethereum’s got some walls to break through first. The biggest one right now is $3,050. Get past that, and the next stop is $3,390.

If Ethereum can punch through $3,390, the chart guys think it could run all the way to $4,400. That’s what the pattern suggests anyway. Of course, things could go the other way too. Drop below $2,800 and this whole setup falls apart, potentially sending prices down to $2,620.

This year, futures trading has been just insane. According to CryptoQuant researcher Darkfost, Binance processed more than $6.74 trillion in ETH futures in 2025. That is about twice as much as we observed the previous year.

Price vs. network performance
As we’re closing out 2025, Ethereum’s stuck under $3,000. The second-biggest crypto is trading about 41% below where it peaked in August. That’s pretty rough considering how much the network itself has improved.

However, the real utilization figures paint a different picture. Ethereum reached a weekly average of over 1.73 million transactions on December 24, making it a record day. It was at its highest point ever. This expansion is being driven by stablecoin transactions, DeFi technology, and Layer-2 networks.

Big players making moves
However, a few major players are taking significant steps forward. On December 28, BitMine Immersion Technologies purchased about 103,000 ETH, boosting their staked holdings to 257,600 coins, or around $750 million. This places them among the largest institutional holdings, with over 4 million ETH in total.

Other prominent figures are pursuing other tactics. Erik Voorhees of Venice AI transferred roughly $5 million in ETH to Bitcoin Cash, while Arthur Hayes has been funneling Ethereum funds into other DeFi ventures.

Tokenization of real-world assets is one element that keeps the bulls enthusiastic over the long run. In 2025, this market surged from $5.6 billion to over $18.9 billion. With more than $12 billion in tokenized assets, Ethereum dominates this market, outperforming rivals like Solana and BNB Chain. Additionally, the network manages stablecoins valued at around $170 billion.

Experts in the field believe this trend has significant longevity. Tom Lee of Fundstrat predicts that Ethereum will reach between $7,000 and $9,000 in early 2026, citing the adoption of blockchain technology by traditional finance. This isn’t simply cryptocurrency hype, as evidenced by the DTCC’s announcement that they will tokenize US Treasury assets on the Canton blockchain.

What happens next
Chart-wise, Ethereum’s stuck in a box between $2,900 and $3,000.

Market conditions are still pretty choppy. More than 40% of ETH holders are sitting on losses, and there’s high leverage in derivatives markets. The Fusaka upgrade went smoothly in early December, proving the technology keeps advancing, but turning that into price gains probably depends on institutional money flowing back in next year.

Whether Ethereum can break out of this range will mostly come down to two things: if big institutional investors start buying again, and if everyday traders regain some confidence and jump back in. Right now, the whales are betting yes, but they’re mostly flying solo.

If you're reading this, you’re already ahead. Stay there with our newsletter.

Taiwan Semiconductor appears to be a popular stock among some billionaire investors.

Looking at what stocks billionaire hedge fund managers own can be a smart investment strategy. While blindly following their trades isn't a smart move because of information delay, seeing what stocks they all have in common may reveal some great insights to investors.

The reason for the information delay is due to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reporting requirements. Any money manager with more than $100 million in assets must report end-of-quarter holdings to the SEC. Then, that information is made available to the public 45 days after the quarter ends in a Form 13F. So, if you see that your favorite fund manager bought a position in a hot AI stock, they may have done it months ago.

The key is to find fund managers who don't make massive trades every quarter on a single position. Instead, they add or trim as necessary to manage their risk. One stock that popped up in multiple funds I follow is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM +1.35%), also known as TSMC. It's a huge holding in many portfolios, and I think it's set to skyrocket in 2026 as artificial intelligence demand ramps up.

Image source: Getty Images.

Taiwan Semiconductor plays a key role in the AI realm
The four billionaires who all own shares of Taiwan Semiconductor are:

Chase Coleman at Tiger Global Management (4% of portfolio)
Steve Mandel at Lone Pine Capital (6.2% of portfolio)
David Tepper at Appaloosa Management (4% of portfolio)
Daniel Loeb at Third Point (3.7% of portfolio)

Clearly, these four billionaires are very bullish on Taiwan Semiconductor's prospects, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out why.

It can be difficult to determine whose computing units are the best at any given time. For most of the AI arms race, Nvidia and its leading graphics processing units (GPUs) have dominated this conversation. However, rising competition from Advanced Micro Devices and custom AI accelerators from Broadcom has made this analysis more difficult.

But all three of these companies have one thing in common: They get most of their chips from Taiwan Semiconductor. This places TSMC in the ultimate neutral position, as it is supplying chips to competitors. So, as long as there are massive data center buildouts ongoing to develop generative AI technologies, Taiwan Semiconductor will be in an excellent position.

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Nvidia informed investors that it expects global data center capital expenditures to total $3 trillion to $4 trillion by 2030 -- a huge expansion from 2025's $600 billion. That's total capital expenditures, which is far broader than just computing. AMD offered a similar projection, estimating that computing will be a $1 trillion market opportunity by 2030.

This bodes well for one of the key providers of chips in the world, making it no surprise that these four billionaires own shares.

Is Taiwan Semiconductor a buy now?
As mentioned above, the information we have on the ownership of Taiwan Semiconductor among the four billionaires is old information. All we know is that they owned shares on Sept. 30. Since then, TSMC's stock has basically been flat, up around 3%. This likely means they still own the shares, as there haven't been any huge drops.

Furthermore, Taiwan Semiconductor's stock is reasonably valued heading into 2026.

TSM PE Ratio (Forward 1y) data by YCharts

At 23 times 2026 earnings, Taiwan Semiconductor isn't all that expensive compared to its peers. Factor in its critical position and monster growth that's expected to persist for several years after 2026, and Taiwan Semiconductor looks like one of the best buys in the market.

I think investors should follow these four billionaires' lead and take a hefty position in Taiwan Semiconductor. It's a critical company, and with massive spending expected to occur over the next five years, it's well-positioned to be a huge winner and could skyrocket in 2026 as a result.

Keithen Drury has positions in Broadcom, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Here's how Ford's pivot away from EVs, and introduction of a new business, works out for investors.

A nearly $20 billion bombshell from Ford Motor Company (F 0.37%) might have been the shoe drop the automotive industry was waiting to see.

The Trump administration has been busy introducing tariffs, reducing support for electric vehicles (EVs), and of course, removing the $7,500 federal tax credit for EV purchases. In part due to that, among other factors, the U.S. EV industry is expected to see a significant slowdown during the fourth quarter that will almost certainly extend into next year.

Because of these drastic shifts in demand and market potential, Ford just announced a $19.5 billion bombshell about its future ambitions. Here's what investors need to know.

What's going on?
It's tough to make a living selling EVs in the current environment, and after touting massive EV investment figures in recent years -- like much of the industry -- the Detroit automaker decided it was better to redistribute some of that investment to higher-return opportunities. This week, Ford announced a number of actions that are intended to refocus its Ford+ plan and drive profitable growth.

Ford Mustang Mach-E. Image source: Ford Motor Company.

To take these actions, Ford expects to record roughly $19.5 billion in special items related to a restructuring and a pullback in its full-electric vehicle investments. For investors, it's important to note that most of the charges will take place during the fourth quarter, followed by $5.5 billion to be charged through 2027, with most of that to be paid next year.

These charges will impact the automaker's net results, but it won't alter the company's adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), the figures Wall Street estimates are based on.

"This is a customer-driven shift to create a stronger, more resilient, and more profitable Ford," said Ford president and CEO Jim Farley in a press release. "The operating reality has changed, and we are redeploying capital into higher-return growth opportunities: Ford Pro, our market-leading trucks and vans, hybrids, and high-margin opportunities like our new battery energy storage business."

Ford's new plans include an increased focus on hybrid vehicles, including plug-in models, rather than full-electric vehicles, and canceling a next generation of large all-electric trucks in exchange for smaller and more affordable EVs. By the end of this decade, Ford expects about 50% of its global volume to be hybrids, extended-range EVs, and fully electric vehicles, up drastically from 17% in 2025.

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Here's what's of interest to investors hoping Ford can quickly reverse its billions in losses driven by its Model e EV business. These changes are expected to provide a path to profitability for Model e by 2029. According to Ford, investors can expect to see annual improvements beginning in 2026. Remember that in 2024, Ford's Model e losses topped $5 billion, and simply breaking even would boost the bottom-line.

Ford also threw a little curveball to investors with its next move. The automaker expects to repurpose its EV battery factory in Kentucky to build batteries to power data centers and energy infrastructure. As the artificial intelligence (AI) boom continues, and the strain on the electric grid from data centers and infrastructure, Ford sees opportunity to capture demand for battery energy storage systems (BESS) and plans to invest roughly $2 billion over the next two years to scale the business.

What it all means
Investors can't know for certain if this huge pivot is the right move, especially considering the next presidential administration could make substantial changes of its own, but they are logical with the market at the moment. These decisions from Ford are massive, and if executed as intended, should pay off for years.

Perhaps the largest takeaway for investors is the change in mindset. Decades ago -- whether you want to call it arrogance, stubbornness, or something else -- Ford likely wouldn't have adjusted its strategy, and could have even doubled down on EVs at the wrong time. Now, however, it's clear Ford is adjusting to land its business where the markets are going, not where we hoped it would be -- and that is a big win.

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.

SMR nuclear stocks may use uranium for energy in the future -- but they're burning cash already today.

Nuclear power stocks went on a tear in 2025, with the Global X Uranium ETF (URA 1.46%), for example, rising an incredible 72% year to date, crushing the return of the S&P 500.

Much of the credit for this performance goes to President Trump, who signed four executive orders in May promoting American nuclear power as a means of supplying artificial intelligence (AI) data centers with the electricity they need to operate. Of particular note was the president's encouragement of the development of small modular reactors (SMRs), which has helped spur market-beating returns among SMR nuclear startups, including Nano Nuclear Energy (NNE 5.97%) and Oklo (OKLO 5.40%).

Of the two, investors clearly favor Oklo stock, which is up more than 247% over the past 12 months, over Nano Nuclear -- which has gained only 15%. Yet once you dig into the numbers, a sneaking suspicion arises: Neither of these stocks may be able to keep their gains for long.

Image source: Getty Images.

Get to know Oklo
Let's start with the investor favorite, Oklo.

Oklo is designing what it calls a microreactor. This Aurora powerhouse will use High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel to produce anywhere from 1.5 to 75 megawatts of usable electrical power. The company will build Auroras in a factory and then transport them to their permanent site for installation.

As the company regularly reminds us, it's the first SMR to have received a "site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy for a commercial advanced fission plant," and it was also the first to submit a "custom combined license application for an advanced reactor to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission." The company also aims to develop fuel recycling technologies to lessen U.S. reliance on foreign suppliers of uranium for the advanced nuclear plants that Oklo hopes to build.

The company has won multiple contracts from the Department of Energy, both to help develop its technology into working reactors and to build and operate three fuel fabrication plants.

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Oklo's issues
Oklo expects its first reactor to go online and begin generating revenue in 2027, with the first GAAP profit to arrive in 2030, and a forecast for positive free cash flow in 2033. But here's where the problem arises.

Oklo has amassed more than $920 million in cash to fund its work and is currently burning less than $40 million a year. So far, so good? Yet the nearer Oklo gets to completion, the more money it's going to have to spend to set up fabs and actually build its reactors -- more than $580 million total over the next three years, and then close to $1 billion each year for the next four years, according to analyst estimates from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

At that rate, Oklo's going to run out of cash long before it turns free cash flow positive in 2033. It will need to either take on significant debt or sell substantial quantities of stock, diluting shareholders -- and perhaps both.

Suffice it to say that's not going to be good news for investors in the stock when it happens.

Nano Nuclear Energy
Nano Nuclear Energy's similar in many respects. Like Oklo, it's placing its nuclear bets in a scattershot manner, not focusing on just one aspect of the business -- building microreactors for data centers -- but also working to produce reactors for spacecraft, enrich and transport nuclear fuel, and provide "nuclear industry consulting services." 

An optimist might look at all this activity and commend Nano for trying to diversify its revenue streams. A pessimist may look at the same activities and see "diworsification" instead.

Today's Change

(

-5.97

%) $

-1.81

Current Price

$

28.49

The more so when you consider Nano Nuclear's financial situation. Like Oklo in having neither revenue nor profit today, Nano's similarly expected to begin generating revenue only in 2027 -- and profit not before 2033. Analysts aren't even making the effort to calculate operating cash flow, capital spending, or free cash flow for Nano Nuclear more than a couple of years out, perhaps because they're not convinced the company has the cash to go much further than that. (Nano has only about $200 million in the bank.)

Of the two, I suspect Nano's in the weakest financial shape, and likely to fold soonest. But to be perfectly blunt, I doubt either of these nuclear stocks will end up making money for investors in the long run.

HomeDividends AnalysisDividend Quick Picks

SummaryDividend Kings underperformed SPY in 2025, up 4.47% vs. SPY's 17.7%, but select Kings outperformed the index.Twenty-two Dividend Kings are identified as both potentially undervalued and offering long-term expected annualized returns of at least 10%.Dividend growth for the Kings remains subdued at 5.81% for 2025, trailing the 2024 rate of 6.32%.Dividend Yield Theory is used to identify undervaluation and estimate expected returns, focusing on mean reversion and forward dividend yields. Parradee Kietsirikul/iStock via Getty Images

2025 Review During November the Dividend Kings finally showed signs of life this year, edging higher by 3.26% on the month. They also managed to outperform the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) by

Analyst’s Disclosure:I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of ABBV, ADP, HRL, JNJ, LOW, PEP, SPGI 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.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses in Stride to Contact Him Directly to Discuss Their Options

If you purchased or acquired securities in Stride between October 22, 2024 and October 28, 2025 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

[You may also click here for additional information]

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - December 28, 2025) - Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Stride, Inc. ("Stride" or the "Company") (NYSE: LRN) and reminds investors of the January 12, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.

As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose information regarding the Company's products and services to public and private schools, school districts, and charter boards. Throughout the Class Period, Stride represented to investors that "[t]hese products and services, spanning curriculum, systems, instruction, and support services are designed to help learners of all ages reach their full potential through inspired teaching and personalized learning." Unbeknownst to investors, Stride was inflating enrollment numbers, cutting staff costs beyond required statutory limits, ignoring compliance requirements, and losing existing and potential enrollments.

On September 14, 2025, Simply Wall St. published a report stating that the Gallup-McKinley County Schools Board of Education had filed a complaint against Stride, alleging fraud, deceptive trade practices, systemic violations of law, and intentional and tortious misconduct, including inflating enrollment numbers by retaining "ghost students" on rolls to secure state funding per student and ignoring compliance requirements, including background checks and licensure laws for its employees.

On this news, Stride's stock price fell $18.60, or 11.7%, to close at $139.76 per share on September 15, 2025, thereby injuring investors.

Then, on October 28, 2025, Stride released its first quarter fiscal 2026 financial results, revealing the Company had purposely "limit[ed] enrollment growth while we improve our execution." The Company also revealed it had experienced "system implantation issues" resulting in "higher withdrawal rates and lower conversion rate." The Company stated that "these factors resulted in approximately 10,000 to 15,000 fewer enrollments" and "these challenges will likely restrict [its] in-year enrollment growth."

On this news, Stride's stock price fell as much as 51% during intraday trading on October 29, 2025, thereby injuring investors further.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Stride's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

To learn more about the Stride class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/LRN or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278630

Source: Faruqi & Faruqi LLP

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Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses in Firefly Aerospace to Contact Him Directly to Discuss Their Options

If you purchased or otherwise acquired: (a) Firefly common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the Offering Documents (defined below) issued in connection with the Company's initial public offering conducted on or about August 7, 2025 (the "IPO" or "Offering"); and/or (b) Firefly securities between August 7, 2025 and September 29, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period") and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

[You may also click here for additional information]

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - December 28, 2025) - Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Firefly Aerospace Inc. ("Firefly" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FLY) and reminds investors of the January 12, 2026 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.

As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) Firefly had overstated the demand and growth prospects for its Spacecraft Solutions offerings; (2) Firefly had overstated the operational readiness and commercial viability of its Alpha rocket program; (3) the foregoing, once revealed, would likely have a material negative impact on the Company; and (4) as a result, the Offering Documents and Defendants' public statements throughout the Class Period were materially false and/or misleading and failed to state information required to be stated therein.

Firefly conducted its August 7, 2025 IPO pursuant to the Offering Documents, selling 19.296 million shares of common stock priced at $45.00 per share.

On September 22, 2025, Firefly reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2025, its first earnings report as a public company. Among other items, Firefly reported a loss of $80.3 million, or $5.78 per share, compared to $58.7 million, or $4.60 per share, for the same quarter in 2024. Firefly also reported revenue of $15.55 million, below analyst estimates of $17.25 million and down 26.2% from the same quarter in 2024. Significantly, Firefly reported revenue of only $9.2 million in its Spacecraft Solutions business segment, representing a 49% year-over-year decrease.

On this news, Firefly's stock price fell $7.58 per share, or 15.31%, to close at $41.94 per share on September 23, 2025.

Less than one week later, on September 29, 2025, Firefly disclosed that "the first stage of Firefly's Alpha Flight 7 rocket experienced an event that resulted in a loss of the stage." Notably, Firefly CEO Jason Kim stated during the September 22, 2025 earnings call that the Company "expect[ed] to launch Flight 7 in the coming weeks." Following on the heels of Firefly's failed April 2025 Alpha rocket launch, the Alpha 7 test failure raised significant questions about Firefly's ability to meet its commercial launch commitments and the viability of the Company's technology.

On this news, Firefly's stock price fell $7.66 per share, or 20.73%, to close at $29.30 per share on September 30, 2025.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Firefly's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

To learn more about the Firefly Aerospace class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/FLY or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278621

Source: Faruqi & Faruqi LLP

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Shares of Salesforce Inc. (NYSE: CRM) gained 16.65% over the past month after losing 10.69% the month prior. On the year, the stock is down 19.51%, and over the past year, CRM is down 22.12%. Amid that slump, the company’s market cap has shrunk to $249.37 billion, with 1,551 institutional owners having decreased their positions compared to 1,397 increasing their positions. Still, the company has nearly 83% institutional ownership and analysts’ outlooks for the stock are encouraging.

In June, CNBC reported that CEO Marc Benoiff said AI is now doing up to 50% of the workload at Salesforce, with the technology reaching about 93% accuracy. On May 27, it was announced that Salesforce is acquiring cloud data management company Informatica in an $8 billion deal. The company will be paying $25 per share of Informatica’s Class A and Blass B-1 common stock. In March, Salesforce pledged a $1 billion investment in Singapore over the next five years, emphasizing that its flagship AI product — Agentforce — could help the country rapidly capped its labor force in key service and public sector industries at a time when the Asian nation is dealing with an aging population, reduced workforce and declining birth rates.

One colloquial phrase from the business world that has uniquely developed in the 21st century is “Customer Relationship Management,” or CRM, which was coined by the Gartner Group in the late 1990s. Both CRM and “Software as a Service” (SaaS) have since become synonymous with a San Francisco software management company that has become an industry behemoth, even taking “CRM” as its stock ticker. 

Salesforce is the world’s largest provider of cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) services. Its SaaS platforms bridge the gap between companies and customers around the world, facilitating and personalizing sales management, customer service, and marketing. Its acquisitions of complementary software companies have filled gaps demanded by its customers, and have subsequently fueled Salesforce’s extraordinary growth over the past decade. 

While most Wall Street analysts will calculate 12-month forward projections, it’s clear that nobody has a consistent crystal ball, and plenty of unforeseen circumstances can render even near-term projections irrelevant. 24/7 Wall St. aims to present some further-looking insights based on Salesforce Inc.’s own numbers, along with business and market development information that may be of help to our readers’ own research.

Salesforce’s Recent Stock Success
From fiscal 2014 to fiscal 2024 (January 2024), Salesforce’s revenue grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24%. Although a good part of the growth came from organic, big acquisitions — including Demandware, Mulesoft, Tableau and Slack. These additions contributed substantially to expand the Salesforce ecosystem. After going into the black in fiscal 2017, Salesforce’s net income continued to expand, notching a 44% CAGR from 2017 to 2024. The company also announced a $10 billion stock buyback and its first-ever dividend in 2024.

Fiscal Year (Jan. 31)
Price
Revenues
Net Income

2016
$68.08
$6.6B
(-$47.4M)

2017
$79.10
$8.4B
$323M

2018
$113.91
$10.5B
$360M

2019
$151.97
$13.3B
$1.110B

2020
$182.31
$17.1B
$126M

2021
$225.56
$21.2B
$4.072B

2022
$232.63
$26.5B
$1.444B

2023
$167.97
$31.3B
$208M

2024 
$281.09
$34.9B
$4.136B

Salesforce’s phenomenal growth over the past decade has been fed by strategically savvy acquisitions that have filled critical gaps in their SaaS package offerings. Starting in mid-2013, the company spent $2.5 billion for ExactTarget, which supplied cloud marketing tools to integrate Salesforce management technology with digital marketing campaigns.

2016 saw the $2.8 billion purchase of Demandware, now rebranded as Salesforce CommerceCloud. It is the company’s e-commerce platform, fully integrated with Einstein AI. The need to sync the different cloud based operations and data metrics was satisfied by the $6.5 billion acquisition of MuleSoft for digital integration in 2018. Analytics software platform Tableau followed in 2019 for $15.7 billion. Finally, intraoffice and company personnel collaboration and communication platform Slack was added to Salesforce in 2021 for the sum of $27.7 billion. 

The large expenditures have benefitted Salesforce’s growth but have understandably made earnings erratic, which has raised the ire of some activist investors. 

Key Drivers for Salesforce’s Future

Financial Health: Salesforce has a strong $8.24 billion net cash surplus position relative to debt. 
Brand Strength: Salesforce is the current CRM “King of the Hill” and commands strong brand recognition in the CRM space (including its stock ticker). This brand strength is leveraged with its newest products, which subsequently bring in customers to subscribe to the entire Salesforce ecosystem, rather than the more expensive and cumbersome option of piecemealing different software platforms for CRM.
R&D: Salesforce’s continued R&D with AI, Blockchain, and Quantum Computing Technology should help it maintain its “leader of the pack” position in the CRM space. 
International Marketing and Sales: This demographic will be the next big growth target for Salesforce. This will help to offset its focus on primary market large players, which necessitate longer sales cycles and are subject to more competition from rivals.

Salesforce (CRM) Headwinds
Although it was one of the earliest players in the CRM and SaaS arena, Salesforce would inevitably see competition, and not just from start-ups, as well as internal issues. That includes:

Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 software for CRM challenges Salesforce head-to-head. Other rivals include Oracle’s NetSuite, SAP, HubSpot, Zendesk, Insightly, and a dozen more.
As Salesforce has also entered the rapidly shifting AI rodeo, it has to devote considerable resources to its development and synchronous compatibility with its current products while keeping an eye on any industry of rivals’ breakthroughs.
Activist investors are pressuring management to cut costs and pause its big acquisitions.
Adoption of its AI product, Agentforce, has lagged and is contributing to weak 2025 guidance.

Salesforce (CRM) Stock Price Prediction for 2026
The consensus median one-year price target from Wall Street analysts is $327.13, which represents 22.91% potential upside from the current share price. Of the 42 analysts covering CRM, 31 assign the stock a “Buy” rating, 10 assign it a “Hold” and one assign it a “Sell.” Overall, Salesforce receives a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating.

Based on 24/7 Wall St.‘s assessment of the company’s financials, we forecast a one-year price target of $333.90, good for 25.46% upside potential. The departure of the highly regarded CFO, Amy Weaver, is a negative. Her enviable track record managing restructuring efforts and the level of respect she commands on Wall Street cannot be disregarded. Although she will remain as an advisor with new CFO Robin Washington at the helm as of March 21, 2025, the comfort of a smooth transition is not guaranteed. 

Salesforce (CRM) Stock Forecast Through 2030
In FY 2030, we predict Salesforce can hit a stock price of $493.80, a potential 85.54% gain from today’s share price.

By 2029–2030, Salesforce’s R&D investments in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies may be ready for prime-time commercialization. These immersive technologies could revolutionize customer engagement and data visualization, potentially opening new revenue streams. As Salesforce expands its offerings, it may face increased competition from other enterprise software providers like ServiceNow.

One other aspect of Salesforce not yet mentioned, since when its impact may become manifest is unknown, is its venture capital work in tech startups. Salesforce Ventures has a $500 million Generative AI Fund that includes a $200 million investment in Hugging Face, the largest open-source AI community on Earth. Salesforce’s presence in Hugging Face is strategically intended to expose Hugging Face using entrepreneurs to Salesforce’s CRM products in a soft sell approach that can potentially reap billions as these startup companies take off. 

Fiscal Year
Normalized EPS
Projected Stock Price
%Change From Current Price

2026
$11.13
$333.90
25.46%

2027
$12.69
$380.70
43.04%

2028
$13.73
$412.80
55.10%

2029
$15.05
$451.50
69.64%

2030
$16.46
$493.80
85.54%

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered in Avantor to Contact Him Directly to Discuss Their Options

If you purchased or acquired securities in Avantor between March 5, 2024 and October 28, 2025 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

[You may also click here for additional information]

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - December 28, 2025) - Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Avantor, Inc. ("Avantor" or the "Company") (NYSE: AVTR) and reminds investors of the December 29, 2025 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See www.faruqilaw.com.

As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose that: (1) Avantor's competitive positioning was weaker than Defendants had publicly represented; (2) Avantor was experiencing negative effects from increased competition; and (3) as a result, Defendants' representations about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

During the Class Period, Defendants misled investors by falsely touting the Company's competitive positioning and downplaying the effects of increased competition. For example, during an earnings call on July 26, 2024, in response to an analyst's question about whether Avantor was losing share to a competitor, Defendant Michael Stubblefield, then the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, assured investors that Avantor's "lab business stacks up well against every number that certainly that we've seen," that "we continue to enhance our position," and that "we're really confident in our value proposition and our competitive position." Likewise, Defendants repeatedly pointed to Avantor's purported competitive advantages, such as its digital capabilities, as evidence that the Company would continue to enjoy strong competitive positioning.

Investors began to learn the truth about the effects of increased competition on Avantor's business on April 25, 2025, when the Company reported disappointing first quarter 2025 financial results, cut its guidance for 2025, and announced that Defendant Stubblefield would be stepping down from his roles as President and Chief Executive Officer. Defendants attributed Avantor's weak performance and outlook to "the impact of increased competitive intensity."

On this news, the price of Avantor common stock declined $2.57 per share, or more than 16.5%, from a close of $15.50 per share on April 24, 2025, to close at $12.93 per share on April 25, 2025.

Then, on August 1, 2025, the Company reported disappointing second quarter 2025 financial results, including a year-over-year decrease in net sales, and further reduced the Company's 2025 guidance-now projecting organic revenue growth of -2% to 0%. Defendants again attributed Avantor's poor results and outlook to "increased competitive intensity," and further admitted that the Company did not expect the competitive environment to materially improve in the remainder of 2025 and weak performance would therefore likely persist.

In response to this news, the price of Avantor common stock declined $2.08 per share, or more than 15%, from a close of $13.44 per share on July 31, 2025, to close at $11.36 per share on August 1, 2025.

Then, on October 29, 2025, the Company reported weak third quarter 2025 financial results, including -5% organic revenue growth (below the guidance Defendants had provided in August), and a net loss of $712 million, which Defendants primarily attributed to a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $785 million. Defendants revealed that the impairment charge was necessary due in part to "competitive pressures" that had "meaningfully impacted" the Company's margins, and further admitted that the Company had lost several large accounts.

On this news, the price of Avantor common stock declined $3.50 per share, or more than 23%, from a close of $15.08 per share on October 28, 2025, to close at $11.58 per share on October 29, 2025.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Avantor's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

To learn more about the Avantor class action, go to www.faruqilaw.com/AVTR or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310).

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, on X, or on Facebook.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/278617

Source: Faruqi & Faruqi LLP

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Investing in value-driven stocks can be a wise strategy for any long-term investor.

Some stocks can teach you to think like a value investor by providing real-world opportunities to practice the patience to let your investment grow, apply disciplined research to understand their respective business models, and leverage the skill of recognizing intrinsic value versus market price. Broadly speaking, long-term investors should develop a mindset of seeking out quality companies, rather than chasing market trends.

The stock market is not always efficient in the short term. The current stock price of any given company reflects the near-term.-term supply and demand, news, and investor sentiment about that business. When a company retains a reasonable valuation, and the underlying company retains a favorable intrinsic value (its true worth based on future cash flows and assets), this can present an intriguing opportunity for value investors to put cash to work.

Here are two such companies to consider for your portfolio that you can buy and hold for the long run.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola (KO 0.34%) is a quintessential value stock prized by investors like Warren Buffett for its predictability, durable competitive advantages, and consistent shareholder returns. Its relatively non-cyclical demand has made it broadly recession-resistant, as consumers typically buy beverages regardless of the economic climate. And, having one of the world's strongest brands allows Coca-Cola to raise prices to offset inflation without a significant loss in sales volume.

The company has increased its dividend for 63 consecutive years as of 2025, and offers a reliable yield of approximately 2.9%. The company primarily produces and markets beverage concentrates and syrups. It sells these concentrates to over 200 bottling partners worldwide, who handle the capital-intensive work of manufacturing, packaging, and distribution. This system allows Coca-Cola to maintain high operating margins and low capital expenditures while benefiting from a massive, global physical distribution network that is nearly impossible for competitors to replicate.

Today's Change

(

-0.34

%) $

-0.24

Current Price

$

69.87

In Q3 2025, Coca-Cola's net revenue rose 5% year over year to $12.5 billion, driven by a 6% increase in organic revenue. Net income for Q3 2025 surged 30% to $3.7 billion, and the company maintained an impressive gross profit margin of over 61% along with a comparable operating margin of 32%. The company is set to generate roughly $9.8 billion in projected free cash flow for the full year 2025, which provides ample capacity for dividends and reinvestment.

Coca-Cola is diversifying its portfolio beyond traditional carbonated soft drinks into high-growth areas such as energy drinks, coffee, ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages, and value-added dairy. The company generates a significant portion of its revenue overseas and has strong positions in fast-growing emerging markets like Latin America and parts of Asia-Pacific.

Its localized production strategy in many regions helps mitigate risks from tariffs and supply chain disruptions. Coca-Cola's trailing-five-year return, including dividends, is around 50%. This stock may not be the most exciting in today's market environment, but its robust business model, financial fortitude, and consistent dividend could make it a no-brainer buy for some long-term investors.

2. Bank of America
Bank of America (BAC 0.14%) is another classic value stock thanks to its massive scale, defensive nature, and a history of reliable shareholder returns. The bank has a wide moat driven by cost advantages from its client base of 70 million consumers and small businesses, and high switching costs for customers who use its integrated digital and financial platforms. As the second-largest U.S. bank, Bank of America acts as a foundational institution that provides stability to its customers and investors even during periods of broader market volatility.

The company has consistently paid a dividend for decades, and has consistently increased its dividend for 12 years in a row and counting. The stock currently yields about 2% based on current share prices. Its trailing-five-year return, including dividends, is in the ballpark of 120%.

Bank of America operates a highly diversified growth model managed through four primary segments. Consumer Banking is the largest segment, where it serves individuals and small businesses with deposits, credit cards, and mortgages. Its Global Wealth & Investment Management business manages trillions in client assets. The Global Banking division provides lending, advisory, and investment banking services to corporations and institutions, and its Global Markets segment focuses on institutional sales and trading across various asset classes.

Today's Change

(

-0.14

%) $

-0.08

Current Price

$

56.17

Bank of America had a fantastic quarter in Q3. Its total revenue of $28.1 billion rose 11% year over year, while net income totaled $8.5 billion, a 23% jump from the year-ago period. Its net interest income of $15.2 billion was up 9%. Investment banking fees surpassed $2 billion, a whopping 43% hike from one year ago.

The provision for credit losses decreased by approximately 13% from the prior year, a strong indication of improving asset quality. And, Bank of America returned $7.4 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases during the quarter. Long-term investors who want to invest in the banking sector and benefit from a solid dividend on top of that might want to take a second look at this tried-and-true value play.

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© Moussa81 / Getty Images

Dividend growth investing builds long-term wealth for retirement by focusing on companies that consistently increase payouts. These stocks provide rising income and often deliver superior total returns through compounding.

Research from Hartford Funds, using Ned Davis Research data from 1973 to 2025, shows companies that grew or initiated dividends in the S&P 500 achieved higher average annual returns with lower volatility than non-payers or cutters. Over long periods, dividend growers and initiators outperformed the equal-weighted S&P 500 and demonstrated resilience in market declines.

Many established dividend growth stocks exist, but Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) stands out as a surprising yet strong choice today due to its robust growth and consistent increases.

Why Eli Lilly Dominates Pharma
Eli Lilly ranks among the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies by revenue and holds the highest market capitalization in the sector, hitting $1 trillion in November.

The company derives most revenue from its incretin portfolio, primarily Mounjaro (tirzepatide for type 2 diabetes) and Zepbound (tirzepatide for obesity). In the third quarter, combined sales drove 54% year-over-year revenue growth to $17.60 billion. Analysts project tirzepatide as the top-selling drug by 2030.

Tirzepatide acts as a dual agonist for GLP-1 and GIP receptors, outperforming single GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide, which is used in Novo Nordisk‘s (NYSE:NVO) Ozempic and Wegovy. Head-to-head trials showed tirzepatide achieved around 20% weight loss compared to losses of 14% for semaglutide, with greater reductions in waist circumference and higher rates of 20% to 25% loss.

GLP-1 Leadership and Future Growth
Eli Lilly leads the booming GLP-1 market for diabetes and obesity, with Mounjaro and Zepbound capturing significant U.S. prescriptions and sales, outpacing Novo Nordisk’s offerings despite competition.

The market offers massive opportunity, driven by the prevalence of obesity and expanding indications to other conditions, such as cardiovascular risk and sleep apnea.

Novo Nordisk scored a major coup and gained first-mover advantage last week when the Food & Drug Administration approved its once-daily oral Wegovy pill for weight loss. Eli Lilly is also pursuing a once-daily dose with orforglipron, its oral small-molecule GLP-1 agonist. The company submitted a new drug application for it earlier this month, setting it up for potential approval in early 2026. Phase 3 data showed orforglipron maintaining weight loss after switching from injectables, with positive efficacy in diabetes and obesity trials.

Tirzepatide’s superior efficacy in injections positions Eli Lilly to compete effectively, supported by manufacturing expansions for increased supply to prevent shortages like those that occurred early on with Wegovy. If approved soon, orforglipron could thwart Novo Nordisk’s first-mover advantage. Weight-loss pills vastly expand the market, as many potential users shy away from getting injections.

A Reliable Dividend Growth Profile
Eli Lilly just declared its first-quarter dividend of $1.73 per share, a 15% increase from prior levels. It has paid dividends consistently for 55 consecutive years and raised them for the last 11 years. Notably, Lilly has hiked its dividend at a 12% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past decade, but in the past five years has accelerated the increases to 16% annually, making its recent hike in line with the trend. With a payout ratio of 44%, the dividend is safe and offers room for future increases.

The current yield is around 0.6%, down from 1.8% five years ago due to strong stock appreciation. However, yield on cost — the annual dividend divided by original purchase price — rose to 4.1% in that timespan, and over ten years, yield on cost stands at 8.2%.

Yield on cost is a more important consideration than simply looking at yield, as it measures effective income return based on the initial investment. It grows with every dividend hike even as the stock price increases.

Key Takeaway
Eli Lilly’s leadership in pharmaceuticals, driven by dominance in the GLP-1 market with Mounjaro and Zepbound, plus a promising pipeline including oral orforglipron and next-generation candidates, fuels the company’s strong growth. Combined with a solid record of dividend increases to reward shareholders, Eli Lilly is an excellent dividend growth stock to add to your portfolio for 2026 and beyond.