"The CMO role has evolved from managing marketing outputs to truly driving business relevance and business growth for your company," said Jim Squires, chief marketing officer at Reddit, who spoke to CMO Insider at the 2026 Cannes International Festival of Creativity.
Squires said that AI productivity gains can help open up more time for marketers to focus on "the things that matter, the human judgment, the taste, the decision-making that is so critical."
"The CMO role has evolved from managing marketing outputs to truly driving business relevance and business growth for your company," said Jim Squires, chief marketing officer at Reddit, who spoke to CMO Insider at the 2026 Cannes International Festival of Creativity.
Squires said that AI productivity gains can help open up more time for marketers to focus on "the things that matter, the human judgment, the taste, the decision-making that is so critical."
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
52-Week Range$43.89▼
$299.86P/E Ratio89.80
Price Target$203.25
Nebius Group NASDAQ: NBIS has been one of the standout AI stories in the market this year, with shares up almost 240% year to date. But the recent bout of AI-related volatility has tested the resolve of even the most committed believers in the neocloud thesis. After surging to an all-time high of $299.86 on June 22, the stock pulled back meaningfully as fears around AI valuations and the durability of the trade swept through the technology sector. Since reaching that all-time high earlier in June, the stock has fallen by almost 13%.
The question now facing investors is straightforward: Does Nebius' elevated valuation leave it dangerously exposed if those fears intensify, or is this still one of the best long-term ways to play the AI infrastructure buildout?
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Nebius Relief Rally Shows AI Sentiment Is StabilizingThe picture brightened considerably at the start of the week. On Monday, June 29, 2026, technology stocks caught a major bid, with memory, semiconductor, and neocloud names all outperforming. Some geopolitical relief appeared to ease pressure on the broader AI trade, and the higher-beta names that had sold off the hardest were among the biggest winners. Nebius rose almost 9% on the session, closing at $261.15.
Even after that move, however, the stock remains well off its peak. At current levels, NBIS sits almost 13% below its 52-week high. That is worth emphasizing because it captures the dynamic unfolding across much of the AI complex right now. Many of these names rallied hard on June 29, but a single strong session does not erase the damage from the recent selloff. Several leading AI infrastructure names, Nebius included, remain meaningfully below their recent peaks.
Nebius Valuation Leaves Little Room for ErrorOverall MarketRank™39th Percentile
Analyst RatingModerate Buy
Upside/Downside27.2% Downside
Short Interest LevelBearish
Dividend StrengthN/A
News Sentiment0.95 Insider TradingSelling Shares
Proj. Earnings GrowthGrowing
See Full Analysis
There is no avoiding the elephant in the room. Nebius trades at a price-to-sales ratio of roughly 80 and a trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) above 93. On any conventional measure, that is an extremely rich valuation, and it is precisely why the stock is so sensitive to shifts in sentiment around the AI trade. When a company is priced for years of hypergrowth, even small changes in the market's appetite for risk can produce outsized swings in the share price. That cuts both ways, as June 29's near-9 % jump demonstrated, but it does leave the stock vulnerable if AI fears genuinely intensify from here.
The bears have a legitimate point on this front. A stock trading at 75 times sales has very little margin for error. Any disappointment in execution, any slowdown in contracted revenue, or any broad derating of the AI infrastructure space could hit NBIS harder than its more reasonably valued peers.
Nebius Fundamentals Still Support the AI Growth ThesisThat said, the fundamental story underpinning the valuation has not deteriorated. If anything, it continues to strengthen. Nebius is guiding toward 2026 revenue of $3 billion to $3.4 billion, a staggering increase from the $529.80 million in annual sales it currently reports, and is targeting an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $7 billion to $9 billion. The company has raised its contracted power capacity guidance to over 4 gigawatts by year-end. Its backlog of contracted revenue, anchored by major multi-year agreements with Meta NASDAQ: META and Microsoft NASDAQ: MSFT, provides forward visibility that few companies growing at this rate can match.
The recent news flow reinforces the trajectory. The 1.7 billion pounds (around $2.3 billion) UK expansion announced in early June, the move up the value stack through the Eigen AI acquisition, and the broader buildout across the US and Europe all point to a company executing aggressively against an enormous opportunity. This is not a speculative concept stock. It is a business converting hyperscaler demand into signed contracts and deployable infrastructure at a remarkable pace.
Nebius Stock: Worry and Opportunity Can CoexistThe honest answer is that both things can be true at once. The valuation genuinely does leave Nebius exposed to sharp drawdowns if AI sentiment sours, and investors should expect continued volatility. But the underlying business remains one of the best-positioned in the entire neocloud space, with contracted revenue visibility, accelerating expansion, and a clear runway for years of growth ahead.
For long-term investors who believe in the AI infrastructure thesis and can stomach the swings, the recent pullback, with the stock still sitting almost 13% below its high even after the surge on June 29, may represent a more attractive entry than chasing the stock at its peak. The key takeaway is this: the selloff was a sentiment event, not a fundamental one. As long as Nebius continues to execute, the long-term thesis remains very much intact.
Should You Invest $1,000 in Nebius Group Right Now?Before you consider Nebius Group, you'll want to hear this.
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Robotics and automation are rapidly becoming essential infrastructure across healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and many other industries.
"Physical AI" is coming to the United States, and there are four ways that investors can gain exposure to this new robotics revolution. Plus, learn which seven companies are most positioned to benefit as intelligent robots enter the workforce.
Key Takeaways Rigetti ended Q1 2026 with about $569M in cash and investments and no debt.Rigetti plans elevated 2026 capex to expand Fab-1 and dilution refrigeration capacity.Rigetti aims to improve gate fidelity and achieve quantum advantage in roughly three years. Rigetti Computing’s (RGTI - Free Report) first-quarter 2026 results reinforced that one of its biggest competitive advantages extends beyond its quantum technology. The company exited the quarter with approximately $569 million in cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale investments while carrying no debt, giving it ample financial flexibility to fund its ambitious technology roadmap.
Rigetti appears well-positioned to continue investing in fabrication, higher-qubit systems and infrastructure without compromising execution when many early-stage quantum computing companies remain heavily dependent on external financing. Management reiterated that capital spending will remain elevated this year as it expands Fab-1 capabilities, adds dilution refrigeration capacity and advances its chiplet-based architecture, investments that are expected to strengthen its long-term competitive position rather than maximize near-term profitability.
More importantly, management made it clear that the company is prioritizing long-term value creation over short-term financial targets. Rigetti remains focused on improving gate fidelity, scaling its modular quantum systems and achieving quantum advantage in roughly three years, supported by disciplined capital allocation and a strong balance sheet.
The company also plans to invest up to $100 million in the United Kingdom to expand its global quantum footprint while continuing to pursue strategic partnerships that accelerate its roadmap. Although quarterly revenues will likely remain uneven given the timing of large system deployments, Rigetti's financial strength provides the runway needed to execute its technology strategy and capitalize on growing commercial opportunities as the quantum computing market matures.
Peers UpdatesQuantum Computing Inc. (QUBT - Free Report) or QCi announced the completion of acquiring NHanced Semiconductors, Inc. for a combination of cash and QCi stock valued at $73.1 million, subject to customary adjustments, and up to an additional $72.0 million if certain performance targets are achieved. The acquisition marks an important step in QCi’s transition from research-driven innovation and prototyping to scalable commercial production. By adding semiconductor and nanophotonics fabrication capabilities, advanced packaging expertise and specialized engineering talent, QCi is strengthening its operational capabilities and manufacturing readiness.
IonQ (IONQ - Free Report) recently opened a new 22,000-square-foot quantum computing R&D laboratory and semiconductor chip testing facility in Boulder, CO, to support the development of future generations of its trapped-ion quantum computing systems. The facility will enable the company to design, test and refine advanced semiconductor ion-trap chips, with plans to install its first quantum computer later this year. By expanding its presence in Colorado's growing quantum technology ecosystem and leveraging the region's deep-tech talent pool, IONQ aims to accelerate innovation, scale production capabilities and advance its roadmap toward fault-tolerant quantum computing.
Rigetti’s Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of RGTI have lost 12.3% in the year-to-date period compared with the industry’s decline of 16.3%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Rigetti trades at a price-to-book ratio of 11.07, above the industry average. RGTI carries a Value Score of F.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Rigetti’s 2026 earnings implies a significant 71.9% improvement from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Centrus Energy (LEU +2.35%) has been around for decades but began attracting more investor attention in 2019, when it started contracting with the U.S. Department of Energy to enrich uranium and supply high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) for next-generation reactors. In 2025, that attention elevated further, along with the nuclear industry more broadly, as HALEU was seen as a way to help meet the growing energy needs of data centers across the country. Centrus' share prices spiked from $54 in April 2025 to an all-time high of $464.25 by October 2025. The nuclear stock was riding high at that time on news that it had contracted with the National Nuclear Security Administration to develop low-enrichment uranium for government use.
But since hitting that all-time high, Centrus' stock is trading down about 63%. The reasons for the drop include a mixed first-quarter earnings report, fluctuating spot uranium prices, and concerns about production once a ban on Russian LEU imports takes effect in 2028.
The big price drop has created a potential buy-the-dip situation for investors willing to think long-term about Centrus. Here are three reasons to like the stock's long-term potential.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Centrus has an effective HALEU monopoly in the U.S. Centrus is the only U.S.-licensed producer of HALEU. That's a huge moat, especially as demand for advanced reactor fuel is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10.8% through 2033, according to a report by DataIntelo. Centrus management estimates the HALEU market opportunity could reach $8 billion annually by 2035.
The growth of the HALEU market is driven primarily by the shift toward advanced nuclear technologies, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Generation IV designs. Unlike traditional reactors, these next-generation plants rely on HALEU's higher enrichment levels to achieve longer operational cycles, better fuel efficiency, and enhanced safety.
As governments and private industries push to decarbonize the power grid and meet net-zero goals by 2050, HALEU has become essential for deploying compact, flexible, and reliable energy systems of the future.
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2. Centrus' Q1 was mixed, but it was still a solid quarter Centrus reported its first-quarter earnings on May 5, with earnings per share (EPS) coming in at $0.45, down from the $1.60 EPS it reported the prior year and missing estimates. However, it posted a non-GAAP adjusted EPS of $1.05, crushing Wall Street analyst consensus estimates of $0.33. GAAP earnings were down due to heavy spending on plant expansion, management said.
Revenue for the quarter rose 4.9% year over year, to $76.7 million. Strong demand and solid contract execution prompted management to revise its full-year revenue guidance upward to $450 million to $500 million, up from a previous forecast of $425 million to $475 million.
Centrus has a $3.9 billion long-term order backlog that extends through 2040, providing clarity on the company's future revenue.
3. Don't bet against the government Centrus is not just another utility or mining outfit. It holds a vital, strategic position in Western energy infrastructure. Following aggressive Western pushes to completely decouple from Russian enriched uranium (the import ban goes into effect in 2028), the U.S. government has designated the domestic fuel supply a matter of urgent national security.
Centrus operates under a massive financial cushion, anchored by a multi-phase Department of Energy HALEU contract worth up to $900 million. This effectively de-risks its capital-heavy centrifuge manufacturing build-out with federal taxpayer dollars.
Why the disconnect? The steep year-to-date drop in the stock price largely stems from broader macroeconomic energy shifts, near-term project execution jitters, some investor profit taking, and a highly premium valuation multiple heading into the year. However, the fundamental business performance remains exceptionally strong, making it a prominent good-earnings-down-stock story in the nuclear sector.
The company's huge backlog is growing. On June 19, the company signed an agreement with nuclear power plant builder Oklo to supply enough HALEU to power up to five of Oklo's Aurora powerhouses in Southern Ohio for multiple years, with deliveries to Oklo scheduled to begin in 2029.
RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comstock Holding Companies, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHCI) (“Comstock”), a leading asset manager, developer, and operator of mixed-use, transit-oriented properties, with an expanding presence in large-scale infrastructure and data center development, today announced its inclusion in the broad-market Russell 3000® Index, effective June 29, as part of the 2026 Russell US Indexes annual reconstitution. The Russell 3000® tracks the approximately 3,000 largest U.S.-listed stocks b.
Key Takeaways Futu's Q1 profit fell after a RMB1.85 billion penalty tied to regulated activities.Futu ended March with 3.59 million funded accounts, up 34.3%, and HK$1.22T in client assets.Futu is leaning on Moomoo, Hong Kong, Singapore, crypto licensing and planned Korea access. Futu Holdings’ (FUTU - Free Report) problem is not about demand; it is about regulatory confidence. The CSRC Shenzhen Bureau proposed penalties totaling roughly RMB1.85 billion, including about RMB470 million of confiscated gains and RMB1.38 billion in fines, tied to regulated activities without required licenses or approvals. The charge also hit first-quarter 2026 profit hard immediately.
Still, the operating base looked sturdy. Futu ended March with 3.59 million funded accounts, up 34.3%, 6.28 million brokerage accounts, up 26.8%, and 30.2 million users, up 14.9%. Client assets rose 47.2% to HK$1.22 trillion, while trading volume reached HK$4.15 trillion in the quarter despite volatile markets and pressure globally.
The penalty mainly explains the profit shock. Futu reported revenues of HK$5.86 billion (US$746.9 million), up 24.7%, and operating income of HK$3.53 billion (US$450.3 million), up 31.5%. However, net income fell 61.2% to HK$831 million (US$106.0 million) after the adjustment. Before it, first-quarter net income would have been about HK$2.92 billion (US$372.7 million). Management also said fundamentals remained stable.
Earlier this month, S&P also reaffirmed Futu’s BBB- long-term issuer rating with a stable outlook, citing strong Hong Kong market position, geographic diversification and strong capitalization. On the call, management said bank facilities remained intact, which helps frame the penalty as a hit, not a funding break.
The open question is growth quality. Mainland China funded accounts were about 13% of first-quarter funded accounts, with related client assets around 17% and revenue contribution near 20%. Futu is leaning on Moomoo, Hong Kong, Singapore, crypto licensing and planned Korean stock access to keep client momentum moving abroad now.
How Are Interactive Brokers and Robinhood Placed?Interactive Brokers Group (IBKR - Free Report) kept showing scale-driven growth. Interactive Brokers reported May 2026 DARTs of 4.969 million, up 47% year over year, client equity of $937.3 billion, up 49%, and 4.995 million client accounts, up 32%. Interactive Brokers also grew margin loans 65% to $100.9 billion, pointing to active, wealthier clients globally.
Robinhood Markets’ (HOOD - Free Report) growth mix looks broader. Robinhood had 27.7 million funded customers in May, up about 1.76 million year over year, and platform assets rose 48% to $377 billion. Robinhood also posted first-quarter revenues of $1.07 billion, up 15%, helped by deposits, Gold subscribers, equities, options and event contracts in 2026.
FUTU's Price Performance, Valuation and EstimatesShares of Futu have declined 28.9% over the past three months against the industry’s growth of 7%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, FUTU trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings of 9.85, slightly above the industry but lower than its one-year median of 15.94. This valuation disparity might not be as favorable as it seems. It carries a Value Score of C.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Over the past 30 days, earnings estimates for both 2026 and 2027 have been revised downward, signaling a bearish outlook from analysts.
Less than two weeks after its initial public offering (IPO), Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX +4.19%), or SpaceX, went back to the capital markets. This time through debt. On June 22, the company priced its inaugural bond offering of $25 billion -- the largest investment-grade bond sale of the year -- after reportedly receiving $90 billion in orders from institutional buyers. The demand was real. The implications are worth understanding.
What SpaceX actually did SpaceX raised $25 billion through five tranches of senior unsecured notes, with maturities ranging from 2031 to 2056 and interest rates spanning 5.35% to 6.65%, locking in decades of additional debt obligations.
The notes are unsecured obligations that rank equally with all other existing and future unsubordinated debt. Unsecured means bondholders have no specific claim on any SpaceX asset -- no rockets, no satellites, no Starlink infrastructure -- if the company faces financial stress. They stand in line with every other creditor.
The primary use of proceeds will be to repay the $20 billion bridge loan SpaceX took out in March when it absorbed xAI and X. The remainder will go to general corporate purposes, which means Starship development, Starlink expansion, and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
Image source: Getty Images.
Why the stock fell On June 22, the day SpaceX announced the bond sale, shares dropped 16.4%.
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CNBC the next day reported the $90 billion in demand. Two things explain that gap between bond demand and stock performance.
First, the bond market priced in risk that the equity market hadn't yet fully acknowledged. The 2036 tranche is priced 1.4 percentage points above U.S. Treasury yields -- roughly 0.4 percentage points wider than the average spread on comparably rated BBB debt. In plain terms, bond investors required a premium to own SpaceX debt over similarly rated companies. That premium is the market's way of saying the SpaceX story carries more execution risk than a typical investment-grade issuer.
Second, the bond sale confirmed something the IPO prospectus had disclosed, but the retail investor frenzy had glossed over: SpaceX needed the money. This company that just raised $86 billion in an IPO and then borrowed $25 billion more within two weeks carries $29 billion in long-term debt before it has built a single revenue-generating AI data center. CFRA analyst Keith Snyder put it directly in an interview with Yahoo! Finance: "They need to invest every dollar as efficiently as possible."
What this means for long-term investors The bond sale itself is not a red flag. It is standard capital structure management -- using long-dated, lower-cost debt to refinance a short-term bridge loan before it matures in September 2027. Companies like Amazon and Microsoft have used the same playbook to fund infrastructure at scale.
The question for SpaceX investors isn't whether the company is able to borrow -- $90 billion in bond orders confirmed it is. The question is whether the AI infrastructure it is building with that borrowed capital will generate the returns needed to justify a stock that, even after its recent sell-off, still trades at more than 100 times trailing revenue. Some analysts have a $250 price target on the stock that closed Monday at $164. Others have a $310 target. The range is wide, which reflects how genuinely uncertain this business model is at its current scale.
What the bond sale clarified for me is the version of SpaceX investors are buying: not a rocket company that became profitable and then expanded into AI, but an AI-infrastructure conglomerate that happens to own the most successful launch business ever built, carrying debt it will repay through 2056.
Here's my take: The debt load and execution uncertainty are real, and anyone treating SpaceX like a sure thing is ignoring what the bond market already priced in. But for investors with a long horizon, the sell-off toward IPO prices may be the entry point worth building a position around -- one layer at a time.
Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX +4.19%) isn't a cheap stock by any means. At over $2 trillion in market cap, it's among the most valuable companies in the world. But many people who buy the stock, which also goes by just SpaceX, buy it for its long-term goals and the opportunities in space and artificial intelligence.
SpaceX stock has a lot of promise and long-term potential. And as long as investors are optimistic about the company's growth and its path forward, it can continue rising higher, despite its valuation. That's why I don't think the biggest risk with owning the stock is necessarily its price, but the company falling short of expectations.
Image source: Getty Images.
Elon Musk has a concerning track record SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is no stranger to making bold and ambitious claims. The problem, however, is that they can be far too optimistic. Investors, meanwhile, may become frustrated with a stock, especially one that has as much hype as SpaceX. For the stock to keep rising and trade at a valuation higher than might be warranted by fundamentals, investors need to remain bullish on its growth story.
According to a recent analysis by The New York Times, of the 600-plus claims Musk has made over the past 15 years, he came through just 19% of the time, and on time. And in 35% of cases, he either didn't deliver or was late. Another one-third of claims were considered to be too vague, and it hasn't been clear if he met them, while 13% of claims are based on future dates and thus remain to-be-determined.
This can be particularly problematic when talking about grand visions such as going to Mars and putting data centers into space. They would be amazing goals to reach, but given how ambitious they are, it may not be surprising to see them drag out over a very long time frame.
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Investing based on a long-term vision is dangerous and risky All CEOs have visions for future growth, but few are going to be as bold as Musk's. And that's why many growth-oriented investors love to invest in Musk's companies, knowing that if he meets those sky-high expectations, the stocks could soar as well.
But the danger is that such grand visions as Musk's can prove too complicated, costly, and time-consuming to be realized. In the meantime, the underlying business may continue to incur heavy losses, leading to significant declines in share price.
The most successful investors in the world have focused not on optimistic growth targets and visions but on solid facts and figures. While betting on Musk may have worked out tremendously well for early Tesla investors, that doesn't mean that SpaceX stock will go on a similar trajectory.
SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX) is surging back again after a brief fall from its highs. SPCX stock is up by almost 11 days in the past five trading sessions and is likely set to continue moving higher in the coming days as the broader rally shows no sign of stopping.
In fact, many analysts (retail and the suits) are certain the stock is moving to $3 trillion or higher.
Fundamentally, you don’t want to take this deal. SpaceX is bleeding cash, is too big, and its AI division is behind all its competition… and so on. On the other hand, many believe the stock will retain its premium perpetually. Analysts have been bashing Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA | TSLA Price Prediction) year after year, and it hasn’t made Tesla fans any less enthusiastic about TSLA stock. The same effect could drive SpaceX to $3 trillion. Let’s see what needs to take place in order for that to happen.
SpaceX is less and less space every day If SpaceX only contained Starlink plus the launch division, you’d be looking at a sub-trillion business. Starlink will face competitive pressure from Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS). It is only because of xAI’s inclusion that SpaceX is surging.
You should keep in mind that no matter how “bad” Grok or xAI looks on paper, it is still the closest generative AI pure-play the market has. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) is the second-closest pick, but most of that business is still boring software. On the other hand, SpaceX offers you an all-flashy business under one roof. The only non-flashy business is X/Twitter, which was absorbed alongside xAI.
xAI’s uselessness to the average user is useful for SpaceX The AI division inside SpaceX is far behind OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. Several Chinese open-source models trounce Grok with a fraction of the cost. Thus, Grok is severely underutilized relative to its massive computing capacity. And I’d argue this is actually a good thing.
Instead of becoming a money pit, xAI became SpaceX’s largest money-maker right before the IPO.
xAI signed a 300 MW contract with Anthropic at $1.25 billion per month through May 2029, cancellable only with 90 days’ notice. Claude is so heavily used that I do not think Anthropic will cancel this anytime soon. xAI also signed an agreement with Google for $920 million per month from Oct 2026-Jun 2029. This is a shakier deal as Google falls behind on Gemini, but Google needs that compute if it ends up doubling down and spending more to catch up with Anthropic.
Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and SpaceX didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
Combined, you are looking at $26 billion a year in high-margin revenue per month.
SpaceX’s neocloud AI is special What’s special here is that most hyperscalers are struggling to build data centers, and it’s taking them years. On the other hand, Elon breezed through Colossus 1 and 2 within months through loopholes and bypassing industrial timelines.
The compute-rental income flows almost dollar-for-dollar to gross profit because the data centers were already built. In fact, SpaceX still has more spare capacity to sell. SpaceX’s filing says “we expect to enter additional similar services contracts” due to the excess capacity.
Will SpaceX get to $3 trillion? xAI won’t see $26 billion as profit, no matter how high the margin is on its own. It lost $6.4 billion last year, and it’s probable that you’re going to see similar or higher core operating losses this year. That leaves it some $20 billion (give or take) in profits. If you stack Starlink, launches, and everything else on top, you’re likely looking at $30 billion a year in profits for all of SpaceX, if we are to be liberal. Both Anthropic and Google contracts need to run as-is for at least a year.
That’s 100x forward earnings, which is very much achievable. Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR) set the precedent that even 200x forward earnings is achievable if you can convince Wall Street you’re on the extreme cutting-edge.
Thus, I’d say $3 trillion is more likely than not if this rally continues through 2027. Moreover, if xAI can sell that excess capacity, even $4 trillion won’t be too far-flung, depending on how much compute they can sell.
That said, I do not think Wall Street will perpetually pay triple-digit forward earnings multiples. The rally will end someday, and SpaceX will likely settle at a reasonable low-to-mid double-digit premium in the 2030s. Perhaps even earlier, if the AI bubble bursts.
Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and SpaceX didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
A billion-dollar misunderstanding has left Korean investors empty-handed in the blockbuster SpaceX IPO. Bloomberg's Bailey Lipschultz joins Ed Ludlow on "Bloomberg Tech" with the details.
Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX +4.19%) had no shortage of buyers during its first days on the market. It surged from its first-day open of $150 on June 12 to over $225 on June 16. SpaceX's share price has fallen almost as quickly, back to $153 by the week ending June 26, but it's still one of the most popular stocks by trading volume.
Despite all the excitement, buying SpaceX stock right now is a risky move, and not just because of its staggering valuation.
Image source: Getty Images.
The macro environment is shaky The U.S. annual inflation rate rose to 4.2% in May, its highest level since April 2023. Two-thirds of consumers said they plan to cut back on spending because of rising prices, according to The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Survey. In a separate University of Michigan survey, over half of consumers said high prices were weighing down their personal finances.
As a rocket company, SpaceX might not seem particularly vulnerable to a slowdown in consumer spending. But its only business segment that turns a profit, connectivity, is anchored by Starlink, a satellite internet service that sells to consumers and small businesses. Lower consumer spending could lead to slower subscriber growth and higher cancellations, hurting SpaceX's biggest source of revenue.
Sky-high spending Any dip in revenue would be a serious issue for SpaceX, as it carries significant debt and is spending heavily on Starship, satellite constellations, and artificial intelligence infrastructure. Capital expenditures in 2025 totaled $20.7 billion, of which $12.7 billion was allocated to its AI business. Capex in the first quarter of 2026 has already hit $10.1 billion.
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To SpaceX's credit, its revenue has grown significantly over the last three years, including by 33% to $18.7 billion in 2025. But its losses have also been growing, with the space company reporting a net loss of $4.9 billion in 2025 and $4.3 billion already in Q1 2026.
SpaceX flagged in its S-1 that it expects capex and operating expenses to increase in the future, and that failure to maintain or increase revenue could keep it from achieving profitability. This is already a company with a stretched valuation, given its $2 trillion market cap. It needs rapid growth to justify that, and any negative news could cause it to plummet.
Should you hold off on buying SpaceX? Between Starlink, the launch business, and AI, SpaceX has three businesses with growth potential. Potential doesn't pay the bills, though, and right now, this is an unprofitable, cash-hungry company recently trading at more than 100 times sales. Insiders also can't sell their shares yet, and the economy is looking fragile.
SpaceX is an interesting investment, but it's not one I'd make today. Instead, consider putting it on your watch list and reviewing the next couple of earnings reports to see how it does, rather than buying today while volatility is high.
SpaceX (SPCX +4.19%) has taken its investors on a wild ride since its June 12 IPO. It went public at $135 per share, opened at $150, and reached a record high of $225.64 on June 16. But as of this writing, SpaceX's stock trades at about $170. Let's see why it pulled back -- and how much upside it might have left after its recent decline.
Image source: Getty Images.
Why did SpaceX's stock stumble? SpaceX went public with a valuation of $1.77 trillion, making it the biggest IPO in history. But at its peak, its market cap hit $2.66 trillion, or 142 times its 2025 revenue of $18.7 billion. Even after its pullback, its market cap still hovers at $2.16 trillion, or 116 times its trailing revenue.
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That valuation might be justified if you believe Elon Musk's prediction that SpaceX could generate more than $1 trillion in revenue by 2030. But in reality, SpaceX's revenue only rose 33% in 2025, and it's unprofitable because the losses at its space and AI businesses are wiping out Starlink's profits. SpaceX will also likely rely heavily on debt offerings and dilutive acquisitions (like its recent all-stock takeover of the AI coding start-up Cursor) to expand.
For now, analysts expect SpaceX's revenue to surge 96% in 2026, 81% in 2027, and 47% to $97.5 billion in 2028. That growth could be driven by Starship, its largest rocket ever; the expansion of Starlink, which already serves over 10.3 million subscribers, and the evolution of xAI's fragmented business into a formidable AI infrastructure company.
But even if SpaceX hits those targets -- which would require hundreds of flawless launches, low interest rates, and a stable macro environment -- it already trades at 22 times its 2028 revenue.
On the bright side, SpaceX's upcoming inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 on July 7 could set a floor under its stock, since all funds passively tracking the index will need to purchase it. However, its upcoming lockup expirations -- which will start in late July or early August and ramp up through the end of the year -- could drive its stock lower as its early investors and insiders cash out. That selling could make SpaceX an attractive target for short sellers.
While SpaceX might still have significant long-term growth potential, I don't think it has much more upside for the rest of 2026. It still has a lot to prove over the next few quarters, and its high valuation and upcoming lockup expirations will likely limit its near-term gains.
Leo Sun has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Laureate Education remains a Buy due to strong revenue growth and attractive valuation, despite recent profitability pressures. LAUR's 2026 revenue guidance of $1.89–$1.905 billion and EBITDA of $583–$593 million signal robust top- and bottom-line expansion. Enrollment growth in both Mexico and Peru, aided by favorable pricing and currency effects, underpins management's optimistic outlook.
CAMAS, Wash., June 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL), the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes, today announced the grand opening of its newest model home at Camas Meadows Crossing, a low-maintenance luxury townhome community in Camas, Washington. The Canterwood Contemporary model home joins the Alderbrook and Brasada model homes, providing home shoppers with an additional opportunity to explore the stunning designs and finishes available at this highly sought-after community.
Located in Camas, Washington, Camas Meadows Crossing features thoughtfully designed luxury townhomes with floor plans ranging up to 2,430 square feet, offering 3 to 5 bedrooms, 2- to 3-bathrooms, and 2-car garages. Homes are priced from the upper $500,000s, with quick move-in options available. Select home designs include daylight basements, main-level bedrooms, flex rooms, and direct entry into the main living level. Each home is crafted with attention to detail, blending functionality with modern aesthetics to meet the needs of today’s home shoppers.
"The new Canterwood Contemporary model at Camas Meadows Crossing highlights the exceptional craftsmanship and innovative design that Toll Brothers is known for," said Mike Grubbe, Division President of Toll Brothers in Oregon and Southwest Washington. "This community is perfect for those seeking a low-maintenance lifestyle with access to top-rated schools, outdoor recreation, and a prime location near the best of Camas and the surrounding area."
Located near the scenic Lacamas Lake and the Camas Meadows Golf Club, the community offers abundant outdoor recreation opportunities as well as proximity to boutique shopping and dining in downtown Camas. The convenient location provides easy access to Vancouver, Portland, and the Portland International Airport, making it ideal for homeowners looking to enjoy the best of the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, homeowners will benefit from the tax advantages of living in Washington state while remaining close to Oregon amenities.
Toll Brothers customers will experience one-stop shopping at the Toll Brothers Design Studio. The state-of-the-art Design Studio allows home shoppers to choose from a wide array of selections to personalize their dream home with the assistance of Toll Brothers professional Design Consultants.
Quick move-in homes with Designer Appointed Features are also available, allowing home shoppers to move into their dream home sooner. These homes feature professionally curated finishes and details, offering a seamless home-buying experience.
The Toll Brothers Sales Center is located at 3839 NW 65th Avenue in Camas. For more information about Camas Meadows Crossing or to schedule a tour of the Canterwood Contemporary model home, call 844-900-8655 or visit TollBrothers.com/OR.
About Toll Brothers
Toll Brothers, Inc., a Fortune 500 Company, is the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes. The Company was founded in 1967 and became a public company in 1986 with common stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TOL.” Toll Brothers builds new homes and communities in over 60 markets across the United States, serving first-time, move-up, active-adult, and second-home buyers. The Company also operates its own architectural, engineering, mortgage, title, land development, smart home technology, landscape, and building components manufacturing businesses.
Toll Brothers was named the #1 Most Admired Home Builder in Fortune magazine’s 2026 list of the World’s Most Admired Companies®, the ninth year the Company has achieved this honor. Toll Brothers has also been named Builder of the Year by Builder magazine and is the first two-time recipient of Builder of the Year from Professional Builder magazine. For more information visit TollBrothers.com.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock was up more than 2% on Tuesday as investors rotated back into large-cap technology stocks during a risk-on trading session. The Nasdaq gained 1.46%, while the S&P 500 advanced 0.69%.
The rebound follows a sharp selloff last Thursday, when Apple shares fell more than 6%, marking their steepest one-day decline since April 2025.
The drop came after the company raised prices on its Mac and iPad lineup, prompting investors to assess whether Apple can pass higher component costs on to consumers ahead of any potential iPhone price increases.
The stock remains in focus as investors weigh rising memory costs, the possibility of higher iPhone prices, and Apple’s efforts to expand its supply chain by working with Chinese memory manufacturers.
Apple Seeks Relief From Memory CostsApple is again asking the administration for more flexibility to work with Chinese memory suppliers as it deals with a severe component cost and supply crunch, CNBC reported Saturday.
The effort is part of a broader push by U.S. technology companies seeking clearance from the White House, the Commerce Department, and the Pentagon to qualify Chinese vendors without violating U.S. restrictions.
Chinese memory suppliers could help Apple lower costs and gain more leverage with existing suppliers, according to the report. Apple may use those chips in devices sold outside the U.S., especially in China and parts of Asia.
However, adding a new supplier could take months of testing, security checks, and factory reviews.
Analysts See Apple Managing The PressureWedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives told CNBC on Friday that Apple had to raise prices to protect margins amid sharply rising memory costs across the technology supply chain.
Ives said Apple waited as long as possible and made the move at the right time as it enters what he expects to be a major three-year hardware cycle. He expects only limited demand weakness, possibly around 1% to 2% churn on some high-end products.
Albion Financial Group CIO Jason Ware told CNBC Saturday that investors should continue to own Apple despite recent price hikes and stock weakness.
Ware said Apple has a strong long-term setup, supported by upper-single-digit revenue growth, margin expansion, and a large share buyback program.
He said Apple’s affluent customer base remains willing to upgrade, while pricing power should help protect margins without causing major demand weakness.
Ware also pointed to a possible foldable iPhone launch this fall as a driver of upgrades.
Analysts maintain a consensus Buy rating with an average price forecast of $324.16. Recent research includes Evercore ISI reiterating an Outperform rating with a $365 price forecast, KGI Securities downgrading the stock to Hold with a $315 forecast, and Bank of America Securities maintaining a Buy rating with a $380 price forecast.
Technical Picture Remains ConstructiveApple continues to trade above its long-term trend indicators. The stock is about 4.3% above its 100-day simple moving average and 6.8% above its 200-day simple moving average, keeping its broader uptrend intact.
However, the shares remain 2.5% below the 20-day SMA and 1.3% below the 50-day SMA. That suggests the stock is still working through a short-term consolidation.
The relative strength index stands at 46.05, indicating neutral momentum. The reading suggests buyers and sellers remain balanced rather than signaling a decisive breakout.
Key resistance sits near $302.50, while support is around $287.50.
Price ActionAAPL Stock Price Activity: Apple shares were up 2.32% at $288.27 at the time of publication on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Image via Shutterstock
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
The market has been bearish on tech giant Apple (AAPL +2.06%) of late as concerns are rising that its growth rate and margins may come under pressure in its upcoming quarters. The reason? The company is raising prices on its popular products in response to soaring memory prices, as companies such as Micron Technology benefit from insatiable demand.
While Micron is a big winner from such a trend, Apple may end up losing big from it. While the price increases can help it offset the rising memory costs, the risk is that its already expensive products may become even more unaffordable for consumers.
Does this spell trouble for Apple's stock, and is it better to ditch it now, or does its reduced value make it a more attractive long-term buy?
Image source: Getty Images.
Is Apple in a bad spot right now? Apple CEO Tim Cook has been raising the alarm over rising costs. MacBook and iPad prices are rising, in some cases by hundreds of dollars, to offset rising costs. What's troubling is that this may not be the end. The company says "the consumer electronics industry is facing an unprecedented challenge" and that "we have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly."
It's a bit surprising to see such a panic, especially given that Apple's margins have been fairly strong in recent years.
AAPL Gross Profit Margin (Quarterly) data by YCharts
The big question going into the company's next quarterly earnings report will be just how much of a dent there will be in its margins. The gravity of the company's statements suggests they will be significant. What's even more concerning is that the shortage in memory products isn't ending anytime soon, and thus, costs may continue to rise for Apple; this is not an isolated event that will only impact a single quarter. And if the company has to raise iPhone prices as well, that could devastate demand for its flagship products.
Today's Change
(
2.06
%) $
5.80
Current Price
$
287.54
Apple stock is down, but is it worth buying? Shares of Apple have fallen by around 10% in just the past month, which, for the tech giant, is a fairly big decline. Overall, however, it's still up around 4% since the start of the year. Investors have been bearish on the stock, but with its price-to-earnings multiple still fairly high at 34, it hasn't exactly become a bargain buy.
I'd hold off on making a decision on Apple until after it reports its latest earnings numbers, to see just how much rising memory prices have impacted its margins. If the effect is truly as bad as what management has suggested, there could be more downward pressure on the stock in the future. At this stage, however, I don't think its value is low enough to compensate for the potential risk and uncertainty ahead; I wouldn't rush to buy it right now.
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) stock could be entering one of its strongest seasonal periods of the year, according to historical trading data.
With shares currently trading at $281, more than 10% below their all-time high near $317, investors looking for a potential entry point may find July particularly attractive, according to seasonality trends shared by charting platform TrendSpider in an X post on June 30.
In this line, seasonality data covering the last 15 years shows that July has been Apple’s best-performing month.
AAPL has posted positive returns in roughly 89% of July trading periods, while the stock’s average gain during the month stands at about 9%, significantly outperforming its historical monthly averages.
Apple seasonality chart. Source: TrendSpider The 15-year seasonality chart shows July recording the highest average monthly return of any month.
Positive performance has occurred in nearly nine out of every 10 July periods, making it one of the most reliable seasonal trends among large-cap technology stocks.
The timing is notable because Apple stock has recently pulled back amid broader technology-sector volatility, concerns over artificial intelligence execution, and rising memory component costs
The seasonal setup comes as Apple continues to post strong growth. In its latest quarter, revenue rose 17% year-over-year to $111.2 billion, while earnings per share increased 22% to $2.01.
iPhone revenue reached about $57 billion, driven by strong demand for the iPhone 17 lineup, while Services generated roughly $30 billion in revenue with margins above 75% and more than 1 billion paid subscriptions.
Impact of Apple AI strategy on AAPL stock At the same time, Apple’s AI strategy is another potential catalyst. Through Apple Intelligence, the company is integrating AI across its ecosystem with a focus on on-device processing and software-hardware integration.
The June WWDC 2026 announcements highlighted further AI enhancements, including upcoming Siri upgrades.
If successful, these features could drive device upgrades and boost Services engagement across Apple’s installed base of approximately 2.5 billion active devices.
At the same time, Wall Street analysts remain broadly constructive on AAPL stock. Consensus estimates place the average 12-month price target around $315, implying potential upside from current trading levels.
More bullish forecasts project shares could climb toward $350 or higher if AI initiatives gain traction and services growth remains strong.
Apple’s upcoming earnings report, expected around July 30, could also serve as a key catalyst, particularly if management maintains guidance for double-digit revenue growth.
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Tesla Stock OwnershipTesla went public on June 29, 2010 with shares priced at $17. Over a decade later, investors who bought in at the time of the IPO have been pleasantly rewarded. Investors who bought in other periods of time have also benefitted and grown their wealth, just like CEO Elon Musk.
Benzinga viewers of "PreMarket Playbook" were asked about their past and current Tesla stock ownership during the Tuesday, June 30 episode.
"Tesla went public 16 years ago on June 29, 2010. Which of the following best describes you?" Benzinga asked.
The results are:
Traded Tesla before, but don’t own: 53% Never owned Tesla stock (outside ETFs/mutual funds): 27% Currently own Tesla stock: 20% The poll results show that 53% of viewers polled have owned Tesla stock in the past, but don’t currently own. Add this with the 20% who said they currently own Tesla stock and the amount of people who have owned Tesla stock at some point would be 73%.
The remaining 27% of viewers said they have never owned Tesla stock outside of owning ETFs or mutual funds that own the electric vehicle stock, which would give them indirect ownership.
"PreMarket Playbook" airs on YouTube Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. ET and is hosted by Ryan Faloona. The poll in this story featured the answers of 214 viewers.
Tesla’s Lasting PopularityWhile it is unknown what percentages other popular stocks like the other Magnificent Seven members would get from Benzinga viewers, the fact that 73% of viewers polled say they have owned Tesla stock at some point is likely one of the higher figures for a public company.
With 20% of viewers still owning Tesla stock, that is also a bullish sign on the future of the company and comes with shares down 5% year-to-date in 2026.
Benzinga regularly publishes its most-searched ticker stories each month. For the month of May, Tesla was the fourth most searched ticker. For 2025, Tesla ranked second.
The stock regularly ranks among the top five most-searched tickers on Benzinga Pro each month. While searches don’t directly translate to ownership, they do indicate the importance of the company and the popularity.
A report from brokerage company Robinhood earlier this year showed that Tesla was the second top stock based on buys and sales for the Jan. 1 through May 1, 2026 period.
Tesla remains one of the most popular stocks on the planet. The recent IPO of SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX), a space company led by Musk, may have taken some of the luster away from Tesla.
With investors and fans of Musk wanting to bet on his future, they likely own Tesla and SpaceX stock. For others, looking for which stock may perform better, some investors may have sold off their Tesla stock to buy SpaceX stock.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Britain's competition regulator on Tuesday opened a consultation on a proposal that app developers be allowed to redirect users to payment methods outside Apple and Google app stores.
Growth investors focus on stocks that are seeing above-average financial growth, as this feature helps these securities garner the market's attention and deliver solid returns. But finding a great growth stock is not easy at all.
In addition to volatility, these stocks carry above-average risk by their very nature. Also, one could end up losing from a stock whose growth story is actually over or nearing its end.
However, the task of finding cutting-edge growth stocks is made easy with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects.
Our proprietary system currently recommends Alphabet Inc. (GOOG - Free Report) as one such stock. This company not only has a favorable Growth Score, but also carries a top Zacks Rank.
Research shows that stocks carrying the best growth features consistently beat the market. And for stocks that have a combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), returns are even better.
Here are three of the most important factors that make the stock of this company a great growth pick right now.
Earnings GrowthArguably nothing is more important than earnings growth, as surging profit levels is what most investors are after. For growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is highly preferable, as it is often perceived as an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.
While the historical EPS growth rate for Alphabet is 21.5%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 32.3% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 13.1%.
Cash Flow GrowthCash is the lifeblood of any business, but higher-than-average cash flow growth is more beneficial and important for growth-oriented companies than for mature companies. That's because, high cash accumulation enables these companies to undertake new projects without raising expensive outside funds.
Right now, year-over-year cash flow growth for Alphabet is 32.8%, which is higher than many of its peers. In fact, the rate compares to the industry average of -5.5%.
While investors should actually consider the current cash flow growth, it's worth taking a look at the historical rate too for putting the current reading into proper perspective. The company's annualized cash flow growth rate has been 23.2% over the past 3-5 years versus the industry average of 10.7%.
Promising Earnings Estimate RevisionsSuperiority of a stock in terms of the metrics outlined above can be further validated by looking at the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is of course favorable here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
There have been upward revisions in current-year earnings estimates for Alphabet. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 0.1% over the past month.
Bottom LineWhile the overall earnings estimate revisions have made Alphabet a Zacks Rank #2 stock, it has earned itself a Growth Score of B based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above.
You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
This combination positions Alphabet well for outperformance, so growth investors may want to bet on it.
Google on Tuesday released Nano Banana 2 Lite, the newest version of its in-house AI video and image generator. This version is significantly faster and more affordable than its previous release, the company claims.
The model has much lower latency and can produce images in 4 seconds, which makes it a good option if you need to workshop images and produce a large number of them in quick succession, Google says. It costs $0.034 per 1,000 images, which makes it quite affordable for people looking to draft and perfect their content at scale.
Image Credits:Google The release follows last summer’s launch of the original Nano Banana, powered by Gemini 3.1 Flash, and the February release Nano Banana 2. The latter introduced new powers for the generator, including the ability to create more realistic images. The company also offers Nano Banana Pro, which is described as a more powerful (and more expensive) model for advanced use cases.
While Nano Banana 2 is referred to as a “generalist workhorse,” Banana 2 Lite is optimized for high-volume workflows that need to occur at a rapid pace, Google claims.
Image Credits:Google Despite consumer backlash over so-called AI slop created by image models, companies continue to invest heavily in AI tools that can generate imagery and videos. However, Google often markets its models as convenient tools that can assist with the creation of advertisements.
That said, the ties between Hollywood and AI companies continue to tighten — much to the consternation of some creative communities and audiences. Indeed, Google just struck a $75 million deal with the much-beloved indie studio A24 — a partnership that has suffered significant criticism from fans.
Nano Banana 2 Lite is now available through Google AI Studio and the Gemini API, as well as Google’s Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. Google says it serves as a replacement for Nano Banana, which the company now refers to as its “legacy model.”
Also on Tuesday, Google announced a wider release of Gemini Omni Flash, which was initially introduced at Google I/O earlier this year. Flash costs $0.10 per second of video output. Plus, Google showed off a new demo app, Omni Product Studio, which it says can take static images generated by Omni and transform them into “cinematic e-commerce videos.”
“Building with generative media is often about creative iteration,” the company said in a blog. “With these two models, developers can build comprehensive, end-to-end multimedia experiences that connect rapid image generation with video creation and editing.”
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Lucas is a senior writer at TechCrunch, where he covers artificial intelligence, consumer tech, and startups. He previously covered AI and cybersecurity at Gizmodo. You can contact Lucas by emailing [email protected].
The Aspen Institute Financial Security Program (Aspen FSP) has launched a new effort focused on reducing the scale and severity of scams affecting Americans.
The Scam Prevention Initiative aims to improve how scams are measured, tracked and understood; bring together industry, government and civil society leaders to determine priorities and measure progress; advance information-sharing and practical solutions that help organizations prevent scams, disrupt criminal activity and protect consumers; and ensure scam prevention remains a national priority for business leaders and policymakers, the organization said in a June 23 press release.
“Fraud and scams are a shared threat, and they require a shared response,” Kate Griffin, director of the Scam Prevention Initiative at Aspen FSP, said in the release.
The initiative will be a newly established Leadership Group on Scam Prevention and will include issue-specific forums that bring together technical experts, law enforcement officials, consumer advocates, policymakers and industry practitioners.
Participants in the Leadership Group include AARP, American Bankers Association, Amazon, Apple, Block,Capital One, Citizens Financial Group, Gen, Google, JPMorganChase, Match Group, Microsoft, PayPal, Target, Walmart and Zelle.
Ravi Govindaraju, head of product, trust and security at JPMorganChase, said in the release: “We’re proud to join this Initiative and support the kind of ecosystem-wide approach needed to bring public, private and nonprofit organizations together around practical solutions that help people prevent scams and keep their finances secure.”
JPMorganChase said in May that it is supporting an Aspen FSP program that is working with Propel to pilot real-time transaction blocking to prevent electronic benefit transfer (EBT) theft.
Abigail Bishop, head of scam prevention at Amazon, said in the June 23 press release: “We’re committed to ensuring scammers cannot exploit Amazon’s brand to take advantage of the customers who trust us — from holding bad actors accountable to educating customers on how to stay safe.”
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said in April that social media scams generated $2.1 billion in losses last year, an eightfold increase since 2020.
The PYMNTS Intelligence report “Financial Scams and Consumer Trust” found that 4 in 10 households have fallen victim to digital scams in the past five years. Most scams of individual consumers inflict on average hundreds of dollars in losses, while investment and Social Security scams take a toll measured in thousands of dollars.
“For financial institutions, combatting scams isn’t just about maintaining the security of their customers’ accounts — it’s also pivotal to building trust and lasting relationships,” the report said.
Amazon has expanded the price history function of its agentic artificial intelligence (AI) shopping assistant.
Alexa for Shopping now shows 30, 90, and 365 days of price history, “so customers can feel confident they’re getting a great deal,” Amazon wrote in a recent blog post.
“Since launching in 2024, over 50 million customers have checked price history to make informed shopping decisions,” the post said. “With the average customer checking three times a month, price history has become a regular part of their shopping journey for everything from everyday essentials to bigger purchases.”
Amazon gives users two ways to access the feature: by clicking the price history link on any product detail page, or by asking Alexa by tapping the Alexa for Shopping icon and asking things like: “Has this item been on sale in the past 30 days?”
The feature is available to all customers in the U.S., U.K., Canada and India, with full availability expected in the coming weeks, Amazon said.
“Alexa for Shopping changes where the buying decision starts,” PYMNTS wrote last week as the company’s Prime Day sales event got underway. “Instead of asking shoppers to scroll through product pages and compare deals themselves, Amazon can use their shopping history and stated preferences to narrow the options before they reach the cart.”
In addition to price history, the tool lets shoppers set a target price and let Alexa complete the purchase when that price is reached, something that “puts Amazon’s AI inside discovery, comparison and checkout,” PYMNTS added.
The report cited PYMNTS Intelligence data showing that 47% of eCommerce shoppers used AI during their latest purchase. ChatGPT’s share as a product research tool climbed from 2% to 30% in two years, the same data shows.
“Retailers now have to compete for the recommendation before a shopper reaches a product page,” PYMNTS added.
In other Amazon news, a recent analysis from J.P. Morgan found that the company became America’s largest retailer in terms of gross merchandise value sometime in 2025, surpassing tis rival retail giant Walmart.
J.P. Morgan analyst Doug Anmuth and his team credited Amazon’s gains to its selection, pricing and delivery speed, according to a report by Seeking Alpha.
They also found that the growth of Amazon’s retail business surpassed that of the larger eCommerce market during the first quarter and that the company is now estimated to enjoy a 47% share of the U.S. eCommerce market.
There's a growing argument that the market has been pricing Amazon.com Inc. NASDAQ: AMZN on fear rather than fundamentals in recent weeks. The CapEx concerns, the FTC noise, and the Blue Origin setback have all combined to leave the stock looking unusually unloved.
Amazon.com Today
$238.71 -1.43 (-0.59%)
As of 03:18 PM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
52-Week Range$196.00▼
$278.56P/E Ratio28.55
Price Target$312.78
But beneath the headlines, the underlying demand picture for one of Amazon's biggest growth engines is suddenly looking very strong. As we'll see below, a new survey of IT executives by Jefferies has just delivered exactly the kind of data point the bulls have been looking for. According to the poll of 40 tech executives, cloud spending is expected to grow more than 10% in 2026, up from 9.6% in 2025.
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Even more strikingly, an overwhelming 95% of respondents said they expect their cloud budgets to increase next year.
For Amazon, whose AWS unit is the world's leading cloud provider, that's exactly the kind of demand backdrop that the recent share price weakness has not priced in.
The Survey That Changes the ConversationShares of Amazon are currently trading around $240, having recovered modestly from last week's lows but still down meaningfully from the all-time highs set last month. The selling pressure has been driven by a familiar mix of CapEx concerns and a broader cooling in sentiment toward AI infrastructure plays. That backdrop is exactly what makes the Jefferies survey so timely.
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) Price Chart for Tuesday, June, 30, 2026
The survey showed "bullish spend intentions" for AWS specifically, with 56% of CIOs expecting to spend more on the platform in 2026. While placing AWS slightly behind Microsoft Corp NASDAQ: MSFT in the rankings, the data still strongly endorsed the platform's positioning at a time when the market has been questioning whether Amazon's enormous CapEx spending will translate into meaningful revenue.
Why This Hits Right Where the Market Is WrongThe reason this matters so much is that it directly challenges the bearish narrative that's been driving the recent selloff. Much of Amazon's underperformance has come down to a single concern—that the company is spending too much on AI infrastructure too fast.
However, the Jefferies survey points to exactly the kind of demand picture that supports the CapEx story. If 95% of CIOs plan to increase cloud spending next year, and AWS is clearly a beneficiary of that trend, then the spending Amazon has been doing on data centers and AI infrastructure isn't speculative. It's being built to meet demand that the customers themselves are explicitly telling analysts they plan to deliver.
In other words, the bulls who've been arguing that the CapEx concern is overblown just got a serious data point to support their case. The market may not have caught onto it yet, but it usually doesn't take long for survey data this constructive to start showing up in analyst notes and revised earnings estimates.
The Bigger Strategic PictureWhat makes the survey particularly encouraging is the role of AI within it. About 68% of CIOs now have a dedicated AI budget, and around 11% of overall IT budgets are now allocated to AI workloads. Just as importantly, 73% of respondents said their actual year-to-date AI spending is tracking above their initial budgets, with some companies already having burned through their full annual AI allocation.
For AWS, which sits at the heart of the AI infrastructure stack and counts Anthropic as one of its most important customers, that's exactly the kind of dynamic that should compound into meaningful revenue growth in the quarters ahead.
Combine it with its other deepening enterprise AI partnerships, and the continued momentum within the broader Amazon business, and the bull case at $240 looks considerably more attractive than the recent price action would suggest.
Where That Leaves the OpportunityTo be sure, none of this immediately solves the near-term challenges Amazon faces. The FTC situation is still in play, the broader AI CapEx narrative will take time to shift, and there could be more volatility ahead before sentiment fully turns. The patience tax that comes with owning Amazon right now is real.
But for those willing to look past the noise, the Jefferies survey quietly shifts the underlying argument. The market has been worrying about whether AWS's demand justifies the spending. The customers themselves are now telling analysts it does.
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Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Tuesday launched a new Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) organization, committing $1 billion in internal resources to help customers build and deploy artificial intelligence systems.
The new unit will embed AI-focused engineers within customer organizations to develop purpose-built AI agents and accelerate implementation.
AWS said the engagements are intended to deliver working systems within weeks while enabling customers to manage and expand them independently.
The $1 billion commitment reflects internal Amazon resources rather than an external investment or joint venture.
The move comes as demand grows for hands-on support with enterprise AI adoption, prompting technology providers to expand deployment services.
"We've had capabilities over the years, but structurally this is like getting everybody together in one business unit with a common rubric of deployment," Francessca Vasquez, AWS vice president of Frontier AI Engineering and Services, said in an interview. "It's the first time we're doing it in that way."
Vasquez said the organization will launch with thousands of forward deployed engineers. Small teams of roughly five or six engineers will work alongside customers' business, engineering and security staff, as well as AI agents capable of completing tasks autonomously.
In a blog post announcing the initiative, AWS said the objective is to leave customers with more than deployed software.
"Customers leave AWS FDE deployments with both new solutions and new engineering capabilities," the company wrote. "Along with agentic systems running in their own AWS environment, they gain lasting AI skills, workflows, and patterns they can use to innovate independently."
The forward deployed engineering model, pioneered by Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) more than a decade ago, places engineers inside client organizations to tailor deployments while transferring expertise to internal teams.
The approach has gained momentum as companies accelerate AI adoption. Earlier this year, OpenAI (Unlisted:OPAI) and Anthropic launched their own FDE ventures with financial and consulting partners. AWS said its new organization makes it the first hyperscale cloud provider to establish a dedicated forward deployed engineering unit.
"The currency that the customers are always talking about right now is speed," Vasquez said. "We do see FDE being a choice for customers who are looking for accelerated value back to their stakeholders, their customers, their executive teams."
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) both reported earnings on April 29, 2026. Microsoft leaned on enterprise cloud and Copilot seats. Alphabet leaned on Search resilience and a hyper-growing cloud unit. Both beat estimates. Both are spending unprecedented sums on AI infrastructure. The market has punished both anyway.
Azure Heats Up. Google Cloud Runs Even Hotter. Microsoft delivered $82.89 billion in revenue, up 18.3%, with EPS of $4.27 against a $4.09 estimate. Intelligent Cloud hit $34.68 billion, with Azure growing 40% in constant currency. That is the engine.
Satya Nadella told investors the AI business now runs at a “$37 billion ARR, up 123%” pace. Microsoft 365 Copilot now sits at over 20 million paid seats, with Accenture alone deploying 740,000 seats. Commercial RPO of $627 billion tells you the backlog is real.
Alphabet was, frankly, louder. Revenue of $109.9 billion grew 21.79%. Reported EPS of $5.11 blew past the $2.63 estimate, but a chunk came from $36.91 billion in unrealized equity gains, so I would not anchor on the headline.
The cleaner story is Google Cloud at $20.03 billion, up 63%, with backlog nearly doubling sequentially to $462 billion. Cloud operating margin expanded to 32.9% from 17.8%. Search held up too at $60.4 billion, up 19%, with queries at all-time highs.
A Partnership Model Versus a Vertical Stack Lens Microsoft Alphabet Core AI bet OpenAI partnership plus MAI models Owns silicon, Gemini, and the stack Cloud growth 40% (Azure) 63% (Google Cloud) 2026 capex plan ~$190 billion $180B to $190B Valuation (P/E) 27.2 13.9 Microsoft pays for IP rights through 2032 and is monetizing through seats that increasingly behave like meters. Nadella was explicit: “The basic transformation of any per-user business of ours…will become a per-user and usage business.”
Alphabet, meanwhile, sells Gemini, TPUs, and BigQuery as one fabric. Sundar Pichai called the company “genuinely differentiated” because of the vertically optimized stack. Enterprise AI Solutions revenue grew nearly 800% year-over-year. That figure is accurate.
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Capex Is the Stress Test Microsoft burned $30.88 billion in capex, up 84.39%, and Amy Hood guided capex over $40 billion next quarter. Alphabet spent $35.67 billion, pushing free cash flow down 46.63% to $10.12 billion.
I will keep an eye on Azure constant-currency growth holding above the 39% to 40% guide and on whether Google Cloud margins can absorb the Wiz integration. The June 23 reports of top AI developers shifting toward Anthropic and OpenAI are worth tracking too.
Why I Lean Toward Alphabet Right Now Both businesses are excellent. The price tags differ sharply. Since reporting, MSFT is down 11.94%, while GOOG is down just 3.57%.
Alphabet trades at a lower multiple, with cloud accelerating and Waymo doing 500,000+ autonomous rides per week. That is the asymmetric setup I want.
Microsoft remains the steadier compounder, with a fortress backlog and predictable enterprise renewals. For investors sensitive to volatility, capex clarity from both companies remains a key gating factor. I am willing to sit through the noise at Alphabet’s multiple.
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BRECKENRIDGE, Colo., June 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Breckenridge Distillery, one of the most-awarded craft distilleries in the U.S. and a subsidiary of Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY and TSX: TLRY), continues its run as Colorado's most decorated spirits producer, taking home top honors at the New York International Spirits Competition (NYISC). Now in its 17th year, NYISC drew more than 1,400 entries from 39 countries and 34 U.S. states, with top spirits buyers judging each submission by category and price.
Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish led the distillery's haul, earning Double Gold and a 96-point score, NYISC's highest distinction reserved for spirits that earn a unanimous gold-or-better vote from every judge on the panel. The win caps a banner year for the expression, which has emerged as one of Breckenridge's most decorated releases and a standout in the brand's growing portfolio of cask-finished whiskeys, having also just won Double Gold at San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Breckenridge Distillery was also named 2026 NYISC Colorado Distillery of the Year, marking the sixth win for the Breckenridge Distillery. In addition, Breckenridge and Casa Breck expressions earned Gold medals with scores of 95 points: Breckenridge Cognac Cask Finish Whiskey, Breckenridge Peat Fetish, Breckenridge Vodka, and Casa Breck Tequila Blanco.
“Rum Cask Finish has become one of the clearest expressions of what we do best, take a great American whiskey and push it somewhere unexpected,” says Bryan Nolt, Founder and CEO. “To see it earn back-to-back Double Gold at SFWSC and NYISC is a reflection of the consistency and craftsmanship our team brings to every release. Six years as Colorado Distillery of the Year is not lost on us either, it is a standard we work hard to keep earning.”
Judges at this year's competition noted the exceptionally high quality of entries submitted across regions and countries, underscoring the strength of Breckenridge's showing against an increasingly competitive global field.
Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish: The distillery’s award-winning Breckenridge Bourbon soaks up the charm of aged Colorado Rum casks, creating an unstoppable wave of flavor. Candied apple and cinnamon enfold, as dark chocolate and cacao follow. Lingering allspice captivates the senses, gratifying in just one sip, but mysterious enough to leave you wanting another (45% ABV, 90 proof, $59.99 MSRP).
Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish is available nationally at select retailers and for home delivery where permitted, or find a retailer near you. For more information about Breckenridge Distillery, visit www.breckenridgedistillery.com. Follow Breckenridge Distillery on Instagram @breckdistillery and become a fan at facebook.com/BreckDistillery. Age 21+. Always enjoy responsibly.
About Breckenridge Distillery
Founded in Colorado in 2008, Breckenridge Distillery is the “World’s Highest Distillery,” and is best known for its award-winning blended bourbon whiskey, a high-rye mash American-style whiskey. One of the most highly awarded distilleries in the U.S., Breckenridge Distillery is proudly a 3x Icons of Whisky and 10x winner of Best American Blended at the World Whiskies Awards by Whisky Magazine, and now a 6x winner of Colorado Distillery of the Year by the New York International Spirits Competition. Most recently, Breckenridge Port Cask Finish was named World’s Best Finished Bourbon at the 2024 World Whiskies Awards, joining Breckenridge High Proof, named World’s Best Blended Whiskey, and Breckenridge Gin, named World’s Best Compound Gin at the World Gin Awards by Gin Magazine. Breckenridge spirits have been awarded 7 Double Golds at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Breckenridge Distillery is more than award-winning spirits, offering an immersive guest experience. Named one of the country’s Top Visitor Attractions by Whisky Magazine, guests can dine at the award-winning restaurant, enjoy show-stopping cocktails, explore an in-depth tasting, and get an inside look at the active production facility, including the opportunity to blend their own whiskey.
Breckenridge Distillery is a subsidiary of Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY and TSX: TLRY), a leading global cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company inspiring and empowering the worldwide community to live their very best life.
To learn more about Breckenridge Distillery, visit www.breckenridgedistillery.com. Keep up with Breckenridge Distillery on Instagram by following @breckdistillery and become a fan at facebook.com/BreckDistillery. For more information about Tilray Brands, visit www.tilray.com and follow @tilray on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
About Tilray Brands
Tilray Brands, Inc. (“Tilray”) (Nasdaq: TLRY; TSX: TLRY), is a leading global lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company with operations in Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, and Latin America that is leading as a transformative force at the nexus of cannabis, beverage, wellness, and entertainment, elevating lives through moments of connection. Tilray’s mission is to be a leading premium lifestyle company with a house of brands and innovative products that inspire joy and create memorable experiences. Tilray’s unprecedented platform supports over 40 brands in over 20 countries, including comprehensive cannabis offerings, hemp-based foods, and craft beverages.
For more information on how we are elevating lives through moments of connection, visit Tilray.com and follow @Tilray on all social platforms.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this communication that are not historical facts constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (together, “forward-looking statements”) under Canadian and U.S. securities laws and within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be subject to the “safe harbor” created by those sections and other applicable laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “forecast,” “future,” “should,” “could,” “enable,” “potential,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plan,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “project,” “will,” “would” and the negative of these terms or similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Certain material factors, estimates, goals, projections, or assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this communication. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses, or current expectations. Many factors could cause actual results, performance, or achievement to be materially different from any forward-looking statements, and other risks and uncertainties not presently known to the Company or that the Company deems immaterial could also cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained herein. For a more detailed discussion of these risks and other factors, see the most recently filed annual information form of Tilray and the Annual Report on Form 10-K (and other periodic reports filed with the SEC) of Tilray made with the SEC and available on EDGAR. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made as of the date of this communication and the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events, or otherwise unless required by applicable securities laws.
DeepSeek released DSpark last week. The market noticed the speed numbers and moved on. What the speed numbers actually signal is more important than the benchmark: A Chinese AI lab keeps finding ways to make inference faster using software and open weights, at no cost to anyone who wants to use it.
Nvidia (NVDA +2.00%), meanwhile, is ramping a specialized decode rack called the Groq 3 LPX that requires a separate purchase decision on top of the GPU platform customers already depend on. The question the market is not asking is whether that second check gets written at scale, or whether DSpark and the architectural innovations underneath it are quietly making the answer no.
Nvidia just posted the biggest quarter in semiconductor history. Revenue of $81.6 billion. Data Center revenue of $75.2 billion. GAAP gross margin of 74.9 percent. The established GPU business is not in question. What is in question is the incremental layer Nvidia is now trying to monetize on top of it.
The New Bet Nvidia Is Making The investment case has quietly shifted layers. Selling GPUs to hyperscalers is the established business. The new ambition is to sell a specialized decode rack alongside those GPUs, positioned as a required upgrade for the most demanding agentic AI workloads.
That rack is the Groq 3 LPX, built around 256 Groq LPU accelerators. Each LPU carries 500MB of on-chip SRAM running at 150 terabytes per second of bandwidth, roughly seven times the memory bandwidth of a Rubin GPU. Paired with the Vera Rubin NVL72 GPU system, Nvidia claims the combination delivers up to 35 times higher inference throughput per megawatt for trillion-parameter models. Vera Rubin is now in full production. LPX is shipping to early customers in the second half of 2026.
The pitch is compelling. The risk is that it requires a separate purchase decision from customers who have already committed to Rubin GPUs. DSpark arrived and made that decision harder.
Why Decode Is the Profit Pool Nvidia Wants to Own LLM inference splits into two distinct phases. Prefill processes the input prompt and generates the initial memory state. Decode generates output tokens one step at a time, using that memory state under sustained pressure from active users, long outputs, and large context windows.
Decode is slower, more memory-intensive, and harder to scale efficiently. The memory structure at the center of this pressure is the KV cache, which grows with context length and must be read repeatedly for every generated token. For long-context agentic workloads, the KV cache can consume the majority of available GPU memory.
This is the bottleneck LPX is designed to monetize. If decode remains the dominant constraint on inference quality and cost, LPX becomes a necessary part of any serious agentic deployment.
Image source: Getty Images.
Disaggregation Is an Industry Bet, Not Just an Nvidia Bet This is important context for evaluating LPX. The case for separating prefill and decode onto specialized hardware is not Nvidia's alone. It is the conclusion the entire industry has reached simultaneously, which validates the underlying thesis but complicates the investment case for LPX specifically.
In March 2026, AWS and Cerebras announced a multiyear collaboration that puts Cerebras CS-3 wafer-scale engines inside AWS data centers, pairing them with Trainium 3 for prefill and Cerebras CS-3 for decode, connected via Amazon's Elastic Fabric Adapter networking. The architecture is identical in logic to Nvidia's LPX play: prefill and decode require different silicon, and serving them on the same hardware leaves performance on the table. AWS described the result as delivering inference an order of magnitude faster than existing GPU-only solutions. The service is launching through Amazon Bedrock in the second half of 2026, on the same timeline as LPX.
The bear case sharpens here. If every major cloud provider reaches the same architectural conclusion and builds their own answer to it, Nvidia's LPX attach rate becomes a question of whether customers who buy Rubin GPUs also buy LPX as a second rack, or whether they route their most latency-sensitive decode workloads to a hyperscaler-native alternative instead.
DSpark Is the Latest Move in a Longer Pattern DeepSeek released DSpark on June 27, 2026. It is not a new model. It is a speculative decoding module attached to DeepSeek-V4-Flash and V4-Pro, now running live in production.
The mechanism is worth understanding because it directly attacks the decode bottleneck. A smaller draft model proposes multiple tokens at once. The large target model verifies them in parallel. When the draft is right, multiple tokens are accepted in a single step. Fewer full decode passes are required per output. The memory and compute burden per token falls.
DeepSeek reports per-user generation speed improving 60% to 85% on V4-Flash and 57% to 78% on V4-Pro over the prior baseline. Throughput at a fixed service level improved 51%. These numbers come from DeepSeek's own benchmarking and have not been independently verified as of this writing. What is verifiable: DSpark is live in production, open-sourced under the MIT license, and the companion DeepSpec training framework already extends to Qwen and Gemma model families. The efficiency gains are not staying inside DeepSeek's own ecosystem.
One nuance worth stating plainly. Nvidia's own LPX architecture supports speculative decoding. Dynamo is designed to orchestrate draft-and-verify workflows across the GPU-LPU combination. DSpark and LPX are not simply in opposition. The more pointed bear case is that DSpark running on general Rubin GPUs alone, without LPX attached, delivers enough inference efficiency that the second rack becomes optional for most workloads.
DSpark is also not the first move in this pattern. DeepSeek has been quietly shrinking the memory problem that decode hardware is designed to solve. Its MLA architecture, carried through every model generation since V2, stores a compressed representation of past context instead of the full memory state a standard model would keep. The practical result: DeepSeek-V4-Pro needs roughly 10% of the memory that V3.2 required for million-token conversations. Less memory pressure means less urgency for hardware whose main selling point is handling that pressure. DeepSeek is reducing the problem inside the model before the hardware ever sees it.
The causal chain for investors is this. Decode is a memory and latency problem. LPX is a hardware solution to that problem. DSpark and MLA are software solutions to the same problem. They are open, free, and already in production.
The Trade-Off the Market Is Not Pricing This is not a story about Nvidia losing the AI infrastructure market. Hyperscalers have already secured Vera Rubin allocations. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang confirmed more than $1 trillion in combined Blackwell and Rubin purchase orders through 2027. That figure covers GPU systems and associated networking. It does not include LPX racks, Vera CPU systems, or storage, all of which are incremental.
The trade-off is specific. LPX must deliver enough guaranteed latency and throughput improvement over general Rubin GPUs running DSpark-style inference to justify a separate rack purchase, and to do so while competing against hyperscaler-native decode alternatives that carry none of LPX's integration friction. That hurdle just got higher on two fronts simultaneously: software efficiency is rising and the competitive field for specialized decode hardware is widening.
Geopolitical restrictions protect some hardware supply but not the ideas. DSpark is MIT-licensed and already running on model families beyond DeepSeek's own.
Token volume can rise while hardware intensity per token falls. That is the asymmetry that the market is not pricing.
What the Financial Exposure Actually Looks Like The forward numbers require one specific question. Full-year fiscal 2027 Data Center revenue consensus sits near $343 billion, per S&P Global Visible Alpha. That implies continued sequential growth through the Vera Rubin ramp. The consensus Data Center gross margin for fiscal 2027 is projected at 76.3%, slightly below fiscal 2024 and 2025 levels.
The LPX bear case does not threaten GPU demand. It threatens the incremental attach: LPX racks, disaggregated serving infrastructure, and the premium networking and storage configurations justified by worst-case decode loads. If LPX lands narrowly among the highest-concurrency, longest-context deployments rather than broadly across agentic workloads, the incremental revenue layer implied by the consensus trajectory is harder to underwrite at current multiples.
What Would Make the Bear Case Wrong This is what would make the bear case wrong: LPX becomes a required component for agentic deployments, not a premium option. Cloud providers report service-level improvements only achievable with LPX attached to Rubin and disclose this publicly. Nvidia reports LPX rack demand separately from general Rubin GPU demand in upcoming earnings calls, with numbers large enough to matter.
The AWS-Cerebras disaggregation stack proves difficult to scale or faces latency limitations from the EFA interconnect between Trainium and CS-3, pushing customers toward the tighter GPU-LPU co-design of LPX. DSpark-style speculative decoding shows weak acceptance rates in production reasoning and complex agentic workflows, where output is less predictable. KV compression architectures prove difficult to extend beyond DeepSeek's model family. The CUDA compatibility gap closes with the LP35 generation, removing a meaningful adoption friction point.
What Would Confirm the Bear Case Here's what would make the bear case right: Nvidia discusses Vera Rubin demand broadly in upcoming earnings without evidence of LPX attach rates. Hyperscalers deploy DSpark-style speculative decoding and MLA-derived attention at scale, with infrastructure reporting showing lower hardware intensity per token. The AWS-Cerebras Bedrock launch gains rapid enterprise adoption, demonstrating that customers route latency-sensitive decode workloads to hyperscaler-native alternatives rather than LPX. Token prices fall faster than Nvidia's hardware cost reductions, compressing customer payback periods for LPX investment. DeepSpec-style efficiency gains appear in Qwen, Gemma, and other major open model families, making this about architectural diffusion rather than one Chinese vendor.
Judge the Next Nvidia Inference Cycle by LPX Attach, Not Token Volume Nvidia's GPU platform is not in question. The Blackwell ramp was real. The Vera Rubin orders are real. The agentic AI inflection Jensen Huang describes is real.
What is in question is whether the inference specialization layer gets purchased at the scale the consensus numbers imply. The bear case is not that inference stops growing. It is that DeepSeek and its open-source successors keep compounding software efficiency, that hyperscalers build their own decode alternatives, and that all of this happens at the exact moment Nvidia is trying to monetize a hardware solution to the same problem.
The decisive metric over the next two to three quarters is not Data Center revenue. It is whether Nvidia can show that Vera Rubin customers attach LPX because neither general Rubin GPUs running DSpark-style inference nor hyperscaler-native disaggregation alternatives can meet their latency targets at scale. That signal will either underwrite the consensus or put it in doubt. Everything else in the Nvidia story is already priced.
Chip behemoth Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA) has struggled in 2026, shifting back below the $200 mark just last week. However, NVDA remains up 6% year-to-date and has recently pulled back to the 260-day moving average—a trendline with historically bullish implications—for the first time since April.
According to Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White, AKAM is trading within 0.75 times the 260-day moving average's 20-day average true range (ATR), after spending at least 80% of the previous two weeks and 80% of the prior 42 trading sessions above that trendline.
This setup has appeared six times over the last decade, after which the stock was higher one month later 83% of the time, averaging a 12.8% gain. A similar move from the stock's current perch at $199.32 would put it at $224.83.
NVDA sports a 50-day call/put volume ratio of 2.37 on the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX). This ratio sits in the 93rd percentile of its annual range, hinting at a healthier-than-usual appetite for bullish bets of late.
NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA | NVDA Price Prediction) was expected to lead semiconductors higher in 2026. Instead, it has watched the rest of the group sprint away. CEO Jensen Huang calls the current moment “the buildout of AI factories, the largest infrastructure expansion in human history”, and the financials back him up. Nvidia’s Q1 2027 data Center revenue hit $75.246 billion, up 92% year over year. Yet the stock is up just 6.2% on the year. Can NVIDIA shares hit $300 by year-end 2026?
Why NVIDIA Shares Are Stuck While Semis Rip The divergence is stark. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) is up 75.49% YTD and 127.69% over one year. NVIDIA is up 29.2% over one year and down 11% over the past month.
Metric NVDA SMH YTD +6.2% +75.49% 1-Month -11% +5.52% 1-Year +29.2% +127.69% Three headwinds weigh on shares. First, Q2 guidance of $91.0 billion ± 2% explicitly excludes Data Center compute revenue from China. Second, a beta of 2.202 amplifies AI-bubble jitters. Investors are rotating into memory, equipment, and optical names that screen cheaper. Third, a beta of 2.202 amplifies every AI-bubble jitter, so this stock takes the hardest hit when risk sentiment wobbles.
The Consensus Is Bullish. Our Model Says Be Patient Wall Street targets $301.62 with 10 strong buy, 48 buy, 2 hold, and 1 sell rating. Our base case is more measured at $248.09 with an optimistic scenario of $259.31, carrying 90% confidence. Our model rates NVIDIA positively but sits well below the Street.
Here is where we push back on our own conservatism. 95% of analysts are bullish, and earnings growth was a +0.03 contributor to our 247 Factor even though Q1 net income grew 210.63% YoY. That gap between actual earnings velocity and modeled contribution is slack that can close fast.
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The Path to $300 Per Share Reaching $300 from today’s price of $198.63 requires a gain of 51.0%. With forward EPS of $8.97, $300 implies a forward P/E of 38x. Our base case of $248.09 already implies 34x, meaning the bold target needs roughly 3.6x additional multiple expansion.
Five catalysts could deliver it:
Forward estimates keep climbing. Yahoo Finance consensus has fiscal-2028 EPS at $12.76, up from $11.11 just 90 days ago, with fiscal-2027 EPS rising to $8.97 from $8.30. Estimates up, price flat. Forward multiples compress quietly. Vera Rubin execution. Huang has called “Grace Blackwell with NVLink” the “king of inference” with Vera Rubin, which is behind agentic AI and reasoning models, extending that lead. Robotics and physical AI. Per the South China Morning Post (June 30, 2026), NVIDIA is recruiting for more than a dozen roles across Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen spanning embodied intelligence, simulation, and Project GR00T. Sovereign AI. NVIDIA’s June 29, 2026 blog announced Palantir’s new engine using NVIDIA Nemotron models in air-gapped U.S. government deployments. China access and new CPUs. H200 licensing and Arm-based CPU launches are reported swing factors for 2H. Primary risk: tighter China export rules or any Vera Rubin slip would freeze the multiple where it sits.
Where NVIDIA Trades Today vs Its Earnings Power At $198.63 against forward EPS of $8.97, NVIDIA trades around 25x forward earnings. Alpha Vantage pegs forward P/E at 22. Either way, that is a modest multiple for a company growing revenue 85.2% YoY at 75.0% non-GAAP gross margins. Shares sit between a 52-week range of $152.77 and $236.26, and the 10-year return is +16,943.1%. The valuation case writes itself if earnings keep accelerating.
Is $300 Realistic? $300 is a stretch from $198.63, implying a 51.0% gain in six months. For it to work, forward estimates need to keep climbing, Vera Rubin needs a clean ramp, and the China headwind needs to soften. A regulatory clampdown on AI chip exports would derail it. With the Street already at $301.62 and EPS trends pointing up, the math is more achievable than recent price action suggests. Returns at this level shouldn’t be expected every year, but the blueprint for NVIDIA reaching $300 in 2026 is clearly within grasp.
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American Airlines is planning to open a new grab-and-go lounge at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport by the end of this year, its first new facility at the airport in more than four years as it continues its fight for high-paying customers to close a profit gap with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.
The new lounge, a 3,700-square-foot space, will include a barista bar with hot and iced coffee drinks as well as hot and cold food travelers can grab.
Airlines have been adding more of these short-visit lounges in recent years to give credit card holders and big spenders access to spaces without crowding larger airport clubs. United announced its first in late 2022, for Denver International Airport.
watch now
Airlines and credit card companies alike have raised the entry requirements or scaled back on freebies like guest passes to avoid overcrowding.
American opened the first of its grab-and-go lounges, which it calls Provisions, at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, last year.
American operates out of JFK's Terminal 8, which is shared by its Oneworld Alliance partners, Japan Airlines, Alaska Airlines, British Airways and others.
It has a trio of high-end lounges for business-class travelers, first-class passengers and other frequent flyer elites for long-haul trips, which the airline opened there in 2022. It also operates an Admirals Club there that is used more for lounge membership customers. American hasn't updated its New York space lately like it has with those in other cities like Chicago and Austin, Texas.
Read more about airlines' race to win over big spendersUnited ditches more economy seats to make room for bigger premium cabins with new layoutsWhy airline class wars will intensify in 2026Caviar and privacy: Airlines' business-class wars are hereDelta says premium travel is set to overtake coach cabin sales next yearAmerican Airlines is arriving late to the luxury travel boom. Can it catch up?First-class seats are getting so fancy they’re holding up new airplanesAirlines can’t add high-end seats fast enough as travelers treat themselves to first class
Several of the world's payments and tech giants have agreed to use the money movement stablecoin Open USD. That coin is set to go live later this year, according to an announcement Tuesday (June 30) from Open Standard, the company behind Open USD.
Investors might want to bet on JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM - Free Report) , as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). This upgrade primarily reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates, which is one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.
The sole determinant of the Zacks rating is a company's changing earnings picture. The Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years is tracked by the system.
Since a changing earnings picture is a powerful factor influencing near-term stock price movements, the Zacks rating system is very useful for individual investors. They may find it difficult to make decisions based on rating upgrades by Wall Street analysts, as these are mostly driven by subjective factors that are hard to see and measure in real time.
As such, the Zacks rating upgrade for JPMorgan Chase & Co. is essentially a positive comment on its earnings outlook that could have a favorable impact on its stock price.
Most Powerful Force Impacting Stock PricesThe change in a company's future earnings potential, as reflected in earnings estimate revisions, and the near-term price movement of its stock are proven to be strongly correlated. The influence of institutional investors has a partial contribution to this relationship, as these big professionals use earnings and earnings estimates to calculate the fair value of a company's shares. An increase or decrease in earnings estimates in their valuation models simply results in higher or lower fair value for a stock, and institutional investors typically buy or sell it. Their transaction of large amounts of shares then leads to price movement for the stock.
Fundamentally speaking, rising earnings estimates and the consequent rating upgrade for JPMorgan Chase & Co. imply an improvement in the company's underlying business. Investors should show their appreciation for this improving business trend by pushing the stock higher.
Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate RevisionsEmpirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock movements, so it could be truly rewarding if such revisions are tracked for making an investment decision. Here is where the tried-and-tested Zacks Rank stock-rating system plays an important role, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions.
The Zacks Rank stock-rating system, which uses four factors related to earnings estimates to classify stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record, with Zacks Rank #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
Earnings Estimate Revisions for JPMorgan Chase & Co.For the fiscal year ending December 2026, this company is expected to earn $22.72 per share, which is unchanged compared with the year-ago reported number.
Analysts have been steadily raising their estimates for JPMorgan Chase & Co.. Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company has increased 4.2%.
Bottom LineUnlike the overly optimistic Wall Street analysts whose rating systems tend to be weighted toward favorable recommendations, the Zacks rating system maintains an equal proportion of "buy" and "sell" ratings for its entire universe of more than 4,000 stocks at any point in time. Irrespective of market conditions, only the top 5% of the Zacks-covered stocks get a "Strong Buy" rating and the next 15% get a "Buy" rating. So, the placement of a stock in the top 20% of the Zacks-covered stocks indicates its superior earnings estimate revision feature, making it a solid candidate for producing market-beating returns in the near term.
You can learn more about the Zacks Rank here >>>
The upgrade of JPMorgan Chase & Co. to a Zacks Rank #2 positions it in the top 20% of the Zacks-covered stocks in terms of estimate revisions, implying that the stock might move higher in the near term.
Disney is set to pay out a $50 million settlement in a class action lawsuit that alleged the entertainment giant broke antitrust and consumer protection laws by pushing prices for streaming subscriptions higher.
The settlement follows a 2022 federal class action lawsuit that was filed by YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream subscribers who claimed the company engaged in anticompetitive conduct to raise the prices of streaming services' live TV plans due to its control over in-demand programming, such as ESPN and Hulu.
The class action suit, known as Biddle v. Disney, alleged that Disney limited the ability of rivals to offer lower-cost streaming services because of the company's requirement that streaming platforms include ESPN in basic channel packages as part of its carriage agreements. Plaintiffs alleged that contributed to higher consumer prices across the streaming platforms.
Disney has denied wrongdoing, and no court has determined the company violated the law. The company agreed to the settlement without admitting liability.
DISNEY CEO UNVEILS ENTERTAINMENT GIANT'S NEW 3-PILLAR GROWTH PLAN
Disney reached a settlement agreement in the class action suit over its impact on streaming bundle prices. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
Who is eligible for the Disney settlement?Consumers who had paid subscriptions to YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream between April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2026, are eligible to receive a share of the settlement fund.
For DirecTV subscribers, eligibility covers DirecTV Stream, DirecTV Now and AT&T TV Now plans within the covered period.
A similar case involving Disney's impact on streaming subscription prices involving FuboTV was filed covering a seven-year period. However, FuboTV plaintiffs haven't reached a settlement with Disney, so they aren't eligible at this time.
DISNEY REPORTEDLY SHELVES ESPN SPINOFF TALKS IN MAJOR CALL UNDER NEW CEO
Ticker Security Last Change Change % DIS THE WALT DISNEY CO. 98.63 -0.16 -0.16% How much are settlement payments?Settlement payments will vary based on how long a subscriber was paying for a YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream subscription during the period covered by the settlement.
They will also be determined based on the number of eligible claims received, after subtracting attorneys' fees.
The court will hold a final hearing to approve the settlement on Jan. 14, 2027, and shortly after that the payments will be issued to eligible claimants.
DISNEY LAYS OFF 1,000 EMPLOYEES ACROSS TV AND FILM UNDER NEW CEO
DirecTV Stream subscribers in the covered period can file a settlement claim. (Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for NFL SUNDAY TICKET on DIRECTV)
How to file a claimSubscribers who are eligible for the settlement can submit a claim form to receive a pro rata cash payment that's proportional to the duration of their YouTube TV and/or DirecTV Stream subscription.
Before filing the claim, an eligible member of the class will need the unique ID printed on the notice they received through the mail or email. If an individual didn't receive the notice or lost it, they may contact the settlement administrator for assistance.
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There is no requirement to submit receipts or subscription documentation when filing a claim, and eligible customers will certify the start and end dates of a subscription under penalty of perjury.
The deadline to submit claim forms is Sept. 8, 2026, for claims submitted online or via mail. Eligible members wishing to submit a claim or read more information may find it at the Biddle v. Disney claims website here.
Key Takeaways UAL will launch nonstop flights to Cartagena from Houston and Washington Dulles on Dec. 17, 2026.UAL adds its third Colombia destination, complementing long-standing service to Bogota and Medellin.UAL plans upgraded onboard features and free Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members to enhance travel. United Airlines (UAL - Free Report) announced the launch of new nonstop flights from Houston Intercontinental Airport (“IAH”) and Washington Dulles International Airport (“IAD”) to Cartagena, Colombia, effective Dec. 17, 2026, subject to government approval. With this move, United will become the first U.S. airline to offer nonstop service on both routes, further expanding its international network in Latin America.
The new services will operate year round with four weekly flights from each hub, using Boeing 737 aircraft. The expansion adds Cartagena as United's third destination in Colombia, complementing its existing operations to Bogotá and Medellín, where the airline has maintained a presence for more than 30 years.
The new routes are expected to strengthen United's connectivity across North America by linking Cartagena to more than 70 destinations through its Houston and Washington Dulles hubs. The expansion also reinforces the airline's leadership in Latin America, where it already offers the largest network from Texas and the Washington, D.C., region.
Alongside network expansion, United continues to enhance its customer offering by deploying aircraft equipped with seatback entertainment screens, Bluetooth connectivity and larger overhead bins. The airline also plans to introduce free Starlink Wi-Fi for MileagePlus members, underscoring its focus on improving the travel experience while supporting long-term international growth.
UAL’s Share Price PerformanceUAL’s shares have gained 68.9% over the past year compared with the Transportation - Airline industry’s 43.3% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
UAL’s Zacks RankUAL currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Stocks to ConsiderInvestors interested in the Zacks Transportation sector may consider Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (EXPD - Free Report) and Teekay Tankers Ltd (TNK - Free Report) .
EXPD currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Expeditors has an expected earnings growth rate of 11.9% for 2026. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 13.96%.
Teekay Tankers Ltd currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.
TNK has an expected earnings growth rate of 98% for the current year. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 10.2%.
HomeIndustriesAirlinesDelta, United shares fly toward fresh records as the airline sector has rallied 20% in JuneJune 30, 2026, 2:53 p.m. ET
U.S. airlines’ stocks are flying high as jet-fuel prices fall and Americans continue to take to the skies, with shares of United Airlines and Delta Air Lines zooming toward fresh records on Tuesday.
“Air-travel demand was strong before the Iran war and has remained strong throughout. The fighting drove up air fares but ended in time for fuel costs to fall,” said David Russell, global head of market strategy at TradeStation.
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL | GOOGL Price Prediction) and Verizon (NYSE:VZ) just delivered Q1 2026 results that reveal why S&P Dow Jones Indices swapped the telecom giant out of the Dow for the search and cloud heavyweight. Alphabet is pouring cash into AI infrastructure at a historic scale. Verizon is leaning on a customer turnaround and a freshly integrated fiber footprint. Both reported within 48 hours of each other, making the contrast unusually clean.
AI Capex Carries Alphabet. Fiber and Loyalty Carry Verizon. Alphabet’s quarter was defined by Google Cloud revenue of $20.03 billion, up 63% year over year, with backlog nearly doubling quarter on quarter to over $460 billion. Search still anchors the model at $60.40 billion (+19%), and Gemini is now processing 16 billion tokens per minute via direct API use. Sundar Pichai called it a quarter where “AI investments and full stack approach are lighting up every part of the business“. The price of that conviction shows up in $35.67 billion of Q1 capex, more than double the prior year.
Verizon’s story is operational repair. New CEO Dan Schulman, citing “the first positive first-quarter postpaid phone net adds we’ve seen in over a decade”, leaned on the closed Frontier deal, which lifted fiber broadband connections 41.9% to roughly 10.8 million. Adjusted EBITDA of $13.39 billion (+6.7%) shows the core wireless plus broadband bundle remains a cash machine.
Premium Growth Bet vs. Insulated Income Engine Lens Alphabet Verizon Core Bet AI infrastructure and Gemini Fiber bundle and churn reduction 2026 Capex $175B to $185B guided $16.0B to $16.5B guided Dividend Yield ~0.24% ~6.0% Forward P/E 24x 9x Key Vulnerability FCF compression, multiple risk $172.5B debt load Alphabet’s free cash flow fell 46.63% to $10.12 billion as capex doubled. That is the cost of the AI buildout. Verizon is guiding free cash flow above $21.5 billion, funding a dividend that has run uninterrupted for over two decades.
What I Am Watching Into The Back Half For Alphabet, the cloud backlog must convert into revenue fast enough to justify the spend. Prediction traders give a 85.8% probability of a new Gemini Pro release by July 31, which would be the next real catalyst. I am also watching the recent 8.33% one-week pullback for signs of multiple compression. For Verizon, the question is whether Schulman can keep postpaid phone churn from drifting above 0.97% while servicing debt at 2.6x leverage.
Why I Lean Differently Depending On Your Goal If I were building a sleep-well-at-night allocation against headline PCE running at 4.07%, Verizon screens better on a defensive, income-oriented lens here. The yield is real, Frontier is already inside the tent, and the stock is up 18.03% year to date while still trading near 9x forward earnings. For investors with tolerance for volatility, Alphabet screens as the more compelling long-duration asset. The $460 billion cloud backlog is a substantive commercial commitment. I would rather wait for the indexing-driven enthusiasm to cool before adding exposure.
Need investment income? From a distance, it looks like income seekers are just out of luck right now. The S&P 500's trailing dividend yield currently stands at a record low of just over 1%.
Dig deeper, though. The index's overall yield is only this low because a small handful of very large, non-dividend-paying tech companies' stocks now account for a massive share of the S&P 500's market value. There are still plenty of index stocks making solid, sizable dividend payments. Fast-food restaurant chain McDonald's (MCD +1.02%) is one of them.
Image source: Getty Images.
Not a permanent headwind In light of the stock's 20% price pullback from its late-February peak, most investors clearly don't agree with this call. But understandably so. The current economic backdrop (and inflation in particular) does not favor this company's product and price points.
As CEO Christopher Kempczinski commented on the global economy during May's Q1 earnings conference call, "It's certainly not improving, and it may be getting a little bit worse." To this end, last quarter's same-store sales growth of 3.8% was a relative disappointment, as lower-margin "value" items have become an increasingly important part of its menu.
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Now look at the bigger picture. This is nothing McDonald's hasn't seen and survived before. Given the cyclical nature of economic headwinds, the restaurant chain is likely to come out of this one at least as strong as it was when it began, making the stock's slide since early March a great long-term buying opportunity.
Resilience worth owning It's still not a growth stock by any means. McDonald's remains a slow-and-steady value name. That's just the nature of the well-saturated fast-food restaurant business.
Even so, this ticker's recent weakness has made it an even more compelling income stock, boosting its forward-looking dividend yield to 2.8%. And that's based on a dividend that's now been raised for 49 consecutive years, underscoring the durability of this company's business.
James Brumley has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2028 $320 calls on McDonald's and short January 2028 $340 calls on McDonald's. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HLT) will report second quarter 2026 financial results before the stock market opens on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, followed by a conference call at 9 a.m. EDT. Christopher J. Nassetta, president & chief executive officer, Hilton, and Kevin Jacobs, executive vice president & chief financial officer, Hilton, will discuss the company's performance and lead a question-and-answer session. Participants may listen to the live web.
ByteDance is aiming to complete the design of a new in-house central processing unit (CPU) by early next year at the latest, with plans for mass production and wider deployment in the second half of 2027, according to a South China Morning Post report citing people familiar with the matter.
The TikTok parent company is developing the chip to support its expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure as it seeks greater control over core computing hardware, the SCMP report said.
An early version of the proprietary CPU has reportedly already been used internally since late 2025, one of the sources told SCMP. However, due to strong demand for computing capacity, the tape-out stage, the final step in chip design before manufacturing, could be accelerated.
To support development and help secure foundry capacity, ByteDance is also collaborating with US chipmaker Qualcomm Inc (NASDAQ:QCOM, XETRA:QCI), according to the report.
Wedbush analysts said the report underscores growing pressure from compute shortages and rising costs, which they view as incentivising ByteDance to accelerate internal chip development efforts.
They noted that ByteDance is targeting mass production of the CPU in the second half of 2027 and may lean on Qualcomm for assistance, adding that this follows earlier reports linking the two companies on chip development.
“We certainly see the current shortage of compute (and rising pricing) as creating an incentive for ByteDance to accelerate internal efforts to build CPUs,” Wedbush wrote.
“At the same time, chip design doesn't alleviate the foundations of current supply shortfalls (fabs and raw materials) and successful design efforts to date have seemingly required multiple generations of parts, with failures at least equaling success stories,” the analysts added, according to SCMP’s cited commentary.
ByteDance is aiming to complete the design of a new in-house central processing unit (CPU) by early next year at the latest, with plans for mass production and wider deployment in the second half of 2027, according to a South China Morning Post report citing people familiar with the matter.
The TikTok parent company is developing the chip to support its expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure as it seeks greater control over core computing hardware, the SCMP report said.
An early version of the proprietary CPU has reportedly already been used internally since late 2025, one of the sources told SCMP. However, due to strong demand for computing capacity, the tape-out stage, the final step in chip design before manufacturing, could be accelerated.
To support development and help secure foundry capacity, ByteDance is also collaborating with US chipmaker Qualcomm Inc (NASDAQ:QCOM, XETRA:QCI), according to the report.
Wedbush analysts said the report underscores growing pressure from compute shortages and rising costs, which they view as incentivising ByteDance to accelerate internal chip development efforts.
They noted that ByteDance is targeting mass production of the CPU in the second half of 2027 and may lean on Qualcomm for assistance, adding that this follows earlier reports linking the two companies on chip development.
“We certainly see the current shortage of compute (and rising pricing) as creating an incentive for ByteDance to accelerate internal efforts to build CPUs,” Wedbush wrote.
“At the same time, chip design doesn't alleviate the foundations of current supply shortfalls (fabs and raw materials) and successful design efforts to date have seemingly required multiple generations of parts, with failures at least equaling success stories,” the analysts added, according to SCMP’s cited commentary.
After a significant slump following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Moderna (MRNA +0.53%) share prices have ripped higher over the past year, surging nearly 150%. Various factors have driven Moderna's rebound, including regulatory progress on one of its most anticipated products.
Yet even as this news, plus additional promising announcements, suggests a further recovery ahead for this pandemic-era favorite, keep in mind how much of this "comeback potential" is already priced into one of the hottest biotech stocks.
Image source: Getty Images.
Why Moderna is surging higher On June 18, Moderna disclosed how a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee voted unanimously that the benefits of its mRNA-based flu vaccine, mRNA-1010, outweigh the risks among patients aged 50 or over. The FDA could approve mRNA-1010 as soon as Aug. 5. The candidate is also currently under regulatory review in Australia, Canada, and the European Union.
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Other news has also lifted sentiment. The company's recent investor day also included a surprise announcement that it is gearing up to develop an in vivo CAR-T candidate. Success with this endeavor could help Moderna diversify into respiratory, oncology, and rare-disease treatments.
Tread carefully amid the hype There's substance to the market's bullish shift on Moderna, but things have arguably gotten out of hand. After its hot run, the company now has a market cap of around $26.7 billion. As Moderna is currently unprofitable, this valuation is clearly based upon the future potential of its non-COVID-19 products. However, the estimated total addressable market for flu vaccines is only around $9.5 billion. Moderna will likely need to gain dominant market share for this to translate into sales and earnings that help justify the stock's current valuation.
Even when factoring in future potential with CAR-T and other treatments, many of these early products remain years away from commercialization. In the meantime, as Moderna continues to burn through its cash position to fund its post-COVID-19 comeback, the company could be at increased risk of a dilutive equity offering. Even if you're bullish on Moderna's long-term rebound potential, you may want to wait until some of the latest hype fades before buying.
Thomas Niel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Moderna. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Intel INTC stock rallied 7% in trading on Tuesday as investors reacted to renewed optimism around artificial intelligence infrastructure spending and continued strength across the semiconductor sector.
Other chip stocks also moved higher on Tuesday as chip stocks closed out a historic run in the second quarter.
A New York Times report last week highlighted the chipmaker's building momentum and framed the upcoming 14A process node as the defining test of its ongoing manufacturing turnaround under CEO Lip-Bu Tan.
The coverage renewed investor focus on Intel's foundry ambitions at a time when semiconductor stocks remain highly sensitive to signs of execution progress.
The rally was further supported by positive sentiment toward chip stocks after Wells Fargo raised its price target on rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), reinforcing optimism about long-term AI-related demand that investors also viewed as potentially beneficial for Intel.
The New York Times report highlighted Intel's efforts to rebuild its manufacturing business, placing particular emphasis on the company's upcoming 14A process node.
According to the report, the technology represents a critical milestone in Intel's turnaround strategy under CEO Lip-Bu Tan.
The report shows increased scrutiny on Intel's foundry ambitions, with investors viewing successful execution as an important factor in determining whether the company can continue rebuilding its competitive position in semiconductor manufacturing.
Intel also benefited from a broader rally in semiconductor stocks after Wells Fargo analyst Aaron Rakers raised his price target on AMD to $615 per share.
Although the research note did not specifically discuss Intel, investors appeared to extend the positive outlook to the broader semiconductor industry.
Intel shares outperformed AMD during the session despite not being the focus of the analyst's report.
Rakers sees potential as AI workloads evolve, noting that "Most of the AI money remains in GPUs," but that CPUs are expected to experience strong growth over the next several years.
If the analyst's views about AMD become true, things could bode well for Intel as well.
Adding to the positive backdrop, Cantor Fitzgerald's price target increase to $150 from $90, announced in the previous session while maintaining a Neutral rating, continued to influence trading.
Analyst C.J. Muse argued that "the AI infrastructure buildout represents a generational semiconductor cycle," while Bank of America had recently upgraded Intel to Buy with a $160 price target, citing the company's growing server CPU and external foundry opportunities.
The broader market also provided support for Intel's gains. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 1.37% during Tuesday's session, while the S&P 500 added 0.73%.
The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) has gained 75.5% in the first half of 2026, including a 65% advance during the second quarter, as investors continued to bet that artificial intelligence infrastructure spending will remain robust.
The performance marks both the ETF's strongest first-half return and best quarterly gain since its launch in May 2000.
By securing shares in elite dividend payers, long-term investors can set up a powerful compounding machine that creates a robust portfolio foundation. If you're hunting for top dividend stocks to buy and hold for the long run, here are two names to consider.
1. Bank of America Bank of America (BAC 1.30%) has paid regular dividends to its shareholders for 38 consecutive years. Its current yield hovers around 2% The institution remains a key pillar in the global financial ecosystem.
The bank benefits from a massive deposit base and a digital consumer banking network that is practically impossible for smaller competitors to replicate. Because its commercial and consumer banking services are woven deeply into the fabric of the global economy, the business generates reliable cash flows no matter what the broader economy is doing.
Image source: Getty Images.
Bank of America's business model balances interest-earning retail assets with lucrative, fee-generating divisions like global wealth management, trading, and investment banking.
When interest rates are higher for longer, a large chunk of Bank of America's fixed-rate loans, securities, and bonds mature and reprice into higher, current-market yields. Higher rates initially squeeze margins because the bank has to pay customers more to keep their deposits.
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Periods of high or fluctuating interest rates drive high macroeconomic volatility. This volatility spikes client activity, boosting Bank of America's global markets and equities trading divisions, which offsets lending margin compression. The bank also benefits from expanding assets under management and rising advisory fees in its global and investment management division when markets are active. Businesses and everyday consumers might pull back on speculative borrowing during tight credit environments, but they continue relying heavily on the institution's standard transactional, clearing, and asset management platforms.
Bank of America's recent financial performance showed a strong $30.3 billion in quarterly revenue alongside $8.6 billion in net income. Not only were those increases of 7% and 17%, respectively, compared to the previous year, but they also marked the bank's strongest quarterly earnings performance in nearly 20 years. For long-term investors looking to anchor their portfolios, now could be an ideal time to accumulate shares of this dividend payer.
2. Chevron Chevron (CVX 0.91%) certainly stands out as an elite income generator, boasting an exceptionally attractive dividend yield of around 4% at the time of this writing. Chevron has increased its dividend for 39 consecutive years.
Rather than operating purely as a speculative explorer, Chevron controls a massive, fully integrated energy ecosystem that covers everything from upstream oil and gas extraction to downstream refining and chemicals. This diversified model generates immense free cash flow, allowing the company to support its aggressive shareholder return programs through all phases of the commodity cycle.
Chevron owns and operates wholly owned and joint-venture refineries that convert raw crude into finished petroleum products like gasoline, aviation fuel, and lubricants. It also operates substantial petrochemical ventures, such as the Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem) joint venture with Phillips 66 (PSX 2.58%), to manufacture plastics and additives.
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Because Chevron runs an integrated global model, it enjoys a built-in balance sheet cushion that pure-play drilling companies completely miss out on. When crude oil prices face temporary market corrections, the company's downstream refining margins often expand due to lower input costs, balancing out the bottom line.
This scale gives the energy company access to an exceptional asset portfolio, including low-cost production acreage in the Permian Basin and premium global liquefied natural gas projects. It uses this diversified cash engine to maintain tight control over capital expenditures. This built-in hedge means the company can comfortably sustain its multidecade track record of annual dividend increases.
Aquiles Larrea, Jr. walks us through today's Big 3. He names Caterpillar (CAT) as a high-quality company with a decent dividend, sees SpaceX (SPCX) as a highly favorable name with quick growth, and JPMorgan Chase's (JPM) recent “bounce” as opportunities.
Carnival (NYSE: CCL | CCL Price Prediction) and Royal Caribbean (NYSE: RCL) just closed earnings cycles that explain why the cruise trade has fractured. Carnival delivered its sixth straight EPS beat on June 23, 2026. Royal Caribbean extended a four-quarter beat streak back in April. One stock trades like a coiled recovery. The other trades like the operator can do no wrong.
Record Yields Carry Carnival. Premium Ecosystem Carries Royal Caribbean. Carnival posted adjusted EPS of $0.41 against $0.35 a year ago, with revenue of $6.66 billion, up 5.3%. Customer deposits hit a record $9.0 billion, and the fleet is 93% booked for 2026. CEO Josh Weinstein framed it bluntly: “twelfth consecutive quarter of record net yields”, achieved despite nearly 30% higher fuel costs. Carnival is leaning on Celebration Key and pricing integrity in the Mediterranean rather than discounting.
Royal Caribbean delivered adjusted EPS of $3.60 against a $3.20 consensus, a 12.59% beat, with revenue climbing 11.3% to $4.45 billion. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 38.2% from 35.1%, and load factor reached 109%. Jason Liberty leaned into the brand stack, citing “another year of double-digit revenue and earnings growth.”
Coiled Spring Versus a Stock Priced for Perfection Lens Carnival Royal Caribbean Forward EPS Guide ~$2.22 $17.10 to $17.50 Trailing P/E 13 19 EV/EBITDA 8.9 14.43 5-Yr Price Change 11.93% 287.68% Carnival is paying down a $24.9 billion debt stack, reinstated the dividend at $0.15 per quarter, and authorized a $2.5 billion buyback. Royal Caribbean is funding Icon VI, Icon VII, Royal Beach Club Santorini, Celebrity River Cruises, and the Discovery Class platform, repurchasing 2.9 million shares for $836 million in Q1 alone. Two different bets.
Sticky Inflation Is the Real Tiebreaker Headline PCE re-accelerated to 4.07% YoY in May 2026, with energy ripping 24.26%. Royal Caribbean has 59% of fuel hedged, but its premium clientele still feels services inflation at 3.76%. I will keep an eye on whether Carnival’s 2027 booking curve, which Weinstein said is “running ahead of prior year levels”, holds up if energy stays hot.
Why I Lean Toward the Coiled Carnival Setup On the setup, Carnival screens as the more interesting risk-reward. Shares sit at $29.19 while the operational story keeps compounding, and the analyst target sits at $35.6. Royal Caribbean has earned its premium, but at $321.44 and a 19 P/E, a single soft WAVE update could sting. Royal Caribbean offers defensive quality anchored by a fortress ecosystem, while Carnival offers more operating leverage as debt drains and bookings extend.
Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Royal Caribbean Cruises didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
Linde (NASDAQ:LIN | LIN Price Prediction) is structured for multi-decade ownership, because the world’s largest industrial gas supplier sits inside the production lines of healthcare facilities, manufacturing plants, semiconductor foundries, and chemical refineries under contracts a customer cannot realistically walk away from. For a retirement-focused investor who is done chasing trends, the profile fits a long-duration, low-maintenance allocation.
Pillar One: A Moat Made of Pipelines and Paperwork Linde’s durability is structural. The company often constructs its gas production plants directly adjacent to, or pipelined into, its customers’ facilities under highly stable, multi-decade, take-or-pay contracts, which makes switching suppliers a non-starter for any plant manager who values continuity of production. That model produced a $7.1 billion sale-of-gas backlog at the end of Q1 2026, with CFO Matthew White noting Linde has “robust, well-tested contract language over decades” and that “economic conditions are not a force majeure.” The result is industry-leading economics: adjusted operating margin of 30.0% in Q1 2026 and a 23.8% return on capital. End markets are not going away either, with manufacturing alone representing 9.4% of U.S. GDP and healthcare growing at a steady 1.5 to 1.8% per quarter.
Pillar Two: A Dividend That Just Keeps Climbing Linde has delivered 33 consecutive years of dividend growth with an average growth rate of 13%, and the quarterly payout has risen every year from $0.825 in 2018 to $1.60 in 2026. The current yield of 1.18% is modest in isolation, but the compounding effect of a rising payout backed by $10.4 billion in FY2025 operating cash flow is what matters over a 20-year hold. Management returned $7.4 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks in FY2025 and another $1.545 billion in Q1 2026 alone. Capital allocation, as Investor Relations head Juan Pelaez put it, is “a hallmark at Linde plc and is something that differentiates us from others.”
Pillar Three: Built to Survive Every Cycle The Q1 2026 quarter was delivered against what CEO Sanjiv Lamba called “increasingly challenging global conditions,” and Linde still produced 10% EPS growth and adjusted EPS of $4.33, marking eight consecutive quarters of beating consensus. The beta of 0.732 tells the story: this is a low-volatility cash machine that grows EPS through recessions, supply shocks, and stagnant industrial cycles alike. FY2026 guidance calls for adjusted EPS of $17.60 to $17.90, a 7 to 9% increase that explicitly assumes no economic improvement at the midpoint.
The One Scenario Where Linde Lags In a roaring, risk-on rally led by high-beta technology and speculative names, a defensive industrial like Linde will trail the index, sometimes by a wide margin. That is the price of admission. The long-hold thesis rests on compounding a 30% operating margin business across decades, long after the speculative names of 2026 have been forgotten. A retirement investor’s priority is owning a business that will still be paying a larger dividend in 2046.
For investors building a retirement portfolio, Linde is a name worth researching, reinvesting dividends from, and holding without daily monitoring.
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Key Takeaways ZTO's earnings estimates for 2026 have been revised higher, signaling solid broker confidence.ZTO expects its 2026 parcel volume to be between 42.37 billion and 43.52 billion (up 10-13% year/year growth).ZTO has gained in the past year and outperforms its industry, but lags its peers like SNDR and EXPD. ZTO Express (ZTO - Free Report) performed well in the past year and has the potential to sustain the momentum in the future. The positive sentiment surrounding ZTO Express stock is evident from the fact that the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the full-year 2026 earnings has been revised upward in the past 90 days. The consensus mark for full-year 2027 earnings has also been projected downward in the past 90 days.
The favorable estimate revisions indicate brokers’ confidence in the stock.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Given this backdrop, the question now arises whether it is worth buying, holding, or selling the ZTO Express stock at current prices. Let us delve deeper to find out.
Tailwinds Working in Favor of ZTO StockZTO Express’ top line continues to benefit from the strong performance of the core express delivery services unit. Notably, revenues from the core express delivery business increased 22.5% year over year in first-quarter 2026, owing to 13.2% growth in parcel volume and an 8.2% increase in parcel unit price. Key account revenue, generated by direct sales organizations, grew 92.2% year over year, owing to an increase in e-commerce return parcels. Based on current market and operating conditions, ZTO Express expects its 2026 parcel volume guidance in the range of 42.37 billion to 43.52 billion (reflecting 10-13% year over year growth).
ZTO Express’s efforts to reward its shareholders even in the present uncertain scenario are noteworthy. ZTO’s board has approved a new share repurchase program in March 2026, authorizing the repurchase of up to $1.5 billion of its shares over the next 24 months, effective from March 20, 2026, through March 20, 2028. ZTO Express anticipates funding these repurchases utilizing its existing cash balance. Such shareholder-friendly efforts boost investor confidence and positively impact the company’s bottom line.
Impressive Valuation Picture for ZTO ExpressZTO Express looks cheap from a valuation standpoint. Considering the forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio (P/E-F12M), ZTO Express is trading at a discount compared to the industry.
The stock has a forward 12-month P/E-F12M of 10.31X compared with 16.40X for the industry over the past five years. The company’s forward 12-month P/E-F12M ratio is also below the median level of 13.47X over the past five years. These factors indicate that the stock’s valuation is attractive. ZTO Express has a Value Score of A.
ZTO P/E Ratio (Forward 12 Months) Vs. Industry Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
ZTO Stock’s Price PerformanceShares of ZTO Express have gained 24% over the past year, outperforming the Zacks Transportation - Equipment and Leasing industry’s 16.7% increase. However, the company fared unfavorably when compared with that of other industry players, Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (EXPD - Free Report) and Schneider National, Inc. (SNDR - Free Report) .
ZTO Stock’s One-Year Price Comparison Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Time to Buy ZTO StockApart from being attractively valued, the upbeat performance of the core express delivery services segment is a positive for ZTO Express. The uptick was driven by an increase in parcel volume and an increase in parcel unit price. ZTO Express expects its 2026 parcel volume guidance to be in the range of 42.37 billion-43.52 billion, reflecting an increase of 10-13% year over year. ZTO Express’s efforts to reward its shareholders look encouraging.
We believe that the positives surrounding the stock (as highlighted throughout the write-up) outweigh the concerns regarding higher selling, general and administrative expenses, which are pushing up operating expenses and hurting the bottom line, coupled with the highly competitive domestic express delivery market. We, therefore, suggest investors add ZTO Express stock to their portfolios for healthy returns. The company’s Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) further supports our thesis. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS) is worth almost $190 billion; however, the company is down double-digits YTD and down since our last article recommending it, with the continued threat of competition and a competitive industry. Despite all of this, T-Mobile maintains
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