Edition #152
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

⚠️ Ceasefire Unravels, Oil Tops $100 as Blockade Begins

Stocks rallied sharply last week after a US-Iran ceasefire triggered a classic relief move. Equities jumped while oil plunged as investors priced in de-escalation, even as the deal showed cracks within hours of being announced, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained well below normal levels.

That optimism has now fully unwound. Talks in Islamabad collapsed over the weekend without an agreement, and CENTCOM confirmed a naval blockade of Iranian ports beginning today. Oil has surged back above $100, reintroducing inflation risk into an already strained CPI and consumer spending picture.

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Hot Topics

• Monopoly Round-Up: Ticketmaster Verdict Imminent

• The Escalating Global A.I. Arms Race

• Polygon Labs Seeks Up to $100M for Payments Unit

• US summons bank chiefs over cyber risks from Anthropic AI model

• USA Rare Earth considers building French magnet plant

• Iran demands crypto fees for ships passing Hormuz during ceasefire

• Michael Saylor says bitcoin has likely bottomed

• Gemini Space Station Faces Acquisition Interest Amid Restructuring

Big Tech Doubles Down on AI Spending

Leading tech firms are ramping up R&D investment at an unprecedented pace, with spending increasingly concentrated on AI and advanced computing. The surge highlights an intensifying arms race for innovation, as companies prioritize long-term growth and competitive advantage despite uncertain near-term returns.

Figma is rapidly scaling investment in R&D as it pushes deeper into AI-powered design and collaboration tools. The elevated spending signals a clear priority on product innovation and platform expansion, positioning the company to compete more aggressively as the design software market shifts toward intelligent, automation-driven workflows.

Commodities Lead, Crypto Lags in 2026

Commodities dominate 2026 returns, with Brent crude and gold posting outsized gains, while equities deliver modest performance across regions. Fixed income remains largely flat, reflecting tight ranges in yields. In contrast, Bitcoin significantly underperforms, standing out as the weakest major asset year-to-date.

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Earnings Performance

PriceSmart Inc (NASDAQ: PSMT)

PriceSmart Inc (NASDAQ: PSMT) reported Q2 financial results on April 8. PriceSmart’s growth profile remains both consistent and high quality, with comparable club sales increasing in the mid-single-digit range on a constant currency basis while total net merchandise sales have scaled to over $5.4 billion on a trailing twelve-month basis. Continued expansion in total sales reflects a combination of new warehouse openings and sustained member spending, supporting a long-term compounding growth story rather than a one-off uplift.

Other Earnings Updates

• Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ): Reports FY2026 Results

• WD-40 (NASDAQ: WDFC): Reports Q2 FY26 Results

• Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL): Reports Q1 2026 Results

• Levi Strauss (NYSE: LEVI): Reports Q1 2026 Results

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

Energy Shock Sends Fuel Prices Soaring

Fuel markets have surged in 2026, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions. U.S. gasoline prices have jumped sharply to over $4, while jet fuel has more than doubled year-to-date, reflecting acute supply concerns following conflict in the Middle East. The rapid rise underscores how sensitive energy markets remain to global disruptions.

Redemption Pressure Hits Private Credit

Private credit funds faced a sharp surge in redemption requests in Q1, with several vehicles seeing demand far exceed payouts. While most funds met only around 5% of redemptions, requests spiked as high as 40.7% in some cases, highlighting growing liquidity strain and investor caution in the asset class.

Edition #151
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

📊 War, Oil Shock Drive Market Swings

Stocks rebounded last week, but the tone has turned more fragile as investors track the U.S.-Iran war and a fresh deadline on the Strait of Hormuz. Oil’s surge has lifted inflation concerns and complicated the rate outlook, with markets increasingly driven by geopolitical headlines. Positioning has become more cautious as risks of further escalation rise, marking a shift away from typical macro-driven trading.

Focus turns to Friday’s CPI report, which could reflect early signs of energy-driven inflation pressure. Investors are also watching developments around the Strait of Hormuz, with any escalation likely to push oil higher and weigh on equities. Fed commentary will be secondary to geopolitical developments in the near term.

Hot Topics

• Ackman’s $64B Bid Targets Universal Music

• Broadcom agrees to expanded chip deals with Google, Anthropic

• Oracle hires Schneider Electric’s Maxson as CFO

• Low Tech Valuations Offer Entry Point, Goldman Sachs Says

• SpaceX Files for $75B IPO, Potentially Worth $1T

• Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) Marks 50th Anniversary

STAX Slips as Sentiment Cools in March

Charles Schwab’s clients grew modestly more bearish in March as the Iran conflict erupted, pushing the STAX 2.23% below February’s peak.

STAX saw its biggest drop since May’s tariff-driven decline, but at 56.04 it still ranks among the strongest recent readings, suggesting Schwab clients remain less bearish and expect the selloff to ease rather than signal lasting weakness.

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Earnings Performance

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: CALM)

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. reported a 53.0% drop in quarterly net sales to $667.0 million, driven by sharply lower egg prices. Net income fell 90.1% year over year, underscoring how quickly prior pricing tailwinds have reversed. The results highlight the volatility of commodity-linked earnings and the company’s push to stabilize its mix. However, Cal-Maine’s growing specialty egg volumes and rising mix highlight a strategic shift toward more stable, higher-value products.

Other Earnings Updates

• SolarMax Technology (NASDAQ: SMXT): Reports FY2025 Results

• Lamb Weston (NYSE: LW): Reports Q3 FY2026 Results

• Conagra Brands (NYSE: CAG): Reports Q3 FY2026 Results

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

Stocks That Move on AI Power Bottlenecks

Here is a selection of stocks analysts are watching across the different layers of the AI power bottleneck:

The “off-grid” and independent power producer plays (BE, VST, TLN) are the most directly tied to the bottleneck itself, since regulated utilities earn fixed returns regardless of price spikes. Some of this AI power narrative may already be priced in for certain names after strong 2025 runs.

ETF Demand Cools Sharply in March

According to FactSet, March shows a clear cooldown in ETF demand, with total flows dropping sharply from prior months. Equity inflows slow materially but remain positive, while fixed income continues to attract capital at a solid pace.

In plain terms, investors pulled money out of commodities, and there was very little interest in areas like currencies or alternative investments. Notably, most of the remaining money going into ETFs was focused on bonds, with some still going into stocks, but overall demand was weaker and less broad than in previous months.

Edition #150
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

📉 Stocks Slide as Correction Fears Build

US equities fell sharply in the week of March 23–27, 2026, pushing major indexes toward correction territory, typically defined as a 10% drop from recent highs. Weakness was broad, led by tech and consumer discretionary as rising yields and persistent inflation concerns weighed on valuations. Defensive sectors like utilities and health care outperformed, reflecting a shift toward safety.

Looking to the week ahead, focus shifts to labor data, with job openings data early in the week and the March jobs report on April 3 likely to set the tone. Markets remain sensitive to any surprises that could shift expectations for Fed rate moves.

Investing Data Story

Copper is not running out, but economic supply is tighter than it appears. Here is what that means for prices and mining stocks.

Charted: World Copper Reserves and Mine Production

Hot Topics

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• OpenAI Closes AI Video App and Cancels $1B Disney Deal

• Ripple’s Strategy Amid Regulatory Changes in the Cryptocurrency Landscape

• NASA’s Plans for a Moon Base

• META: Social Media Addiction Verdict Raises Multiple Risks

• South Pars & Ras Laffan Strikes: Global Energy Risk Explained

• BNP Paribas Launches New Crypto ETNs for Retail Investors

• Anthropic Secures Legal Win Against Trump Administration’s Blacklisting

• Quantinuum Reports 94 Error-Protected Quantum Qubits

Aluminum Holds Gains as Supply Risks Rise

Aluminum prices have been volatile over the past 90 days, but the overall trend is upward. Recent geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East, including damage to key production facilities and restricted exports through the Strait of Hormuz, are tightening global supply and helping sustain elevated prices despite the pullback.

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Earnings Performance

Smithfield Foods Inc (NASDAQ: SFD)

Smithfield Foods Inc (NASDAQ: SFD) reported improved financial flexibility in 2025, with net debt leverage declining to 0.3x from 0.8x, alongside higher operating cash flow and increased liquidity of $3.8 billion.

Q4 2025 sales of $4.2 billion were up 7.0% from the prior year, while operating profit increased 19.6% to $400 million. Adjusted operating profit rose 27.8% to $402 million, and diluted earnings per share from continuing operations were $0.83. The results reflect improved profitability across key segments, including continued strength in packaged meats and a return to profitability in hog production.

Other Earnings Updates

• Pony AI (NASDAQ: PONY): Reports Q4 Robotaxi Growth

• Core & Main (NYSE: CNM): Reports Fiscal 2025 Results

• Commercial Metals (NYSE: CMC): Reports Fiscal Q2 Results

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

Stocks That Move on Nuclear Revival

AI data center power demand, the Strait of Hormuz closure (pushing energy independence urgency), and bipartisan U.S. government support are all accelerating the nuclear thesis right now.

Here is a selection of U.S. stocks that tend to move on the nuclear revival theme, organized by their role in the supply chain.

US Gas Price Surge

IPO Watch

Edition #149
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

⚠️ Inflation Fears Return With Oil Jump

Stocks started last week with an AI-led bounce. Gains faded on hotter February producer prices, the Fed’s March 18 hold, and an oil spike tied to the Iran war, which pushed yields higher and cooled risk appetite. Energy held up better than most sectors, while rate-sensitive growth shares lost momentum.

Tuesday, March 24, brings the flash S&P Global US PMI, an early read on whether higher energy costs are hitting activity. Thursday, March 26, brings weekly jobless claims, and Friday, March 27, brings the final March Michigan sentiment. The main market risk is simple: oil and yields, especially with some key government releases still delayed after the shutdown.

Hot Topics

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• MFS’s collapse highlights the hidden risks in private credit

• NASA Shifts Artemis, Boosts SpaceX, Cuts Boeing

• Gold as a Service to Reshape Retail Investing

• Tencent Boosts AI Spend in 2026 After Chip Curbs

• India named as biggest wind energy market outside China

• Why the World Still Runs on SAP

• Meta’s NYC Flagship Signals Big Bet on Retail AI

• Amazon CEO sees AI doubling prior AWS sales projections to $600 billion by 2036

Gold Slides as Real Yields Surge, Flows Break

Gold is on track for its biggest weekly loss in six years, and the selling pressure is not a single-factor story; it’s a stacked macro unwind hitting the metal from multiple directions simultaneously.

Some of this pressure may be temporary. The leveraged long unwind, the Dubai hub disruption, and the absence of Iranian buying are positioning and logistical issues. They reverse. The higher real yields and dollar strength driving the structural move may be harder to shake until the rate outlook shifts.

Patent Cliff Fuels Pharma M&A

Roughly 8,000 drug patents will expire by 2030, putting $230-$300 billion in U.S. pharmaceutical revenue at risk, according to FDA Orange Book data. Generic competition hits fast, with prices falling by a third within a year of expiry and by more than 80% within eight years.

Building replacements internally costs $2.2 billion per asset and takes decades. Acquisitions are the faster fix. Total biopharma M&A nearly doubled to $200 billion in 2025, with Merck’s $9.2 billion Cidara deal and Novartis’ $12 billion Avidity purchase as recent examples.

Capital is concentrating in three areas:

• Oncology: precision cancer treatments and cell-based therapies

• Immunology: next-gen treatments displacing aging biologics

• Metabolic disease: obesity and heart disease treatments riding the GLP-1 wave

Who benefits: Biotech platforms in these three areas are the clearest acquisition targets, gaining liquidity and validation. Large pharma swaps slow internal R&D for faster external dealmaking.

The risk: Acquirers are paying premium prices for early-stage science. A run of Phase 3 failures could cool deal appetite quickly.

Consolidation in these three therapeutic areas has real momentum. Watch for continued M&A activity through at least 2030.

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Earnings Performance

FedEx (NYSE: FDX)

FedEx (NYSE: FDX) reported Q3 FY26 revenue of $24.0B, up 8% YoY, with adjusted operating income of $1.62B, up 7%, and adjusted EPS of $5.25. Results were driven by higher U.S. domestic volumes, improved yields, and ongoing cost discipline.

Management raised its FY26 outlook, now expecting adjusted EPS of $19.30 to $20.10 and $16.05 to $16.85 before adjustments, signaling continued margin expansion and execution strength.

Performance remains uneven across segments, with strength in Express offset by continued weakness in Freight due to lower shipments and spin-off-related costs. The outlook depends on sustained demand and the successful execution of the planned Freight separation.

Other Earnings Updates

• XPeng (NYSE: XPEV): Reports First Profit Ever in Q4 2025

• Micron (NASDAQ: MU): Reports Strong Q2 as AI Demand Strains Supply

• HealthEquity (NASDAQ: HQY): FY26 Earnings Jump, Raises FY27 Outlook

• Lululemon (NASDAQ: LULU): Reports Q4 FY2025 Results

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

Stocks That Move on Sticky Inflation

When inflation is sticky, the market consistently rotates into a small set of pricing-power and real-asset winners.

A sticky inflation environment pushes money into sectors that either benefit directly from rising prices or can pass costs through, like energy, financials, real assets, and consumer staples.

Energy and commodities lead because they are the source of inflation, banks gain from sustained high rates, and companies with strong pricing power protect margins.

The trade works as long as inflation stays above target without tipping into a deep recession, but it unwinds quickly if inflation drops or demand weakens.

Apparel Retail Cheap, but Margins Cap Upside

S&P 500 apparel retail trades near 8 to 10x forward earnings while profit margins sit around 8 to 11%, well below pre-2015 peaks near 20%. Fundamentals are improving, with revenues and earnings trending higher and revisions turning positive. The gap between low valuations and weaker margins is the key tension for investors now.

Apparel retail offers a low-valuation entry point with improving earnings momentum, but structurally weaker margins justify some of the discount. Whether this is a value opportunity or a value trap depends on margin stabilization, which remains uncertain.

Edition #148
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

🔥 Oil Surge, War Fears Shake Stocks

U.S. stocks fell for a third straight week, as the Iran war drove oil prices sharply higher and revived inflation fears. Oil trading near $100 a barrel has been pushing investors toward energy stocks and safe havens while tech and consumer names lag. Sentiment turned sharply cautious as stagflation worries grew and the S&P 500 closed the week at 6,632, its lowest level of 2026.

The Federal Reserve meeting on March 17–18 will dominate the week ahead, with investors watching whether rising oil and geopolitical risk push the Fed toward a longer pause on rate cuts. Retail sales and housing data will offer clues on consumer strength, but headlines around the Iran conflict and oil prices may continue to drive market swings.

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Canterra Minerals (TSX-V: CTM, OTCQB: CTMCF) is advancing a fully-funded 10,000-metre drill program across its 55 km copper-gold corridor in Newfoundland.

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Hot Topics

• Private credit strains ripple through Wall Street as investors grow wary

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• Adobe CEO to Step Down Amid Investor Concerns Over AI

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• Microsoft Joins Crowd With Health Assistant for Copilot Chatbot

• Elon Musk Restructures xAI Amid Key Departures and Upcoming IPO

Index Shift: March 2026

Three AI infrastructure companies and a satellite communications firm are set to join the S&P 500 on 23 March, replacing four companies from sectors that have lost relative market weight.

Vertiv, Lumentum, and Coherent all supply critical hardware for the AI boom, from data centre cooling to high-speed optical interconnects, and each saw shares jump roughly 8% on the announcement. EchoStar, the outlier, brings communications sector balance to the update.

The four departing companies span dating apps, managed care, frozen food, and HR software: Match Group, Molina Healthcare, Lamb Weston, and Paycom. This is a snapshot of how dramatically the index’s centre of gravity has shifted toward AI-enabling infrastructure.

Why Bluetech Could Have Its Decade

Water problems are becoming harder to ignore. Flooding, hosepipe bans, contaminated drinking water, and rising utility bills are becoming more common; symptoms of both a tightening water supply and infrastructure that in many places is decades old.

Governments know upgrades are overdue. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates more than USD 744 billion will be needed over the next 20 years to bring water and wastewater systems up to federal standards.

AI is accelerating the pressure. Data centres require large amounts of water for cooling, and the expansion is only beginning. By 2027, AI processing alone could consume 4.2–6.6 billion cubic metres of water annually. Meanwhile, roughly two-thirds of new US data centres since 2022 are being built in water-stressed regions, forcing operators to invest in treatment, recycling, and closed-loop cooling systems.

That creates a structural tailwind for Bluetech companies. Unlike utilities, which fund infrastructure upgrades, Bluetech firms sell the equipment and technology needed to solve the problem.

The bluetech sector returned 79% in the five years to January 2025, outperforming global equities. The opportunity is clear, but the timing is uneven. Water spending moves slowly, and contracts often lag political announcements. This is a long-term theme. For investors, a considered approach is to accumulate on weakness rather than chase momentum.

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Earnings Performance

Dollar Tree Inc (NASDAQ: DLTR)

Dollar Tree, Inc. reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results, highlighting continued momentum in its core business as the discount retailer extends its long-standing streak of positive comparable store sales growth.

In fiscal 2025, comparable sales rose 5.3%, while a longer-term view shows 24% cumulative comp growth over the past five years, underscoring the durability of demand for value-focused retail.

The trend underscores how Dollar Tree has continued to drive store productivity through pricing initiatives and product mix changes, including the expansion of its multi-price strategy, helping sustain momentum despite modest traffic declines in the latest quarter.

Other Earnings Updates

• Oracle Corp (NYSE: ORCL): Q3 Revenue Surges 22% Amid Strong Cloud Growth

• Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE): Posts $6.4B Q1 Revenue as CEO Narayen Plans Exit

• Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA): Reports Fiscal 2025 Results

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

7 Stocks That Move on Hormuz Disruptions

When the Strait of Hormuz is threatened or closed, markets usually react within hours. Historically, the biggest moves occur in oil producers, tanker shipping companies, and defense contractors.

These seven US-listed stocks tend to show the clearest sensitivity.

Three variables set the ceiling on how far markets move: duration, price, and escalation. Each unlocks a new layer of impact.

Inflation’s Geopolitical Wildcard

The latest Consumer Prices Index (CPI) data shows inflation continuing to normalize across the U.S. economy, but the composition of price pressures tells a more nuanced story.

U.S. inflation remains relatively contained, with headline CPI up 2.4% year over year and core inflation at 2.5%. Food prices continue to run hotter at 3.1%, while energy has been a stabilizing force, rising just 0.5% over the past year.

For investors, the bigger story may be what comes next. The escalating war involving Iran has already disrupted global oil flows and pushed crude prices back toward $100 per barrel, raising the risk that energy costs could reaccelerate inflation in the months ahead.

In short, inflation looks controlled today, but the geopolitical backdrop is injecting fresh uncertainty into the forward outlook, particularly if energy markets tighten further.

Edition #147
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

🛢️ Oil Shock Rattles Markets

U.S. stocks slid last week, as investors grappled with a sudden spike in oil prices and signs of a softer labor market. Escalating conflict in the Middle East disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, sending crude sharply higher and reigniting inflation fears. At the same time, the February jobs report showed an unexpected 92,000 job loss, raising concerns that economic momentum may be weakening. Energy stocks gained while travel, banking, and tech lagged, pushing the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to their worst weekly performance in months.

The coming week centers on inflation data and labor market signals. The Feb CPI report arrives Wed, Mar 11, a key read on whether rising energy prices are feeding into broader inflation, while JOLTS job openings land Fri, Mar 13. Markets will also watch oil prices and geopolitical headlines, which are already driving volatility and complicating the Federal Reserve’s rate outlook.

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Canterra Minerals (TSX-V: CTM, OTCQB: CTMCF) is advancing a fully-funded 10,000-metre drill program across its 55 km copper-gold corridor in Newfoundland.

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Hot Topics

• G7 nations to hold emergency meeting on oil as stock markets sink

• Palantir rallies as Iran war boosts prospects

• Jack Dorsey Is Ready to Explain the Block Layoffs

• Europe’s LNG Nightmare

• Emerging Valuations in Prediction Market Platforms Kalshi and Polymarket

• Google’s Commitment to Anthropic AI Models Amid Pentagon Concerns

• Young Wall Streeters had a sad week

• Meet the Finest Boys in Finance

• OpenAI admits users may not book in ChatGPT

North American IPO Activity

The chart shows a classic boom-bust-recovery cycle for North American IPOs over the past several years. Both deal value and deal count surged during the pandemic era, collapsed in the tightening cycle of 2022–2023, and are now showing early signs of recovery.

Listings surged from 2019 through 2021 as ultra-low interest rates, strong equity markets, and abundant liquidity fueled demand for growth companies. By 2021, the market hit a historic peak, with more than 1,100 deals raising over $300B.

Then the window slammed shut.

Aggressive rate hikes in 2022 crushed valuations and risk appetite, forcing many companies to delay going public. IPO activity collapsed through 2023 before beginning a modest recovery in 2024 and 2025.

Now Wall Street is betting on a stronger revival. Goldman Sachs estimates U.S. IPO proceeds could reach roughly $160B in 2026 if market conditions hold.

Much of that momentum may depend on a few blockbuster listings. Potential mega IPOs include OpenAI, which could debut at a valuation approaching $1T, and SpaceX, Elon Musk’s private rocket and satellite company.

Oil Price Fears

A rising price of oil affects almost everything in the global economy, increasing transport costs, manufacturing costs, and ultimately the price consumers pay for goods and energy.

That is why the jump in oil above $110 has rattled markets. The surge reflects fears around disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, not an immediate shortage of crude. In fact, global oil inventories are currently very high, more than 8.2 billion barrels, the largest stockpile since early 2021.

If Hormuz becomes impassable, these reserves could be released in a coordinated effort to stabilise supply, mainly flowing into the US, Europe, and parts of Asia through existing infrastructure. But those stockpiles can only cushion the shock. Around 20% of global oil supply normally passes through Hormuz, so a prolonged closure would still tighten the market and push prices higher.

The bigger risk is if the conflict spreads to critical infrastructure. Direct strikes on Gulf oil and gas facilities would remove supply from the market, while damage to desalination plants or power systems could also disrupt production. In that scenario, the current price spike could evolve into a more sustained global energy shock.

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Earnings Performance

Costco Wholesale Corp (NASDAQ: COST)

How fast is Costco’s e-commerce outrunning its stores?

Costco’s e-commerce business is growing much faster than its warehouse stores.

In Q2 2026, digitally enabled comparable sales rose 22.6% (or 21.7% excluding fuel and currency impacts), compared with 7.4% (or 6.7% excluding fuel and currency impacts) overall comparable sales growth. The trend was similar in Q1 2026, when digitally-enabled comparable sales climbed 20.5% versus 6.4% overall. Monthly figures also show strong momentum, with digital sales up 33.1% in January 2026.

Over the longer term, however, Costco’s online growth has trailed some competitors. UBS estimates its e-commerce sales have grown at an 18% annual rate since 2017, compared with about 27% for rivals like Walmart, Target, and Kroger.

Management has highlighted investment in personalised recommendations and improved product pages as driving stronger digital engagement.

Other Earnings Updates

• Marvell Technology Inc (NASDAQ: MRVL): Reports Strong Q4 Earnings

• Canadian Natural Resources (NYSE: CNQ): Sees 15% Production Surge

• Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROST): Beats Q4 EPS, Raises Dividend 10%

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

Druckenmiller’s Playbook, Decoded

Stan Druckenmiller told Morgan Stanley’s Hard Lessons podcast in January that AI no longer drives Duquesne’s portfolio, and what replaced it is telling.

Druckenmiller described a current book built around copper futures, gold, Japanese and Korean equities, and a short on US bonds as inflation insurance. The AI exposure that dominated Duquesne for three years is now “drips and drabs.” The catalyst for the shift: last summer, the sector started rhyming with 1999.

His replacement trade was Teva Pharmaceuticals, bought at $16 and six times earnings when CEO Richard Francis was executing a pivot from generics to biosimilars. Value investors hated the growth strategy; growth investors hadn’t yet bought the transition. By January, the stock had doubled to $32 and re-rated to roughly 12x earnings.

On the dollar, he’s outright bearish, not on a “sell America” thesis, but because foreign investors are overloaded in dollar assets and the currency sits near the top of its historical purchasing-power range. On copper, he admits it’s a popular trade, but holds it on supply constraints through 2032 and AI data centre demand.

He openly flags that a Fed rate cut into a strong economy could reignite inflation, precisely the scenario his short bond position is designed to hedge, not predict.

Druckenmiller’s rotation out of AI concentration and into copper, biotech, and non-dollar assets over an 18-month to three-year horizon may signal where the next multi-year opportunities are quietly forming.

Edition #146
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

📉 Hot Inflation Data Rattles Stocks

U.S. stocks finished last week mostly lower as worries around AI disruption, inflation, and renewed geopolitical risk weighed on sentiment. The S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow all posted weekly declines, with tech and financial names hit hardest while defensive sectors outperformed. Oil prices jumped sharply on escalating conflict in the Middle East, pushing investors into safe havens and boosting energy and defense stocks.

Markets now turn to the February jobs report on Friday, alongside ISM manufacturing and services data earlier in the week. Investors will watch for signs that growth is cooling enough to ease inflation without tipping the economy into recession. Ongoing geopolitical risks remain a wildcard. Sticky wholesale inflation could delay Fed rate cuts, which tends to pressure high-growth sectors like tech.

Hot Topics

• New Rare-Earth Supply Falls Short of Rising Global Demand

• SpaceX Weighs Confidential IPO Filing as Soon as March

• Pentagon Chooses OpenAI Over Anthropic

• Google Secures Massive AI Chip Deal With Meta

• New Credit Blowup in London Has Wall Street Chasing Billions

• Nvidia quarterly earnings show immunity to AI bubble fears

• Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Competition Heats Up Against Starlink

• The Human Workers Behind Humanoid Robots

• Block Cuts Nearly 50% of Staff to Fund AI Push

• Netflix Exits Warner Bros. Race

Investing Data Story

With 86% of exploration permits approved in 2 months or less, Newfoundland ranks as one of the fastest permitting jurisdictions surveyed globally.

Ranked: Where Exploration Approvals Move Fastest

Small-Caps Stage a Comeback

After nearly three years of grinding underperformance against large-caps, U.S. small-cap stocks are finally closing the gap, and the move looks fundamental, not just a sentiment bounce.

Since late October 2025, small-caps have sharply outpaced the S&P 500, with T. Rowe Price’s analysis showing the performance gap that built up since the end of 2022 has begun to meaningfully narrow. More importantly, earnings, which had been a persistent drag, have turned a corner. Small-cap profits fell sharply for most of the past three years, then rebounded hard in the final months of 2025.

Several tailwinds are converging:

• Fed rate cuts are easing pressure on smaller, more debt-heavy businesses

• Trade policy uncertainty has cooled, helping domestically focused companies plan ahead

• Regional banks, a critical funding source for small-caps, are in better shape

• AI-related demand is starting to filter down beyond the mega-caps.

• Early fiscal stimulus from recently passed legislation adds further support.

The thesis depends on rates staying accommodative and trade tensions remaining contained. Monitor small-cap earnings momentum through mid-2026 as the real test of whether this revival has legs.

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Earnings Performance

Celsius Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: CELH)

Celsius Holdings posted a decisive Q4 2025 earnings beat, reporting $721.6M in revenue, up ~117% YoY, driven largely by the Alani Nu acquisition, with adjusted EPS of $0.26 well ahead of expectations. The results reflect a clear step-change in scale, as expanded distribution materially lifted the company’s retail footprint and top-line growth. While Alani Nu is the primary driver of current results, the recently closed Rockstar Energy acquisition remains too early to meaningfully impact reported retail sales.

Other Earnings Updates

• Zeta Global (NYSE: ZETA): Lifts 2026 Outlook After Q4 Beat

• TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TJX): Closes FY26 Above Plan, Lifts Buyback

• CAVA Group (NYSE: CAVA): Tops $1B in FY25 as Expansion Accelerates

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

China Biotech’s Leverage Shift

The days of Western pharma scooping up Chinese drug assets on the cheap are fading. Average upfront payments for licensing deals with Chinese biotechs have risen sharply since 2022, according to biopharma intelligence firm Evaluate, and 2026 is tracking even higher.

The shift reflects a structural change, not a pricing blip. Chinese biotechs have built genuine scientific depth, particularly in oncology. They now account for roughly half of all clinical-stage antibody-drug conjugates and bispecific antibodies in development globally. That kind of market share means Western companies shopping for pipeline assets, and most are, increasingly must engage Chinese counterparts at more competitive terms.

AstraZeneca’s recent collaboration with CSPC Pharmaceutical, including a $1.2 billion upfront payment and milestones that could total roughly $18.5 billion, underscores how seriously large pharma is treating Chinese-origin innovation.

Chinese firms are also less dependent on outbound licensing to survive. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Biotech Index surged over 64% in 2025, and evolving listing rules in Hong Kong have broadened capital access. More financing options translate into greater negotiating leverage and potentially fewer distressed or discounted deals.

More financing options mean more negotiating power, and, over time, more Chinese firms may pursue full acquisitions rather than licensing at all.

Investors should expect valuation pressure on Western biotechs reliant on discounted Chinese in-licensing, as that arbitrage narrows. The pending Biosecure Act could further disrupt U.S.–China biotech deal flow, increasing repricing risk for companies with concentrated Chinese pipeline exposure.

Edition #145
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

🧭 Markets Rebound, Trade Risks Linger

U.S. markets rebounded last week after recent weakness, and stocks climbed as the Supreme Court struck down key elements of President Trump’s tariff program, easing some near-term policy uncertainty and lifting sentiment in mega-cap tech stocks.

Markets face fresh uncertainty this week as trade policy remains in flux with news of new temporary tariffs after the court ruling and lingering geopolitical risks. Major earnings reports from Nvidia, Home Depot, Salesforce, and others will command attention and could drive sector rotation or broad market moves.

Hot Topics

• Novo slides 15% after drug disappoints

• Netflix boss defends bid for Warner Bros

• Live Nation Seeks to Pause DOJ Case a Week Before Trial

• Johnson Matthey accepts 26% price cut on Honeywell deal

• Blue Owl offers a harsh lesson for semi-liquid fund investors

• Amazon stock: Buffett trims stake as Ackman doubles down

• Big Tech gets a lift after Nvidia and Meta strike a new deal on chips

• Walmart says AI users build 35% bigger baskets than others

• German Drone Deal Under Scrutiny Over Thiel Stake in Start-up

• Cyber Stocks Slide as Anthropic Unveils Claude Security Tool

• Danaher To Acquire Masimo Corporation

• Bernie Sanders Outlines His Main Concerns With Proliferation Of AI

• eBay to Acquire Depop from Etsy

Investing Data Story

With 86% of exploration permits approved in 2 months or less, Newfoundland ranks as one of the fastest permitting jurisdictions surveyed globally.

Ranked: Where Exploration Approvals Move Fastest

Robinhood Opens the Velvet Rope

Robinhood’s Ventures Fund I is among the most accessible private market vehicles ever made available to retail investors, NYSE-listed, $25 per share, no accreditation requirement, no minimums.

Trading under ticker RVI, the closed-end fund is scheduled to begin exchange operations on February 26, 2026. The initial portfolio includes stakes in Databricks, Revolut, Ramp, Airwallex, Boom, and Oura. The sponsor has also entered into an agreement to acquire shares in Stripe, a position expected to settle following the IPO. The fee structure includes a 1% management fee for the first six months (increasing to 2% thereafter), no performance fees, and intraday liquidity through exchange trading.

As a closed-end fund, RVI issues a fixed number of shares that trade at market-determined prices on the NYSE. The portfolio’s brand-name appeal is likely to attract interest from investors unfamiliar with private-market structures, which is both the product’s strength and its central risk. Familiarity can support early demand, but it can also lead to pricing that reflects enthusiasm more than valuation discipline.

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Earnings Performance

Figma Inc (NYSE: FIG)

Figma (NYSE: FIG) closed out fiscal 2025 with a strong quarter, Q4 revenue hit $304M, up 40% year-over-year, pushing full-year revenue to $1.056B. The company went public in 2025, but the stock has fallen sharply since its IPO, making these results closely watched.

The standout metric is Net Dollar Retention (NDR), shown above. At 136%, it means existing customers are spending 36% more than they were a year ago, a powerful signal of product stickiness and expanding usage. After softening through early 2025, the rebound to a new high suggests Figma’s AI push, particularly Figma Make, is translating into real customer spend.

Other Earnings Updates

• Lemonade (NYSE: LMND): Beats Estimates with Stronger Earnings Report

• Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW): Posts 15% Revenue Growth in Q2

• Deere & Company (NYSE: DE): Beats Q1 Estimates for 2026

The Rise of Agentic Commerce

AI-powered shopping agents could capture 10 to 20% of U.S. e-commerce by 2030, according to Morgan Stanley. Yet adoption remains early, with 40 to 50% of consumers using AI tools for research, but only a mid single-digit percentage are completing purchases through them.

That gap highlights both real demand and real hurdles, though early data suggests it can close faster than aggregate numbers imply. Walmart reports that roughly half of its app users have engaged with Sparky, its AI shopping agent, with Sparky users carrying average order values approximately 35% higher than non-Sparky customers.

The bigger shift is in how people start shopping. Moving from search and click to ask and buy changes who controls product discovery, and by extension, advertising. The impact depends critically on who owns the agent. Walmart is already testing sponsored placements within Sparky, suggesting retailers that control their own agent layer can migrate their retail media businesses into it rather than lose them. The existential risk falls on platforms that cede the agent relationship to a third party.

Agentic commerce is also proving its strongest use case in grocery and consumer packaged goods. Sparky can already identify shoppers who buy the same items weekly and prompt a reorder at app open, real-world validation that the frequency and conversion benefits are achievable, not merely theoretical.

The opportunity is meaningful, but asymmetric: retailers that own their agent experience are better positioned to capture the upside, while those that don’t face a more disruptive transition over the next five years.

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

More Tariff Controversy

A little-noticed Wall Street trade is drawing scrutiny after a US Supreme Court decision struck down Trump’s sweeping import taxes. As legal challenges to the tariffs wound through the courts, Cantor Fitzgerald offered to pay companies 20–30 cents on the dollar upfront in exchange for the rights to their full tariff refund once the legal process played out.

Why it’s controversial

Howard Lutnick, the Commerce Secretary who publicly championed these tariffs, ran Cantor Fitzgerald until recently, and his sons now run it. His firm was essentially betting the tariffs would be struck down, buying up these refund rights at a discount in anticipation of exactly what just happened.

The uncomfortable question: was Lutnick privately signaling to his family’s firm that the tariffs were legally shaky, while publicly defending them? Or did his firm simply have better legal instincts than most?

Edition #144
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

📉 Stocks Slide on AI Shock

Stocks posted their worst week since November as AI disruption fears swept across markets. Tech stocks saw sharp volatility, which spilled into industrials, financials and other sectors. Consumer inflation slowed, helping temper rate concerns even as broader risk appetite weakened.

Investors will focus on housing starts and existing home sales, along with the latest FOMC meeting minutes and fresh inflation signals that could shape rate cut expectations.

PRESENTED BY CANTERRA MINERALS CORP.

Canterra Minerals (TSX-V: CTM, OTCQB: CTMCF) is advancing a fully-funded 10,000-metre drill program across its 55 km copper-gold corridor in Newfoundland.

Get all the details in our in-depth investor guide.

Download the Exclusive Investor Report.

Hot Topics

• Warner Bros. Discovery Eyes Renewed Discussions With Paramount

• Mr Beast Hopes To Educate Youngsters on Finance

• CME Group Plans First Rare Earth Futures Contract

• Kroger Taps Greg Koran, Ex Walmart Leader, as Chief

• Morgan Stanley Sees Bitcoin Miners As Wider Infrastructure Plays

• $900B Saudi Public Investment Fund Targets 5-Year AI, Tourism Push

• Alphabet Launches Bonds in Sterling, Swiss Francs Amid Huge Demand

Investing Data Story

Brazil’s crop exports remain near record highs in 2025, keeping potash demand strong and proving its essential role in global food production.

Potash Demand Remains Strong as Brazil Delivers Record Crops

The Battery Storage Opportunity

Utility-scale battery capacity has grown 12x since 2020, according to the IEA, with installation costs down 40% since 2024 and continued price declines expected. This isn’t speculative; deployment is accelerating in Texas and California, where grid reliability pressures are acute.

These batteries provide short-term flexibility, storing excess solar and wind power during the day and dispatching it during evening demand peaks or weather disruptions, a growing need as renewable penetration increases.

But supply chain concentration in China creates both risk and opportunity. North American investors should watch two categories:

• Western supply chain developers (battery manufacturers, lithium processors, component makers outside China) may benefit from diversification efforts

• Integration and services companies (installers, grid management software, project developers) that aren’t dependent on manufacturing

Multi-year delays in securing grid connections and permitting mean the growth trajectory isn’t smooth, and companies face execution risk even in a favorable market.

Best suited for investors focused on:

• Long-term energy transition themes (5-10 year horizon)

• Infrastructure investments with government policy tailwinds

• Diversification away from traditional energy utilities

The technology works, the economics are improving, but timing implementation remains uncertain. Monitor rather than chase.

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Earnings Performance

Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA (NYSE: BUD)

Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA (NYSE: BUD) delivered solid Q4 2024 results with EPS of $0.95, beating estimates of $0.91, while full-year 2024 revenue reached $59.32 billion with organic growth of 2% despite a 2.6% decline in beer volumes. The company achieved a significant deleveraging milestone, bringing net debt-to-EBITDA below 3.0x for the first time since 2015, which enabled management to enhance shareholder returns through a $2 billion share buyback program and a 22% dividend increase to €1 per share.

Free cash flow remained robust at $11.3 billion in FY25, matching the prior year’s strong performance and demonstrating consistent cash generation capabilities despite macroeconomic pressures.

Overall sentiment is cautiously optimistic, with analysts recognizing the company’s strong fundamentals, improved financial position, and growth potential, while remaining watchful of volume pressures and macroeconomic headwinds.

Other Earnings Updates

• Ford (NYSE: F): Novelis Disruption Masks Underlying Strength

• Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD): Misses Revenue Targets; Stock Drops

• Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN): Q4 2025 Revenue Misses Expectations

Investing Data Story

In 2025, gold demand flipped. As consumer appetite faded, investors and central banks took control—and miners started betting on higher prices.

The Great Gold Pivot: Why Miners Are Betting on Higher Prices

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

The AI Chip Crunch

A new semiconductor crisis is emerging, driven by AI data center demand for advanced memory chips. Unlike the pandemic-era shortage, this one could last until 2027-2028.

What’s Happening: Memory makers are prioritizing high-bandwidth memory for AI over chips for consumer devices. SK Hynix and Micron are facing severe supply constraints, while Nvidia won’t release a new graphics chip for gamers this year, (the first year in 3 decades!) due to the deepening global shortage of memory chips.

Investor Impact:

• Device makers (Apple, Dell, HP): Memory price hikes could squeeze margins or force price increases.

• Memory winners (Micron, SK Hynix): Multi-year revenue visibility with premium pricing.

• AI supply chain (NVIDIA, AMD, TSMC, ASML): Extended pricing power continues.

• Equipment makers (Applied Materials, Lam Research): Benefiting from more than $600B in announced U.S. semiconductor ecosystem investments since 2020.

• Consumer tech: Potential headwinds from higher costs and constrained supply.

Bottom Line: This isn’t temporary. It’s a structural shift, favoring memory and AI infrastructure plays for 2-3 years.

Edition #143
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

🎯 Dow Breaks 50,000, Markets Find Their Footing

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) topped the 50,000 mark for the first time ever on Friday, marking a major psychological milestone for markets. Investor sentiment has improved, though stocks are softer today as caution lingers around parts of the AI trade after a strong run. Goldman Sachs expects a surge in IPO activity, citing higher equity prices, easier financial conditions, and renewed demand for software and tech companies. Gold rebounded toward record territory after an exceptionally volatile week for precious metals.

Investors are now focused on key economic data ahead, including the January jobs report and inflation readings later this week, which could shape expectations for interest rates and market direction.

PRESENTED BY CANTERRA MINERALS CORP.

Canterra Minerals (TSX-V: CTM, OTCQB: CTMCF) is advancing a fully-funded 10,000-metre drill program across its 55 km copper-gold corridor in Newfoundland.

Get all the details in our in-depth investor guide.

Download the Exclusive Investor Report.

Hot Topics

• Transocean to acquire Valaris to create world’s largest drilling contractor

• Google-Parent Alphabet Kicks Off Seven-Part US Bond Sale

• Lilly Strikes Deal for Orna Therapeutics for Up to $2.4 Billion

• InPost agrees £6.8bn takeover by FedEx

• Bessent sees ‘unruly’ Chinese trading behind gold price swings

• Novo Nordisk sues Hims & Hers over copycat weight-loss drugs

Investing Data Story

These companies, including NVIDIA and Coinbase, posted impressive revenue growth—over 100% in some cases—highlighting strong sector momentum.

Find out who are the Top 10 Stocks With The Fastest Revenue Growth

💥 Software Shock Tests the AI Narrative

The S&P Software & Services index shed roughly $1 trillion in market value in a single week. Public names including Adobe, Salesforce, Intuit, ServiceNow, Snowflake, and LegalZoom slid sharply, driven by fears that generative AI tools from Anthropic and Google can automate coding and erode demand for traditional enterprise platforms. Yet some analysts argue the reaction may be overdone. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang rejected the idea that software tools are in structural decline, calling it “the most illogical thing in the world” and arguing that AI systems, like humans, rely on tools rather than reinventing them. He added that the latest breakthroughs in AI increasingly emphasize tool use precisely because those tools are explicitly designed for structured tasks.

The deeper debate centers on the durability of entrenched platforms like SAP and Oracle, or sector leaders such as Epic Systems and Cerner in healthcare, Yardi and RealPage in property and real estate management, Autodesk in engineering and CDK Global in auto retail. These businesses thrive on high switching costs, bundled ecosystems, and limited interoperability. While some firms report using Claude or Gemini to replace incumbents, most enterprises remain locked into complex systems that take years and significant capital to replace. For investors, the key question is whether AI meaningfully disrupts these durable cash flow engines, or simply reshapes workflows without displacing the core.

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Earnings Performance

Shell PLC (NYSE: SHEL)

Shell reported softer fourth-quarter results as lower oil prices weighed on earnings, with adjusted Q4 profit of $3.3 billion and full-year adjusted earnings of $18.5 billion, down from $23.7 billion in 2024. Brent averaged $69 in 2025 versus $81 a year earlier, but cash flow from operations remained robust at $42.9 billion for the year, supported by more than $5 billion in structural cost reductions and disciplined spending.

Despite the weaker backdrop, Shell announced a further $3.5 billion share buyback, its 17th consecutive quarter of repurchases above $3 billion, alongside a 4% dividend increase. The group returned 52% of cash flow from operations to shareholders in 2025, above its 40–50% target range, while keeping capex within its $20–22 billion framework and reiterating its goal of more than 10% annual growth in normalised free cash flow per share through 2030.

Other Earnings Updates

• PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP): Posts Q4 Revenue and EPS Beat as Shares Rise

• Ares Management (NYSE: ARES): Announces Record Q4

• Thermon Group (NYSE: THR): Reports Q3 Fiscal 2026 Results

Investing Data Story

In 2025, gold demand flipped. As consumer appetite faded, investors and central banks took control—and miners started betting on higher prices.

The Great Gold Pivot: Why Miners Are Betting on Higher Prices

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

The OTCQX Signal Smart Money Watches

Most retail investors spend their time watching the same crowded parts of the market. Mega caps, ETFs, and headline-driven trades dominate attention. Meanwhile, quieter parts of the market can reveal signals that are easier to miss.

The OTCQX Best 50 2026 captures the signals and investing themes that shaped OTCQX market behavior over the past year, showing where investor interest intensified, stabilized, or began to fade.

Rather than predicting what comes next, the list helps retail investors understand what has already mattered to the market, and what may still be relevant as those trends evolve.

The OTCQX Best 50 shows where trading volume and investor focus held steady in OTC markets, signaling consistent market interest beyond the headlines.

Explore the full breakdown:

• OTCQX Best 50, What the Ranking Signals in 2026

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 1–10

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 11-20

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 21-30

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 31-40

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 41-50

• OTCQX Best 50 signals renewed investor interest in silver

Edition #142
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

👀 Calm Markets, Cautious Signals

Over the past week, markets sent a clear message beneath calm headlines. Riskier assets like Bitcoin lagged even as stock indexes held up, while investors quietly paid more for protection against a downturn.

Earnings drove a sharp rotation. Microsoft beat expectations but sparked a selloff across tech and software shares as investors reacted to slower cloud growth and heavy AI spending. Tesla also beat forecasts, but shares wobbled after Elon Musk revealed plans to discontinue the Model S and Model X next quarter and shift focus toward Optimus humanoid robot production.

Gold and silver climbed early in the week alongside a softer U.S. dollar as investors leaned toward safety, before both metals pulled back late as gains were locked in. The broader message was defensive, investors trimmed speculative exposure and favored cash flow and resilience over chasing risk.

The week ahead focuses on ISM data and Friday’s January jobs report, alongside Fed speakers and earnings that could test the soft-landing narrative.

Hot Topics

• Apple Proves the iPhone Is Still King

• SpaceX weighs Tesla or xAI tie-up

• OpenAI lays ground for $1trn IPO

• Exxon, Chevron see Venezuela potential

• Apple Loses More AI Researchers to Meta and Google

• Bitcoin Drops Below $78,000

• Starbucks bets on robots to brew a turnaround in customers

• Stocks Fall as Plunging Metals Fan Global Selloff

• Trump nominates Warsh as new Federal Reserve chair

• Key Takeaways from Elon Musk’s Earnings Call

• Microsoft Earnings Prompt Tech Stock Selloff

Investing Data Story

These companies, including NVIDIA and Coinbase, posted impressive revenue growth—over 100% in some cases—highlighting strong sector momentum.

Find out who are the Top 10 Stocks With The Fastest Revenue Growth

Narrow Growth Rewards Selective Stock Pickers

According to FactSet, roughly one-third into Q4 earnings season, the S&P 500 is now tracking 11.9% YoY earnings growth, up sharply from just over 8% a week ago and on pace for a fifth straight quarter of double-digit growth. Fewer companies are beating estimates, 75% vs historical averages, but the quality of beats is strong, with aggregate earnings running 9.1% above expectations, well above long-term norms.

Earnings and revenue upside is being driven primarily by Information Technology, Industrials, and Communication Services, while revenues are growing 8.2% YoY, extending a 21-quarter streak of top-line expansion. Looking ahead, analysts expect earnings growth to accelerate in 2026, even as valuations remain elevated at 22.2x forward earnings, a setup that favors selective, fundamentals-driven stock picking over broad market exposure.

• Growth is narrow. Earnings strength is concentrated in Information Technology, Industrials, and Communication Services, not the full market.

• Beats are meaningful. Fewer companies beat, but upside surprises are larger than normal, a positive signal for estimate revisions.

• Revenues confirm demand. 8%+ revenue growth shows real top-line momentum, not just margin management.

• Valuations cap index upside. At ~22x forward earnings, broad market returns look limited.

• Selectivity wins. The setup favors under-followed companies tied to these growth drivers over passive exposure.

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Earnings Performance

Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT)

Microsoft shares fell sharply following last week’s fiscal second-quarter earnings, as the company disclosed record capital expenditures tied to its expanding AI infrastructure build-out. Its capital expenditures (CapEx) reached a record $37.5 billion in the fiscal second quarter ended 31 December 2025 (Q2 FY2026), representing a 66% increase year-over-year. This aggressive spending is primarily driven by the build-out of AI-ready infrastructure and data centres, with roughly two-thirds of the outlay directed toward “short-lived assets” such as GPUs and CPUs to meet surging customer demand.

Other Earnings Updates

• Apple (AAPL): Q1 FY26 Delivers Record Revenue and EPS

• U & I Financial Corp (UNIF): Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial Results

• F&M Bank Corp (FMBM): Reports Fourth Quarter And Year-end Results For 2025

• Commercial National (CNAF): Reports Year-End 2025 Results

Investing Data Story

In 2025, gold demand flipped. As consumer appetite faded, investors and central banks took control—and miners started betting on higher prices.

The Great Gold Pivot: Why Miners Are Betting on Higher Prices

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

The OTCQX Signal Smart Money Watches

Most retail investors spend their time watching the same crowded parts of the market. Mega caps, ETFs, and headline-driven trades dominate attention. Meanwhile, quieter parts of the market can reveal signals that are easier to miss.

The OTCQX Best 50 2026 captures the signals and investing themes that shaped OTCQX market behavior over the past year, showing where investor interest intensified, stabilized, or began to fade.

Rather than predicting what comes next, the list helps retail investors understand what has already mattered to the market, and what may still be relevant as those trends evolve.

The OTCQX Best 50 shows where trading volume and investor focus held steady in OTC markets, signaling consistent market interest beyond the headlines.

Explore the full breakdown:

• OTCQX Best 50, What the Ranking Signals in 2026

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 1–10

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 11-20

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 21-30

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 31-40

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 41-50

• OTCQX Best 50 signals renewed investor interest in silver

Edition #141
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

💣 Tech Titans Report, Fed Decides

U.S. stocks closed lower last week as markets reacted to renewed geopolitical and tariff tensions, with the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq all slipping modestly over the period. Precious metals rallied as investors sought safety, while energy and materials outperformed defensively.

Markets enter a heavy earnings week with Big Tech reports due from Apple, Microsoft, Meta and Tesla, alongside the Federal Reserve’s rate decision and comments from Chair Powell. Tariff and trade developments remain headline risks. Investors will watch how earnings beat rates align with broader macro signals as the week unfolds.

Hot Topics

• GameStop’s $420 million bitcoin (BTC) move sparks selling speculation

• New ETF tracks US stocks that appeal most to retail investors

• Health insurance CEOs to appear before House committees as premiums soar

• Will AI Kill Fintech SaaS?

• How Lululemon lost its way

• OpenAI Acquires Torch for $100M to Expand Healthcare AI

• Google Secures Energy Supply to Enhance Data Center Growth

• Alphabet’s Gemini Models Drive Revenue Growth Amid Cloud Demand

Investing Data Story

These companies, including NVIDIA and Coinbase, posted impressive revenue growth—over 100% in some cases—highlighting strong sector momentum.

Find out who are the Top 10 Stocks With The Fastest Revenue Growth

The OTCQX Signal Smart Money Watches

Most retail investors spend their time watching the same crowded parts of the market. Mega caps, ETFs, and headline-driven trades dominate attention. Meanwhile, quieter parts of the market can reveal signals that are easier to miss.

The OTCQX Best 50 2026 captures the signals and investing themes that shaped OTCQX market behavior over the past year, showing where investor interest intensified, stabilized, or began to fade.

Rather than predicting what comes next, the list helps retail investors understand what has already mattered to the market, and what may still be relevant as those trends evolve.

The OTCQX Best 50 shows where trading volume and investor focus held steady in OTC markets, signaling consistent market interest beyond the headlines.

Explore the full breakdown:

• OTCQX Best 50, What the Ranking Signals in 2026

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 1–10

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 11-20

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 21-30

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 31-40

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 41-50

• OTCQX Best 50 signals renewed investor interest in silver

Subscribe now

Earnings Performance

Freeport-McMoRan Inc (NYSE: FCX)

Freeport-McMoRan’s January 2026 outlook reflects management estimates that point to a temporary dip tied largely to PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI). Estimated copper sales decline to 3.4 bn lbs in 2026e due to projected inventory deferrals and the phased restart of the GBC underground mine at PTFI’s Grasberg complex, before projected volumes rebound above 4.1 bn lbs in 2027e. Gold estimates follow a similar pattern, while molybdenum projections remain relatively steady, positioning 2026 as a transition year ahead of higher expected volumes.

Other Earnings Updates

• United Airlines (UAL): Beats Q4 and FY 2025 Earnings Estimates

• Intel (INTC): Reports Q4 2025 Revenue Decline Amid AI Demand

• Netflix (NFLX): Hits $12.05B in Q4 2025, Exceeding Financial Goals

Investing Data Story

Brazil’s crop exports remain near record highs in 2025, keeping potash demand strong and proving its essential role in global food production.

Potash Demand Remains Strong as Brazil Delivers Record Crops

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

Gold Tops $5,000, Silver Surges Past $100

Gold has surged past $5,000 an ounce for the first time, reaching over $5,100, while silver climbed above $100 amid a flight to safe-haven assets. The rally is driven by global economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, central bank buying, a weaker U.S. dollar, and inflation fears.

Investors are seeking refuge in precious metals, with both gold and silver benefiting from strong demand and bullish momentum. Analysts suggest the trend may continue as markets remain volatile. The milestone marks a historic moment for metals, significantly impacting ETFs and mining stocks linked to their performance, which also saw sharp gains.

Edition #140
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

📉 Stocks Pause, Tariff Fears Rise

U.S. stocks were mixed as 2026 earnings began with strong bank results and surging semiconductor profits, led by Taiwan Semiconductor’s record quarter and expanded AI investment. Despite earnings beats, major banks saw shares fall on regulatory concerns and one-time charges.

Markets also faced policy and geopolitical uncertainty, with a federal criminal probe into Fed Chair Jerome Powell raising concerns about central bank independence. U.S. markets will see lighter volume in this holiday-shortened week (closed Jan 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day). Meanwhile, Trump tariff-related headlines gain traction.

Hot Topics

• Gold, silver rally on safe-haven demand

• AWS secures copper supply deal with Rio Tinto

• Spotify eyes big profits with another price hike

• China GDP grows 5% as exports offset weak demand

• Trump pushes Big Tech to fund power as AI strains grid

• Global disruption hangs over record Davos summit

Investing Data Story

In 2025, gold demand flipped. As consumer appetite faded, investors and central banks took control—and miners started betting on higher prices.

The Great Gold Pivot: Why Miners Are Betting on Higher Prices

The OTCQX Signal Smart Money Watches

Most retail investors spend their time watching the same crowded parts of the market. Mega caps, ETFs, and headline-driven trades dominate attention. Meanwhile, quieter parts of the market can reveal signals that are easier to miss.

The OTCQX Best 50 2026 captures the signals and investing themes that shaped OTCQX market behavior over the past year, showing where investor interest intensified, stabilized, or began to fade.

Rather than predicting what comes next, the list helps retail investors understand what has already mattered to the market, and what may still be relevant as those trends evolve.

The OTCQX Best 50 shows where trading volume and investor focus held steady in OTC markets, signaling consistent market interest beyond the headlines.

Explore the full breakdown:

• OTCQX Best 50, What the Ranking Signals in 2026

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 1–10

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 11-20

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 21-30

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 31-40

• OTCQX Best 50 2026: Companies Ranked 41-50

• OTCQX Best 50 signals renewed investor interest in silver

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Earnings Performance

Infosys Ltd (NYSE: INFY)

Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a leading Indian IT services company, reported Q3 FY2026 revenue of $5.1 billion, reflecting 3.2% year-over-year growth on a reported basis and 1.7% in constant currency. Net profit dipped 2.2%, while the reported operating margin declined to 18.4%, primarily due to India’s new labor code; however, the adjusted margin excluding this impact stood at 21.2%. Growth was driven by strong performance in the financial services, manufacturing, and communication sectors. The company raised its full-year revenue guidance to 3.0–3.5%, citing robust demand.

While investors reacted cautiously to margin compression, Infosys highlighted a strong deal pipeline, including a previously announced £1.2 billion NHS contract in the UK, reinforcing confidence in its long-term growth trajectory.

Other Earnings Updates

• JPMorgan Q4 2025 Earnings: Income Rises Amid Reserve Charges

• Nobility Homes: Sales and Earnings for Fourth Quarter 2025

• Valeura Energy: Q4 2025 Update and 2026 Guidance

Investing Data Story

Energy spending stays dominant, but AI investment is growing 160% by 2030. What retail investors need to know about both megatrends.

AI Growth Surges as Energy Spending Holds Strong

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

Sandisk Surges on Memory Boom

SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) is extending its powerful rally in early 2026, propelled by surging demand for NAND flash memory driven by AI and data center infrastructure growth. The stock is up over 50% year-to-date and has risen over 1,000% since its 2025 market debut, earning a spot in the Roundhill Meme Stock ETF.

Tight memory supply and strong enterprise SSD demand are boosting pricing power, with reports suggesting SanDisk may significantly raise 3D NAND prices. Analysts have lifted price targets, citing robust margins, though some caution that valuations appear stretched.

Retail investor interest is accelerating, echoing trends seen in peers like Micron and Western Digital. SanDisk’s spin-off from Western Digital has positioned it as a focused, pure-play storage company. While current momentum is strong, some analysts warn that memory market cyclicality could limit long-term upside.

Edition #139
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

🧠 AI and Politics Shape Early 2026

Markets opened 2026 focused on AI momentum and rising policy risk. Tech and communication services led the way as Nvidia impressed again at CES, and new AI partnerships tied Amazon and Google more closely to retail and healthcare.

Consumer-facing companies were mixed, with earnings reflecting the pressure of tariffs and cautious guidance. Macro sentiment turned choppy after cooling job data and escalating concerns around central bank independence following a US Department of Justice investigation involving the Federal Reserve.

This coming week, the key focus is on December CPI, released Tuesday, which could reset rate expectations after last month’s distorted reading. Global attention may also turn to Japan, where snap election speculation could affect currency moves.

Hot Topics

• US justice department opens criminal probe into Fed chair

• Ofcom investigates Elon Musk’s X over Grok AI deepfakes

• Trump threatens to block ExxonMobil from Venezuela

• Google Launches Gemini-Powered AI Shopping Tools

• Anthropic Adds Healthcare Tools to Claude

• Global AI race: DeepSeek gains ground in developing nations; Microsoft flags gap

• Trump Proposes $1.5T Defense Budget

• Strava Moves Closer to IPO

• Musk’s xAI quarterly net loss widens to $1.46 billion

Investing Data Story

Brazil’s crop exports remain near record highs in 2025, keeping potash demand strong and proving its essential role in global food production.

Potash Demand Remains Strong as Brazil Delivers Record Crops

Retail Crypto Adoption May Accelerate in 2026

BlackRock predicts retail investors will increase their crypto access in 2026, arguing that adoption is still in the early innings despite spot bitcoin ETFs being available for two years. Speaking on CNBC, executives at BlackRock noted that many investors and advisors are only now getting comfortable with how Bitcoin and Ethereum fit into a portfolio, helped by easier access through ETF platforms.

Even after recent pullbacks in crypto prices, investors using ETFs to gain exposure have largely stayed invested, suggesting growing confidence in the long-term case rather than short-term trading. The takeaway for retail investors is that broader crypto participation may still be ahead, not behind, as education, access, and comfort levels continue to build.

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Earnings Performance

Albertsons Companies Inc (NYSE: ACI)

Albertsons has seen near‑term share pressure following mixed third‑quarter results and reduced full‑year guidance amid intense retail competition. The stock slid as investors reacted to earnings and outlook concerns.

Albertsons’ Q3 2025 infographic highlights 2.4% identical sales growth, 21% digital sales growth, $0.72 in adjusted EPS, and $1.039 billion in adjusted EBITDA. Strategic initiatives include AI and cloud adoption for productivity, enhancing digital engagement and store value, scaling last-mile delivery, boosting own-brand offerings, and expanding their retail media business through data-driven ad campaigns.

Other Earnings Updates

• Applied Digital Surges After Strong Q2 Results

• Constellation Brands Q3 FY2026 Earnings Beat Expectations

• Penguin Solutions Q1 FY2026 Revenue Stable at $343M

Investing Data Story

Energy spending stays dominant, but AI investment is growing 160% by 2030. What retail investors need to know about both megatrends.

AI Growth Surges as Energy Spending Holds Strong

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

AI Boom Still Early, No Tech Bubble

According to Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities, concerns about an imminent tech bubble are overblown. He argues that more than $1 trillion in AI spending last year marks the early stages of a fourth industrial revolution, not the end of a cycle, with some of the most attractive opportunities emerging in lesser-known AI infrastructure and support companies rather than headline-grabbing tech giants.

Discover AI stocks beyond the big names. From direct plays to infrastructure and thematic beneficiaries, explore the full spectrum of AI investment opportunities.

Edition #138
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

🧭 Year-End Jitters Hit Tech

U.S. markets stumbled in the final full trading week of 2025 as technology and AI names dragged on indexes, pushing the Nasdaq and S&P 500 lower while value and cyclical sectors held up better. Investors grew more cautious about the durability of AI spending after mixed signals from major tech bellwethers and a clear rotation toward defensive and financial stocks. Sentiment improved after a cooler-than-expected consumer price index report helped drive a late-week rebound. The CPI report showed inflation continuing to moderate, though investors remained cautious about the pace of further improvement.

The calendar quiets quickly from here, with most major data already in hand, but thin holiday trading can still magnify late-breaking headlines. With limited earnings, potential Fed commentary, and fading liquidity, the market may look calm, but year-end sessions have a habit of delivering surprises.

PRESENTED BY BRAZIL POTASH

Brazil Potash (NYSE-A: GRO) is advancing a fully permitted potash project near Brazil’s main farming region, aiming to supply local demand in a market shaped by food security and supply risk. See how the Autazes Project is positioned.

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Hot Topics

• Meg O’Neill Becomes Big Oil’s First Female CEO

• Banks Explore Limiting Mass Selling in Mega IPOs

• Coursera, Udemy to Merge in $2.5B All-Stock Deal

• OpenAI Negotiates $10B Deal with Amazon to Boost AI Chips

• Nasdaq files SEC proposal for 23/5 US equities trading

• Tesla Stock Rises as Unmanned Robotaxi Testing Begins

• Spirit Aviation Holds Merger Talks with Frontier Group

• Entergy in a New Era of Data Center Driven Load Growth

• Databricks builds war chest with $134 billion valuation

• PayPal Files for Utah Bank License to Directly Offer Loans

Investing Data Story

Major copper and gold M&A deals from 2016 to 2025 highlight rising demand, strategic consolidation, and key opportunities for retail investors.

M&A Heats Up in Copper and Gold: The Race for Junior Assets

Private Equity’s Retail Push: What It Means for Sharp Investors

The push to open up private equity and credit to regular investors isn’t just about making things fair. For experienced retail investors, it signals a shift in how money moves and where new opportunities might be hiding.

As big institutions slow down their investments in traditional private equity funds, new types of products are popping up. These include semi-liquid and “evergreen” funds that offer more flexibility, smaller minimums, and some ability to cash out without waiting years. Some allocators are dialing back exposure after public markets bounced back, while others, like Apollo Global, are doubling down on alternatives such as private credit. Retail-friendly products are stepping in to fill the gap.

Exit activity is picking up again. By Q3 2025, private equity exit value had increased by about 40% year-over-year, showing renewed momentum after a slower 2024.

Still, many fund managers are using tools like continuation funds and secondaries to keep deals going and avoid selling at lower prices. For retail investors who know what to look for, this could be a rare chance to get into quality private deals that used to be off-limits.

Just remember, these funds aren’t as liquid as stocks. You might not be able to get your money out right away, especially in tough markets. That’s not a flaw, it’s the trade-off for potentially higher returns. Make sure you read the fine print and know what you’re getting into.

In the past, more retail access to private markets usually came from better products and growing demand, not from insiders trying to dump risk. Today’s shift looks a lot more like smart product design meeting investor appetite. If you’re hunting for long-term upside and don’t mind locking up capital, it’s worth taking a closer look.

EV Growth Moves Beyond Rich Markets

A recent report from energy think tank Ember argues that global EV adoption, historically driven by Europe and especially China, is now expanding more rapidly into emerging markets as falling vehicle and battery costs make EVs viable beyond high-income regions.

This cost-led expansion lifts global EV volumes while intensifying price competition, increasing pressure on North American automakers that depend on higher margins and policy support. More importantly for investors, it reinforces the long-term case for globally exposed parts of the EV value chain, including batteries, critical minerals, power grids, and charging infrastructure, where demand growth is driven by worldwide adoption and where smaller, less-followed companies may benefit earlier than headline EV brands.

The race to 100% EV sales is well underway

China still has by far the largest share of global EV sales, close to two-thirds of total volume in 2025, but the fastest increases in EV sales share are now occurring across a widening group of emerging markets.

Much of this emerging-market EV expansion is being captured by Chinese manufacturers, whose scale advantage is reinforced by state subsidies and export-driven overcapacity. That dynamic introduces rising geopolitical and trade risks, including tariffs, localization mandates, and supply chain fragmentation, which could complicate the outlook for globally exposed automakers even as upstream EV suppliers continue to benefit from rising volumes.

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Earnings Performance

Birkenstock Holding PLC (NYSE: BIRK)

Birkenstock delivered fiscal 2025 revenue growth above guidance with 18% constant-currency expansion and Adjusted EBITDA margin at the top of its range, underscoring strong brand demand and operating leverage despite currency and tariff headwinds. Growth was broad-based across regions, with APAC and B2B channels leading, while closed-toe products continued to lift mix and pricing.

Balance sheet leverage improved, supported by earnings and share repurchases. Management’s fiscal 2026 outlook points to sustained double-digit growth, moderated margins, and ongoing capacity investment amid external cost pressures.

Other Earnings Updates

• Micron (MU): Forecasts Blowout Profit as AI Demand Soars

• Worthington Enterprises (WOR): Q2 Earnings, Announces Acquisition

• Lennar (LEN): Q4 Earnings Show Decline but Volume Grows

• Abivax (ABVX): Q3 2025 Financial Results and Trial Updates

Investing Data Story

Discover six Dividend King stocks with nearly 70 years of rising payouts. Compare yields, payout ratios, and dividend growth for steady income potential.

6 Dividend Kings With 69+ Years of Increases

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

The World’s Richest Families 2025

According to Bloomberg’s 2025 ranking, the world’s ten wealthiest families have built their fortunes across diverse sectors. The Walton empire stems from retail giant Walmart, while the Mars family prospered through confectionery and pet care.

Vast state-linked industrial and energy wealth underpins the fortunes of the Al Nahyan, Al Saud, and Al Thani royal families. In contrast, industrial conglomerates drive the fortunes of the Koch and Ambani clans.

The Hermès and Wertheimer families owe their wealth to the luxury fashion houses Hermès and Chanel, respectively, and the Thomson family fortune originated in media and financial data services.

Edition #137
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

📉 Early Gains Fade Into Friday Selloff

U.S. stocks finished the week mixed after early gains faded into a sharp Friday pullback. Markets initially rallied on a widely expected 0.25 pt Federal Reserve rate cut and hopes that easier policy could support a cooling economy. That optimism gave way late in the week as investors locked in profits, pushing the S&P 500 and Nasdaq lower on Friday while volatility ticked up.

This week the focus shifts to key U.S. data, with delayed October and November jobs reports due Tuesday and November CPI inflation on Thursday. Retail sales and housing data will help shape expectations for how quickly the Fed can cut again. Thin year-end liquidity could amplify market moves around each release.

Hot Topics

• Roomba maker iRobot bought by Chinese supplier after filing for bankruptcy

• Cisco finally did it

• Russian ban on Roblox gaming platform sparks rare protest

• Hollywood panics as Paramount-Netflix battle for Warner Bros

• Instacart’s AI Pricing May Be Inflating Your Grocery Bill

• Oracle Delays Some Data Center Projects for OpenAI to 2028

• Netflix House Dallas and Philadelphia Are Now Open — Welcome to Our Home!

• Disney’s OpenAI stake is ‘a way in’ to AI, Iger tells CNBC

• Rivian shares surge as analysts cheer shift to custom self-driving chip, AI strategy

Investing Data Story

Major copper and gold M&A deals from 2016 to 2025 highlight rising demand, strategic consolidation, and key opportunities for retail investors.

M&A Heats Up in Copper and Gold: The Race for Junior Assets

Howard Marks: Is AI a ‘Good’ Bubble?

If you’ve been worrying that the AI boom is just 1999 all over again, legendary investor Howard Marks offers a refreshing perspective. While acknowledging the risks, Marks explains why this moment may be fundamentally different, and why staying on the sidelines could be the bigger mistake.

Marks highlights the concept that not all bubbles are created equal. Drawing on work by Byrne Hobart and Tobias Huber, he distinguishes between “Mean-reversion Bubbles” (like the 2008 subprime crisis), which leave nothing behind but losses, and “Inflection Bubbles” which are fueled by genuine technological revolutions. Even if stock prices get ahead of themselves, the capital raised builds essential infrastructure that permanently advances society.

The housing bubble never transformed how we live or work. AI, by contrast, is laying the foundation for a “more prosperous future”.

Marks specifically addresses the fear that AI stocks are overvalued by comparing them to the Dot-com bubble leaders. The data suggests the market is arguably more rational today.

Unlike the internet bubble era, today’s AI companies already have products at scale, exploding demand, and rapidly increasing revenues. Plus, P/E ratios for today’s tech giants are significantly lower than the leaders of the late 90s.

Marks concedes a correction is possible, and any bubble will destroy wealth for some of those involved. But AI has the potential to be one of the “greatest transformational technologies of all time”. For the astute retail investor, the goal isn’t to flee the market, but to participate with “sober, insightful judgment”.

SpaceX Targets 2026 IPO at $1.5T Plus Valuation

Reports suggest SpaceX is laying the groundwork for a 2026 IPO, with recent insider share sales and secondary market pricing pointing to a private valuation near ~$800B, while public market expectations are already clustering around $1.5T or more. That gap highlights how aggressively investors are extrapolating SpaceX’s long-term growth as it prepares for life as a public company.

The capital raise is tied to an ambitious expansion plan, ramping Starship’s flight cadence, funding lunar and Mars infrastructure, and building space-based AI data centers. Together, these initiatives dramatically increase execution risk, capital intensity, and scrutiny as SpaceX moves closer to public markets. The eventual listing will be a high-stakes test of whether SpaceX’s operational momentum and cost reductions can justify trillion-dollar-plus valuations under sustained public-market pressure.

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Earnings Performance

AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV)

In May 2025, AeroVironment acquired the defense tech company BlueHalo, and this slide shows investors that the merger is working. The company is no longer just selling small drones; it is now winning major contracts in Space, Cyber, and Directed Energy.

In Q2, the company reported record revenue of nearly $473 million, driven by strong sales in the AxS (Autonomous Systems) segment. The forward-looking numbers were equally robust, including:

• Contract Awards Ceiling: $3.5 billion (Record)

• Bookings: ~$1.4 billion

• Funded Backlog: $1.1 billion

• Unfunded Backlog: $3.0 billion

Why the sell-off? Despite record revenue, margins slipped to 27% due to lower-margin BlueHalo services, leading to a massive profit miss ($0.44 actual vs. $0.80 expected). Worse, a quiet “definition change” wiped nearly $1 billion from the backlog, shaking investor confidence in future growth.

Other Earnings Updates

• Oracle: Shares Drop 11% on Heavy AI Spending and Debt

• Tuniu: Initiates $10M Buyback Amid Rising Costs

• Victoria’s Secret: Stock Surges on Strong Q3 Performance and Guidance

Investing Data Story

Discover six Dividend King stocks with nearly 70 years of rising payouts. Compare yields, payout ratios, and dividend growth for steady income potential.

6 Dividend Kings With 69+ Years of Increases

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

Retail Volume Smashes Records

For years, the adage was “follow the institutions.” But 2025 has rewritten the playbook. New data confirms that retail investors—not hedge funds—are currently the dominant force driving market liquidity and direction.

• Unprecedented Volume: According to Fortune, retail trading flows are hitting historic highs, tracking 53% above last year and surpassing the 2021 “mania” peak by 14%.

• The Shift to ETFs: The sophisticated retail pro is moving away from single-stock lottery tickets. Data seen by Fortune shows that in the week ending Dec. 10, $6.3 billion flowed into ETFs, compared to just $1.5 billion into single stocks.

• Tactical Precision: The “buy the dip” thesis was arguably the trade of the year. Investors who bought the April lows saw a 38% gain by December, outperforming those who sat on the sidelines.

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Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

📈 Small Caps Steady Into Fed Week

Dec 1–5 delivered a calm, slightly positive week, with small and micro caps showing quiet accumulation even as large-cap indexes moved sideways. Softer inflation readings helped ease rate worries, giving risk-on pockets some breathing room. Liquidity was decent for early December, and speculative sentiment improved without tipping into mania. Overall, the tape showed cautious but constructive buying in lower-valuation names.

Coming up, the Fed meeting on Dec 9-10 is the only real swing factor this week, and markets mainly want confirmation that policy is shifting toward easing in early 2026. Light labor and consumer data should help refine rate expectations, but are unlikely to overwhelm the Fed narrative. If volatility stays contained, small caps could continue to grind higher on improving liquidity and sentiment.

PRESENTED BY CANTERRA MINERALS CORP.

Canterra Minerals (TSX-V: CTM, OTCQB: CTMCF) is advancing a fully-funded 10,000-metre drill program across its 55 km copper-gold corridor in Newfoundland.

Get all the details in our in-depth investor guide.

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Fear & Greed Index

Hot Topics

• Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros.

• TotalEnergies merges North Sea assets in Britain with Repsol’s NEO Next

• China’s trade surplus passed $1 trillion for the first time

• Italian fashion giant Prada buys Versace – at a discount

• NVIDIA and Synopsys Announce Strategic Partnership

• IBM nears acquisition of Confluent for $11 billion

Investing Data Story

Junior copper miners are having a standout year. The Nasdaq Sprott Junior Copper Miners Index (NSCOPJ) has surged beating the Nasdaq Sprott Copper Miners Index (NSCOPP), which tracks senior producers.

From Exploration to Outperformance: Copper Juniors’ Breakout Year

Gemini 3 Lifts Alphabet

Alphabet stock is riding a new wave of bullish sentiment tied to the release of its latest AI generation, Gemini 3. Analysts view the launch as a meaningful competitive response in the intensifying AI race.

Google has begun rolling out its “Deep Think” reasoning capability to Gemini Ultra subscribers, positioning it as an answer to advanced reasoning models from rivals. Early benchmarks suggest stronger multimodal understanding and improved performance on complex tasks, helping reinforce investor confidence in Alphabet’s AI strategy.

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Earnings Performance

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) posted a solid Q3 FY2025 with revenue up ~6% to $1.36B and comps up 4%, led by continued double-digit growth at Aerie. That growth came with meaningful margin compression, as gross margin slipped to 40.5% and operating margin fell to 8.3% on higher Selling, General, and Administrative expenses. The takeaway for investors is improving demand and brand traction, partially offset by cost pressure. Management raised full-year operating income guidance to $303M to $308M after a record Thanksgiving weekend, pointing to strengthening earnings momentum beyond short-term promotions.

Other Earnings Updates

• Ulta Beauty: Surpasses Q3 2025 Expectations with Strong EPS

• Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co: HPE Reports Q4 Earnings; EPS Surpasses Estimates, Revenue Misses

• Kroger: Q3 Results Show Mixed Signals Despite E-Commerce Surge

• TD Bank: Q4 Earnings Surge, Dividend Increased, EPS Growth Projected

Investing Data Story

Discover six Dividend King stocks with nearly 70 years of rising payouts. Compare yields, payout ratios, and dividend growth for steady income potential.

6 Dividend Kings With 69+ Years of Increases

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

Lithium’s 2025 Rebound Gains Strategic Backing

Lithium has turned bullish in 2025, with prices up about 25.7% year to date as EV demand, falling inventories, and tighter regulation, especially in China, tighten the market. EVs still drive over 85% of demand, with lithium use projected to rise sharply through 2035, while data centers are emerging as a fast-growing secondary driver as lithium-ion batteries replace legacy backup systems.

Governments and energy majors are accelerating supply security through direct stakes, subsidies, and new projects across the U.S. and Europe, while China’s dominance in refining continues to elevate geopolitical risk. The result is a structurally stronger lithium market supported by reshoring, strategic investment, and expanding end-use demand, although volatility remains part of the cycle.

Edition #135
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

✂️ Markets Brace for Data That May Shift Rate Outlook

Last week, U.S. markets rallied as growing odds of a December rate cut by the Federal Reserve lifted sentiment following recent concerns about lofty valuations in AI-linked stocks. On Monday, the Nasdaq Composite jumped about 2.7%, led by strong gains in major tech names, while the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average also advanced. Markets ran on thin volume due to the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday and an early Friday close, and investor sentiment was supported by dovish Fed signals.

This week brings a flurry of economic data, with the November ISM Manufacturing PMI due on Dec. 1, monthly U.S. auto-sales figures, and fresh surveys on the services sector and labor conditions. The releases could help determine whether expectations for near-term rate cuts are warranted. Markets may react to signs of stubborn inflation or weakening consumer demand, which could threaten the recent rally.

Fear & Greed Index

Hot Topics

• Frustration, Confusion Ripple Across Markets on CME Outage

• Bitcoin exposure rises, S&P downgrades USDT

• Wall Street Maintains Bullish Emerging-Markets Outlook for 2026

• Crypto Exchange Upbit Hit by Exploit After $10 Billion Deal

• Tech Firms From Dell to HP Warn of Memory Chip Squeeze From AI

• Google Discusses Selling AI Chips to Meta, Boosting Sales

• Nvidia Is the ‘Rocky Balboa’ of AI, Ives Says

• The Three Days When BHP Tried to Crash a Copper Mega Deal

• Amazon pledges up to $65 billion to expand AI, supercomputing for US government

• Trump Admin Cuts Medicare Drug Prices, Impacts Ozempic & Wegovy

• Deutsche Bank raises 2026 gold price forecast to $4,450/oz

Investing Data Story

From mining to AI, discover the sectors and stocks that drove the TSX’s biggest 3-year gains.

Mapped: Where Canada’s Market Momentum Came From (2022–2025)

Nvidia Flashpoint

Nvidia took the unusual step of circulating a private seven-page memo to Wall Street analysts after two critics raised concerns, Michael Burry and an independent researcher. For a company with a nearly four trillion dollar valuation, this level of direct engagement shows how quickly sentiment can shift across the AI supply chain.

Burry later clarified that he views Nvidia not as Enron but as Cisco during the 1999 to 2002 telecom cycle. Cisco’s customers were real, and their spending was real, yet demand projections proved too optimistic, and orders collapsed when carrier economics failed to keep pace. His point targets the durability of the AI capex cycle rather than Nvidia’s accounting.

Nvidia’s memo addressed the accounting questions directly, but it cannot resolve the broader uncertainty around how much future demand depends on aggressive infrastructure forecasts.

Two days after the memo circulated, Nvidia shed roughly $116 billion in a single session on reports that Meta may adopt Google’s TPU chips. The reaction underscored increasing awareness of substitution risk in AI hardware as hyperscalers test multi-vendor architectures.

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Earnings Performance

Deere & Co (NYSE: DE)

Deere & Co delivered softer earnings as FY25 net income fell to $5.0B, down 29%, while revenue slipped 13%. 4Q25 EPS dropped to $3.93 with net income down 14%. Construction and Forestry was the standout with a 27% sales jump. Agriculture stayed mixed, with Large Ag expected to contract 15 to 20% in FY26 while Small Ag and Turf hold flat to slightly up. FY26 guidance calls for $4.0B to $4.75B in net income and steady cash flow, with margins pressured but stabilizing.

Investors should watch the adoption of automation and precision tech, which are highlighted as key growth drivers.

Other Earnings Updates

• Nutanix Q1 2026: Revenue Slightly Below Estimates, ARR Grows 18%

• Zscaler: Reports Q1 Fiscal 2026 Results, Shares Drop 8%

• Analog Devices: Reports Strong Q4 Earnings Surge

Investing Data Story

Discover six Dividend King stocks with nearly 70 years of rising payouts. Compare yields, payout ratios, and dividend growth for steady income potential.

6 Dividend Kings With 69+ Years of Increases

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

Why Micro-Caps May Lead the Next Gold Leg

Gold’s setup for 2026 is strengthening. In a Goldman Sachs outlook shared on Bloomberg TV, the bank projects $4,900/oz by 2026, driven by sustained central-bank buying of 70–80 tonnes a year and an expected return of Western ETF inflows once the Fed begins cutting.

But the real opportunity sits beneath the surface. The entire global gold ETF market is 70× smaller than the U.S. Treasury market. Even a fractional rotation out of bonds could drive outsized price action, and historically, strong gold cycles have opened the door for meaningful reratings in well-positioned juniors.

Despite gold being up ~60% YTD, retail flows remain light. That early-phase positioning is where experienced investors typically find the best risk-reward in small and micro-cap miners.

If Goldman’s base case unfolds, well-capitalized developers and high-quality explorers should benefit disproportionately, not from mechanical leverage, but from renewed capital access, stronger economics, and rising institutional appetite.

Edition #134
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

📉 Markets Wobble as Tech Slips

U.S. markets were mixed last week as tech and AI names lost momentum, and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq tested key support levels. Investor sentiment stayed cautious with policy visibility blurred by the recent federal funding standoff and delayed data releases. Even so, some investors continued to lean into earnings strength despite choppy trading, though evidence of steady equity fund inflows was limited.

This week brings a lighter calendar, but inflation and consumer confidence readings on Tuesday could sway expectations for Fed easing. With valuations still elevated and price pressures showing mixed signals, markets may respond sharply to any sign that the path to rate cuts is shifting. The near-term outlook remains broadly supportive for growth, but tariff uncertainty and persistent inflation argue for staying diversified.

Hot Topics

• Adobe to Acquire Semrush in $1.9B Cash Deal

• Small caps step up in broadening US equity rally

• Brookfield Launches $100B AI Infrastructure Program

• Bitcoin Falls Below $90K as Market Risk Appetite Dips

• Eli Lilly (LLY) is the first healthcare firm to reach $1T

• Apple’s iPhone Sales Surge to 25% Market Share in China

• Dell and NVIDIA Partner for Largest U.S. Supercomputer

• Amazon Launches $12–15B U.S. Bond Offering

• NVIDIA Stock Dips as Major Investors Exit Holdings

Investing Data Story

Energy spending stays dominant, but AI investment is growing 160% by 2030. What retail investors need to know about both megatrends.

AI Growth Surges as Energy Spending Holds Strong

Strategist Sees S&P Momentum Building

Morgan Stanley’s Michael Wilson, long known for caution, is now leaning bullish. He sees the S&P 500 climbing toward 7,800 by late 2026, which implies gains of roughly 18% driven by stronger earnings and a rebound in parts of the market that have trailed.

Wilson argues a new bull phase is already in motion, supported by an improving profit cycle and broader market participation. If he is right, the index would notch a fourth straight year of double-digit returns, a backdrop that could reward investors willing to stay risk-on while volatility remains elevated.

IEA Flags Rising Energy Risks

The IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2025 signals a more fragile energy system, and that matters for experienced retail investors because cracks in oil, gas, and critical mineral supply chains can hit small and micro-cap names fast. Tight mineral markets raise the odds of cost jumps for EVs, batteries, and grid tech, while cyber threats and extreme weather add another layer of risk for producers and infrastructure operators.

In this backdrop, the edge goes to companies that can prove they are built for turbulence. Look for genuinely diversified sourcing, real resilience planning, and reliability-focused tech that keeps operations steady. Those are the firms positioned to ride out shocks and defend returns when the system comes under strain.

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Earnings Performance

Walmart Inc

Walmart Inc (NYSE: WMT) delivered another Q3 beat with net sales of US$179.5 billion, up 5.8% y/y, supported by US segment sales of US$120.7 billion and a 27% jump in global ecommerce. The company raised its full-year outlook again, reflecting continued strength with value-focused shoppers.

More than seven thousand rollbacks and two thousand permanent price cuts are driving traffic as inflation pressures persist. Leadership said its scale and low price positioning keep it well insulated as budgets tighten. For investors, Walmart’s ability to turn trade downs into steady gains highlights the resilience of its model.

Other Earnings Updates

• Nvidia Earnings: Spark Initial Nasdaq Rally Before Reversal

• Futu Holdings: Beats Q3 Estimates with Strong Account Growth

• iQIYI Q3: Revenue Exceeds Estimates Despite Losses

• XPENG Stock (XPEV): Strong Q3 Earnings and Future Growth

• Baidu Q3: Earnings Beat Estimates Amid Revenue Decline

Investing Data Story

Discover six Dividend King stocks with nearly 70 years of rising payouts. Compare yields, payout ratios, and dividend growth for steady income potential.

6 Dividend Kings With 69+ Years of Increases

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

Institutions Dump Risk, Retail Should Get Selective

Institutional money has been selling into weakness, a trend Stocktwits head of markets and retail investor insights Tom Bruni highlights in a Yahoo Finance interview. Volume patterns on down days confirm that institutions are driving the recent pressure, which has crushed speculative pockets like quantum computing and nuclear names, many now 50 to 70% below their highs.

For experienced retail investors, the signal is not to blindly buy the dip. It is to separate forced selling from structural decline. With several beaten-down names approaching their 200-day trend lines, this becomes a market that rewards disciplined entries, clean balance sheets, and catalysts with real near-term visibility.

The edge goes to investors who treat this phase as an early discovery window. Deep drawdowns can reset risk-reward setups in small and micro caps, but only if you validate whether institutional selling reflects a shift in fundamentals or simply positioning.

Edition #133
Investing Unlocks: How to Capitalize on the Hot Topics From The Last 7 Days

We analyze recent trends and opportunities, offering strategic insights that help you manage risks and identify growth opportunities for your portfolio.

🔍 SmallCaps Glow While Macro Signals Flicker

Small and micro-cap stocks held up relatively well last week while large-cap tech idled, as the U.S. government reopening eased an overhang but didn’t shift the growth narrative. Treasury yields drifted higher, pressuring overvalued names and nudging investor focus toward overlooked small and micro-caps that might offer better upside.

This week brings the Federal Reserve’s October meeting minutes, U.S. industrial production and capacity utilisation figures, plus Nvidia’s earnings and evolving geopolitical signals out of Asia following Japan’s Q3 GDP drop. For small and micro-caps the risk/reward mix pivots toward companies with solid fundamentals, early growth signs and less dependency on broad market momentum.

Hot Topics

• ConocoPhillips Strikes Natural Gas in Australian Exploration

• Samsung Pledges $310B to Boost AI and Semiconductor Investment

• Saudi Fund Cuts U.S. Stock Stakes to 1-Year Low

• Bitcoin Erases Year’s Gain as Crypto Bear Market Deepens

• Burry Ends Scion Fund, Reveals Bearish Bets on Nvidia & Palantir

• Walmart boss retiring after more than a decade

Investing Data Story

Energy spending stays dominant, but AI investment is growing 160% by 2030. What retail investors need to know about both megatrends.

AI Growth Surges as Energy Spending Holds Strong

Small Sectors Step Into the Spotlight

The chart highlights a clear shift under the surface of the market. While headlines have focused on mega-cap tech all year, the strongest returns lately have come from smaller, more specialized sectors outside the usual large-cap leadership. This rotation suggests the rally is finally broadening, which historically creates a stronger backdrop for small and micro-cap stock picking.

Rare Earths Shift Creates Micro-Cap Opportunity

Rare earths are back in the headlines as the U.S. and Canada move quickly to reduce their dependence on China for the materials that power EVs, defense systems, and clean-tech manufacturing. Recent reports point to tightening global supply and renewed trade tension, while China’s decision to postpone new export controls after high-level talks offers only a short-term breather in a long strategic contest.

North America is accelerating its own production and processing plans, aiming to build a secure, regional supply chain. Canada’s deposits in Quebec and the Northwest Territories and new U.S. projects tied to magnets and separation tech are starting to draw more attention, especially among early-stage investors.

Australia also remains a key part of the global picture. It hosts the largest pipeline of rare-earth mining and processing projects outside China, making it an important swing producer as supply routes diversify. Its momentum reinforces why North America is racing to catch up.

For small and micro-cap investors this backdrop matters. When supply chains reset, early-stage miners, processors, and technology firms often see the first wave of interest and capital, creating opportunities well before the large-cap names dominate the story.

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Earnings Performance

Cisco Systems Inc

Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ: CSCO) opened fiscal 2026 strong, with revenue up 8% to $14.9B and EPS of $0.72 GAAP, $1.00 non-GAAP, both above guidance. Operating cash flow hit $3.2B, reflecting solid margin execution.

Management cited growing demand for secure networking, AI infrastructure, and a campus refresh cycle lifting orders. Cisco remains focused on profitable growth, AI investment, and capital returns. A $0.41 dividend is payable Jan 21, 2026.

Other Earnings Updates

• XPENG Stock (XPEV): Strong Q3 Earnings and Future Growth

• Zeekr Group Reports Q3 2025 Earnings with Decreased Loss

• Ondas Q3 Results Mixed: Revenue Up But EBITDA Loss Widens

• RLX Q3 2025 Revenue Surges 49%

• Disney+ Surges in Subscribers Amid Mixed Quarter Results

• Hydro One Q3 Earnings Climb on Demand, Projects

Investing Data Story

Discover six Dividend King stocks with nearly 70 years of rising payouts. Compare yields, payout ratios, and dividend growth for steady income potential.

6 Dividend Kings With 69+ Years of Increases

Analyst Strong Buy Ratings This Week! 📈

Looking for stocks with strong analyst backing? These companies have earned top-tier "Strong Buy" ratings from analysts, signaling potential upside for investors.

Whether you’re eyeing small-to-mid cap opportunities in the U.S. and Canada or want to stick with trusted S&P 500 blue-chip picks, this list highlights stocks that experts believe could outperform.

🔍 Do your research and see if any of these fit your portfolio!

Retail Appetite Signals a Quiet Shift

You may have noticed retail conviction holding firm on every pullback this year. Phil Rosen pointed out in a recent NYSE segment that younger investors who lived through crypto drawdowns of 70% to 80% barely react to a 15% slide in equities.

That resilience matters for small and micro-cap names because it keeps discovery momentum alive even when institutions move to the sidelines. When retail buyers refuse to flinch, early-stage stories with real traction can keep building pressure beneath the surface.