Harvard is home to top intellectuals, famous alumni, and, more recently, a sizable hoard of Bitcoin. The university has more than $442 million dollars in the BlackRock-issued ETF called iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), which provides exposure to the cryptocurrency in the form of stock, according to filings released on Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.&nbsp;Recommended VideoIn 2025, major companies and institutions have lined up to invest in crypto, including those from Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and increasingly, the Ivy League. Brown University has also disclosed roughly $14 million in crypto ETF holdings.&nbsp;Harvard has more money in the Bitcoin ETF than it does in any other stock, including its stakes in mainstay companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon. While half a billion dollars in IBIT is nothing to sneeze at, it accounts for less than 1% of the university’s nearly $57 billion endowment.&nbsp;Harvard did not respond to a request for comment about its decision to invest in Bitcoin.Eric Balchunas, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, posted on X on Friday that Harvard’s investment in IBIT was “as good a validation as an ETF can get.”The fund Harvard invested in is one of the first spot crypto ETFs to launch in the U.S. When it went public in January 2024, it marked the end of a more than decade-long battle between the crypto sector and the SEC. It was also the first time that U.S. investors could invest in Bitcoin through their brokerage accounts, rather than through crypto exchanges.Even with a recent slump in Bitcoin prices, IBIT’s total market cap is well over $70 billion. Although Harvard’s $442 million stake in BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF is yet another sign of crypto’s growing institutional acceptance, a year of wins for the industry hasn’t translated to a big price increase for Bitcoin. In the last year, Bitcoin has gone up less than 0.5%, a fraction of the S&amp;P 500’s 13% rise during that time. Bitcoin shot up to its all-time high price of almost $126,000 last month but is down roughly 27% to less than $92,000.&nbsp;Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

Harvard now owns nearly half a billion dollars worth of Bitcoin, filings show

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>TheS&amp;P 500‘s 2.7% drop on Friday expose its tech-heavy tilt.&nbsp;</li><li>Top 10 stocks represent 37% of the index’s weight, while the Magnificent 7 account for about 35% of YTD gains.&nbsp;</li><li>The overrepresentation amplifies losses, eroding the index’s broad-market status.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement?&nbsp;SmartAsset’s free tool&nbsp;can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute;&nbsp;learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Friday’s market meltdown laid bare the vulnerabilities of theS&amp;P 500. The index plunged 2.7%, erasing weekly gains amid President Trump’s threat of massive new tariffs on Chinese imports. This sharp drop — its worst single-day loss since April — stemmed directly from the index’s heavy reliance on a handful of tech giants.&nbsp;The top 10 stocks now command nearly 37% of the S&amp;P 500’s market capitalization, up from 27% during the 2000 dot-com peak. Among them, the Magnificent 7 hold an outsized sway, accounting for about 35% of the index’s weight.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">This concentration has fueled impressive returns, but also amplified risks. Year-to-date, the S&amp;P 500 gained 12.5%, yet the Mag 7 contributed 42% of those gains. Their influence was even starker last year when the group drove nearly 70% of the index’s 23% advance. This highlights how the S&amp;P has morphed from the broad-based benchmark it was decades ago into a proxy for a few high-flying names.This shift makes the classic set-and-forget strategy of buying the S&amp;P far riskier than before. Volatility spikes, like Friday’s, can wipe out months of progress if those top holdings falter. Yet investors seeking steady, long-term compounding need not abandon passive approaches. By layering in quality controls — filters for profitability, low debt, and earnings stability — the three exchange-traded funds (ETFs) below deliver superior risk-adjusted returns. They outperform the S&amp;P 500 over a decade while dialing down volatility, offering a smarter path to durable gains.<h2>iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL)</h2>TheiShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF(CBOE:QUAL) targets U.S. large- and mid-cap stocks exhibiting strong fundamentals. It tracks theMSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality Index, which scores companies on return on equity, stable year-over-year earnings growth, and low financial leverage.&nbsp;These metrics weed out speculative plays, favoring resilient firms like those in healthcare and industrials alongside select tech leaders. The result: a portfolio of about 125 holdings, sector-neutral to avoid overexposure to any one area, and weighted by quality score multiplied by market cap.Loading stock data...This approach has delivered robust long-term performance with tempered risk. QUAL’s 10-year annualized total return stands at 14.2%, topping the S&amp;P 500’s 12.1% over the same stretch. Its edge comes from consistent outperformance during downturns while allowing for quicker recoveries.&nbsp;On the risk front, the ETF’s three-year standard deviation clocks in at 13.2%, below the S&amp;P 500’s 17.8%. This lower volatility stems from avoiding debt-laden or erratic earners, yielding a superior Sharpe ratio of 1.30 compared to the benchmark’s 1.27. For buy-and-hold investors, QUAL proves quality screens enhance returns without the wild swings of cap-weighted indexes.<h2>JPMorgan U.S. Quality Factor ETF (JQUA)</h2>TheJPMorgan U.S. Quality Factor ETF(NYSEARCA:JQUA) emphasizes profitability and earnings consistency across roughly 250 U.S. stocks. Drawing from the Russell 1000, it selects holdings via a composite score blending return on assets, gross margins, and earnings variability — prioritizing companies that generate cash efficiently without excessive debt.&nbsp;To promote diversification, JQUA caps sector weights at 30% and integrates a stability buffer, ensuring no single stock exceeds 5% of assets. This setup balances blue-chip stability with growth potential, including names likeEli Lilly(NYSE:LLY) in pharma andVisa(NYSE:V) in financials.Loading stock data...Over the long haul, JQUA has beaten the benchmark index while keeping drawdowns in check. Since its November 2017 inception, annualized return hits 14.2%, surpassing the index by 150 basis points annually. This stems from its focus on high-margin leaders that weathered 2022’s bear market with a mere 13.5% decline, versus the S&amp;P’s deeper 19.4% hit.&nbsp;Risk metrics underscore the appeal: the three-year standard deviation measures 12.4%, a good notch below the benchmark’s 15.9%, reflecting smoother paths through volatility spikes like Friday’s tariff-fueled rout. With a Sharpe ratio of 1.30 — higher than the S&amp;P’s — JQUA suits those chasing compounded growth minus the gut-wrenching dips.<h2>Invesco S&amp;P 500 Quality ETF (SPHQ)</h2>TheInvesco S&amp;P 500 Quality ETF(NYSEARCA:SPHQ) hones in on the S&amp;P 500’s top tier, selecting the 100 highest-quality constituents based on return on equity, accrual ratios (to spot earnings manipulation), and leverage. Weighted by a blend of quality score and market cap, it amplifies proven performers while muting laggards — thinkMastercard(NYSE:MA) for steady financials orAccenture(NYSE:ACN) for consulting prowess. This intra-index filter keeps broad S&amp;P exposure but elevates it, with semi-annual rebalances to refresh the roster.Loading stock data...SPHQ’s track record highlights quality’s compounding power at reduced risk. The ETF boasts a 10-year annualized return of 14.6%, outpacing the S&amp;P 500’s 12.1% by more than two percentage points. It shone in choppy periods, limiting 2022 losses to 15.8% against the index’s 19.4%, thanks to its aversion to overleveraged firms.&nbsp;Volatility remains contained, with a three-year standard deviation of 15% — under the S&amp;P’s 15.9% — delivering a Sharpe ratio of 1.39. For S&amp;P loyalists wary of concentration, SPHQ refines the formula, capturing upside while buffering against the mega-cap maelstrom.<h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

3 Low-Risk ETFs That Smoke the S&P 500’s Long-Term Gains

U.S. stocks are ticking higher and approaching another record. The S&amp;P 500 rose 0.2% early Wednesday and neared the all-time high it set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 127 points after setting its own record the day before, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.3%. Technology stocks swung back upward. Advanced Micro Devices rallied after its CEO said the chip company is expecting better than 35% annual compounded growth in revenue over the next three to five years. Nvidia, the dominant player in chips used for artificial-intelligence technology, also rose.Recommended VideoTHIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.Wall Street is on track to open higher Wednesday with an end to the U.S. government shutdown appearing closer, and technology stocks appeared to regain their footing after wild swings this week.Futures for the S&amp;P 500 rose 0.4% while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were up 0.3%. Futures for the technology-heavy Nasdaq index rose 0.6%.The longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history could be over as soon as Wednesday, but&nbsp;not without having tripped up&nbsp;an economy already under stress.More than a million federal workers haven’t been paid since Oct. 1. Thousands of flights have been canceled, a trend that’s expected to&nbsp;continue this week&nbsp;even if the U.S. government re-opens. Many food aid recipients have seen their&nbsp;benefits interrupted.The Congressional Budget Office&nbsp;estimated&nbsp;that a six-week shutdown will reduce growth in this year’s fourth quarter by about 1.5 percentage points.Additionally, the government shutdown&nbsp;cut off the flow of economic data&nbsp;on unemployment, inflation, and retail spending that the Federal Reserve depends on to monitor the economy’s health. That could mean that the Fed will not deliver a third interest rate cut at its December meeting, which was widely expected before the shutdown.Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee is deeply divided over whether to reduce its key rate, partly because the economy’s health is unusually cloudy.The technology sector appears to have settled down after&nbsp;recent sell-offs, with concerns growing that share prices have grown too expensive. Nvidia, up 44% this year, is down 5% this week.CoreWeave, a close partner to Nvidia, tumbled 17% Tuesday after its expectations for the year ahead disappointed AI investors who have grown used to red-hot growth. The company went public in March. Its shares are up 3% early Wednesday.Advanced Micro Devices, whose shares have doubled this year, rose 5% overnight after the chipmaker forecast enormous revenue growth in its data center business due to AI demand.A big question has been whether investors will push the craze for AI stocks further.Their sensational growth has been one of the top reasons the U.S. market has hit records despite&nbsp;a slowing job market&nbsp;and&nbsp;high inflation. But their&nbsp;prices have shot so high&nbsp;that critics say they’re&nbsp;reminiscent of the 2000 dot-com bubble,&nbsp;which ultimately burst and dragged the S&amp;P 500 down by nearly half.Elsewhere, in Europe at midday, France’s CAC 40 Germany’s DAX each surged 1.2%. Britain’s FTSE 100 was unchanged.In Asian trading, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.4% to finish at 51,063.31.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 0.9% to 26,922.73, while the Shanghai Composite edged down less than 0.1% to 4,000.14.Australia’s S&amp;P/ASX 200 shed 0.2% to 8,799.50. South Korea’s Kospi added 1.1% to 4,150.39.In energy markets, benchmark U.S. crude declined 65 cents to $60.39 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, lost 66 cents to $64.50 a barrel.Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

Investors are still whistling past the graveyard amid Nvidia selloffs and a dragging government shutdown

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>New laws, policy initiatives, and geopolitical events are reshaping society, and certain companies are already on track to capitalize on these changes.</li><li>Both S&amp;P 500 and small cap companies that also pay dividends may be seeing substantial growth over the next few years as a result of these events and the strategic market demand timing for their products.</li><li>Investors seeking to diversify away from the tech sector might wish to look more closely at the sectors represented by the stocks included here.</li><li>It sounds nuts, but SoFi is giving new active invest users up to $1k in stock, see for yourself&nbsp;(Sponsor)</li></ul>Geopolitical events, judicial rulings, new law legislation, and policy changes are all circumstances occurring on domestic and international stages that are triggering big stock moves in various industrial sectors. The impact is being demonstrated on both large-cap and small-cap companies. While investing in companies that are exhibiting potential large growth prospects for the coming 12-months is always finding companies with the addition of a dividend is always a welcome bonus.&nbsp;<h2>Abbvie Inc.</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FpfYTLVnRfBOqZMDaea_cG4sioFh">Abbvie is establishing workarounds to comply with President Trump’s US MFN status for drug pricing while minimizing the impact to its bottom line.In August 20224, Morgan Stanley predicted a price target of $250.00, whenAbbvie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV)was trading at $189.00 At the time of this writing, it is trading between $235 and its 52-week high of $244.81. Perhaps a few weeks off, but certainly on track. Its 2.79% yield is also a nice cherry on top of a lucrative stock.&nbsp;Chicago headquartered Abbvie Inc. is one of the top 5 largest biotech and pharma companies, with treatments for various forms of blood, skin, prostate, and organ cancers, as well as autoimmune diseases, skin ailments, and gastrointestinal disorders.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">Other Abbvie prescription drugs deal with such afflictions as:<ul><li>Parkinson’s disease</li><li>Ocular disease</li><li>Hepatitis</li><li>Endometriosis</li><li>Anemia</li><li>IBS</li><li>Hypothyroidism</li><li>Pancreatitis</li><li>Uterine Fibroids</li><li>Chronic Migraines</li></ul>Additionally, Abbvie markets Botox, facial injectables, plastic surgery adjuncts, body and skin care products, both therapeutic and cosmetic.&nbsp;Abbvie’s newly approved Emrelis differs uniquely in a number of ways from its competitors in the solid tumor oncology space and is causing a buzz in the cancer treatment industry. Emrelis has an approach towards targeting, strategic positioning, and methodology of action that has no similarity to any other oncology drugs, making it stand apart. Focusing on C-MET biomarkers, versus HER2 or TROP2, it can more precisely target small-cell lung cancer tumors without the potential DNA damage risk that is inherent with current treatments from some of Abbie’s rivals.As the solid tumor category has long been one in which Abbvie lagged, Emrelis could be a big boost for the company’s fortunes. Morgan Stanley cited it as one of the reasons for its $250 target price for Abbvie.&nbsp;Abbvie has addressed President Trump’s “Most Favorite Nation” drug pricing executive order by lowering domestic US prices for products like ovarian cancer treatment Elahere, which now matches its UK price. Other strategies to be deployed to avoid adverse revenue impact includes direct-to-consumer sales and increased domestic lab facilities, including a new, $70 million Bioresearch Center in Massachusetts.&nbsp;<h2>General Dynamics Corp.</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/Fm-S0lY2SueeBvOrb3cjudBJKn5d">General Dynamics recently announced a new $641 million contract from the US Navy for additional Virginia class submarines.By renaming The Department of Defense the Department of War, the Administration has declared that the US will no longer turn a blind eye to deadly threats from abroad. Most recently, the news has carried several video clips of US naval forces intercepting and destroying US-bound Venezuelan drug smuggling vessels before they can reach our borders.&nbsp; US maritime military strength is derived from its logistical and tactical ability to handle threats, which is a result of the vessels built by contractors likeGeneral Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD).Secretary of War Hegseth is heading an initiative to revamp the lethality of US armed forces, and command of state-of-the art weaponry and logistics from General Dynamics and its rivals are a big part of this project.&nbsp;General Dynamics Corp. is the 5th largest US military contractor by total sales. It designs, produces, and supplies tactical sea, land, and air transport along with corresponding weaponry. Currently paying a 1.76% dividend, the stock is already up 32.52% year-to-date, and new international threats and deployments appear to indicate that this will not only continue, but escalate.&nbsp;Sea:Founded in 1899 and based out of Reston, VA, General Dynamics’ predecessor was The Electric Boat Company, which developed the first modern naval submarine, which was purchased by the US Navy in 1900. The relationship with the maritime branch of the US armed services continues to this day. General Dynamics supplies the nuclear-powered, missile equipped Virginia and Columbia class submarines. It also makes the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyers. A new $642 million contract for additional Virginia class submarines was recently announced.&nbsp;Land:For surface operations, General Dynamics’ M1 Abrams tanks, Light Armored Vehicles (LAV), Howitzers, Strykers, Wolverine Assault Bridges, and Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) amphibious assault vehicles have all contributed heavily to US defense platforms. Other land based tactical transport vehicles for weaponry and personnel, mobile launchers for missiles, etc. would also fall into this category.Air:Involvement in Aerospace is what prompted a name change from “The Electric Boat Company” to “General Dynamics”. Aviation projects initiated in Canada, when underperforming Canadair was acquired by Electric Boat. This led to a number of Cold War-era sales to the Royal Canadian Air Force transport, fighter, and patrol aircraft prior to that division being sold in the 1970s to Bombardier. During that same period, Convair, which made bombers for the US Air Force during WWII, was also acquired for US aviation projects.&nbsp;General Dynamics would proceed to collaborate with Grumman (before its merger with Northrop) to develop the F-111 tactical fighter, which served as the prototype for Grumman’s subsequent F-14 Tomcat success, which was showcased in the first Tom CruiseTop Gunmovie.&nbsp;&nbsp;General Dynamics would go on to its own success with the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The F-16 has become the world’s most common fixed-wing military aircraft, with roughly 3,000 F-16s in operation around the globe at present.&nbsp;Missile systems and weaponry:&nbsp; General Dynamics’s subsidiaries created the SM-65 Atlas, which was the first US Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). It would be followed by Stinger Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM), Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM), Tomahawk, and other missiles. The Phalanx CIWS maritime ship gun, GAU-17 and GAU-19 guns, avionics for drone systems, electronics, big data analytics and communications systems would also fall into this category.IT:General Dynamic’s military Information Technology unit is highly regarded. It recently secured a $1.5 billion US Strategic Command IT modernization contract, primarily for cybersecurity protection over US nuclear weapons.&nbsp;Non military subsidiaries: In addition to its military projects. General Dynamics is involved with commercial shipbuilding or tankers and cargo vessels, and owns private jet manufacturer Gulfstream.&nbsp;The primary factors responsible for these double digit gains are global instability. General Dynamics equipment comprises a significant portion of arms deals to Israel for its war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza and to the war in Ukraine. US naval submarine deployments are increasing in the Indo-Pacific region due to new assessments of Chinese naval threats. The Pentagon also needs to replenish its missile supplies due to the Biden administration’s debacle in Afghanistan and its voluminous shipments in support of Ukraine.<h2>Sturm, Ruger &amp; Co.</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FqzXU5S2Vs6e1ZBCDE4D8kyRi8HE">The Ruger Blackhawk is still a popular revolver for handgun enthusiasts looking a .357 or .44 Magnum alternative to Smith and Wesson.Since the Supreme Court ruled to support the Second Amendment in the D.C. vs. Heller decision, personal gun ownership rights began to once again assert themselves against the anti-gun lobbies. Blue State policies favoring gun confiscation have lost support as a result of horrific murders, rapes, and assalts by repeat offenders set free through ineffective enforcement and lax local laws. This October, the Supreme Court is deliberating on another case that may extend concealed carry rights even further. 24/7 Wall Street recently published an updated article on open carry rights in each state.&nbsp;US firearms manufacturerSturm, Ruger, &amp; Co. (NYSE: RGR)is currently sporting a 1.56% yield, is trading within 75 cents of its 52-week high, and currently has a “Strong Buy” rating from 57% of the analysts covering the stock. Announcements such as Florida’s confirmation on the legality of open carry in the state is expected to spread even further across the nation.Ruger’s Mini-14 is still a top selling alternative to the AR-15 due to its wood stock and less “assault rifle” looking appearance, while its .22, Blackhawk, and Redhawk revolvers are still popular sellers.Recent disclosures of the venerable 500-year old gun manufacturing legend Beretta owning a sizable minority stake in Ruger has led to speculation of some joint future projects.&nbsp;Ruger stock is up 28.02% year-to-date. The enthusiasm behind the current support for the stock is a welcome bounce back from the doldrums over the past five years, where crime proliferated and gun control laws suppressed legal ownership in many blue states, in direct contradiction to the Second Amendment. Thankfully, this trend has reversed, and Ruger appears to be a primary beneficiary.&nbsp;Want Up To $1,000? SoFi Is Giving New Active Invest Users up to $1k in StockLooking to grow your money but unsure where to begin? SoFi Active Invest is offering a limited-time promotion—open an account, fund it with $50 or more, and you could receive up to $1,000 in complimentary stock for Active Invest accounts.From $0 commission trading to fractional shares and automated investing, this app is designed to simplify investing for everyone, whether you’re just starting or already experienced. Its easy to sign up and secure your bonus.(sponsor)DISCLOSURE:INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUEBrokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA(www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org).Advisory services are offered by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.Probability of Member receiving $1,000 is a probability of 0.026%; If you don’t make a selection in 30 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Customer must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify.Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view our fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees.Investing in alternative investments and/or strategies may not be suitable for all investors and involves unique risks, including the risk of loss. An investor should consider their individual circumstances and any investment information, such as a prospectus, prior to investing. Interval Funds are illiquid instruments, the ability to trade on your timeline may be restricted. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA(www.finra.org) /SIPC(www.sipc.org).There are limitations with fractional shares to consider before investing. During market hours fractional share orders are transmitted immediately in the order received. There may be system delays from receipt of your order until execution and market conditions may adversely impact execution prices. Outside of market hours orders are received on a not held basis and will be aggregated for each security then executed in the morning trade window of the next business day at market open. Share will be delivered at an average price received for executing the securities through a single batched order. Fractional shares may not be transferred to another firm. Fractional shares will be sold when a transfer or closure request is initiated. Please consider that selling securities is a taxable event.Options involve risks, including substantial risk of loss and the possibility an investor may lose the entire investment Before trading options please review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options [HYPERLINK: https://www.theocc.com/getmedia/a151a9ae-d784-4a15-bdeb-23a029f50b70/riskstoc.pdfInvesting in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) involves substantial risk, including the risk of loss. Further, there are a variety of risk factors to consider when investing in an IPO, including but not limited to, unproven management, significant debt, and lack of operating history. For a comprehensive discussion of these risks please refer to SoFi Securities’ IPO Risk Disclosure Statement [HYPERLINK https://www.sofi.com/iporisk/]. This should not be considered a recommendation to participate in IPOs and investors should carefully read the offering prospectus to determine whether an offering is consistent with their investment objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation. New offerings generally have high demand and there are a limited number of shares available for distribution to participants. Many customers may not be allocated shares and share allocations may be significantly smaller than the shares requested in the customer’s initial offer (Indication of Interest). For more information on the allocation process please visit IPO Allocation [HYPERLINK https://support.sofi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360058602892-How-does-SoFi-allocate-IPO-shares].

Top Dividend Stocks Poised for Explosive Growth in 2026 (ABBV, GD, RGR)

nextstayCCSettingsOffArabicChineseEnglishFrenchGermanHindiPortugueseSpanishFont ColorwhiteFont Opacity100%Font Size100%Font FamilyArialText ShadownoneBackground ColorblackBackground Opacity50%Window ColorblackWindow Opacity0%WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan100%75%50%25%200%175%150%125%100%75%50%ArialGeorgiaGaramondCourier NewTahomaTimes New RomanTrebuchet MSVerdanaNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop ShadowWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan100%75%50%25%0%WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan100%75%50%25%0%You’re probably aware of how important it is to save well for retirement. But setting money aside for your later years is just part of the equation. You also need to invest your money in a manner that leads to steady growth over time.Now you’ll often hear that it’s important to maintain a diverse portfolio of assets when you’re trying to build a retirement nest egg. And that’s definitely good advice.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">But some people get overwhelmed by the idea of having to keep track of several dozen stocks. If you feel similarly, you may want to focus your investment strategy on ETFs, or exchange-traded funds, instead.The nice thing about ETFs is that they allow you to own a bunch of different assets with a single investment. That gives you the diversification you need without all of the legwork.Meanwhile, the Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF (VOO) and the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) are two very different ETFs. But when combined, they could be a winning formula for building retirement wealth.<h2>How&nbsp;the Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF (VOO) works</h2>The Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF (VOO) is often hailed as a great asset for everyday investors. The reason is that it’s set up to track the performance of the S&amp;P 500 index, which consists of the 500 largest publicly traded companies by market cap.The nice thing about VOO is that it gives you exposure to the broad market, and that it consists of hundreds of established businesses. It also has an extremely low expense ratio, which means you’ll get to keep more of your returns.Historically, the S&amp;P 500 has produced strong returns for investors. So for many people, investing solely in VOO is a solid choice. But if you combine VOO with QQQ, you may get to enjoy even more upside.<h2>How the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) works</h2>QQQ tracks the Nasdaq-100 index, which consists of 100 of the largest non-financial companies. QQQ tends to focus on growth-oriented sectors like tech and has historically delivered strong returns. And like VOO, its expense ratio is low.However, QQQ carries a greater amount of risk than VOO because it’s so heavily concentrated in growth stocks. This means that while QQQ may deliver stronger returns when the market is up, it might also lose more value when the market is down.<h2>Why VOO + QQQ could be the winning formula for you</h2>Individually, VOO and QQQ are strong investments. When combined, they could give you the best of all worlds.VOO give you the stability that comes with investing in the broad stock market. QQQ gives you a nice growth push, allowing you to potentially generate much stronger returns than what VOO is capable of.Plus, the nice thing about this combination is that it’s easy to maintain. If you were to invest in 15 established S&amp;P 500 companies and another 15 tech or growth stocks, you’d probably have to rebalance your portfolio a lot more frequently.Of course, one thing you should realize is that both VOO and QQQ carry risk, since the value of both can swing wildly. If you’reinretirement, this combination may be too volatile for you without other stable assets to offset it. But if you’re in the process of building retirement wealth, you may find that VOO + QQQ = an optimal formula for you.<h2>Want Up To $1,000? SoFi Is Giving New Active Invest Users up to $1k in Stock</h2>Looking to grow your money but unsure where to begin? SoFi Active Invest is offering a limited-time promotion—open an account, fund it with $50 or more, and you could&nbsp;receive up to $1,000&nbsp;in complimentary stock for Active Invest accounts.From $0 commission trading to fractional shares and automated investing, this app is designed to simplify investing for everyone, whether you’re just starting or already experienced.&nbsp;Its easy to sign up and secure your bonus.&nbsp;(sponsor)DISCLOSURE:INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUEBrokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA(www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org).Advisory services are offered by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.Probability of Member receiving $1,000 is a probability of 0.026%; If you don’t make a selection in 30 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Customer must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify.Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view our fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees.Investing in alternative investments and/or strategies may not be suitable for all investors and involves unique risks, including the risk of loss. An investor should consider their individual circumstances and any investment information, such as a prospectus, prior to investing. Interval Funds are illiquid instruments, the ability to trade on your timeline may be restricted. 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Please consider that selling securities is a taxable event.Options involve risks, including substantial risk of loss and the possibility an investor may lose the entire investment Before trading options please review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized OptionsInvesting in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) involves substantial risk, including the risk of loss. Further, there are a variety of risk factors to consider when investing in an IPO, including but not limited to, unproven management, significant debt, and lack of operating history. For a comprehensive discussion of these risks please refer to SoFi Securities’ IPO Risk Disclosure Statement This should not be considered a recommendation to participate in IPOs and investors should carefully read the offering prospectus to determine whether an offering is consistent with their investment objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation. 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Is VOO + QQQ the Ultimate Retirement Formula?

SharkNinja(NYSE:SN) andPrimo Brands(NYSE:PRMB) are two stocks Dan Loeb of Third Point, who is one of my favorite professional money managers to follow closely, recently purchased.Just look underneath the hood of his portfolio, and you can see some very interesting names, many of which have impressive growth runways and reasonable (or perhaps unreasonably depressed) valuations. Perhaps most intriguingly, Loeb’s fund has some mid-cap gems, which might be a source of outsized long-term gains.<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Dan Loeb and Third Point made some interesting moves in the second quarter. Investors might wish to follow their coattails.</li><li>SN and PRMB stand out as low-cost mid-cap hidden gems for value investors looking to diversify further.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FtWsUWoq-0hekTGaXEXEB_7B5gtG"><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><h2>SharkNinja</h2>SharkNinja,&nbsp;has a relatively interesting name and one that growth investors should familiarize themselves with, given its disruption potential in the kitchen and around the home. The company makes home appliances and various other handy products under the Shark and Ninja brands. Even if you’ve never heard of the stock, you might already have a Shark or Ninja product in your closet or kitchen.Now, SharkNinja is more than just a maker of vacuums and kitchen goods; it’s more of a technology firm that thrives at finding new ways to do things better. Whether that involves cleaning, cooking, or something else, SharkNinja designs products with customer feedback in mind.The company’s tech and consumer-focused approach has been a success, to say the least. Just look at the stock, which has more than doubled in the last two years despite the more recent 22% correction in shares. I think the latest dip is nothing more than a buying opportunity as the firm unlocks the power of reviews by actively listening and revisiting the drawing board if needed.Like a shark or a ninja, the company is agile and able to adapt to changing consumer tastes and preferences. At 25.7 times trailing price-to-earnings (P/E), the $13.7 billion firm stands out as a cheap growth play to keep tabs on. With the firm teaming up with Kevin Hart and David Beckham, I do think SharkNinja is entering a golden age of growth as brand awareness looks to kick things up a few notches.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FnIH_28Aw6cGoizsNPyrVd1aTCQb"><h2>Primo Brands</h2>Bet you’ve probably never heard ofPrimo Brands, formerly Primo Water, a Canadian-American firm in the business of bottled water. Whether we’re talking about hydrating the entire office with the company’s dispensers or consumer-facing brands such as Pure Life, Poland Springs, or Arrowhead, Primo is a hidden gem in the bottled water scene.Of late, things have been quite leaky for shares of Primo, which are down over 30% so far this year. Indeed, water sales have been under pressure of late, but with a strong portfolio of brands and stickiness in its subscription business, I think the latest dip is more than buyable.As more consumers turn away from sugary sodas and towards healthier beverage options (it doesn’t get much healthier than water), I suspect the long-term trend will be a friend of Primo. In the meantime, there’s a lot of work for management to do as they drive further efficiencies across the business.&nbsp;The $8 billion bottled water play may not be exciting, but it does have highly predictable cash flows. And with a mere 11.8 times forward P/E multiple, perhaps it’s not a mystery why Third Point was a buyer in the second quarter.&nbsp;<h2>Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)</h2>Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.Here’s how it works: 1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz 2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles. 3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future.

2 Mid-Cap Growth Stocks Dan Loeb Bought Up Last Quarter

Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) stock has been close to flat over the past five years. The automaker has spent billions of dollars on electric vehicle (EV) development, but says it has built a new assembly process to create a financial return on the sector…eventually.Loading stock data...<h3>24/7 Wall St. Key Points:</h3><ul><li>Current CEO Jim Farley has lasted longer than most Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) chief executives, but his results speak for themselves.</li><li>Here are several logical replacements that the board should consider.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Executive Chair Bill Ford has chewed through chief executives since 1999. The current CEO, Jim Farley, has lasted longer than most. However, Farley’s results speak for themselves. Additionally, the Ford family has to be concerned about the executive chair’s performance.There are several logical replacements for Farley. Each is well known in the industry and has a track record of success.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">Mark Reuss, the president of General Motors, runs GM’s infrastructure. This includes product management, manufacturing, and R&amp;D. He has significant overseas experience with China and South America. Perhaps most importantly, he is in senior management at a car company that is more successful in its home market than Ford is.Tetsuo “Ted” Ogawa is president and chief executive of Toyota Motor North America. He has extensive experience in China. Toyota’s market share in the United States is larger than Ford’s.Randy Parker is CEO of Hyundai and Genesis Motor North America Hyundai Motor Company. He has held senior roles at GM and Nissan. Hyundai’s U.S. market share, which includes Kia sales, at 11% is almost as large as Ford’s at 13%.Tom Zhu is Senior Vice President, Automotive, at Tesla. He reports directly to Elon Musk. He ran Tesla’s China operation and oversaw the building of a gigafactory.John L. Thornton is Ford’s lead director. He has extensive China experience. Currently a professor at the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management in Beijing, he was also president of Goldman Sachs. He was elected to Ford’s board in 1996, three years before Bill Ford was named chairperson. Because of his age, Thornton likely would not stay for long.Ford Stock Price Prediction and Forecast 2025-2030<h2>If You’ve Been Thinking About Retirement, Pay Attention (sponsor)</h2>Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance, and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor. Here’s how:<ol><li>Answer a Few Simple Questions.&nbsp;</li><li>Get Matched with Vetted Advisors&nbsp;</li><li>Choose Your &nbsp;Fit&nbsp;</li></ol>Why wait? Start building the retirement you’ve always dreamed of.Get started today! (sponsor)

Executives Who Could Replace Ford CEO Farley

Of the stocks that pay large dividends, the safest is probably the tobacco company Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO). Its 6.45% yield is based on a forward dividend of $4.24. Over the past 56 years, it has raised its dividend 60 times. The median age of Americans is 39 years.<h3>24/7 Wall St. Key Points:</h3><ul><li>Altria Group Inc. (NYSE: MO) is probably the safest high-yield stock.</li><li>The tobacco company has raised its dividend annually for over 50 years.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Loading stock data...So far this year, Altria has offered another benefit, which is relatively unusual for high-yield stocks. The share price has risen 26% since the start of the year. The S&amp;P 500 is 13% higher in that time. Megacap tech companies are considered the stock market leaders this year. However, Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is flat in 2025 and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is up 1%.In terms of decades-long high yields, the two most often mentioned in the same breath as Altria are Dow Inc. (NYSE: DOW) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE). Pfizer’s stock is down 10% this year. Dow’s is down 42% this year, and it recently cut its dividend.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">In total, Altria has paid out $32 billion in dividends over the fiscal years 2020 to 2024. It has also purchased $8 billion of its shares during the same period.In the most recently reported quarter, Altria’s revenue was down 6% to $5.3 billion. However, its adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) were up 6% to $1.23. It affirmed its guidance of a 2% to 5% increase in EPS for the full year. Its success in the most recent quarter came from its legacy business: Billy Gifford, Altria’s chief executive officer, commented, “Our highly profitable traditional tobacco businesses performed well in a challenging environment in the first quarter.”Almost all of Altria’s revenue comes from sales of cigarettes, and there is a theory that many investors are hesitant to buy its stock for this reason. However, the dividend is a significant incentive to offset that.<h2>Another Reason to Invest</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FhrzFJCaFquyoaTxuzjQAaucY-zW">Another reason to consider investing in Altria is the potential risk to the global economy. People typically do not cut back on cigarette smoking in tough economic times. Altria’s dividend is unlikely to disappear, as the company’s balance sheet is very solid.The stock market has become perilous, according to those who believe it has reached its peak. President Trump has threatened to impose high tariffs on imports from several major nations, which could drive up U.S. inflation. His latest threat is a 30% tariff on Mexican imports. Mexico is the second-largest trading partner of the United States.An increase in tariffs and the effects on inflation mean American consumers’ buying power will be hit. That, in turn, threatens U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). Under those circumstances, Altria may be the best stock to own. That is, if investors can ignore its tobacco business.Altria Stock Price Prediction and Forecast 2025-2030<h2>Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)</h2>Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.Here’s how it works: 1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz 2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles. 3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future.

This High-Yield Stock Has Paid Dividends for Half a Century

Novo Nordisk’s stock is experiencing a steep drop following major clinical setbacks and intensifying competitive pressure in the weight-loss-drug market.Recommended VideoU.S.-listed shares&nbsp;fell over 5% on Monday to a four-year low, around $45, continuing a downward spiral that has seen the company lose nearly half its value since the beginning of 2025.​A leading factor in this decline was the announcement that semaglutide—the core ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy—failed to slow cognitive deterioration in two major clinical trials addressing Alzheimer’s disease.Results from the EVOKE and EVOKE+ trials showed no significant advantage over a placebo, erasing hopes that the company could expand its diabetes and obesity franchise into neurodegenerative disorders.“While treatment with semaglutide resulted in improvement of Alzheimer’s disease–related biomarkers in both trials, this did not translate into a delay of disease progression,” the company said.Analyst skepticism had been building, but this definitive trial failure has wiped out near-term prospects for growth from new indications. ​Investors question whether external acquisitions can make up for underperformance in the company’s pipeline. ​Novo Nordisk’s decision to spend $2 billion licensing a GLP-1 weight-loss drug from China is seen by analysts as a gamble after recent failures.<h2>Weakening momentum of blockbuster drugs</h2>Novo Nordisk’s outlook is also clouded by ongoing regulatory and price pressures, especially as governments push for broader insurance coverage and lower costs for obesity treatments.Even before the trial disappointment, Novo Nordisk was facing slowing sales growth for its bestselling Wegovy and Ozempic weight-loss drugs. Lower prescription rates in the U.S. and increased competition from rivals like Eli Lilly—whose rival drug Zepbound is gaining market share—have triggered worries about sustained demand.Novo has been forced to implement dramatic price cuts, first by roughly 50% to $499, and then even further to $349, in efforts to retain its foothold. These discounts directly impact profit margins and indicate troubles maintaining growth.​Wall Street is also reacting to significant leadership changes and layoffs, while recent guidance cuts for sales and operating profit growth have added to the negative sentiment.​ That’s after restructuring costs and impaired asset write-offs have further weighed down earnings.Gross margin dropped significantly, too, with rising costs for sales, distribution, and ongoing capacity expansions putting additional strain on profitability.​Fortune’s Vivienne Walt asked in March whether the company could find its next blockbuster drug before the boom ended, and that is still an open question.​For this story,&nbsp;Fortune&nbsp;used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.&nbsp;Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

Novo Nordisk stock trades at 4-year-low on the back of disappointing Alzheimer’s trial

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Wall Street upgrades fuel excitement but demand scrutiny beyond just headlines.</li><li>Due diligence can uncover mismatches between ratings and real-world hurdles.</li><li>Buy tags don’t erase sector risks such as speculation or economic drag.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Wall Street upgrades often ignite investor buzz, sending share prices higher as analysts spotlight growth potential or undervaluation. These endorsements can signal momentum, drawing in retail traders eager for quick gains.&nbsp;Yet, relying solely on analyst sentiment risks overlooking red flags like execution hurdles or market shifts. Thorough due diligence — scrutinizing financials, competitive edges, and recent news — remains essential to separate hype from substance.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">The three stocks highlighted here all sport buy ratings from major firms, reflecting optimism in their sectors. Still, that doesn’t guarantee they’re slam-dunk additions to your portfolio: volatility and external factors can quickly erode enthusiasm.<h2>Archer Aviation (ACHR)</h2>Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft pioneerArcher Aviation(NYSE:ACHR) has captured Wall Street’s attention with its push toward urban air mobility. Analysts at firms likeNeedhamandCantor Fitzgeraldmaintain buy ratings, citing Archer’s robust $1.7 billion cash position and progress on FAA certification for its Midnight eVTOL. The average price target sits around $12.44 per share, implying about 7% upside from recent levels near $11.60.&nbsp;Supporters point to partnerships withUnited Airlines(NASDAQ:UAL) andStellantis(NYSE:STLA) for manufacturing, plus defense contracts that could diversify revenue beyond commercial air taxis. With commercialization eyed for 2026, bulls argue Archer leads the eVTOL pack in a market projected to hit $1 trillion by 2040.Loading stock data...But does this align with recent performance? Not entirely. Shares have rallied 18% year-to-date, fueled by testing milestones like a record 10,000-foot flight. Yet, ACHR stock is tumbling 7.5% in morning trading today afterTesla‘s (NASDAQ:TSLA) announcement of cheaper EV models dashed hopes for a broader eVTOL tie-up. Rumors had swirled from a viral video pairing Archer’s aircraft with Tesla’s Optimus robot, sparking a 20% spike the prior week. The letdown highlights the stock’s sensitivity to unconfirmed speculation, underscoring risks in a pre-revenue sector where delays could burn through cash.&nbsp;While the buy thesis holds long-term appeal, near-term dips like this test investor patience.<h2>American Airlines (AAL)</h2>American Airlines Group(NASDAQ:AAL) is one of the world’s largest carriers by fleet size, earning buy nods from analysts likeJPMorganandEvercore ISI, who see value in its network dominance and capacity discipline. With an average target of about $14 per share&nbsp; — nearly 20% above the current $11.90 price — Wall Street bets on rebounding travel demand and premium cabin growth.&nbsp;Key drivers include a $12 billion liquidity buffer and alliances likeoneworld, which bolster international routes. Wall Street firms highlight its second quarter’s 5.4% revenue bump to $14.4 billion, driven by loyal customer perks via AAdvantage. As fuel costs stabilize, analysts forecast earnings climbing to $2.65 per share in 2026, making AAL stock a defensive play in a consolidating industry.Loading stock data...Recent performance offers mixed validation, though. Shares are down 32% year-to-date amid macroeconomic headwinds like softening leisure bookings and fare pressures from low-cost rivals. A 4% weekly rebound in early October followed restored 2025 guidance, but it lagged peers likeDelta Air Lines(NYSE:DAL), which gained on stronger corporate travel.&nbsp;Labor costs rose 7% last quarter, squeezing margins to 4.2%, and capacity growth outpaced demand slightly. While buy ratings reflect faith in operational tweaks — such as modernizing its 998-plane fleet — the stock’s YTD slide suggests broader airline woes, including geopolitical risks, tempering the optimism.&nbsp;Investors eyeing a recovery must weigh if AAL’s scale translates into outsized gains.<h2>SoundHound AI (SOUN)</h2>SoundHound AI(NASDAQ:SOUN), a voice-enabled AI platform, draws strong buy calls fromH.C. WainwrightandD.A. Davidson, with targets averaging $15.50 from current levels above $19 per share. The bullish enthusiasm stems from explosive adoption in autos, restaurants, and healthcare, where its Houndify tech powers natural language interactions.&nbsp;Q2 revenue tripled to $42.7 million, prompting SOUN to raise 2025 guidance to $160 million to $178 million. Acquisitions like Amelia bolster its agentic AI for complex queries, positioning SoundHound against giants like Google. Analysts project 100% or more growth through 2027, valuing its edge in low-latency voice processing for embedded devices.Loading stock data...Performance tells a growth story — with caveats. Shares have surged over 300% over the past year and were up 23% in September 2025 alone on IDC deeming SoundHound the leader for conversational AI. It’s up another 17% in October so far amid partnerships like Red Lobster’s ordering system. Yet, losses widened to $0.19 per share last quarter, with a $351 million annual deficit reflecting R&amp;D spend.&nbsp;At 59 times sales, the valuation assumes flawless scaling, but competition fromOpenAIintegrations could cap upside. Buy ratings align with momentum, but the stock’s volatility — down 3% when it reported insider sales — signals risks for those chasing AI fever with a company that has never turned a profit and none is in sight.<h2>Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)</h2>Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.Here’s how it works: 1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz 2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles. 3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future.

3 Stocks Under $20 That Wall Street Shouts “Buy!”

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>The U.S. government remains shutdown for a ninth straight day on Thursday.</li><li>Delta Air Lines says the shutdown isn’t affecting its operations — yet — and Q3 earnings beat expectations.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement?&nbsp;SmartAsset’s free tool&nbsp;can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute;&nbsp;get started by clicking here.(Sponsor)</li></ul><h2>Live Updates</h2>Live Coverage Has Ended<h3>Get The Best Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF Live Earnings Coverage Like This Every Quarter</h3>Get earnings reminders, our top analysis on Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF, market updates, and brand-new stock recommendations delivered directly to your inbox.Click Here - It's Free Thank you for subscribing! Keep an eye on your email for updates. By providing your email address, you agree to receive communications from us regarding website updates and other offerings that may be of interest to you. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please review our Disclaimer and Terms of Use.<h3>Thursday Wrap-up</h3>Oct 9, 2025 4:05 PM<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FjSPP3ocQJKAxf0EgGqVR-41v4JA">Live The Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF closed Thursday at 617.10, down 0.3%.<h3>Inititating on Oracle</h3>Oct 9, 2025 11:24 AM<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FjSPP3ocQJKAxf0EgGqVR-41v4JA">LivePhillip Securities initiated coverage on S&amp;P 500 componentOracle(NYSE: ORCL) stock with a buy rating and a $350 price target this morning.Oracle is a “niche Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and full-stack AI provider,” notes the analyst. Its backlog of future work surged 359% in fiscal Q1 2026, and could reach $144 billion by fiscal 2030 — a 68% compound annual growth rate over four years — powered by “partnerships with major clouds providers and chipmakers [to] support AI training, inference, and database integration, driving 55% YoY infrastructure growth and positioning Oracle for long-term recurring revenue.”Oracle stock is up 3.5% on the new buy rating. The Voo is down 0.3%.<h3>United Loves to Fly to Europe (and it Shows)</h3>Oct 9, 2025 10:08 AM<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FjSPP3ocQJKAxf0EgGqVR-41v4JA">LiveCircling back to airlines news, Delta rival and fellow S&amp;P 500 componentUnited Airlines(Nasdaq: UAL) announced today it’s opening up nonstop flights from its East Coast hub at Newark Liberty International Airport to a handful of smaller European cities — Bari, Italy; Split, Croatia; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain.Air industry analysts interpret United’s move as a response to Delta’s opening nonstop flights to Malta and Sardinia last month. Whatever the reason, it’s already paying off for United, whose stock is up more than 4% today.Conversely, the Voo has turned around and nosedived to a 0.1% loss. Win some, lose some…<h3>Tilray Surprisingly Loses No Money</h3>Oct 9, 2025 9:42 AM<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FjSPP3ocQJKAxf0EgGqVR-41v4JA">LiveBeyond the big S&amp;P 500 companies,&nbsp;Tilray(Nasdaq: TLRY) also reported earnings this morning. Analysts were expecting the marijuana company to lose $0.04 per share, but Tilray says it instead broke even with $0 earned, $0 lost in its fiscal Q1 2026.Revenue for the quarter also exceeded estimates at $209.5 million, and Tilray reaffirmed its non-GAAP guidance for “Adjusted EBITDA” of $62 million to $72 million in fiscal 2026.Tilray stock is up more than 14% on the news. The Voo is now up 0.6%.This article will be updated throughout the day, so check back often for more daily updates.TheVanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF(NYSEMKT: VOO) set a new all-time high on Wednesday, rising 0.6% to close at 618.77. Even as the U.S. government remains stubbornly shut down for an ninth straight day, the market continues to inch higher Thursday, up 0.5% premarket.Helping the market today is a positive earnings forecast fromDelta Air Lines(NYSE: DAL), which forecast today that it will earn between $1.60 and $1.90 per share in Q4, better than the $1.65 per share that analysts were predicting.CEO Ed Bastian warned that if the government shutdown drags on too long, it’s likely to affect his company, and the airline industry in general — and the economy. For the time being, however, Delta’s boss confirms that he hasn’t seen “any impacts at all” on Delta’s business.Commenting on reports yesterday that a handful of airports are starting to see an uptick in flight delays, Transportation Secretary&nbsp;Sean Duffy&nbsp;agreed that he’s seen a “slight uptick” in air traffic controllers, who are currently working without pay, calling in sick rather than coming to work, and that this could affect flight operations, causing delays.<h2>Earnings</h2>But getting back to earnings at Delta, which is an S&amp;P 500 component company, Delta reported its Q3 numbers this morning, which were $0.18 better than expected at $1.71 per share. Revenue was $15.2 billion, also better than expected.Taken in conjunction with the Q4 guidance, and the full-year guidance for a better than expected $6 per share for fiscal 2025, Delta’s report was positive on all fronts, and the stock is up more than 7% premarket.A second big S&amp;P 500 component,PepsiCo(Nasdaq: PEP), also reported good profits this morning. Q3 earnings at Pepsi “beat” by three cents at $2.29 per share, with revenue also ahead of forecasts at $23.9 billion.Pepsi stock us up less than 1% premarket.<h2>Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)</h2>Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. Here’s how it works: 1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz 2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles. 3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future.<h4>Get Live Earning Updates on Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF</h4>Never miss important earnings news. Get real-time updates delivered directly to your inbox. We'll also deliver our top stock recommendations and weekly market udpates. Signup -- It's Free Thank you for subscribing! Keep an eye on your email for updates. By providing your email address, you agree to receive communications from us regarding website updates and other offerings that may be of interest to you. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please review our Disclaimer and Terms of Use.

Stock Market Live October 9: Delta Earnings Beat Helps Lift S&P 500 (VOO)

It can be pretty tough to predict when the next share split will be for any given name. Undoubtedly, some stocks can continue flying into the high hundreds and even settle into the thousands for many years at a time. And while stock splits are great for accessibility, I do think that with the rise of partial share purchases that stock splits are becoming less of a critical factor for managers.Arguably, letting a stock run its course into the three- or four-figures may be a trait that separates a stock from the pack. Either way, in this piece, we’ll look at some stock-split candidates that have a relatively decent chance of making an announcement. Of course, only time will tell when the following names, which trade in the four figures, will finally make an announcement that’d be sure to get the smaller retail crowd more interested in stepping in as a buyer.While I wouldn’t get my hopes up for a split in the following names, I do think that they’re long overdue for a big announcement, if not next year, perhaps within the next three years, especially if they continue to appreciate further into the four figures.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>If there are stocks that are in need of a split, it’s NFLX and MELI, in my opinion.</li><li>Both NFLX and MELI look poised to soar further, making them worthy stock-split candidates going into 2026.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FhfjqhH6T2glCuEldqpUonrOQa_P"><h2>Netflix</h2>Netflix(NASDAQ:NFLX) stock hasn’t been in the four-figure zone for very long. And it might dip below $1,000 per share in the coming weeks and months if Elon Musk’s calls for Netflix subscription cancellations pave the way for a rough quarter. I think the selling pressure is now a bit overdone, and I think investors are underestimating the company’s ability to enhance its content library and margins with a bit of help from generative AI.&nbsp;Indeed, Sora 2 is here, and it’s taken the world by storm. While Netflix hasn’t quite made a massive splash in generative AI content quite yet, I do think that it’s worth thinking about the possibilities today, especially as models like Sora get better by the year. Looking ahead to 2026, Netflix is poised to use AI to help generate ads. If effective, the ad-based tier might be in for a massive boost.Of course, there will always be a place for human stories, but in a decade or so, I wouldn’t be surprised if AI were to augment and automate more aspects of content production. In any case, I also envision a scenario where the rise of AI could lower the barriers to producing original content. As such, Netflix will need to stay on its toes to retain the streaming crown.Either way, I think the name is long overdue for a split. Perhaps a 10-to-1 split would make the name more of a household name among beginning investors who might be a bit off-put if they don’t have the proceeds to pick up a single share.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/Fn0nNhXpMOnpkOfWV7ZmNc5pOCic"><h2>MercadoLibre</h2>MercadoLibre(NASDAQ:MELI) stock has been gaining traction, now up 74% in two years. The Latin American e-commerce firm is continuing to grow at a comfortable double-digit pace. And with the financial technology segment pulling more than its fair share of weight, it doesn’t look like the growth is about to slow anytime soon, even amid macro pressures.As the stock continues its ascent, shares look to be getting further out of the reach of everyday retail investors. Today, shares go for over $2,100 per share, making a single share quite a hefty investment for a lot of people. Though time will tell, I do think the firm could attract a lot of young market newcomers if it were to move ahead with a 20-to-1 stock split.Will a big split happen in 2026? I hope it does. However, I also wouldn’t be too surprised if management would rather keep things as they are, so that the name can reach the $3,000 mark, a milestone that not many stocks reach these days!<h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be.Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

Prediction: These 2 Stocks Will Split in 2026

The recent euphoria surrounding the artificial intelligence mega-boom has led to massive concentration in the U.S. stock market, prompting fears of a catastrophic crash similar to the 2001 dotcom bust or the 2008 financial crisis. Many of these views have been aired recently on Scott Galloway and Ed Elson’s financial podcast,Prof G Markets, including a bearish stance from longtime bull NYU Stern finance professor Aswath Damodaran, who said the market was failing to price in a “potentially catastrophic” scenario.Recommended VideoHowever, one of Wall Street’s most experienced strategists has suggested that while a major selloff is inevitable, the risk to diversified retirement accounts is far more contained. Michael Cembalest, chairman of market and investment strategy for J.P. Morgan Asset and Wealth Management, explained his measured view to Galloway and Elson, acknowledging the current market’s extraordinary valuations while expressing skepticism about a catastrophic 40% drop.Cembalest referred to the financial figure known as “Dr. Doom” to summon up a picture of stock-market bears issuing warnings when the market begins to correct: “As soon as any asset falls by 10%, Nouriel Roubini and the rest of the [bearish] people come out of the woodwork and say, ‘Okay, this is it, this is the big one. Everything’s going to go down from here.’”Fortunehas covered similar warnings amid questions about an AI bubble, including those from self-described “perma-bear” Albert Edwards and the mega-popular Irish financial podcaster David McWilliams. But a correction doesn’t necessarily always pan out in a big crash, Cembalest pointed out.He also weighed in on the bearish stance of Damodaran, who warned that everything was overvalued and that if the Magnificent 10 went down by 40%, the panic would ripple through the entire market. Damodaran even went so far as to suggest that investors should move large portions of their portfolios into cash or collectibles. With no disrespect intended, Cembalest said there’s a difference between what a finance professor sees and what actual market participants see.“You know, professors are basically running fantasy baseball teams by coming out intermittently and telling you what their trades are. It’s not real money. It’s not real life,” he quipped.While the J.P. Morgan analyst agreed that the market relies heavily on extraordinary expectations, Cembalest argued that the current AI build-out lacks the systemic risk present in previous bubbles.<h2>Why a 40% crash is unlikely</h2>In his view, the crucial difference lies in financing: Previous capital spending booms, such as in fiber-optics or gas turbines, were primarily financed with debt, making them vulnerable to a sudden, systemic “unplug” by the debt markets. Today, the massive capital spending fueling the AI revolution is largely being financed with internally generated cash flow, not debt, with the notable exception of Oracle, he said.“That simply means it can go on for longer before it gets unplugged by the debt markets,” Cembalest noted, explaining that this dynamic “doesn’t relieve you of the ultimate need for there to be substantial profit generation,” but it does mitigate the risk of a sudden seizure in the financial system. This reduced systemic debt exposure suggests that the market will not “unravel into the big 40% corrections that we had in 2009” and then again in 2001, he added.Instead of a 40% collapse, Cembalest’s base case for the next few years includes a likely and more modest correction. He stated that when assets are trading at 20- to 25-year highs, they usually correct, but by smaller percentages. “It would be kind of shocking if you didn’t have some kind of profit-taking correction in 2026 at some point on the order of 10% to 15%.”<h2>What it means for the average investor</h2>For the average investor or 401(k) participant, Cembalest said that the scale of the drawdown will require preparation but not panic. He noted that his firm’s normal balanced and conservative portfolios are already highly defensive, holding 30% to 40% in a combination of cash, cash equivalents, gold, diversified hedge funds, and short duration assets.The so-called bond king Jeffrey Gundlach, founder and CEO of DoubleLine Capital, told Galloway and Elson in a previous episode that gold was his “number one best idea for the year” and advocated for it to represent 25% of a portfolio—with the percentage dropping to 15% after it seemed to plateau around $4,000 per ounce.Individual investors can apply similar defensive strategies. Rather than drastically changing their allocation of funds, Cembalest said he was advising clients to switch from a growth portfolio to a more conservative or balanced one, aligning their risk tolerance with current high valuations.Furthermore, individual investors have the flexibility to act quickly during market turmoil, which institutional funds often lack. Cembalest recommends that investors begin accumulating “dry powder” now to take advantage of opportunities. Since corrections often tend to be “very V-shaped,” with a rapid, violent unwinding of risk followed by a quick snapback, having spare cash available allows investors to buy assets when they temporarily sell off.While Cembalest acknowledged the immense capital spending in AI—equivalent to the combined cost of the Manhattan Project, the Hoover Dam, and the Apollo program, relative to GDP—he concluded that a 12% to 15% correction scenario is currently more likely than the 40% worst-case outcome.And yet, as Elson noted in the podcast’s introduction, this kind of correction would still be significant to millions of investors and the entire economy: Cembalest’s base-case scenario is “kind of a big deal in and of itself.”Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. 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Why your 401(k) is safe from a 40% crash in stocks—but not a 10% to 15% correction, top analyst says

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>This exchange-traded fund is trouncing VOO’s gains.</li><li>The ETF is in the industrials sector and is supported by long-term megatrends.</li><li>Buying it can boost your portfolio ahead of the benchmark.</li><li>It sounds nuts, but SoFi is giving new active invest users up to $1k in stock, see for yourself&nbsp;(Sponsor)</li></ul>The Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:VOO)is the most popular in terms of size, with over $775 billion in total assets under management. It has the same weightings and holdings as the S&amp;P 500 index and an exceptionally low expense ratio of just 0.03%.You pay just $3 annually per $10,000 for an ETF issued by Vanguard that tracks the benchmark. And when an ETF is this big, you’ll have no issues with liquidity and slippage. It’s a great deal, and you’d be making a mistake by not taking it.At the same time, you’d also be making a mistake by not having any satellite holdings to boost your overall returns. Certain megatrends in the market can go on for far longer than you’d think. This has allowed ETFs to outperform the VOO massively at times, with the potential to keep outperforming next year and potentially the year after.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">Here’s one.<h2>The ETF that trounced VOO’s returns this year</h2>Loading stock data...Select STOXX Europe Aerospace &amp; Defense ETF (BATS:EUAD)tracks the Europe Total Market Aerospace &amp; Defense Index before fees and expenses. It specifically targets exchange-listed common stocks or American Depository Receipts (ADRs) of European companies that derive at least 50% of their revenue from aerospace and defense.The EUAD ETF is up 84.34% year-to-date against the VOO’s 11.73%. That’s a 7.19x outperformance.You may have heard of the “make them pay” phrase if you’re a political person. President Donald Trump used the phrase to refer to him pressing European countries and other allies to bump their spending to meet the 2% GDP spending target. This year, the spending target was increased to 5%.Even before the new spending commitment, European countries began rearming in early 2022. As America’s support for European security started waning from their perspective, they’ve accelerated it even more. European companies engaged in defense have been the biggest beneficiaries.<h2>The companies driving the gains</h2>The EUAD ETF holds 13 stocks. It’s not the most diverse ETF, but all 13 are strong European companies and are unlikely to disappoint you long-term.The biggest holding is the Dutch companyAirbus (OTCMKTS:EADSY)at 23.95%. The returns have been stellar as the company has overtaken Boeing, with many airlines preferring its jets.German companyRheinmetall (OTCMKTS:RMNBY)comes second with a 15.85% weight. You could call this stock Europe’s Palantir, as it has delivered monumental returns in a very short amount of time. RMNBY stock is up over 2,274% in the past five years.Those gains are substantiated by the company’s Weapons backlog surging 156% year-over-year in the first half of this year.By mid-2026, the EUR 65 billion backlog can double. Rheinmetall’s CEO said the company “currently has an order volume of EUR65 billion and will quickly rise to EUR70, EUR80 billion, and then EUR120, EUR130 billion in order backlog.”British aerospace and arms companyBAE Systems (OTCMKTS:BAESY)has a 12.42% weighting and is also on a stellar rally.French companiesThales SA (OTCMKTS:THLLY)andSafran (OTCMKTS:SAFRY)constitute 11.47% and 10.1% of the fund, respectively.All of its holdings have been standout performers in 2025.<h2>Can EUAD keep going?</h2>I’d expect EUAD to keep outperforming due to the nature of this megatrend. NATO is unlikely to reset its target back below 5%, even if tensions in Eastern Europe were to calm down tomorrow. The U.S. is shifting its bandwidth to the Asia-Pacific region, but has been unable to fully do so due to conflicts breaking out in Europe and the Middle East.However, most analysts believe it is long overdue for that to happen.In turn, Europe is looking at a long-term military build-up and self-sufficiency. European defence names are riding a multi-year capital-expenditure wave, not a speculative blip. Expect double-digit top-line growth and margin expansion to continue through 2026 and well beyond, with pull-backs more likely to be bought than sold.And if that wasn’t enough, there is a slight structural bias towards a firmer Euro as the U.S. finally restarts interest rate cuts and the currency re-adjusts. At the start of the year, the USD and EUR were almost at parity, but today, 1 EUR can buy 1.16 USD. As a result, European companies are valued more in your dollar-denominated portfolio.All things considered, EUAD is a solid satellite holding. The expense ratio is 0.50%, or just $50 per $10,000.Want Up To $1,000? SoFi Is Giving New Active Invest Users up to $1k in StockLooking to grow your money but unsure where to begin? SoFi Active Invest is offering a limited-time promotion—open an account, fund it with $50 or more, and you could receive up to $1,000 in complimentary stock for Active Invest accounts.From $0 commission trading to fractional shares and automated investing, this app is designed to simplify investing for everyone, whether you’re just starting or already experienced. Its easy to sign up and secure your bonus.(sponsor)DISCLOSURE:INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUEBrokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA(www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org).Advisory services are offered by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.Probability of Member receiving $1,000 is a probability of 0.026%; If you don’t make a selection in 30 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Customer must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify.Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view our fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees.Investing in alternative investments and/or strategies may not be suitable for all investors and involves unique risks, including the risk of loss. An investor should consider their individual circumstances and any investment information, such as a prospectus, prior to investing. Interval Funds are illiquid instruments, the ability to trade on your timeline may be restricted. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA(www.finra.org) /SIPC(www.sipc.org).There are limitations with fractional shares to consider before investing. During market hours fractional share orders are transmitted immediately in the order received. There may be system delays from receipt of your order until execution and market conditions may adversely impact execution prices. Outside of market hours orders are received on a not held basis and will be aggregated for each security then executed in the morning trade window of the next business day at market open. Share will be delivered at an average price received for executing the securities through a single batched order. Fractional shares may not be transferred to another firm. Fractional shares will be sold when a transfer or closure request is initiated. Please consider that selling securities is a taxable event.Options involve risks, including substantial risk of loss and the possibility an investor may lose the entire investment Before trading options please review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options [HYPERLINK: https://www.theocc.com/getmedia/a151a9ae-d784-4a15-bdeb-23a029f50b70/riskstoc.pdfInvesting in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) involves substantial risk, including the risk of loss. Further, there are a variety of risk factors to consider when investing in an IPO, including but not limited to, unproven management, significant debt, and lack of operating history. For a comprehensive discussion of these risks please refer to SoFi Securities’ IPO Risk Disclosure Statement [HYPERLINK https://www.sofi.com/iporisk/]. This should not be considered a recommendation to participate in IPOs and investors should carefully read the offering prospectus to determine whether an offering is consistent with their investment objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation. New offerings generally have high demand and there are a limited number of shares available for distribution to participants. Many customers may not be allocated shares and share allocations may be significantly smaller than the shares requested in the customer’s initial offer (Indication of Interest). For more information on the allocation process please visit IPO Allocation [HYPERLINK https://support.sofi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360058602892-How-does-SoFi-allocate-IPO-shares].

This 1 ETF Outperformed the VOO 7-to-1 This Year

While mostof Wall Street focuses on large and mega-cap stocks, as they provide a degree of safety and liquidity, many investors are limited in the number of shares they can buy. Many of the most significant public companies, especially the technology giants, trade at prices up to $1,000 per share, while many are in the low to mid-hundreds. It is hard to get decent share count leverage at those steep prices. Many growth and income investors, especially more aggressive traders, look to lower-priced stocks to generate good returns and increase their share count. That can help the decision-making process, especially when you are on to a winner, as you can always sell and keep half.<h3>24/7 Wall St. Key Points:</h3><ul><li>Falling interest rates could be a significant tailwind for stocks that pay high dividends.</li><li>Despite the government shutdown, there is a good chance the Federal Reserve will cut rates again at its October meeting.</li><li>Lower-priced stocks, although not suitable for everyone, can offer significant total return potential for investors with a higher risk tolerance.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Low-price stockskeptics should bear in mind that many of the world’s largest companies, including Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Nvidia, all traded in the single digits at one time. We identified five stocks trading around the $5 to $10 level that offer investors substantial, ultra-high-yield dividends. The added value for investors is that if the stocks trade sideways, you are still paid a massive dividend for being patient.<h2>Why do we cover ultra-high-yield stocks?</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/Fm5Dt6q-KDmP2MdDWeTsFtNPM9iU"><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">While only suited for some, those trying to build strong passive income streams can do exceptionally well by having some of these companies in their portfolios. Paired with more conservative blue-chip dividend giants, investors can use a barbell approach to get passive income streams that make a significant difference.<h2>BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust</h2>Loading stock data...This fundhas lowered the dividend, which is a massive positive for shareholders who buy now. BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust (NYSE: BTX) has investment objectives to provide total return and income through a combination of current income, current gains, and long-term capital appreciation. The trust will invest, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its total assets in a combination of equity securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. technology and privately held companies.BTX holdswell-known tech stocks, including Spotify Technology S.A. (NASDAQ: SPOT) and Reddit Inc. (NYSE: RDDT). The most prominent position is in AI chip giant Nvidia Inc. (NASDAQ: NVDA). It also holds a collection of private-equity holdings that give it hedge fund-type qualities. Think of this fund as a Cathie Wood-style vehicle for new technology with a massive dividend yield.Tradingat a small 2% discount to the fund’s net asset value, those seeking a substantial monthly income with growth potential should consider purchasing these shares now, which yield a substantial 13.91% dividend.<h2>PermRock Royalty Trust</h2>Loading stock data...This trustacquires, develops, and operates oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin. With a substantial 11.32% dividend, this energy trust makes sense as spot oil prices appear poised to rebound. PermRock Royalty Property Trust (NYSE: PRT) is a statutory trust. It owns a net profits interest representing the right to receive 80% of the net profits from the sale of oil and natural gas production from the underlying properties. T2S Permian Acquisition II owns and operates the underlying properties.The underlyingproperties comprise about 31,354 gross (22,394 net) acres in the Permian Basin, which extends over 75,000 square miles in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico.The underlyingproperties consist of four operating areas:<ul><li>The Permian Clearfork area consists of about 2,434 net acres on the Central Basin Platform of the Permian Basin in Hockley and Terry Counties, Texas.</li><li>The Permian Abo area consists of about 1,667 net acres on the Central Basin Platform of the Permian Basin in Terry and Cochran Counties, Texas.</li><li>The Permian Shelf area consists of 14,390 net acres on the Eastern Shelf of the Permian Basin.</li><li>The Permian Platform area consists of 3,903 net acres.</li></ul><h2>Prospect Capital</h2>Loading stock data...Prospect CapitalCorp. (NASDAQ: PSEC) is a leading provider of flexible private debt and equity capital. Hedge funds love this top business development company, and the gigantic 19.57% dividend makes it a potential total return home run. Prospect Capital specializes in:<ul><li>Middle market, mature, mezzanine finance</li><li>Later stage, emerging growth, leveraged buyouts, refinancing, acquisitions recapitalizations, turnaround, growth capital, development</li><li>Capital expenditures and subordinated debt tranches of collateralized loan obligations</li><li>Cash flow term loans, marketplace lending, and bridge transactions</li></ul>It also investsin the multi-family residential real estate asset class. The fund invests in secured debt, senior debt, senior and secured term loans, unitranche debt, first-lien and second-lien debt, private debt, private equity, mezzanine debt, and equity investments in private and microcap public companies.Prospect Capitalfocuses on both primary origination and secondary loans/portfolios. It invests in debt financing for private equity sponsors, acquisitions, dividend recapitalizations, growth financings, bridge loans, cash flow term loans, and real estate financings/investments.The companyinvests in the following sectors and business silos:<ul><li>Aerospace and defense</li><li>Chemicals</li><li>Conglomerate and consumer services</li><li>Ecological</li><li>Electronics</li><li>Financial services</li><li>Machinery and Manufacturing</li><li>Media</li><li>Pharmaceuticals</li><li>Retail</li><li>Software</li><li>Specialty Minerals</li><li>Textiles and leather</li><li>Transportation</li><li>Oil, gas, and coal production</li></ul>In additionto favoring materials, industrials, consumer discretionary, information technology, utilities, pipeline, storage, power generation and distribution, renewable and clean energy, oilfield services, health care, food and beverage, education, and business services.<h2>Townsquare Media</h2>Loading stock data...This off-the-radarstock boasts significant total return potential, complemented by its substantial 12.20% dividend yield.&nbsp;Townsquare Media Inc. (NYSE: TSQ) is a community-focused digital and broadcast media and digital marketing solutions company.The company’ssegments include:<ul><li>Subscription Digital Marketing Solutions</li><li>Digital Advertising</li><li>Broadcast Advertising</li></ul>The DigitalAdvertising segment, marketed as Townsquare Ignite, encompasses digital advertising on its programmatic advertising platform, as well as its owned and operated digital properties.The SubscriptionDigital Marketing Solutions segment includes its subscription digital marketing solutions business, Townsquare Interactive.The BroadcastAdvertising segment encompasses local, regional, and national advertising products and solutions delivered through terrestrial radio broadcasts. Townsquare Interactive partners with small and medium-sized businesses to help manage their digital presence by providing a SAAS business management platform, website design, creation, and hosting, search engine optimization, and other digital services.<h2>Tronox Holdings</h2>Loading stock data...Some ofWall Street’s largest banks are very bullish on this company, which is another notable dividend-paying stock with a 12.30% yield to consider. Tronox Holdings PLC (NYSE: TROX) is a producer of titanium products, including titanium dioxide pigment (TiO2), specialty-grade titanium dioxide products, high-purity titanium chemicals, and zircon.The companyis a vertically integrated manufacturer of TiO2. It mines titanium-bearing mineral sands and operates upgrading facilities that produce high-grade titanium feedstock materials, pig iron, and other minerals, including the rare-earth-bearing mineral monazite.It operatestitanium-bearing mineral sand mines and beneficiation and smelting operations in Australia and South Africa to produce feedstock materials that can be processed into TiO2 for pigment, high-purity titanium chemicals, including titanium tetrachloride, and ultrafine TiO2 used in specific specialty applications.Tronoxsupplies and markets TiO2 under the brand names TIONA and CristalActiv. It has nine pigment facilities located in these countries and others:<ul><li>United States</li><li>Australia</li><li>Brazil</li><li>United Kingdom</li></ul>Four Stocks That Yield 12% and Higher Are Passive Income Kings<h2>Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)</h2>Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.Here’s how it works: 1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz 2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles. 3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future.

5 Stocks Under $10 With Huge Dividends and King-Size Upside Potential

Lucid Group Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID) sold a tiny number of vehicles in the third quarter. The $7,500 tax credit on electric vehicles (EVs) probably made that number less tiny. However, the expiration of the credit will likely reduce the tiny number in the fourth quarter and beyond. The news drove the stock down 10%, adding yesterday’s trading to the morning’s.<h3>Lucid Group Inc</h3>NASDAQ:LCID$21.67▼ $6.62(30.54%)3MPre-Market1D5D1M3M6M1Y5YMAX<h3>24/7 Wall St. Key Points:</h3><ul><li>Lucid Group Inc. (NASDAQ: LCID) said it sold few vehicles in the third quarter.</li><li>The EV maker’s announcement was awful for three reasons.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>The company announced that it delivered 4,078 vehicles and produced 3,891. About 1,000 were assembled in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is Lucid’s largest shareholder, via various investment companies.Barron’s listed three reasons the announcement was awful. Wall Street was looking for a better number. Another reason is that Lucid vehicles are too expensive to qualify for the tax credit, though people can still receive it when they lease. Either way, the credit is gone. The third reason is its reverse stock split.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">Lucid is too small to survive and too expensive to acquire. Based on its finances, no one would pay close to the stock price anyway. Although it had declined by almost 90% over the past five years, Lucid still has a market capitalization of nearly $7 billion. Ford’s value is approximately $50 billion, but it is one of the largest car companies in the world.Finally, as mentioned, Lucid cars are too expensive. The base price of its least expensive model is $70,000. Its higher-end cars cost more than $100,000. Who would buy a car from a company that loses billions of dollars and may not be around much longer?Lucid Stock Price Prediction and Forecast 2025-2030<h2>If You’ve Been Thinking About Retirement, Pay Attention (sponsor)</h2>Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance, and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor. Here’s how:<ol><li>Answer a Few Simple Questions.&nbsp;</li><li>Get Matched with Vetted Advisors&nbsp;</li><li>Choose Your &nbsp;Fit&nbsp;</li></ol>Why wait? Start building the retirement you’ve always dreamed of.Get started today! (sponsor)

Lucid Sold Almost No Cars

We’ve heard some pretty outrageous longer-term price targets onBitcoin(CRYPTO:BTC) and other cryptocurrencies (think Ethereum) in recent years. And while it seems absurd to envision a single Bitcoin going for $1 million one day, let’s just say anything is possible in the wild world of crypto. In any case, Bitcoin goes for just north of $114,000 today, so a run to the million-dollar mark would entail just shy of a 900% rise from current levels. That’s quite obscene, but then again, I was wrong about Bitcoin passing the $100,000 mark when they were going for closer to $20,000.In any case,Coinbase(NASDAQ:COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong is nothing short of upbeat about Bitcoin and its potential over the next five years. While I wouldn’t rule out Bitcoin at $1 million in 30 years from now, I do think that the five-year target is a tad aggressive, to say the least. Indeed, I’d imagine that such bullish comments might inspire some to bet the farm on the cryptocurrency, especially on the latest dip.<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has a lofty price target for Bitcoin in the next five years.</li><li>I’m not nearly as bullish on Bitcoin and would encourage investors to buy steep dips and manage downside risks.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul><h2>Coinbase CEO is incredibly bullish on Bitcoin’s trajectory from here</h2>As a part of Armstrong’s prediction, he thinks that macro tailwinds and increased adoption of Bitcoin as some sort of “digital gold” could help power further gains from here. In any case, Bitcoin would need to really gain momentum if it’s to have a chance of reaching the $1 million mark by 2030. And while the target could pan out in a bull-case scenario (it’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility, especially if the stock market boom continues without a bear market moment over the next five years), I’d be more inclined to view Bitcoin as correlated to tech stocks (think the Nasdaq 100) than a risk-off asset like gold.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">Though there are plenty of other crypto bulls with lofty price targets and expectations for the coming years (notably, Cathie Wood and Jack Dorsey are major bulls on Bitcoin), I do think that there’s as much downside risk as upside risk, especially given the potential for Bitcoin to plunge if a so-called “AI bubble” were to burst at some point. In any case, I don’t think overvaluation concentrated in AI stocks has to end in a spectacular bursting of a bubble.Indeed, not all paths lead to a repeat of the 2000-01 dot-com bust, at least in my humble opinion. In any case, as a prospective crypto investor, I’d look more into a base-case scenario while being mindful of a potential bear-case to pan out (think a tech-focused sell-off that spreads through the crypto markets).<h2>Bitcoin could continue to be a choppy ride. Buying up the dips incrementally could be a way to counter volatility</h2>Even if Bitcoin is destined for another meteoric rise, there are sure to be bumps in the road. And I’d much rather be a net buyer on such dips than when most others are upbeat and pound-the-table bullish. So, is Bitcoin at $1 million by 2030 realistic? I don’t think it is. Such a move would entail a lot of things going right, and while, in theory, such a scenario could play out, I’d be more focused on riding out the bumps and bear markets along the way and buying incrementally than backing up the truck with a specific target in mind.Even if Bitcoin were to blast off in the coming years, shares of Coinbase might be a better way to play the move. The shares are up more than 104% in the past year, beating the price of Bitcoin, which has gained just north of 87%. Additionally, I’d also be inclined to give some of the other cryptocurrencies out there some more love. Ethereum, XRP, and others might have more runway over the next five years, and increased interest in the entire crypto asset class, I believe, could be a boon for shares of the major crypto exchange platform.So, Bitcoin at $1 million by 2030? I wouldn’t count on it. But that doesn’t mean crypto and crypto-related stocks can’t continue to do well from here.<h2>If You’ve Been Thinking About Retirement, Pay Attention (sponsor)</h2>Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance, and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor. Here’s how:<ol><li>Answer a Few Simple Questions.&nbsp;</li><li>Get Matched with Vetted Advisors&nbsp;</li><li>Choose Your &nbsp;Fit&nbsp;</li></ol>Why wait? Start building the retirement you’ve always dreamed of.Get started today! (sponsor)

Coinbase CEO Sees Bitcoin at $1 Million by 2030—Is This a Realistic Target?

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>The S&amp;P 500 has performed well this year.</li><li>However, some ETFs have still trounced its gains.</li><li>This one ETF is “boring” in nature but is outperforming even most tech stocks.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>iShares Gold Trust ETF (NYSEARCA:IAU)had significantly outperformedSPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY)this year. While SPY has posted impressive gains of nearly 15% year-to-date—making this a stronger-than-average year for the S&amp;P 500 with almost three months remaining—gold spot prices have made iShares Gold Trust a better investment so far in 2025.&nbsp;<h2>A new gold rush is brewing</h2>Spot gold prices have been explosive this year and have trounced even big-name tech stocks likeNvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA)year-to-date. For the long-term, cost-conscious investor, iShares Gold Trust ETF &nbsp;is a great bet. It has $61.5 billion in total assets and low fees at just 0.25%, or $25 per $10,000.Loading stock data...Each share of IAU constitutes a fractional undivided interest in physical gold held in secure vaults by JPMorgan Chase Bank as the custodian. The gold is allocated, meaning it is specifically identified and held in the name of the trust.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">It’s ideal for investors who want direct gold price exposure without the hassle of buying, storing, or insuring bullion.IAU may not even be at its peak potential, as trends say that gold is set to continue going up. As of this writing, gold broke through $4,000/oz. Two years ago, this was a fantasy.<h2>Why a gold surge can continue for years</h2>There is a “perfect storm” underway for the yellow metal. First, the Federal Reserve is restarting interest rate cuts, with one already going through last month. Two more rate cuts are expected by the end of this year. Each tick lower in real yields automatically makes non-coupon gold more attractive as it lowers the opportunity cost for holding growth.Second, the U.S. dollar has softened significantly this year. This translates over into a higher price and then demand for gold. Central banks worldwide are expected to buy over 1,000 tonnes of gold in 2025 in a bid to diversify away from dollar-heavy reserves. Central banks have bought over 1,000 tonnes of gold for three consecutive years.On top of that, geopolitical fog, tariffs, and a U.S. government shutdown and hot conflicts in two regions have revived gold’s oldest use-case: the asset you own when nothing else feels safe.Reserve diversification is a multi-year theme, mine supply is flat despite the price incentive, and recycling flows have actually fallen as consumers hold old jewellery in anticipation of even higher quotes. Add the fact that global debt-to-GDP is still rising and real yields are still modest, and the floor under bullion looks more solid than usual.<h2>Can IAU keep trouncing the SPY?</h2>Analysts are constantly upping their price targets to follow the uptrend. UBS says $4,200 by year-end, with some having their price targets at $4,500 or more. Goldman Sachs says $5,000 next year. This implies a 25% gain from here, something that the S&amp;P 500 is unlikely to match.For holders of IAU, the implication is that the ETF may still be in the early innings of a structural repricing rather than the late stages of a cyclical burst.Gold can and likely will correct sometime in the future, but holding cash and waiting for it to happen is not a smart idea today.<h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

SPY Got Beat 3-To-1 By This ETF This Year

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>The government shutdown stems from a spending impasse, leading to the furloughing of 750,000 workers.</li><li>Past shutdowns averaged 8 days, with the longest being 35 days in 2018-2019.</li><li>TheS&amp;P 500is up for five straight days, ignoring the government closure so far.</li><li>It sounds nuts, but SoFi is giving new active invest users up to $1k in stock, see for yourself&nbsp;(Sponsor)</li></ul>The U.S. government shutdown, now in its third day since starting on October 1, stems from a partisan standoff over federal spending priorities. Republicans pushed for deeper cuts to non-defense programs, while Democrats demanded protections for social services and immigration reforms.&nbsp;With no resolution in sight, essential services continue, but about 750,000 federal workers face furloughs, delaying economic data releases like jobs reports. History shows these events average around 8 days, though the record-breaking 2018-2019 shutdown dragged on for 35 days, costing the economy billions.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">So far, markets have brushed it off: theS&amp;P 500has risen each trading day since, including five straight gains. But history offers clear signals on what comes next.&nbsp;<h2>Shutdowns Aren’t New: A 50-Year Rundown</h2>Over the past 50 years, the U.S. has seen 21 federal government shutdowns since the first in 1976 under President Gerald Ford. These lapses occur when Congress fails to pass funding bills by the fiscal year’s start on October 1.&nbsp;Early ones were brief, like the 11-day halt in 1976 over vetoed spending. Tensions peaked in the 1990s under divided government, with two multi-week shutdowns in late 1995 and early 1996 totaling 28 days combined.The 21st century brought more frequency amid polarization. From 2013 to 2019, shutdowns hit three times, including the 16-day one in 2013 over the Affordable Care Act and the marathon 35-day impasse in 2018-2019 tied to border wall funding. No major closures happened between 1996 and 2013, but recent years show rising risks. Each episode disrupts operations but rarely derails the economy long-term, as back pay and delayed work resume quickly.Loading stock data...<h2>History’s Bullish Hint for Stocks Post-Shutdown</h2>Markets often rebound stronger after these disruptions. Data from the 21 shutdowns reveals the S&amp;P 500 averaged nearly 13% returns in the 12 months following each end. Since 1980, the returns are even better, on average the S&amp;P 500 gained 16.95%.During the events themselves, the index gained 0.3% on average, with gains in most cases. The 2018-2019 shutdown, despite its length, saw the S&amp;P rise 10.3% while active, followed by a 24% surge over the next year.This pattern holds because shutdowns prove temporary, not structural shocks. Investors focus on earnings and growth, tuning out D.C. drama. With the current shutdown barely started, the S&amp;P’s five-day winning streak — up 0.34% on day one, 0.06% on day two, and more since — mirrors that resilience. It suggests history could repeat, potentially fueling another leg higher if resolved soon.<h2>Why Stocks Keep Climbing Amid the Noise</h2>Even with the shutdown, equities press on, driven by robust corporate momentum. Valuations look stretched — the S&amp;P’s forward P/E ratio hovers near 22, above the long-term average of 17 — but gains persist. Key factors include cooling inflation, expected Federal Reserve rate cuts, and unrelenting artificial demand (AI) hype.Tech leaders dominate.Nvidia(NASDAQ:NVDA), the AI chip powerhouse, has surged 40% in 2025, pushing its market cap past $4.5 trillion. It’s locked in major deals, like a $100 billion investment inOpenAIannounced in September to build 10 gigawatts of AI data centers packed with millions of its GPUs. Nvidia also partnered withIntel(NASDAQ:INTC) on custom AI infrastructure, investing $5 billion in Intel stock to integrate NVLink tech. These moves solidify its grip on AI hardware, drawing billions in orders from cloud giants.Broader tailwinds also help: strong consumer spending, despite soft September job adds, and corporate buybacks. Energy and financials join the rally, betting on steady growth. TheDow Jones Industrial AverageandNasdaqindexes hit records too, showing broad participation.<h2>The Hidden Risks Lurking in the Rally</h2>Bullish vibes aside, potential pitfalls are multiplying. Overextended valuations leave little margin for error; a prolonged shutdown could spike uncertainty, delaying hiring and capital expenditures. If it stretches past two weeks — and prediction markets say the adds of its happening are 40% — it might withhold key data, making Fed decisions hazier and rattling sentiment.AI’s promise also remains unproven. Hyped investments — hundreds of billions of dollars have poured into data centers and chips — have yielded scant returns so far. Although Nvidia’s deals dazzle, monetizing superintelligence is years off, with regulatory scrutiny rising on energy use and market dominance.&nbsp;Broader worries include tariff threats from recent policy shifts and softening private payrolls, hinting at economic wobbles. A debt ceiling fight could follow, amplifying volatility.<h2>Key Takeaway</h2>Irrational exuberance can endure far longer than expected, and forces like AI innovation and rate relief propel stocks upward. The market could climb much higher in the near term, shrugging off the shutdown as just another blip.&nbsp;Yet in this frothy setup, safeguarding against downside risk makes sense — history favors the bulls, but surprises happen.Want Up To $1,000? SoFi Is Giving New Active Invest Users up to $1k in StockLooking to grow your money but unsure where to begin? SoFi Active Invest is offering a limited-time promotion—open an account, fund it with $50 or more, and you could receive up to $1,000 in complimentary stock for Active Invest accounts.From $0 commission trading to fractional shares and automated investing, this app is designed to simplify investing for everyone, whether you’re just starting or already experienced. Its easy to sign up and secure your bonus.(sponsor)DISCLOSURE:INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUEBrokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA(www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org).Advisory services are offered by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.Probability of Member receiving $1,000 is a probability of 0.026%; If you don’t make a selection in 30 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Customer must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify.Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view our fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees.Investing in alternative investments and/or strategies may not be suitable for all investors and involves unique risks, including the risk of loss. An investor should consider their individual circumstances and any investment information, such as a prospectus, prior to investing. Interval Funds are illiquid instruments, the ability to trade on your timeline may be restricted. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA(www.finra.org) /SIPC(www.sipc.org).There are limitations with fractional shares to consider before investing. During market hours fractional share orders are transmitted immediately in the order received. There may be system delays from receipt of your order until execution and market conditions may adversely impact execution prices. Outside of market hours orders are received on a not held basis and will be aggregated for each security then executed in the morning trade window of the next business day at market open. Share will be delivered at an average price received for executing the securities through a single batched order. Fractional shares may not be transferred to another firm. Fractional shares will be sold when a transfer or closure request is initiated. Please consider that selling securities is a taxable event.Options involve risks, including substantial risk of loss and the possibility an investor may lose the entire investment Before trading options please review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options [HYPERLINK: https://www.theocc.com/getmedia/a151a9ae-d784-4a15-bdeb-23a029f50b70/riskstoc.pdfInvesting in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) involves substantial risk, including the risk of loss. Further, there are a variety of risk factors to consider when investing in an IPO, including but not limited to, unproven management, significant debt, and lack of operating history. For a comprehensive discussion of these risks please refer to SoFi Securities’ IPO Risk Disclosure Statement [HYPERLINK https://www.sofi.com/iporisk/]. This should not be considered a recommendation to participate in IPOs and investors should carefully read the offering prospectus to determine whether an offering is consistent with their investment objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation. New offerings generally have high demand and there are a limited number of shares available for distribution to participants. Many customers may not be allocated shares and share allocations may be significantly smaller than the shares requested in the customer’s initial offer (Indication of Interest). 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The Government Shut Down. Here’s What History Says Will Happen in the Stock Market Next

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Dividend stocks deliver compounding income and have beaten non-payers historically.</li><li>Hartford FundsshowsS&amp;P 500dividend payers generating positive returns every decade since the 1930s.</li><li>Recent hikes of 15% and 33%, respectively, from two dividend growth stocks signal buy-and-hold opportunities.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Investors seeking to grow wealth over the long term should prioritize dividend stocks for their reliable income stream and compounding potential. These stocks provide regular cash payments that can be reinvested to buy more shares, accelerating portfolio growth without relying solely on price appreciation.Historically, dividend payers have outperformed non-payers. According toHartford Fundsdata from 1930 through 2024, dividend-paying stocks in theS&amp;P 500have delivered positive returns in every decade since the 1930s, even during turbulent periods like the 2000s when the broader index posted negative total returns.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">This track record underscores their resilience and ability to cushion downturns while contributing significantly to total returns — dividends alone accounted for 34% of the S&amp;P 500’s average annual return from 1940 to 2024.&nbsp;In today’s uncertain markets, this stability makes dividend stocks a cornerstone for buy-and-hold strategies. Two standout examples just announced hikes of 15% and 33%, respectively, signaling strong confidence in future cash flows and deserve a closer look for potential addition to your portfolio.<h2>Intuit (INTU)</h2>Intuit(NASDAQ:INTU) stands out as a dividend powerhouse in the financial software space, offering essential tools for small businesses and individuals through products like TurboTax, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp. For long-term buy-and-hold investors, INTU provides a blend of steady income, robust growth, and a competitive moat built on recurring revenue from subscriptions and cloud-based services.&nbsp;With the shift to digital finance accelerating, INTU benefits from high customer retention — over 90% for QuickBooks — and expanding markets like payroll and Credit Karma integration. This positions it to generate consistent free cash flow, supporting ongoing dividend increases while funding innovation in AI-driven accounting.Loading stock data...INTU’s dividend history reflects disciplined capital allocation. The company initiated payouts in 2011 and has now raised them annually for 14 straight years. Over the past decade, its dividend CAGR clocks in at 15%, turning a modest starting yield into a meaningful income source today. The five-year CAGR of 14% further highlights recent acceleration amid post-pandemic recovery and product expansions.&nbsp;At a current yield around 0.6%, the free cash flow payout ratio sits comfortably at 22%, leaving ample room for growth without straining earnings. For dividend investors, INTU offers low volatility compared to tech peers. Adding it to a portfolio diversifies into fintech, where demand for automated tax and bookkeeping solutions shows no signs of slowing, ensuring reliable hikes ahead.<h2>Royal Caribbean (RCL)</h2>Royal Caribbean Group(NYSE:RCL) has transformed from pandemic survivor to dividend dynamo, making it a compelling pick for patient buy-and-hold investors chasing leisure sector exposure. As a leader in experiential travel, RCL operates a fleet of innovative ships across brands like Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, tapping into pent-up wanderlust with record bookings and onboard spending.&nbsp;The cruise ship’s operator long-term appeal lies in its pricing power — yields are up 10% year-over-year — and operational efficiencies like LNG-powered vessels that cut costs and appeal to eco-conscious consumers. With global cruise penetration still under 3%, RCL has runway for fleet growth and market share gains, driving earnings recovery toward pre-COVID peaks.Loading stock data...RCL’s dividend journey is one of bold restarts. After suspending payouts in 2020 to preserve liquidity, it resumed in July 2024 at $0.40 per share quarterly and has rapidly been increasing it ever since. It raised it to $0.55 per share last December, to $0.75 in February, and just hiked it again this month to $1.00 per share — a 33% increase.&nbsp;This aggressive trajectory yields an 11.5% 10-year CAGR, factoring in the hiatus, while the five-year CAGR explodes to 38.7%, underscoring rapid rebuilding. The current yield hovers near 1%, backed by a FCF payout ratio of 5% on surging profits — earnings per share jumped 74% in 2024.&nbsp;For dividend portfolios, RCL adds cyclical upside with a safety net from $735 million in cash reserves. though the company maintains a high debt leverage. As travel rebounds, its commitment to shareholders positions it for sustained growth.<h2>Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)</h2>Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.Here’s how it works: 1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz 2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles. 3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future.

2 Amazing Dividend Stocks Hiking Payouts By More Than 15%

<h3>Key Points in This Article:</h3><ul><li>Microsoft is dedicating significant capex to AI and cloud infrastructure in order to compete with other tech firms.</li><li>Microsoft’s gaming segment grew 44% last year, providing significant revenue to complement its software, cloud and AI business lines.&nbsp;</li><li>If you’re looking for an AI stock early in the AI growth cycle, grab a complimentary copy of our“The Next NVIDIA” report. It has a software stock that could ride dominance in AI to returns of 10x or more.</li></ul>Shares ofMicrosoft(NASDAQ:MSFT)&nbsp;gained 1.34% over the past five trading sessions after gaining 2.30% the five prior. That brings MSFT’s year-to-date gain to 25.39%, including a more than 48% gain since its year-to-date low on April 8. The company’s reported strong Q2 earnings on July 30. The Magnificent Seven mainstay reported &nbsp;EPS of $3.65 versus analysts’ expectations of $3.35, while quarterly revenue came in at $76.44 billion.&nbsp;On Oct. 1, the company announced that it was increasing its Xbox Game Pass subscription by 50%. In its last fiscal year, Microsoft saw more than 8% of revenue derived from its gaming segment, which now boasts 50 million monthly active subscribers and nearly $5 billion in YoY revenue.&nbsp;On June 5, it was reported that the company will be expanding its AI and cloud investments in Switzerland, committing $400 million to expand its data center infrastructure in the European nation. The additional capacity is expected to support more than 50,000 current customers and expand the availability of AI services for more sectors, including health care, finance government. Microsoft is capitalizing on its Azure platform’s momentum as revenue jumped 39% in FY25 Q4, driven by AI services.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">Microsoft’s decision in May fire 6,000 employees — or 3% of its workforce — signals the tech giant is serious about cost discipline amid economic uncertainty. With analysts eyeing sustained cloud demand,24/7 Wall St.conducted analysis to explore whether Microsoft can maintain its upward trajectory and drive long-term growth.<h3>Microsoft Corporation</h3>NASDAQ:MSFT$513.43▲ $123.90(24.13%)1YPre-Market1D5D1M3M6M1Y5YMAX<h4>KEY DATA POINTS−</h4>Previous Close$513.57Market Cap3.88TDay's Range$510.00 - $517.1952wk Range$343.59 - $554.54Volume14.69MP/E Ratio38.33Gross Margin36.10%Dividend Yield0.63%ExchangeNASDAQ<h2>Why Invest in Microsoft</h2>Microsoft navigates challenges, but remains a prime investment due to its AI and cloud dominance. Third-quarter earnings showcased robust demand for its Intelligent Cloud segment, though tariff risks linger. Microsoft’s $80 billion cash reserve fuels its $80 billion investments in cloud and AI infrastructure, with over half in the U.S.Its Microsoft 365 Copilot, adopted by over 70% of Fortune 500 firms, drives productivity revenue, positioning Microsoft to capture the AI market’s 37% compounded annual growth predicted through 2030. Similarly, partnerships withOracle(NYSE:ORCL)for multi-cloud solutions bolster its competitiveness againstAmazon‘s(NASDAQ:AMZN)AWS.&nbsp;When Microsoft last reported earnings, EPS beat by 7.40% and revenue beat by 2.37%. The EPS beat marked the 15th time in the past 16 quarters that the company surpassed estimates, with EPS coming in at $3.46 versus the consensus forecast of $3.20.&nbsp;<h2>Microsoft (MSFT) As a Company</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/Ft82aRc1GAEpY4Q-lghCxlnZyhqx">Microsoft reported a gross profit of $49.8 billion, up 14% year-over-year, with gross margins at 68%, driven by strong cloud and AI demand. The company committed to continuing spending on capital expenditures, focusing on AI data center expansion to meet enterprise needs. Analysts expect Q4 capex to remain elevated at $16 billion to $17 billion to support Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure growth.Tariff uncertainties do pose risks, even with the pause on China, as supply chain cost pressures for server hardware are not eliminated. Microsoft’s operating income of $32 billion was tempered by a 5% rise in operating expenses, reflecting heavy AI R&amp;D investments. Despite no revenue from its $13 billion OpenAI stake, Microsoft reported $42.4 billion in Microsoft Cloud revenue, up 20% year-over-year.Beyond cloud, Microsoft’s gaming segment grew 44% with 43 points of the gain coming from its acquisition of Activision, but bolstered by Xbox content and Bethesda’s Starfield expansion. A partnership with Oracle for multicloud solutions strengthens its enterprise offerings, further diversifying its revenue. Wall Street projects Q4 revenue of $73.8 billion, up 14%, driven by Microsoft’s AI and cloud momentum.<h2>Microsoft As a Stock</h2>Broadly, Wall Street analysts’ remain bullish, with 33 of 34 analysts covering MSFT assigning it a “Buy” rating, one assigning it a “Hold” rating and zero assigning it a “Sell” rating. Overall, the stock receives a consensus “Strong Buy” rating. Wall Street’s price targets cover a significant range, spanning $550 per share on the low end to $680 per share on the high end. The median one-year price target for MSFT is $626.78, which represents 20.60% potential upside from today’s share price. &nbsp;Institutional ownership currently stands at 72.70%, with three of the four largest buy-side firms — Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street — holding a collective 1.570 billion shares of Microsoft.<table><tbody><tr><td>Estimate</td><td>Price Target</td><td>%Change From Current Price</td></tr><tr><td>Low</td><td>$550</td><td>4.79%</td></tr><tr><td>Median</td><td>$628.05</td><td>19.66%</td></tr><tr><td>High</td><td>$680</td><td>29.56%</td></tr></tbody></table><h2>Microsoft (MSFT) Stock Prediction in 2025</h2>Microsoft’s 39% Azure revenue growth in Q4 positions it for cloud and AI market gains. However, $20 billion quarterly capex and tariff risks require caution. Its $80 billion cash reserve and Oracle partnership offer stability, making MSFT stock a buy for growth investors, even as valuation concerns linger.24/7 Wall St.’s year-end price target for Microsoft is $563.64, implying upside potential of 7.39% from the stock’s current price. This cautious target reflects Azure’s strength and FY26 Q1 revenue guidance, balanced against the need for higher capex spending and potential supply chain disruptions, positioning it at a realistic estimate of its leading presence in the space.<h2>If You’ve Been Thinking About Retirement, Pay Attention (sponsor)</h2>Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance, and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor. Here’s how:<ol><li>Answer a Few Simple Questions.&nbsp;</li><li>Get Matched with Vetted Advisors&nbsp;</li><li>Choose Your &nbsp;Fit&nbsp;</li></ol>Why wait? 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Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Stock Price Prediction for 2025: Where Will It Be in 1 Year

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Different Closed End Funds, by design and marketing, are intended for certain primary demographic markets, and any spillover to other markets is a bonus.</li><li>In general, conservative investors, who are usually more income oriented and less risk averse, prefer simpler fund structures than younger investors, who are more readily open to complex designs and riskier assets.</li><li>In comparing funds like BSTZ and QQQX, the question of which is “better” is likely more answerable as which is “better for which demographic”, based on their respective designs and operations – but that does not preclude cross-marketing.</li><li>Are you ahead or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute – learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul><h2>Different Strokes For Different Folks</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FrCaq14U4OaTxPCSg3ilmBf2pKGa">Sly and the Family Stone’s #1 Billboard Chart hit, “Everyday People” introduced the lyric line, “Different strokes for different folks” into the lexicon of everyday conversation.Sly and the Family Stone were a disruptive force in the music industry in the 1960s. It was the first multiplatinum selling band to defy categorization, as its multiethnic members fused R&amp;B, Gospel, Rock &amp; Roll, and Jazz elements into both hit singles and albums. They broke the color barrier, sold records to people of all races, and even performed at Woodstock.&nbsp;The songs of Sly and the Family Stone viewed the world through a spirit of human connection, and color blindness, much in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream about “being judged by the content of one’s character instead of the color of their skin. Their 1968 Billboard #1 hit single, “Everyday People” is still one of the most recognized songs of the era, and it put the term, “different strokes for different folks” into common vernacular.&nbsp;“Different strokes for different folks” is a term that is pretty much applicable to all people from all walks of life regarding personal preferences. As such, this extends to investments as well. Since Closed End Funds (CEF) come in all manners of configurations to suit investors of all backgrounds and risk tolerances, it can be difficult to objectively compare two (2) disparate types that are geared for totally different markets. Case in point: TheBlackRock Science and Technology Term Trust (NYSE: BSTZ)and theNuveen NASDAQ 100 Dynamic Overwrite Fund (QQQX).<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><h2>Polar Opposites</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FjMXuPGCPSgjCB-wE0BCLPI3QxVU">BSTZ and QQQX are very different CEFs intended to be marketed to very disparate demographic investor groups.On the surface, BSTZ and QQQX are as different as can be. Although both CEFs derive their dividends from a covered call strategy and trade at a discount to NAV, that is where the similarities end:BSTZ is a limited term technology CEF that has metamorphosed into a de facto private equity technology fund with a double-digit dividend, thanks to the clout of issuer BlackRock and its $12.5-15 billion AUM, the largest manager on the planet.&nbsp;QQQX is one of the oldest covered call funds, with inception in 2007. It tracks the Nasdaq 100 Index, and delivers a consistent dividend as well. It is issued by Nuveen, which was founded in 1898 as a municipal underwriter, and has weathered the Wall Street roller-coaster for 127 years.&nbsp;A side-by-side comparison of the two appears as thus, based on market price at the time of this writing:<table><tbody><tr><td>Category</td><td>BSTZ</td><td>QQQX</td></tr><tr><td>Yield</td><td>11.57%</td><td>8.15%</td></tr><tr><td>Average Option Coverage</td><td>30-40%</td><td>56%</td></tr><tr><td>Mkt. Price/NAV</td><td>$22.55/$24.57</td><td>$27.49/$29.95</td></tr><tr><td>Premium NAV discount</td><td>-8.22%</td><td>-8.21%</td></tr><tr><td>Average Daily Volume</td><td>244,173 shares</td><td>117,246 shares</td></tr><tr><td>Number of Securities</td><td>82</td><td>206</td></tr><tr><td>Net Assets</td><td>$1.689 billion</td><td>$1.423 billion</td></tr><tr><td>Expense Ratio</td><td>1.48%</td><td>0.89%</td></tr><tr><td>1-Year Return</td><td>29.45%</td><td>19.66%</td></tr><tr><td>3-Year Return</td><td>14.85%</td><td>18.44%</td></tr><tr><td>5-Year Return</td><td>6.15%</td><td>11.03%</td></tr></tbody></table><h2>Crossover Potential</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/Ftu4MvB6o_Hkk2aLTomhEB7kobe5">There are ways to cross market investment products to other demographics apart from their primary ones, in much the same way Sly Stone and Prince were able to do so in the music industry to multiplatinum success.The pioneering records of Sly and The Family Stone provided the music industry with one of the most audacious examples of how cross-pollination of genres could become commercially successful, by selling millions of records to both rock and R&amp;B fans alike, along with jazz aficionados. This was a template that would be later followed to mega platinum success by Prince.&nbsp;BSTZ was created for technology minded investors. The covered call dividend strategy was likely intended as a risk offset, since technology is historically a very volatile sector. Dividends became even more crucial for risk mitigation as BSTZ became more deeply enmeshed in investing in private technology companies like TikTok parent Bytedance, AI firm Databricks, and pre-IPO companies like Klarna. Their private status and relative illiquidity compared to publicly traded stocks are usually the sole province of institutional investors, so BSTZ’s private sector tech exposure has since become a cache with Gen-Z investors.&nbsp;QQQX is very much akin to other Nasdaq 100 ETFs and CEFs, with the added conservative dividend kicker for income purposes. Its steady growth record, combined with its solid income component, has made it appealing to retirees and investors who avoid rolling the dice on their holdings.That said, there are some opportunities for cross-marketing demographically between both CEFs.&nbsp;<ul><li>BSTZ can emphasize the BlackRock imprimatur of safety. With a name synonymous with the “biggest asset manager on the planet”, the risk concerns can be addressed through the sheer magnitude of BlackRock’s war chest trillions.&nbsp;</li><li>BSTZ’s double digit yields can certainly appeal to income-focused retirees.&nbsp;</li><li>While BSTZ does have a 2031 expiration in its charter, that expiration is subject to an&nbsp; extension with an option of conversion to perpetuity. The latter would appear to be a strong possibility, since BSTZ has zero imitators and its unique appeal to Gen-Z tech fans make a strong case for BlackRock to keep it as a solid money maker. This would easily rebut the concerns from retirees who might worry about losing their investment. In reality, the expiration term could be likened to a callable municipal bond.</li><li>QQQX recently was reportedly considering changing its distribution period from quarterly to monthly, to better compete with rivals like YieldMax.</li><li>Unlike some other covered call Nasdaq 100 ETFs, QQQX’s conservative approach and more modest dividend has allowed it to grow without negative impact to NAV – its 10-year ROI calculates within roughly $5,000 of the Nasdaq 100 Index directly, while the dividend yield has solidly paid out the entire period.&nbsp; This can appeal to Gen-Z who got their first taste of a bear market this past April and may realize they aren’t as daring as they thought.</li></ul>There is certainly nothing wrong with “Different strokes for different folks”, and there are obviously some designs of investment vehicles that are better for some markets than for others. However, like Sly Stone and Prince, there are ways to appeal to both camps, so bridging a “never the twain shall meet” chasm can be accomplished with the right approach.&nbsp;<h2>Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)</h2>Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.Here’s how it works: 1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz 2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles. 3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future.

BSTZ vs QQQX: Which Closed End Fund Is Better?

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>These dividend stocks have blue-chip businesses.</li><li>Their payout ratios are low and cash flows are reliable.</li><li>Each stock is in a different sector and is a leading name.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Income investors rarely chase the loudest headlines. They look for companies that mail out checks, no matter what the talking heads predict for next quarter, and the S&P 500 is still the most convenient hunting ground for that kind of reliability.The index has been shifting more towards growth due to the mega-cap stocks doing extremely well over the past three years, and then being joined in by a new group of AI stocks that have ballooned into the top rankings. However, it also has some of the best dividend stocks you can find.The challenge is that the highest yields often sit on businesses whose earnings are shrinking faster than their share price, so a fat number on the screen can be a trap rather than a treat. The following five dividend stocks get you a greatyield that is both rising and sustainable.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO" alt="" data-href="" style=""/><h2>Realty Income (O)</h2>Realty Income (NYSE:O)is called “The Monthly Dividend Company” for good reason. It has been consistently returning cash to its shareholders while increasing the payout. The company is a real estate investment trust. Nevertheless, its clients are often stable retail companies that can weather downturns and keep growing.Realty Income has been able to declare 664 consecutive monthly dividends and is recognized as a Dividend Aristocrat stock for that long record.On top of that, Realty Income’s occupancy rate is among the highest in the REIT industry. Even in 2008, the occupancy rate stood at 97%. If it can pay dividends through the most intense recession to hit the real estate market in modern history, it can keep them rising during good times.You get a 5.39% dividend yield. The payout ratio is very sustainable at 75.45%.<h2>Verizon (VZ)</h2>Many would scoff atVerizon (NYSE:VZ)if it were portrayed as a good dividend stock two years ago. Today, the scenario has completely shifted. This telecom company had a boatload of debt on its balance sheet during one of the most aggressive periods of interest rate hikes, but managed to keep dividends flowing.Now, as interest rate cuts go down and the AI rally becomes the market’s main focus, VZ stock is becoming a very lucrative opportunity. Its stock has traded sideways year-to-date, but interest rate cuts directly help the company’s bottom line, plus the AI build-out is leading to more demand for Verizon’s extensive infrastructure.I expect VZ stock to follow in the footsteps ofAT&T (NYSE:T)stock in the coming quarters.In the meantime, you get a 6.85% forward dividend yield that has grown for 21 consecutive years. The icing on the cake is that Verizon’s dividend payout ratio is just 57.66%. As debt servicing eases, Verizon will be left with even more room for dividend hikes.<h2>Duke Energy (DUK)</h2>Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK)is a big electric and gas company that keeps the lights on and the gas flowing for its 7.5 million electric customers and 1.6 million gas customers across six states, mainly in the Southeast and Midwest.It’s one of the best dividend stocks you can buy in the current environment, thanks to tariffs plus interest rate cuts. Lower Treasury yields are making the 3.32% forward yield increasingly juicier when you consider the rate base growth.It has a 5-year CapEx plan of $87 billion to boost growth and margins, with regulators being wooed to approve better rates in exchange for those investments in their states.Furthermore, the Trump-2 admin wants “energy dominance” and is expediting transmission projects to keep up with demand from AI data centers.The payout ratio is 66.45%, and the company has had 14 consecutive years of dividend growth on record.<h2>Coca-Cola (KO)</h2>Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO)is a no-brainer pick for any portfolio of blue-chip dividend stocks. This company is often the first that comes to mind when you think about dividend payers with lasting power. Coca-Cola’s presence is worldwide, and the moat is too strong to ever crack.KO stock has been on a consistent trajectory for the past two decades. In all likelihood, the next two decades will bring more of the same, which is exactly what you want if you plan to buy, reinvest, and snowball your dividend investments.It also acts as a ballast for your portfolio due to how defensive the business is. Having a Coke after every meal is a habit not many people can give up on.You get a 2.86% dividend yield with a payout ratio of just 16.33%, meaning there’s massive room for significant payout hikes. There are 62 consecutive years of dividend growth on record.<h2>Merck (MRK)</h2>Merck (NYSE:MRK)makes and sells prescription medicines and vaccines. The company’s financial footing is strong, and you get a great buying opportunity today, as MRK stock trades at a 33%-plus discount from early 2024.Investors are increasingly concerned about the impending patent expiration of KeytrudaGardasil sales have also declined in China, and the guidance given in Q4 2024 for this year was disappointing.Merck is preparing prematurely by accelerating drug development, with a pipeline of 20 “potential new blockbuster drugs… could generate over $50 billion in future revenue”. Plus, its ADC platform is turning out to be a significant growth driver.This is a quality name, and analysts expect 16.25% EPS growth in 2025. That’s along with sales growing 1% this year and accelerating growth to 4.88% next year.You get a 3.7% forward dividend yield with a payout ratio of just 41.36%. There have been 14 consecutive years of dividend growth.<h2>If You’ve Been Thinking About Retirement, Pay Attention (sponsor)</h2><ol><li>Answer a Few Simple Questions. </li><li>Get Matched with Vetted Advisors </li><li>Choose Your &nbsp;Fit Get started today! (sponsor)</li></ol>

5 Best Dividend Stocks in the S&P 500

What would it take to get essential human capital data in the hands of every investor? One of the easiest answers to that question is: transparency. With better disclosure of human capital, we will have greater access to data and the insight that comes from them.Recommended VideoRight now, there are clear rules and regulations around capital disclosures that help investor decisions. These are the “10-K” annual and “10-Q” quarterly reports that all public companies must release to disclose their financial information and capital structure. Right now, there are no equally strict requirements for human capital.&nbsp;Every few years or so, there is a push for more transparent human capital disclosures. Sometimes, there’s some movement on the issue, but usually the policy lands in some form of voluntary disclosure. Currently, companies are required to report on various aspects of total number of FTEs, employee types, turnover rates, and similar metrics, but these have not reached the level of capital disclosures.&nbsp;Unfortunately, even with expectations around transparency, little can be learned because there is no way to compare the data that companies release. Transparency is not enough. Instead, we need clear standards so that all the data can talk to each other.&nbsp;Think about it this way: Even if there was mandatory reporting on job hiring, the reported data would be mostly meaningless outside the context of that one company. If Meta says that they have about 75% of their workforce employed as engineers, for example, what does that actually tell us? What kind of engineers are they? What work do they do each day? And, more importantly, how does that level of employment of the specific type of engineers compare to other companies? Is it the same? Is it different? Has it changed much over the years?Without standards, we end up with a “Tower of Babel” situation: Each company’s data is speaking a different language. There’s no way to know whether a “sales” position in one company is fundamentally the same thing as a “sales” position in another company.Take, for example, the position of an “economist.” I myself am an economist. But when I introduce myself as such, no one knows what that means. It’s ambiguous. Even so, my company hires many economists. So do major companies like IBM and Amazon. Amazon, in particular, is well known for hiring a lot of economists.&nbsp;However, all of these positions are completely different across companies. At IBM, the economists all work on macro-level reports, such as how the geopolitical situation in China will affect mainframe computing exports. They are basically collecting and analyzing trends that would affect the business and sharing those trends with the relevant staff. This might be more similar to a reporter than anything else, or some kind of industry analyst.&nbsp;At my company, we hire economists to basically fill two roles: a hybrid role of data science consultant and client success manager, in which they take the data from our products and help companies understand what this data means. In this way, they are client-facing, almost like customer service representatives. But they also take that data and write articles for our newsletter about trends – similar to the IBM economist focused on trends, but at a micro level, or maybe even a marketer.&nbsp;Amazon, however, hires economists to do three different things: forecasting, testing out new business policies, and assessing the market structure. The forecasters have backgrounds in macro and finance, and time series analysis, and support analyses that consider coming trends. The business policy roles are basically applied statisticians, using data to solve micro business problems. Those that assess the market structure are using different modeling designs to create pricing schemes and other things related to the online market to support business growth. In hiring these types of roles, Amazon is essentially using a data-driven approach to the company’s business practices, helping to maximize decision making in a number of ways. Currently Amazon hires more economists than any organization other than the Federal Reserve.&nbsp;All of these people leverage the position of “economist” to get work done, but comparing the data related to these positions across companies to identify trends would be a worthless endeavor. If an investor was to try to understand workforce trends or even company trends from changes in these positions, any conclusion that would be drawn would be inexplicable or counterintuitive. An investor may look at my team of economists and say we are over investing in research, without understanding that this economist team has a direct influence on our clients happiness (by helping them understand our data) and gaining new clients (by supporting our marketing efforts).I know these nuances between the economist roles across IBM, Amazon, and my company, but that’s because I have direct, qualitative experience in how those companies operate. I have acquired that knowledge through many conversations – and in the case of working at IBM and my own company, direct experience. Very few people have that kind of understanding of how different companies’ workforces are arranged and leveraged.&nbsp;Workforce taxonomies solve this problem. With appropriately designed taxonomies, we can give more accurate titles to positions, or have a deeper understanding of what a position title means. We can see if a company is hiring a macroeconomist that specializes in forecasting or a microeconomist that will help with client success. We can say with high levels of certainty that two jobs are indeed alike, across companies or even industries, and make analyses based on those comparisons. That is because the job titles are not based on arbitrary labels, but systematically determined and categorized through a robust data analysis process. They are developed through a combination of activities, which are the essential building block of work.&nbsp;With these taxonomies in place, investors can make strong inferences about the behavior and health of companies, and invest accordingly. For example, if a corporation makes a big announcement about investing in one area – like AI or VR – with the goal of becoming a market leader, we can look at the workforce data to understand how committed they are to this investment. If the company data shows that the salary they are looking to pay for engineers with an AI or VR speciality is way below market rate, you know that they are not going to obtain the top talent to execute on their bold vision. An investor interested in AI or VR might not want to put too much time or money into a company that isn’t serious about their commitment.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/Fkm-cLlUR_q89yGfnFN6UoqrpCWo">Excerpted with permission from the publisher, Wiley, from&nbsp;Job Architecture: Building a Language for Workforce Intelligence&nbsp;by Ben Zweig. Copyright © 2026 by John Wiley &amp; Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. This book is available wherever books and eBooks are sold.Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

Solving the ‘Tower of Babel’ problem of data transparency for investors

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Jim Cramer likes the following two dividend stocks.</li><li>One is a Dividend Aristocrat and another is a Dividend King.</li><li>Their dividends are well-covered, and both have a history of being consistent.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Retirees and older individuals are among the biggest demographics who tune into Jim Cramer’s Mad Money show. You may disagree with Cramer’s investing methodology and critique his failures, but it’s undeniable that his opinions have sway.And when it comes to long-term dividend investing, those opinions have held up quite well. Cramer’s opinionated takes often go awry since he’s mostly asked about the trendiest growth stocks that are hard to assess. But when dealing with dividend stocks with a consistent track record, it’s no longer hit or miss. Jim Cramer has decades of experience with the stock market, and his input is worth lending an ear to when it comes to dividend stocks.Here are two dividend stocks he likes for retirees:<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><h2>Realty Income (O)</h2>Loading stock data...Realty Income (NYSE:O)is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that mostly has retail tenants. Its tenants are strong, and the company has managed to maintain a very stable and consistent portfolio over the years with little to no trouble. The occupancy rate has remained at 97% even in 2008 and continues to be high.The consistency is such that Realty Income is called “The Monthly Dividend Company”. It pays dividends to its shareholders every month. The yield right now is 5.38% and has declared 663 consecutive monthly dividends.Cramer thinks highly of O stock, but hebelieves “Realty Income is for people who are a little bit older.”Earlier this year, a 67-year-old called Cramer and asked about two high-yield dividend stocks. But before he could even finish the question, Cramer replied. He said, “No, no, no. If you need yield, just go by our Realty Income.”Realty Income raises the bar to the point where it has become the go-to monthly dividend stock. For retirees, I believe it’s the best one. Monthly dividends are convenient, and the yield is very high, but not unsustainable.<h2>Johnson &amp; Johnson (JNJ)</h2>Loading stock data...Johnson &amp; Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)started developing a reputation for being a steady Eddie that you hold for almost no gains and a small dividend yield. Given that a 4%-plus yield is easily available risk-free these days, JNJ stock hasn’t been the most attractive despite it being a Dividend King with 63 consecutive years of dividend increases on record.However, the story is changing quickly. The stock is now up 29% year-to-date, and this is a rally that many believe could continue as JNJ makes up lost ground. Conceivably, it could end up well above $200 by year-end, and Cramer has some nice things to say about the business.He interviewed the company’s CEO last Friday, and this week, he said, “I’ve been worried about the talc lawsuits they have, but I believe the risk from the asbestos in the baby powder litigation has crested [peaked].” He elaborated, “…J&amp;J has been winning all the cases, and it’s plain to keep fighting them one by one. Eventually, I bet the plaintiffs will realize it’s just too costly to keep on taking J&amp;J.”Last month, he did a much deeper dive on Johnson &amp; Johnson. On Mad Money’s September 11 show, Cramer said, “Nearly every other big pharma name is solidly in the red for the year. So how the heck did Johnson &amp; Johnson defy the gravitational pull of this healthcare bear market? First off… It’s not just a drug company. It’s also got a terrific medical device business that accounts for 36% of their sales.”He elaborated, “J&amp;J also has great franchises and really exciting technologies in other areas… has done a fantastic job to move past this big patent expiration… pharma business has both grown and outperformed sales expectations… More importantly, J&amp;J has a fabulous oncology business. It’s simply on fire, with sales up 21% in the first six months of the year.”He ended his analysis of the company by saying “… a nice yield that’s just under 3%, very rare AAA balance sheet, bottom line here with so much momentum, but still a reasonable valuation… I say it could go through to $200.”<h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

2 Dividend Stocks That Jim Cramer Wants Every Retiree to Own

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Retirees are the biggest income focused individual investor demographic, with Baby Boomer aged retirees cumulatively totalling over 73 million.</li><li>CEFs and ETFs focused on cutting edge sectors of technology, medicine, and others are often structured to appeal to younger investors more familiar with those sectors’ latest breakthroughs.</li><li>Provided that an investment product can satisfy concerns about risk and provides the income a retiree is seeking, there’s no reason for them not to add it to their portfolio.</li><li>Are you ahead or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute – learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>The Baby Boomer generation has an unusual relationship with technology. Due to the huge strides made with digital technology, computers, smart phones, A.I., and all other associated telecommunications and information processing they entail, there is a somewhat unfair stereotype that a majority of seniors are Luddites and still living exclusively in the analog realm.&nbsp;Besides the fact that most of the people who built the current architecture, i.e., Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, et al. are all Boomers themselves, a silent but sizable percentage of seniors are actually quite comfortable with digital technology. For example, according such sources asTech TimesandHerosmyth:<ul><li>68% of Boomers owned smart phones, with nearly the same number also owning laptop or desktop computers.</li><li>90% of Boomers have shopped online, with 79% of them in their 60s and 72% of them in their 70s.&nbsp;</li><li>68% of Boomers use social media,</li><li>30% of Boomers are comfortable using A.I.</li></ul><h2>Comfort Levels are All Subjective</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FnkZQ4ymu1kyPZCVeun0MB3Q6fKl">Risk tolerance and intellectual comfort levels with different investment vehicles are totally subjective criteria and defy easy categorization by age, race, or occupation.As much as marketers love to use statistics and demographics to categorize different targeted groups with select marketing criteria, these are only gross generalizations. The attraction of big data marketing has been to get granular with each user’s individual preferences, lies, and dislikes – and investment products are no exception.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">Conventional wisdom usually holds that younger people are much more prone to invest in riskier products – perhaps due to the folly of youth – yet, when April’s market plunge in the wake of President Trump’s reciprocal tariff policies gave Gen-Z a taste of the bear market, a surprising percentage of them have become more conservative investors. As a result, although it may hold for a plurality, it’s not fair to assume that a tech fund would not appeal to a majority of retirees due to their complexity and unfamiliar company portfolio, vs. a more conventional index fund.&nbsp; TheBlackRock Science and Technology Term Trust (NYSE: BSTZ)and theNuveen NASDAQ 100 Dynamic Overwrite Fund (QQQX)are two such examples.As a Closed End Fund (CEF) from multi trillion asset management behemoth BlackRock, BSTZ is a one of a kind fund:&nbsp;<ul><li>Unlike most closed end funds that invest in other public companies, BSTZ carries a roughly 60/40 ratio mix of private companies to public ones.&nbsp;</li><li>All the stocks are in the technology sector, and some of the portfolio’s largest positions are in privately held companies, such as AI firm Databricks, China’s Bytedance (owner of TikTok), and fintech Klarna, which is expecting its IPO in 2026.&nbsp;</li><li>In addition, BSTZ deploys a covered call strategy that delivers over $12 per year in dividends.</li><li>Perhaps due to its experimental structure and design, BSZT has an expiration date scheduled in 2031, albeit subject to extension with an option towards perpetuity.&nbsp;</li></ul>QQQX was one of the first covered call CEFs. Designed to track the Nasdaq 100 Index, QQQX has an 18-year track record of consistent growth and dividend yields. Its conservative call option strategy helps to mitigate inherent volatility in the technology overweighted Nasdaq 100 Index without over reduction of upside gains from the index’s bullish trajectory.&nbsp;A side-by-side comparison of the two appears as thus, based on market price at the time of this writing:<table><tbody><tr><td>Category</td><td>BSTZ</td><td>QQQX</td></tr><tr><td>Yield</td><td>11.61%</td><td>8.18%</td></tr><tr><td>Average Option Coverage</td><td>30-40%</td><td>56%</td></tr><tr><td>Mkt. Price/NAV</td><td>$22.19/$24.19</td><td>$27.37/$29.77</td></tr><tr><td>Premium NAV discount</td><td>-8.27%</td><td>-8.18%</td></tr><tr><td>Average Daily Volume</td><td>245,630 shares</td><td>115,371 shares</td></tr><tr><td>Number of Securities</td><td>82</td><td>206</td></tr><tr><td>Net Assets</td><td>$1.663 billion</td><td>$1.423 billion</td></tr><tr><td>Expense Ratio</td><td>1.48%</td><td>0.89%</td></tr><tr><td>1-Year Return</td><td>29.45%</td><td>19.66%</td></tr><tr><td>3-Year Return</td><td>14.85%</td><td>18.44%</td></tr><tr><td>5-Year Return</td><td>6.15%</td><td>11.03%</td></tr></tbody></table><h2>A CEF For Retirees Depends On The Profile Of the Retiree In Question</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FtC_S8bo5Vs9Dr_us482uJlYtMc0">An individual retiree’s investment criteria and comfort levels are a much greater determinant of his or her investment choices than demographic categories.When viewed objectively, income seeking retirees may find either or both CEFs attractive for their portfolios. The primary criteria in individual comfort level and risk tolerance, a totally subjective criteria that can’t be easily quantified by age, race, background, or other categories.&nbsp;With that in mind, here are some potential choice scenarios:<ul><li>Investors solely looking for the higher yield, regardless of risk, will prefer BSTZ, which still offers a roughly 3 points higher yield after factoring in expense ratio differentials.</li><li>If the investor in question wants consistent growth along with solid yields, QQQX will be preferable, since BSTZ’s returns have a 23 point differential between 1 and 5 years, vs. an 8 point differential for QQQX in the same period.&nbsp;</li><li>Investors who like the idea of pre-IPO exposure to companies with high growth potential will prefer BSTZ, which offers private equity fund type exposure with public stock market liquidity and a chunky dividend.&nbsp;</li><li>Some investors may wish to take a small amount of both BSTZ and QQQX for diversification purposes, given that they are so different from one another.</li></ul><h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

BSTZ vs QQQX For Income Seeking Retirees

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>IONQ and GOOG stand out as great quantum plays for risk takers and value seekers, respectively.</li><li>It’s hard to tell how far along firms are on the quantum roadmap. Either way, many firms, large and small, seem poised to advance the revolutionary, emerging technology.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>The quantum computing market might overtake AI as the next big trade on Wall Street. Arguably, it already has, but the big question for many growth investors is if it’s time to punch a ticket into a pure-play, a blue chip with skin in the quantum game, or just wait around for another unknown firm to appear on the scene, perhaps in the form of an IPO at some not-so-distant point in the future.Either way, there are some big expectations as firms look to make the quantum leap.Bank of America(NYSE:BAC)thinks that the quantum computing market is capable of hitting $4 billion by 2030. I think that’s a very realistic target for the emerging industry, especially considering the pace of advancement and how AI might be able to give quantum innovation a nice boost at some point down the line.As I remarked in a previous piece,IonQ(NASDAQ:IONQ), one of the most popular quantum pure-play companies, hit one of its major milestones three years ahead of schedule, something that bodes very well for the quantum timeline.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">Indeed, after the red-hot runs in the quantum pure-play stocks, you’ll probably feel like a bubble-chasing speculator by buying here. However, if you’ve got disposable income to put to work and wouldn’t be surprised to see half of your investment be wiped out by a quantum pullback, perhaps it still makes sense to take a leap. Though, do mind the potential downside if you miss the ledge.In any case, here are a few names to play the quantum boom going into year’s end. We’ll start with a pure play and then go into a Magnificent Seven firm with skin in the quantum computing game.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FjayjTDg2GKSgO1x7qwLoPucXVhZ"><h2>IonQ</h2>IonQ stock has been seemingly unstoppable of late, gaining over 72% in the past month. Indeed, if you bought last month, you probably didn’t feel too great, given the risks and the melt-up that was already behind the stock. Fast forward to today, and IONQ has found a way to make new highs. Indeed, in my prior piece, I noted the possibility that investors were ignoring the company’s early milestone news amid broader tech sector volatility.While shares may look “peaky” at $73 and change, I still view IonQ as a small firm with so much room to the upside if things continue to go right. With a $23.7 market cap, IonQ is still a firm that could double up again and still be relatively undersized compared to the quantum opportunity at hand.With investors upbeat about the latestRigetti Computing(NASDAQ:RGTI)sales announcement (RGTI stock pole-vaulted over 13% in a day), perhaps there’s more gas left in the tank to take IONQ stock all the way to $100 per share.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FjVhATqAGo3Ieb4E2vo7-udZXiTy"><h2>Alphabet</h2>Alphabet(NASDAQ:GOOG)is considered by many to be one of the leaders in AI. It might also be one of the frontrunners in the quantum race, at least as far as the Magnificent Seven are concerned.Indeed, it seems like such a long time ago that Google pulled the curtain on its Willow chip, which pretty much kicked off a hyper cycle in the broad quantum scene. With lower error rates and impressive advancements in superconducting qubit tech, Google’s Willow has serious potential to transform Alphabet from an AI titan to more of an AI quantum behemoth.As Google sprints along its long-term quantum roadmap, time will tell how the near-$3 trillion giant fares versus its rivals. I think it’s an absolute mistake to think Google’s Quantum AI efforts won’t translate into something that really moves the needle for the mega-cap firm.Of course, quantum leaps would have more of an uplifting effect on the much smaller pure-plays. However, for those seeking relative safety, I think it’s hard to make a case for not owning some GOOG stock, given how much AI might give its quantum innovations a jolt.If you seek stability, GOOG seems like a smart bet, but if you want a shot at explosive upside potential, IONQ may still be worth buying up at these levels.<h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

Big Bank Sees Quantum Computing Market Hitting $4B by 2030. Here Are 2 Stocks to Make the Leap

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>The SPXL ETF does a good job of achieving 3x daily returns of the S&amp;P 500 index.</li><li>However, investors shouldn’t count on SPXL to triple the gains of the S&amp;P 500 over the long term.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Trading theDirexion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares&nbsp;(NYSEARCA:SPXL) can be thrilling or chilling, and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. Depending on your tolerance for swift price moves, SPXL is an exchange traded fund (ETF) that might be completely right or wrong for you.Along with a willingness to accept the risks, you should have a bullish outlook on the S&amp;P 500 if you intend to hold the SPXL ETF. With the right mind-set and certain safeguards in place, you might profit handsomely from the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF.<h2>Potential to Grow Your Account Quickly</h2>To break it down into simple terms, the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF seeks to achieve “daily investment results, before fees and expenses, of 300%… of the performance of” the S&amp;P 500 stock index. Thus, SPXL would be considered a bullish, triple/3x leveraged ETF.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">Momentum-focused traders could look at the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF and envision growing their accounts rapidly. The S&amp;P 500 is up 14.5% year to date, and the SPXL ETF is up 28%.Loading stock data...You might wonder why the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF is only up twice as much as the S&amp;P 500 instead of three times as much. After all, SPXL is supposed to be triple-leveraged, right?We’ll explain the fine print and the fund’s associated risks in a moment. For now, however, it’s worth noting that many stock-market bulls will find the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF to be strongly appealing. Unless some event (recession, war, etc.) derails this year’s stock-market rally, the SPXL ETF could produce huge gains in the coming months.<h2>Paying for Convenience</h2>To potentially magnify the gains of the S&amp;P 500 index, you could trade S&amp;P 500 futures contracts. However, not everyone wants to learn the ins and outs of leveraged futures trading, and it may require a large amount of capital.For many investors, it will probably be more convenient and feasible to simply buy the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF. This ETF is tradable within many investment accounts and doesn’t require knowledge of futures contracts or other sophisticated asset types.Be aware, though, that you’ll pay for the convenience that the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF offers. Specifically, the SPXL ETF automatically deducts 0.87% worth of operating expenses per year from the share price.An annual expense ratio of 0.87% might not sound like much if you’re imagining vast profits from the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF. Nevertheless, the expenses can take a toll on your portfolio’s bottom line if you plan to hold SPXL for the long term.<h2>The Impact of Volatility Decay</h2>An even bigger risk than the fund’s expenses, though, is a phenomenon known as volatility decay. It explains why the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF has only doubled the year-to-date gains of the S&amp;P 500 instead of tripling those gains.Sure, the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF seeks to achieve the “daily investment results” of 3x the S&amp;P 500’s price moves. And in that respect, the SPXL ETF does a good job.Due to volatility decay, however, the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF won’t necessarily achieve 3x the S&amp;P 500’s price gains over weeks, months, or years. For example, if the S&amp;P 500 falls 1% and then rises 1% — or rises 1% and then falls 1% — SPXL will end up lower than where it started.That type of up-and-down or down-and-up price action is bound to occur again and again with the S&amp;P 500. Consequently, the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF won’t produce the long-term results you might expect with a triple-leveraged S&amp;P 500 fund.<h2>Treat SPXL With Due Caution</h2>At the end of the day, the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF could benefit short-term traders. The fund does a respectable job of achieving triple-leveraged returns on the single-day price moves of the S&amp;P 500 stock index.Yet, the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF isn’t ideal for a long-term buy-and-hold strategy. Due to the annual expenses and the volatility decay, SPXL is likely to produce disappointing results if you’re expecting triple-leveraged long-term gains on the S&amp;P 500.Furthermore, if the S&amp;P 500 declines for a while, the Direxion Daily S&amp;P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF could lose value rapidly. Hence, it’s wise to only take a small share position if you plan to own the SPXL ETF, and be prepared to exit your position in a matter of days rather than weeks or months.<h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

This ETF (SPXL) Can Triple Your Returns in a Bull Market

Wall Street’s risk machine didn’t break this week — Friday’s&nbsp;rebound&nbsp;spared it. But it flinched. And in doing so, it revealed how fragile the current market cycle has become.Recommended VideoThe shift was subtle, then sudden. For weeks, the riskiest trades in finance — crypto, AI stocks, meme names, high-octane momentum bets — had been slipping. On Thursday, that slow-motion retreat snapped. The Nasdaq 100 sank nearly 5% from its intraday peak, its sharpest reversal since April. Nvidia Corp. at one point shed nearly $400 billion&nbsp;despite&nbsp;beating earnings expectations. Bitcoin hit a seven-month low. Momentum names dropped in near-perfect sync.It was a vivid reminder of how easily pressure can cascade through crowded trades, and how markets powered by momentum and retail enthusiasm can buckle without warning.There was no obvious trigger. No policy shift. No data surprise. No earnings miss. Just a sudden wave of selling, and an equally abrupt recovery. What rattled investors wasn’t just the scale of the moves, but their speed, and what that speed suggested: a momentum-driven market, prone to synchronized swings and fragile under strain.“There are real cracks,” said Nathan Thooft, chief investment officer at Manulife Investment Management, which oversees $160 billion. “When you have valuations at these levels and many assets priced for near perfection, any cracks and headline risks cause outsized reactions.”Thooft began paring back equity exposure two weeks ago, reducing exposure to equity risk in tactical portfolios from overweight to neutral as volatility picked up. He now sees a market that’s splintering, not with a single story, but with “plenty to cheer about for the optimists and plenty of worries for the pessimists.”The numbers are hard to ignore. Bitcoin is down more than 20% in November, its worst month since the 2022 crypto crash. Nvidia is heading for its steepest monthly decline since March. A Goldman Sachs index of retail-favored stocks has fallen 17% from its October high. Volatility has surged. Demand for crash protection has returned.But the most visible tremors, and perhaps the most amplified, are playing out in crypto. The selloff in Bitcoin has mirrored the fall in high-beta stocks, strengthening the case that crypto is now moving in lockstep with broader risk assets.The short-term correlation between Bitcoin and the Nasdaq 100 hit a record earlier this month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Even the S&amp;P 500 showed unusual synchronicity with digital assets.“There is perhaps an investor base — the more speculative and more levered segment of retail investors — that is common to both crypto and equity markets,” wrote JPMorgan strategist Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, noting that blockchain innovation underpins a growing bridge between the two spheres.data-srcyloadEd Yardeni tied part of Thursday’s equity drop to Bitcoin’s plunge, calling the connection too tight to dismiss. And billionaire investor Bill Ackman offered his own&nbsp;comparison&nbsp;— claiming that his stake in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac effectively acts as a kind of crypto proxy.That dynamic — in which digital tokens rise and fall alongside speculative equities — tends to fade in quiet markets, only to return in moments of stress. “Like the Rockettes, they all dance in lockstep,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA. “Bitcoin is a representative of the risk-on, risk-off sentiment on steroids.”While some claim crypto is leading the downturn, the case is thin. Institutional exposure is limited, and the asset’s price action tends to be more sentiment-prone than fundamental. Rather than setting the tone, crypto may simply register market stress in its most visible — and visceral — form: a highly leveraged, retail-heavy barometer where speculative nerves show first.Other explanations for febrile stock trading are technical: volatility-linked funds shifting exposure, algorithmic flows tipping thresholds, options positioning unwinding. But all point to the same conclusion: in a crowded market, even small tremors can cascade.Thursday’s sharp reversal only magnified that anxiety. The so-called fear gauge, the VIX, spiked to its highest level since April’s “Liberation Day” selloff. Traders rushed to buy crash protection. Adrian Helfert, chief investment officer at Westwood, was among those who had already begun repositioning in recent weeks, adding tail-risk hedges in anticipation of a regime shift. The crypto slump reinforces the broader retreat from risk assets, he said.“Investors are viewing it less as a safe haven and more as a speculative holding to shed as market fear rises, leading to deleveraging and rapid ‘despeculation’ across high-risk segments,” Helfert said. “This is reinforcing the move away from risk assets.”data-srcyloadEven Nvidia’s blowout earnings couldn’t hold the line. Despite topping expectations, the AI heavyweight fell sharply during the week, underscoring the broader pressure on tech valuations. The Nasdaq 100 notched its third straight weekly loss, shedding about 3%. Retail flows into single-name stocks also flipped negative for the week, according to JPMorgan estimates. And though the market bounced Friday — following dovish comments from New York Fed President John Williams — the rebound did little to erase the deeper sense of unease.All of it points to a retreat from the frothiest parts of the market, where AI exuberance, speculative positioning, and cheap leverage have powered much of this year’s gains — and where conviction is now harder to find. And until recently, crash protection was difficult to justify. Risk assets had rallied hard since May, and those betting against the boom had repeatedly been burned. But now, even long-time bulls are looking over their shoulders.“A lot of folks who have done well are right now discussing 2026 risk budgets, and obviously AI concerns are top of mind,” said Amy Wu Silverman, head of derivatives strategy at RBC Capital Markets. “A number of investors I have spoken with have wanted to hedge for a while. We jokingly call them the ‘fully invested bears.’”Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

Wild ride on Wall Street as the crypto crash spooks risk complex

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>This stock-split stock is up 52% in 2025 and 81% in 12 months.</li><li>The stock has the potential to hit new highs and it has a dividend yield of 0.46%.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>We are less than three months from 2026, and it can be safe to say that if you haven’t met your investment goals this year, there’s no need to panic. There are still plenty of stocks worth buying now that could take you closer to your annual investment goals. The market is rife with tariff fears and their impact on the economy. 2025 has been different; there’s been a lot of uncertainty in the market, and enough companies didn’t announce a stock split this year.While stock splits do not change anything about the company, it becomes easier and more affordable for investors to own stocks. Whenever the demand is high, stock splits can become a way to build wealth. This is how stocks make you a millionaire.Here’s one no-brainer stock-split stock to buy with $2,000 this month.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FtN8yE7E67dGEg6ermNR2xRifizR"><h2>Interactive Brokers Group</h2>Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.(NASDAQ: IBKR)is based in Connecticut and has offices across the world. It has been around for five decades and offers trading services for stocks, bonds, options, futures, crypto, currencies, gold, and more. The company has a strong global presence and is well positioned for international expansion.It has a reach across 36 countries and operates in 28 currencies. About 80% of its customers reside outside of the U.S., giving it a solid position in the global market. Interactive Brokers completed a 4-for-1 stock split this June, after a massive multiyear run. It was the first split since going public in 2007.Since it operates electronically, it manages to keep the costs down and generate a solid profit margin. It is a pure-play brokerage business that runs on automation. As a result of the business structure, IBKR enjoys the best in-class profit margins. Strong fundamentals have boosted the stock’s valuation, and it could continue soaring in the near term.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/Fhso2gCecE6czniM9Oin_IEvZ5v7"><h2>Impressive fundamentals&nbsp;</h2>Exchanging hands for $69, the stock is up 52% year-to-date and 87% in a year. If you missed out on the stock during the split, now is the time to load up on the top performer.Loading stock data...It reported an impressive second quarter, with a commission revenue of $516 million, a 27% year-over-year jump, and the net interest income hit a quarterly record of $860 million.The brokerage added 250,000 net new accounts in the quarter. The daily active revenue trades jumped 49%, and the customer accounts in the quarter jumped 32%. It has incredible momentum in customer account growth. Notably, the company saw a 170% year-over-year jump in overnight trading volumes. The increased customer activity is also helping the business.Its total daily average revenue trades saw a 47% jump in September to 3.86 million while the total number of client accounts reached 4.12 million in September. As the stock market continues to soar higher, IBKR is set to keep growing. Besides the impressive rally, Interactive Brokers is a dividend stock with a yield of 0.46%.<h2>Growth stock with tremendous upside potential</h2>The growth stock has an explosive upside potential and has reported an impressive 22.7% annual revenue growth in the last five years. It is set to continue winning market share in the near term.Analysts are bullish on the stock. BMO Capital has an outperform rating with a price target of $82. The company has no long-term debt and is sitting on plenty of cash on hand.While there is a risk of competition, Interactive Brokers has nailed the recipe for success through automation. It will be tough for any other brokerage to hit the same level of automation. IBKR is a profitable stock to own for the long term.&nbsp;<h2>If You’ve Been Thinking About Retirement, Pay Attention (sponsor)</h2>Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance, and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor. Here’s how:<ol><li>Answer a Few Simple Questions.&nbsp;</li><li>Get Matched with Vetted Advisors&nbsp;</li><li>Choose Your &nbsp;Fit&nbsp;</li></ol>Why wait? Start building the retirement you’ve always dreamed of.Get started today! (sponsor)

1 No-Brainer Stock-Split Stock to Buy With $2000

nextstayCCSettingsOffArabicChineseEnglishFrenchGermanHindiPortugueseSpanishFont ColorwhiteFont Opacity100%Font Size100%Font FamilyArialText ShadownoneBackground ColorblackBackground Opacity50%Window ColorblackWindow Opacity0%WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan100%75%50%25%200%175%150%125%100%75%50%ArialGeorgiaGaramondCourier NewTahomaTimes New RomanTrebuchet MSVerdanaNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop ShadowWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan100%75%50%25%0%WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan100%75%50%25%0%There are many older Americans today who get the majority of their retirement income from Social Security. And there are plenty of people whoseonlysource of retirement income is Social Security.You do not want to end up in that predicament. Here’s why you can’t live on Social Security alone — and what you can do to avoid that fate.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><h2>1. Social Security will only replace about 40% of your paycheck</h2>Once you retire, you can expect to need less income than you did while you were working. Part of this stems from the fact that there’s no need to save for retirement while you’reinretirement. But also, some of your largest costs, like housing and transportation, may shrink.Still, you should expect to need about 70% to 80% of your former income to live comfortably once retirement begins. Social Security, however, will only replace about 40% of your former wages if you earn an average salary.Now if you’re willing to work longer, you could boost your monthly Social Security checks by delaying your claim past full retirement age. But still, you should not expect Social Security to replace your paycheck in its entirety, nor should you assume it’ll replace 70% to 80% of what you used to earn.<h2>2. Social Security is facing cuts</h2>If you’ve been hearing rumors about Social Security going bankrupt, you should know that they’re bogus. Social Security is not in danger of disappearing completely since it’s funded primarily by payroll taxes.That said, Social Security is facing the possibility of benefit cuts in the near term. And if lawmakers don’t intervene, you may end up in a situation where Social Security replaces much less than 40% of your pre-retirement paycheck.While lawmakers do have solutions to prevent Social Security cuts, each one seems to have its own set of drawbacks. So it’s not a given that benefit cuts will be avoidable, even though lawmakers know they need to try.<h2>3. Rising healthcare costs will likely outpace your Social Security COLAs</h2>Social Security benefits are eligible for a COLA, or cost-of-living adjustment, every year. The purpose of COLAs is to help recipients maintain their buying power as inflation drives costs upward.But there’s one expense that tends to outpace broad inflation —&nbsp; healthcare. The combination of Medicare premiums, deductibles, and copays could render future Social Security COLAs pretty useless. Without other income at your disposal, you might quickly fall behind.<h2>How to avoid financial struggles in retirement</h2>At this point, you’re hopefully convinced that retiring on Social Security alone is not a good idea. So let’s talk about solutions to avoid that.One is to save well for retirement. Contributing just a few hundred dollars a month to an IRA or 401(k) could lead to a nice nest egg over time, especially if you invest that money wisely.Another option is to consider an annuity. An annuity is a financial tool that could end up paying you money on a regular basis for the rest of your life. Setting yourself up with an annuity on top of Social Security is a great way to not have to worry about outliving your savings.There are different types of annuities you can look at, so your best bet is to speak to a trusted financial advisor who can walk you through your options.Either way, make sure that you have more than just your monthly Social Security paycheck to spend in retirement. Even if you delay your claim for larger monthly benefits, Social Security is unlikely to be able to cover all of your bills, especially as healthcare costs rise. Setting yourself up with supplemental income could help you avoid a world of financial stress.<h2>Guaranteed Income With As Little as $1,000</h2>Most Americans don’t know where to turn for guaranteed income today. Savings accounts are a joke, bonds aren’t what they used to be, and even Treasuries look like they’re on shaky ground. But there is one good option many are overlooking.&nbsp;An annuity could grow your money steadily while you earn guaranteed income at a fixed rate. No stock-market risk involved.Earn a guaranteed 5.0% APY1 or more when you open a FastBreak™ annuity and contribute a minimum of $1,000.It basically takes no extra work at all other than opening the account and making your first contribution. It’s a. straightforward way to lock inguaranteed income for 3-10 years, with zero market risk. Even better, it’s self-directed, simple to open, flexible terms, and even comes with a 30-day window to change your mind. Get started.Disclosures:&nbsp;24/7 wall st may receive compensation for actions taken from links provided here. 1Annual Percentage Yield (APY) rates subject to change at any time, and the rate mentioned may no longer be current. Please visit Gainbridge.io/fastbreak for current rates, full product disclosures and disclaimer. All guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. FastBreak™ is issued by Gainbridge Life Insurance Company in Zionsville, Indiana. Gainbridge Life Insurance Company is currently licensed and authorized to do business in 49 states (all states except New York), the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

3 Reasons You Can’t Live on Social Security Alone

Shares ofPfizer (NYSE: PFE)&nbsp;gained 10.02% over the past month after gaining 4.50% the month prior. The stock’s year-to-date gain now stands at 2.50%. Over the past year, PFE has fallen by 3.76%. The recent rally in the Big Pharma stock can be attributed to the Trump administration announcing a plan for TrumpRx, which seeks to lower prescription costs for Americans, with Pfizer working in partnership with the federal government.This summer, the FDA announced it will only be recommending COVID-19 vaccines for seniors aged 65 and older and those with certain medical conditions, excluding healthy adults and children above a certain age from its recommendation. That may act as a severe headwind for Pfizer, whose coronavirus franchise — Paxlovid and Comirnaty — contributed $11.1 billion in combined revenue in 2024.Pfizer continues to search for its footing in 2025 despite strong year-end 2024 results driven by stronger-than-expected sales from its COVID products, as well as its non-COVID products, such as Vyndaquel, Padcev and Eliquis. The 176-year-old Big Pharma mainstay has been at the forefront of its industry for several decades. Long known for its mass production of santonin (an antiparasitic drug), penicillin, and antibiotics, the latter part of the 20th century saw Pfizer invent Viagra (erectile dysfunction), Zoloft (anti-depressant) and Lipitor (high cholesterol) treatments, catapulting the company to a market cap in the hundreds of billions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">But over the past five years, the stock has let shareholders down despite paying a dividend with a current and substantial yield of 6.31%. Over that period, Pfizer has fallen 20.85%, and since its all-time high on Dec. 17, 2021, shares of PFE are down more than 54%.24/7 Wall St.&nbsp;has performed analysis to provide prospective and investors with an idea of where the stock might be headed over the course of the next five years.<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Pfizer forecasts FY 2025 total revenues between $61 billion and $64 billion, with newly acquired drugs filling the gap for lagging COVID products such as Paxlovid.</li><li>Oncology sales, which comprise around 25% of the company’s revenues, are expected to grow with several drugs not only in the pipeline but in late-stage development.</li><li>If you’re looking for a megatrend with massive potential, make sure to grab a complimentary copy of our“The Next NVIDIA” report. This report breaks down AI stocks with 10x potential and will give you a huge leg up on profiting from this massive sea change.</li></ul>Loading stock data...<h2>Pfizer’s Recent Stock Success</h2>As a legacy drugmaker, Pfizer is a household name and fixture in both buy-and-hold and income portfolios. In 2024, the company returned $9.5 billion directly to shareholders through dividends. Over the past 40 years, the stock has gained more than 1,114%. In 2014, Pfizer purchased Innopharma and Baxter International’s vaccine portfolio. In 2016, it acquire Anacor Pharmaceuticals. And in 2019, the company purchased Therachon. However, over the past three years, shares have struggled.<table><tbody><tr><td>Fiscal Year&nbsp;</td><td>Price</td><td>Revenues</td><td>Net Income</td></tr><tr><td>2015</td><td>$30.63</td><td>$48.851 B</td><td>$6.960 B</td></tr><tr><td>2016</td><td>$30.82</td><td>$52.824 B</td><td>$7.215 B</td></tr><tr><td>2017</td><td>$34.36</td><td>$52.546 B</td><td>$21.308 B</td></tr><tr><td>2018</td><td>$41.41</td><td>$40.825 B</td><td>$11.153 B</td></tr><tr><td>2019</td><td>$37.17</td><td>$40.905 B</td><td>$16.026 B</td></tr><tr><td>2020</td><td>$36.81</td><td>$41.651 B</td><td>$9.159 B</td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td>$59.05</td><td>$81.288 B</td><td>$21.979 B</td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td>$51.24</td><td>$100.330 B</td><td>$31.372 B</td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td>$28.79</td><td>$58.496 B</td><td>$2.119 B</td></tr><tr><td>2024&nbsp;</td><td>$26.53</td><td>$55.166 B</td><td>-$2.595 B</td></tr></tbody></table>Shares of PFE gained 20.17% in the five years leading up to the emergence of COVID-19. As one of the big three winners of the pandemic’s vaccine race, the stock took a big step forward in 2021, ending the year with a 60.41% gain. But since the end of 2022, that effect has faded and shares have come back down to Earth. However, there are some tailwinds that could see Pfizer’s stock rebound over the next several years.<h2>Key Drivers of Pfizer’s Stock Performance</h2>1. Moving on From COVID:During its Q4 2024 earnings call, CFO Dave Denton said “our revenue volatility is largely int he past as COVID-related uncertainties have diminished.” With COVID cases continuing to plummet, the company is able to refocus (and reallocate CapEx) towards a suite of non-COVID and oncological drugs — something Denton says is expected to “set the stage for ongoing margin expansion.” Pfizer has a number of precious oncology drugs in development, and that facet of the drug market is expected to undergo an 8.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2025 to 2030. Additionally, the company’s non-COVID drug products rose 12% in 2024, exceeding guidance of 9% to 11%.&nbsp;2. Expanding Demand for Obesity Drugs:Despite its late entry in the obesity drug arena, which resulted in Pfizer ceding considerable market share to Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, Pfizer has advanced the development of its once-daily oral formulation,dangulipron. The company has referred to obesity as a key therapeutic area going forward. The obesity drug industry is forecast to expand at a considerable 22.3% CAGR from 2025 to 2030. &nbsp;3. Co-Marketed Drugs:Pfizer has teamed up with Bristol Myers Squibb, with which it co-markets the blood thinner Eliquis. That endeavor resulted in $1.83 billion in Q4 2024 alone, which marked a 14% year-over-year gain for the drug, and exceeded the $1.67 billion analysts were expecting. The anticoagulant market was valued at $34.8 billion in 2023 and is forecast to undergo a 10.2% CAGR from 2024 to 2030.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/Ft0EwD-f7WTlw_B4DCNkPoPgULTj"><h2>Pfizer (PFE) Price Prediction 2025–2030</h2>The current consensus one-year price target for Pfizer, according to analysts, is $27.28, which represents 4.58% potential upside over the next 12 months based on PFE’s current share price. Of the 17 analysts covering Pfizer, the stock receives a consensus “Hold” rating, with four analysts assigning it as a “Buy,” 12 assigning it as a “Hold” and one assigning it as a “Sell.”However, by the end of 2025,&nbsp;24/7 Wall St.‘s forecast projects shares of Pfizer to be trading for $33.60 based on a projected EPS of $2.80 and a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 7.53. That price target represents 23.16% potential upside from today’s share price.<h2>Pfizer Stock Price Target for 2030</h2>Based on our analysis,24/7 Wall St.projects shares of Pfizer to be trading for $34.08 by the end of 2030. That price target is good for 24.92% potential upside from the stock’s price today.<table><tbody><tr><td>Year</td><td>Price</td><td>%Change From Current Price</td></tr><tr><td>2025</td><td>$33.60</td><td>23.16%</td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>$36.00</td><td>31.96%</td></tr><tr><td>2027</td><td>$36.72</td><td>34.60%</td></tr><tr><td>2028</td><td>$33.24</td><td>21.84%</td></tr><tr><td>2029</td><td>$32.64</td><td>19.64%</td></tr><tr><td>2030</td><td>$34.08</td><td>24.92%</td></tr></tbody></table><h2>Guaranteed Income With As Little as $1,000</h2>If you’re a middle-class earner, you know savings accounts don’t pay nearly enough interest, and that the stock market can be too volatile. So stop relying on traditional methods to grow your wealth!An annuity could grow your money fast while you earn guaranteed income at a fixed rate. No stock-market risk involved.Earn a guaranteed 5.25% APY1 or more when you open a FastBreak™ annuity and deposit a minimum of $1,000.It basically takes no extra work at all other than opening the account and making your first deposit.&nbsp;It’s an easy way to lock inguaranteed income for 3-10 years, with zero market risk. Even better, it’s self-directed, simple to open, flexible, and even comes with a 30-day window to change your mind. Get started now.&nbsp;Disclosures:&nbsp;24/7 wall st may receive compensation for actions taken from links provided here. 1Annual Percentage Yield (APY) rates subject to change at any time, and the rate mentioned may no longer be current. Please visit Gainbridge.io/fastbreak for current rates, full product disclosures and disclaimer. All guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. FastBreak™ is issued by Gainbridge Life Insurance Company in Zionsville, Indiana. Gainbridge Life Insurance Company is currently licensed and authorized to do business in 49 states (all states except New York), the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) Price Prediction and Forecast 2025-2030 (October 2025)

Extreme optimism about Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) founder Elon Musk’s relationship with President Trump pushed Tesla’s stock to $400 at the start of 2025. The breakup of that relationship and a sharp drop in the overall market sent the stock to $217 in March. It has recovered, and then some, from the start of the year, and is now up 8% year to date. The S&amp;P 500 is 15% higher in the same period. Additionally, the run has made Tesla the 10th-most-valuable publicly traded company in the world, with a market cap of $1.45 trillion.<h3>Tesla Inc</h3>NASDAQ:TSLA$435.15▲ $422.09(97.00%)1Y1D5D1M3M6M1Y5YMAX<h4>KEY DATA POINTS−</h4>Previous Close$429.24Market Cap1.45TDay's Range$426.33 - $440.5152wk Range$212.11 - $488.54Volume71.56MP/E Ratio256.20Gross Margin6.34%Dividend YieldN/AExchangeNASDAQ<h3>24/7 Wall St. Key Points:</h3><ul><li>Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) stock has recovered and is now up 8% year to date.</li><li>The sales decline may have bottomed, and Tesla is shifting focus to AI and robotics.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Because of the breakup with the president and overall sales figures, the recovery is particularly unexpected. Tesla’s sales in most EU nations are down double-digit percentages this year. Depending on the analysis, Tesla’s market share in China, by far the largest electric vehicle (EV) market share in the world, has dropped to number five. Its U.S. market share fell to 46% through the first three quarters of the year. A decade ago, the number was closer to 80%.Recent data show that Tesla’s car sales decline may have bottomed and that it may be in the early stages of a recovery. Tesla’s third-quarter production and deliveries were higher than expected. Production hit 447,450, and deliveries totaled 497,099. Those figures were both an annual increase of about 7%.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">The third-quarter results were not good when viewed through the lens of the end of the U.S. EV tax credit of $7,500. The expectation is that the lack of the incentive now will cause an EV sales slump in the current quarter.Tesla’s share price reflects Musk’s pitch for its future: Tesla is not a car company anymore but an artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics company. Its AI strength will help it build the first truly self-driving cars, ones in which passengers can forget the road and what is on it. However, this field is becoming crowded, particularly in China.A look at Tesla’s robotics business shows it is in early stages. Its Optimus has only basic robot functions. However, Musk says eventually it will be the world’s most advanced robot.Tesla’s stock has collapsed and risen before. In each case, it was because of Musk’s magic.Tesla Stock Price Prediction and Forecast 2025–2030<h2>Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)</h2>Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.Here’s how it works: 1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz 2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles. 3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future.

Tesla Shares Recover All Their 2025 Losses

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Forward stock splits are often a good indication of bullish sentiment that will continue post-split.</li><li>Taking advantage of a temporarily lower stock price before it rises again is a prudent strategy that has fueled multiple stock splits for some companies over their successful histories.&nbsp;</li><li>Stocks that are already on a bull streak post-split with no sign of deceleration often still offer substantial upside opportunity.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Companies that climb&nbsp; to high market prices will often give their Boards of Directors cause to propose forward stock splits to keep the market price quote at a sufficiently affordable price for new buyers to obtain shares. When demand is strong, multiple stock splits over the course of years can effectively become a compounding wealth building device, which is how people who bought early shares of Microsoft and Apple became millionaires simply by holding their initial positions and watching them multiply through numerous forward splits.&nbsp;Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.(NASDAQ: IBKR)is a good example of a stock that is on its way towards replicating that trajectory. Since enacting a 4-for-1 split in June 2025, IBKR has risen over 33%, 44% year to date, and 438% over the past five years. A $1000 investment made in September 2015 would be worth $6,509.16, or a 550.92% gain, as of September 29, 2025, excluding dividends. IBKR has already made a new high of $70.27 at the time of this writing (adjusted for the split) and shows no signs of running out of steam anytime soon.Brookfield Wealth Solutions Ltd. (NYSE: BNT)is scheduled for a 3-for-2 forward stock split to be payable to shareholders of record on October 9, 2025. It is up 50% since April 1, and has reached a pre-split 52-week high of $71.84 within the last 10 trading days.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><h2>IBKR: Digital Trade Facilitation</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FlgGvv14UWgkQh1i5xxC_OlflnIs">IBKR clientele is 55% institutional and professional traders, and 45% retail customers.Until the advent of computers to execute market trades, sales and purchases of securities, funds, futures, and other instruments were conducted on written paper tickets with designated “runners” who went to the appropriate desk at the exchange and delivered the orders to the specialist by hand.Interactive Brokers Groupconducts the digital equivalent of these, and other tasks, in milliseconds, on a worldwide basis.Background:Based in Greenwich, CT, IBKR has been operating as an automated global electronic trade broker since 1977. Its specialty is routing orders and executing and processing trades in securities, futures, foreign exchange instruments, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and precious metals on more than 160 electronic exchanges and market centers in 37 countries and 28 currencies. The IBRK trading platform also connects third-party cryptocurrency service providers for customers to access cryptocurrency buy and sell orders.&nbsp;In the United States, IBKR operates primarily from Greenwich and Chicago. Across the planet, it conducts business through offices in Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Switzerland, Hungary, India, China (Hong Kong and Shanghai), Japan, Singapore, and Australia. IBKR boasted a workforce of over 3,000 as of this summer.&nbsp;Competitive Edges:<ul><li>Technology– IBKR has invested in developing proprietary technology that has allowed it to automate a number of its processes and make them ergonomically-friendly for its retail customer base, which is 45% of its business.</li><li>Market Trading Segments–&nbsp;</li></ul><ol><li>As one might expect, IBKR’s institutional business, which makes up 55% of its revenues, is designed to compete with such electronic trading platforms as Tradeweb, Alpaca, Clear Street, and Horizon Fintex, among others.&nbsp;</li><li>However, IBKR also has a considerable retail client base. As such, it competes on a trading platform basis with firms like RobinHood and Charles Schwab.</li></ol><ul><li>Brokerage Services– In addition to trade executions, IBKR offers a higher interest rate on cash held in customer accounts than many of its competitors, and its margin loan rates are notably lower than its peers. This is affordable for them, thanks to the efficiencies derived from their technological developments and innovations.&nbsp;</li></ul>As of this summer, IBKR saw a 32% increase in customer accounts&nbsp; (3.87 million), a 34% in customer equity ($665 billion), and 49% gain in daily average revenue trades (3.55 million). Additionally, IBKR replaced Walgreen’s Boots Alliance in the S&amp;P 500 Index in August, 2025.&nbsp;<h2>Quietly Conquering Global Markets – BNT</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/Fn_GkH40wlorG2fvgeW4F_lvmTlo">The lower Manhattan Financial District area overlooking the Hudson River belongs to Brookfield Properties, a sister company to Brookfield Wealth Solutions.While the World Trade Center Towers remain iconic symbols of New York City, the World Financial Center, which boasts the gorgeous Winter Garden Atrium, the yacht harbor at the Hudson River, a shopping center with multiple restaurants, and an office building complex, is arguably a more appealing attraction. In 2013, Brookfield Properties bought the entire property of 2013, and discreetly renamed it as Brookfield Place, although few longtime New York residents refer to it by that name.&nbsp;Brookfield Properties is the property arm of Toronto headquartered Brookfield Corporation, a multinational conglomerate that is the largest infrastructure management company on Earth, and currently has over $1 trillion in AUM. Another Brookfield subsidiary,Brookfield Wealth Solutions (NYSE: BNT), is engaged primarily in insurance and reinsurance, with property &amp; casualty, life insurance, annuities, wealth protection, and customized capital solutions.&nbsp;A true multinational player, BNT has continued to expand abroad. Getting clearance to operate in the UK in March, the company recently made a splash across the pond with its September acquisition announcement of Just Group, a financial services firm in the UK, in a deal valued at £2.4bn ($3.2bn).Additionally, BNT just announced a reinsurance agreement with Dai-Ichi Frontier Life on the heels of BNT opening another Tokyo office earlier this year. The agreement allows Dai-ichi Frontier Life to reinsure liabilities to Brookfield Wealth Solutions’ U.S.-based subsidiary, American National Insurance Company, on a flow basis. Japan’s insurance market is estimated at $6 trillion.&nbsp;From a growth perspective, BNT’s market cap has grown 129.52% in the past 12-months. This strong expansion led to the proposed 3-for-2 forward stock split scheduled to consummate on October 9th.&nbsp;<h2>The Trend Is Your Friend</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FoIshYSiOECMgXJ22iklRo2Y8_7e">If the indicators are present, the trend going upside is very often your friend. In a bull market, forward splits often fuel more buying, which adds fuel to trend – until it changes its course.Investor and analyst Martin Zweig is credited with the maxim:“The trend is your friend, until the end when it bends.”&nbsp;As we are entering the 36th month of the current bull run in the stock market, the trend is not showing any signs of faltering. Since its split in June IBKR has continued soaring upward. BNT is showing indications of following suit after its split in the next week. The trend is certainly acting like a friend in continuing to buoy these stocks as they ride upwards. Those who choose to hop aboard will likely see gains – at least in the near term.Of course, the other half of the maxim: “until the end when it bends”, is echoing reality: all things come to an end at some point, and inevitably will change course. IBKR’s gains are actually intimately connected to the overall trend. A bull market in the S&amp;P 500 inevitably leads to more frequent stock trading activity, commensurately fueling the business of companies like IBKR. Unsurprisingly, a strong bull market also supplies ammunition to the insurance industry, which is the bailiwick of BNT.&nbsp;&nbsp;Buying shares of IBKR or BNT post-split can be likened to hopping aboard a moving train. Purchasing BNT shares prior to the split is analogous to buying a ticket on a new amusement park ride – you’re not sure how extreme things might get, but it should be a fun trip regardless.&nbsp;Should an investor choose to acquire shares in either or both IBKR and BNT, there is a strong likelihood for paper gains.&nbsp; However, prudent fund management advises close monitoring and making sure to take money off the table so at least some of those gains become tangible, if there are doubts as to whether IBKR and BNT will perform historically like Apple or Microsoft.&nbsp;<h2>If You’ve Been Thinking About Retirement, Pay Attention (sponsor)</h2>Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance, and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor. Here’s how:<ol><li>Answer a Few Simple Questions.&nbsp;</li><li>Get Matched with Vetted Advisors&nbsp;</li><li>Choose Your &nbsp;Fit&nbsp;</li></ol>Why wait? Start building the retirement you’ve always dreamed of.Get started today! (sponsor)

2 Stock Split Stocks To Buy Hand-Over-Fist in October

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Insiders have been buying these three stocks recently.</li><li>The volume and the number of buys are unusually high.</li><li>The management of these companies likely see more upside ahead.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>People don’t like to throw money into a sinking ship, and by that logic, insider buys in Wall Street can be an easy way to gauge how well a company might do in the coming quarters. An “insider buy” is the legal purchase of a company’s stock by its own executives, directors, or major shareholders.These buys are considered legal if they areproperly disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The public can freely view these insider trades. Research shows that insider purchase patterns are often good signals for buying and selling, with stocks that have insider buying outperforming the overall market by 6% to 10.2% per year.As such, it pays to look into stocks with a high number of insider buys. Here are three such stocks:<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><h2>Scholar Rock Holding (SRRK)</h2>Loading stock data...Scholar Rock (NASDAQ:SRRK)is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company for diseases where protein growth factors play a central role. It does not yet have commercial products. It generates revenue primarily through collaboration and licensing agreements with larger pharmaceutical partners.The company’s Director Srinivas Akkaraju made three buys of the stock in early October, all filed this Tuesday. His first buy was worth $14.44 million, followed by two more worth $697.71k and $3.67 million, respectively. He is a non-employee director but has deep biotech credentials.This is a very strong vote of confidence, as previous insider trades have been planned and pre-announced sales from other officers and directors.The likely rationale comes from Phase 3 SAPPHIRE data showing apitegromab improved motor milestones in a statistically significant way. Approval is possible in both Europe and the U.S. next year.This could push the stock up even higher.<h2>CarMax (KMX)</h2>Loading stock data...CarMax (NYSE:KMX)is America’s largest used-car retailer.It operates CarMax Sales Operations and CarMax Auto Finance (CAF). The company also wholesales trade-ins via on-site auctions, sells extended-service plans, and performs reconditioning and repair work.KMX stock has been in a rather sorry state since 2021. It went through a significant decline from late 2021 to late 2022 that more than halved KMX’s value. It was on a sustained recovery from then to early 2025.This year, it has again entered into a second phase of selloffs, with the stock down 45% year-to-date.Insiders are betting against the trend. Director Oneil Mark F bought $499.81k worth of shares on the 2nd of October. The same day, Director Steenrod Mitchell D bought $91.14k worth of shares.Earlier this year, CarMax withdrew its long-term unit-growth algorithm, “citing a lack of clarity,” which the Street read as “we don’t know how low this cycle goes.”But these insider buys show that management sees light at the end of the tunnelInventories have come down from $3.94 billion at the start of the year to $3.15 billion in the most recent quarter. Plus, the Federal Reserve’s rate cut in September and two more planned rate cuts this year can give the company a surprisingly fast snap-back in 2026-27.If you can tolerate 6 to 12 months of choppy numbers, the risk is worth the eventual payoff.<h1>Sportsman’s Warehouse&nbsp;(SPWH)</h1>Loading stock data...Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings (NASDAQ:SPWH)is a specialty retailer focused on outdoor recreation gear. The company operates a chain of stores across the United States offering a one-stop shopping experience for hunting, fishing, camping, and shooting enthusiasts.There has been a flurry of insider buying activity in the past week. Director Mcbee Richard D bought $61.75k of the stock on October 2, along with CEO Stone Paul buying $20.42k of the stock. The next day, Paul bought $167.94k more, with Director Tucci Michael D joining in by buying $140.5k worth of SPWH.The insiders seem to be betting that the worst of the margin squeeze and liquidity scare is behind SPWH, the new merchandising strategy is taking hold, and the shares discount an outcome far worse than they now expect.The stock seems to have bottomed and is up 219% from its trough. It is a penny stock, so multibagger returns are possible if management can keep executing.<h2>If You’ve Been Thinking About Retirement, Pay Attention (sponsor)</h2>Retirement planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The key is finding expert guidance, and SmartAsset’s simple quiz makes it easier than ever for you to connect with a vetted financial advisor. Here’s how:<ol><li>Answer a Few Simple Questions.&nbsp;</li><li>Get Matched with Vetted Advisors&nbsp;</li><li>Choose Your &nbsp;Fit&nbsp;</li></ol>Why wait? Start building the retirement you’ve always dreamed of.Get started today! 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Wall Street Insiders Are Loading Up on These 3 Stocks

Netflix(NASDAQ: NFLX) went from mailing DVDs in red envelopes to dominating global streaming. That transformation created one of the most compelling investment stories of the past decade, but the path wasn’t smooth. The company weathered subscriber losses in 2022, fierce competition from Disney+ and HBO Max, and persistent questions about whether it could sustain growth after saturating major markets.nextstayCCSettingsOffArabicChineseEnglishFrenchGermanHindiPortugueseSpanishFont ColorwhiteFont Opacity100%Font Size100%Font FamilyArialText ShadownoneBackground ColorblackBackground Opacity50%Window ColorblackWindow Opacity0%WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan100%75%50%25%200%175%150%125%100%75%50%ArialGeorgiaGaramondCourier NewTahomaTimes New RomanTrebuchet MSVerdanaNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop ShadowWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan100%75%50%25%0%WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan100%75%50%25%0%The answer came through strategic pivots. Netflix doubled down on international expansion, launched an ad-supported tier in late 2022, and cracked down on password sharing in 2023. These moves reignited subscriber growth and drove revenue acceleration. By 2024, the company reported $39.00 billion in revenue and $8.71 billion in net income. The most recent quarter (Q3 2025) delivered $11.51 billion in revenue, up 17% year over year, with a 28% operating margin despite a $619 million Brazilian tax dispute.The stock reflected this evolution. After touching lows around $48 in late 2019 and early 2020, shares climbed steadily through the pandemic and beyond, recently trading near $93.47 in early December 2025.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><h2>Your $1,000 Turned Into $1,920 in One Year</h2>Here’s what a $1,000 investment would look like across different time horizons:1-Year Return (December 2024 to December 2025)<ul><li>Initial Investment:$1,000</li><li>Current Value:$1,920</li><li>Total Return:92.0%</li><li>S&amp;P 500 (same period):Approximately $1,250 (25% estimated)</li></ul>5-Year Return (December 2020 to December 2025)<ul><li>Initial Investment:$1,000</li><li>Current Value:$1,927</li><li>Total Return:92.7%</li><li>Annualized Return:14.0%</li><li>S&amp;P 500 (same period):Approximately $1,850 (85% estimated)</li></ul>10-Year Return (December 2015 to December 2025)<ul><li>Initial Investment:$1,000</li><li>Current Value:$1,927</li><li>Total Return:92.7%</li><li>Annualized Return:6.8%</li><li>S&amp;P 500 (same period):Approximately $3,200 (220% estimated)</li></ul>The 10-year picture reveals Netflix underperformed the broader market, largely due to the brutal 2022 drawdown when the stock lost over half its value. Investors who held through that period needed conviction. The recent surge, particularly in 2024 and 2025, came from operational execution: net income jumped 61% in 2023 to $5.41 billion as the company scaled subscribers while optimizing content spending.Timing mattered significantly. Those who bought in 2022 during the panic saw far better returns than decade-long holders.<h2>Market Outlook and Analyst Perspectives</h2>Analysts remain largely bullish on Netflix, with 34 buy ratings versus just 2 sells. The forward P/E of 32.68 suggests expectations for earnings acceleration compared to the current P/E of 41.77. The company’s return on equity of 42.9% demonstrates strong operational efficiency.However, the stock’s beta of 1.71 indicates high volatility, meaning shares can move sharply in either direction. The recent Q3 2025 earnings miss—reporting $0.59 versus $0.70 expected—has raised questions about potential margin pressure ahead, particularly given the $619 million Brazilian tax dispute that impacted operating margins.Key factors analysts are monitoring include whether the company can maintain its 17% revenue growth trajectory and how successfully the ad-supported business scales. The valuation leaves limited room for disappointment, with the current multiple pricing in continued strong execution.<h2>Want Up To $1,000? SoFi Is Giving New Active Invest Users up to $1k in Stock</h2>Looking to grow your money but unsure where to begin? SoFi Active Invest is offering a limited-time promotion—open an account, fund it with $50 or more, and you could&nbsp;receive up to $1,000&nbsp;in complimentary stock for Active Invest accounts.From $0 commission trading to fractional shares and automated investing, this app is designed to simplify investing for everyone, whether you’re just starting or already experienced.&nbsp;Its easy to sign up and secure your bonus.&nbsp;(sponsor)DISCLOSURE:INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUEBrokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA(www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org).Advisory services are offered by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.Probability of Member receiving $1,000 is a probability of 0.026%; If you don’t make a selection in 30 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Customer must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify.Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view our fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees.Investing in alternative investments and/or strategies may not be suitable for all investors and involves unique risks, including the risk of loss. An investor should consider their individual circumstances and any investment information, such as a prospectus, prior to investing. Interval Funds are illiquid instruments, the ability to trade on your timeline may be restricted. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA(www.finra.org) /SIPC(www.sipc.org).There are limitations with fractional shares to consider before investing. During market hours fractional share orders are transmitted immediately in the order received. There may be system delays from receipt of your order until execution and market conditions may adversely impact execution prices. Outside of market hours orders are received on a not held basis and will be aggregated for each security then executed in the morning trade window of the next business day at market open. Share will be delivered at an average price received for executing the securities through a single batched order. Fractional shares may not be transferred to another firm. Fractional shares will be sold when a transfer or closure request is initiated. Please consider that selling securities is a taxable event.Options involve risks, including substantial risk of loss and the possibility an investor may lose the entire investment Before trading options please review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized OptionsInvesting in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) involves substantial risk, including the risk of loss. Further, there are a variety of risk factors to consider when investing in an IPO, including but not limited to, unproven management, significant debt, and lack of operating history. For a comprehensive discussion of these risks please refer to SoFi Securities’ IPO Risk Disclosure Statement This should not be considered a recommendation to participate in IPOs and investors should carefully read the offering prospectus to determine whether an offering is consistent with their investment objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation. New offerings generally have high demand and there are a limited number of shares available for distribution to participants. Many customers may not be allocated shares and share allocations may be significantly smaller than the shares requested in the customer’s initial offer (Indication of Interest). For more information on the allocation process please visit IPO Allocation.

Netflix Doubled Your Money in 12 Months After Years of Lagging the Market

Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) is ripping 9% today, October 6th on ongoing enthusiasm about the future of nuclear power generation in the US. It’s been an outrageously good year for the stock, with shares already up over 550% year to date. That beats all other top performing stocks in the S&amp;P 500 for the year, including other big energy related companies like GE Vernova (NYSE: GEV) and Monolithic Power Systems (Nasdaq: MPWR).<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Oklo shares are up over 9% today on ongoing nuclear energy excitement</li><li>The combination of new power needs, Sam Altman, and new politics are driving the rally</li><li>Oklo is at the junction of megatrends that will result in a completely revamped US energy grid</li></ul>The story is the same. Power generation, Sam Altman, and politics.On the power generation side, as AI data centers smash through their most ambitious forecasts from only a few months ago, investors are increasingly realizing that nuclear power is (long term at least) going to be critical to delivering the gigawatts needed.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">And while Sam Altman is CEO of OpenAI, he is also the 3rd largest individual shareholder in Oklo with a stake valued over $780m. As Sam jets around the globe raising excitement and energy for AI, it’s a fair bet that Oklo will benefit from the fever, whether directly or indirectly.And then there is the changing political appetite for nuclear. President Trump and Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the UK, signed a deal to expand nuclear power generation in the UK. the deal could lead to up to a dozen reactors in the country. And it’s not just overseas, either. Whether it’s AI data centers, or onshoring other forms of manufacturing the federal government is pedal to the metal on policies that will dramatically increase the US’s own need for power generation.When you add it all up, nuclear power generation, and Oklo in particular, are at an intersection of massive multibillion-dollar megatrends that could rewrite grids for the next few decades.

Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) Pops 9% On Nuclear Power Fervor

Of the magnificent seven stocks most investors spend a disproportionate of time assessing,&nbsp;Amazon&nbsp;(NASDAQ:AMZN) continues to be one of my top picks. In addition to providing market-beating returns for most years over the course of the past two decades, Amazon has grown into an absolutely dominant force in the key e-commerce, cloud and AI sectors.<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Amazon is among the most-watched stocks in the market, and will drive plenty of attention heading into month end.</li><li>The cloud and e-commerce giant is expected to report Q3 results on October 30 – here’s what the market expects from the Magnificent 7 giant.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; get started by clicking here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>As such, investors who have continued to hold outsized weightings to AMZN stock over the past few decades have continued to outperform.There’s a long history that tells a story of scale in key industries, and why holding onto one’s winners (like Amazon) makes sense. But here’s why I still think Amazon is a buy as we head into the company’s next expected earnings release due October 30.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><h2>Upcoming Earnings Report Pivotal</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FvdWXUzA5jeq-ayBPfR-dspmpbWJ">A businessman looking at an earnings reportEvery earnings report for a key company like Amazon, you’re likely to hear talking heads and so-called financial experts tout a given report as “the biggest in X company’s history.” That’s tended to be the case with Amazon and other key high-flying stocks driven by recent AI catalysts.At least for now, Amazon’s recent robust growth does appear to justify its premium valuation, particularly if the company’s AI efforts lead to even greater efficiency. In Amazon’s upcoming earnings report, analysts and market participants will undoubtedly be diving into the company’s margins and underlying growth (from specific segments) as indicators of whether this company’s valuation reflects its forward-looking growth picture.With strong Q2 results in the books (13% annualized growth as per this past quarter), driven by an 18% increase in AWS revenue and promising AI investments and partnerships, there are certainly high expectations for what’s to come. Current whisper numbers appear to be modestly above Wall Street’s consensus Q3 estimates for a range of between $177.5 and $177.9 billion in revenue and $1.57 in ESP (a 10% increase year-over-year).In other words, if Amazon can beat these numbers materially, this is a stock that could be headed much higher from here.<h2>What Would Drive a Higher Multiple?</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FjHzEN6vwtmshy_3iHBt-QUqjDSK">Question mark on a dinner plateLooking at Amazon’s trailing price-earnings and price-sales multiples (at 33.5-times and 3.5-times, respectively), Amazon isn’t a cheap stock by any means. However, this is a company that’s justified an above-market multiple for a long time. And that’s been precisely due to the fact that the cloud and e-commerce giant has been able to continuously grow its revenue and earnings at a much faster rate than companies of similar size (or even those with much smaller market capitalizations).I do think that there’s a fundamental bullish argument to be made for buying and holding Amazon stock here, particularly if the company can. grow its cash flow at a double-digit rate for the years to come. That’s what the company is projecting, with around 20% cash flow growth in its core AWS division doing most of the work.So long as cloud growth remains strong, and Amazon’s AI investments continue to pay off, there’s a lot to like about where this stock is positioned. A lot can change between now and the next quarter or two, and I’m sure we’ll be looking at a much different company a few years down the line.But given Amazon’s historical performance, the ability of the company’s management team to look ahead to future growth opportunities and invest aggressively, I like where this stock is trading today. Amazon remains a buy, at least in my books heading into this print.<h2>Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)</h2>Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.Here’s how it works: 1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz 2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles. 3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future.

3 Reasons to Buy Amazon Stock Before October 30

Bill Ackman is in talks to take his hedge fund management company Pershing Square public, alongside a new investment entity.Recommended VideoThe billionaire investor plans to orchestrate a double public offering as soon as early next year, theWall Street Journalreported Friday night, citing people familiar with the matter.&nbsp;The company filed a prospectus early last year for a new investment fund, Pershing Square USA. But it failed to materialize due to weak investor interest, and now he’s trying again.This time around,theJournalreported Ackman has sweetened the deal for investors who put money into the new fund by offering free shares of Pershing Square, which would also go public. Partners of the firm would give away up to 10% of their shares, the report said.TheFinancial Timesreported earlier on Friday that Ackman was readying Pershing Square’s public listing, but did not mention plans for the Pershing Square USA fund to go public as well.Two people briefed on the matter told theFTthat Ackman had begun preliminary talks with advisors about Pershing Square’s listing plans, which could come as early as the first quarter of 2026. They cautioned that they were early-stage conversations subject to change or be abandoned depending on market conditions.&nbsp;Pershing Square declined to comment toFortuneand hasn’t publicly commented on the matter in other reports.Pershing Square USA would be a closed-end fund, meaning it sells a fixed number of shares in a public offering. Shareholders can leave the fund only by selling their stakes to other investors at the current market price, no matter what the fund’s actual asset value is.After filing the prospectus in early 2024, Ackman ended funding for Pershing Square USA and withdrew its IPO in July of that year, as lack of investor interest made him scale back its size from $25 billion to $2 billion.Ackman founded Pershing Square in 2004, with initial capital from his own funds and backing from diversified holding company Leucadia National, which has been renamed to Jefferies Financial Group.Once known for activism, the hedge fund has since transitioned its strategy to focus on concentrated stakes in big public companies.&nbsp;It had over $21.4 billion in core assets as of October.Pershing Square recently bought nearly half of real estate firm Howard Hughes Holdings. Ackman has said his bid for the company would make it “a modern-day Berkshire Hathaway.”Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman is reportedly readying Pershing Square and a new fund to go public as soon as early next year

I’m generally not a fan of chasing returns, whether they be in individual stocks or in mutual funds or exchange traded funds (ETFs). However, I also know that investors look for above-market returns, and want to at least check out the funds that outperformed broader indexes to see what companies these funds are invested in, and why there’s some sort of outperformance differential.&nbsp;<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Creating passive income via investing in ETFs can seem like a good idea, but many don’t beat benchmarks like the S&amp;P 500.</li><li>Here are three that have, and why they look like buying opportunities here.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>To be honest, I’m a creature of curiosity as well, so this is one educational exercise I thought I’d dive into to provide some value to readers as well. I’m looking for income-focused ETFs that have outperformed the S&amp;P 500 on a year-to-date basis (I put the end of September as the cut off date, for simplicity’s sake).&nbsp;As of Sep. 30, the S&amp;P 500 produced a year-to-date return of around 14.5%, so let’s dive into three income ETFs that managed to beat this benchmark and why.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><h2>Laffer Tengler Equity Income ETF (TGLR)</h2>Loading stock data...One ETF I haven’t touched on in the past, but which has clearly been a winner thus far this year, is the&nbsp;Laffer Tengler Equity Income ETF&nbsp;(TGLR). Shares of TGLR are up more than 20% at the time of writing, providing investors with a spread of around 6% over and above the performance of the benchmark S&amp;P 500 index.&nbsp;What’s impressive about this performance is the fact that the Laffer Tengler Equity Income ETF is concentrated on large-cap U.S. stocks. Given the high concentration of mega-cap stocks within the S&amp;P 500 (indices are typically weighted by market capitalization), one might expect to see much more consistent performance.&nbsp;Now, both funds do provide investors with very high correlation to the same assets. But for a fund like TGLR that has an even more aggressive size and quality tilt, one can expect to see outperformance and underperformance, depending on the point in the market cycle we’re in.&nbsp;For those who think this rally can continue, and want to invest in an ETF that uses a 12-factor model to pick stocks on the basis of valuation and dividend potential, this is a great way to go.&nbsp;<h2>Franklin U.S. Core Dividend Tilt ETF (UDIV)</h2>Loading stock data...Another top dividend-focused ETF which managed to beat the market (excluding its dividend yield of 1.5%, still higher than the S&amp;P 500’s) is the&nbsp;Franklin U.S. Core Dividend Tilt ETF&nbsp;(UDIV). This ETF is up approximately 15.5% this year, driven by strong growth seen in the a wide range of sectors.Unlike the other ETFs on this list that have tilted their portfolios more aggressively toward tech stocks, UDIV has a more balanced and moderate portfolio of a range of companies in varying industries. Now, these companies clearly have outsized growth potential, or this fund would not have beaten the overall S&amp;P 500 since the beginning of the year. But I also think this fund’s core holdings having higher dividend yields than other comparable income ETFs does signal a trend which could be coming to the surface – more investors want to own income-paying equities as interest rates come down.For investors who think the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates again, this is a top ETF to consider right now. At least, that’s my view.&nbsp;<h2>ProShares S&amp;P Technology Dividend Artistocrats ETF (TDV)</h2>Loading stock data...Last, but certainly not least on this list of income ETFs that have outperformed the broader market is the&nbsp;ProShares S&amp;P Technology Dividend Aristocrats ETF&nbsp;(TDV). This ETF has posted a year-to-date performance of around 16.5%, so investors in this fund have had even better of a run than those in SPY, at least thus far in 2025.That shouldn’t make too many investors confused, since this ETF is almost entirely tech focused.&nbsp;As is the case with other market-beating funds, it’s really impossible to beat the S&amp;P 500 without being even more overweight tech than the broader index. That’s the case here, with the TDV ETF tracking the S&amp;P 500 Technology Dividend Aristocrats, a group of companies that have maintained dividends for at least seven years.&nbsp;What’s interesting about this fact is that many of the “Magnificent 7” and similar mega-cap tech stocks either don’t pay a dividend, or haven’t for seven years. Thus, the quality of companies within this portfolio, and the selection process behind the scenes does appear to be world-class.&nbsp;<h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be.Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

Two Income ETFs Outperforming the S&P 500 This Year

On March 10, 2000, the Nasdaq-100 traded at 5,048.62. On October 9, 2002, it had dropped to 1,114, down 78% from its peak. If a decline occurs anywhere near that level, it will be due to several factors combined. The most likely outcome is a huge disappointment in the future of artificial intelligence (AI). Another would be raging inflation caused by tariffs. (This leaves a major war out of the equation.) A drop of the same magnitude would take the Nasdaq down over 19,000 points.<h3>24/7 Wall St. Key Points:</h3><ul><li>Overvaluation of startup tech companies appears to have come around again.</li><li>A meltdown like the one in 2001 would take the Nasdaq down over 19,000 points this time.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Most of the drop in the market from 2000 to 2002 was due to major overvaluation of stocks, which were part of the new internet wave. Those that dragged the market down for the most part had almost no revenue. They often raised money by going public. They ran out of money. A falling market made it impossible for most to raise any more money. Investors in those stocks were wiped out.The panic was so severe that it even dragged down stocks with excellent business prospects, which are among the most valuable tech stocks today. Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) shares fell as much as 90%. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) was a more well-established company. Its stock fell nearly 60%. Good earnings at strong tech companies did not save their investors.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><h2>Can It Happen Again?</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FioLnvZmemBKPdz-NTFNAwjj0y3o">The valuation of some of the hardest hit companies in 2000 to 2002 bears a resemblance to the valuation of AI-related companies today. OpenAI was valued at $29 billion as of May 2023. It is worth $500 billion today. Anthropic was worth $18 billion in early 2024. Its recent valuation was $183 billion. Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA) traded for $21 in March 2023. Today, it trades at $188 per share.There are theories about AI valuations that are not in its favor. Among them is the fact that advances in technology will start to slow down. Another concern is that a shortage of electricity for AI data centers will hinder its growth. The most likely scenario is that AI products, which are mostly given away for free today, eventually become something that people will pay for. Revenue forecasts could be entirely wrong. Alternatively, AI could become so effective that it puts millions of Americans out of work.Leaving aside direct stock valuation, people often overlook the fact that other factors also hurt the economy during this period. Japan went into recession, and some economists feared that it would spread. The Federal Reserve raised rates several times starting in 2002 due to concerns about inflation. Today, following President Trump’s aggressive moves, it is more likely that rates will fall, unless inflation arises.Tariffs will be the inflation trigger. It depends on their levels, duration, the countries involved, and the goods and services they affect. It also has to do with retaliation. The largest risk today is likely from China, Canada, and Mexico, America’s three largest trading partners. U.S. negotiations with China have made no significant progress. However, the central government in China can prop up its economy during a trade war in a way the United States cannot. Canada’s retaliation could center around timber and autos. Mexico’s might center on cars and agriculture.Most investors believe there is no chance for a market reset. What they forget is that it has happened in the past.Is a Big-Time Fall Sell-Off Coming? Play Defense With These 7 Proven Moves<h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be.Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

A 2001 Meltdown Would Drop Nasdaq 19,000 Points

Constellation Energy(NASDAQ: CEG) andVistra Energy(NYSE: VST) reported Q3 earnings this month, exposing two fundamentally different approaches to power generation. Constellation doubled down on premium nuclear assets and clean energy positioning. Vistra leaned into growth through fossil fuel acquisitions and aggressive capital returns.nextstayCCSettingsOffArabicChineseEnglishFrenchGermanHindiPortugueseSpanishFont ColorwhiteFont Opacity100%Font Size100%Font FamilyArialText ShadownoneBackground ColorblackBackground Opacity50%Window ColorblackWindow Opacity0%WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan100%75%50%25%200%175%150%125%100%75%50%ArialGeorgiaGaramondCourier NewTahomaTimes New RomanTrebuchet MSVerdanaNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDrop ShadowWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan100%75%50%25%0%WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan100%75%50%25%0%<h2>Clean Premium vs. Diversified Growth Machine</h2>Constellation missed Q3 revenue estimates at $6.57B versus $6.63B expected, but fundamentals tell a steadier story. Nuclear production climbed to 46,477 gigawatt-hours from 45,510 in the prior year quarter, and renewable capture rate improved to 96.8%. The company operates nearly 90% carbon-free generation, positioning itself as infrastructure backbone for data centers and AI workloads demanding reliable, emissions-free power. CEO Joe Dominguez emphasized that “momentum continues to build around reliable, clean nuclear energy as a cornerstone of America’s energy strategy.”Vistra missed revenue more dramatically at $4.97B against a $6.16B estimate. Net income dropped 66.7% year-over-year to $652M, hurt by lower unrealized mark-to-market gains on derivatives and the Martin Lake Unit 1 outage. But Vistra is playing a different game. The company completed acquisition of seven natural gas plants during the quarter, started building two new gas units in West Texas, and secured a 20-year power purchase agreement for its Comanche Peak nuclear facility. CEO Jim Burke described the quarter as “marked by disciplined growth and a focus on meeting customer needs across key markets.”<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><table><tbody><tr><td>Business Driver</td><td>Constellation</td><td>Vistra</td></tr><tr><td>Core Asset Focus</td><td>Nuclear and renewables (90% carbon-free)</td><td>Diversified gas, nuclear, coal, solar, storage</td></tr><tr><td>Q3 Strategy</td><td>Operational excellence, premium positioning</td><td>M&amp;A expansion, new builds</td></tr><tr><td>Profit Margin</td><td>11%</td><td>6.7%</td></tr><tr><td>Market Cap</td><td>$112.41B</td><td>$56.64B</td></tr></tbody></table><h2>Capital Allocation Shows the Real Divide</h2>Constellation carries a 0.41% dividend yield and trades at 41.17 times trailing earnings, reflecting its status as a quality asset with predictable cash flows. The company narrowed full-year 2025 adjusted operating earnings guidance to $9.05 to $9.45 per share.Vistra authorized an additional $1B in share repurchases through 2027 and trades at a 60.13 trailing P/E but just 17.92 times forward earnings. That compression suggests the market expects significant earnings acceleration. The company initiated 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance of $6.8B to $7.6B, well above 2025’s $5.7B to $5.9B range. Institutional ownership sits at 92.7%, higher than Constellation’s 85%, indicating professional money managers favor the growth trajectory over the premium stability play.<h2>Which Model Holds Up When Power Demand Surges</h2>Both companies benefit from rising electricity demand driven by data centers and AI infrastructure buildout. Constellation captures that demand through existing nuclear capacity that can’t be easily replicated. Vistra captures it by building new gas plants and acquiring distressed assets at attractive multiples.<h2>Valuation and Growth Trajectory Comparison</h2>The two companies trade at significantly different valuation multiples. Constellation trades at 32.15 times forward earnings, reflecting its premium positioning and stable nuclear asset base. Vistra trades at 17.92 times forward earnings despite management guidance for significant EBITDA growth from $5.7B-$5.9B in 2025 to $6.8B-$7.6B in 2026. The valuation gap reflects different risk profiles: Constellation offers operational stability with 90% carbon-free generation, while Vistra pursues growth through acquisitions and new capacity additions. Institutional ownership stands at 92.7% for Vistra versus 85% for Constellation, indicating professional investors have positioned for both strategies.<h3>Constellation Energy Corp</h3>NASDAQ:CEG$359.82▲ $73.25(20.36%)6MPre-Market1D5D1M3M6M1Y5YMAX<h4>KEY DATA POINTS−</h4>Previous Close$368.62Market Cap112.41BDay's Range$357.12 - $370.0752wk Range$160.75 - $412.23Volume2.02MP/E Ratio41.17Gross Margin11.00%Dividend Yield0.41%ExchangeNASDAQ<h2>Guaranteed Income With As Little as $1,000</h2>Most Americans don’t know where to turn for guaranteed income today. Savings accounts are a joke, bonds aren’t what they used to be, and even Treasuries look like they’re on shaky ground. But there is one good option many are overlooking.&nbsp;An annuity could grow your money steadily while you earn guaranteed income at a fixed rate. 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Constellation Holds Margin Lead as Vistra Expands With Gas Plants and Buybacks

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>A Reddit user is wondering if opening up a new card once a year is too much.</li><li>While getting new cardholder bonuses is attractive, opening cards too frequently can damage your credit and put you at risk of missed or late payments.</li><li>Instead of opening too many cards, consider researching and finding one or two really great cards that are a good fit.</li><li>It’s hard to believe, but today there are credit cards offering up to 5% cash back, large statement credits, $0 annual fees, travel rewards, and more. See for yourself. If you apply for a card today you could secure some of the best rewards out there. Get started today.</li></ul>A Reddit user is thinking about taking an unconventional approach to earning credit card rewards. The original poster said in a recent thread that he wanted to open a new credit card every year. He’d pay his insurance on it, which would give him enough charges to qualify for a new cardmember bonus. He could then take advantage of all the perks the card offered, including the rewards and that new cardmember bonus, which was effectively free money.&nbsp;The poster wanted to know if this was a bad idea and if there were any downsides to it. So, let’s take a look at whether it is a good strategy or one that isn’t likely to pan out in the end.<h2>Pros and cons of opening a new credit card</h2>The OP’s plan to open a new card and make an insurance payment with it each year isn’t necessarily the worst idea in the world. In fact, there’s one big perk of taking this approach.&nbsp; If the OP opens the new card specifically to pay insurance premiums, this should hopefully give him enough money to earn the new cardmember bonus for that card, without feeling pressured to spend on a bunch of stuff. New cardmember bonuses often require you to spend $500 or even $1,000 or more in the first three months to qualify for added cash back, rewards, or miles. Covering one big fixed cost on the card eliminates the need to do that, reducing the chances of overspending.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">However, there are also some big downsides to opening a new card every year, including the following:<ul><li>Too many inquiries hurt your credit score. Inquiries are requests to check your credit when you apply for a new loan or a new card. They stay on your credit history for two years, and too many can reduce your score because applying for so much credit in a short time suggests you may be getting into too much debt.</li><li>You’ll lower your average age of credit.&nbsp;This is another important part of your credit score. A longer average age of credit is better, as it shows you have been responsible for a long time. Unfortunately, if you open a new card each year, your average age of credit will remain shorter because you’ll constantly be adding a new credit line.&nbsp;</li><li>You’ll end up with a lot of cards to manage.&nbsp;Getting a new card every year can leave you with an overwhelming number of credit cards. It may soon become hard to keep track of everything, which means you could risk missing payments. You could also end up using the wrong card for each purchase because you can’t really remember which of your many cards provides bonus rewards for gas, groceries, or travel.&nbsp;</li><li>There’s an opportunity cost.&nbsp;When you spend time researching, opening a new card, and changing your payments to it, this can all take time. If you have other, more lucrative or more fun things that you could be doing with your time, you may not want to waste it chasing a few hundred dollars in credit card rewards.&nbsp;</li><li>Your card issuers may cut you off.&nbsp;Card companies don’t really want customers who open their card to get a new cardmember bonus and then leave the cards sitting in a drawer instead of using them. You could find yourself eventually getting cut off from getting new credit, as some companies have rules on how frequently you can apply for cards.&nbsp; Your card issuer could also close accounts or reduce your credit limit if you aren’t using your cards regularly, which would be hard to do if you have a ton of them.</li></ul>All of these downsides must be carefully considered because they may convince you that opening new cards all the time isn’t worth it.<h2>Is opening a new card every year a smart choice?</h2><img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FmIMyhK6ZVAhN0acAryOYthSS94i">For many people, opening a new card each year is simply too much. It’s a lot easier to find one or two great cash back cards, charge as much as you can on them, and make the most of your rewards that way. Just check out the card options available, find one that is a good fit for you, and make sure you pay off your card on time and in full every month.&nbsp;<h2>Today’s Top Rated Credit Cards Are Hard to Believe (sponsor)</h2>It’s hard to believe, but today there are credit cards offering up to 5% cash back, $0 annual fees, travel rewards, and more. See for yourself.I couldn’t believe it at first. Frankly, with rewards this good I don’t expect them to be available forever. But if you apply for a card today you could secure some of the best rewards out there. Get started and find your best card today.&nbsp;

Is Opening a New Credit Card Every Year a Smart Move For Perks and Payments?

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Doug McIntyre argues that Nvidia and AMD are overvalued, claiming their relationships with OpenAI—where Nvidia invests in OpenAI and OpenAI buys Nvidia’s chips—amount to questionable “revenue recognition” that could trigger scrutiny from regulators.</li><li>Doug and Lee Jackson compare the situation to practices from the dot-com era, suggesting that today’s inflated AI valuations and circular investments resemble the “funny money” that fueled the early 2000s tech bubble.</li><li>Both hosts warn that if the Financial Accounting Standards Board or the SEC challenges these accounting practices, it could lead to a significant market correction, particularly within the AI and semiconductor sectors.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Video Playerhttps://videos.247wallst.com/247wallst.com/2025/10/Nvidia.mp400:0000:0005:23Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.Can it be that Nvidia is being extremely overvalued? In a recent podcast, Doug McIntyre discussed why he believes questionable financial arrangements could eventually catch up to them. Doug argues that by investing in OpenAI while openAI in turn buys Nvidia chips, a relationship between the two companies is artificially boosting revenue and misrepresenting the company’s financial health. Doug cites a Wall Street Journal report noting that OpenAI received warrants for up to $160 million AMD shares at just one cent per share, calling the deal “bogus” and potentially in violation of accounting standards. He says he has written to both the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the SEC, arguing that these transactions amount to “buying revenue.” Doug and Lee compare the situation to the early 2000s dot-com bubble, when companies inflated value through creative accounting and inter-company deals and express serious doubts that OpenAI’s valuation rivals ExxonMobil’s. Doug warns that if regulators challenge this behavior, it could spark a major correction similar to the 2001–2002 Nasdaq crash. Lee agrees, adding that money is simply being cycled between tech firms rather than generated through genuine business growth.Doug McIntyre:Lee, I think the value of Nvidia is overstated by maybe double AMD about the same. And here’s why. And I’ve seen some analysts write about this. This isn’t me just, you know, going off like a nut. It is not okay for Nvidia to invest money in OpenAI and for OpenAI to buy chips from them. Now I’m gonna read you the latest of these, because to me this one is maybe the, it looks like a good arrangement though. Listen to this. This is from the Wall Street Journal. Okay. OpenAI will receive warrants for up to $160 million AMD shares. Roughly 10% of the chip company or 1 cent a share.Lee Jackson:That’s a good deal.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">Doug McIntyre:Are there some bogies they have to hit? Yes, but I listen, I wrote just a few minutes ago to the Financial Accounting Standards Board, to their chairman and to the chairman of the SEC. I’m not the only person who thinks that this is bogus. This is basically buying revenue, you know, some of it balance sheet transaction, you know, if you look at. If you look over the p and l and the balance sheet and you put those down, you say, what’s the relationship between these two things? I’m telling you right now that that revenue recognition is bogus. And if the Financial Accounting Standards Board or the SEC says what I just said, the price, forget Nvidia’’s $4 trillion valuation. You can just watch that go down by half. Can watch AMD fall apart, you know, they can get away with it over at OpenAI because you know, the valuation’s a joke. It’s $500 billion.Lee Jackson:The OpenAI is ridiculous.Doug McIntyre:It’s the same as Exxon. It’s the same as Exxon. Can you believe it’s the same as Exxon? Seriously?Lee Jackson:No, I can’t because Exxon’s a gigantic corporation that prints money.Doug McIntyre:So, if you said to me right now what will cause a stock market collapse, what will cause a 2001, 2002 cratering? When you and I remember this, the NASDAQ dropped. NAS dropped 78% from the peak to the trough, 78%. Are we gonna get a, a correction that size? Probably not. Are we gonna get a real, real, real correction? Mostly because of this bogus revenue? You know, back then it was companies running outta money. That’s fine. Now it’s, it’s the questionability of revenue.Lee Jackson:And that’s a lot bigger than just. And that’s really not having any revenue. It really is because it’s almost like it’s manufactured. Again, OpenAI doesn’t make any money. They just have a huge valuation. They keep getting money poured into them, which is how they buy chips, you know, for chat and all that. But it’s like, isn’t there a point when, when this is kinda like funny money and it’s not really kosher?Doug McIntyre:I don’t know if you remember this. But it used to be that when you were a partner with AOL, they would invest in your company and then you would buy traffic from them. So it, listen, this is, I don’t wanna say that this is like the internet bubble. It’s not, but the practices here, I don’t like.Lee Jackson:Yeah, and somebody’s gonna have to address this because it just can’t, you know, you can’t continue to build these gigantic companies on money that’s really just shifted back and forth, you know? It’s, it’s, it’s just and, and granted, Nvidia has other clients and, and other people buying their chips, but they’re investing in a lot of other companies. So it, it, it’s gonna be interesting to see how this plays out.Doug McIntyre:I’ll leave people with this thought. General Motors invests in Avis, and Avis buys a bunch of GM cars, right? I want to tell everybody right now, these transactions are very similar to what I just described. Keep an eye on us. Keep an eye on the newspapers. This, this, what we’re talking about right now. This debate is just starting and it’s gonna be settled by the government. Or the Financial Accounting Standards Board. If you had to say, who will render the first opinion on this? They are the ones, and they are basically, when it comes to accounting, they’re the only store in town.Lee Jackson:Yep. They are. And like you said, it, it, it’s just now starting to get around in, in the major media and financial media you’re starting to see this now. You’re starting to see it. People are talking about it. Is there an AI boom bust bubble? You know, and it’s like, okay, well now they’re starting to talk about it. They’ll get serious about it in about six months.Doug McIntyre:They will.<h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

Nvidia (NVDA) Investors Are Playing With Fire

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>You may get lucky investing in a few stocks that go well.</li><li>In the long run, that’s not an optimal strategy.</li><li>It’s important to diversify your portfolio in case the market takes a turn for the worse.</li><li>Is your investment portfolio meeting your needs? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>One of the best ways to grow your net worth is to invest in assets whose value can rise over time. And many people like to turn to the stock market to achieve that goal.During a recent episode ofThe Ramsey Show, a caller named Michelle shared her investing story. And while it’s an impressive one, Ramsey was quick to call her strategy “unsustainable.”<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO"><h2>Where one investor may have gone wrong — despite sold results</h2>Michelle invested $270,000 in 2022 that she received as a life insurance payout. She chose a group of strong stocks that exploded over the next three years. As a result, she was able to grow her $270,000 into a very impressive $1.1 million.While Ramsey was quick to congratulate Michelle on her success, he also warned her that her strategy probably wouldn’t work in the long run. The reason?Of the 20 stocks she had chosen, the majority of her strong gains came from four companies alone. This means that at this point, the bulk of Michelle’s portfolio is in four stocks. That’s not diverse enough, Ramsey warned.While those specific stocks may have done very well these past few years, who’s to say that they’ll continue to outperform? Ramsey’s concern is that if those specific stocks plummet, Michelle could see her gains wiped out. That’s why he recommended that she make changes to her portfolio by diversifying.“It would scare me if I woke up and half of my fortune was in four stocks,” said Ramsey. “Because as those four companies go, so goes my fortune.”By diversifying, Michelle can spread out her risk across a larger number of companies. That way, if the stocks that did well for her suddenly drop in value, she won’t necessarily lose out on all of her gains.<h2>How to diversify your portfolio</h2>If you’re investing for your future, it’s important to protect yourself against not just stock market downturns, but industry- and company-specific declines. And diversification is a great way to achieve that goal.Start by making sure your portfolio consists of different asset classes. You could put a large chunk of your money into the stock market if you’re years away from retirement and that’s what you’re investing for. However, it’s also a good idea to branch out into other assets that may include bonds, real estate, and even commodities like gold.It’s also important to have some money in plain old cash. You never know when you might need to take money out of your portfolio, and cash can’t lose value the way stocks can.Then, within the stock portion of your portfolio, make sure you’re not too heavily concentrated in a handful of companies like Michelle was. To avoid this, you could load up on a bunch of different sector-specific ETFs — for example, energy ETFs, tech ETFs, and more.Another good option is to put some money into an S&amp;P 500 ETF or a total stock market ETF. This gives you built-in diversification without having to do a lot of work.It’s okay to hold individual stocks in your portfolio, too. Just make sure to spread them out across different industries, and to keep tabs on your portfolio over time.If you see that a few specific stocks have produced large gains, do some rebalancing so you don’t have too much money tied up in the same few stocks. That’s a dangerous situation that, as Ramsey said, is not sustainable in the long run.<h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be.Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

Dave Ramsey says investing strategy that turned $270K into $1 million is “unsustainable”

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>AI is turning out to be Meta’s Platforms’ Golden Goose.</li><li>META stock has plateaued in recent months, but financials haven’t.</li><li>Here’s what can start the rally back on.</li><li>It sounds nuts, but SoFi is giving new active invest users up to $1k in stock, see for yourself&nbsp;(Sponsor)</li></ul>Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)has had a terrific past few years, and the company has found what it was missing the most: growth. In 2022, META stock was down 76% from its peak at one point. Back then, the problem seemed too big to solve.Zuckerberg was pouring money into the Reality Labs segment, thinking the Metaverse would be the future. This cash came from the profitable “Family of Apps” segment, which itself was seeing waning growth, with monthly active users growth turning negative.Analysts believed Facebook was on its way out, as the older demographic used it the most, with younger people turning to TikTok and Snapchat. And with Reality Labs turning out to be a money pit, META stock kept declining in 2022.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">META stock auspiciously started recovering right as ChatGPT was first released in November 2022. The company’s fortunes quickly followed suit, as Zuckerberg dumped cash into AI instead of Reality Labs. And this time, Wall Street loved it.META stock is up over 680% from that $90 low back in November 2022.But the question is, how long can the momentum keep going?Loading stock data...<h2>Stellar Q2 earnings will likely carry over positive momentum to Q3</h2>Meta’s July 30 release of Q2 2025 metrics was the kind of beat-and-raise that reminds investors why the stock has tripled in two years. Revenue came in at $47.5 billion, up 22% year-over-year and a full $2.8 billion ahead of the consensus that had already been nudged higher through the spring.Ad impressions rose 11% and the average price per ad rose 9%. Margins are also on an uptrend, and even Reality Labs narrowed its loss to $4.5 billion. In fact, Ray-Ban Meta glasses may find a new niche, as paired up with AI and a digital display, these are becoming extremely powerful devices.Management guided Q3 revenue to $47.5-50.5 billion, the midpoint of which implies 20% year-over-year growth. Analysts have coalesced around $6.62 in Q3 EPS, but that number has been creeping higher, and several desks have begun to model something closer to $7 on the back of still-robust ad checks and a weaker dollar.The buy-side whisper is that guidance could again prove conservative.And in turn, META stock may soar another leg up.<h2>Should you buy or sell META stock today?</h2>The narrative has shifted from “Can Zuckerberg stop the bleeding?” to “How big can the AI moat become?” A recent $14.2 billion infrastructure partnership withCoreWeave (NASDAQ:CRWV)will boost its AI cluster significantly. AI is already leading to an ad boom, and the assistant has crossed 1 billion active users according to Meta.You’re paying 25.7 times earnings for META stock today. If you strip out the extra net cash, the earnings multiple rounds to 25 times. This is rather inexpensive for a tech company expected to grow revenue at ~16% annually in the coming years. EPS is also expected to grow by ~11.6% due to AI investments, but it is still impressive for a mature company like Meta.Unless October 29’s call guide dramatically disappoints, momentum from the June quarter should carry straight into the holiday period and set up another beat-and-raise cadence for 2026.The average price target of $853 already implies 20.2% upside potential from here. The highest price target is $1.1k, which it is likely to hit next year if AI continues to boost financials.And even if Meta Platforms does not beat analyst estimates in the coming quarters, it should still perform well. If Meta meets analyst estimates and Wall Street holds the multiple, the gains will be satisfactory.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FoTPxUawzO5MvyX1gK08sbtEhLig">As such, buying makes much more sense. I expect Q3 to go well and restart the rally for META stock later this month.Want Up To $1,000? SoFi Is Giving New Active Invest Users up to $1k in StockLooking to grow your money but unsure where to begin? SoFi Active Invest is offering a limited-time promotion—open an account, fund it with $50 or more, and you could receive up to $1,000 in complimentary stock for Active Invest accounts.From $0 commission trading to fractional shares and automated investing, this app is designed to simplify investing for everyone, whether you’re just starting or already experienced. Its easy to sign up and secure your bonus.(sponsor)DISCLOSURE:INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUEBrokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA(www.finra.org)/SIPC(www.sipc.org).Advisory services are offered by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.Probability of Member receiving $1,000 is a probability of 0.026%; If you don’t make a selection in 30 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Customer must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify.Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view our fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees.Investing in alternative investments and/or strategies may not be suitable for all investors and involves unique risks, including the risk of loss. An investor should consider their individual circumstances and any investment information, such as a prospectus, prior to investing. Interval Funds are illiquid instruments, the ability to trade on your timeline may be restricted. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA(www.finra.org) /SIPC(www.sipc.org).There are limitations with fractional shares to consider before investing. During market hours fractional share orders are transmitted immediately in the order received. There may be system delays from receipt of your order until execution and market conditions may adversely impact execution prices. Outside of market hours orders are received on a not held basis and will be aggregated for each security then executed in the morning trade window of the next business day at market open. Share will be delivered at an average price received for executing the securities through a single batched order. Fractional shares may not be transferred to another firm. Fractional shares will be sold when a transfer or closure request is initiated. Please consider that selling securities is a taxable event.Options involve risks, including substantial risk of loss and the possibility an investor may lose the entire investment Before trading options please review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options [HYPERLINK: https://www.theocc.com/getmedia/a151a9ae-d784-4a15-bdeb-23a029f50b70/riskstoc.pdfInvesting in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) involves substantial risk, including the risk of loss. Further, there are a variety of risk factors to consider when investing in an IPO, including but not limited to, unproven management, significant debt, and lack of operating history. For a comprehensive discussion of these risks please refer to SoFi Securities’ IPO Risk Disclosure Statement [HYPERLINK https://www.sofi.com/iporisk/]. This should not be considered a recommendation to participate in IPOs and investors should carefully read the offering prospectus to determine whether an offering is consistent with their investment objectives, risk tolerance, and financial situation. New offerings generally have high demand and there are a limited number of shares available for distribution to participants. Many customers may not be allocated shares and share allocations may be significantly smaller than the shares requested in the customer’s initial offer (Indication of Interest). For more information on the allocation process please visit IPO Allocation [HYPERLINK https://support.sofi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360058602892-How-does-SoFi-allocate-IPO-shares].

Should You Buy META Stock Now?

<h2></h2><h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Utilities as hidden AI winners: The explosive demand for electricity from AI data centers makes utilities prime beneficiaries, especially those near major hubs like Washington, Virginia, and emerging regions such as the Dakotas and Michigan.</li><li>Natural gas as key driver: Most of the new power supply will come from natural gas, with companies like EQT and pipeline operators such as Kinder Morgan positioned to benefit from rising demand.</li><li>Investor opportunities: Both large and regional utilities (e.g., Constellation, Duke, Southern, DTE, Black Hills) as well as natural gas providers and pipeline firms are expected to see long-term growth as AI drives massive infrastructure expansion.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement? SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; learn more here.(Sponsor)</li></ul>Video Playerhttps://videos.247wallst.com/247wallst.com/2025/09/ARTICLE-AI-Utilities-Secret-Winners.mp400:0000:0000:00Use Up/Down Arrow keys to increase or decrease volume.The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is driving unprecedented demand for electricity, positioning utilities as some of the biggest long-term beneficiaries. Companies serving major data hub regions like Washington, Virginia, and even smaller, cheaper land areas such as Michigan and the Dakotas are expected to see significant growth. Much of this demand will be met by natural gas, with EQT and pipeline operators like Kinder Morgan playing a central role in supplying and transporting energy. Rising reliance on natural gas could help stabilize electricity costs, though prices are still expected to climb over the next several years. For investors, this creates opportunities across both large and regional utilities, as well as natural gas producers and infrastructure firms that will power AI’s growth for the next decade. In this video, Doug and Lee discuss a few potential beneficiaries in the AI boom that aren’t being discussed as much as others, and what potential investors should look for if they hope to find hidden gems of their own.Doug McIntyre:Lee, to me the hidden winners in the AI boom are the utilities, because the need for electricity is going to be off the charts. You can’t even imagine. I mean, Eric Schmidt, who used to run Google said that 99% of all the electricity in the world would be used by AI after 2030. So who do you like in this space over the course of the next few years?Lee Jackson:Well, we’re big fans of Constellation and the stock has just been on fire. But any, any utility that is based near the huge hubs for AI data centers is gonna work. So like, it, it, there’s a huge concentration in the Washington DC and Alexandria, Virginia area of data centers. Well, anybody that serves that area, which can be Constellation or it can be Duke or Southern Company that are all in based kind of in the southeastern part of the country, but there’s all also Entergy will probably be a player. And then the company, strangely enough, like, up in, where they’re building up in places like where they were building shale moves are now becoming data centers up in North and South Dakota up through that region. And there’s, there’s smaller utilities based up there that are probably gonna get a big chunk of that business. So it typically, if you can look in areas where they’re building these gigantic centers, that’s where the utilities are gonna do good because they’re gonna have to use natural gas. They’re just not gonna come up with enough from other sources.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">Doug McIntyre:This is also a pollution play, but I mean, I’ll give people an example of why they should look at big utilities everywhere in the country. There will be a data center built in, a small township in northern Michigan just came out. It’s in the middle of nowhere. But the land is cheap and they have access to electricity. But the fact of the matter is, is that any large utility in the United States is going to be in the AI data center, uh, business because there’s too much demand. Any place they can find land and electricity. I mean, as you know, they just are putting up one in Louisiana.Lee Jackson:It’s huge, like a whole county.Doug McIntyre:Musk has one that is in the close to nowhere in Tennessee. So don’t, if you’re looking at utilities, don’t just look at ones that are near big cities. These guys are looking for places that aren’t near big cities where there’s a lot of real estate, cheap and electricity.Lee Jackson:Yeah. I think, and if I, if I would’ve researched this, so I think there’s one out in, in North and South Dakota. I think it’s Black Hills, I think it’s BKH is the symbol and they cover like the whole state because you know, north and South Dakota population for both states combined is probably what, a million? Two million? And if, if there’s one in up North Michigan, DTE probably does have that business. So that’s who Detroit Edison is, is the symbol. DTE. Yeah, I think it’s Black Hills or, you know, is, is in North Dakota and it’s, I think BKH and they’re a small one in that area. But yeah, any place like look and see where these companies are building and then you’re gonna find out which local electricity provider, and again, most of it’s gonna be nat gas and one stock that we do like, if you’re looking for the nat gas provider is EQT. They are the big players and the ones to own and they pay a small dividend. But EQT is expected to be the big natural gas player going forward.Doug McIntyre:And their CEO said last week that people who are residential electricity customers should look for a 35% increase in their electricity bills over the next few years unless natural gas is what’s being used to provide the electricity. So it’s like it’s a play to the audience. If you don’t want your electricity bill to go up, then everybody should go back to natural gas. We know it’s not that clean, but it’s gonna make sure that you can still afford your electricity.Lee Jackson:Well, yeah, and the, the good thing for American citizens is we can, we have more natural gas in the lower 48 and of course in Alaska than anybody. And the president has made, you know, drilling for more when he said drill, baby drill, now he’s talking about drill for gas, baby drill, because that’s where we need it. And gas is still cheap. Three, three and a three and a quarter, 3.50. But that could double over the next couple of years. But also, some of the other big players are the people that move the gas. You know, the MLPs that structure and the nice thing about most of them, um, Kinder Morgan is one, they have huge pipelines that move gas and they have contracts that are locked in for years. So if you wanna play natural gas and utilities, you can do Kinder Morgan, which is KMI. You can do EQT or buy the utilities or buy all the above, but you’re right, that’s gonna be a huge growth area for the next 10 years.<h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

The Secret Winners in the AI Boom Nobody’s Talking About

TheVanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF(NYSEMKT: VOO)&nbsp; is up 0.56% at midday trading and back in positive territory The uptick comes after a modest pullback yesterday, where shares closed down 0.34%, effectively halting a robust five-day winning streak that had propelled the benchmark-tracking fund to fresh highs.The Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF has been a barometer for broader market sentiment and is a good gauge on investor confidence in large-cap U.S. equities. The government shutdown which is now in its second week is starting to have minimal impact on investors, but AI demand is again sparking more enthusiasm in large tech companies.<h2>Top&nbsp; Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF Winners</h2>Dell(NYSE: DELL)&nbsp;is up 7.14% today after raising its long-term revenue growth forecast to 7-9% from 3-4% and boosting its full-year diluted EPS growth projection to at least 15% from 8%. Dell has been on a strong run over the past 6 months, up 122%, and received a upgrade today from Citi analyst Asiya Merchant who raised Dell’s price target from $160 to $175. Merchant sees the company was “constructive” on its outlook, market share and earnings growth. Citi now has more confidence in Dell’s ability to capitalize on the opportunity ahead.<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">AMD(Nasdaq:AMD)is again moving higher as more analyst take a more favorable look at the company after it offered 10% of its company to OpenAI as part of a multibillion-dollar partnership released on Monday. In return OpenAI plans to deploy up to 6 gigawatts of AMD Instinct GPUs beginning early this next year. AMD is now up 35% over the past 5 trading days and DZ Bank sees more room to run with a new price target of $250.Freeport-McMoRan(NYSE:FCX) is up 5.22% despite Morgan Stanley reduced Freeport-McMoRan’s price target from $48 to $46 while maintaining an Overweight rating. The firm adjusted targets and estimates across its mining coverage, incorporating updated commodity price forecasts and forex assumptions, anticipating higher metal prices due to a weaker dollar and supply disruptions at major copper producers.<h2>If You have $500,000 Saved, Retirement Could Be Closer Than You Think (sponsor)</h2>Retirement can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. Imagine having an expert in your corner to help you with your financial goals. Someone to help you determine if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track. With SmartAsset, that’s not just a dream—it’s reality. This free tool connects you with pre-screened financial advisors who work in your best interests. It’s quick, it’s easy, so take the leap today and start planning smarter!Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

These Stocks Have The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF Back In The Green Today

Nano Nuclear Energy (Nasdaq: NNE) is going vertical today, with shares up over 20% on an ongoing sentiment shift towards nuclear energy amid positive developments for the industry, and Nano in particular.In a validating moment just 11 days ago Nano was included in the S&amp;P Global Broad Market Index (BMI). According to the press release from Nano:“With more than 14,000 companies included, the BMI provides the foundation for institutional investors, ETFs, and strategy indices — including those focused on factors and ESG investing.”<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FluK9zZ7aXhDEx8AXjNcWrTvESnO">The renaissance of nuclear energy from environmental problem child to champion of ESG is quite a shift, but Nano Nuclear is clearly benefiting from the changing sentiment. They are not the only one, either. Fellow nuclear power company Oklo is up over 9% today. As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats.And what a tide it’s been. President Trump signed a deal with the UK to build a dozen nuclear reactors in the country, and has promised to fast track permitting domestically as AI data centers start forecasting power needs on par with major cities. Elon Musk’s ambitions with Colossus is resulting in him rehabilitating a plant capable of generating over a gigawatt of power, enough to power 800,000 US homes.Nano Nuclear, Oklo, and others are riding a wave of ever-increasing tech ambitions. AI is not a normal investment cycle, but an arms race that executives see as a must-win, and existential moment for them. Larry Page has apparently said of Alphabet that “I am willing to go bankrupt rather than lose this race”When you combine the free cash flow power of companies like Google (which generated $73 of free cash flow last year) add it Meta, Apple, Amazon and others, and then mix with the US government now seeing nuclear energy as essential not only to winning the AI race but also national security and manufacturing broadly… well you get an absolute tsunami of capital that can only benefit companies like Nano Nuclear Energy for years to come.<h2>If you’re one of the over 4 Million Americans&nbsp; retiring this year, pay attention. (sponsor)</h2>Finding a financial advisor who puts your interest first can be the difference between a rich retirement and barely getting by, and today it’s easier than ever. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three fiduciary financial advisors that serve your area in minutes. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute; get started right here and help your retirement dreams become a retirement reality.(sponsor)

Nano Nuclear Energy (Nasdaq: NNE) Shoots Up 20% On Nuclear Sentiment Change

<h3>Key Points</h3><ul><li>Start the shutdown clock. Absent Congressional action, the US government will shut down in less than 15 hours.</li><li>The Department of Labor will stop issuing jobs reports if that happens. Speaking of which, Paychex just reported strong earnings as it begins its fiscal 2026.</li><li>Are you ahead, or behind on retirement?&nbsp;SmartAsset’s free tool&nbsp;can match you with a financial advisor in minutes to help you answer that today. Each advisor has been carefully vetted, and must act in your best interests. Don’t waste another minute;&nbsp;get started by clicking here.(Sponsor)</li></ul><h2>Live Updates</h2>Live Coverage Has Ended<h3>Get The Best Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF Live Earnings Coverage Like This Every Quarter</h3>Get earnings reminders, our top analysis on Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF, market updates, and brand-new stock recommendations delivered directly to your inbox.Click Here - It's Free Thank you for subscribing! Keep an eye on your email for updates. By providing your email address, you agree to receive communications from us regarding website updates and other offerings that may be of interest to you. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please review our Disclaimer and Terms of Use.<h3>Tuesday Wrap-up</h3>Sep 30, 2025 4:15 PM<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FjSPP3ocQJKAxf0EgGqVR-41v4JA">Live The Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF closed Tuesday at 612.36, up 0.4%.<h3>Freeport Upgraded</h3>Sep 30, 2025 11:46 AM<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FjSPP3ocQJKAxf0EgGqVR-41v4JA">LiveBofA analyst Lawson Winder upgraded S&amp;P 500 component companyFreeport-McMoRan(NYSE: FCX) to buy with an unchanged price target of $42 this morning.Winder came away from a meeting with Freeport CEO Kathleen Quirk feeling increasingly confident that key risks to the stock are already priced in, and says there’s now less downside risk. In particular, the analyst says estimates to repair the company’s Grasberg mine look “conservative,” and the cost could be lower than projected.Freeport stock is up 2.6% on the upgrade. The Voo however is now down 0.2%.<h3>Pfizer's Prices Will Drop -- and Pfizer Stock Rises</h3>Sep 30, 2025 10:43 AM<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FjSPP3ocQJKAxf0EgGqVR-41v4JA">LiveThe Washington Post is reporting that the Trump Administration has struck a deal withPfizer&nbsp;(NYSE: PFE), whereby the drugs giant will sell medicine through Medicaid at reduced prices. The President signed an executive order in May ordering the government to negotiate lower prices — or impose them.Pfizer is a component of the S&amp;P 500. Despite the likely hit to profits, its stock is up 2.3%.<h3>Celsius is Cool Again</h3>Sep 30, 2025 10:05 AM<img src="https://cdn.accountdigital.net/FjSPP3ocQJKAxf0EgGqVR-41v4JA">LiveMorgan Stanley analyst Eric Serotta upgraded energy drink-makerCelsius Holdings&nbsp;(Nasdaq: CELH) to overweight with a $70 price target.“Brand Celsius has returned to growth following last year’s share slowdown, and we expect further improvement, with much easier comps from December through early June,” said the analyst. Furthermore, Alani sales, which account for 40% of Celsius’s total sales, “remain robust ahead of the December 1 transition to the Pepsi system, which should accelerate growth for the brand. We expect both brands to benefit from improved alignment with PEP.”Half an hour into the day’s trading, Celsius stock is up more than 3%. The Voo is still down 0.1%.This article will be updated throughout the day, so check back often for more daily updates.It’s Tuesday, September 30 — and the U.S. government is about to run out of money.Unless Congress passes a new continuing resolution by the end of the day, the government will “shut down” at midnight, causing turmoil in the economy. Not the smallest threat, President Trump has threatened to fire a certain number of federal workers if a shutdown happened, adding to unemployment. Investors are holding their breath waiting to see what happens, and theVanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF(NYSEMKT: VOO) is retreating 0.1% premarket.Adding to the uncertainty, CNBC reports this morning that if a shutdown does happen, the government will cease issuing certain data that investors depend upon to gauge the health of the economy, Friday’s scheduled payrolls report for September, for example. And of course, the absence of jobs reports will make it harder to calculate unemployment trends and, by extension, gauge the likelihood of a second Federal Reserve interest rates cut in October.Long story short, the market hates uncertainty, and things could get a whole lot less certain really, really soon.<h2>Earnings</h2>In earnings news,United Natural Foods(Nasdaq: UNFI) beat earnings by a nickel this morning, reporting a fiscal Q4 2025 loss of $0.11 per share where analysts were expecting a 16-cent loss. Revenue was also better than expected at $7.7 billion.Rounding out the good news, United Natural Foods forecast fiscal 2026 earnings per share of $1.50-$2.30, versus the consensus of $1.46. Good earnings news plus good guidance has United Natural Foods stock trading up nearly 6% this morning.Payroll processorPaychex(Nasdaq: PAYX) also reported earnings this morning, beating by two cents with a $1.22 per share fiscal Q1 2026 profit. Revenue matched analyst forecasts at $1.54. Paychex forecast adjusted earnings growth between 9% and 11% this year, and investors seem disappointed with that number, though.Paychex stock is down more than 5% premarket.<h2>Guaranteed Income With As Little as $1,000</h2>If you’re a middle-class earner, you know savings accounts don’t pay nearly enough interest, and that the stock market can be too volatile. So stop relying on traditional methods to grow your wealth!An annuity could grow your money fast while you earn guaranteed income at a fixed rate. No stock-market risk involved.Earn a guaranteed 5.25% APY1 or more when you open a FastBreak™ annuity and deposit a minimum of $1,000.It basically takes no extra work at all other than opening the account and making your first deposit.&nbsp;It’s an easy way to lock inguaranteed income for 3-10 years, with zero market risk. Even better, it’s self-directed, simple to open, flexible, and even comes with a 30-day window to change your mind. Get started now.&nbsp;Disclosures:&nbsp;24/7 wall st may receive compensation for actions taken from links provided here. 1Annual Percentage Yield (APY) rates subject to change at any time, and the rate mentioned may no longer be current. Please visit Gainbridge.io/fastbreak for current rates, full product disclosures and disclaimer. All guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. FastBreak™ is issued by Gainbridge Life Insurance Company in Zionsville, Indiana. Gainbridge Life Insurance Company is currently licensed and authorized to do business in 49 states (all states except New York), the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.<h4>Get Live Earning Updates on Vanguard S&amp;P 500 ETF</h4>Never miss important earnings news. Get real-time updates delivered directly to your inbox. We'll also deliver our top stock recommendations and weekly market udpates. Signup -- It's Free Thank you for subscribing! Keep an eye on your email for updates. By providing your email address, you agree to receive communications from us regarding website updates and other offerings that may be of interest to you. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please review our Disclaimer and Terms of Use.