Jim Cramer, American author, journalist, and host of CNBC's Mad Money, is once again living up to his title of Wall Street's leading inverse indicator. On Thursday, July 31, just hours ahead of Figma's (NYSE: FIG) stock market debut, Cramer urged investors to stay clear of the web design company, suggesting it was "way too expensive" with nearly 54 times sales and assumed 40% growth. The company had priced its initial public offering (IPO) at $33 per share on July 30, raising roughly $411 million through th ...

Core Insights - The company has achieved a remarkable 10,000% recovery from its December 2022 low, fully erasing a historic 99% drawdown [1][5] Financial Performance - The online used-car retailer reported second-quarter revenue of $4.84 billion, reflecting a 42% year-over-year increase, with earnings per share surpassing Wall Street expectations [2] - Revenue and EBITDA exceeded consensus estimates by 6% and 9%, respectively, indicating improved operational efficiency and market reach [2] Analyst Outlook - Following the positive results, multiple research firms have raised their price targets for the company, with Needham & Company increasing its target to $500 from $340 while maintaining a Buy rating [3][4] - JMP Securities raised its target to $460 from $440, and BTIG lifted its target to $450 from $395, emphasizing strong margins and outperformance in retail gross profit per unit [4] Recovery Narrative - The company's turnaround story is underscored by aggressive cost-cutting, improved profitability, and growing investor confidence in its long-term growth strategy [5][6] - Analysts are now setting targets as high as $500, positioning the company as a compelling recovery story in the large-cap growth sector [6]

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) is up 12.05% at press time after delivering second-quarter results Wednesday, after the bell that blew past Wall Street’s expectations and triggered a wave of analyst upgrades.META 1-day stock price chart. Source: Google FinanceThe social media giant posted earnings of $7.14 per share on revenue of $47.516 billion, easily beating forecasts of $5.89 EPS on $44.83 billion in revenue. Advertising revenue hit $46.563 billion versus the $44.07 billion analysts expected, while total ...

Core Viewpoint - Anheuser-Busch InBev reported mixed second-quarter results with a revenue growth of 3.0% to $15.004 billion and normalized EBITDA gains of 6.5%, but missed expectations on beer volumes, leading to a 9.1% decline in stock price in pre-market trading, the worst session since the COVID-19 pandemic [1][4]. Financial Performance - Revenue increased by 3.0% to $15.004 billion and normalized EBITDA rose by 6.5% with margin expansion of 116 basis points to 35.3% [1][6]. - Despite the volume challenges, the company demonstrated pricing power by growing revenues while selling less beer [6]. Volume Performance - Beer volumes declined by 1.9% year-over-year, significantly worse than the 0.3% decline forecasted by analysts [5]. - The decline in volumes was primarily driven by significant drops in China (7.4%) and Brazil (6.5%), with the company acknowledging underperformance in China and attributing Brazil's decline to tough comparisons and adverse weather conditions [6]. Market Outlook - The average target price for BUD stock is $82.67 for the next 12 months, with optimistic predictions reaching as high as $91.00 and bearish outlooks at $72.00 [7]. - All six analysts covering the stock maintain Strong Buy ratings, with no Hold or Sell recommendations [9].

Group 1 - A significant short squeeze is occurring in U.S. equity markets, indicated by a surge in speculative buying and options data [1][8] - The five-day moving average of net call volumes for the most shorted stocks reached approximately 4.2 million contracts, marking the second-highest level ever recorded [1][4] - Call volume for heavily shorted U.S. stocks has quadrupled in recent weeks, reflecting a rush by short sellers to cover positions as prices increase [4][5] Group 2 - The current spike in call volume approaches the euphoric highs seen during the 2021 meme stock mania, particularly reminiscent of the GameStop rally [2][5] - The broader market is also experiencing increased call activity, with the five-day moving average of net call volumes for all other stocks doubling to around 10 million contracts, the highest level in four years [4][5] - Retail traders have contributed to sudden rallies in stocks like Krispy Kreme, GoPro, and Opendoor, driven by renewed interest in speculative investments [6] Group 3 - Investor optimism is at a peak, with margin debt on the NYSE reaching an all-time high, surpassing levels seen during the tech bubble [8] - Despite the optimism, there are signs of strain as the latest meme stock rally has quickly fizzled and Bitcoin has retreated from recent highs [8]

Group 1: Nvidia - Nvidia and AMD have seen stock rallies due to the U.S. easing chip export restrictions to China, allowing them to resume AI chip sales [1][2] - Nvidia can now sell its H20 GPUs after a sales halt in April, while AMD is set to restart shipments of its MI308 AI chips [2] - Nvidia's stock price has reached $177.44, with a year-to-date gain of 28.29% and a monthly gain of 12.31% [3] - Morgan Stanley raised Nvidia's price target to $200 from $170, citing strong demand for its Blackwell architecture [5] - The 12-month forecast for Nvidia's stock is $184.91, with bullish predictions reaching as high as $250, indicating potential gains exceeding 40% [6] Group 2: AMD - AMD has received a Moderate Buy rating from analysts, with a current stock price of $176.84, reflecting a year-to-date gain of 46.60% [7] - The average price target for AMD is $148.65, suggesting a 14.40% downside from current levels, despite recent gains [9] - The highest price predictions for AMD reach $210, while the lowest target is set at $110 [9]

Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) on Wednesday received a bullish endorsement from Morgan Stanley, which maintained its 'Overweight' rating on the stock. The bank's analyst, Joseph Moore, also raised the stock's price target to $338 from the previous $270. As of press time, Broadcom was trading at $297.42, implying an upside potential of 13.6% based on the new target. AVGO one-week stock price chart. Source: Finbold The revised target reflects growing confidence in Broadcom's long-term prospects, particularly driven ...

Core Viewpoint - UnitedHealth's stock has experienced a significant decline following disappointing Q2 earnings, with shares closing at $261, the lowest in five years, and a year-to-date loss of 48% [1][3]. Financial Performance - For Q2, UnitedHealth reported adjusted EPS of $4.08, which missed analyst estimates and represented a 40% year-over-year decline [3]. - Revenue increased by 12.9% to $111.6 billion, with premiums rising to $87.9 billion [3]. Cost and Margin Issues - Medical costs surged by 20% to $78.6 billion, leading to a medical care ratio of 89.4%, influenced by worsening medical trends and reduced Medicare funding [4]. Investment Outlook - The AI model suggests that while UnitedHealth is currently a risky investment due to regulatory scrutiny and declining margins, there may be potential for recovery by late 2025 into early 2026 [5][6]. - Analysts predict EPS could rebound to between $18 and $20 by late 2026, potentially increasing the stock price to $360 and $400 at typical valuation multiples [7]. Strategic Recommendations - Investors are advised to monitor the $250 support level and wait for clearer signals from Q3 and Q4 2025 earnings before making investment decisions [10]. - Gradual dollar-cost averaging is recommended as a safer approach amid ongoing uncertainties [10].

Core Insights - Rothschild & Co Redburn raised Blackstone's price target from $144 to $168 while maintaining a 'Neutral' recommendation [1] - Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW) also increased its price target for Blackstone from $168 to $180 following stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings [3] - Blackstone's stock price is currently trading at $176, slightly below the new target, and has seen a year-to-date increase of 2.4% despite a recent 0.7% decline [1][3] Financial Performance - KBW highlighted higher-than-forecast fee-related earnings and net realizations as key drivers behind a $0.10 per-share earnings beat [4] - Blackstone reported a 100% gross margin and 37% revenue growth over the past year, indicating a strong financial position [4] - KBW raised forward projections for Blackstone's stock, particularly in its private equity and credit divisions, while remaining cautious on the real estate segment [4] Recent Events - The stock price is under scrutiny due to a tragic mass shooting at Blackstone's Manhattan headquarters, resulting in the deaths of four individuals, including the CEO of its BREIT real estate fund [5] - Following the incident, Blackstone confirmed that its offices would remain closed on the following day [5] - Despite these challenges, analysts' revisions indicate continued confidence in Blackstone's core business strength [6]

The collapse followed Novo's downward revision of its 2025 outlook, citing weaker-than-expected international uptake of Wegovy and intensifying competition for Ozempic in the U.S. GLP-1 diabetes market. Shares of Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO), behind the weight-loss drug Wegovy and diabetes medication Ozempic, tumbled on Tuesday after the company slashed its full-year 2025 guidance, triggering a sharp sell-off from investors. The stock, which closed Monday at $69, plunged to $54.37 in ...