The market keeps rewarding this business, as shares benefit from positive momentum.Meta Platforms (META 2.95%) is off to a fast start this year. Shares climbed 9% in January, building off two straight years of double-digit gains and a triple-digit return in 2023. The momentum continues.Nonetheless, investors have a lot to digest when thinking about the future of this business. Meta just reported its latest financial results, and it revealed its spending outlook for 2026. Capital expenditures (capex) are exp ...

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the potential for three AI stocks to perform exceptionally well in 2026, driven by ongoing demand for AI technologies and specific company advancements. Group 1: Nvidia - Nvidia is predicted to be the safest and potentially the biggest winner among AI stocks due to the rise of agentic AI adoption, which is expected to significantly boost demand for its products [3][4]. - The launch of the Rubin GPU platform, which could reduce inference costs by 10x and require four times fewer GPUs for training, is anticipated to create substantial demand [6][7]. - Nvidia's growth bottleneck is expected to ease as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company ramps up its advanced packaging capacity, with Nvidia securing approximately 60% of this capacity [7]. Group 2: Broadcom - Broadcom is identified as the second-best positioned AI chipmaker, benefiting from the trend of hyperscalers seeking to build custom AI chips, holding an estimated 60% market share in the AI server ASIC market [8][10]. - The transition of data centers to million-GPU clusters is expected to drive significant sales growth for Broadcom's networking products, particularly the Tomahawk 6 switches [10]. - Broadcom has a substantial $73 billion AI-related backlog, which is projected to translate into strong revenue and earnings growth in 2026 [11]. Group 3: Meta Platforms - Meta Platforms has shown robust advertising revenue growth, with a 24% year-over-year increase in Q4, driven by improvements in ad ranking models [12][13]. - The company is focusing on the AI smart glasses market, where sales have more than tripled in 2025, positioning itself as a leader in this growing segment [15]. - Although the shift in investment focus towards AI glasses may not yield immediate bottom-line improvements in 2026, it is expected to provide a catalyst for stock performance in the future [16].

Core Viewpoint - Many AI stocks are perceived as expensive, but there are several undervalued options with significant growth potential [1][2]. Group 1: Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) - AMD's forward price-to-earnings ratio is 39.7, and its trailing P/E ratio is 131.6, indicating a high valuation at first glance [3][4]. - The stock's PEG ratio is notably low at 0.5, suggesting it is one of the cheapest AI stocks available [3]. - AMD anticipates revenue from AI data centers to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 80% in the next three to five years [5]. - The company is gaining market share in server CPUs and is making progress in the GPU market with its Instinct MI350 Series [6]. Group 2: Micron Technology - Micron's PEG ratio is just below 0.7, and shares trade at 12.3 times forward earnings, indicating it is not an expensive commodity [7]. - The company has secured contracts for its entire 2026 high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply, reflecting strong demand and supply constraints [9]. - Micron expects the total addressable market for HBM to reach $100 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of approximately 40% [9]. Group 3: Nvidia - Nvidia's PEG ratio is 0.7, and it is expected to experience strong growth over the next five years, making its current valuation more justifiable [10]. - The company projects annual AI infrastructure spending to reach $3 trillion to $4 trillion by the end of the decade, driven by emerging technologies [12]. - Nvidia's Blackwell GPUs are currently the most powerful AI chips, with plans to launch even more advanced Rubin GPUs later this year [13].

Core Viewpoint - Peloton Interactive is viewed as a potential turnaround story despite a significant decline in stock value, with Wall Street analysts projecting a price increase of up to 236% over the next 12 to 18 months [2][12]. Company Challenges - Interest in Peloton products has decreased, leading to ongoing downsizing efforts to align with changing demand, resulting in declining revenue [3]. - The company has experienced leadership instability, having gone through several CEOs, with Peter Stern currently leading and implementing various changes to boost engagement and revenue [4]. Turnaround Strategy - Peloton's turnaround strategy focuses on four key elements: providing member value, attracting new members, keeping existing members engaged, and achieving operational excellence [5]. - The company aims to capitalize on the health and wellness market, emphasizing its premium products and community engagement as core components of its strategy [6]. Recent Developments - Peloton has reported two consecutive quarters of positive net income and generated $67 million in free cash flow in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 [8]. - The company is investing in artificial intelligence to enhance user experience, including new voice capabilities and personalized workout guidance through Peloton IQ [9]. - Despite these efforts, revenue continues to decline, with a 6% year-over-year drop in the first quarter, alongside decreases in membership and subscription numbers [10]. Market Outlook - Wall Street analysts are cautiously optimistic about Peloton's future, forecasting flat revenue for the second quarter but a full-year decrease of 2% [11]. - Peloton's stock is trading at a low price-to-sales ratio of under 1, indicating potential for growth if the company can demonstrate solid progress [12].

Group 1 - Maze Therapeutics' Senior Vice President of Finance, Amy Bachrodt, sold 5,000 shares for approximately $227,612 on January 22, 2026, following a strong performance of the company's stock [1][2] - The company has seen a remarkable 1-year price change of 172.38%, with a significant increase of 158% in 2025 after its IPO on January 31, 2025 [4][6] - Following the transaction, Bachrodt's direct ownership decreased to 12,965 shares, representing 0.0269% of the company's outstanding shares [8] Group 2 - Maze Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing precision medicines for renal, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases, including obesity [5] - The company is advancing to later clinical stages for its medicines targeting kidney and metabolic diseases, which are expected to generate significant revenue upon trial completion [9] - The stock has shown consistent gains for nine months post-IPO, but investors should be cautious of potential short-term drawdowns due to the sustained high buying power [6][7]

Core Insights - Costco and Walmart are the two largest retailers globally, with Walmart operating big box and grocery stores, while Costco focuses solely on club stores [1] - Both companies are currently considered expensive, with price-to-sales, price-to-earnings, and price-to-book ratios above their five-year averages and the market's average [1] Valuation and Investment Appeal - Value investors are likely to avoid both stocks due to their high valuation metrics, with Walmart's P/E ratio exceeding the market average [1] - Dividend investors may also be disinterested, as Walmart's dividend yield is 0.8% and Costco's is even lower at 0.5%, both below the S&P 500's yield of 1.1% [2] Growth Potential - Growth investors may find Costco more appealing due to its ongoing geographic expansion, despite Walmart's larger size [3] Company Performance Metrics - Costco's current price is $940.10, with a market cap of $417 billion, a gross margin of 12.88%, and a dividend yield of 0.68% [5] - Walmart's current price is $119.13, with a market cap of $950 billion, a gross margin of 23.90%, and a dividend yield of 0.79% [6][7] Business Model and Long-term Outlook - Costco's membership fees contribute significantly to its gross profits, allowing for lower product margins and higher member retention [5] - Walmart benefits from consumers trading down to its stores due to economic conditions, but this could change if the economy improves [7] - Both companies are well-managed, but their current valuations make them less attractive for many investors, with Costco's business model seen as better positioned for long-term success [8]

Core Insights - Beam Therapeutics is focused on gene-editing medicines and has recently seen a significant insider transaction involving the sale of shares by a senior executive [1][5]. Transaction Summary - On January 22, 2026, Bethany J. Cavanagh, Senior Vice President, sold 6,198 shares for approximately $216,933, which represented 15.11% of her direct holdings at that time [1][2][7]. - Post-transaction, Cavanagh holds 34,813 shares valued at around $1,192,693.38 based on the closing price of $34.26 on the trade date [2][7]. Company Overview - Beam Therapeutics reported a total revenue of $55.70 million and a net income of -$414.64 million for the trailing twelve months (TTM) [3]. - The company has 510 employees and experienced a 6.6% price change over the past year as of January 31, 2026 [3]. Company Snapshot - Beam Therapeutics specializes in the research, development, and commercialization of gene editing therapies, targeting conditions such as leukemia and sickle cell disease [4]. Strategic Priorities - The company announced its strategic priorities for 2026, which include advancing genetic medicines and moving products from clinical trials to distribution [5]. - The FDA has shown alignment with one of its leading medicine candidates, and the company aims to advance more solutions through clinical trials for approval by the end of the year [5]. Financial Outlook - Beam Therapeutics expects to have sufficient cash runway to operate until 2029, supported by existing reserves [6]. - The stock increased approximately 11% in 2025, with minimal price change noted as January 2026 concluded [8].

Core Insights - The article discusses the potential for a stock market crash and suggests that certain Vanguard funds can help mitigate losses during such an event [2] - It highlights the importance of diversifying investments to protect portfolios against market downturns [2] Group 1: Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF - The Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) is recommended as a safer investment option, especially in light of declining long-term Treasury reliability [3] - This ETF currently holds 92 U.S. Treasury bonds with an average duration of 1.9 years and has a low annual expense ratio of 0.03% [5] - The fund offers a 30-day SEC yield of approximately 3.6%, making it a relatively safe choice for investors [5] Group 2: Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF - The Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) is noted for its potential to provide downside protection, owning 11,444 bonds with an average duration of 5.7 years [6][7] - Approximately 69% of its holdings are U.S. government bonds, while the remainder consists of corporate bonds rated BBB or higher [7] - The ETF has a 30-day SEC yield of nearly 4.2%, appealing to investors seeking higher income potential [8][9] Group 3: Vanguard U.S. Minimum Volatility ETF - The Vanguard U.S. Minimum Volatility ETF (VFMV) focuses on stocks that are expected to be less volatile, making it a suitable option for risk-averse investors [10][11] - The fund includes 186 stocks across 10 sectors, with top holdings in companies like Lam Research and Johnson & Johnson [11] - It has a beta of 0.56, indicating that it is likely to experience less volatility than the broader market during downturns, despite a slightly higher expense ratio of 0.13% [12][13]

Core Viewpoint - AMD is well positioned to benefit from the increasing demand for chips across various markets, particularly in the booming space economy and artificial intelligence sectors [1][4]. Group 1: Financial Performance - AMD's client segment revenue increased by 46% year over year in Q3, contributing approximately 30% to the company's total revenue [2]. - Analysts project AMD's revenue to reach $62 billion by 2027, with earnings expected to grow at an annualized rate of 45% [5]. Group 2: Market Positioning - More than 120 Ryzen AI-powered PC designs are set to ship in 2026, indicating strong growth potential in the client segment [2]. - AMD is also focusing on edge computing, which is essential for future space missions, exemplified by its partnership with Blue Origin for the Mark 2 lunar lander [4]. Group 3: Stock Information - AMD's current market capitalization stands at $385 billion, with a current stock price of $236.73 [3]. - The stock has a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 38, suggesting substantial upside potential for investors [5].

Core Viewpoint - Sandisk has experienced a significant stock increase due to high demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure, leading to a supply shortage in memory chips and storage devices, with a total return of 1,500% since its spin-off from Western Digital [1] Company Performance - Sandisk's stock price increased more than sixfold in 2025 and has more than doubled in 2026, currently trading at $576 per share [1][2] - The company reported a 61% revenue increase to $3 billion in Q2 fiscal 2026, driven by strong sales in the data center segment, and non-GAAP earnings surged 404% to $6.20 per diluted share [9] - Management's guidance for Q3 estimates revenue of $4.6 billion and non-GAAP net income of $13.00 per diluted share, indicating a potential doubling of earnings compared to the previous quarter [10] Market Position - Sandisk is the fifth-largest player in the NAND flash memory market and gained 2 percentage points of market share over the past year, while competitors like Samsung and SK Hynix lost market share [6] - The company benefits from a joint venture with Kioxia, allowing for cost efficiencies and supply chain security through shared R&D and capital expenditures [4] Valuation and Analyst Sentiment - Analysts have raised their target prices for Sandisk following exceptional earnings, with a median target price of $690 per share implying a 20% upside, while the highest target price suggests a 73% upside [3][7] - Wall Street estimates Sandisk's adjusted earnings will grow at 156% annually through the fiscal year ending in June 2027, making the current valuation of 80 times earnings appear reasonable [11] Industry Context - The semiconductor industry is cyclical, with potential for market oscillation between supply shortages and gluts, which could affect Sandisk's future valuation [12]