Core Insights - Guided Capital Wealth Management sold its entire holding of 12,639 shares in the First Trust NASDAQ-100 Technology Sector Index Fund (QTEC), valued at approximately $2.90 million, indicating a strategic decision rather than a reaction to market distress [2][6]. Fund Overview - QTEC provides equal-weighted exposure to leading technology stocks within the NASDAQ-100, emphasizing diversification and reducing concentration risk compared to market-cap weighted funds [5]. - As of January 14, QTEC's share price was $236.31, reflecting a 25.0% increase over the past year, outperforming the S&P 500 by 6.41 percentage points [3]. - The fund has an Assets Under Management (AUM) of $2.89 billion and reported a one-year total return of 24.95% with a dividend yield of 0.00% [3]. Investment Strategy - The fund aims to track the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Technology Sector Index, investing at least 90% of its assets in technology-classified index constituents [7]. - QTEC holds an equal-weighted basket of common stocks and depositary receipts from the technology segment of the NASDAQ-100 Index, structured as an open-ended ETF for liquidity and transparency [7]. Market Context - The sale of QTEC shares by Guided Capital Wealth Management may reflect a disciplined approach to portfolio management, particularly after a strong performance in the tech sector [6][10]. - The fund's fundamentals remain solid, with a focus on software and semiconductors, and it is trading near its 52-week highs, indicating sustained momentum [9]. - Long-term investors may view pullbacks as opportunities, recognizing that rebalancing after strong gains is a common practice in portfolio management [10].

Core Viewpoint - Beyond Meat's stock has experienced a significant decline, raising questions about its long-term business viability despite a potential buying opportunity at lower prices [1][2]. Company Overview - Beyond Meat went public at $25 and saw its stock price surge to approximately $235 shortly after its IPO, indicating initial strong investor interest [3]. - The company specializes in plant-based meat products designed to mimic the taste and texture of traditional meat, appealing to health-conscious and environmentally aware consumers [4]. Financial Performance - Beyond Meat's revenue has decreased from $418.9 million in 2022 to $326.5 million in 2024, with a further decline of 14.4% year-over-year to $213.9 million for the first nine months of 2025 [6][7]. - The company anticipates fourth-quarter revenue to be between $60 million and $65 million, reflecting a 15% to 22% decline compared to the previous year [8]. Market Position and Challenges - The stock recently traded below $1, highlighting significant challenges faced by Beyond Meat, including a shift in consumer preference back to traditional meat products [9]. - There are ongoing concerns regarding the health benefits of Beyond Meat's products, contributing to declining sales in both retail and foodservice channels [7][9]. Investment Outlook - Given the faltering revenue and underlying business threats, it is advised that investors avoid Beyond Meat stock [10].

Core Viewpoint - Costco Wholesale demonstrates resilience and consistent growth, making it a reliable investment despite recent stock performance challenges [1] Group 1: Resilience and Growth - Costco shows strong and steady growth with high, single-digit revenue growth reported nearly every quarter [2] - In the fiscal first quarter of 2026, sales increased by 8.2%, with comparable sales up by 6.4%, and digitally enabled sales surged by 20.5% [3] - December sales results were particularly strong, with an 8.5% year-over-year increase and comparable sales up by 7%, while digitally enabled sales rose by 18.9% [4] Group 2: Long-term Opportunity - Costco operates 923 warehouses globally, with 633 located in the U.S., indicating significant room for expansion [6] - The company is attracting a younger demographic, with nearly half of new signups under age 40, suggesting a long growth runway as these members renew and increase their shopping [7] - A notable increase in executive memberships, which account for 74.3% of total sales, indicates a growing customer base willing to invest more [8] Group 3: Special Dividend - While Costco's regular dividend yield is relatively low at 0.54%, it has a history of paying special dividends, which have ranged from $5 to $15 over the past decade, enhancing total shareholder yield [9]

Core Viewpoint - Investing in artificial intelligence (AI) stocks does not require a large amount of capital, as it is possible to invest in a collection of top AI companies for less than $100 [1][2]. Group 1: ETF Overview - The Dan Ives Wedbush AI Revolution ETF was launched by Wedbush in June, allowing investors to access a diversified portfolio of leading AI companies [3]. - ETFs provide instant investment in multiple companies based on specific themes, offering diversification and reducing risk [4]. - Investing in ETFs is straightforward, similar to buying or selling stocks, and can be easily integrated into an investment strategy [5]. Group 2: Ives ETF Specifics - The Ives ETF selects stocks based on Dan Ives' research, focusing on companies that will benefit from the AI spending cycle, including those providing AI infrastructure and implementing the technology [7]. - The fund's largest holding is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which accounts for just over 5% of the ETF, followed by Micron Technology, Amazon, and Nvidia [8]. - Recent updates to the fund included additions of cybersecurity companies, reflecting the evolving landscape of AI beyond just chips and cloud services [9]. Group 3: Investment Appeal - The Ives ETF is priced around $33 per share, making it accessible for many investors who can invest with just $100 [9]. - The ETF is managed by a leading analyst, ensuring that the fund's composition is updated according to market developments, enhancing its investment potential [9]. - Investing in the Ives fund allows for exposure to a wide variety of AI companies, making it a viable option for retail investors who may lack the resources to build a diversified portfolio independently [10].

Core Viewpoint - Interactive Brokers remains an attractive growth stock despite a significant rise in its share price over the past year, supported by strong business momentum and a scalable, automated business model [2][3][11]. Company Overview - Interactive Brokers is an online brokerage that allows individuals and institutions to trade across various markets, leveraging extreme automation to maintain a low-cost value proposition [4]. - The company serves clients from over 200 countries and territories, providing access to more than 170 global markets [5]. Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Interactive Brokers reported revenue of $1.655 billion, a 21% increase from $1.365 billion in the previous year, with earnings per share rising 40% to $0.59 [6]. - Key revenue drivers included commission revenue of $527 million, up from $421 million, and net interest income of $967 million, up from $736 million [6]. Customer Metrics - Customer accounts grew 32% year over year to 4.13 million, while customer equity rose 40% to $357.5 billion [8]. - Daily average revenue trades (DARTs) increased 34% year over year to 3.62 million [8]. - Recent data shows total client accounts at approximately 4.4 million, up 32% year over year, and client equity at $779.9 billion, up 37% year over year [9]. Market Dynamics - DARTs growth slowed to 4% year over year in December, with DARTs at about 3.384 million, but customer account and equity growth remain strong [10]. - The stock has risen about 62% over the past 12 months, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 34 and a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 29, indicating a higher valuation risk [11].

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights three blue-chip stocks—Costco, Home Depot, and McDonald's—as solid dividend investments that have consistently increased their payouts and are currently trading near their 52-week lows, making them attractive options for long-term investors seeking income [1][2]. Costco Wholesale - Costco's stock is currently trading around $945, which is less than 12% away from its 52-week low of $844.06, with flat returns over the past 12 months [3] - The company has generated $8.3 billion in net income on revenue of $280.4 billion in the trailing 12 months, showcasing strong financial performance [6] - Costco's dividend yield is modest at 0.53%, but it has increased its quarterly payout by 86% over the past five years, and it occasionally issues special dividends [7] Home Depot - Home Depot's stock is down 4% over the past 12 months and is about 14% away from its 52-week low of $326.31 [8] - The current dividend yield is 2.45%, which is more than double the S&P 500's average yield of 1.1%, and the quarterly payout has increased by 53% from $1.50 in 2020 to $2.30 [9] - Home Depot's net income totaled $14.6 billion on sales of $166.2 billion over the trailing 12 months, indicating strong profitability [11] McDonald's - McDonald's stock closed at just under $307, within 11% of its 52-week low of $276.53, with a P/E multiple around 26 [12] - The stock pays a dividend yield of 2.4%, and it is expected to increase its dividend for the 50th consecutive year in 2026, with the current quarterly dividend at $1.86, up 44% from $1.29 five years ago [13] - Over the past four quarters, McDonald's reported $8.4 billion in profit on sales of $26.3 billion, achieving a profit margin of 32% [15]

Core Insights - ImmunityBio's Anktiva has shown explosive sales growth, with a projected revenue increase from $15 million in 2024 to $113 million in 2025, representing a 700% growth year-over-year [2][5] - The stock price of ImmunityBio surged by 30.80% to close at $3.95, driven by strong preliminary earnings results and ongoing demand trends for Anktiva [2][5] - Recent approvals and positive clinical data for Anktiva in new indications, such as non-small cell lung cancer, indicate significant geographic expansion potential for the company [6] Company Performance - ImmunityBio's market capitalization stands at $3.0 billion, with a gross margin of 80.41% [2] - The trading volume reached 70.4 million shares, significantly above the three-month average of 13 million shares, indicating heightened investor interest [3] - The stock has experienced a dramatic decline of 89% since its IPO in 2015, highlighting its volatile history [3] Market Context - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite saw minor gains of 0.27% and 0.25% respectively, while ImmunityBio outperformed its biotechnology peers, such as Incyte and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, which experienced declines [4]

Core Viewpoint - Beyond Meat is facing severe financial difficulties and is likely to file for bankruptcy in the coming years, with its stock having plummeted 99% over the past five years [1]. Financial Performance - The company has a current market capitalization of $445 million and is burdened with $1.2 billion in debt, which it is unlikely to repay [3][4]. - Beyond Meat reported a net loss of $110 million in Q3 2025, which is worse than its performance in Q3 2024, and total net losses for the first nine months of 2025 reached $193 million compared to $115 million in the same period of 2024 [7]. - The company has been experiencing declining revenues for multiple years, making it increasingly difficult to achieve profitability [6]. Debt Management - Beyond Meat recently restructured its debt, eliminating $800 million in 0% APR convertible notes due in 2027 and replacing them with new 7% APR convertible notes due in 2030, effectively extending its debt maturity by three years [5][6]. - The restructuring indicates the company's desperation to manage its financial obligations, but the increased interest expenses will further strain its financial situation [9]. Market Position - Despite being a meme stock that has outperformed the S&P 500 with a 19% gain year-to-date, the volatility of Beyond Meat's stock raises concerns about its sustainability [2]. - The company's gross margin stands at 5.98%, reflecting ongoing challenges in achieving operational profitability [5].

Core Viewpoint - Nvidia's stock is experiencing significant gains following a positive business update from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC), indicating strong demand for AI chip fabrication and boosting investor confidence in Nvidia's growth potential [1][2][4]. Group 1: TSMC's Earnings Impact - TSMC reported fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded Wall Street expectations, with non-GAAP earnings per share of $3.14 on sales of $33.7 billion, surpassing analyst estimates of $2.98 per share and $32.73 billion in revenue [3]. - The strong performance from TSMC suggests robust demand for AI chip fabrication, which is a positive indicator for Nvidia's ongoing demand for its processors [4]. Group 2: Nvidia's Market Position - Following the gains, Nvidia's market capitalization reached approximately $4.59 trillion, with a valuation of about 21.5 times expected sales and 40 times expected earnings for the year [5]. - Despite concerns about potential slowdowns in AI infrastructure spending, TSMC's strong Q4 report has provided a renewed buy signal for risk-tolerant investors in Nvidia stock [5].

Core Viewpoint - Major technology companies in the U.S. are set to report their quarterly results, providing insights into the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, which has significantly influenced stock market performance in 2025 [1] Group 1: Microsoft Updates - Microsoft is scheduled to report its fiscal 2026 second-quarter results on January 28, with a focus on its AI-related software and cloud businesses [2] - The company's stock has seen an 11% decline over the past three months, making the upcoming results potentially pivotal for its stock performance [2] - The adoption of Copilot, Microsoft's AI virtual assistant, is expected to be a key update, particularly in the enterprise market where it can be integrated into the 365 suite for an additional fee [3][4] Group 2: Copilot Adoption and Enterprise Opportunities - Over 400 million licenses for the 365 platform are currently in use, with 90% of Fortune 500 companies utilizing Copilot, indicating strong market penetration [4] - Notable companies like Accenture and PwC have purchased significant numbers of licenses for Copilot, suggesting robust demand [5] - Copilot is also available in free and paid versions for GitHub, catering to software developers, and Dragon Copilot is being used in healthcare to streamline administrative tasks [5][6] Group 3: Azure's Role and Growth - Azure, Microsoft's cloud platform, is central to its AI strategy, offering a comprehensive suite of tools and services for businesses [8] - The Azure AI Foundry provides access to over 11,000 large language models, essential for businesses to develop AI applications [9] - Azure's revenue growth has accelerated, reaching 40% in the fiscal 2026 first quarter, with a significant order backlog of $392 billion indicating strong demand for AI data center capacity [10][11] Group 4: Stock Valuation and Future Outlook - Microsoft stock is currently down 11% from its peak, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of approximately 34.1, slightly above the Nasdaq-100 index [12] - Analysts project earnings of $15.75 per share for fiscal 2026, suggesting a forward P/E of 29.5, which is seen as a realistic target for investors [12][13] - To maintain its current P/E ratio, Microsoft stock would need to increase by 15% by June 30, 2026 [14]