The Nasdaq-100 has consistently outperformed other indexes like the S&P 500 because of its high concentration of technology stocks.More than 3,500 companies have chosen to go public by listing their shares on the Nasdaq (NDAQ +2.29%) stock exchange. It's typically the destination of choice for early-stage technology companies, because it offers lower fees and fewer barriers compared to alternatives like the New York Stock Exchange.The Nasdaq-100 is an index featuring 100 of the largest nonfinancial companie ...

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives says Palantir Technologies will be a trillion-dollar company within a year or two.Palantir Technologies (PLTR +3.26%) stock generated triple-digit returns in 2024 and 2025. The data analytics company is currently worth $415 billion, but Wedbush analyst Dan Ives says the stock can climb 140% in the next year or two, such that the company achieves a trillion-dollar market value.That would put Palantir in rarefied air. Only 10 U.S. companies, including Nvidia and Tesla, are worth at le ...

Uber has underperformed the stock market since its 2019 IPO, but that could soon change.Often, when you look up the past stock performance of the world's most recognized companies, think names like The Home Depot, Microsoft, or Amazon, you'll find sparkling track records of market-beating investment returns. Some have even turned modest sums into fortunes.Uber Technologies (UBER +5.95%) could fit nicely into that above group as a very well-known brand. Almost nobody calls a rideshare these days; they call a ...

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights five top stocks to consider for investment in early 2026, emphasizing their strong earnings potential and growth opportunities in various sectors. Group 1: Amazon - Amazon is positioned as a strong investment due to its leadership in e-commerce and cloud computing, with a market cap of $2.6 trillion and a gross margin of 50.05% [5][3] - The company is leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance its e-commerce efficiency and AWS has an annual revenue run rate exceeding $132 billion [5][3] - The stock is considered a safe bet with a current price of $240.95, reflecting a 3.38% increase [4][3] Group 2: Eli Lilly - Eli Lilly is a leader in the weight loss drug market, particularly with its products tirzepatide (Zepbound and Mounjaro), contributing to significant sales growth [6][8] - The company has a market cap of $1 trillion and a gross margin of 83.03%, with a current stock price of $1,064.04, up 2.16% [7][6] - The weight loss drug market is projected to reach nearly $100 billion by the end of the decade, indicating substantial growth potential for Lilly [9] Group 3: Chewy - Chewy operates in the pet e-commerce space, expanding into veterinary services, which broadens its revenue opportunities [10][12] - The company has achieved profitability and 84% of its sales come from its Autoship service, providing predictable revenue [12][11] - Chewy's current market cap is $13 billion, with a gross margin of 28.58% and a stock price of $32.16, reflecting a slight increase of 0.05% [11][10] Group 4: Apple - Apple has underperformed compared to the S&P 500 but is now focusing on AI features, which may attract investors looking for growth [14][15] - The company has a market cap of $3.9 trillion and a gross margin of 46.91%, with a current stock price of $262.36, down 1.83% [15][14] - Apple's services segment is a significant growth area, consistently reporting record revenues [16] Group 5: Moderna - Moderna is identified as a recovery story, facing challenges due to declining vaccine sales but has a promising pipeline of late-stage candidates [18][19] - The company aims to expand its seasonal vaccine offerings from three to six products by 2028 and is working towards cash breakeven [19][20] - Moderna has a market cap of $14 billion, a gross margin of 38.93%, and a current stock price of $35.66, reflecting a 10.85% increase [19][18]

Among the Dow Jones Industrial Average's 30 time-tested components, there are two inexpensive industry leaders that can deliver for patient investors, as well as a highflier that may struggle to justify its premium valuation.It was another historic year for Wall Street's premier health barometer, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI +0.99%). The iconic index rose 13% last year and came within a stone's throw of eclipsing 49,000.In the 129 years since its inception, the Dow Jones has evolved from an indust ...

Core Insights - Palantir Technologies experienced significant growth in 2025, with shares increasing by 135% due to the rise of generative AI and the company's extensive experience in the field [1][2] Group 1: Company Performance - Palantir has over 20 years of experience developing AI systems for government and law enforcement, which it leveraged to create its artificial intelligence platform (AIP) for business solutions [2] - The introduction of AIP has been a turning point for Palantir, driving accelerating revenue growth and increasing profits throughout 2025 [4] - In Q3 2025, Palantir's revenue reached $1.18 billion, a 63% year-over-year increase and an 18% quarter-over-quarter increase, with earnings per share (EPS) soaring 110% to $0.21 [5] Group 2: Revenue Segmentation - The U.S. commercial segment, which includes AIP, grew 121% year-over-year and 29% sequentially to $397 million, now accounting for 34% of total revenue [5] - Palantir's remaining performance obligation (RPO) stands at $2.6 billion, which is over $1 billion and 60% higher than the previous year [7] Group 3: Financial Metrics - The company's Rule of 40 score is 114%, indicating a strong financial position, as any score above 40% is considered healthy [7] - Palantir's net dollar retention rate is 134%, indicating that existing customers are spending 34% more compared to the same quarter last year [7] Group 4: Valuation Concerns - Palantir's stock is currently trading at a high valuation of 420 times earnings, which poses risks of volatility [8] - Historical context is provided by comparing Palantir's valuation to Amazon's past P/E ratio of over 3,500, suggesting that high multiples can be characteristic of successful companies [8]

Core Viewpoint - MercadoLibre is at a critical juncture as it enters 2026, needing to demonstrate that its growth can be both durable and profitable after a decade of rapid expansion [1][3] Group 1: Growth and Profitability - The company continues to grow, with its e-commerce platform attracting new buyers and transactions, while Mercado Pago has emerged as a significant fintech platform in Latin America [2] - In 2025, margins faced pressure due to increased competition and rising capital requirements, indicating that the growth story is no longer solely driven by favorable market conditions [2][4] - Investors will be looking for evidence in 2026 that margins can stabilize without sacrificing growth, requiring improvements in logistics efficiency and monetization strategies [5][6] Group 2: Fintech Performance - Mercado Pago has become a crucial growth engine, with rapid expansion in payments, assets under management, and lending, alongside improved credit quality [8][9] - The company must maintain credit discipline and control delinquency rates to ensure that fintech growth is sustainable and contributes meaningfully to earnings [10] Group 3: Investment and Operating Leverage - Significant investments are being made in logistics, technology, and payment infrastructure across key markets, which are strategically important for enhancing delivery and reliability [11] - In 2026, investors will seek signs of operating leverage, such as declining fulfillment costs and efficient scaling of technology spend [12] Group 4: Competitive Landscape - Competition has intensified, with Shopee surpassing MercadoLibre in Brazil and new entrants like Temu altering consumer price expectations [13] - The company must demonstrate that competition will not lead to permanent margin compression, with signs of pricing rationality and improved monetization per user being critical for restoring confidence [14] Group 5: Investor Implications - MercadoLibre remains a compelling long-term investment opportunity in Latin America's digital economy, but the company must prove its ability to execute effectively in 2026 [16][17] - Success in 2026 could transition the company from a high-growth platform to a durable compounder, while failure may lead to increased stock volatility despite rising revenues [16]

Core Insights - Nike's recent quarterly results indicate stability in revenue but a significant profit decline of 32% [1][5] - The company is facing challenges in its turnaround efforts amid economic uncertainty, with new CEO Elliott Hill focusing on improving partner relationships and brand revitalization [1][2] - Apple CEO Tim Cook's recent investment of $3 million in Nike stock reflects his belief in the company's potential, although it may not be a practical indicator for average investors [2][6] Financial Performance - Nike's revenue has remained stagnant, with earnings dropping from $1.2 billion to $792 million in the quarter ending November 30, 2025 [5] - The company's gross margin has been declining, impacted by tariffs, contributing to the profit decrease [5] - Nike's stock has lost over half its value in the past five years, and it currently trades at 38 times its trailing earnings, suggesting it may still be overvalued [10] Market Position and Consumer Behavior - The apparel market is becoming increasingly competitive with cheaper alternatives, which may affect consumer perception of Nike's brand value [9] - While there are loyal customers willing to pay a premium for Nike products, the average consumer may prioritize cost-effective options [9] - Nike needs to demonstrate its growth potential to regain investor confidence, as current performance does not reflect a growth business [10]

Core Insights - Investing in growth stocks, particularly those benefiting from artificial intelligence (AI), is highlighted as a promising strategy for building wealth in the new year [1] Group 1: Nvidia - Nvidia has achieved an extraordinary return of 458,000% since its IPO in 1999, with a current stock price trading at 25 times this year's earnings estimate, indicating solid value [2] - The company's data center revenue surged by 66% year over year last quarter, driven by high demand for its graphics processing units (GPUs) and networking components [3] - Despite increasing competition in the AI chip market, Nvidia's older chip generations continue to provide value to customers, allowing them to lower total ownership costs [4] - Nvidia's CUDA programming software enhances chip efficiency, extending their useful life and reducing the likelihood of customers switching to competitors [5] - The company has visibility into $500 billion of cumulative revenue from its current and upcoming chips, with analysts projecting a 50% revenue growth this year to $319 billion [7] - Nvidia is generating $99 billion in annual net profit and is expected to grow revenue at an annualized rate of 31% through the end of the decade, reaching $227 billion [8] Group 2: Palantir Technologies - Palantir Technologies is experiencing accelerating revenue growth for its AI platforms, with a quarterly growth rate of 63% year over year as of the third quarter of 2025 [10] - The company has a gross margin of 80.81% and is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for AI applications on edge devices, such as drones and robots [12][13] - Analysts project Palantir's annual revenue to grow at a rate of 39%, reaching $16.5 billion by 2029, up from $3.9 billion on a trailing 12-month basis [14]

Core Insights - Quantum computing is poised for significant growth, with projections estimating a market size of $100 billion over the next decade [2] Group 1: Companies in Quantum Computing - **Nvidia**: A leader in GPU technology, Nvidia is exploring quantum computing to enhance AI capabilities. The company has developed NVQLink and CUDA-Q to integrate quantum processors with AI supercomputers, positioning itself at the intersection of current and future computing technologies [4][5][7] - **IBM**: Despite being seen as a legacy company, IBM has adapted by focusing on hybrid cloud computing and quantum technology. It has generated over $1 billion in lifetime revenue from quantum computing and offers Qiskit, a widely used software development kit [8][9][11] - **Microsoft**: A major player in technology, Microsoft is investing in quantum research, having developed the Majorana 1 chip capable of housing 1 million qubits. The company’s strong market presence and resources position it well for future advancements in quantum computing [12][13][15]