Core Viewpoint - The stock market is heavily influenced by artificial intelligence (AI), with several key stocks expected to perform well in 2026, particularly Nvidia, Broadcom, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing [1]. Group 1: Nvidia - Nvidia is recognized as the leader in AI infrastructure, with its GPUs being essential for AI data center development [2]. - The company has established a robust ecosystem around its chips, having integrated its CUDA software platform into educational institutions, which has led to widespread adoption among developers [4]. - Nvidia's recent acquisition of SchedMD enhances its software capabilities, particularly with the open-source platform Slurm, and its NVLink interconnect system provides a competitive networking advantage [6]. Group 2: Broadcom - Broadcom is becoming a preferred choice for companies seeking cost-effective alternatives to Nvidia's GPUs, focusing on ASIC technology for custom AI chip design [7]. - The company has collaborated with Alphabet to develop tensor processing units (TPUs), attracting other major clients like Meta Platforms and OpenAI, which is expected to drive significant growth [9]. - Analysts project Broadcom's AI revenue to exceed $50 billion in fiscal 2026 and reach $100 billion in fiscal 2027, a substantial increase from $20.2 billion in fiscal 2025 [10]. Group 3: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is positioned to benefit from the rising demand for both GPUs and AI ASICs, holding a near monopoly in advanced logic chip manufacturing [12]. - TSMC is the only foundry capable of producing smaller node chips at high yields, which is critical for the development of powerful and energy-efficient chips [14]. - The company has demonstrated strong pricing power, increasing prices by over 15% since 2019 and planning further hikes starting in 2026 [16].

Core Insights - Palantir and CrowdStrike are identified as two of the most expensive AI stocks, with investor concerns primarily focused on valuation despite a general interest in AI stocks for 2026 [1] Palantir Technologies - Palantir's stock trades at a forward price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 67 times 2025 analyst estimates and 49 times 2026 consensus, significantly exceeding the median enterprise value-to-sales multiple of around 20 times for software stocks in 2021 and 2022 [2] - The company has experienced accelerating revenue growth, reaching 63% last quarter, driven by increased adoption of its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) among U.S. commercial customers [4] - Palantir's customer count increased by 45% in Q3 2025, and its net dollar retention rate is at 134%, indicating strong growth from existing customers [5] - The U.S. government, as Palantir's largest customer, is also expanding its contracts as it modernizes its defense and intelligence capabilities [6] - Despite its growth potential, the stock is considered overvalued, with historical examples of major tech companies experiencing significant stock price declines before eventual recoveries [7] CrowdStrike - CrowdStrike's stock trades at a forward P/S multiple of nearly 25 times the fiscal 2026 consensus and 20 times fiscal 2027 forecasts, raising concerns about its valuation [10] - The company's annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth had been decelerating but accelerated to 23% last quarter, while total revenue rose 22% [11] - The introduction of the Falcon Flex licensing model has significantly boosted ARR for customers adopting it, with some seeing their ARR triple in Q3 [12] - For CrowdStrike to justify its current valuation, revenue growth needs to accelerate to the 30% range and maintain that level [13]

Core Insights - Nvidia has experienced significant growth, with a stock increase of 39% in 2025 and a revenue rise of 62% year over year for the first three quarters of its 2026 fiscal year [1][2] - The company has a substantial order backlog of $500 billion through the end of 2026, indicating strong future demand [2] - Nvidia's current valuation is high at 46 times trailing earnings, raising questions about whether to invest now or wait for a better opportunity [2] Financial Performance - For the first three quarters of fiscal 2026, Nvidia's gross profit increased by 48% and net income rose by 52% [1] - Data center revenue constituted 90% of Nvidia's total revenue in the most recent quarter, highlighting the demand for its GPUs from AI companies [4] - Nvidia's gross margin stands at 70.05%, indicating strong profitability [7] Market Position - Nvidia is currently the largest public company by market capitalization, valued at $4.6 trillion [6][7] - Compared to its competitor Advanced Micro Devices, which trades at 106 times trailing earnings, Nvidia appears more reasonably valued [5] Investment Strategy - Dollar-cost averaging is suggested as a strategy for investing in Nvidia, allowing for gradual investment over time to mitigate volatility [7][8]

Core Viewpoint - The Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) offers broader diversification, higher recent returns, and a lower expense ratio compared to the ProShares - S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL), which has a more concentrated sector mix and focuses on companies with long dividend growth histories [1][2]. Cost & Size Comparison - VYM has an expense ratio of 0.06%, significantly lower than NOBL's 0.35% - The one-year return for VYM is 12.2%, while NOBL's is 4.3% - VYM has a dividend yield of 2.4%, compared to NOBL's 2.1% - VYM's assets under management (AUM) stand at $84.5 billion, while NOBL's AUM is $11.2 billion [3][4]. Performance & Risk Comparison - Over five years, NOBL experienced a maximum drawdown of 17.92%, while VYM had a lower maximum drawdown of 15.83% - An investment of $1,000 would grow to $1,601 in VYM compared to $1,327 in NOBL over the same period [5]. Portfolio Composition - VYM holds 589 stocks with major sector exposures in financial services (21%), technology (18%), and healthcare (13%) - Top positions in VYM include Broadcom Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Exxon Mobil Corp. [6]. - NOBL consists of 70 stocks, primarily concentrated in consumer defensive (23%), industrials (21%), and financial services (13%) - Key holdings in NOBL include Albemarle Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., and C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. [7][8]. Investment Implications - VYM's diverse portfolio allows it to better withstand downturns in specific sectors, benefiting from its inclusion of technology stocks - NOBL's focus on companies with a history of increasing dividends results in a smaller, more concentrated portfolio, which may limit diversification [9][10].

Company Overview - Argan is a diversified engineering and construction firm focusing on power generation, renewable energy, and infrastructure markets, leveraging technical capabilities and project management expertise to deliver complex projects for utility and industrial clients nationwide [6][9] - As of the latest market close, Argan's stock price is $325.96, with a market capitalization of $4.52 billion, revenue of $915.03 million, and net income of $119.93 million for the trailing twelve months (TTM) [4] Recent Developments - Alpine Investment Management initiated a new position in Argan, acquiring 60,000 shares valued at approximately $16.20 million as of September 30, which now accounts for 13.62% of Alpine's reportable U.S. equity assets [2][3] - Argan's stock has increased by 127% over the past year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 17% gain during the same period [3] Financial Performance - In the third quarter, Argan reported a net income of $30.7 million, or $2.17 per share, with EBITDA climbing to $40.3 million and margins expanding to 16% [10] - For the first nine months of the fiscal year, net income increased by over 60% year over year, and the company ended the quarter with over $726 million in cash and investments, with no debt [10] Project Backlog - Argan reported a record project backlog of approximately $3.0 billion, more than double the amount at the start of the fiscal year, primarily driven by new gas-fired power projects in Texas [7] - This backlog indicates years of revenue already secured, rather than mere projections [7] Market Position - The company's focus on hard assets and cash generation aligns with current investment trends, suggesting that Argan's stock has potential for further growth based on its backlog, margins, and liquidity [11]

Core Insights - The artificial intelligence sector is currently the hottest market segment, with Oracle and Palantir being closely monitored stocks within this space [2][3] Palantir - Palantir has seen remarkable stock performance, with a 147% increase over the past year and a staggering 1,920% rise since its IPO in October 2020 [5] - The company utilizes AI to analyze data from various sources, identifying trends and recommending actions, making it appealing to both government and business sectors [6] - Despite strong fundamentals, Palantir's stock trades at 256 times forward earnings, leading to concerns about overvaluation among analysts; currently, 3 analysts recommend buying, 11 suggest holding, and 2 recommend selling [8][9] Oracle - Oracle reported $455 billion in remaining performance obligations (RPOs) due to AI data center demand, which initially led to a nearly 40% stock price surge [10] - However, concerns arose regarding the debt required for data center expansion and the thin margins in this business, leading to a decline in investor confidence [11][12] - Despite these challenges, Oracle's stock is up approximately 18% over the past year, and analysts remain optimistic, with 24 out of 34 recommending a buy and an average 12-month price target suggesting a 60% upside [15][16]

Core Viewpoint - United Parcel Service (UPS) has shown signs of recovery, making it an attractive investment opportunity despite concerns about its high dividend yield potentially being a yield trap [2][4]. Financial Performance - UPS experienced record highs in sales and profitability during the early pandemic e-commerce boom, but has since faced challenges such as higher labor costs, softening demand, and tariffs impacting its financial performance [4]. - The company has increased its dividend modestly, resulting in a current ultra-high forward dividend yield of 6.6% [4]. - The dividend payout ratio stands at 87%, but recent developments suggest that the dividend is secure [5]. Stock Performance - As of the latest data, UPS shares are priced at $101.02, with a market capitalization of $86 billion and a gross margin of 18.48% [7]. - The stock has been trending higher since October, following better-than-expected Q3 2025 results [7][8]. Future Outlook - UPS is focusing on cost-cutting measures and shifting towards higher-margin customers in sectors like healthcare [8]. - Wall Street analysts project a conservative earnings growth of 4% for the next year, but there is potential for the stock to rally if UPS continues to exceed expectations [8][9]. - The stock may also experience a rerating as investors could be willing to pay more, aligning its valuation closer to competitor FedEx's forward P/E of 16 [9].

Core Viewpoint - Sirius XM, a long-term holding of Berkshire Hathaway, has underperformed but may see better prospects in 2026 due to management strategies and market conditions [1][3]. Company Performance - Sirius XM is currently Berkshire's 13th-largest stock holding, with a market cap of $6.9 billion and a stock price of $20.51, down from a pandemic peak of $70 [2][4]. - The stock has seen a significant decline due to a drop in self-pay subscribers and overall revenue, alongside a substantial net debt of $10 billion [4][6]. Subscriber and Revenue Trends - The decline in subscribers and revenue is attributed to competition from streaming services and sluggish car sales, which are crucial for new customer acquisition [6][7]. - Despite these challenges, self-pay subscribers and revenue fell only 1% last quarter, indicating potential stabilization [8]. Advertising Revenue Growth - Advertising revenue increased by 1% last quarter, reflecting a shift towards lower-cost, ad-supported services [9]. - Sirius is experimenting with new ad-supported plans, including Sirius Free Access and SiriusXM Play, to attract more users [10]. Cost Management and Capital Expenditures - Management has achieved $200 million in cost savings and is continuing to restructure for further efficiency [13]. - Capital expenditures are projected to decline significantly, with satellite launch spending expected to decrease from $200 million to $115 million by 2026 [14]. Future Outlook - Even with flat revenue, profits and cash flow are expected to increase, with a target of $1.50 billion in free cash flow by 2027 [15]. - If auto sales recover and advertising tiers succeed, Sirius XM's revenue could stabilize and return to growth, potentially improving its stock valuation [17][19].

Core Viewpoint - Robinhood's growth has been significant, largely driven by a booming stock market and increased investor engagement, but its future success may hinge on the continuation of favorable market conditions [1][2]. Group 1: Company Performance - Robinhood's share price has surged 1,300% over the past three years, reflecting strong growth [2]. - The company reported a 65% increase in sales in the first nine months of 2025, reaching $3.2 billion, with diluted earnings per share rising 153% to $1.39 [5]. - The number of funded customers increased by 10% to 26.8 million, with an average revenue per user (ARPU) of $191, an 82% increase year-over-year [6]. Group 2: Market Conditions - The current bull market, which began in 2022, could last for approximately seven years, potentially benefiting Robinhood if it continues [4]. - The AI boom has positively impacted Robinhood's business, as the company relies on trading activity in stocks and cryptocurrencies [5]. - Transaction-based revenue from options trading increased by 50% to $304 million, while revenue from cryptocurrency investing rose over 300% to $268 million [7]. Group 3: Future Outlook - If Robinhood can maintain customer engagement and the bull market persists, there is potential for further share price increases [8]. - However, a shift in investor sentiment towards a bear market could negatively impact Robinhood's sales and earnings [10][11]. - The company has diversified its offerings beyond trading, including savings accounts, credit cards, and estate planning services [10].

Core Insights - Von Borstel & Associates, Inc. increased its stake in the Dimensional Global Core Plus Fixed Income ETF by $5.75 million, bringing the total position to 1.34 million shares valued at $74.09 million, which represents approximately 11.36% of overall fund assets [1][2][3] ETF Overview - The Dimensional Global Core Plus Fixed Income ETF has assets under management (AUM) of $2.06 billion and offers a yield of 3.4% [4] - As of the latest pricing, DFGP shares are valued at $54.03, reflecting a 2% increase over the past year, while the S&P 500 has seen a nearly 17% gain [3] Investment Strategy - The ETF focuses on a globally diversified portfolio of U.S. and foreign debt securities, including both investment-grade and select lower-rated bonds to enhance yield potential [8] - It is structured as an exchange-traded fund, providing exposure to core plus fixed income securities, catering to both institutional and individual investors seeking diversified fixed income exposure with daily liquidity [8] Market Positioning - The investment strategy is not speculative but rather a structural allocation alongside equity ETFs, aiming to provide income without aggressive rate calls, with a yield to maturity exceeding 5.5% and a duration under seven years [9] - Dimensional's systematic approach includes spreading exposure across more than 1,300 holdings, blending investment-grade with selective lower-rated credit, and maintaining a low net expense ratio of around 0.22% [10]