We recently compiled a list of the 20 Most Profitable Stocks of the Last 20 Years. Meta Platforms, Inc. is placed second on our list. TheFly reported on January 26 that Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded META from Neutral to Buy and raised its price target to $900 from $740. The firm noted that while higher costs could push 2026 earnings estimates lower and cause shares to dip in the short term, it sees a disconnect between the current stock price and META’s long-term value. Rothschild argued that at curren ...

Group 1 - Microsoft reported a 17% year-over-year revenue growth to $81.3 billion, with a slowdown in cloud business growth; capital expenditures increased by 66% to a record $37.5 billion [1] - Meta's Q4 revenue reached $59.89 billion, with earnings per share of $8.88, driven by strong advertising business; Q1 revenue and full-year capital expenditure guidance exceeded expectations [1] - Tesla's Q4 revenue declined by 3% to $24.9 billion, but operating profit of $1.41 billion and gross margin of 20.1% surpassed expectations; Elon Musk announced the halt of Model S/X production to shift focus to humanoid robot Optimus [1] - IBM's Q4 revenue grew by 12% to $19.69 billion, with cumulative AI business orders exceeding $12.5 billion [1] - Caterpillar's Q4 revenue increased by 18% to $19.13 billion, with adjusted earnings per share of $5.16, both exceeding expectations [1] - Blackstone reported Q4 inflows of $71.48 billion, the highest level in over three years; total assets reached $1.275 trillion [1] Group 2 - Deutsche Bank reported a net profit of €1.3 billion for Q4 and plans to repurchase €1 billion in stock [3] - STMicroelectronics saw a slight recovery in Q4 sales to $3.33 billion, although demand for automotive chips remains weak [3] - Google integrated Gemini AI features into the Chrome browser, introducing tools like Nano Banana and Personal Intelligence [3] - Alphabet's autonomous taxi service Waymo aims to launch a driverless ride-hailing service in London by Q4 [3] - TSMC raised its CoWoS capacity targets for 2026-2027 and is reassessing its advanced packaging expansion plans [3] - Alibaba's Pingtouge launched a high-end AI chip "Zhenwu 810E," which has been deployed in multiple large-scale clusters on Alibaba Cloud [3] - Toyota anticipates a 4.6% year-over-year increase in global sales in 2025, reaching 11.3 million units, setting a new record [3] - Used car retailer Carvana faced a short-sell report from Gotham Research, accused of overstating net profits by over $1 billion [3] - Snap established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Specs, to develop augmented reality (AR) glasses [3]

Core Insights - Dow Jones futures rose slightly, alongside S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures, following significant earnings reports from Tesla, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms [1] - Elon Musk highlighted plans for a surge in capital expenditures (CapEx) for Tesla, focusing on robotaxi expansion, which may impact the broader AI ecosystem [1] - Microsoft and Meta's CapEx guidance is substantial, indicating potential growth for the AI sector, including companies like Nvidia [1] Group 1: Company Performance - Meta Platforms, the sixth largest company by market cap on Nasdaq, reached a high of 742.99 in extended trading [1] - Microsoft exceeded December-quarter targets, but its stock experienced a decline in late trading [1] - Tesla reported a 17% drop in earnings, with Musk emphasizing the importance of CapEx for future growth [1] Group 2: Market Trends - The stock market rally showed mixed results after the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, with notable movements in oil stocks [1] - Nvidia, as an AI partner, is experiencing increased demand, which may be bolstered by the CapEx plans of major tech companies [1] - The overall market sentiment appears optimistic, with Nasdaq aiming for record highs amid these earnings reports [1]

股票市场早已预料到美联储决策结果，收市时美股各大指数较前日几乎没有什么变化。以蓝筹股为主的 道琼斯30种工业股票平均指数微涨0.02%，具有广泛代表性的标准普尔500指数盘中曾一度摸高7000点 后回落，全日微涨0.01%，以科技股为主的纳斯达克指数涨0.17%。 南方财经 21世纪经济报道特约撰稿 王应贵 与市场预期完全一致，美联储暂停减息，股票市场反应极其平淡，但其他市场去美元化趋势似乎加速。 联邦公开市场委员会（FOMC）认为，美国经济增长强劲，失业率稳定在低水平，就业市场依然强劲， 通胀水平依然偏高，目前货币政策适度，因此维持现状。 科技巨头股以微软、META（脸书）、特斯拉率先登场。从市场反应看，投资者对微软的预期偏高。尽 管微软公司经调整后的第二个财务季度每股收益4.14美元，高于预期的3.97美元，营业收入812.7亿美 元，高于预期的802.7亿美元，但公司季度资本支出和融资租赁达到375亿美元，高于预期的343亿美 元，且云端业务增长39%，低于上个季度的40%。微软预测第三个财季的营业毛利为45.1%，低于市场 预期的45.5%。投资者对微软的AI投资规模相当不满，盘后微软股价下跌6.14 ...

格隆汇1月29日｜Wedbush将微软公司目标价格从625美元下调至575美元，将Meta目标价格从880美元上 调至900美元。 ...

Group 1: S&P 500 and Market Dynamics - The S&P 500 index experiences significant turnover, with 20% of its constituents changing every five years on average since 1985, and the average company lifespan in the index has decreased from 29.3 years in the 1970s to 18.3 years in the 2020s [1] - The article highlights that while some stocks drive market performance, they often underperform over time, allowing new stocks to emerge and continue the market's upward trend [1] Group 2: Social Security Funding Challenges - Social Security benefits are primarily funded through taxes from workers and employers, with a trust fund established nearly a century ago, which is projected to be depleted by 2032 due to factors like employment slowdown and reduced immigration [2] - Without intervention, benefits could be cut by 20% to 25% once the trust fund is exhausted, necessitating potential solutions such as higher taxes, later claiming ages, means testing, or changes to the benefit formula [2] Group 3: Inflation and Economic Indicators - The consumer price index recently recorded a 2.7% increase, indicating stagnant prices despite no acceleration in inflation, with essential goods experiencing price hikes above the overall inflation rate [3] - Wage growth has stalled, and the perceived probability of finding a job within three months of losing one has dropped to 43.1%, the lowest since 2013, reflecting a challenging job market [3] Group 4: Workforce Analytics and Investment Insights - Dr. Ben Zweig emphasizes the importance of analyzing workforce data, including employee profiles, job postings, employee perception, and salary benchmarks, to gain insights into a company's health and potential investment opportunities [9][10] - The analysis of workforce dynamics can reveal trends such as attrition rates and hiring patterns, which are critical for investors to understand a company's future performance [9][10] Group 5: Job Market Dynamics - The job market is evolving, with roles and responsibilities frequently changing due to business demands and employee dynamics, necessitating continuous reconfiguration of job roles [15][16] - The impact of AI on job roles is significant, as it automates tasks rather than entire jobs, requiring firms and workers to adapt their workloads accordingly [16][17]

Group 1 - Major US tech companies are competing fiercely for dominance in next-generation technology, with Meta planning to double its capital expenditure to a maximum of $135 billion, focusing heavily on artificial intelligence [1][5] - Tesla is set to invest $20 billion in artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and robotics, nearly double Wall Street's expectations, and will also invest an additional $2 billion in CEO Elon Musk's xAI startup [1][6] - Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company will launch new AI models and related products after a comprehensive overhaul of its AI projects by 2025, leading to a 7.9% increase in Meta's stock price due to strong advertising performance [1][6] Group 2 - The investment boom in Silicon Valley has triggered a global ripple effect, with hardware suppliers like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix reporting multiple-fold profit increases, reflecting the growing demand for AI-related technologies [2][7] - The global leader in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, ASML Holding, also exceeded market expectations in its earnings report, indicating strong demand for cutting-edge technology [2] - Concerns are rising over the supply-demand imbalance in the semiconductor industry due to the massive demand driven by AI, which could impact various sectors including smartphones and automotive manufacturing [3][8] Group 3 - Musk has indicated the necessity for Tesla to establish its own semiconductor manufacturing facility to avoid potential supply bottlenecks, stating that without building a fab, the company will face significant challenges [3][8] - The upcoming release of next-generation high-bandwidth memory chips (HBM4) by Samsung is crucial for competing with SK Hynix, although Samsung's stock has seen a decline despite this development [4][9] - The market is closely watching the competition for dominance in the HBM4 chip sector, which will integrate with NVIDIA's upcoming flagship product, the Hopper processor [4][9]

Market Overview - The Federal Reserve maintained the federal funds rate target range at 3.5%-3.75%, aligning with market expectations[9] - The Hang Seng Index closed at 27,827, down 2.58% for the day but up 8.57% year-to-date[3] - The S&P 500 index closed at 6,978, with a slight decrease of 0.01% for the day and a year-to-date increase of 1.94%[3] Stock Performance - Gold prices surged, with spot gold exceeding $5,280 per ounce, marking a monthly increase of over 22%[9] - Semiconductor stocks saw significant gains, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rising by 2.34%[9] - Major tech stocks showed mixed results, with Intel up 11.04% and Microsoft down 6% post-earnings report[9] Sector Highlights - Oil stocks continued to rise, with Shanghai Petrochemical gaining over 5% due to geopolitical tensions driving oil prices up by 3%[9] - New consumer concept stocks performed well, with a snack retail chain soaring 69% on its debut[9] - Airline stocks faced pressure, with China Southern Airlines down 6.83% due to rising operational costs[9] Economic Indicators - The U.S. dollar index fell to 95.51, the lowest since February 2022, contributing to the rise in gold prices[9] - The Japanese yen strengthened, impacting export-related stocks negatively, with Toyota down 3.24%[13] - The Bank of Japan raised its policy rate to 0.75%, the highest in 30 years, indicating a cautious approach to future rate hikes[13]

By Mike Dolan Jan 29 - What matters in U.S. and global markets today By Mike Dolan, Editor-At-Large, Finance and Markets Global markets are digesting a torrent of new information on the earnings, currency and political fronts – yet they are holding up reasonably well. The S&P 500 eclipsed 7,000 points briefly ​on Wednesday and looks like it might do so again. The Federal Reserve meeting yesterday – and the decision to leave rates unchanged – did nothing to ‌disturb the existing market view. Chair Je ...

Group 1: Meta Platforms (META) - Meta Platforms reported a fourth-quarter earnings beat, with shares up more than 7% premarket. The company forecasted first-quarter revenue between $53.5 billion and $56.5 billion, exceeding expectations of $51.4 billion, aided by a 4% tailwind from foreign currency [3][4]. Group 2: Microsoft (MSFT) - Microsoft experienced a decline of over 5% premarket despite reporting fiscal second-quarter results that surpassed estimates. The company earned an adjusted $4.14 per share, with revenue rising 17% year-over-year to $81.27 billion, or 15% in constant currency. Analysts had anticipated earnings of $3.91 per share on $80.31 billion in revenue [4][5]. - For Q3, Microsoft expects total revenue between $80.65 billion and $81.75 billion, indicating growth of 15% to 17% [5]. Group 3: Tesla (TSLA) - Tesla shares rose 2.9% premarket following a top- and bottom-line earnings beat, alongside a positive outlook on Cybercab and robotaxi growth. However, the company reported a quarterly revenue decline due to the end of government tax incentives and increased competition in Europe and China [5][6]. - In the fourth quarter, Tesla earned an adjusted profit of $0.50 per share, down 17% from the previous year but 5 cents above expectations. The company anticipates significant capital expenditures exceeding $20 billion in 2026 [6]. Group 4: Norway's Sovereign Wealth Fund - Norway's $2.2 trillion sovereign wealth fund reduced its stakes in major U.S. tech companies, including Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet, during the second half of 2025. The fund cut its stake in Nvidia from 1.32% to 1.26% and in Microsoft from 1.35% to 1.26% [6][7]. - By year-end 2025, U.S. investments accounted for 52.9% of the fund's assets, up from 52.4% six months earlier [8].