Investment Strategy - The investment approach focuses on generating additional income through dividends, emphasizing companies with significant competitive advantages and strong financials [2] - A combination of high Dividend Yield and Dividend Growth is recommended to reduce dependence on broader stock market fluctuations [2] - The strategy includes constructing a well-diversified portfolio across various sectors and industries to minimize volatility and mitigate risk [2] Portfolio Composition - Suggested investment portfolios typically consist of a blend of ETFs and individual companies, highlighting broad diversification and risk reduction [2] - The selection process for high dividend yield and dividend growth companies is meticulously curated, prioritizing total return, which includes both capital gains and dividends [2] - The approach aims to maximize returns while considering the full spectrum of potential income sources [2]

I recently described in a Barchart article why Microsoft Corp (MSFT) stock looks cheap here, despite the market's concerns about its free cash flow (FCF). My price target is $521, or 23% higher over the next year. One play for value investors is to sell short at-the-money and out-of-the-money put options with one-month expiration periods. MSFT is down today at $424.53 per share, well off its recent Jan. 28 peak of $481.63, before its market close release of fiscal Q2 earnings on the same day. This is a n ...

Group 1: Retail Investor Trends - Retail investors are increasingly active, with 37% of individuals aged 25 having made investment transfers from checking accounts since age 22, a significant increase from 6% in 2015 [1] - Retail investors are becoming more sophisticated, and their sentiment is of interest to the market, particularly through platforms like Robinhood, which lists the 100 most-owned stocks [2] Group 2: Popular Stocks Among Retail Investors - The most-owned stocks on Robinhood reflect a strong interest in large-cap companies, particularly in the tech sector, many of which are expected to benefit from advancements in artificial intelligence [5] - The top 10 most-owned stocks on Robinhood include Nvidia, Apple, Tesla, Amazon, Microsoft, AMC Entertainment, Ford Motor Company, Meta Platforms, Alphabet (Class A), and Netflix [6] - Notably, AMC gained popularity during the pandemic's meme-stock craze, while Ford's stock has been volatile due to its transition to electric vehicles and external challenges [7][8] Group 3: Investment Recommendations - Among the most-owned stocks, Amazon and Microsoft are highlighted as the two best investment opportunities currently [9] - Amazon faced challenges last year due to tariffs affecting its e-commerce operations, but it has established a robust supply chain and logistics network capable of rapid product delivery [10]

Company Overview - Commercial Metals Company is a leading producer and recycler of steel and metal products, with a diversified presence in both domestic and international markets [5] - The company operates an integrated business model by sourcing scrap metal, producing finished and semi-finished steel products, and supplying fabricated steel and construction-related services to end markets [7] - It serves steel mills, foundries, manufacturers, distributors, construction companies, and infrastructure projects across the United States, Poland, China, and other international markets [7] Financial Performance - As of January 30, 2026, Commercial Metals Company reported a revenue of $8.01 billion and a net income of $437.66 million [4] - The company's shares were priced at $76.87, reflecting a 58.9% increase over the prior year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 by 44 percentage points [3] - The dividend yield stands at 0.94% [4] Recent Developments - Artemis Investment Management LLP initiated a new stake in Commercial Metals Company by acquiring 1,501,906 shares during the fourth quarter of 2025, with an estimated transaction value of $103.96 million [1] - This new holding represents 1.26% of Artemis's 13F reportable assets under management after the trade [2] - Despite the stock's EV/EBITDA ratio increasing from 6 to 9, Artemis still sees potential upside in the stock, indicating confidence in the company's future performance [8]

All right, Diane King Hall is with me and we continue to take a look at some of these big tech names and what a week it was for Microsoft in particular, Apple, too. Let's uh hear some details. >> Yeah, we've got uh some analyst activity across the Mag 7 to kick off the week here.Uh and this is Philip Securities taking a look at both Apple and Microsoft and you've got upgrades for both of them. We'll start out with Microsoft. They've upgraded Microsoft to buy from accum accumulate.They are keeping the price ...

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pondurance, the leading provider of managed detection and response (MDR) services for mid-market organizations in highly regulated industries, today announced the immediate availability of Pondurance for Microsoft, a purpose-built MDR service designed to protect Microsoft-centric IT environments commonly found in organizations with limited security resources and elevated breach risk. Mid-market organizations rely heavily on Microsoft 365 technologies and applications including t ...

You know that expectations for a company are sky high when it can report a 60% year-over-year jump in profits, a 17% rise in revenue, a 45% increase in users of its flagship product, and $12.7 billion returned to shareholders that quarter ... and the stock still tanks by 10% the next day. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) was the victim of this expectations hit last Thursday, as Wall Street digested its Q2 2026 earnings report released the day before. The sell-off wiped away a staggering $357 billion from the tech ...

Group 1: Metal Market Dynamics - The silver and gold markets are experiencing significant declines, with silver hitting a trading limit down and gold also nearing a limit down at the close [2] - The supply-demand dynamics for metals show no signs of reversal, with increasing terminal inventories and reduced purchasing willingness from downstream sectors due to high prices [2][4] - The demand for aluminum remains weak, while Indonesia's electrolytic aluminum production capacity is increasing, alleviating previous electricity shortages [3] Group 2: Broader Economic Narratives - The recent surge in metal prices is primarily driven by macroeconomic narratives rather than supply-demand fundamentals, with geopolitical tensions leading to a preference for physical assets over dollar-denominated assets [4][5] - Historical price determinants tend to favor supply-demand relationships over macroeconomic narratives, which may mislead investors at high price levels [5] Group 3: AI Investment Trends - Microsoft's recent stock drop, despite solid earnings, highlights a potential shift in capital allocation towards AI, with investors voting against companies that increase AI spending without corresponding output [6][8] - The trend suggests that large companies may need to optimize AI capital expenditures, which could pressure hardware-related narratives [8] Group 4: AI as a Productivity Tool - Current AI applications often do not enhance productivity significantly, as many businesses could achieve similar results by hiring data analysts instead of relying on third-party AI services [13][14] - The lowering of barriers in software development due to AI advancements may lead to businesses developing their own solutions, reducing reliance on external vendors [15] Group 5: Future of AI Applications - The focus on AI applications may need to shift, particularly in consumer-facing sectors where the utility of AI remains limited [16] - Businesses leveraging cloud services and AI models are likely to benefit from cost reductions and the creation of new business models, potentially leading to the emergence of new industries [17]

Macro Dynamics - The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council approved the "Modern Capital Metropolitan Area Spatial Coordination Plan (2023-2035)", aiming to cultivate an innovation triangle in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, enhancing collaboration and resource flow [2] Housing Market - Shanghai has initiated a program to purchase second-hand housing for affordable rental housing, targeting new citizens, young people, and graduates to meet their rental needs [3] - The first batch of housing to be acquired will focus on matching housing types, layout, and transportation convenience to support talent in the city [3] Energy Sector - The China Electricity Council reported that by 2025, the country will add 550 million kilowatts of new power generation capacity, with wind and solar power accounting for 440 million kilowatts, representing 80.2% of the total [4] Financial Institutions - Citigroup warned that gold valuations have reached extreme levels, with global gold expenditure as a percentage of GDP hitting 0.7%, the highest in 55 years, indicating potential risks for gold prices [7] - Deutsche Bank remains bullish on gold, maintaining a target price of $6,000 per ounce despite recent price drops, citing ongoing positive factors for gold investment [8] Market Data - On February 2, A-shares experienced a significant decline, with all three major indices dropping over 2%, and more than 4,600 stocks falling, including 123 hitting the daily limit down [12] - The Hong Kong Hang Seng Index fell by 2.23%, with the technology index down 3.36%, and significant declines in precious metals and semiconductor stocks [13] Company Dynamics - Midea Group announced a share buyback of 26.94 million shares, representing 0.35% of its total share capital, at a total cost of 1.998 billion yuan [17] - Chip-on-Board Technology reported a revenue of 394 million yuan for 2025, a year-on-year increase of 11.52%, but a net profit decrease of 4.91% [18] - GoerTek has repurchased 40.54 million shares, amounting to 1.14% of its total shares, for a total expenditure of 1.108 billion yuan [19] - Microsoft saw a market value drop of $381 billion following disappointing earnings and forecasts, indicating a shift in investor sentiment towards tech stocks [20] - Amazon is expected to report strong fourth-quarter earnings, with analysts predicting over 28% upside potential in the next 12 months [21]

As the XLK and VGT hover near all-time highs, the tech sector is facing what I would call a crisis of identity. This week’s reactions to earnings from the 'Magnificent 7' are confirmation of that.I write about stocks I’m personally interested in adding to my portfolio. I’m not a professional advisor, but I study business and economics and analyze markets full-time. My writing is meant for both complete beginners — I avoid unnecessary complexity — and advanced readers, as I always aim to offer a distinct and ...