Core Insights - Ave Maria Growth Fund reported a return of 0.84% in Q3 2025, significantly underperforming compared to the S&P 500 Index's return of 8.12% and the S&P 500® Equal Weight Index's gain of 4.84% [1] Company Overview - Tower Semiconductor Ltd. (NASDAQ:TSEM) is an independent semiconductor foundry based in Migdal Haemek, Israel [2] - The company specializes in analog and mixed signal chips and has a strong presence in silicon photonics technology, which is essential for high-speed data transfer [3] Performance Metrics - Tower Semiconductor's stock experienced a one-month return of -4.68% but saw a substantial increase of 133.25% over the last 52 weeks [2] - As of January 6, 2026, Tower Semiconductor's stock closed at $122.28 per share, with a market capitalization of $13.587 billion [2] Financial Results - In Q3 2025, Tower Semiconductor reported revenue of $396 million and a net profit of $54 million [4] - The number of hedge fund portfolios holding Tower Semiconductor increased from 28 to 38 in the last quarter, indicating growing interest among institutional investors [4] Market Position and Trends - The demand for silicon photonics is expected to grow rapidly, positioning Tower Semiconductor to benefit from this trend as traditional copper wire data transfer faces limitations [3] - Despite the potential of Tower Semiconductor, the Ave Maria Growth Fund suggests that certain AI stocks may offer greater upside potential with less downside risk [4]

Core Insights - Tower Semiconductor and LightIC Technologies have announced a strategic collaboration to leverage Tower's silicon photonics platform for LightIC's FMCW LiDAR products, including automotive and robotics applications [1][4][5] Industry Overview - The global automotive LiDAR market is projected to grow from $859 million in 2024 to $3.6 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24% [2] - The broader LiDAR market is expected to reach $6.3 billion by 2027, driven by applications in industrial automation, smart infrastructure, and robotics [2] Company Developments - Tower Semiconductor's advanced silicon photonics platform is being utilized for large-scale AI infrastructure, which supports the integration of optical functions for FMCW LiDAR [3] - The collaboration aims to enhance optical integration and improve size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) for velocity-aware LiDAR applications [4] - LightIC Technologies focuses on delivering commercially viable 4D FMCW LiDAR solutions for automotive and Physical AI applications [5][9]

Core Insights - Tower Semiconductor and LightIC Technologies announced a strategic collaboration to leverage Tower's silicon photonics platform for LightIC's FMCW LiDAR products, including automotive and robotics applications [1][4] - The global automotive LiDAR market is projected to grow from $859 million in 2024 to $3.6 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 24%, contributing to a broader LiDAR market expected to reach $6.3 billion by 2027 [2] - The advancement of AI data-center networking has accelerated the maturity of silicon photonics, expanding its adoption in sensing applications, particularly in automotive and Physical AI [3] Company Insights - Tower Semiconductor is a leading foundry specializing in high-value analog semiconductor solutions, focusing on various markets including automotive and industrial [7] - LightIC Technologies, founded in 2019, is a leader in silicon photonics-based FMCW LiDAR, known for delivering low-SWaP-C systems for automotive and robotics applications [9] - The collaboration aims to enhance optical integration and improve size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) for velocity-aware LiDAR technologies [4][5]

Company Overview - Tower Semiconductor is a leading pure-play foundry specializing in analog and mixed-signal semiconductor manufacturing, with a global workforce of over 5,600 employees [6] - The company leverages advanced process technologies and a flexible manufacturing model to meet specialized customer requirements in high-growth, high-reliability end markets [6] - Tower Semiconductor's revenue for the trailing twelve months (TTM) is $1.51 billion, with a net income of $195.48 million [4] Recent Developments - Hood River Capital Management established a new position in Tower Semiconductor, acquiring 1.51 million shares valued at approximately $109.22 million as of September 30, representing 1.29% of the fund's $8.47 billion in reportable U.S. equity assets [2][3] - As of the latest report, shares of Tower Semiconductor were priced at $118.08, reflecting a 127% increase over the past year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 17% gain during the same period [3] Financial Performance - Tower Semiconductor reported revenue of $396 million in the third quarter, marking a 6% sequential increase, while net income rose to $54 million, or $0.48 per share [7] - The company is projecting a record revenue of $440 million for the fourth quarter, indicating strong momentum in its financial performance [9] Strategic Focus - Tower Semiconductor is investing an additional $300 million to expand its SiPho and SiGe capacity, targeting optical transceivers and data center demand, which are expected to have structurally higher margins and long-duration growth drivers [9] - The company operates as an independent foundry, generating revenue through manufacturing and customizing semiconductor wafers for integrated device manufacturers and fabless companies on a contract basis [8]

Group 1 - Proactive provides fast, accessible, informative, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2] - The news team covers medium and small-cap markets, as well as blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [3] - Proactive's content includes insights across various sectors such as biotech, pharma, mining, natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging technologies [3] Group 2 - Proactive is committed to adopting technology to enhance workflows and content production [4] - The company utilizes automation and software tools, including generative AI, while ensuring all content is edited and authored by humans [5]

Upgrades - Clear Street upgraded Plug Power (PLUG) to Buy from Hold with a price target of $3, down from $3.50, citing attractive upside following a recent selloff and noting dilution from convertible refinancing [2] - Keefe Bruyette upgraded TeraWulf (WULF) to Outperform from Market Perform with a price target of $24, up from $9.50, believing investors are underestimating the shift in TeraWulf's bitcoin mining to high performance compute leasing in 2026 and 2027 [3] Downgrades - Wedbush downgraded GlobalFoundries (GFS) to Neutral from Outperform with a price target of $40, down from $42, indicating that while there is potential for stronger revenues and margins, recent developments have delayed the realization of these catalysts [4] - Wedbush downgraded Tower Semiconductor (TSEM) to Neutral from Outperform with a price target of $125, citing valuation concerns as the stock approaches the firm's target price [4] - Truist downgraded DigitalBridge (DBRG) to Hold from Buy with an unchanged price target of $16, following SoftBank Group's all-cash acquisition announcement at $16 per share, with low probability of a competing bid [4] - Raymond James double downgraded OceanFirst Financial (OCFC) to Market Perform from Strong Buy without a price target, expecting significant dilution from the acquisition of Flushing Financial (FFIC) [4] - Raymond James downgraded Flushing Financial (FFIC) to Market Perform from Outperform without a price target, stating the acquisition by OceanFirst was at a fair price given the earnings challenges faced [4]

Group 1 - Tower Semiconductor will participate in the 28th Annual Needham Growth Conference on January 13 and 14, 2026 [1] - The conference will be held at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel, providing opportunities for one-on-one meetings between investors and company representatives [2] - Tower Semiconductor is a leading foundry specializing in high-value analog semiconductor solutions, serving various growing markets including consumer, industrial, automotive, mobile, infrastructure, medical, and aerospace and defense [3] Group 2 - The company offers a wide range of customizable process platforms such as SiGe, BiCMOS, mixed-signal/CMOS, RF CMOS, CMOS image sensors, and MEMS [3] - Tower Semiconductor operates multiple facilities, including one in Israel and two in the U.S., as well as two in Japan, and has access to additional capacity through partnerships with other companies [3] - The company emphasizes long-term partnerships and aims to create a positive and sustainable impact through its advanced analog technology offerings [3]

Core Insights - 2025 marked the third consecutive year of double-digit increases on Wall Street, with a notable performance from Israeli stocks, although only about a quarter outperformed Wall Street indices [1] Company Performance - **Enlight Renewable Energy (Nasdaq: ENLT; TASE: ENLT)**: The company saw a stock increase of 162% in 2025, with a market cap rising from $2 billion at its IPO in 2023 to over $6 billion. It is recognized as one of the top companies in solar energy projects in the US [2] - **Pagaya (Nasdaq: PGY)**: The stock price increased by 143% in 2025, with a current market cap of $1.8 billion. The company turned a net profit earlier than expected this year, following a significant financial recovery [3][4] - **Tower Semiconductor Ltd. (Nasdaq: TSEM; TASE: TSEM)**: The chipmaker's stock rose by 135% in 2025, reaching a market cap of $13.6 billion, largely driven by the AI boom [5] - **JFrog (Nasdaq: FROG)**: The company experienced a 127% stock increase, with a market cap of $7.9 billion. The growth was fueled by strong third-quarter results and positive forecasts [6] - **Elbit Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq: ESLT; TASE: ESLT)**: The defense company saw a 125% increase in stock price, achieving a record market cap of $27 billion, supported by a significant order backlog and large international contracts [7]

Core Insights - Renaissance Investment Management's Q3 2025 "International Small Cap Equity Strategy" investor letter indicates a positive trend in international equities, marking the third consecutive quarter of gains and heading towards the best year since 2017 [1] - The portfolio outperformed its benchmark during the quarter, showcasing strong relative performance [1] Company Highlights: Tower Semiconductor Ltd. (NASDAQ:TSEM) - Tower Semiconductor Ltd. is highlighted as a top contributor to the portfolio's performance, with a one-month return of 16.52% and a remarkable 152.70% increase over the last 52 weeks [2][3] - As of December 09, 2025, Tower Semiconductor's stock closed at $124.00 per share, with a market capitalization of $13.903 billion [2] - The company is expanding its capacity in Silicon Photonics and Silicon Germanium to meet the high demand for data centers and artificial intelligence [3] Financial Performance - Tower Semiconductor reported revenue of $396 million in Q3 2025, resulting in a net profit of $54 million [4] - The number of hedge funds holding Tower Semiconductor increased from 28 to 38 in the last quarter, indicating growing interest among institutional investors [4]

Group 1 - Tower Semiconductor will participate in the Nomura's CES Technology Conference on January 5th and 6th, 2026 [1][2] - The conference will be held at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, providing opportunities for one-on-one meetings with company representatives [2] - Tower Semiconductor is a leading foundry specializing in high-value analog semiconductor solutions, serving various growing markets including consumer, industrial, automotive, mobile, infrastructure, medical, and aerospace and defense [3] Group 2 - The company offers a wide range of customizable process platforms such as SiGe, BiCMOS, mixed-signal/CMOS, RF CMOS, CMOS image sensors, and MEMS [3] - Tower Semiconductor operates multiple facilities, including one in Israel, two in the U.S., and two in Japan, with additional access to a 300mm capacity corridor in Intel's New Mexico factory [3] - The company emphasizes long-term partnerships and aims to create a positive and sustainable impact through its advanced analog technology offerings [3]