Core Viewpoint - IonQ has announced a definitive agreement to acquire SkyWater Technology for approximately $1.8 billion, with a share price of $35, aligning with analyst price targets and indicating strategic benefits for both companies [2][5][6] Group 1: Acquisition Details - The acquisition will be executed through a cash-and-stock transaction, with SkyWater shareholders receiving $15 in cash and $20 in IonQ stock per share [5] - The deal values SkyWater at approximately $1.8 billion, which aligns with the price target set by Stifel Nicolaus [2][6] Group 2: Strategic Implications - The acquisition is strategic for IonQ as it aims to integrate semiconductor manufacturing into its operations, supporting the development of next-generation quantum processors [3] - By acquiring SkyWater, IonQ enhances its position as a technology partner for the U.S. government and allied nations [3] Group 3: Future Developments - IonQ plans to begin functional testing in 2028 for a 200,000-qubit quantum processing unit, enabling around 8,000 high-fidelity logical qubits [4] - The acquisition is expected to streamline production timelines and reduce costs, creating a vertically integrated quantum platform [4][6] Group 4: Company Structure Post-Acquisition - SkyWater will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of IonQ, retaining its name and leadership under CEO Thomas Sonderman [5]

Core Viewpoint - Cloudflare, Inc. is a prominent player in the technology sector, providing services such as CDN, internet security, and DDoS mitigation, and is currently valued at approximately $193.45 with a "Peer Perform" rating from Wolfe Research [1] Group 1: Analyst Ratings - Despite Wolfe Research's hold recommendation, Cloudflare has a "Moderate Buy" consensus rating from thirty research firms, including two sell ratings, nine hold ratings, eighteen buy ratings, and one strong buy rating [2] - The average one-year price target for Cloudflare is around $232.48, indicating potential upside from its current price [2] - Needham and Company LLC upgraded their target price from $240 to $285 while maintaining a "buy" rating, and Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price from $230 to $275, also recommending a "buy" [3] Group 2: Stock Performance - Cloudflare's stock is currently trading at $194.71, reflecting a significant increase of 12.26% or $21.27 [4] - The stock has fluctuated between $183.65 and $194.88 today, with a yearly high of $260 and a low of $89.42 [4] - The company has a market capitalization of approximately $68.2 billion and a trading volume of 5,604,054 shares [4]

Company Overview - Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. is a significant entity in the precious metals sector, focusing on acquiring and managing precious metal streams by purchasing a portion of future production from mining companies, thus providing them with upfront capital [1] Stock Performance and Price Targets - On January 26, 2026, Scotiabank set a new price target of $175 for WPM, indicating a potential increase of 14.38% from its trading price of $153 at that time [2] - The stock is currently priced at $152.45, reflecting a 4.3% increase or $6.29, with fluctuations between $150.63 and $154.70, marking its highest price over the past year [2] Analyst Recommendations - WPM has received a consensus "Buy" recommendation from eight research firms, with one analyst recommending holding, five suggesting buying, and two advocating a strong buy [3] - The average twelve-month price target from these firms is C$134.43, with Canaccord Genuity Group raising their price objective from C$144.00 to C$172.00, and Peel Hunt increasing theirs from C$162.00 to C$165.00 [3] Market Capitalization and Trading Volume - WPM's market capitalization is approximately $69.2 billion, with a trading volume of 2,292,655 shares on the NYSE [4] - The stock's lowest price in the past year was $58.31, indicating significant growth potential [4]

Core Insights - Steel Dynamics, Inc. reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.82, surpassing the estimated $1.72, and showing a significant improvement from $1.36 EPS in the same quarter last year [2][6] - The company generated revenue of $4.41 billion, a 14% increase year-over-year, although it fell short of the estimated $4.53 billion, resulting in a -2.75% surprise [3][6] - Strong steel shipments of approximately 3.3 million tons and higher average selling prices contributed to the robust performance, with steel operations net sales reaching $3.14 billion, an 18.7% increase from the previous year [4][6] - Steel Dynamics anticipates solid demand driven by improved trade conditions and advancements at new mills, supported by strong financial metrics including a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 22.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42 [5][6] - The company maintains strong liquidity with a current ratio of 3.11, ensuring it can meet short-term obligations [5]

Core Viewpoint - Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) is recognized for its low-cost fares and extensive domestic network, with a current stock price of approximately $41.93 and a price target set by Jefferies at $45, indicating a potential increase of about 7.16% [1][4]. Group 1: Stock Performance - The stock is currently priced at $41.93, reflecting a slight decrease of 0.06% or $0.03 [2]. - Over the past year, the stock has experienced significant volatility, with a high of $45.02 and a low of $23.82 [2][4]. - The trading volume for the day is 1,855,700 shares, indicating active investor interest [2]. Group 2: Company Events - Southwest Airlines plans to host a live webcast on January 29, 2026, to discuss its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2025 [3][4]. - Key figures such as Bob Jordan, Andrew Watterson, and Tom Doxey will lead the discussion, providing insights into the company's performance and future outlook [3]. Group 3: Market Capitalization - The company has a market capitalization of approximately $21.68 billion, reflecting its size and influence in the airline industry [2].

Core Viewpoint - JPMorgan raised its price target on Apple to $315 from $305 while maintaining an Overweight rating, indicating an improving risk-reward profile ahead of upcoming earnings [1] Group 1: Stock Performance and Market Context - Apple shares underperformed the S&P 500 over the prior two months, falling 13% compared to a 1% gain for the broader index, reflecting investor concerns about gross margin pressure and potential price elasticity risks for iPhone demand [2] - Despite the underperformance, positive indicators suggest strong demand for the iPhone 17 [2] Group 2: Earnings Expectations - JPMorgan anticipates a constructive setup heading into Apple's fiscal first-quarter 2026 results, with the stock trading at approximately 30 times next-twelve-month earnings, below historical peaks observed during major iPhone product cycles [3] - iPhone revenue is expected to exceed consensus forecasts, with projected 16% year-over-year growth, marking the strongest iPhone revenue expansion since September 2021 [4] Group 3: Services and Margin Outlook - For Services, JPMorgan projects App Store revenue growth of about 7% year-over-year in fiscal Q1, below Apple's overall Services growth guidance of roughly 14%, but notes that Apple has multiple non-App Store levers to support Services growth [4] - Limited margin pressure from higher memory costs is anticipated due to Apple's long-term supply contracts and scale advantages, which typically provide more favorable component pricing [5] Group 4: Revenue and Earnings Forecast - JPMorgan forecasts a modest revenue beat and a stronger earnings beat in fiscal Q1, with a fiscal Q2 outlook calling for 10%–12% revenue growth [6] - The higher price target reflects increased earnings power and a valuation multiple more consistent with historical peaks ahead of major product cycles later in the year [6]

Core View - DA Davidson upgraded CoreWeave from Neutral to Buy and raised its price target to $110 from $68 due to strengthening demand for compute and a more favorable risk-reward profile heading into 2026 [1] Investor Concerns - Investor concerns regarding CoreWeave's exposure to a narrow set of outcomes tied to future AI compute demand are well understood, with neocloud providers heavily reliant on sustained growth in AI workloads [2] - Historically, CoreWeave lacked a clear catalyst to materially reduce perceived counterparty risk and capital structure overhang [2] Outlook Changes - Analysts believe the probability of meaningful de-risking events has increased materially in 2026, which could reduce both counterparty exposure and balance-sheet concerns, leading to a more constructive view on valuation [3] Risk and Potential - Downside risks are largely reflected in the current share price, while upside potential has improved due to strengthening compute demand and a clearer path toward risk reduction, prompting a more positive stance on the stock [4]

Core Viewpoint - JPMorgan maintains a Neutral rating and a $100 price target on Roblox, citing a decline in recent engagement metrics [1] Engagement Metrics - Roblox's peak concurrent users decreased to 23 million over the past weekend, down from 26 million the previous week, marking the lowest Saturday peak since early June [2] - The game Escape Tsunami reached approximately 5 million concurrent users, but its growth was overshadowed by a decline of about 3 million concurrent users for Steal a Brainrot, despite the recent success of Plants vs. Brainrots [2] External Factors - JPMorgan indicated that Winter Storm Fern likely did not significantly impact the engagement data, as increased engagement from children staying home was countered by power outages affecting over 200,000 households on Saturday and up to 750,000 by Sunday morning [3] Weekday Trends - Weekday engagement trends appeared more stable, with non-peak usage remaining largely unchanged week over week, even after accounting for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday [4] - A slower weekend event calendar may have contributed more to the engagement decline than changes in age verification, with overall engagement results being disappointing and year-over-year trends moderating again after showing signs of stabilization the previous week [4]

Group 1 - Needham upgraded AppLovin from Hold to Buy and set a price target of $700, reflecting increased confidence in the company's e-commerce revenue trajectory for 2026 [1] - Shares of AppLovin rose more than 5% intra-day on the day of the upgrade [1] - Needham raised its 2026 e-commerce revenue estimate to $1.45 billion from $1.05 billion, indicating expectations for sequential growth in the first quarter [2] Group 2 - The firm anticipates that advertiser growth from AppLovin's self-service platform launch and higher spending levels will offset typical first-quarter seasonality [2] - There remains potential upside to estimates under a bullish scenario, where AppLovin's e-commerce business could follow a revenue trajectory similar to TikTok [3] - The upgrade was influenced by the stock's recent pullback from highs reached about one month earlier, improving the entry point for investors [3]

Core Viewpoint - Wolfe Research downgraded Cummins from Outperform to Peerperform due to limited remaining upside after strong share price performance [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - Cummins was the second-best performing stock in Wolfe's coverage universe last year, with a share price increase of 46% [1] - The stock had already outperformed in 2024 prior to the downgrade [1] Group 2: Market Conditions and Expectations - Power generation sales and margins have continued to exceed expectations, contributing to Wolfe's optimism about a Class 8 recovery [2] - Improving truckload spot rates and clarity around EPA 2027 regulations have further supported this positive outlook [2] Group 3: Earnings Estimates - Wolfe raised its 2027 earnings estimate for Cummins by 6% to $32 per share, surpassing consensus forecasts [3] - Despite this increase, applying a 20 times earnings multiple suggests only about 12% upside potential [3] Group 4: Risk-Reward Assessment - With shares trading above the previous upside target, Wolfe indicated that the risk-reward profile has become less compelling [4] - The decision to lower the rating to Peerperform reflects this assessment of reduced attractiveness in the stock [4]