Neils ChristensenNeils Christensen has a diploma in journalism from Lethbridge College and has more than a decade of reporting experience working for news organizations throughout Canada. His experiences include covering territorial and federal politics in Nunavut, Canada. He has worked exclusively within the financial sector since 2007, when he started with the Canadian Economic Press. Neils can be contacted at: 1 866 925 4826 ext. 1526 nchristensen at kitco.com @Neils_cShareDisclaimer: The views expressed ...

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of maximizing contributions to tax-advantaged accounts, particularly 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b) plans, before the year-end deadline of December 31 [1][2]. Contribution Limits - For 2025, the contribution limit for 401(k) plans is set at $23,500 for employee salary deferrals. Individuals aged 50 to 59 can contribute an additional $7,500, totaling $31,000, while those aged 60 to 63 can contribute up to $34,750 with an enhanced catch-up limit of $11,250 [3]. Participation Rates - According to Vanguard's report, only 14% of participants maximized their 401(k) contributions last year, despite an average savings rate of 7.7% of paychecks, which is a record high [4]. Long-term Impact - The long-term financial implications of not maximizing contributions are significant. For instance, contributing $10,000 versus $24,500 over 10 years could result in a difference of approximately $132,000 versus $323,000, assuming a 6% annual return [5]. Employer Match - Research indicates that 25% of workplace savers are not contributing enough to receive their full employer match, effectively missing out on free money [6]. Behavioral Insights - The tendency to procrastinate, with the mindset of "I'll start in January," leads many to miss out on maximizing contributions, which can result in substantial financial losses over time [7]. Financial Growth Example - A 35-year-old who does not maximize contributions for just one year could miss out on approximately $134,000 by age 65, assuming a 6% annual growth rate. Missing five years of maximum contributions could lead to over half a million dollars in lost retirement savings [8].

In this article, we will take a look at some of the best dividend aristocrat stocks to invest in.Strategies built around steady dividend growth have tended to deliver better results over time than broader benchmarks.A clear example is the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks companies that have raised their dividends every year for at least 25 years. Research from ProShares shows that, since the index began, it has beaten the S&P 500 on a risk-adjusted basis. It captured about 90% of the market’ ...

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is down -0.12%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -0.25%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is down -0.11%.  March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) are down -0.11%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) are down -0.10%. Stock indexes are slightly lower today as the market struggles for direction in thin year-end trading.  Higher bond yields are negative for stocks as the 10-year T-note yield is up +2 bp to 4.13%.  Losses in stocks are limited by s ...

Industry Overview - Hydrogen fuel cell technology is gaining traction as a long-term investment due to increasing government and industry efforts to decarbonize energy and transportation, offering zero-emission operation and high efficiency [1] - Expanding policy support, including subsidies and national hydrogen strategies, is reducing costs and accelerating the adoption of hydrogen technologies [1][2] Investment Momentum - Investment momentum is bolstered by advancements in electrolyzer technology, decreasing renewable energy costs, and the development of hydrogen infrastructure [2] - As green hydrogen scales, fuel cells are becoming more cost-competitive, enhancing their role in the global energy transition [2] Company Analysis: Bloom Energy (BE) - Bloom Energy is positioned to benefit from rising demand for low-carbon on-site power solutions, with its solid-oxide fuel cell technology providing efficient and ultra-clean electricity [3] - The company is expected to see significant earnings growth, with a projected year-over-year increase of 85.71% in 2025 and 78.75% in 2026 [8][9] - Bloom Energy's revenues are forecasted to increase by 37.74% in 2026, with a current return on invested capital (ROIC) of 5.22% [9][17] Company Analysis: Ballard Power Systems (BLDP) - Ballard Power is a leading provider of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology, suitable for heavy-duty transport applications [4] - The company is expected to experience earnings growth of 43.86% in 2025 and 25.78% in 2026, with revenues projected to rise by only 3.03% in 2026 [6][11] - Ballard Power's current ROIC is negative at -16.75%, indicating less efficient use of funds compared to Bloom Energy [17] Financial Performance - In the last six months, Bloom Energy's shares surged by 299.5%, significantly outperforming Ballard Power's gain of 59.6% [18] - Bloom Energy's shares are trading at a premium with a Price/Sales (P/S) ratio of 8.02X compared to Ballard Power's 7.85X [15] Conclusion - Both Bloom Energy and Ballard Power are focused on providing reliable, emission-free electricity, but Bloom Energy's stronger earnings estimates, higher ROIC, and superior price performance suggest it has an edge going into the new year [22][23]

Core Insights - Both Microvast Holdings, Inc. (MVST) and UiPath (PATH) are speculative growth tech stocks focusing on automation trends, with MVST specializing in battery manufacturing for electrification and PATH providing an AI-driven robotic process automation platform for enterprises [1] UiPath Analysis - In Q3 of fiscal 2026, UiPath achieved a 16% year-over-year revenue growth, driven by the increasing adoption of AI and automation strategies by enterprises [2] - The company reported an 11% year-over-year growth in annual recurring revenue, indicating a scaling of agentic automation across enterprises [2] - UiPath's dollar-based net retention rate stands at 107%, with an 8.2% year-over-year increase in free cash flow, positioning the company for sustained growth [3] - As of October 31, 2025, UiPath holds $1.4 billion in cash and equivalents with no current debt, resulting in a current ratio of 2.7, significantly higher than the industry average of 0.9 [3] - The integration with Microsoft Azure AI Foundry allows customers to automate end-to-end processes, enhancing UiPath's product offering [4] - A partnership with OpenAI to develop a ChatGPT connector aims to improve time to value and ROI from agentic AI efforts [5] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UiPath's fiscal 2026 sales is $1.6 billion, reflecting an 11.5% year-over-year increase, with EPS expected to rise by 26.4% to 67 cents [13] Microvast Analysis - In Q3 of 2025, Microvast reported a 21.6% year-over-year revenue growth, driven by strong demand in Asia and Europe [6] - The company benefits from the rising adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), which increases the demand for its battery technology [7] - Microvast's adjusted EBITDA for the nine months ending September 30, 2025, was $76.3 million, a significant recovery from a negative $53.5 million [8] - Despite revenue growth, Microvast reported a net loss of $1.5 million due to changes in warrant/loan valuation and a 23.7% increase in operating expenses [9] - As of September 30, 2025, Microvast had $143 million in cash and equivalents against a current debt of $335 million, resulting in a current ratio of 0.8, indicating liquidity challenges [10] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Microvast's 2025 sales is $462.3 million, suggesting a 21.7% year-over-year growth, with EPS expected to improve from a loss of 27 cents to a profit of 17 cents [14] Valuation Comparison - Microvast is trading at a 12-month forward P/E ratio of 13.9, below its 3-month median of 20.5, while UiPath's P/E ratio is 22.5, lower than its median of 68.1 [15] Conclusion - UiPath is positioned as a leader in the AI-driven automation sector, demonstrating strong financial health and growth potential [17] - Microvast faces liquidity pressures and competitive challenges in the EV battery market, impacting its growth and profitability balance [19]

Core Insights - CoreWeave, Inc. (CRWV) reported a third-quarter 2025 adjusted EBITDA of $838.1 million, significantly up from $378.8 million in the same quarter last year, with EBITDA margins exceeding 60% [1][9] - The company benefits from long-term customer agreements and a specialized infrastructure model optimized for AI workloads, allowing for higher returns per deployed GPU compared to traditional cloud providers [2][9] - CoreWeave's capital expenditures are projected to be between $12 billion and $14 billion for 2025, a reduction from earlier estimates, with expectations for 2026 expenditures to more than double 2025 levels [6] Growth Drivers - Demand from AI labs, enterprise customers, and hyperscale partners remains strong, driven by a shortage of high-performance compute capacity [5] - CoreWeave has secured significant multi-year agreements, including contracts worth up to $14.2 billion with Meta and $22.4 billion with OpenAI, marking its transition to a global AI infrastructure leader [5] - The company’s backlog and remaining performance obligations provide strong visibility into future revenue and profitability [4] Competitive Landscape - Nebius Group N.V. (NBIS) is also focused on AI infrastructure, recently announcing a $3 billion agreement with Meta, with revenue expected to ramp up in 2026 [7] - Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) plans to increase its AI capacity by over 80% in 2025 and is investing heavily in data centers, including the launch of the world's most powerful AI data center [8][10] Market Performance - CoreWeave's shares have increased by 88% over the past year, outperforming the Internet Software industry's growth of 9.6% [11] - The company's shares are trading at a Price/Book ratio of 9.44X, significantly higher than the industry average of 6.07X [12] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CoreWeave's earnings for 2025 has been revised upward over the past 60 days [13]

Key Points Bristol Myers Squibb's financial results haven't been great in recent years. The giant drugmaker has been facing challenges, including several patent cliffs. New launches, pipeline progress, and a dividend program still make it attractive. 10 stocks we like better than Bristol Myers Squibb › The past five years have been challenging for Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY). The company lost patent exclusivity for some key products, including one that was once its best-selling medicine, can ...

Pool Corp's stock price has been in a strong freefall this year, and is now at its lowest level since 2020. It has plunged by ~53% from its highest point this year, erasing $16 billion in value as the... ...

Acquisition Details - Meta is acquiring the AI startup Manus for over $2 billion to enhance its AI offerings across platforms [1] - Manus is a Singapore-based platform that launched its first general-purpose AI agent earlier this year, offering paid subscriptions for various tasks [2] Business Impact - Meta plans to scale Manus' services, integrating general-purpose agents into its consumer and business products, including Meta AI [3] - Manus has achieved significant growth, crossing $100 million in annual recurring revenue just eight months post-launch [4] Ownership and Operations - Following the acquisition, there will be no Chinese ownership interests in Manus AI, and the platform will cease operations in China while continuing in Singapore [5] - Manus will maintain its subscription services through its own app and website, ensuring operational continuity [3][5] Competitive Landscape - Meta's acquisition is part of a broader strategy to strengthen its AI capabilities amid competition from companies like Google and OpenAI [6] - The company previously made a $14.3 billion investment in AI data company Scale to bolster its AI development efforts [6]