Baltimore, MD, Dec. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wall Street Journal bestselling author and technology analyst James Altucher has released his most recent on-camera video presentation, now available for public viewing, revisiting his early thesis on Starlink’s trajectory toward a potential 2026 IPO. The presentation outlines why Starlink’s scale, adoption, and structural role in global connectivity place it on a path few companies have ever traveled — and why recent developments suggest that timeline is no ...

Core Viewpoint - The article compares AT&T and Verizon Communications as high-yield dividend stocks, highlighting that while both are value stocks with solid dividends, Verizon is positioned as the better long-term investment due to its growth potential and stability [1]. Company Performance - AT&T's stock has increased by nearly 7% year-to-date as of December 17, 2025, while Verizon's stock has only risen by 2.23% in the same period [4]. - Over the past five years, AT&T's stock has appreciated by almost 9%, contrasting with Verizon's decline of more than 31% [4]. Financial Metrics - Verizon's current market capitalization is $168 billion, with a dividend yield of 6.84% and a gross margin of 46.08% [5][6]. - AT&T's market capitalization stands at $171 billion, with a dividend yield of 4.60% and a gross margin of 42.70% [7][6]. Dividend Stability - Verizon has a more reliable dividend, currently at $0.69 per quarter, and has increased its dividend for 19 consecutive years [6]. - In contrast, AT&T cut its dividend in 2022 and has not raised it since [6]. Competitive Position - Verizon is recognized for its superior balance sheet and higher revenue, along with being a leader in 5G network reliability [6][8]. - Verizon's focus on subscriber growth and fewer distractions positions it favorably against intense competition [9].

Core Insights - State Bank of India (SBI) aims to be the first bank to achieve an annual net profit of ₹1 lakh crore and has ruled out equity dilution for the next five years [1][12] - SBI expects to grow its loan market share for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from 13% to 16-17% [1][12] - The bank anticipates a structural transformation in balance sheets as customers diversify their savings into mutual funds, insurance, and pensions [3][19] Business Growth and Strategy - SBI is adding approximately ₹10 lakh crore in business annually and prefers organic growth over consolidation [2][10] - The bank's credit growth is projected at 12-14%, primarily driven by retail, agriculture, and MSME sectors, which constitute 65% of its domestic book [13][25] - SBI has simplified its lending process for MSMEs, resulting in quicker approvals and competitive pricing [25] Market Conditions and Economic Outlook - SBI expects India's economic growth to exceed 7.5% in FY27, with inflation remaining below 4% [9][24] - The bank has not observed significant impacts on exporters from US tariffs, as many are diversifying their markets [8][24] Wealth Management and Investment - SBI is serious about wealth management, targeting an increase in assets under management (AUM) from ₹1 lakh crore to ₹15 lakh crore by 2030 [20] - The bank is developing products for loans against shares, aligning with its wealth management strategy [21] Environmental and Governance Initiatives - SBI has established an ESG department with goals to make 7.5% of its portfolio green by 2030, currently at 2-3% [23]

Core Insights - Visa and Mastercard will pay $167.5 million to settle a lawsuit regarding ATM fees, which accused them of conspiring to inflate access fees for ATM users [1][2][3] Settlement Details - The settlement will provide compensation to millions of ATM users who incurred unreimbursed access fees at independent, non-bank ATMs since October 2007, with Visa contributing approximately $88.8 million and Mastercard around $78.7 million [3][4] - The lawsuit was initiated in 2011, challenging the companies' rules that allegedly restricted independent ATM operators from offering lower fees [4] Legal Context - The companies have denied any wrongdoing, and previously settled related claims for $197.5 million concerning overcharges at bank-operated ATMs [4] - Plaintiffs' attorneys described the settlement as a favorable outcome given the risks of ongoing litigation and plan to request up to 30% of the fund, approximately $50 million, for legal fees [5] Industry Outlook - Visa's 2026 outlook indicates that approximately $11 trillion in cash remains in circulation globally, suggesting that cash will continue to play a significant role in economies for the foreseeable future [5][6] - The company anticipates that 2026 will mark the first year when half of the world's consumer payments will be made using card credentials, indicating a shift towards digital payments [6] Cash Usage Trends - Cash remains integral to informal economies and small-value transactions, particularly in regions with limited banking access, while also being used for budgeting and privacy in advanced economies [7]

Core Viewpoint - Microsoft is recognized for rewarding long-term investors through substantial dividends and stock buybacks, positioning itself as a strong investment choice among the "Magnificent Seven" stocks [1][2]. Dividend and Buyback Summary - In fiscal 2025, Microsoft allocated $24.08 billion to dividends and $18.42 billion to stock buybacks, surpassing other S&P 500 companies in total cash spent on dividends [2]. - Microsoft announced a 10% increase in dividends, marking its 16th consecutive annual increase, despite a current yield of only 0.7% [2][3]. - Over the past decade, Microsoft has increased its dividend by over 250%, although the yield has decreased due to a significant rise in stock price [9]. Investment Thesis - Microsoft is characterized as an underrated dividend stock, with a focus on dividend growth rather than just forward yield, which can misrepresent a stock's true income potential [5][8]. - The company is noted for its balanced approach to capital deployment, with a strong presence in cloud computing, AI, software, gaming, and personal computing [11][12]. - Microsoft's commitment to returning capital to shareholders through dividends and buybacks positions it as a foundational stock for long-term investment [16][17]. Financial Metrics - Microsoft has a market capitalization of $3.6 trillion and a gross margin of 68.76%, indicating strong financial health [11]. - The company's free cash flow (FCF) remains robust, with capital expenditures rising but not outpacing cash flow from operations, unlike some competitors [12][15].

Core Viewpoint - Costco has experienced a disappointing year in 2025, with its stock price down 6% despite strong operational performance [1] Group 1: Same-Store Sales Performance - Costco's same-store sales (SSS) have shown impressive growth, indicating strong productivity at existing locations [4] - In fiscal 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Costco reported positive SSS of 7.7%, followed by 16% in fiscal 2021 and 14.4% in fiscal 2022, with the positive trend continuing [5] - The company is expected to maintain its SSS growth in 2026, driven by increased foot traffic and higher average ticket sizes [6] Group 2: Growth Strategy - Costco currently operates 921 warehouses, with approximately two-thirds located in the U.S., and plans to open 28 net new warehouses in fiscal 2026 [6] - There are significant opportunities for expansion in the U.S. and international markets, particularly in China, which is promising for revenue growth in 2026 and beyond [7] Group 3: Valuation Considerations - Despite a strong operational performance in 2025, with net sales and net income increasing by 8% and 10% year over year, the stock has faced valuation concerns [8] - The current price-to-earnings ratio stands at 46, down from 63 earlier in 2025, indicating a potentially better valuation setup for investors [9]

Group 1 - Bitcoin and Shiba Inu are popular cryptocurrencies but have vastly different investment prospects [1] - Bitcoin has a market cap of $1.7 trillion, accounting for nearly 60% of the entire crypto market, and features a hard cap of 21 million coins, providing built-in scarcity [3] - Shiba Inu has a maximum supply of nearly 590 trillion tokens and has lost over 90% of its value since its peak in 2021, making it a speculative asset without legitimate value [4] Group 2 - Bitcoin has shown resilience, recovering from every bear market and setting new all-time highs in 2024 and 2025, making it a worthwhile investment in cryptocurrency [5] - Shiba Inu lacks long-term value prospects, and there is no expectation for its value to increase going forward [5] - The Motley Fool Stock Advisor has identified 10 stocks that are considered better investment opportunities than Bitcoin [6][7]

Core Viewpoint - Gold prices increased during the morning Asian session due to heightened geopolitical tensions, which typically boost the demand for safe-haven assets like gold [1] Group 1 - The rise in gold prices is attributed to geopolitical tensions that enhance its appeal as a safe-haven investment [1]

Market Overview - Asia-Pacific markets experienced gains, with investors anticipating benchmark lending rate decisions from China [1] - Australia's S&P/ASX 200 increased by 0.54%, Japan's Nikkei 225 rose by 1.58%, and South Korea's Kospi jumped by 1.83% [2] - Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures were at 25,843, surpassing the last close of 25,690.53 [2] U.S. Market Performance - U.S. stocks rose for a second consecutive day, driven by Oracle's performance as the AI sector stabilized after previous volatility [3] - Oracle shares increased by 6.6% following TikTok's agreement to sell its U.S. operations to a joint venture that includes Oracle and Silver Lake [3] - The Nasdaq Composite rose by 1.31% to close at 23,307.62, while the S&P 500 added 0.88% to close at 6,834.50 [4]

OpenAI has squeezed better margins out of its paid products this year, as it races to maintain its pole position in artificial intelligence, according to a report in The Information. The publication reported that the company improved its “compute margin,” an internal figure measuring the share of revenue after the costs of running models for paying users of its corporate and consumer products. As of October, OpenAI’s compute margins reached 70%, up from 52% at the end of 2024 and double the rate in January ...