BMO Maintains Outperform on Datadog (DDOG) Despite OpenAI Risk
Yahoo Finance· 2026-02-01 18:22
Datadog, Inc. (NASDAQ:DDOG) is one of the 10 AI Stocks Making Waves on Wall Street. On January 29, BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman lowered the price target on the stock to $170.00 (from $215.00) while maintaining an “Outperform” rating. The firm believes DDOG’s thesis is intact despite valuation compression and OpenAI migration risk. According to the firm, Datadog is poised to have a solid December quarter. However, it does have some reservations regarding FY26 guide due to management’s normal conservat ...
Why Stifel Says International Business Machines (IBM) Remains a Top Large-Cap Defensive AI Stock
Yahoo Finance· 2026-02-01 18:22
International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) is one of the 10 AI Stocks Making Waves on Wall Street. On January 29, Stifel analyst David Grossman raised the price target on the stock to $340 from $325 while maintaining a Buy rating. IBM remains top large-cap defensive pick, with analysts highlighting its FCF beat, robust software growth, and 2026 PTI guide. IBM’s fourth-quarter 2025 were in-line or slightly above consensus expectations, with 7% organic revenue growth and 15% earnings per share ...
DA Davidson Reiterates Buy on Snowflake (SNOW), Calls It a Selective Software Pick
Yahoo Finance· 2026-02-01 18:21
Snowflake Inc. (NYSE:SNOW) is one of the 10 AI Stocks Making Waves on Wall Street. On January 30, DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a $300.00 price target. The firm sees SNOW as a selective software buy and one of the few names that could break the doomsday perspective. Even though the software sector is facing mounting pressure, DA Davidson holds a positive outlook on the stock. It noted that it doesn’t have a desire to “fight the holy war quite yet,” but it does thi ...
Why Piper Sandler Sees ServiceNow (NOW) as a Market-Leading AI Innovator
Yahoo Finance· 2026-02-01 18:19
Core Viewpoint - ServiceNow, Inc. is recognized as a leading AI innovator and CRM share gainer, with Piper Sandler maintaining an Overweight rating and a price target of $200.00 [1][3] Group 1: Financial Performance - ServiceNow's fourth quarter results marked a strong finish to FY25, with momentum building in its Now Assist and CRM products [2] - The initial 2026 organic outlook exceeded street expectations, although shares declined after-hours due to organic growth guidance not meeting some investor expectations [2] Group 2: Market Position - Piper Sandler continues to emphasize ServiceNow's position as a market leader in AI innovation and CRM, which supports its Buy rating [3] - The company provides a platform that integrates workflows, data, and AI to enhance operational efficiency across large organizations [3]
Tesla (TSLA) Seen as ‘Physical AI’ Leader as Mizuho Lifts Price Target
Yahoo Finance· 2026-02-01 18:18
Core Viewpoint - Tesla is recognized as a leader in physical AI, with Mizuho raising its price target to $540 from $530 while maintaining an "Outperform" rating despite anticipated near-term headwinds in EV demand [1][5]. Financial Performance - Tesla reported fourth-quarter revenues of $25 billion and earnings per share (EPS) of $0.50, aligning closely with consensus estimates of $25.1 billion in revenue and $0.45 EPS [2]. - The automotive gross margin, excluding credits, improved to 17.9%, reflecting a 250 basis point increase quarter-over-quarter, attributed to a better product mix and pricing strategies [3]. Strategic Focus - The company is gradually pivoting towards AI, software, and Robotaxi services as it anticipates a slowdown in EV demand, projecting only a 5% year-over-year increase in EV sales for 2026 [2][4]. - Tesla plans to invest $20 billion in capital expenditures for fiscal 2026, significantly up from approximately $9 billion in fiscal 2025, with plans to double GPU capacity and expand factory operations [4][5]. Product Development - Tesla has reiterated its timeline for launching its cybercab in the first half of 2026 and noted growth in Full Self-Driving (FSD) v14 revenues quarter-over-quarter [3][4].
Why JPMorgan Says Apple’s (AAPL) Results Should Calm Investor Nerves
Yahoo Finance· 2026-02-01 18:18
Core Viewpoint - Apple Inc. is recognized as one of the significant AI stocks on Wall Street, with JPMorgan raising its price target to $325 and maintaining an "Overweight" rating, indicating confidence in the stock's performance [1]. Financial Performance - Apple's latest financial results are expected to alleviate investor concerns regarding the impact of rising memory costs on gross margins and potential slowdowns in Services revenue [2][3]. - The company achieved "record Product gross margins" in the December quarter, with expectations for the March quarter to also reflect record margins, which should reassure investors about the materiality of rising memory costs [2][4]. Investor Sentiment - JPMorgan believes that the strong financial results will help calm investor nerves about the potential negative impacts of memory-related costs, despite management acknowledging a slightly higher impact in the March quarter compared to December [3][4].
Meta Platforms (META) Price Target Lifted as Evercore Sees AI-Driven Revenue Inflection
Yahoo Finance· 2026-02-01 18:18
Core Viewpoint - Meta Platforms, Inc. is recognized as one of the leading AI stocks on Wall Street, with a raised price target of $900 from Evercore ISI, indicating a 25% upside potential based on strong Q4 results and an optimistic outlook for 2026 [1][2][3] Group 1: Financial Performance - Evercore ISI raised the price target for Meta from $875 to $900, reflecting a 25% upside based on a projected EPS of $36 for 2027 [2] - The company reported stronger-than-expected Q4 revenue results and a positive Q1 revenue outlook, contributing to an implied $50 billion increase in revenue for 2026 [3] Group 2: Strategic Direction - Meta's management aims to establish itself as a leader in AI, supported by the company's fourth-quarter results and the 2026 outlook [4] - The firm anticipates aggressive capital expenditure growth, estimating a total of $55 billion for fiscal year 2026, with overall expenditure growth projected at 40% [2]
Cathie Wood buys $1.9 million of megacap tech stock
Yahoo Finance· 2026-02-01 18:17
Core Insights - Cathie Wood, CEO of Ark Investment Management, has recently invested in a major technology leader ahead of its February earnings, reflecting her strategy of balancing small- and mid-cap technology stocks with larger growth stocks to enhance fund stability [1] Performance Overview - The Ark Innovation ETF achieved a remarkable 153% return in 2020 and a 35.49% return in the previous year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500, which returned 17.88% during the same period [2] - However, the ETF experienced a decline of over 60% in 2022, highlighting the volatility of Wood's investment style [2] - As of January 30, the Ark Innovation ETF has a five-year annualized return of -11.29%, contrasting with the S&P 500's annualized return of 14.99% over the same timeframe [3] Investment Philosophy - Wood focuses on emerging high-tech sectors, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, biomedical technology, and robotics, believing these areas hold significant long-term growth potential despite their inherent volatility [4] - She does not anticipate an imminent AI "bubble," asserting that the most powerful capital spending cycle in history is forthcoming, driven by advancements in various technologies [7] Market Sentiment - Despite Wood's optimism, the Ark Innovation ETF faced approximately $1.11 billion in net outflows over the 12 months leading up to January 28, indicating skepticism among some investors [8] - As of January 30, the ETF is down 3.85% year-to-date, while the S&P 500 has increased by 1.37% during the same period [8] Wealth Impact - From 2014 to 2024, the Ark Innovation ETF has resulted in a loss of $7 billion in investor wealth, ranking it as the third-largest wealth destroyer among mutual funds and ETFs according to Morningstar's analysis [5]
Polymarket Wagerers Predict US Strike on Iran by End of June
Yahoo Finance· 2026-02-01 18:16
Group 1 - Polymarket users have placed bets totaling tens of millions of dollars on the potential timeline for a US strike on Iran, with current odds favoring a winter or spring strike [1] - Additional millions have been wagered on the potential removal of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with the odds for an airstrike by June 30 currently at 61 percent [2] - The commercial use of prediction markets has surged, allowing users to fund event contracts using various payment methods including cryptocurrency [2] Group 2 - Despite some traders making significant profits, losses are common, and there have been allegations of manipulation and insider trading on the platform [3] - A specific incident involved a trader placing bids shortly before a surprise raid announced by US President Donald Trump, raising concerns about potential insider trading [3][4] - The increase in betting activity on Polymarket highlights the growing popularity of prediction markets, but allegations of manipulation could undermine the platform's integrity and credibility [4][5]
2 Monster Stocks to Hold for the Next 20 Years -- Including Microsoft (MSFT) Stock
The Motley Fool· 2026-02-01 18:15
These stocks have grown at an average annual rate of around 24% to 25% over the past decade, with plenty of room to keep growing.We all want our stock portfolios to be full of monster stocks, but that's not an easy goal to achieve. If we're lucky, we will own a few, and their massive gains will help offset some inevitable losses.Here are a few stocks that have been monster stocks -- and are likely to continue as such for the foreseeable future. 1. MicrosoftMicrosoft (MSFT 0.83%) is huge, encompassing the do ...