Core Insights - Baidu has announced the capability to sell robotaxi rides without human staff, marking a significant advancement in its autonomous vehicle operations [1] - The company has surpassed 250,000 fully driverless rides per week as of October 31, indicating rapid growth in its robotaxi services [1][3] - Apollo Go, Baidu's driverless car unit, has received a total of 17 million ride orders and has completed 240 million kilometers (149 million miles) of driving, with 140 million of those being fully driverless rides [4] Company Operations - Apollo Go primarily operates in major Chinese cities such as Wuhan, Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, and is expanding its services to international locations including Hong Kong, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Switzerland [4] - The company averaged about 169,000 rides per week for the quarter ending June 30, based on previous disclosures of 2.2 million fully driverless rides [3] Industry Comparison - Baidu's weekly ride figures are comparable to those reported by Waymo, which operates in the U.S. markets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix [2] - Waymo has not provided updated figures since April, indicating that Baidu's growth may position it competitively within the global robotaxi market [2]

Earnings Reports - Williams Companies Inc (NYSE:WMB) is expected to report quarterly earnings of 51 cents per share on revenue of $2.89 billion [2] - Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc (NYSE:SPR) reported a loss of $4.87 per share with quarterly sales of $1.585 billion, missing the analyst consensus estimate of $1.923 billion [2] - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NASDAQ:GT) is anticipated to post quarterly earnings of 19 cents per share on revenue of $4.67 billion [2] - IDEXX Laboratories Inc. (NASDAQ:IDXX) is projected to report quarterly earnings of 3.13 per share on revenue of $1.07 billion [2] - ON Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ:ON) is expected to post quarterly earnings of 59 cents per share on revenue of $1.51 billion [2] Stock Performance - Williams shares rose 0.4% to close at $57.87 on Friday [2] - Spirit AeroSystems shares gained 1% to close at $36.69 on Friday [2] - Goodyear Tire shares rose 0.6% to $6.93 in after-hours trading [2] - IDEXX Laboratories shares rose 0.9% to $634.89 in after-hours trading [2] - ON Semiconductor shares gained 0.7% to $50.44 in after-hours trading [2]

Core Insights - Delek US Holdings (DK) has experienced a remarkable performance, with shares increasing over 140% in the past year, primarily due to an improved refining environment [1] Company Performance - The significant share price increase is attributed to Delek's unique positioning to benefit from favorable market conditions [1] Investment Strategy - The analysis reflects a contrarian investment approach, focusing on macro views and stock-specific turnaround stories to achieve outsized returns with a favorable risk/reward profile [1]

Core Insights - Delek US Holdings (DK) has experienced a remarkable performance over the past year, with shares increasing by over 140% [1] - The improved refining environment has significantly contributed to this stock rally, positioning Delek uniquely to capitalize on market conditions [1] Company Performance - The stock's performance is attributed to a favorable macroeconomic environment and specific turnaround strategies employed by the company [1] - Delek's unique positioning in the refining sector allows it to benefit from current market dynamics [1] Analyst Perspective - The analysis is based on over fifteen years of experience in making contrarian investment decisions and identifying stock-specific turnaround opportunities [1] - The focus is on achieving outsized returns with a favorable risk/reward profile [1]

Group 1 - The equity market serves as a significant mechanism for wealth creation or destruction over the long term through daily price fluctuations [1] - Pacifica Yield focuses on long-term wealth creation by targeting undervalued high-growth companies, high-dividend stocks, REITs, and green energy firms [1]

Core Insights - The world's largest technology companies reported strong quarterly results, driven by AI capabilities and cloud infrastructure demand [1] - Despite robust operational performance, one-time charges and regulatory fines present challenges for Big Tech [2] Meta Platforms - Meta Platforms achieved a revenue growth of 26% year on year to US$51.2 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2025, fueled by strong advertising demand [3] - Ad sales reached US$50 billion, with ad impressions increasing by 14% and average price per ad rising by 10% [4] - Net income fell 83% to US$2.7 billion due to a one-time, non-cash tax charge of US$15.9 billion, resulting in diluted EPS of US$1.05; excluding this charge, net income would have been US$18.6 billion with diluted EPS of US$7.25 [4] - Operating profit grew 18% to US$20.5 billion, while free cash flow declined 32% to US$10.6 billion due to higher capital expenditures [4] - Reality Labs reported a loss of US$4.4 billion, attributed to weaker headset sales, but Meta continues to invest heavily in AI and data centers, with full-year capex expected to reach US$72 billion [5] - Meta's balance sheet remains strong with US$44.5 billion in cash and marketable securities against US$28.8 billion in long-term debt; management anticipates 4Q2025 revenue of US$56 to 59 billion [5] Alphabet - Alphabet reported record revenue of US$102.3 billion, up 16% year on year, with net income increasing by 33% to US$35.0 billion and diluted EPS rising by 35% to US$2.87 [6] - Free cash flow grew 39% to US$24.5 billion despite increased capital expenditures; Google Services revenue rose 14% to US$87.1 billion [6][8] - Google Cloud revenue accelerated by 34% to US$15.2 billion, driven by AI infrastructure and generative AI solutions [7] - Operating income reached US$31.2 billion, which included a US$3.5 billion fine from the European Commission; Alphabet declared a quarterly dividend of US$0.21 per share [8] - Management expects 2025 capital expenditures of US$91-93 billion to support growing AI and Cloud customer demand, with a US$155 billion backlog indicating strong future growth potential [8] Microsoft - Microsoft reported a revenue growth of 18% year on year to US$77.7 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 [9] - Operating income surged 24% to US$38.0 billion, with GAAP diluted EPS reaching US$3.72, up 13% year on year [9] - Microsoft Cloud revenue increased by 26%, driven by strong demand for Azure, reflecting growing customer adoption [10] - The company is committed to capturing AI opportunities, with a new OpenAI deal giving Microsoft a 27% stake, enhancing its competitive position in generative AI technologies [11] - Microsoft continues to increase investments in AI across both capital and talent to leverage the massive opportunities from AI-driven transformation [12]

Market Overview - The S&P 500 is perceived as expensive, but earnings growth may justify high valuations if it continues [2] - The concentration of the S&P 500 index is notable, with the top 10 holdings representing 40% of the index, similar to historical levels [2] - The current bull market is characterized by a significant run in large-cap stocks, while small and mid-cap stocks have lagged [7] Commodities - Precious metals have seen substantial gains this year: Gold (+51.3%), Silver (+64.7%), Platinum (+73%), Palladium (+59.1%) [16] - The S&P GSCI commodity index is only up 1.3% due to the significant weight of crude oil, which is down 15% [14] - Other commodities like coffee (+22.6%) and cattle (+21.9%) have performed well, indicating a mixed performance across the sector [16] Real Estate - Domestic real estate has struggled with the DJ US Real Estate index up just 3.8%, while international real estate has outperformed at +20.7% [18] - The recent Fed rate cut did not positively impact long-term rates, which have increased by about 15 basis points since the last meeting [18] Fixed Income - Bonds have produced positive returns for the third consecutive year, with corporate bonds being the second-best performing domestic bond index [20] - International bonds, particularly emerging market bonds, have performed well, benefiting from currency gains [20] International Markets - Non-US markets have outperformed US markets significantly, despite the imposition of tariffs by the US [9][11] - The outperformance may be attributed to capital flows and a perceived risk associated with the US dollar [11]

Core Insights - Two energy companies, DTK and XELLL, achieved a perfect "Compliance Score" of 10 out of 10 on a ten-point scale for their junior subordinated notes due in 2085 [1] Group 1 - The article highlights the performance of DTK and XELLL in the context of preferred stocks and compliance ratings [1] - It indicates that investors may have varying preferences for securities based on their compliance scores, suggesting a range of investment strategies [1]

CapitaLand China Trust - CapitaLand China Trust (CLCT) reported an 8% YoY decline in gross revenue to RMB416.6 million and an 8.5% YoY decrease in net property income (NPI) to RMB273.5 million [2][3] - The decline is attributed to lower rents, occupancy, and the divestment of CapitaMall Yuhuating [3] - The retail segment has a high occupancy rate of 97.1%, contributing 69.96% of gross rental income, with shopper traffic up 4.5% YoY and tenant sales rising 3.2% [4] - Rental reversion for retail, business parks, and logistics parks declined by 1.5%, 8.9%, and 24.5% respectively [4] - The company has a gearing ratio of 38.8%, down from 42.1%, and a financing cost of 3.36% [5] CDL Hospitality Trusts - CDL Hospitality Trusts reported a 5.6% YoY decline in NPI to S$34.3 million, with Singapore properties down 8.1% YoY [7] - Average daily revenue (ADR) decreased by 9.4% to S$228, while revenue per available room (RevPar) dropped 5.9% to S$201 [7] - UK operations showed strong performance with NPI rising 8.6% YoY to approximately S$4.8 million [8] - The company has a stable gearing ratio of 42.4% and a weighted average cost of debt of 3.4% [9] - Management anticipates stronger performance in 4Q2025 due to F1 and tourism recovery [10] Wilmar International - Wilmar International reported a 7.4% YoY increase in revenue to US$19.1 billion, with core net profit rising 71.6% to US$357.2 million, excluding a one-off US$712 million penalty [11][12] - Sales for food products increased by 6.5% YoY, with strong performance in oil, flour, and rice businesses [12][13] - Operating cash flows surged 70% YoY to US$2.1 billion, reducing net debt to US$16.5 billion and improving net gearing ratio to 0.82 times [14] - Management expects robust operating performance to continue barring adverse geopolitical developments [15] Keppel Limited - Keppel Limited reported a 25% growth in core operating segment earnings for the nine months ended 2025 [16] - Recurring income increased by 15% YoY, supported by higher contributions from asset management [17] - The company raised S$6.7 billion in funds under management, with S$2.4 billion in asset monetization completed [18] - Management aims for continued asset monetization and EBITDA growth in 2025, signaling potential for higher shareholder returns [19]

Core Viewpoint - Meta Platforms Inc experienced a 14% drop in share price due to rising costs and cautious guidance despite reporting strong revenue growth [1] Financial Performance - Revenue increased by 26% year-on-year to US$51.2 billion, surpassing the previous quarter's US$47.5 billion [2] - Advertising revenue growth was driven by a 14% rise in ad impressions and a 10% increase in ad pricing [2] - Total expenses rose by 32% to US$30.7 billion, with capital expenditure more than doubling to US$19.4 billion from US$9.2 billion a year earlier [3] Earnings and Guidance - A significant one-off tax charge of US$15.9 billion impacted reported earnings per share, which fell to US$1.05, below expectations of around US$6.70 [3] - Adjusted EPS, excluding the tax charge, would have been US$7.25, exceeding expectations [3] - Management projected fourth-quarter revenue of US$56 billion to US$59 billion, indicating a slowdown in growth to about 19% [6] Capital Expenditure and Future Outlook - Capital expenditure outlook for 2025 was raised to US$70 billion–US$72 billion, up from a prior range of US$66 billion–US$72 billion [4] - Most of the increased spending will fund AI infrastructure as part of a long-term vision for "personal superintelligence" [4] - CFO Susan Li warned that expenses in 2026 will rise significantly faster than in 2025 due to AI infrastructure and cloud costs [8] Business Segments - Reality Labs, focused on virtual and augmented reality, generated only US$470 million in quarterly revenue but incurred an operating loss of US$4.4 billion [7] - Revenue from Reality Labs is expected to decline year-over-year in the fourth quarter due to product timing issues [7] Financial Position - Meta generated US$10.6 billion in free cash flow last quarter and had US$44.5 billion in cash and marketable securities as of September [12] - The company is positioned to continue investing in AI while also returning capital to shareholders through buybacks and dividends [12] Market Sentiment and Investment Considerations - The recent sell-off is perceived as more about spending optics than fundamental issues, with advertising revenue remaining resilient [13] - Despite the high level of investment and execution risks, the long-term potential of Meta is acknowledged, though a more cautious approach to entry points is suggested [14]