Scott Bessent calls to end congressional stock trading as markets hit record bullish levels. Photo by BeInCrypto Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has renewed his call to end congressional stock trading, highlighting outsized returns by lawmakers that far outpace market benchmarks. In 2024, Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden’s portfolio surged 123.8%, compared with the S&P 500’s 24.9%, while Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s portfolio returned 70.9%. Bessent Urges End to Congressional Trading as House Leaders ...

Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ) has had a solid 2025 - up ~45% (almost accounting for the total gains made in the past 5 years). The execution and financial numbers have been great too. There is scope for growthI am a stock analyst with over 20 years of experience in quantitative research, financial modeling, and risk management. My focus is on equity valuation, market trends, and portfolio optimization to uncover high-growth investment opportunities. As a former Vice President at Barclays, I led teams in model v ...

Core Insights - Nvidia is facing increased competition in the accelerated computing chip market as AMD is gaining market share in 2025, with expectations for continued improvement in 2026 [1] Company Summary - AMD's market share growth in 2025 has generated positive sentiment among investors, indicating a potential shift in the competitive landscape of the accelerated computing chip industry [1]

The nominee for the head of South Korea’s media commission, Kim Jong-cheol, has reportedly expressed his intention to prioritize the implementation of social media restrictions for teenagers.Teen Social Media Limits Key Priority, Kim SaysKim, during a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday, emphasized the necessity of imposing limitations on social media use by teenagers, citing it as a crucial step to safeguard the youth, reported Reuters. He stated that this initiative is a fundamental part of the commission’s ...

Core Viewpoint - Bank of America Securities has issued a cautious outlook for the S&P 500, projecting limited upside and an index target of 7,100 for 2026, which represents a gain of less than 5% from its recent close of 6,816 [1][4]. Group 1: Market Outlook - The bearish stance is attributed to expected valuation pressure across U.S. equities, with meaningful multiple compression anticipated due to concentration in large-cap technology and AI-linked stocks [4][5]. - Recent weakness in technology stocks is expected to persist as AI adoption disrupts the labor market, impacting consumption and earnings in consumer-facing sectors [5]. Group 2: Investment Strategy - Bank of America favors a defensive investment strategy for 2026, overweighting consumer staples while underweighting consumer discretionary stocks, which are more sensitive to household spending [6]. Group 3: Contrasting Views - This outlook contrasts with other major banks, such as JPMorgan, which projects the S&P 500 to reach 7,500 by the end of 2026, citing resilient economic growth and strong AI investment [7]. - Goldman Sachs has raised its target to 7,600, highlighting expanding corporate profits and AI-driven productivity gains [8]. - Morgan Stanley is notably bullish, projecting a target of 7,800, arguing that recent market pullbacks reflect valuation pressures rather than deteriorating fundamentals [9].

Core Viewpoint - Bank of America Securities has issued a cautious outlook for the S&P 500, projecting limited upside and an index target of 7,100 for 2026, indicating a gain of less than 5% from its recent close of 6,816 [1][4]. Group 1: Market Outlook - The bearish stance is attributed to expected valuation pressure across U.S. equities, with significant multiple compression anticipated due to concentration in large-cap technology and AI-linked stocks [4][5]. - Recent weakness in technology stocks is expected to continue as AI adoption disrupts the labor market, impacting consumption and earnings in consumer-facing sectors [5][6]. Group 2: Sector Preferences - The bank favors a defensive investment strategy for 2026, recommending an overweight position in consumer staples while underweighting consumer discretionary stocks, which are more sensitive to household spending [6]. Group 3: Contrasting Views - This outlook contrasts with other major banks, such as JPMorgan, which projects the S&P 500 to reach 7,500 by the end of 2026, driven by resilient economic growth and AI investment [7]. - Goldman Sachs has raised its target to 7,600, citing expanding corporate profits and AI-driven productivity gains [8]. - Morgan Stanley is notably bullish, projecting a target of 7,800, while UBS and Oppenheimer forecast the index to end around 7,500 and 7,100, respectively [9].

Legendary short-seller Jim Chanos is sounding the alarm on the AI infrastructure boom, warning that a critical accounting oversight regarding Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) chips creates a “massive financial risk” for the sector's aggressive spenders.Depreciation TrapIn a recent podcast interview, Chanos argued that data center operators, specifically Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) and “neocloud” provider CoreWeave Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV) , are overstating their future profitability by relying on unrealistic depreciation ...

Core Insights - The TON Foundation has formed a strategic partnership with OpenPayd to enhance its global fiat infrastructure, which is crucial for supporting its operational capabilities and community initiatives [1][7] - This collaboration is particularly significant as TON expands its connections to traditional finance, aiming to serve over a billion monthly active users through Telegram's Mini Apps platform [2][5] Partnership Objectives - The partnership seeks to streamline financial processes amid TON's rapid growth, integrating OpenPayd's advanced universal financial platform to provide a single, robust API for international fiat payment connections [2][3] - Key operations being upgraded include the distribution of ecosystem grants, multi-currency treasury management, and payments to partners and contributors [3][4] OpenPayd's Role - OpenPayd offers a rails-agnostic platform that enables businesses to manage money globally across both fiat and digital assets, providing services such as embedded accounts, forex, and stablecoin on- and off-ramps [4][7] - The CEO of OpenPayd highlighted the strategic positioning of the TON ecosystem and the need for financial infrastructure that matches its global reach [3] TON's Future Initiatives - TON is actively pushing into traditional finance with initiatives like the $500 million Telegram Bond Fund, which has been tokenized on TON to facilitate access to debt instruments [6]

Very good morning to you. So we're busy waiting for nonfarm payrolls. One and a half non-farm payrolls.Looking at us features a little bit weaker, weighing on sentiment for tech here in Europe as well. What do you make of the price action heading into the yet important data points. It's been very disappointing price action and I think this kind of choppy price action with a negative bent is going to be the dynamic for the festive period.I don't think it's so much about the jobs data. I think the job today i ...

Core Viewpoint - European defence stocks experienced a decline following the announcement of U.S. officials proposing NATO-style security guarantees for Kyiv as part of a potential peace deal with Russia, which was discussed during talks in Berlin [1] Group 1 - The decline in European defence stocks occurred on Tuesday, indicating a market reaction to geopolitical developments [1] - The U.S. proposal for security guarantees is linked to ongoing discussions about a peace deal with Russia, highlighting the strategic importance of NATO's role in European security [1] - The talks in Berlin lasted for two days, suggesting a significant diplomatic effort to address the conflict and its implications for regional stability [1]