As the rush of the Q2 earnings season fades away, one clear trend has crystallized over the past few weeks: investors are ditching small and mid-cap growth stocks, particularly in the software sector, to seek safety in large-cap stocks. This has createdWith combined experience of covering technology companies on Wall Street and working in Silicon Valley, and serving as an outside adviser to several seed-round startups, Gary Alexander has exposure to many of the themes shaping the industry today. He has been ...

The U.K has dropped its demand for special access to Apple’s cloud systems, or a “backdoor,” following negotiations with the Trump administration, according to U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard. “As a result, the U.K. has agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a ‘back door’ that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties,” Gabbard wrote in a post on X. She also claimed that she worked along President Donald Tr ...

Key Takeaways Chevron resumes Venezuelan crude exports to the U.S. under a newly restored license.Shipments aim to ease U.S. heavy crude shortages as Mexico and Canada limit supplies.Flows remain modest, but refiners like Valero, PBF and Phillips 66 show strong interest.Chevron Corporation (CVX) has dispatched Venezuela’s two oil shipments to the United States after Washington restored its license to operate in the sanctioned nation. The Mediterranean Voyager and Canopus Voyager left Venezuela’s waters carr ...

I have long been a fan of the midstream/pipeline industry because of how stable, safe, and predictable, the companies in the industry are. These firms are typically cash cows and they have a tendency to trade at low multiples. The approach ofCrude Value Insights offers you an investing service and community focused on oil and natural gas. We focus on cash flow and the companies that generate it, leading to value and growth prospects with real potential.Subscribers get to use a 50+ stock model account, in-de ...

Nationally ranked stock picker for 30 years. Victory Formation and Bottom Fishing Club quant-sort pioneer.....Paul Franke is a private investor and speculator with 39 years of trading experience. Mr. Franke was Editor and Publisher of the Maverick Investor® newsletter during the 1990s, widely quoted by CNBC®, Barron’s®, the Washington Post® and Investor’s Business Daily®. Paul was consistently ranked among top investment advisors nationally for stock market and commodity macro views by Timer Digest® during ...

Core Insights - nVent Electric plc is entering a new growth phase, with Q2 results indicating accelerated progress in this direction [1][3] Company Performance - nVent is demonstrating strong infrastructure-led growth, although its elevated valuation levels suggest limited upside potential unless demand or execution exceeds expectations [3] Market Position - The company is shifting focus towards long-cycle, higher-value areas, which is expected to enhance its growth trajectory [1]

Core Insights - The article does not provide specific company or industry insights, focusing instead on disclosures and disclaimers related to investment positions and advice [1][2] Group 1 - There are no stock, option, or similar derivative positions held by the analyst in any mentioned companies [1] - The article expresses personal opinions and is not compensated beyond Seeking Alpha [1] - The views may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole, and the analysts may not be licensed or certified [2]

Core Insights - C3.ai, Inc. is experiencing significant growth in non-oil and gas sectors, with a 48% year-over-year increase in fiscal 2025 revenues, indicating a shift towards diversification as a key driver for enterprise AI adoption [1][9] Industry Expansion - In the manufacturing sector, C3.ai is enhancing its presence with clients like US Steel and Rolls-Royce, focusing on applications such as predictive maintenance and energy optimization, which are yielding measurable efficiency improvements [2] - The public sector is emerging as a vital area for growth, with state and local government revenues more than doubling in fiscal 2025, supported by 71 new agreements across 24 states, showcasing the platform's adaptability [3] - Life sciences are identified as a promising growth area, with major companies like GSK and Sanofi adopting C3.ai's solutions to improve clinical workflows and research data utilization [4] Strategic Alliances - C3.ai has renewed its strategic alliance with Baker Hughes through 2028, which has generated over $0.5 billion in revenues, reinforcing its oil and gas foundation while emphasizing the importance of diversification across 19 industries for long-term growth [5][6] Competitive Landscape - Competitors like Snowflake Inc. and Palantir Technologies Inc. are also expanding into AI-driven applications, with Snowflake reporting that nearly 90% of its top customers are engaging with AI and ML workloads, and Palantir securing a $10 billion agreement with the U.S. Army [7][8]

Core Insights - Merck's oncology segment is significantly driven by Keytruda, which accounted for over 50% of the company's pharmaceutical sales in the first half of 2025 [1][11] - Keytruda generated $15.16 billion in sales during the first half of 2025, reflecting a year-over-year increase of nearly 7% [2][11] - The company anticipates continued growth from Keytruda, particularly in early-stage lung cancer, despite some offset from weaker Gardasil sales in China and Japan [4][3] Sales and Growth - Full-year 2025 sales for Keytruda are estimated to reach $32.2 billion, indicating a year-over-year growth of 9.2% [2] - The drug's sales are bolstered by its rapid adoption in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer and sustained momentum in metastatic indications [3] Strategic Initiatives - Merck is exploring various strategies for long-term growth, including innovative immuno-oncology combinations and a personalized mRNA therapeutic cancer vaccine in collaboration with Moderna [5][6] - A subcutaneous formulation of Keytruda is under review in the U.S., which could extend its patent life [7] Competitive Landscape - Competitive pressure for Keytruda may increase, particularly with Summit Therapeutics' ivonescimab showing promising results in a phase III study, potentially positioning it as a new standard of care [8] Financial Performance - Year-to-date, Merck's shares have decreased by 15.3%, underperforming both the industry and the S&P 500 [10] - The company's shares are currently trading at a price/earnings ratio of 9.01, which is lower than the industry average of 14.45 [12] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings has increased slightly from $8.85 to $8.92 per share, while the estimate for 2026 has decreased from $9.65 to $9.59 [13]

Core Insights - Pfizer is a leading player in the oncology sector with a strong portfolio of approved cancer medicines and a promising pipeline focusing on various modalities [1][5] - The acquisition of Seagen in 2023 has enhanced Pfizer's oncology position by adding four antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) [2][6] - Oncology sales account for over 25% of Pfizer's total revenues, with a 9% growth in the first half of 2025, driven by key drugs [3][11] Revenue Performance - Key oncology drugs such as Xtandi, Lorbrena, Braftovi-Mektovi combination, and Padcev contributed to revenue growth, offsetting declines from Ibrance [3][4] - Xtandi generated alliance revenues of $566 million, up 14% year over year, while Lorbrena sales increased by 48% to $251 million [4] - Oncology biosimilars generated $353 million in revenue, reflecting a 27% year-over-year increase [5] Pipeline and Future Outlook - Pfizer is advancing its oncology pipeline with several late-stage candidates and expects to have eight or more blockbuster oncology medicines by 2030 [5][7] - A global licensing agreement with 3SBio for a dual PD-1 and VEGF inhibitor is expected to strengthen its oncology pipeline [6] Competitive Landscape - Other major players in oncology include AstraZeneca, Merck, and Bristol-Myers, with AstraZeneca's oncology sales comprising around 43% of total revenues [8][9] - Merck's Keytruda accounts for approximately 50% of its pharmaceutical sales, with a 6.6% increase in sales to $15.1 billion in the first half of 2025 [9] Valuation and Earnings Estimates - Pfizer's stock has seen a slight decline of 0.4% this year, compared to a 1.2% decrease in the industry [12] - The company's shares are trading at a price/earnings ratio of 8.08, lower than the industry average of 14.45 [13] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings has increased from $3.05 to $3.12 per share over the past 30 days [15]