Core Insights - Affirm Holdings, Inc. (AFRM) and American Express Company (AXP) operate in different segments of the payments ecosystem, with both companies positioned at the intersection of consumer spending and credit [1] - The evolving payment preferences and financing models are leading investors to compare traditional card-based companies with newer embedded-finance disruptors [2] Affirm's Position - Affirm is a key player in the buy now, pay later (BNPL) model, integrating into digital checkout experiences, and has reported a 33.6% year-over-year revenue growth in its last quarter [4][10] - The company has 24.1 million active consumers and a 96% repeat transaction rate, indicating strong user engagement [4][10] - Affirm's technology-first underwriting model utilizes real-time data and machine learning for credit risk assessment, which has stabilized credit performance [5] - The company has a growing merchant ecosystem with 420,000 partners, including major brands like Shopify and Amazon, enhancing its market presence [6] - Affirm's long-term debt-to-capital ratio stands at 70.6%, higher than AmEx's 64.1%, reflecting its growth-stage profile [7] - The company is diversifying its funding sources through securitizations and bank partnerships, which is expected to improve profitability over time [8] American Express's Position - American Express is recognized as a leading operator in traditional payments, benefiting from a loyal customer base and strong brand equity, with an 11% revenue growth in its latest quarter [9][10] - The company's revenue mix is heavily reliant on lending and interest income, which may limit its agility in adopting new payment technologies [11] - Growth for AmEx is more incremental due to its deep market penetration, making it challenging to achieve outsized growth without increasing credit risk [12] - Innovation at AmEx is characterized as measured rather than disruptive, which may restrict its competitive edge against faster-moving fintech companies [13] Comparative Analysis - The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates a projected 560% year-over-year earnings surge for Affirm in fiscal 2026, compared to a 15.4% increase for American Express [14][15] - Affirm trades at a higher price-to-sales multiple of 5.58X, reflecting its growth profile, while AmEx's multiple is 3.33X, indicative of its maturity [16] - Over the past month, Affirm has outperformed American Express, with a 14% increase compared to AmEx's 5.8% rise [18] Conclusion - While American Express provides stability and reliable cash flows, Affirm is positioned as the more attractive growth opportunity for 2026, driven by rapid revenue growth and an expanding merchant ecosystem [21]

Nefes sesi geldikçe nefes almasam mı diye düşünüyorum ben de mikrofonda. Çok heyecanlıyım sizlerle birlikte olduğum için. Davetiniz için çok teşekkür ediyorum.Harika bir organizasyon. Sahne muhteşem. Sizlerle birlikte olmak çok keyifli.Konuşmama beyinle bütünleşen teknoloji nöromühendislik ufukları dedim. Aslında konuşmamın bir amacı birazcık perdenin arkasında gibi bir tema söyledi arkadaşlar. Çok güzel bir tema.Benim hayatımda neler oldu bitti kısaca kendimi tanıtmak istiyorum. Ben sesi ve sonrası. Eee bi ...

△苹果公司（资料图） 当地时间12月22日，意大利反垄断机构意大利竞争与市场管理局发布公告称，因苹果公司滥用市场支配地位，决定对其处以约9863.5万欧元（约 合8.13亿人民币）罚款。 意大利反垄断机构认定，苹果公司自2021年4月起在其移动操作系统中对通过应用商店对用户提供应用的第三方开发者所强制实施的"应用追踪透 明度"（App Tracking Transparency）政策方面存在限制竞争的行为，违反了《欧盟运行条约》（TFUE）第102条。 反垄断机构认为，"应用追踪透明度"的相关条件是由苹果公司单方面强加的，损害了其商业合作伙伴的利益，并且并非为"实现其所宣称的隐私保 护目标所必需或相称的措施" 。反垄断机构表示，鉴于用户数据是实现在线个性化广告能力的核心要素，"应用追踪透明度"政策在其具体实施方 式下所导致的不可避免的重复同意请求，限制了相关数据的收集、关联和使用，从而对以广告位销售为主要商业模式的应用开发者、广告主以及 广告中介平台的经营活动造成不利影响。 （总台记者 殷欣） ...

Jason Lemkin is one of the leading SaaS investors of the last decade with a portfolio including the likes of Algolia, Talkdesk, Owner, RevenueCat, Saleloft and more. Rory O’Driscoll is a General Partner @ Scale where he has led investments in category leaders such as Bill.com (BILL), Box (BOX), DocuSign (DOCU), and WalkMe (WKME), among others. ----------------------------------------------- Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:23 Founder of the Year 2025 08:33 Fund of the Year 21:27 Breakout Companies of 2025: Who Ma ...

Core Viewpoint - Apple is currently trading at a high valuation with a trailing P/E of 36x and a forward P/E of 33x, despite lacking a blockbuster product recently and only achieving a 10% return over the past year [1][2]. Valuation Metrics - The company's valuation metrics indicate premium multiples, with a trailing P/E of 36x and a forward P/E of 33x, reflecting a richly valued status [2]. - Recent fiscal year earnings growth followed two years of stagnation, suggesting a potential shift in performance [2]. - Retail sentiment data from Reddit shows bearish sentiment scores between 32-38 on r/wallstreetbets, while r/stocks remains neutral [2]. AAPD ETF Overview - The Direxion Daily AAPL Bear 1X Shares (AAPD) provides -1x daily inverse exposure to Apple's stock price through derivatives, with an expense ratio of 0.01% and $18.9 million in assets under management [3]. - AAPD resets its exposure daily through rebalancing, which can lead to returns deviating from a simple inverse of Apple's performance over longer periods due to compounding effects [4]. Performance Characteristics - The ETF's asset base of $18.9 million impacts its liquidity, with daily volume and bid-ask spreads widening during periods of increased volatility, such as earnings announcements [4]. - AAPD is not suitable for long-term holding as it does not provide inverse returns of Apple's shares over extended periods due to daily rebalancing [5]. Comparison with TSLQ - The Tradr 2X Short TSLA Daily ETF (TSLQ) offers -2x leveraged inverse exposure to Tesla, with $315 million in assets under management, providing deeper liquidity compared to AAPD [6]. - TSLQ has a higher expense ratio of 1.17% and amplifies both gains and losses, accelerating compounding effects [6][7]. - AAPD offers unleveraged -1x inverse exposure, while TSLQ provides -2x leveraged exposure, highlighting differences in leverage structure and liquidity profiles [7].

Italy's competition authority has imposed a €98.6 million fine on Apple, intensifying scrutiny over how the company operates its App Store and applies privacy rules to developers. ...

If any investor has stood the test of time, it is Warren Buffett, and with good reason. ...

转自：央视 反垄断机构认为，"应用追踪透明度"的相关条件是由苹果公司单方面强加的，损害了其商业合作伙伴的 利益，并且并非为"实现其所宣称的隐私保护目标所必需或相称的措施" 。反垄断机构表示，鉴于用户 数据是实现在线个性化广告能力的核心要素，"应用追踪透明度"政策在其具体实施方式下所导致的不可 避免的重复同意请求，限制了相关数据的收集、关联和使用，从而对以广告位销售为主要商业模式的应 用开发者、广告主以及广告中介平台的经营活动造成不利影响。（总台记者 殷欣） 当地时间12月22日，意大利反垄断机构意大利竞争与市场管理局发布公告称，因苹果公司滥用市场支配 地位，决定对其处以约9863.5万欧元（约合8.13亿人民币）罚款。 意大利反垄断机构认定，苹果公司自2021年4月起在其移动操作系统中对通过应用商店对用户提供应用 的第三方开发者所强制实施的"应用追踪透明度"（App Tracking Transparency）政策方面存在限制竞争 的行为，违反了《欧盟运行条约》（TFUE）第102条。 ...

Core Viewpoint - Berkshire Hathaway's recent reduction in its Apple stake appears to be a strategic move to manage an oversized position rather than a sign of declining confidence in Apple's business [1][2]. Group 1: Berkshire's Position in Apple - As of September 30, Berkshire Hathaway owned 238.2 million shares of Apple, down from 280.0 million shares three months prior [5]. - The current value of Berkshire's Apple position exceeds $65 billion, making it the largest holding, significantly ahead of its second-largest holding, American Express, valued at approximately $57 billion [6]. - Apple's stock represents about 20% of Berkshire's total equity portfolio and approximately 6% of Berkshire's total market capitalization, which is around $1.07 trillion [6][7]. Group 2: Future Outlook and Management Strategy - The recent selling of Apple shares is likely a response to concentration risk after years of compounding, rather than a bearish outlook on the tech company [8]. - There is speculation that Berkshire may continue to sell Apple shares to maintain a 20% position in its equity holdings for risk management purposes, but further selling beyond this level is considered unlikely [9]. - Berkshire's substantial cash reserves, totaling $354.3 billion, provide flexibility for capital deployment, which may influence the decision to retain remaining Apple shares under new management [10][11]. Group 3: Apple's Business Performance - Apple's recent earnings report indicated an 8% year-over-year revenue increase to $102.5 billion for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, with expectations of accelerated growth during the holiday quarter [13]. - Management anticipates revenue growth of 10% to 12% year-over-year for the upcoming quarter, supported by strong demand for the iPhone [13][14].

Core Viewpoint - Italy's competition authority has imposed a fine of 98.6 million euros ($115.53 million) on Apple and its two subsidiaries for alleged abuse of dominant position in distribution [1] Group 1: Regulatory Actions - The fine is a result of an investigation into Apple's market practices in Italy [1] - The competition authority's decision highlights ongoing scrutiny of large tech companies regarding their market behavior [1] Group 2: Financial Implications - The imposed fine represents a significant financial impact on Apple, reflecting the increasing regulatory pressures faced by the company in Europe [1]