Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) has been one of the stock market's biggest success stories ever. ...

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is pioneering a shift towards “ambient intelligence” as part of its strategy to address the growing fatigue with social media “doom scrolling.” Panos Panay, the e-commerce retailer’s head of devices and services, highlighted the potential of this new era, emphasizing that technology should seamlessly integrate into users’ lives without the need for screens.Speaking at Fortune Brainstorm AI in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago, Panay said, “There's a whole younger generation c ...

Group 1: Consumer Sentiment and Economic Indicators - Consumer sentiment for December was revised down to 52.9 from an initial estimate of 53.3, although it improved from 51.0 in November [4] - The Consumer Price Index rose 2.7% year-over-year in November, with regional variations; for example, inflation in Southern California was 4.5% compared to 1.1% in Dallas [4] - Year-ahead inflation expectations declined for the fourth consecutive month to 4.2%, the lowest level in 11 months, but still above the 3.3% recorded in January [5] Group 2: Capital Expenditures in the Tech Industry - Major tech companies, including Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, are significantly increasing their capital expenditures (CapEx) in AI infrastructure as competition intensifies [9] - Meta expects its 2025 CapEx to be in the range of $70 billion to $72 billion, up from a prior outlook of $66 billion to $72 billion [10] - Alphabet raised its CapEx forecast for 2025 and 2026 to between $91 billion and $93 billion, up from a previous estimate of $85 billion [12] - Amazon reported cash CapEx of $34.2 billion in Q3 and a total of $89.9 billion spent so far this year, emphasizing continued significant investments in AI [13] Group 3: Market Outlook and Predictions - The S&P 500 is predicted to rise another 10-15% in 2026, driven by strong spending in technology and the resilience of major companies against tariffs [14] - The tech sector is expected to maintain expanding profit margins even as it enters lower-margin businesses like AI [14]

Core Insights - Quantum computing stocks are gaining momentum as they outperform the S&P 500, with companies like IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave Quantum leading the charge [1] - Major tech companies, including Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft, are exploring quantum computing alongside their generative AI initiatives, indicating a broader interest in the technology [2] - Nvidia is developing a comprehensive quantum computing suite, positioning itself as a key player in the AI infrastructure era [3] Quantum Computing Landscape - Currently, quantum computing is primarily an exploratory field, with companies focusing on research and development rather than enterprise-level applications [5] - Pure-play quantum developers like IonQ and Rigetti are utilizing gate-based approaches, while D-Wave specializes in quantum annealing for optimization tasks [6] - The focus of these companies is on the physics of creating and configuring qubits within new computing architectures [7] Nvidia's Unique Position - Unlike its competitors, Nvidia aims to bridge the gap between software and hardware for quantum computing, rather than building its own quantum computers [9] - Nvidia's software platform, CUDA-Q, allows developers to create applications that operate across CPUs, GPUs, and QPUs, enhancing the integration of quantum computing [10] - The NVQLink interconnect facilitates seamless communication between QPUs and GPUs, reducing latency and bandwidth strain [10] Market Potential and Growth - Nvidia is well-positioned to benefit from increased capital expenditures in AI infrastructure, with hyperscalers projected to contribute nearly $500 billion in 2026 [14] - The AI infrastructure market is expected to grow to nearly $7 trillion by the end of the decade, presenting a long-term opportunity for Nvidia [14] - As quantum computing becomes more integral to AI, Nvidia's products like CUDA-Q and NVQLink may play a significant role in its growth narrative [16] Investment Outlook - Nvidia's stock is currently trading at a forward P/E multiple of 24, which is considered reasonable given its growth prospects [17] - Quantum computing is viewed as an additional growth pillar for Nvidia as AI continues to dominate the market [19] - The company is expected to experience valuation expansion as it heads into 2026, making it an attractive buy-and-hold opportunity for long-term investors [19]

Group 1: Bitcoin Mining Stocks Performance - Bitcoin mining stocks have shown significant gains this year, with IREN Ltd. leading at +328.41%, followed by Cipher Mining Inc. at +242.89%, Riot Platforms Inc. at +33.89%, and CleanSpark Inc. at +24.97% [1] Group 2: IREN Ltd. - IREN has transitioned from Bitcoin mining to high-performance data centers for AI and GPU cloud services, positively impacting its share price [1] - The company secured a $9.7 billion GPU cloud contract with Microsoft, which includes a 20% prepayment and a commitment to purchase $5.8 billion in NVIDIA GPUs [2] - The consensus price target for IREN is $55.73, with a high estimate of $136 from Cantor Fitzgerald [2] - IREN's Momentum score is 98.39/100, indicating strong performance [3] Group 3: Cipher Mining Inc. - Cipher Mining's stock surged approximately 380% in the last six months due to a shift from Bitcoin mining to AI infrastructure [4] - Key contracts include a 15-year agreement with Amazon Web Services for 300 MW of electricity, valued at around $5.5 billion, and a $3 billion, 10-year colocation deal with Fluidstack [4] - The stock has a consensus "Buy" rating and a price target of $21.61, with a high of $34 from Clear Street [5] - Cipher Mining also has a very high Momentum score [5] Group 4: Riot Platforms Inc. - Riot Platforms recorded healthy gains, supported by Bitcoin's all-time highs and increased mining output [6] - The company plans to repurpose its power infrastructure for data centers and high-performance computing [6] - Riot is the seventh-largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, with a stash valued at $1.72 billion [6] Group 5: CleanSpark Inc. - CleanSpark reported $766 million in fiscal year revenue, more than doubling from the previous year, driven by increased Bitcoin mining and operational hashrate [9] - The company has $43 million in cash and $1.2 billion in Bitcoin as of September 30 [9] - CleanSpark has a consensus "Buy" rating with a price target of $23.69, indicating a potential upside of 108.83% [10] - The company's strongest category in Benzinga's Edge Rankings is Growth, scoring 99.76/100 [10]

U.S. pet spending proved more resilient than many other consumer categories in 2025, even as households faced persistent affordability pressures, reinforcing the sector’s defensive appeal while exposing clear shifts in how and where money is being spent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pet and pet product inflation eased to 0.3% year over year in November, down from 1% in September, offering modest relief after years of elevated costs. Broader cost-of-living pressures persist, however, with ani ...

Core Viewpoint - The company maintains a Strong Buy rating for Amazon (AMZN) despite only a subtle increase in share price, highlighting its leadership in e-commerce and cloud services [1] Group 1: Company Performance - Amazon continues to demonstrate strong performance in its core sectors, e-commerce and cloud computing, which are critical to its market leadership [1] Group 2: Analyst Background - The analyst has a decade of experience at a Big 4 audit firm, specializing in banking, mining, and energy sectors, providing a strong foundation in finance and strategy [1] - Currently, the analyst serves as the Head of Finance for a leading retail real estate operator, overseeing complex financial operations and strategy [1] - The analyst has been an active investor in the U.S. stock market for 13 years, focusing on a balanced investment approach that includes value stocks and growth opportunities [1]

Group 1: Nvidia (NVDA) - Nvidia has consistently exceeded expectations in 2025, solidifying its leadership in artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure [2][3] - The stock has a strong 'Buy' consensus, with 39 out of 41 ratings being 'Buys', and an average price target of $263.58, indicating a potential upside of 40% [3] Group 2: Amazon (AMZN) - Amazon dominates the e-commerce and cloud markets, with a strong growth outlook, particularly in cloud computing, projected to reach $3.3 trillion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 16% [5][6] - The company enjoys a 'Strong Buy' consensus with 45 'Buy' ratings and an average price target of $296.12, suggesting a potential upside of 27.42% [6] Group 3: Broadcom (AVGO) - Broadcom has reported nearly 25% revenue growth in fiscal 2025 and is expected to benefit significantly from AI infrastructure spending, with predictions of its AI business revenue doubling in 2026 [8] - The stock has 27 'Buy' ratings and 2 'Holds', with an average price target of $455.63, indicating a potential increase of 30% [9][10] Group 4: Overall Market Sentiment - The strong 'Buy' consensus on Nvidia, Amazon, and Broadcom reflects Wall Street's optimism towards large-cap technology stocks as 2026 approaches, with analysts expecting these companies to lead major structural themes [11]

Core Viewpoint - Nvidia has announced its largest acquisition, structured as a licensing deal, to acquire Groq for $20 billion, focusing on Groq's expertise in high-performance AI accelerator chips and TPU technology [1][6][12]. Acquisition Details - The deal involves Nvidia licensing all of Groq's assets and acquiring its executive team, including CEO Jonathan Ross, who has significant experience with Google's TPU [1][5][12]. - Groq raised $750 million at a valuation of approximately $6.9 billion just a month prior to the acquisition, indicating a rapid increase in value for its investors [4][10]. - Nvidia's cash reserves were reported at $60.6 billion at the end of October, highlighting its financial capability to execute such a large transaction [8]. Strategic Implications - Nvidia aims to integrate Groq's low-latency processors into its AI architecture, enhancing its capabilities in AI inference and real-time workloads [9][11]. - The acquisition is seen as a response to the growing competition from Google's TPU technology, which has gained momentum in the AI market [11][18]. - Groq will continue to operate as an independent entity with a new CEO, but Nvidia will effectively control its valuable technology and talent [7][8]. Market Context - The deal reflects Nvidia's strategy to maintain its leadership in the AI infrastructure market amid increasing competition from major tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon [16][17]. - Nvidia's previous largest acquisition was Mellanox for nearly $7 billion in 2019, showcasing the scale of this new deal [8]. - The acquisition represents a 40x multiple of Groq's targeted revenue of $500 million for the year, indicating a high valuation relative to its sales [10].

These two funds offer a good way to get exposure to artificial intelligence.For investors who want to manage their own money but don't want to deal with picking individual stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) present an attractive option.ETFs trade like stocks, but typically hold dozens or even hundreds of stocks. Generally, ETFs track an index or have another theme such as a sector, a country, or an investment style like growth or value. Artificial intelligence (AI) is one such theme, and it presents an ex ...