Metaverse Origins - Neal Stephenson coined the term Metaverse in his 1992 novel Snow Crash [1] - The novel described a shared virtual world [1] - The book influenced founders like @ethereumJoseph of @Consensys regarding the internet's future [1]

Core Insights - HWAL Inc., formerly known as Hollywall Entertainment, has announced a global collaboration in the K-Pop entertainment sector [1] - The partnership involves key players in banking, entertainment technology, K-Pop music, and the metaverse [1] - The collaboration is facilitated by investment advisory group MMF Fund, bringing together HWAL, Lunar Records, and Basis Asset Management [1] Company Overview - HWAL Inc. is engaging in a new K-Pop entertainment venture [1] - The company is collaborating with Lunar Records and Basis Asset Management, which is involved in projects with South Korean K-Pop label nCH Entertainment [1] Industry Context - The partnership signifies a growing trend of collaboration between entertainment and financial sectors, particularly in the K-Pop and metaverse spaces [1] - The involvement of major industry players indicates a strategic move to leverage the popularity of K-Pop and emerging technologies [1]

Core Insights - Meta Platforms' shares have dropped by 17% following the release of its third-quarter earnings, primarily due to concerns over spending [1] - The company's aggressive investments in the metaverse have led to significant financial strain, prompting investor skepticism [3][4] - Meta is shifting its focus from the metaverse to artificial intelligence (AI), with substantial capital expenditures aimed at enhancing its AI capabilities [6][8] Spending and Financial Profile - Meta's spending on selling, general, and administrative functions, as well as research and development, has sharply increased, resulting in deteriorating free cash flow [3] - The company's capital expenditures are expected to continue rising as it invests in infrastructure and talent acquisition for its AI initiatives [7][8] Strategic Shift - While Meta maintains some interest in the metaverse, its primary focus has transitioned to AI, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlining a comprehensive AI roadmap during the latest earnings call [6] - Meta has made significant investments in AI, including a $14.3 billion stake in Scale AI and the establishment of Meta Superintelligence Labs to enhance its engineering and research capabilities [9]

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BIGG Digital Assets Inc. (“BIGG” or the “Company”) (TSXV: BIGG; OTCQB: BBKCF; WKN: A2PS9W), a leading innovator in the digital assets space and owner of Netcoins, Blockchain Intelligence Group, and TerraZero, is pleased to announce Q3 2025 Financial Guidance Netcoins Trading and Staking Revenue is expected to be $2.5 million for the quarterNetcoins YTD Trading Volume has been over $917 million, with over $260 million during Q3 2025Net Income was ...

🔥 FACT: @nealstephenson coined the word Metaverse in his 1992 novel Snow Crash, describing a shared virtual world.The book helped shape how founders like @ethereumJoseph of @Consensys saw the internet’s next layer. https://t.co/bg8kfXW4Ls ...

Core Insights - The COVID-19 pandemic created contrasting outcomes for Carnival and Roblox, with Carnival facing severe challenges while Roblox thrived during the lockdowns [1][2] Carnival's Performance - Carnival's total revenue dropped from $20.8 billion in fiscal 2019 to $1.9 billion in fiscal 2021 due to the pandemic, resulting in net losses of $10.2 billion in fiscal 2020 and $9.5 billion in fiscal 2021 [4] - To maintain solvency, Carnival idled ships, cut spending, and increased its year-end debt from $11.5 billion in fiscal 2019 to $33.2 billion in fiscal 2021 [5] - By fiscal 2023, Carnival's revenue rebounded to $21.6 billion, exceeding pre-pandemic levels, and is projected to grow to $25 billion in fiscal 2024, with a net profit of $1.9 billion [8] - Analysts forecast Carnival's revenue and earnings per share (EPS) to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% and 24% respectively from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2027 [9] Roblox's Performance - Roblox experienced significant growth during the pandemic, with bookings surging 45% in 2021 and daily active users (DAUs) increasing by 40% [13] - However, as pandemic restrictions eased, Roblox's growth metrics slowed, leading to a drop in stock price to a low of $21.65 in May 2022 [14] - In 2023, Roblox's bookings increased by 23%, and DAUs rose from 58.8 million in fiscal 2022 to 85.3 million in fiscal 2024, indicating a recovery [15] - Despite this growth, Roblox is expected to remain unprofitable due to high infrastructure costs and nearly $1 billion in debt [16] Investment Outlook - While Roblox has shown strong growth, its capital-intensive model raises sustainability concerns, whereas Carnival, despite slower growth, is profitable and presents a more attractive investment opportunity in the current market [17]

Core Viewpoint - Meta Platforms' stock has entered a mini-bear market, dropping over 20% due to concerns regarding heavy spending on artificial intelligence, despite reporting increased ad revenue and operational performance [2][5]. Financial Performance - Meta's third-quarter earnings showed a 26% increase in overall ad revenue, reaching a record $50.1 billion, while the Reality Labs division experienced a 270% revenue increase, albeit with a $4.4 billion loss [3][4]. - The company's AI spending surged to $18.8 billion in Q3, more than double the amount from the same period last year, with full-year projections potentially reaching $72 billion [4][5]. Market Reaction - The stock's decline of approximately 20% over seven days is significantly higher than the Nasdaq benchmark and the CNBC Magnificent Seven index, indicating investor skepticism regarding the company's future earnings potential [7]. - Analysts suggest that investors are questioning the sustainability of Meta's AI investments, which do not currently generate revenue from external clients, contrasting with other tech giants like Google and Microsoft [7][8]. Strategic Investments - Meta recently closed its largest corporate bond issue, raising around $30 billion, and secured an additional $27 billion through a structured deal for an AI data center in Louisiana [6]. - The company is increasing its expenses to attract high-paid talent for its AI initiatives, which could pressure profit margins and cash flows in the upcoming year [6]. Investor Sentiment - Analysts express uncertainty about how Meta's significant spending on AI will translate into earnings, especially given the company's historical losses in the Metaverse project, which have exceeded $70 billion over five years [9][10]. - There is a belief that if Meta's stock price declines further, the company may reconsider its spending commitments [10].

Core Viewpoint - Meta Platforms has experienced a significant decline in stock value, with shares falling 11% after its third-quarter earnings report and an additional 9% since then, making it the worst performer among the "Magnificent Seven" stocks [2][4]. Financial Performance - Meta's year-to-date gain has decreased to 4%, with shares now over 23% below their record high of 796.25 from mid-August [2][4]. - The company's revenue grew by 26% in Q3, indicating strong performance in its social media ad business [5]. Spending and Investment Concerns - CEO Mark Zuckerberg's increased spending on AI has raised concerns among investors, with capital expenditures expected to grow significantly next year, estimated at $71 billion for this year [6][8]. - Meta raised $30 billion through a bond sale, which may be linked to its increased spending plans [2]. Market Position and Comparisons - Meta's stock has not traded below 600 since May 9, with a current price of 604.84, reflecting a broader market downturn [9]. - The Relative Strength score for Meta has dropped to 23 out of 99, down from 89 three months ago, indicating a significant decline in market performance [10]. Analyst Insights - Analysts are drawing comparisons between Meta's AI investments and its previous metaverse spending, though some argue that AI investments may yield more flexible returns [8]. - New Street Research analyst Dan Salmon has lowered his price target for Meta from 900 to 800, citing lower earnings estimates while maintaining a buy rating [8].

Core Insights - Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) has faced investor concerns following its third-quarter earnings report, primarily due to high capital spending on AI initiatives and allegations of revenue from fraudulent ads, resulting in a 15.4% decline in stock price since the report [2][4]. Financial Performance - In Q3 2025, Meta reported a revenue of $51.2 billion, a 26% year-over-year increase, surpassing Wall Street's expectation of $49.5 billion [9]. - The company's earnings per share (EPS) rose 20% to $7.25, exceeding the analysts' consensus estimate of $6.74 [9]. - Despite losses in its Reality Labs division, which reported a revenue of $470 million but an operational loss of $4.43 billion, Meta's overall performance remained strong [7][9]. Strategic Focus - CEO Mark Zuckerberg is shifting the company's focus towards AI as a key growth driver for 2025, integrating AI features across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp [8][10]. - The Threads platform is also gaining traction, with monthly active users increasing from 320 million in Q4 2024 to 350 million in Q1 2025, although it still trails behind competitors [11]. Future Outlook - Meta anticipates fourth-quarter 2025 revenue between $56 billion and $59 billion, driven by its advertising business and AI enhancements [12]. - The company has raised its 2025 capital expenditures estimate to a range of $70 billion to $72 billion, primarily for AI project development [17]. Analyst Ratings and Price Targets - Analysts have varying price targets for Meta, with a high of $1,117.00, a median of $843.08, and a low of $560.00, while the consensus recommendation remains a buy [16]. - BofA Securities maintains a Buy rating with a price target of $900, while Cantor Fitzgerald has an Overweight rating with a target of $920, citing confidence in Meta's user base and AI integration potential [14][15].

Company Overview - Himax is a global fabless IC design company, ranking among the top 10 globally in 2021[5], with 2022 sales of $1.2 billion[5, 18] - The company ships an average of 60 million ICs per month[5] - Himax holds a 40% global market share in driver ICs for automotive displays[5] Product and Technology Highlights - Himax is a leader in display driver ICs (DDIC) for TFT LCD and OLED displays[18, 35, 43, 45], with a focus on high-end 8K/4K TVs and gaming monitors[50, 100] - The company is expanding its automotive solutions, including DDIC, TDDI, LTDI, Tcon, and OLED touch controllers[18, 57, 97, 100, 123] - Himax's WiseEye ultralow power AI sensing technology is gaining traction in AIoT applications[12, 18, 61, 63, 101, 106, 123] - The company offers Wafer Level Optics (WLO) for 3D sensing and optical communication[12, 18, 66, 68, 107, 110, 123] - Himax is a long-term innovator in Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) microdisplays for AR/VR applications[12, 18, 71, 78, 111, 114, 123] Financial Performance and Shareholder Returns - Himax has returned $1074 million to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks since its IPO[24] - The company initiated five share buyback programs totaling $178 million since 2007[29] - As of Q3 2025, Himax repurchased a total of 47.3 million ADSs at an average purchase price of $3.20 per ADS[29] - For 2024, revenues were $906.8 million, a decrease of 4.1% year-over-year, while profit was $79.8 million, an increase of 57.6% year-over-year[31]