Core Viewpoint - Nvidia's stock is experiencing an upward trend following a new partnership with Groq, which is expected to enhance the company's growth in the upcoming year [1] Group 1: Partnership and Strategic Importance - The partnership with Groq involves a non-exclusive licensing agreement for inference technology, which is seen as a strong catalyst for Nvidia's growth [2] - Several senior executives from Groq will join Nvidia as part of the agreement, indicating a strategic alignment between the two companies [2] - The deal is viewed as strategically significant for Nvidia, potentially alleviating investor concerns regarding competition from Alphabet's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) [3][4] Group 2: Analyst Insights and Price Targets - Analyst Stacy Rasgon from Rosenblatt Securities has set a new price target for Nvidia at $245, reflecting a 30% upside from current levels [2][5] - This new target is below the average 12-month price target of $263.58 from 41 analysts, suggesting further potential for stock appreciation of over 37% [5] - The potential of Nvidia's CUDA software ecosystem to enhance Groq's Language Processing Unit (LPU) is highlighted as a factor that could strengthen Nvidia's competitive position in the AI sector [6]

Core Insights - Nvidia has acquired talent and technology from Groq, a company specializing in custom-built inference chips, but has not acquired Groq itself [1][2][3] - Groq has entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Nvidia for its inference technology, aiming to enhance access to high-performance, low-cost inference solutions [2][3] - Key members of Groq, including founder Jonathan Ross and President Sunny Madra, will join Nvidia, while Groq will continue to operate independently under CFO Simon Edwards as CEO [3] Company Valuation and Growth - Groq was valued at $6.9 billion in a funding round where it raised $750 million, more than double its valuation of $2.8 billion from a year earlier [4][5] - The company claims its technology powers over 2 million developers and Fortune 500 companies, indicating significant market presence and growth in AI technology deployment [4] - Groq's focus is on building American infrastructure for AI inference, emphasizing high speed and low cost [5][6] Industry Trends - There is a noticeable shift in investment and engineering resources towards inference infrastructure as companies transition from experimenting with large language models to implementing them in live environments [6]

Core Viewpoint - Real estate investment trusts (REITs) and related ETFs have underperformed in 2023, but there is optimism for improved performance in 2026, particularly for the NEOS Real Estate High Income ETF (IYRI) which has a strong income-generating potential [1][2]. Group 1: Performance and Income Generation - The NEOS Real Estate High Income ETF (IYRI) has a distribution rate of 10.77% as of November 30, indicating its strong income-generating capabilities in a sector known for high income levels [2]. - IYRI employs an options-based strategy by selling call options on ETFs tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Capped Index, which is a widely observed measure of U.S.-listed REITs [1][2]. Group 2: Future Outlook and Catalysts - Analysts anticipate increased mergers and acquisitions activity in the real estate sector by 2026, which could positively impact IYRI and other REITs [3]. - The demand for data centers, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), is expected to remain strong, benefiting IYRI as the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Capped Index includes data center REITs [4]. - Management teams are focusing on segments with recurring revenue profiles, such as Senior Housing, which could lead to favorable conditions for REITs heading into 2026 [5].

In this article, we will look at the 15 Best Affordable Stocks to Buy According to Analysts.On December 24, Kevin Mahn, President and CIO of Hennion & Walsh Asset Management, appeared on a CNBC Television interview to discuss his market outlook for 2026. He noted that 2025 has been a phenomenal year, with 41 record high closes for the S&P 500, resulting in a total return of around 18%. Moreover, the market also reached a 3-year anniversary of the bull market. Mahn believes that 2026 is going to be another b ...

Core Viewpoint - Chamath Palihapitiya, known as the "SPAC King," is poised for a significant financial gain following NVIDIA's $20.6 billion acquisition of Groq, a semiconductor company in which his firm, Social Capital, was an early investor [1][4]. Investment Background - Social Capital invested $10 million in Groq in 2017 and an additional $52.3 million in 2018, acquiring nearly one-third ownership of the startup at that time [2]. - Groq has successfully raised multiple funding rounds, with the latest round bringing in $750 million at a valuation of $6.9 billion earlier this year [3]. Financial Implications - Despite dilution from subsequent funding rounds, Palihapitiya's early investment in Groq is expected to yield a substantial financial return, significantly increasing his estimated net worth of $1.2 billion [4][5]. - Social Capital now functions primarily as Palihapitiya's family office, allowing him to capture most of the financial benefits from the Groq exit [5]. Future Projections - Palihapitiya expressed optimism about Groq's future, predicting a valuation of $100 billion by 2045 in a recent post, while acknowledging the challenges the company faced [6]. Deal Structure - The acquisition deal includes a non-exclusive licensing agreement between NVIDIA and Groq for access to Groq's inference technology, with key personnel from Groq set to join NVIDIA [7]. Company Dynamics - Groq has been a valuable asset for Palihapitiya, who previously dismissed partners at Social Capital for attempting to raise outside capital for Groq's funding round [8].

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – December 26, 2025 – Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses Expedia Group, Inc. (EXPE) and Amazon, Inc. (AMZN) .Industry: e-CommerceLink: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/2808394/weak-macro-cant-stop-e-commerce-stocks-expedia-and-amazonWhile macroeconomic challenges mount, the e-commerce market is growing through innovation, technology and insight, as it continues to take away slices of the total retail pie. Commerce Department numbers are proof of this trend: ecommerce sal ...

Core Viewpoint - Synaptics Incorporated (NASDAQ:SYNA) is recognized as a promising tech stock with an attractive risk/reward profile, particularly as it transitions towards becoming a key player in the Internet of Things (IoT) market [1][3]. Group 1: Analyst Coverage and Ratings - Wells Fargo initiated coverage of Synaptics with an "Overweight" rating and a price target of $95, indicating confidence in the stock's potential through 2026 [3]. - The firm anticipates a valuation re-rating for Synaptics over time, driven by its strategic shifts and product developments [3]. Group 2: Product Development and Market Focus - Synaptics launched the Astra SL2600 Series of multimodal Edge AI processors in October, aimed at various intelligent IoT applications, marking a shift from legacy products to embedded edge compute solutions [4]. - The SL2610 product line targets high-growth markets such as smart appliances, industrial automation, healthcare devices, retail systems, robotics, and autonomous platforms [4]. Group 3: Strategic Collaborations - In November, Synaptics announced a collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, enhancing its transition from a traditional human-interface supplier to a provider of AI-enabled edge solutions [5]. - This partnership focuses on integrating touch and fingerprint sensing technologies for mobile devices, wearables, and AI PCs, emphasizing the importance of sensing, compute, and security in edge intelligence [5]. Group 4: Future Outlook - Synaptics is well-positioned for further growth in the embedded edge and IoT markets, supported by strong product momentum and strategic partnerships [6]. - The company specializes in mixed-signal semiconductor solutions that facilitate intelligent interactions across various sectors, including consumer, automotive, and enterprise environments [6].

As the market broadens out heading into 2026, high-yield dividend stocks could be set to finally outperform the S&P 500.High-yield products appear to be gaining in popularity in 2025. Most of the excitement is centered around the single-stock, leveraged, and derivative income funds that are highly volatile and highly risky, but also offer attractive yields.I still prefer the more traditional high-income products. ETFs that invest in equities with above-average yields or use conservative covered-call strateg ...

Core Insights - TCW Concentrated Large Cap Growth Fund reported a return of +4.11% in Q3 2025, underperforming the Russell 1000 Growth Index which returned +10.51% [1] - The fund highlighted Eaton Corporation plc (NYSE:ETN) as a key holding, noting its significant market capitalization of $126.005 billion and a share price of $323.67 as of December 24, 2025 [2] Company Overview - Eaton Corporation plc is described as an intelligent power management company serving various markets including data centers, utilities, and aerospace [3] - The company has transitioned from a cyclical industrial conglomerate to a higher growth, higher margin entity focused on electrical and aerospace sectors, benefiting from trends like electronification and AI datacenter buildouts [3] Financial Performance - Eaton Corporation plc reported quarterly earnings of $7 billion for Q3 2025, with a margin increase of 70 basis points to reach 25% [4] - The stock experienced a one-month return of -5.27% but gained 5.23% over the last 52 weeks [2] Market Position - As of the end of Q3 2025, Eaton Corporation plc was held by 72 hedge fund portfolios, a slight decrease from 74 in the previous quarter [4] - The company has a substantial backlog of multi-year megaprojects, providing visibility into future cash flows [3]

The U.S. stock market is closed today, Thursday, December 25, 2025, in observance of the Christmas Day holiday. This brings a pause to what has been a remarkable week for Wall Street, with major indices closing at or near all-time highs in a holiday-shortened session on Christmas Eve. Normal trading operations on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq will resume on Friday, December 26, 2025.Premarket Activity and Futures MovementsWhile the main equity markets are shut, investors are reflecting on th ...