RT Avi Chawla (@_avichawla)You're in an ML Engineer interview at Netflix.The interviewer asks:"You’ve trained a new recommendation model.How do you make sure it’s ready to replace the old one?"You reply: "I’ll compare metrics on validation and test sets."Interview over.Here’s what you missed:The issue is that, despite rigorously testing an ML model locally (on validation and test sets), it could be a terrible idea to instantly replace the previous model with the new model.This is because it is difficult to ...

Core Insights - Blackbaud, Inc. has concluded its annual technology conference, bbcon 2025, focusing on the role of AI in enhancing social impact through a vast network of organizations and causes [1] Group 1: Innovations and AI Developments - Blackbaud introduced two major innovations: transforming Blackbaud AI into a system of intelligent action and launching Blackbaud Agents for Good, which are proactive virtual team members [2][3] - New AI-driven features include donor stewardship reports, Recognition Programs, and hyper-personalized donor journeys aimed at enhancing engagement and loyalty [2][9] - Over 70 sector-specific AI capabilities were showcased, including the Development Agent for managing donor portfolios and Prospect Insights Pro for predictive analytics [4] Group 2: Financial Projections - For the full year 2025, Blackbaud projects GAAP revenues between $1.120 billion and $1.130 billion, indicating approximately 5% organic growth at the midpoint [7] - Non-GAAP EPS is anticipated to be between $4.30 and $4.50, an increase from earlier expectations of $4.16-$4.35 [7] Group 3: Company Strategy and Focus - Blackbaud is concentrating on cloud software solutions and data-driven decisions, leveraging AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics [6] - The company is committed to margin expansion opportunities while investing in innovation, AI, and cybersecurity [6] Group 4: Stock Performance - Blackbaud currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), with shares declining 23.5% over the past year, contrasting with a 22.9% growth in the Computer – Software industry [8]

AMD’s Jack Huynh, SVP and GM, Computing and Graphics Group, and Mark Cerny, lead architect of PS5 and PS5 Pro, discuss the latest developments from Project Amethyst – the collaboration between Sony Interactive Entertainment and AMD focused on Machine Learning-based technology for graphics and gameplay – a shared commitment to push gaming technology forward. Mark and Jack share three gaming technology breakthroughs that will lead to benefits across the gaming industry in the future. *** Subscribe: https://bi ...

Core Viewpoint - Bank of America analyst Mariana Perez Mora has raised her target price for Palantir to $215 per share, indicating strong confidence in the company's future growth potential, particularly in the AI sector [1][2]. Company Overview - Palantir Technologies is recognized as a leading player in artificial intelligence platforms, particularly due to its unique approach of employing forward-deployed engineers (FDEs) who collaborate directly with clients to create tailored solutions [3]. - The company's software is built around an ontology framework, allowing clients to optimize business processes through AI by defining relationships between physical objects [4][5]. Revenue Projections - Bank of America forecasts that Palantir's total revenue could reach $18 billion annually by 2030, with government revenue expected to hit $8 billion and commercial revenue projected to exceed $10 billion [6][8][9]. - The company reported $3.4 billion in revenue over the last 12 months, suggesting a projected annual growth rate of 35% over the next five-plus years [9]. Market Position - Palantir is positioned to benefit from the expanding data analytics market, which is expected to grow at an annual rate of 29% through 2030, driven by demand for AI and machine learning tools [10]. - The company has been recognized as a market leader in decision intelligence software, outperforming competitors like Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet in recent evaluations [5]. Valuation Concerns - Despite its strong business fundamentals, Palantir's current valuation is considered extremely high at 134 times sales, significantly above the next closest S&P 500 stock [11][12]. - Even if revenue reaches the projected $18 billion by 2030, Palantir would still trade at 24 times sales, indicating that it would remain one of the most expensive stocks in the index [12].

Summary of Microsoft 3Q25 CIO Survey Takeaways Company Overview - **Company**: Microsoft - **Market Capitalization**: $3,917.829 billion as of October 8, 2025 - **Current Stock Price**: $524.85 - **Price Target**: $625.00 - **Fiscal Year Ending**: June 2025 Key Industry Insights 1. IT Budget Growth Expectations - 2025 IT budget growth is expected to be stable at **+3.6%**, consistent with prior levels - Software is projected to grow at **+3.8%** in 2025, making it the fastest-growing sector - 2026 budget growth expectations show a modest acceleration to **+3.8%**, up **21 basis points** year-over-year, but still below the historical average of **+4.1%** [1][40][46] 2. Generative AI (GenAI) Spending - GenAI and AI/ML remain top priorities for CIOs, with Microsoft positioned as the leading vendor for GenAI deployment - **33%** of CIOs expect Microsoft to gain the largest incremental share of GenAI spend in 2025, significantly higher than the next vendor at **14%** - Over the next three years, **37%** of CIOs anticipate Microsoft will capture the largest share of GenAI spending [2][10][12] 3. Microsoft’s Competitive Position - Microsoft is viewed as the top IT budget share gainer, with **42%** of CIOs expecting share gains, up from **41%** in the previous survey - The company is also recognized for its strong alignment with key spending priorities such as AI/ML, security, and digital transformation [2][10][54] 4. Project and Task Management Solutions - Microsoft Teams and Planner are the most popular project management solutions, with **62%** of CIOs using them, up from **55%** in 3Q24 - **61%** of CIOs report their companies are standardized on a single project management solution, with Microsoft being the leading choice at **32%** [7][10][27] Financial Performance and Projections 1. Earnings Per Share (EPS) Estimates - EPS for fiscal year ending June 2025 is projected at **$13.64**, with estimates increasing to **$21.22** by June 2028 - The P/E ratio is expected to decrease from **36.5** in 2025 to **24.7** by 2028, indicating potential for multiple expansion [4][70] 2. Revenue Growth Drivers - Azure revenue growth is projected at **29.7%** for 2025, with a gradual decline to **22.4%** by 2028 - Operating margins are expected to expand from **45.6%** in 2025 to **47.2%** by 2028, driven by strong cloud adoption and operational efficiencies [82][89] Additional Insights 1. CIO Spending Priorities - Top spending priorities for CIOs include AI/ML, security software, and digital transformation, indicating strong demand for Microsoft’s offerings in these areas [54][56] - Security software is viewed as the most defensive area of IT spend, with **15%** of CIOs indicating it is least likely to be cut [56] 2. Market Positioning - Microsoft is seen as underpriced relative to peers, with a valuation at less than **26x** GAAP CY27 EPS multiple compared to the large-cap software average of **33x** [8][70] 3. Risks and Opportunities - Risks include potential macroeconomic impacts on IT spending and competition in the cloud space - Opportunities lie in the continued adoption of AI technologies and cloud services, which are expected to drive revenue growth [89][90] This summary encapsulates the key findings from the Microsoft 3Q25 CIO Survey, highlighting the company's strong positioning in the software and cloud markets, particularly in relation to GenAI and project management solutions.

Core Insights - OppFi Inc. (OPFI) shares have increased by 104.2% over the past year, significantly outperforming its industry growth of 5.8% and the Zacks S&P 500 Composite's 18.1% rise [1][9] - Recent performance indicates a correction phase, with OPFI shares declining by 3% in the past month, while the industry fell by 6.6% and the S&P 500 rose by 3.6% [4][22] Company Strengths - OppFi targets the underbanked population, utilizing AI and machine learning to assess credit profiles, which enhances service speed [6] - The loan auto approval rate reached 80% in Q2 2025, up from 76% in the previous year, and a Net Promoter Score of 79 indicates strong customer satisfaction [7] - The Net Charge-Off (NCO) rate has decreased, with a notable drop of 400 basis points to 42% in Q4 2024, and further declines of 700 bps and 300 bps in subsequent quarters, showcasing effective risk management [8][10] Valuation and Liquidity - OppFi's stock is trading at 6.91 times forward earnings, significantly lower than the industry average of 20.2 times, indicating a potentially attractive investment opportunity [11] - The trailing 12-month EV-to-EBITDA ratio stands at 4.55 times, below the industry average of 12.12 times, suggesting growth potential [11] - The current ratio improved to 1.72 in Q2 2025 from 1.57 a year ago, surpassing the industry average of 1.17, indicating strong short-term obligation coverage [14] Revenue and Earnings Outlook - The Zacks Consensus Estimate projects OPFI's 2025 revenues at $588.9 million, reflecting a 12% year-over-year growth, with earnings per share expected to rise by 49.5% [16] Challenges - The core business model involves lending to subprime borrowers, which carries inherent credit default risks, with 28% of consumers in the 580-669 credit score range likely to become seriously delinquent [17] - Competition in the fintech market is intensifying, with threats from companies like SoFi and Dave, which may attract customers away from OppFi [18][19] Strategic Positioning - OppFi's customer-centric strategy leverages AI and ML to manage credit risk while meeting customer demand, positioning the company favorably despite market challenges [20] - The liquidity position and strong revenue and earnings outlook contribute to a positive assessment of the stock, although credit risks and competition remain concerns [21]

Core Insights - Predictive Oncology has successfully closed two private investment in public equity transactions (PIPEs) totaling approximately $343.5 million to support its digital asset treasury strategy focused on ATH, the native utility token of the Aethir ecosystem [1][2] Investment Details - The PIPEs consist of two components: - A cash PIPE raising approximately $50.8 million through the sale of about 4.4 million shares of common stock at a price of $11.6265 per share [2] - A crypto PIPE involving pre-funded warrants to purchase up to approximately 14.9 million shares of common stock for a purchase price of $11.6165 per warrant, in exchange for approximately $292.7 million in notional value of ATH contributions [2] - The PIPEs closed on October 7, 2025, and the pre-funded warrants will be exercisable following shareholder approval [2][4] Strategic Intent - The company aims to utilize the in-kind contribution of ATH to fund its digital asset treasury strategy and acquire ATH in the open market, alongside working capital and general corporate purposes [4] - The investment aligns with the company's computational needs and capital requirements as it seeks to lead in AI-driven drug discovery [5] Company Background - Predictive Oncology leverages AI and machine learning for drug discovery, with its platform, PEDAL, achieving 92% accuracy in predicting tumor responses to drug compounds [9] - The company has a biobank of over 150,000 tumor samples, enhancing its AI-based drug discovery capabilities [9] Aethir Overview - Aethir is a decentralized physical infrastructure network providing GPU resources for AI computation, gaming, and cloud workloads, aiming to democratize access to AI infrastructure [7][8] - ATH serves as a utility token within the Aethir ecosystem, facilitating GPU rentals, staking, and rewards [8]

Core Insights - Hoth Therapeutics has expanded its AI initiative by securing annual NVIDIA AI Enterprise Essentials licenses to enhance its GPU-powered infrastructure for pharmaceutical research [1][2] - The integration of NVIDIA's AI platform is aimed at accelerating data-driven drug development and improving decision-making in therapy development [3] Company Strategy - The company is committed to integrating next-generation technology across its R&D programs, focusing on therapies like HT-001, HT-KIT, and oncology programs [3] - Hoth's AI initiative is part of a broader digital transformation strategy, enabling partnerships with AI-driven platforms and life-science data companies to optimize development timelines and reduce costs [3] Technological Capabilities - The NVIDIA AI Enterprise environment will support Hoth's scientific and data teams in deploying predictive pharmacology and toxicity models, enhancing compound screening efficiency [6] - The infrastructure will also facilitate the integration of multi-omic and patient-derived data for improved target discovery, clinical trial simulation, patient stratification, and real-time response monitoring [6]

Core Insights - Affirm Holdings, Inc. operates in the buy now, pay later industry, providing flexible payment options that allow consumers to split purchases into installments [1] - The company utilizes AI and machine learning to optimize its services, enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency [1] Company Overview - Affirm is listed on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol AFRM [1] - The fintech company focuses on consumer finance, specifically in the installment payment sector [1] Industry Context - The buy now, pay later industry is growing, driven by increasing consumer demand for flexible payment solutions [1] - Affirm's use of advanced technologies positions it competitively within the fintech landscape [1]

Core Insights - Affirm Holdings, Inc. operates in the buy now, pay later industry, providing flexible payment options that allow consumers to split purchases into installments [1] - The company utilizes AI and machine learning to optimize its services, enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency [1] Company Overview - Affirm is a fintech company listed on NASDAQ under the ticker AFRM [1] - The company's primary focus is on offering installment payment solutions to consumers, which is a growing trend in the financial technology sector [1] Industry Context - The buy now, pay later industry is experiencing significant growth, driven by increasing consumer demand for flexible payment options [1] - The integration of advanced technologies like AI and machine learning is becoming a standard practice among fintech companies to improve service delivery and customer satisfaction [1]