Investment in AI Data Centers - Digital Connexion plans to invest $11 billion by 2030 to develop a 1-gigawatt AI-focused data center campus in Andhra Pradesh, highlighting significant interest from both domestic and global investors in AI infrastructure [1] - Google announced a $15 billion investment to build an AI hub and expand data-center infrastructure in India, following a previous $10 billion commitment in 2020 [2] - Microsoft plans to invest $17.5 billion by 2029 to expand its AI and cloud footprint in India [2] - Amazon will invest an additional $35 billion in India by 2030, raising its total planned commitment to approximately $75 billion [2] Strategic Importance of Data Centers - The U.S. cloud giants are racing to add data-center capacity globally, with India emerging as an attractive location due to its engineering talent and demand for cloud services [3] - India's finance minister proposed a tax holiday on revenues from cloud services sold outside India if run from local data centers, aiming to attract foreign investment [4][5] - The budget also includes a 15% cost-plus safe harbor for Indian data-center operators providing services to foreign entities [4] Challenges and Projections - Scaling up data center capacity in India faces challenges such as power shortages, high electricity costs, and water scarcity, which could impact construction and operating costs [6] - India's data-center power capacity is projected to exceed 2 gigawatts by 2026 and could expand to over 8 gigawatts by 2030, driven by capital investments exceeding $30 billion [8] Broader Economic Initiatives - The Indian government is increasing its focus on electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, launching a second phase of the India Semiconductor Mission to enhance domestic production capabilities [10] - The budget raised the outlay for the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme to ₹400 billion (around $4.36 billion) to attract global suppliers and reduce reliance on imports [11][12] - Measures to boost cross-border e-commerce include removing the ₹1 million (around $11,000) value cap per consignment on courier exports, benefiting small manufacturers and startups [15] Long-term Vision - The latest measures emphasize India's ambition to become a long-term hub for global technology infrastructure, focusing on cloud computing, electronics manufacturing, and critical minerals [16]

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is one of the best Nancy Pelosi stocks to buy in 2026. On January 28, Counterpoint Research reiterated that Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO) leads the competition and is expected to remain the top AI server compute ASIC design partner. The research firm expects the company’s market share in the segment to rise to 60% by 2027 despite emerging competition from the Google-MediaTek alliance. Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) Strengthens AI and Semiconductor Leadership with Analyst Upgrades and Market ...

Investment Activity - Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Oracle by 2.1%, now holding 164,278,874 shares valued at $35.92 billion after acquiring an additional 3,353,461 shares [1] - State Street Corp raised its stake by 1.7%, owning 73,459,391 shares valued at $16.06 billion after purchasing 1,252,723 shares [1] - Norges Bank established a new position in Oracle valued at $4.28 billion [1] - Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings by 0.8%, now owning 11,938,457 shares valued at $3.36 billion after acquiring 98,693 shares [1] - Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake by 1.3%, owning 11,315,180 shares worth $2.47 billion after purchasing 147,367 shares [1] - Hedge funds and institutional investors collectively own 42.44% of Oracle's stock [1] Stock Performance - Oracle's stock opened at $164.69, down 2.6% [2] - The company's 50-day moving average price is $194.12, and the 200-day moving average price is $237.44 [2] - Oracle has a market cap of $473.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.96, and a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 [2] - The stock has a 12-month low of $118.86 and a high of $345.72 [2] Financial Results - Oracle reported earnings per share of $2.26, exceeding analysts' expectations of $1.64 by $0.62 [3] - The company generated revenue of $16.06 billion, slightly below the expected $16.19 billion, with a year-over-year revenue increase of 14.2% [3] - Oracle's net margin stands at 25.28%, and return on equity is 70.60% [3] Dividend Information - Oracle declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, representing an annualized dividend of $2.00 and a yield of 1.2% [4] - The dividend payout ratio is 37.59% [4] Analyst Ratings - Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating with a price target of $400.00 [5] - William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating [5] - Jefferies Financial Group maintained a "buy" rating with a $400.00 target price [5] - Weiss Ratings downgraded Oracle from "buy (b-)" to "hold (c+)" [5] - DA Davidson lowered their price objective from $200.00 to $180.00, assigning a "neutral" rating [5] - Consensus rating is "Moderate Buy" with a target price of $300.46 [5] Insider Transactions - Director Naomi O. Seligman sold 2,223 shares at an average price of $196.61, reducing ownership by 7.99% [8] - EVP Douglas A. Kehring sold 35,000 shares at an average price of $194.89, representing a 50.99% decrease in position [8] - In the last ninety days, insiders sold 62,223 shares valued at $12.14 million [8] Company Overview - Oracle Corporation is a multinational technology company specializing in database software, cloud systems, and enterprise software applications [9] - The company is known for its flagship Oracle Database and has expanded into cloud infrastructure and applications [9][10]

Core Insights - Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd (NASDAQ:CRDO) is identified as a stock with significant growth potential, particularly in the semiconductor sector focused on high-speed connectivity solutions for data infrastructure [1] - The company has entered into a patent license agreement with 3M Company, which involves active electrical cable technology, indicating a strategic partnership that may enhance its market position [2] Company Developments - The agreement with 3M allows Credo to license certain patents, with the terms remaining confidential, showcasing the company's innovative capabilities in electrical cable technology [2] - Credo's Senior Vice President of Product expressed satisfaction with the amicable agreement, highlighting the collaborative nature of the partnership [2] Analyst Coverage - Rosenblatt initiated coverage of Credo with a Neutral rating and a price target of $170, emphasizing the company's near-term growth prospects despite acknowledging longer-term risks [3] - The research firm projects that Credo's revenue will more than triple and earnings will quadruple by 2026, indicating strong future performance expectations [3] Market Position - Credo is well-positioned to capitalize on the high demand for its high-speed copper cable technology, particularly in artificial intelligence data centers, benefiting from its early leadership in 400G and 800G active-electrical cables [4][5] - The company focuses on energy-efficient connectivity solutions targeting AI, hyperscale data centers, and cloud computing markets, aligning with current industry trends [5]

Core Insights - Zeta Global Holdings Corp. (NYSE:ZETA) is recognized as a promising cloud stock by analysts, with recent price target increases from Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley [1][3] - The Application SaaS sector underperformed in 2025, but analysts expect AI-related risks to ease, leading to a more positive outlook for 2026 [1] - Zeta Global's stock has experienced a decline of 6.9% due to profit-taking, yet it still has a potential upside of 23% from the lowest Wall Street price target of $25 [2] Price Targets and Ratings - Goldman Sachs raised its price target for Zeta Global from $23 to $26 while maintaining a neutral rating [1] - Morgan Stanley increased its price target from $23 to $27 and maintained a Buy rating [1] - Canaccord Genuity reiterated a Buy rating with a price target of $30, citing strong execution and a new collaboration with OpenAI [3] Company Overview - Zeta Global Holdings Corp. provides an omnichannel, data-driven cloud platform that offers consumer intelligence and marketing automation software [4] - The company has various product suites, including an agile intelligence suite [4]

Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is one of the most promising cloud stocks according to analysts. Morgan Stanley, in an update issued on January 23, lowered its target price on Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) from $320 to $213. The stock is currently trading about 19% below this level. The investment firm is confident that the company will succeed in its massive GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) opportunity. However, the capital-intensive buildup required to successfully provide this service is likely to drive short ...

While most investors are chasing artificial intelligence (AI) chipmakers, the real backbone of the AI revolution may be chip designer Arm Holdings (ARM). Its chip designs power everything from smartphones to hyperscale data centers, positioning it as a key player of the next decade of AI. After delivering its strongest quarter ever, Arm is set to report its third quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on Feb. 4 after the market closes. Is this a good opportunity to grab this AI chip stock now? More News from Barc ...

Core Insights - Microsoft shares fell 10% despite exceeding analysts' expectations for Q2 fiscal 2026 earnings and revenues, primarily due to higher-than-expected capital expenditures and slowing cloud growth expectations [1][10] Financial Performance - In Q2, Microsoft's adjusted earnings per share (EPS) surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.7%, and revenues exceeded the consensus by 1.3%, with both metrics showing double-digit year-over-year growth [5] - Revenue from Azure and other cloud services grew by 39%, while Microsoft 365 Commercial products and cloud services revenues increased by 16%, and Microsoft 365 Consumer products and services revenue rose by 27% [6] - LinkedIn revenues increased by 11% due to growth in Marketing Solutions [6] Future Outlook - Microsoft anticipates revenues between $80.65 billion and $81.75 billion for Q3, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $80.47 billion, driven by strong growth in commercial businesses [7] - The company expects a decline in Microsoft Cloud gross margin percentage to approximately 65% year-over-year due to ongoing investments in AI, and Xbox content and services revenues are projected to decline in the mid-single digits in Q3 [8] Analyst Reactions - JPMorgan analyst Mark Murphy maintained an Overweight rating but reduced the price target from $575 to $550, citing concerns over CPU supply constraints affecting Azure growth [9] - Goldman Sachs analyst Gabriela Borges maintained a Buy rating and lowered the price target from $655 to $600 [11] Investment Opportunities - Investors optimistic about Microsoft's cloud growth may consider ETFs with significant exposure to Microsoft, such as: - iShares Dow Jones US Technology ETF (IYW), which has $21.06 billion in net assets and a 12.32% allocation to Microsoft, with a 25.9% increase over the past year [12][13] - iShares Top 20 U.S. Stocks ETF (TOPT), with $486.3 million in net assets and an 11.23% allocation to Microsoft, showing a 17% increase over the past year [14][15] - Select Sector SPDR Technology ETF (XLK), with $94.07 billion in assets and an 11.38% allocation to Microsoft, which has rallied 26.5% over the past year [16][17] - Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT), with $112.8 billion in net assets and a 12.19% allocation to Microsoft, which has soared 22.8% over the past year [18][19]

Core Insights - The demand for data storage stocks is driven by the explosion of data from AI, cloud computing, and digital transformation, with Seagate Technology Holdings plc (STX) and Pure Storage Inc. (PSTG) representing traditional HDDs and modern enterprise flash storage, respectively [1][24] Market Overview - The global data storage market is projected to grow from $298.5 billion in 2026 to $984.6 billion by 2034, at a CAGR of 16% [2] - The HDD market is expected to expand from $51.8 billion in 2026 to $69.7 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 6%, while the enterprise flash storage market is projected to grow from $29.04 billion in 2025 to $49.87 billion by 2030, at an 11.42% CAGR [2] Seagate Technology Holdings (STX) - Seagate reported record revenue of $2.83 billion in the fiscal second quarter, a 22% increase year over year, driven by strong demand for HAMR drives and data centers [4][7] - The company has a fully booked capacity through 2026 and anticipates continued revenue and profit growth, with average nearline drive capacity increasing 22% year over year to nearly 23 TB per drive [5][8] - Seagate's strong cash flow supports ongoing investment in innovation and shareholder returns, with $154 million returned to shareholders in the fiscal second quarter [9] - The company faces challenges from forex volatility, competition, and high debt levels, with long-term debt at $4.5 billion as of January 2, 2026 [10] Pure Storage Inc. (PSTG) - Pure Storage's revenue grew 16% year over year to $964.5 million in the fiscal third quarter, driven by strong demand for FlashBlade and enterprise offerings [13] - The company raised its fiscal 2026 revenue outlook to $3.63–$3.64 billion, indicating 14.5–14.9% year-over-year growth [14] - However, Pure Storage faces headwinds from competition, rising NAND costs, and macroeconomic uncertainty, which could pressure pricing and margins [11][12] - The company plans to invest in R&D and has authorized an additional $400 million for share repurchase [15] Valuation and Performance - Over the past month, STX and PSTG have gained 62.1% and 8.3%, respectively, with STX trading at 35.8X forward earnings compared to PSTG's 95.9X [16][17] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for STX's earnings for fiscal 2026 has been revised up by 2.7% to $11.61, while PSTG's estimate has been revised down by 1% to $1.95 [19][23] - STX is currently rated as a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), while PSTG holds a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), indicating a more favorable investment outlook for STX [24]

Core Insights - Western Digital Corporation (WDC) reported strong financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2026, with non-GAAP earnings of $2.13 per share, exceeding estimates and showing significant year-over-year growth of 78% [1][9] - The company generated $3.02 billion in revenue, a 25% increase year-over-year, driven by robust demand in data centers and high-capacity hard disk drives (HDDs) [2][9] Financial Performance - Revenue from the Cloud end market, which constitutes 89% of total revenues, rose 28% year-over-year to $2.7 billion, reflecting strong demand for higher-capacity nearline products [6] - Non-GAAP gross margin improved to 46.1%, up 770 basis points year-over-year, supported by a transition to higher-capacity drives and effective cost management [10] - Non-GAAP operating income reached $1.02 billion, marking a 72% increase year-over-year, with margins expanding to 33.8% [11] Operational Highlights - WDC shipped over 3.5 million latest-generation ePMR drives, supporting capacities of up to 26TB CMR and 32TB UltraSMR, indicating strong customer adoption [4] - The company shipped a total of 215 exabytes to customers, a 22% increase year-over-year [4] Cash Flow and Shareholder Returns - WDC generated $745 million in cash from operations, with free cash flow amounting to $653 million, up 95% year-over-year [13] - The company repurchased approximately 3.8 million shares for $615 million and paid $48 million in dividends, returning over 100% of its free cash flow to shareholders [14] Future Outlook - For the fiscal third quarter, WDC anticipates continued growth, projecting non-GAAP revenues of $3.2 billion, a 40% increase year-over-year, and non-GAAP earnings of $2.30 per share [15] - The company expects non-GAAP gross margin to be in the range of 47-48% and operating expenses between $380 million and $390 million [16]