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Microsoft is investigating whether a leak from its early alert system for cybersecurity companies allowed Chinese hackers to exploit flaws in its SharePoint service before they were patched https://t.co/hSDP1slpgE ...

Core Insights - Rigetti Computing (RGTI) has experienced a nearly 44% surge in stock price over the past month due to a significant technical milestone achieved on July 16, where it reached 99.5% median two-qubit gate fidelity on its new modular 36-qubit system, a two-times improvement over its previous best [1][6] - The company is on track to launch a 100+ qubit chiplet-based system by late 2025, reinforcing its position as a serious innovator in full-stack quantum hardware [1][6] Company Overview - Rigetti's vertically integrated model includes in-house chip fabrication, modular hardware, and cloud access via Quantum Cloud Services (QCS), allowing for faster iteration and tighter quality control compared to peers that rely on third-party infrastructure [2] - Despite a relatively small revenue base concentrated in research and government contracts, Rigetti's consistent technical progress and clear product roadmap are attracting long-term investors [2] Peer Comparisons - Arqit Quantum (ARQQ) has seen a 3.2% decline in stock price, as it shifts from a focus on quantum encryption to broader cybersecurity offerings, leading to mixed investor sentiment [3] - Quantum Computing Inc. (QUBT) has increased approximately 1% over the past month, focusing on software-driven quantum and AI solutions, targeting enterprise and cloud-based use cases [4] Financial Performance - Rigetti's shares have gained 4.6% year-to-date, compared to the industry's growth of 17.9% [5] - The company trades at a price-to-book ratio of 22.36, which is above the industry average, and carries a Value Score of F [8] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Rigetti's 2025 earnings suggests a significant 86.1% rise from the previous year [10]

Company Overview - Scryb Inc. is proposing a consolidation of its common shares at a ratio of ten pre-consolidation shares for one post-consolidation share [1] - The company currently has 323,187,472 common shares issued and outstanding, which will reduce to approximately 32,318,747 shares post-consolidation [2] Consolidation Details - No fractional common shares will be issued; any resulting fractions will be rounded down to the nearest whole number without cash compensation [2] - A subsequent news release will provide the effective date of the consolidation, along with the new CUSIP and ISIN for the post-consolidation shares [3] - The post-consolidation shares will continue to trade under the existing name and trading symbol on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) [3] Investment Focus - Scryb Inc. invests in and supports a portfolio of ventures across sectors such as AI, biotech, digital health, and cybersecurity [4]

Core Insights - IQSTEL Inc. has achieved a significant milestone by uplisting to NASDAQ without raising funds, demonstrating strong financial discipline and organic growth [4][5] - The company is on track to reach a nearly $400 million annual run rate by Q3 2025, up from $13 million in 2018, reflecting a robust growth strategy [6] - IQSTEL aims for $1 billion in annual revenue by 2027, projecting $20–30 million in EBITDA at that level, which aligns with industry peers [12][13] Financial Performance - The company is generating positive EBITDA and net income in its operating subsidiaries, with plans to report both revenue and EBITDA to reflect increasing profitability [7] - Forecasted revenue for FY-2025 is $340 million, reinforcing the trajectory towards the $1 billion goal [19] Business Segments - Approximately 80% of current revenue comes from telecom services, while fintech contributes 20%, with fintech's share expected to grow [8] - Recent AI-powered service launches include IQ2Call.ai and AIRWEB.ai, which are already generating revenue [9] Strategic Acquisitions - The acquisition of Globetopper in July 2025 is expected to add $60–70 million in annual revenue and positive EBITDA, with plans to grow its contribution to over $100 million [10][11] - The company has identified additional acquisition targets that will enhance EBITDA and reinforce its core capabilities [11] Shareholder Engagement - The management team is actively engaging with institutional investors and family offices to enhance shareholder value without issuing new shares [16] - The company emphasizes transparency and consistent communication with its over 20,000 shareholders [15]

Core Viewpoint - Microsoft Corporation is a key player in the technology sector, showing strong performance with a total return of over 16% in the last year and over 155% in the last five years [1] Company Overview - Microsoft stock is currently priced at $505.87, with a market cap of $3.76 trillion and a P/E ratio of 39.09 [2] - The company is involved in significant tech themes such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, productivity software, and cybersecurity [2] - Microsoft has a dividend yield of 0.66% and a price target of $548.36, indicating an 8.40% upside potential [10] Stock Performance - Microsoft stock has increased by over 20% in 2025, aligning with other tech giants like NVIDIA and Meta [3] - The stock has a historical pattern of climbing ahead of earnings, particularly influenced by its cloud computing business, Azure [5] Azure and Growth Concerns - Concerns regarding Azure's growth previously led to a nearly 14% decline in stock price in January 2025, but a more positive outlook has since resulted in a 37% gain over the last three months [6] - Analysts estimate a growth rate of around 20% to 22% for Azure in constant currency [6] Operational Efficiency - Microsoft is investing heavily in AI data centers while also implementing job cuts to maintain operational efficiency, which is expected to protect margins [7] - The company anticipates a 19%-20% growth in costs of goods sold compared to a 5% growth in operating expenses [7] Partnership with OpenAI - The partnership with OpenAI has significantly contributed to Microsoft's revenue and earnings, although the relationship has faced challenges [8] - OpenAI's decision to add Google Cloud as a compute partner may impact Microsoft's Azure, which currently receives 49% of OpenAI's profits, valued at approximately $130 billion [9] Analyst Ratings and Forecasts - Analysts maintain a Moderate Buy rating for Microsoft, with a 12-month price forecast averaging $548.36 [10] - Several analysts have raised their price targets, with Citigroup increasing its target to $613, indicating strong bullish sentiment [11] Market Sentiment - Despite a Moderate Buy rating, Microsoft is not among the top stocks recommended by leading analysts, who suggest other stocks may offer better investment opportunities [13]

Security Breach - Several South African entities have been compromised due to hackers exploiting a Microsoft SharePoint server security vulnerability [1] - Eye Security reported the security breach [1]

Core Insights - Orange Cyberdefense has acquired 100% of ensec, a Swiss cybersecurity company, to enhance its presence in Switzerland [1][5] - The acquisition aims to strengthen Orange Cyberdefense's capabilities in the German-speaking regions of Switzerland, complementing its existing operations in the French-speaking areas [2][4] - This move aligns with Orange Cyberdefense's strategy to become a leading cybersecurity player in Europe and to provide comprehensive cybersecurity solutions [5][6] Company Overview - Orange Cyberdefense has been operating in Switzerland since 2022 and has established a strong reputation, particularly in offensive security solutions, with over 100 cybersecurity experts [3][8] - The acquisition of ensec adds approximately 40 highly trained experts and a customer portfolio of over 130 clients in sensitive sectors such as finance, retail, and energy [4][8] - The combined expertise of both companies is expected to enhance service delivery and customer proximity, allowing for rapid responses to client needs [7][9] Strategic Implications - The acquisition is seen as an opportunity to leverage synergies between Orange Cyberdefense and Orange Business, enhancing their global sales capabilities [5][6] - This strategic move is part of Orange Cyberdefense's broader ambition to deliver sustainable growth and digital trust through expert-led cybersecurity services [6][10] - The integration of ensec is expected to create a dynamic cybersecurity champion in Switzerland, benefiting both employees and partners [9]

Security Alert - FBI warns Windows users to stop certain Chrome updates [1]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - ASGN reported revenues of $1,020 million for Q2 2025, which was above the high end of guidance and represented a decrease of 1.4% year over year [5][23] - Adjusted EBITDA margin was 10.6%, at the top end of expectations for the quarter [5][27] - Net income for the quarter was $29.3 million, with free cash flow of $115.8 million, translating to a conversion rate of approximately 107% of adjusted EBITDA [27][28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - IT consulting revenues grew to approximately 63% of total revenues, up from 57% in the prior year [5] - Commercial consulting revenues totaled $325.7 million, an increase of 15.7% year over year, driven by contributions from TopLock [23] - Federal government segment revenues were $312.5 million, an increase of 1.1% year over year, including $10 million of higher than expected license revenue [23] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consumer and industrial accounts showed mid double-digit growth year over year, driven by strong performance in materials, utilities, and consumer discretionary sectors [10] - The healthcare vertical remained flat year over year, while financial services and TMT accounts declined compared to the previous year [10][11] - Federal contract awards totaled $72 million for the quarter, with a book-to-bill ratio of 1.1 times [7] Company Strategy and Development Direction - ASGN is focusing on AI investments to enhance competitiveness and drive demand for cloud and data solutions [6][30] - The company launched the ASGN AI Innovation Center to unify AI expertise and promote business growth [31][33] - Strategic partnerships with companies like AWS and Workday are being leveraged to deliver tailored technology solutions [18][31] Management Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that macroeconomic uncertainty is impacting discretionary spending, but clients are still investing in AI to maintain competitiveness [5][30] - The recent increase in U.S. Defense spending is expected to benefit ASGN's federal business, particularly in AI and automation [8][30] - Management expressed cautious optimism regarding future growth, particularly in the commercial consulting space [63] Other Important Information - The company has approximately $470 million remaining under its $750 million share repurchase authorization [28] - ASGN plans to host an Investor Day in Q4 to discuss long-term strategies for growth and value creation [34] Q&A Session Summary Question: How is TopLock performing relative to expectations? - TopLock is tracking just ahead of revenue and bookings expectations, with EBITDA margins in the high teens [39] Question: What impact is AI having on the cyclical part of the assignment business? - The cyclicality is stable, with no significant impact from AI observed at this stage [46] Question: What is the long-term margin profile for the government consulting area? - The long-term margin profile is expected to remain in the 20% to 21% range, with opportunities for increasing direct labor [56] Question: What were the expectations regarding the DOGE impact? - The DOGE impact was expected to be less than 2% of total revenues, consistent with prior expectations [59] Question: Can you discuss the strength in the consumer and industrial segments? - Strength was driven by significant investments in cloud, data, and AI, particularly in materials and utilities [87][90] Question: How is ASGN using AI internally? - ASGN is implementing AI across enterprise software tools to enhance productivity and efficiency in operations [92]