Core Viewpoint - Ares Capital (ARCC) is highlighted as a compelling investment opportunity due to its high dividend yield, strong market position, and attractive valuation, especially while trading below $25 [1]. Group 1: Dividend Performance - Ares Capital offers a substantial dividend yield of 8.36%, with an average yield of 9.32% over the past decade [3][4]. - The company has maintained or increased its dividend for over 15 consecutive years, with a 20% increase in the dividend payout over the last five years [3][4]. Group 2: Market Growth - The business development company (BDC) sector, where Ares Capital operates, is experiencing rapid growth, particularly in direct lending to middle-market businesses with annual revenues between $10 million and $1 billion [5][6]. - The private credit market has nearly tripled to around $2 trillion over the last decade, with projections suggesting it could grow to $2.8 trillion by 2028 [6]. Group 3: Industry Leadership - Ares Capital is the largest publicly traded BDC in the U.S., with a market capitalization close to $16 billion [8]. - The company has delivered an average annual total return of 13% since its IPO in 2004, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [8]. - Ares Capital's portfolio consists of 566 companies valued at $27.1 billion, with a focus on senior secured loans, which make up approximately 68% of the portfolio [9]. Group 4: Valuation - Ares Capital's forward price-to-earnings ratio is 11.3, about half that of the S&P 500, indicating a compelling valuation relative to its growth potential and dividend yield [12].

Christina Cacioppo’s Software Startup Just Raised New Funds At A $4 Billion Valuation—Despite Not Needing The Money https://t.co/OSXPZNhwHv https://t.co/OSXPZNhwHv ...

Christina Cacioppo’s Software Startup Just Raised New Funds At A $4 Billion Valuation—Despite Not Needing The Money https://t.co/IylubUnbpm https://t.co/IylubUnbpm ...

Core Insights - Capital One has significantly outperformed expectations in Q2 earnings, setting a high standard for competitors like Visa and Mastercard [1][3][4] Financial Performance - Q2 sales increased by 31% to $12.49 billion, surpassing estimates of $12.22 billion [4] - Q2 earnings per share (EPS) rose 74% to $5.48, exceeding the Zacks EPS Consensus of $3.83 by 43% [4][6] - Capital One has achieved an average earnings surprise of 23.02% over the last four quarters [4][6] Acquisition Impact - The acquisition of Discover Financial Services contributed $2 billion in revenue during Q2 and expanded Capital One's credit card and payment networks [3] - Capital One acquired $98.3 billion in domestic card loans and $9.9 billion in personal loans from Discover, along with $106.7 billion in deposits [9] Future Outlook - Capital One reaffirmed its full-year fiscal 2025 outlook, expecting revenue to rise 36% to $53.29 billion, above the Zacks Consensus of $52.3 billion [10] - Annual earnings are projected to increase by 9% to $15.25 per share, although this is below previous expectations of $15.51 [10] Valuation Metrics - Capital One trades at 14X forward earnings, significantly lower than the S&P 500's 24X and Visa and Mastercard's multiples of 30X and 34X, respectively [11] - The stock also trades under 2X forward sales, compared to Visa and Mastercard's over 17X [11] Investment Considerations - Despite not raising its full-year guidance, the reaffirmation of outlook indicates the positive impact of the Discover acquisition [13] - Future upside may depend on positive earnings estimate revisions for FY26, as FY25 EPS estimates are expected to decline [14]

Market Trend & Outlook - Piper Sandler's technical analysis indicates the market trend is still higher, targeting 6,600 for the year-end objective [4][5] - The market is making new highs despite some negative sentiment and down AI numbers, suggesting a "hated market" [5][6] - The S&P 500 has broken out to all-time new highs, contrasting with previous concerns of a potential breakdown to 2,000 levels [3] Valuation & Market Structure - Valuations matter, but the market has been shrinking with 20%-25% fewer stocks due to share buybacks [7] - The pool of available equity has decreased from 8,000 to about 3,800, while the amount of capital has increased [9] - Historical price-to-earnings ratios may not be as relevant due to the shrinking market [8] Cyclical Stocks & Housing Market - Cyclical stocks, including homebuilders like Horton (better-than-expected results), LAR, BLD, and BLDR, are showing constructive patterns and reversing downtrends [11][12] - Housing numbers are good, suggesting a stronger consumer environment than people are thinking [10][12] Commodity & Industrial Signals - Copper is breaking out to an all-time new high, signaling a healthy economy and a meaningful pickup in the industrials [12][13]

Key Takeaways PLTR trades at over 225X forward earnings and more than 78X its forecasted revenues. High multiples demand not just strong growth but sustained overperformance to avoid compression. LMT and RTX offer lower volatility and steadier defense exposure at far more modest valuations.Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has emerged as one of the most talked-about names in the S&P 500, and not just for what it does, but for what investors are willing to pay for it. With a market capitalization of $358 billio ...

Investment Strategy - The company focuses on spotting high-potential winners before they break out, emphasizing asymmetric opportunities with an upside potential of 2-3 times outweighing the downside risk [1] - The investment methodology includes identifying high-conviction opportunities through leadership and management analysis, market disruption and competitive positioning, financial health and risk management, valuation, and portfolio construction [1] Leadership & Management Analysis - Proven track record in scaling businesses is essential, along with smart capital allocation and insider ownership [1] - Consistent revenue growth and credible guidance are critical factors for evaluation [1] Market Disruption & Competitive Positioning - A strong technology moat and first-mover advantage are key competitive advantages [1] - Network effects that drive exponential growth and market penetration in high-growth industries are prioritized [1] Financial Health & Risk Management - Sustainable revenue growth with efficient cash flow is a focus area [1] - Maintaining a strong balance sheet and long-term survival runway is crucial, along with avoiding excessive dilution and financial weakness [1] Valuation & Asymmetric Risk/Reward - Revenue multiples compared to peers and DCF modeling are used for valuation [1] - Institutional backing and market sentiment analysis are considered to ensure downside protection with significant upside potential [1] Portfolio Construction & Risk Control - Core positions (50-70%) are allocated to high-confidence, stable plays [1] - Growth bets (20-40%) are high-risk, high-reward opportunities, while speculative investments (5-10%) are aimed at moonshot disruptors with massive potential [1]

Stock futures higher after President Trump announced a trade deal with Japan. Joining us right now is Matt Powers. He's managing partner at P Advisory Group.Good morning to you, Matt. Uh the markets are moving. I don't know how how much you can take away from this deal relative to whether you think this is a model or framework for others.And if it is, is that already baked into the cake. How much of it is. And how much does the market then have to run.If not, yeah, good morning. Thanks for having me. Yeah, ...

Will this trend continue in the second half. Our next guest unveiling two new ETFs that he's launching tomorrow focusing on large cap growth and large cap value. Joining us now is Crossmart Global Investments CEO and CIO Bob Dah.Bob, it's great to have you on and let's start right there. What do we need to know about these ETFs and what differentiates them from what's already in the market. >> Uh yes, Morgan.Uh but we think what differentiates them is they're u active in management. Most of the launches hav ...

Core Viewpoint - Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG) is expected to report second-quarter 2025 earnings with sales estimated at $2.35 billion and earnings per share (EPS) at $1.92, driven by a projected 15-17% increase in da Vinci procedures in 2025 [2][8]. Financial Performance - ISRG delivered an earnings surprise of 5.85% in the last reported quarter, with an average surprise of 14.64% over the past four quarters [3][4]. - The company has stable EPS estimates of $7.84 for 2025 and $9.05 for 2026 [2]. Market Trends - The Instruments & Accessories segment is anticipated to show strong results due to robust da Vinci procedure growth, particularly in U.S. general surgery and cancer procedures outside the U.S. [6][7]. - Procedure growth in China has improved, primarily driven by urologic procedures, although tariff-related challenges may impact sales [9]. Product Adoption - Strong adoption of the newly launched da Vinci 5 surgical system is expected to contribute positively to the second-quarter results, with 147 systems placed in the first quarter [10]. - The Services segment is likely to reflect strong adoption of digital products and services, including Intuitive App and Intuitive Hub [11]. Valuation and Performance - ISRG shares have declined 0.7% year-to-date, underperforming the S&P 500 Index's gain of 6.5% but outperforming the Zacks Medical sector's decrease of 6.4% [13]. - The company is currently trading at a forward 12-month P/E of 60.92X, significantly higher than the industry average of 27.90X, indicating a premium valuation [16][17]. Future Outlook - Continued growth in da Vinci procedure volume and strong Ion procedure growth are expected to drive ISRG's performance for the remainder of 2025 [20]. - The launch of da Vinci SP in Europe and da Vinci 5 in the U.S. is anticipated to further enhance system placements [21]. - Rising trade tensions and tariff implications may introduce uncertainty, but the company's U.S. and Mexico manufacturing facilities should mitigate some risks [22].