Group 1 - Celestica Inc. has transitioned from being a contract manufacturer to a design-centric platform integrator, focusing on key control points in AI data centers such as high-bandwidth switching, compute, storage, and rack-scale integration [1] - The company's hardware platform portfolio is expanding, indicating a strategic shift towards more integrated solutions in the AI sector [1] Group 2 - The article highlights the importance of expertise in AI and machine learning, suggesting that professionals in the field are increasingly pursuing advanced certifications to enhance their knowledge and skills [1]

Core Insights - Target Corporation (TGT) is significantly enhancing its use of generative AI to improve digital engagement and drive growth, with digital comparable sales increasing by 2.4% and same-day services rising over 35% in Q3 of fiscal 2025 [1][9]. Group 1: AI Innovations - The introduction of Target's Gen-AI Gift Finder aims to provide personalized product suggestions by interpreting natural-language queries, enhancing customer engagement during the shopping experience [2]. - Target is integrating with ChatGPT to facilitate conversational commerce, allowing customers to receive personalized recommendations and complete purchases seamlessly, with a fulfillment network that covers 99% of U.S. households for two-day shipping [3]. Group 2: AI Infrastructure and Performance - Target's AI infrastructure includes tools like Trend Brain and synthetic audiences, which help identify trends and improve in-stock rates by over 150 basis points for the top 5,000 items, enhancing the overall digital shopping experience [4]. - Early indicators show promising growth in Target Plus marketplace GMV and Roundel ad sales, suggesting that AI-driven shopping experiences are effective, with nearly 50% growth in GMV and mid-teens growth in ad sales [5]. Group 3: Financial Performance and Valuation - TGT stock has decreased by 35.2% year-to-date, contrasting with the industry's growth of 4.1% [8]. - The forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio for TGT is 11.43, significantly lower than the industry average of 29.77, indicating a lower valuation [11]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate predicts a 17.6% decline in TGT's fiscal 2025 earnings, followed by a projected growth of 6.2% in fiscal 2026, with recent earnings estimates being revised downward [12].

Core Insights - Salesforce and Oracle are leading players in the cloud software market, providing enterprise-grade platforms for various business needs [1][2] - The ongoing digital transformation raises the question of which stock presents a better investment opportunity [2] Salesforce Overview - Salesforce maintains its leadership in the customer relationship management market and is expanding its ecosystem to include AI, data, and collaboration [3] - The introduction of Einstein GPT has integrated generative AI into Salesforce's offerings, enhancing automation and decision-making for clients [4] - AI-driven products like Agentforce and Data Cloud generated $1.2 billion in recurring revenue in Q2 of fiscal 2026, marking a 120% year-over-year increase [5] - Global spending on generative AI is projected to reach $644 billion by 2025, with enterprise software expected to grow by 93.9% to $37.16 billion [6] - Despite a revenue growth slowdown to 8.7% year-over-year in the first half of fiscal 2026, this is attributed to macroeconomic factors rather than company-specific issues [7] Oracle Overview - Oracle's revenues increased by 12% year-over-year to $14.9 billion in Q1 of fiscal 2026, with cloud revenues rising 27% to $7.19 billion [8] - Cloud infrastructure revenues surged 54% to $3.35 billion, with management projecting significant growth in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure revenues [8][10] - Oracle has secured multi-billion-dollar contracts with major tech companies, contributing to its optimistic growth outlook [9] - The company is investing heavily in infrastructure, expecting to spend around $35 billion in fiscal 2026, which is 70% higher than the previous year [12] - Despite strong revenue growth, Oracle's non-GAAP EPS increased only 6%, and it reported a negative free cash flow of $362 million in Q1 of fiscal 2026 [13] Comparative Analysis - Oracle's growth outlook appears stronger, with projected revenue and EPS growth rates of 16.5% and 12.9% for fiscal 2026, respectively [14] - In contrast, Salesforce's fiscal 2026 estimates indicate more modest growth rates of 8.8% for revenue and 11.4% for EPS [15] - Year-to-date, Salesforce shares have decreased by 32.1%, while Oracle shares have increased by 19.3% [17] - On a valuation basis, Salesforce has a forward P/E ratio of 18.33, compared to Oracle's 26.95 [18] Conclusion - Oracle is positioned as the more compelling investment choice due to its accelerated growth in AI, unified platform strategy, and favorable growth outlook [21] - Salesforce's slowing growth has impacted its stock price, but its leadership in CRM and focus on AI remain positive factors [22]

Core Insights - Proactive is a financial news publisher that provides fast, accessible, and actionable business and finance news to a global investment audience [2][3] - The company focuses on medium and small-cap markets while also covering blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [3] - Proactive employs a team of experienced journalists and utilizes technology, including automation and generative AI, to enhance content production while ensuring human oversight [4][5] Company Overview - Proactive operates editorial and broadcast operations across six offices on three continents, producing approximately 50,000 pieces of news and feature content annually [1] - The news team is strategically located in key finance and investing hubs, including London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, and Perth [2] Content Focus - The company delivers news and insights across various sectors, including biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging digital and EV technologies [3]

This story was originally published on CFO.com. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO.com newsletter. While generative AI is gaining substantial ground as a leading risk tracked by internal auditors, cybersecurity is still the one that attracts the largest share of their attention. A new snapshot of the internal audit profession, based on a survey of 257 practitioners by professional services firm Jefferson Wells, reveals that 41% of the respondents cited cybersecurity as a le ...

Core Insights - Nvidia has established itself as the leader in the artificial intelligence (AI) data revolution, primarily due to its dominance in the GPU market, holding over 90% share in the data center GPU segment [2][4] - The company has formed a vast network of partnerships and alliances, reinforcing its position and dependence among top AI players [3][7] Partnerships and Investments - Nvidia has made significant investments in AI start-ups, including a $10 billion investment in Anthropic, which has raised its valuation to approximately $350 billion [4][8] - Other notable partnerships include investments in Intel ($5 billion), OpenAI ($100 billion over time), and ownership stakes in CoreWeave (24.3 million shares) and Nebius (1.19 million shares) [4][5][6] Strategic Implications - The partnership with Anthropic allows Nvidia to hedge its bets against competitors like OpenAI, ensuring a stake in the growing generative AI market [6][9] - Anthropic aims for a run-rate revenue of $9 billion by year-end, with projections to nearly triple to $26 billion, making it an attractive investment for Nvidia and Microsoft [8]

Summary of Key Takeaways from Hong Kong Financial Tour Industry Overview - **Industry**: Hong Kong Financials - **Key Players**: Local banks, non-bank financial institutions, Futu Holdings, Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEX), Standard Chartered Plc (STAN) Core Insights 1. **Revenue Growth Visibility**: There is improving revenue growth visibility for Hong Kong banks, driven by robust deposit growth and resilient HIBOR, with non-interest income (NII) growth being a significant factor [1][2] 2. **Wealth Management Performance**: The wealth management business has become a key driver for non-NII growth, with management confident about the outlook for 2026 despite a high base in 2025 [1][2] 3. **China CRE Risks**: Banks noted a resurgence of risks related to China’s commercial real estate (CRE), with some banks indicating that additional provisions may be necessary if cash flows deteriorate further [5][6] 4. **Mixed Views on HK CRE Market**: The Hong Kong CRE market shows a mixed picture; while the residential segment is recovering, the office sector remains under pressure due to high vacancy rates [5][6] 5. **Digital Asset Strategies**: There is a wide spectrum of strategies among banks regarding digital assets, with STAN having a comprehensive footprint in stablecoins and the broader crypto ecosystem [1][7] Additional Insights 1. **Loan and Deposit Growth**: Loan growth remains subdued, particularly in wholesale banking, but deposit growth offers upside to NII. Retail lending, especially mortgages, is expected to see continued momentum [7] 2. **Cost Discipline**: Banks are prioritizing cost discipline, targeting efficiency improvements, and reinvesting savings into technology and front-office services [7] 3. **Regulatory Clarity for Digital Assets**: Increased regulatory clarity is expected to accelerate digital asset development in Hong Kong, with banks adopting different strategies [7] 4. **HKEX Meeting Takeaways**: The meeting with HKEX yielded mixed results; while robust market sentiment is expected to drive EPS growth, new initiatives in derivatives are unlikely to be significant revenue drivers in the near term [10] 5. **Futu Holdings Outlook**: Positive takeaways from Futu indicate robust growth in key overseas markets, with no new regulatory guidance affecting existing Chinese Mainland clients [10] Valuation and Market Sentiment - **Market Sentiment**: Overall positive sentiment towards Hong Kong banks, with STAN as the top pick in the sector. Potential stablecoin licensing in HK and UK deregulation could serve as tailwinds [1][7] - **Valuation Table**: A detailed valuation table of HK banks and non-bank financials was provided, indicating various price targets and ratings for companies like Futu, HKEX, and STAN [9][11] This summary encapsulates the key points from the Hong Kong financial tour, highlighting the current landscape, growth drivers, and potential risks within the sector.

Social Impact - Generative AI is being used to combat isolation and loneliness among the elderly [1] - Loneliness is identified as a mounting crisis for the elderly population [1]

Core Insights - Two-thirds of Americans are using generative AI for financial advice, with a significant portion using it frequently and feeling comfortable asking questions they might avoid with traditional financial advisors [1][2]. Usage and Perception of GenAI - GenAI is viewed as a powerful tool for personalized financial learning and management, according to Courtney Alev from Intuit Credit Karma [2]. - Users of GenAI report positive outcomes, with 80% stating their finances improved and 81% feeling more confident in managing their money [4]. Trustworthiness and Effectiveness - Economist Andrew Lo indicates that large language models like ChatGPT can provide reasonably accurate personal finance advice, although they may not fully pass as reliable advisors [3][4]. - Among those who have used AI for financial assistance, 79% found the information accurate and 71% deemed it helpful [5]. Common Financial Topics - The most common topics people inquire about when using GenAI include: - Financial education and basic personal finance concepts (35%) - Financial goal setting and action plans (35%) - Budgeting and expense management (34%) - Optimizing savings (33%) - Investing in the stock market (32%) [6].

Palantir stock has experienced a five-year roller-coaster ride.Five years ago, Palantir (PLTR 0.57%) stock benefited from a different boom. At the time, investors scrambled to buy shares as rock-bottom interest rates sent investors into what at the time were emerging tech stocks.Nonetheless, over the last five years, Palantir took investors on a roller-coaster ride that few could have predicted. Palantir's returnsIf you'd invested $100 in Palantir five years ago, you would have $935 today.However, the gains ...