Core Viewpoint - The recent sharp sector rotation has negatively impacted software stocks such as ServiceNow (NOW), Thomson Reuters (TRI), Intuit (INTU), and Snowflake (SNOW), but analysts believe that AI will enhance rather than completely replace many existing businesses [1][2]. Group 1 - The sharp sector rotation has affected several software companies [1][2]. - Analysts maintain that AI will serve to enhance current business operations instead of fully replacing them [1][2].

Core Insights - FedEx Corp. has joined the Hedera Council to help govern the Hedera distributed ledger network, aiming to enhance global commerce by moving away from traditional paper-based processes [1][2] - The digital transformation of supply chains is seen as inevitable, with a focus on sharing and verifying trusted data across multiple parties without increasing risk or centralizing control [2] - FedEx will contribute its operational expertise to build a cooperative digital infrastructure for global supply chains and will participate in governance decisions as a council member [2][3] Company Involvement - FedEx's participation in the Hedera Council is expected to provide valuable insights into global logistics and commerce as the industry shifts towards digitally native supply chains [3] - Other prominent members of the Hedera Council include Google, IBM, Dell Technologies, LG, Deutsche Telekom, and Ubisoft, indicating a strong corporate interest in the development of distributed ledger technology [3] Market Context - The HBAR token associated with Hedera has experienced a slight decline of about 1% on the day, currently priced at $0.094, but has increased by 7% over the past week [4] - Despite recent gains, the HBAR token remains 83% below its all-time high of nearly $0.57 set in 2021, reflecting ongoing volatility in the cryptocurrency market [4]

Core Viewpoint - Epam (EPAM) is expected to report quarterly earnings of $3.16 per share, reflecting an 11.3% increase year-over-year, with revenues forecasted at $1.39 billion, representing an 11.4% year-over-year increase [1]. Earnings Projections - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised upward by 0.4% in the past 30 days, indicating a reassessment by analysts [2]. - Changes in earnings projections are crucial for predicting investor reactions, as empirical studies show a strong correlation between earnings estimate trends and short-term stock price movements [3]. Revenue Estimates by Industry Verticals - Revenues from Financial Services are projected to be $331.55 million, indicating an 18% year-over-year increase [5]. - Software & Hi-Tech revenues are estimated at $202.43 million, reflecting an 11.2% year-over-year increase [5]. - Life Sciences & Healthcare revenues are expected to reach $166.16 million, suggesting a 9.3% year-over-year increase [6]. - Emerging Verticals revenues are projected at $233.81 million, indicating a 10.4% year-over-year increase [6]. - Consumer Goods, Retail & Travel revenues are expected to be $276.83 million, reflecting a 10.5% year-over-year increase [7]. Revenue Estimates by Contract Type - Time-and-material revenues are projected to reach $1.16 billion, indicating a 14.9% year-over-year increase [7]. - Fixed-price revenues are expected to be $223.21 million, reflecting a 4.5% year-over-year decrease [8]. - Licensing and other revenues are estimated at $10.92 million, suggesting a significant 56.6% year-over-year increase [8]. Revenue Estimates by Customer Location - Revenues from the Americas are projected to be $830.55 million, indicating a 10.2% year-over-year increase [9]. - APAC revenues are expected to reach $28.19 million, reflecting a 3.7% year-over-year increase [9]. - EMEA revenues are projected at $525.76 million, suggesting a 12.4% year-over-year increase [10]. Stock Performance - Over the past month, Epam shares have recorded a return of -24.2%, compared to a -2% change in the Zacks S&P 500 composite [10]. - Based on its Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), Epam is expected to outperform the overall market in the upcoming period [10].

Group 1 - The January consumer price index (CPI) report shows a month-over-month inflation increase of 0.2%, which is lower than the expected 0.3% gain, while the core CPI increased by 0.3% [1][3][57] - Year-over-year inflation rates are reported at 2.4% for the headline CPI and 2.5% for the core CPI, indicating a slight acceleration in core inflation [2][50] - The report reflects potential distortions due to data collection issues from the government shutdown in previous months, which may affect the comparability of the data [3][26] Group 2 - The market reaction to the CPI report has been muted, with stocks showing little change, indicating that investors are digesting the data amid a volatile market backdrop, particularly in the tech sector [4][59] - There is heightened sensitivity in the market regarding AI-related disruptions, affecting various sectors, including technology and logistics, leading to significant sell-offs in stocks perceived to be at risk [5][90][91] - The CPI data suggests a mixed economic environment, with some sectors experiencing price increases while others, like energy and used cars, see declines, reflecting a complex inflation landscape [11][51][52] Group 3 - Analysts note that January often sees price resets, which can lead to temporary inflation spikes, but the current data does not appear to reflect such resets significantly [7][10] - The report indicates a drag from lower energy prices, which has curbed the headline inflation figure, while certain sectors like transportation services have shown notable price increases [11][12] - The overall economic outlook remains cautious, with expectations that inflation will gradually decrease, allowing for potential Federal Reserve rate cuts later in the year [16][20][30] Group 4 - The CPI report highlights specific categories with significant price movements, such as personal care and food away from home seeing increases, while gasoline and dairy products experienced declines [51][52] - The discussion around tariffs and their impact on inflation continues, with potential policy changes from the White House that could alleviate some inflationary pressures [23][38] - The market is currently characterized by a cautious approach, with investors closely monitoring economic indicators and their implications for future Federal Reserve actions [60][64]

Core Insights - The perception of artificial intelligence disruption risk in the market has surged from 4% to 24% of the MSCI Europe index in a month, reflecting a rapid broadening of concerns similar to the early Covid pandemic sell-off [1][10] Group 1: Market Dynamics - Investors are facing a dramatic repricing as they contend with non-linear advancements in AI capabilities, with expectations for new US large language models in 2026 that will significantly outperform current systems [2] - The affected portion of the MSCI Europe index has increased from 10% to 24% with the inclusion of European banks, which are now part of the "adopter to disrupted debate" [4] Group 2: Sector Resilience - Utilities, semiconductors, defense, tobacco, and household products are identified as the most resilient sectors against broadening disruption risks due to their defensive characteristics and regulatory protections [5] Group 3: Valuation Trends - Stocks in software and business services classified as "market-debated disrupted" have seen a decline in valuation from 24 times forward earnings to 16.4 times, with further potential declines noted for "undebated" disrupted stocks trading at 11.1 times earnings [6] Group 4: Defensive Positioning - The company has shifted its stance from neutral to cautious on European cyclicals versus defensives, while maintaining an overweight rating on European banks despite the ongoing risks from AI disruption [8] Group 5: Market Sentiment - Material disruption concerns are now ascribed to at least 10% of the MSCI Europe index excluding banks, with this percentage more than doubling in just one week [7]

2026 is turning out to be an apocalyptic year for software stocks, as investors juggle the question of whether or not AI and vibe coding will be able to break the bulwark of enterprise software'sWith combined experience of covering technology companies on Wall Street and working in Silicon Valley, and serving as an outside adviser to several seed-round startups, Gary Alexander has exposure to many of the themes shaping the industry today. He has been a regular contributor on Seeking Alpha since 2017. He has ...

Group 1 - Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is considering the use of superconducting power lines in its data centers to enhance energy efficiency and support its expansion of server warehouses across the U.S. [1] - The development of large data centers has been hindered by the aging national power system and electricity supply limitations [1] - An executive from Microsoft's CO+I CTO Office stated that the technology would allow for scaling power density without increasing physical footprint and would reduce the size of power transmission infrastructure [2] Group 2 - Piper Sandler maintained an Overweight rating on Microsoft with a price target of $600, citing a favorable environment for hyperscalers and select vertical software companies [4] - The firm considers Microsoft to be a leading player in AI adoption, positioning it among their top investment picks [4] - Microsoft is recognized as a global technology company offering a diverse range of software, cloud services, devices, and business solutions [5]

Core Insights - 2026 is projected to be a challenging year for software stocks, with investors questioning the impact of AI and vibe coding on enterprise software [1] Group 1: Industry Trends - The software industry is facing significant scrutiny as investors assess the potential of AI and vibe coding to disrupt traditional enterprise software [1] - The combined experience of industry experts highlights the ongoing themes shaping the technology sector, particularly in relation to startups and established companies [1] Group 2: Analyst Background - Gary Alexander has extensive experience in both Wall Street and Silicon Valley, providing insights into the technology landscape [1] - He has been a contributor to Seeking Alpha since 2017 and has been featured in various web publications, indicating a strong presence in the investment community [1]

Market Overview - Inflation has dropped to its lowest level in eight months, with core inflation at its lowest since March 2021, indicating a potential shift in market dynamics [1][3] - The current market sentiment suggests that bad news may not be beneficial for the market, as it could limit the Federal Reserve's ability to be more accommodative [2][3] Federal Reserve Insights - The Federal Reserve is less likely to cut rates with inflation decreasing and job numbers unexpectedly high, leading to a lower unemployment rate of 4.3% [4][5] - Citigroup's analysis suggests no rate cuts in the first half of the year but anticipates three cuts in the latter half, raising questions about the underlying analytics driving this forecast [5][7] Sector Analysis - The software sector has been oversold, and while AI poses a threat, it is not yet time to abandon software investments [8][13] - Companies like Intuit, which have strategic partnerships in AI, are seen as potential investment opportunities due to their revenue growth and current valuation being 50% off their all-time high [10][11][13] Energy and Infrastructure - Energy companies, particularly Duke Energy, are highlighted as strong long-term plays due to their capital expenditure plans to support data centers necessary for AI [15] Gold and Bitcoin Perspectives - Gold is viewed as having potential for significant price increases, with some analysis suggesting it could be valued around $20,000 per troy ounce based on inflation [18] - Bitcoin remains speculative, with expectations of further price declines in the near term, but it is recognized as a long-term investment due to its foundational role in blockchain technology [20][22] Market Expectations - The market is expected to experience volatility, with a projected overall positive performance for the year, but not at the levels seen in previous years, estimating a 5-10% increase [22][23]

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of conducting personal in-depth research and due diligence before making investment decisions, highlighting the inherent risks involved in trading [3]. Group 1 - The analyst expresses a beneficial long position in shares of major tech companies such as Google (GOOG), Meta (META), and Amazon (AMZN) through various financial instruments [2]. - The analysis aims to provide contrasting views on the analyst's portfolio, leveraging unique insights and knowledge from a decade of experience in investment banking [1]. Group 2 - The article clarifies that the analysis is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as professional investment advice [3]. - It notes that past performance of investments does not guarantee future results, and no specific recommendations are made regarding the suitability of investments for individual investors [4].