Core Insights - The U.S. dollar has weakened significantly over the past year, contributing to a rally in emerging market equities, with the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM) increasing by over 34% [3][6] - Alibaba Group Holding is highlighted as a key player in the emerging markets, with a market capitalization of approximately $368 billion and a strong presence in online retail, cloud computing, logistics, and digital payments [6] Emerging Markets Overview - The weakening dollar and potential rate cuts are expected to continue driving capital rotation into emerging markets, as U.S. investors seek diversification beyond domestic equities [3] - EEM serves as a widely used vehicle for accessing emerging markets, tracking large- and mid-cap equities across various countries, and offering a dividend yield of 2.1% [4] Alibaba's Positioning - Alibaba is noted for its technical setup, having held key support near $150 and potentially breaking out above $160, indicating a bullish outlook [6] - The company is positioned favorably with reasonable valuations, optimistic analyst targets, and increasing investments in AI and cloud technology, suggesting it could regain leadership in the emerging markets [6]

Investment Strategy - Investors should focus on owning high-quality stocks and holding them long-term rather than engaging in frequent trading based on market volatility [1][2] - The emphasis is on managing personal investments and leveraging the power of compounding through individual stock ownership alongside index funds [2] Market Insights - Cramer advises investors to concentrate on stocks that open flat or decline early in the trading session, as these conditions may present buying opportunities at lower prices [3] - The importance of price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios is highlighted, with plans to educate investors on its significance for identifying potential upside in 2026 [3] Stock Analysis - PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) is noted for its significant decline of over 31% last year, attributed to commoditization of its services and slow adaptation to new technologies, yet it remains a cheap stock at 10 times this year's earnings estimates [8] - Copart, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRT) has faced a 32% drop due to market share loss, with its current valuation at over 23 times this year's earnings estimates, making it less attractive for investment at this time [9]

Core Insights - Asia's equity capital markets are projected to have a strong performance in 2026, continuing the momentum from 2025, which saw significant growth in share sales across the region [1][2] Group 1: Market Performance - In 2025, share listings, placements, and block trades in Asia Pacific raised $262.7 billion, marking the highest total in four years [2] - For the first time, four of the world's five busiest deal venues were located in Asia, driven by a rebound in Hong Kong and record IPOs in India [2] Group 2: Upcoming IPOs - Major IPOs expected in 2026 include Baidu Inc., Zepto Ltd., ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc., and Coca-Cola's India bottling unit [3] - Hong Kong listings of Chinese firms already traded in mainland China are anticipated to continue contributing to the IPO pipeline [3] Group 3: Regional Highlights - Hong Kong listings may raise up to $45 billion in 2026, potentially the largest amount in six years, while Indian IPOs are expected to achieve a third consecutive annual record [4] - Jio Platforms Ltd. is preparing for what could be India's largest-ever IPO, while A.S. Watson Group is considering a listing that could raise over $2 billion [8] Group 4: Notable Companies and Their Plans - Syngenta Group is in preliminary talks for a potential listing in 2026 after previously withdrawing a $9 billion plan [8] - Baidu's AI chip unit has confidentially filed for a Hong Kong IPO, valued at a minimum of $3 billion [8] - Other companies like Luxshare Precision Industry Co. and Muyuan Foods Co. are also pursuing significant IPOs in Hong Kong [8] Group 5: Indian Market Developments - PhonePe Ltd. has filed for an IPO that could raise up to $1.5 billion, valuing the fintech firm at approximately $15 billion [13] - Flipkart is exploring an IPO after moving its holding company to India, while Zepto aims to raise about $500 million through its IPO [13] Group 6: International Listings - SK Hynix Inc. is considering a potential New York listing to align its valuation with global peers [13] - Shein Group Ltd. has confidentially filed for a Hong Kong IPO, pending approval from Beijing [13]

Core Insights - The fintech sector is undergoing significant transformation driven by innovations in digital payments, credit underwriting, and user experience, with Block, Inc. and Upstart Holdings emerging as key players due to their disruptive business models and strategic growth initiatives [2][3]. Block's Case - Block is developing a comprehensive fintech platform through its Square, Cash App, and Afterpay ecosystems, providing end-to-end solutions across various financial services [4]. - In Q3 2025, Block's net revenues increased by 2.3% year-over-year, with gross profit rising by 18.3%, driven by Cash App's growth of 24.3% and Square's increase of 9.2% [4][9]. - New product introductions, such as Cash App Pools and enhancements to Square's AI assistant, are aimed at deepening user engagement and expanding service offerings [5]. - Block is aggressively investing in partnerships to enhance its market position, including collaborations with Thrive and Blackbird Bakery to improve service delivery [6]. - Despite its growth, Block faces challenges from shifts in consumer spending and increasing competition from peers like PayPal and Shopify [7]. Upstart's Case - Upstart operates as an AI-driven lending marketplace, connecting consumers with over 100 banks and credit unions, and reported a 71% revenue increase year-over-year in Q3 2025, with loan originations climbing by 80% [8][9]. - The company has diversified its offerings beyond personal loans into auto lending, HELOCs, and small-dollar loans, which accounted for nearly 12% of total originations in Q3 2025 [10]. - Upstart's AI automation powered 91% of loans in Q3 2025, enhancing scalability and reducing approval times [12]. - The company continues to expand its lending partnerships, aiming to increase its market reach [11]. - However, Upstart's reliance on AI-driven models poses risks, particularly in economic downturns, though management has initiated upgrades to mitigate volatility [13]. Comparative Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Block's 2025 sales implies a modest growth of 0.8%, with EPS expected to decline by 28.2% [14]. - In contrast, Upstart's 2025 sales are projected to grow by 62.8%, with positive trends in EPS estimates over the past 60 days [16][17]. Valuation and Performance - Over the past month, Block and Upstart shares have increased by 1.8% and 1.6%, respectively, outperforming the S&P 500 [19]. - Block is trading at a forward Price/Sales (P/S) ratio of 1.48X, while Upstart's P/S ratio stands at 3.64X, both below their one-year medians [19]. Conclusion - Block has a strong payments ecosystem but faces short-term challenges from consumer spending and competition, while Upstart shows clearer operating leverage and growth potential through AI-driven innovations [21].

Block, Inc. (NYSE:XYZ) is among the 7 Best Digital Payments Stocks to Invest In Now. Block, Inc. (XYZ)'s Square and Thrive Expand Partnership According to TheFly, Square, a division of Block, Inc. (NYSE:XYZ), declared on December 17, 2025, that it was expanding its collaboration with Thrive. Sellers can manage catalogs, orders, and inventory across in-store and e-commerce platforms, including Shopify, with a unified approach due to the connectivity. Square allows retailers to create and modify products, ...

Core Insights - Italy's Treasury has finalized an agreement to sell the digital payment unit PagoPA to Poste Italiane for up to €500 million ($586 million) [1] - The agreement allocates 51% of PagoPA to the state mint and 49% to Poste Italiane, addressing concerns from banks and the antitrust authority [1] - The valuation includes variable components and future payments, although specific details were not disclosed [1] Industry Context - Earlier disagreements over PagoPA's valuation highlighted concerns from Italian banks regarding intensified competition in the digital payments sector, particularly affecting smaller lenders [2] - Banks have expressed worries that Poste Italiane could leverage PagoPA to strengthen its position in the digital payments market, increasing competition with banks [3] - Italian banks are facing growing competition in payments from global technology companies such as PayPal, Apple, and Google's Alphabet [3] Company Overview - Poste Italiane has diversified its operations beyond postal services into payments, energy supply, mobile services, insurance, and investment products [4] - The company operates 12,800 post offices and employs approximately 119,000 staff, with total financial assets amounting to €601 billion [4] - Poste Italiane provides a range of services including financial, payments, logistics, insurance, telecommunications, utilities, and digital services to households, businesses, and public administrations across Italy [4] PagoPA's Role - PagoPA processed €97 billion in payments to Italy's public administration in 2025 and is expected to play a central role in the government's digital wallet initiative via the IO mobile app [5] - The platform supports Italy's public administration digital transformation, offering advanced solutions that connect citizens, private enterprises, and the public sector [5]

By Elvira Pollina MILAN, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Italy's Treasury has agreed to sell PagoPA, which handles digital payments to public ​administrations, to the state mint and to state-backed postal ‌group Poste Italiane for up to 500 million euros ($586 million), the mint said ‌on Friday. The deal has raised concerns among Italian banks in recent months, as it could boost competition for smaller lenders already struggling to keep pace with rapid changes in the payments sector. The 500-million-euro valuation ...

Capital Co. and India’s primary market has surged over the past couple of years as surging inflows from India is one of the few emerging markets offering strong growth, said Abhinav Bharti, head of India BloombergLive EventsThat’s drawing attention from global investors who are looking for alternatives to China. India has emerged as the world’s fourth-busiest market for first-time share sales in 2025, with regulators taking steps to ease the approval process and household-name companies preparing to tap pu ...

Key Points Tech has been a strong outperformer, but it might be time to rethink investing in this sector. Companies with strong fundamentals and more reasonable valuations present enticing opportunities. Software and digital payments are two subsectors that have the chance to outperform in 2026. 10 stocks we like better than Amplify ETF Trust - Amplify Digital Payments ETF › As we wrap up 2025, tech stocks are again on pace to be one of the best-performing S&P 500 sectors. Fueled by strong deman ...

Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol to authenticate AI shopping agents and help prevent fraud across Akamai Cloud, strengthening the trust layer in agentic commerceCAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online, today announced a strategic collaboration with Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) to bring stronger identity, user recognition, and security controls to the emerging world of agentic comm ...