Core Viewpoint - Rising fears about artificial intelligence (AI) are negatively impacting shares of companies perceived to be at risk, leading to significant sell-offs across various sectors, particularly in software and wealth management [1][2][3]. Group 1: Market Reactions - The latest selloff was triggered by a tax-strategy tool from Altruist Corp, causing shares of Charles Schwab Corp., Raymond James Financial Inc., and LPL Financial Holdings Inc. to drop by 9% or more over two days [2]. - This decline represents the deepest slide for some stocks since the trade-war meltdown in April, reflecting a sell-first, ask-questions-later mentality among investors [3]. - The software industry has been particularly affected, with new AI tools from companies like Anthropic PBC leading to a rout in stocks across various sectors, including financial services and legal services [8]. Group 2: Investor Sentiment - Investors are shifting from identifying potential winners in the AI space to avoiding companies that may be displaced by AI advancements [6]. - The narrative has changed from believing in AI and searching for use cases to recognizing the disruptive potential of newly discovered applications [7]. - Concerns about AI's impact have spread beyond the software industry, affecting US insurance brokers and wealth-management stocks due to new applications that leverage AI technology [9].

Core Insights - The presentation is part of BofA's 34th Annual Financial Services Conference, highlighting the importance of the event in the financial services sector [1] - Craig Siegenthaler, the North American Head of Diversified Financials at BofA, introduces Jim Zelter, who oversees Apollo's strategic initiatives [1] - Jim Zelter has been with Apollo since 2006 and has played a significant role in expanding Apollo's credit business [1] Company Overview - Apollo's leadership team includes Jim Zelter, who is responsible for asset management and retirement businesses [1] - The company has experienced broad expansion in its largest business segment, credit, under Zelter's leadership [1]

Core Viewpoint - EZcorp (EZPW) has shown a significant price increase of 15.9% over the past four weeks, with a mean price target of $31.5 indicating a potential upside of 27.3% from the current price of $24.74 [1] Price Targets and Analyst Estimates - The mean estimate consists of six short-term price targets with a standard deviation of $4.76, where the lowest estimate is $25.00 (1.1% increase) and the highest is $36.00 (45.5% increase) [2] - A low standard deviation suggests a strong agreement among analysts regarding the stock's price movement, which can serve as a starting point for further research [9] Earnings Estimates and Analyst Agreement - Analysts have shown strong agreement in revising EPS estimates higher, which correlates with potential stock price increases [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has risen by 24.1% over the past month, indicating positive sentiment as there have been no negative revisions [12] - EZPW holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), placing it in the top 5% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimates [13] Caution on Price Targets - While price targets are often sought after, they can mislead investors, and reliance solely on them may lead to poor investment decisions [3][7][10] - Analysts may set overly optimistic price targets due to business incentives, which can inflate expectations [8]

Group 1 - The article discusses the importance of enabling Javascript and cookies in browsers to prevent access issues [1] - It highlights that users with ad-blockers may face restrictions when trying to access content [1]

Summary of Sea Ltd Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Sea Ltd - **Industry**: Consumer Technology in South & Southeast Asia - **Rating**: Outperform - **Price Target**: $170.00 (revised from $185.00) Key Points and Arguments 1. **Current Market Position**: Sea Ltd is viewed as an attractive investment opportunity despite recent AI-led stock price declines, which are seen as overreactions given the company's potential benefits from AI technologies [1][2] 2. **Stock Performance**: The stock has lost approximately 50% of its value, attributed to various market dynamics, including competition and margin concerns, leading to increased volatility [2] 3. **Competitive Landscape**: Analysis of pricing trends in five ASEAN countries indicates that while TikTok has increased its competitiveness in Indonesia, Sea has maintained a price advantage in other markets like the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia [3][18] 4. **Earnings Estimates**: Earnings estimates for CY25 have been revised upwards by 1%, while CY26 estimates have been reduced by 3% due to changes in fintech margins [4][11] 5. **Revenue Projections**: Projected revenues for Sea Ltd are $21.5 billion in CY25 and $25.2 billion in CY26, reflecting growth rates of 27.9% and 17.1% respectively [9][40] 6. **Market Capitalization**: As of the close on February 4, 2026, Sea Ltd's market cap stands at $62.9 billion [6] 7. **User Engagement**: Monthly Active Users (MAUs) for Shopee have shown steady growth, while competitors like Lazada and Tokopedia are losing market share [24] Additional Important Insights 1. **Margin Improvement Potential**: Despite modest price cuts, rising take rates suggest that Sea's margins could improve in the upcoming quarters [3][18] 2. **Merchant Monetization**: Sea has been increasing its merchant commission rates across ASEAN and Brazil, indicating a focus on enhancing monetization strategies [28] 3. **Risks**: Key risks include dependence on the game FreeFire, competition in e-commerce, and challenges in scaling the fintech segment [46] 4. **Valuation Metrics**: The stock is currently trading at an adjusted P/E of 38.1 for CY25 and 28.7 for CY26, suggesting a valuation that reflects both growth potential and current market challenges [41] Conclusion Sea Ltd presents a compelling investment opportunity with a strong growth trajectory in revenues and user engagement, despite facing significant competitive pressures and market volatility. The adjustments in earnings estimates and ongoing efforts to enhance monetization strategies position the company favorably for future performance.

Group 1 - iREIT+HOYA Capital focuses on income-producing asset classes that provide sustainable portfolio income, diversification, and inflation hedging [1][2] - The investment group targets dividend yields up to 10% and offers research on REITs, ETFs, closed-end funds, preferreds, and dividend champions [2] - The current earnings season presents opportunities to capitalize on market reactions, particularly for companies with reliable business models like Raymond James Financial, Inc. (RJF) [2] Group 2 - The investment approach emphasizes defensive stocks with a medium- to long-term horizon, aiming for high-yield and dividend growth [2] - The service provides a free two-week trial for potential investors to explore top ideas within its income-focused portfolios [1]

Company Overview - Upbound, formerly known as Rent-A-Center, rebranded in 2023 after 50 years of financial obscurity, expanding its business model beyond its own storefronts [5] - The company operates Acima, a platform that allows other retailers to offer lease-to-own financing, significantly increasing its market reach from approximately 1,700 stores to 11,000 other retailers [6] Financial Performance - Upbound has been identified as a potential outperformer within the Russell 2000 index, particularly due to its financial stocks that exhibit low valuations and reasonable yields [4] - The company has a forward P/E ratio limited to less than 5, indicating strong earnings growth potential [4] Market Context - The Vanguard Russell 2000 index fund offers low-cost access to a diversified basket of small-cap stocks, with an expense ratio of 0.03%, making it an attractive investment option [1] - Small-cap stocks, including those in the Russell 2000, have shown resilience and outperformance in the market over the past year, despite trading at earnings multiples in the high teens [2]

Summary of Key Points Core Viewpoint - The January jobs report revealed that 130,000 jobs were added, significantly exceeding the economist estimate of 65,000, while the unemployment rate decreased to 4.3% from 4.4% [6][10][9]. Group 1: Job Market Overview - The average estimate for non-farm payrolls was 65,000, which reflects an increase from December's 50,000 [2]. - The unemployment rate was predicted to remain steady at 4.4%, but it actually decreased to 4.3% [6][10]. - Average hourly earnings were expected to remain steady with a gain of 0.3% [2]. Group 2: Benchmark Revisions - The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revised previous job counts, indicating an overcount of 862,000 jobs from April 2024 to March 2025, down from an earlier estimate of 911,000 [4][7]. - This revision highlights the challenges in accurately measuring job growth due to varying survey methodologies [5][41]. Group 3: Sector Performance - The healthcare sector was the largest contributor, adding 82,000 jobs, with significant gains in ambulatory services, hospitals, and residential healthcare [54]. - Social assistance added 42,000 jobs, primarily from individual and family services [55]. - The construction sector saw a gain of 33,000 jobs, with specialty trade jobs contributing 25,000 [56]. Group 4: Job Losses - The federal government experienced a loss of 34,000 jobs, continuing a trend that has seen a total decline of 327,000 jobs since October 2024 [56]. - The financial activities sector lost 22,000 jobs, with a total decline of nearly 50,000 jobs since May 2025 [57]. Group 5: Market Reaction - Following the jobs report, stock futures rose, indicating a positive market reaction, particularly in the Russell 2000 and S&P 500 indices [46][51]. - Treasury yields increased, reflecting market adjustments to the stronger-than-expected job growth [47][48].

Core Insights - T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:TROW) is recognized among the Dividend Champions, Contenders, and Challengers List, highlighting its strong dividend yield [1] - Evercore ISI has reduced its price target for T. Rowe Price from $116 to $106, citing equity outflows as a significant concern despite the quarter meeting expectations [2] - The company reported $1.78 trillion in assets under management at the end of Q4 2025, reflecting over 10% growth year-to-date, despite experiencing $56.9 billion in net outflows [3] Group 1: Financial Performance - T. Rowe Price's CEO Robert Sharps indicated that the firm is gaining traction in its strategic priorities and remains confident in its long-term plans [3] - The company has shown strong long-term results in fixed income and its Target Date franchise, with improving performance across key investment strategies [4] Group 2: Strategic Initiatives - T. Rowe Price has formed a collaboration with Goldman Sachs to explore wealth and retirement opportunities, launching co-branded model portfolios [4] - In January, T. Rowe Price announced a strategic partnership with First Abu Dhabi Bank, further expanding its market reach [4] Group 3: Product Development - The company launched 13 ETFs in 2025, increasing its total ETF lineup to 30 and surpassing $21 billion in ETF assets [5] - T. Rowe Price achieved a first close on a firm-managed private equity fund in early 2026, while OHA recorded over $16 billion in fundraising for the second consecutive year [5]

Group 1: Employment Data - The U.S. added 130,000 jobs in January, exceeding expectations, following a year of weak employment growth [1] - The unemployment rate remained largely unchanged at 4.3% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics [1] - Job gains were significant in health care, social assistance, and construction, while federal government and financial services saw declines [1] Group 2: Sector-Specific Job Changes - Jobs in the movie and music industry increased by 13,900, reaching a total of 360,900 [1] - Broadcasting and content provider jobs decreased by 4,800, totaling 335,900 [1] Group 3: Wage Growth - Average hourly earnings rose by 15 cents to $37.17, with a year-over-year increase of 3.7% [2] Group 4: Job Market Trends - Job estimates for November and December were revised down by 17,000, with annual adjustments showing only 181,000 job gains for 2025, down from 584,000 [3] - The job market is stabilizing but remains characterized as a "low hire, low fire" environment, particularly outside of healthcare [3]