Core Points - A coalition of business groups warned that the newly announced $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications could harm the US economy and urged the administration to avoid imposing additional burdens on companies [1][4] - The letter emphasized the need for reforms to the H-1B visa program without increasing challenges for US employers in recruiting and retaining top talent [2][3] - The objections from industry groups represent a rare criticism from the business community regarding US policy under the current administration [4] Industry Impact - The new H-1B fees are expected to negatively affect a wide range of industries, including technology, healthcare, and finance, as companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Walmart have relied on the skilled worker program [6] - Cutting-edge sectors such as artificial intelligence and biomedical engineering will require a high-skilled workforce to maintain growth, and the changes to the H-1B program could hinder progress in these areas [7]

Quantum Computing Sector - Quantum computing stocks experienced significant gains, with Regetti Computing's orders totaling €5.7 million for two systems and a €300 million investment from the Danish government and Nova Nordisk in a quantum venture fund, leading to over 20% increases in shares of Regetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum, and Quantum Computing [2] - Regetti's stock has more than doubled since the beginning of the year, while D-Wave Quantum's stock has tripled, and Aritic Quantum surged approximately 36% this week [3] Federal Reserve Insights - Chicago Fed President Austin Goulsby expressed caution regarding premature rate cuts, indicating concerns about inflation and describing the Fed's current position as "sticky" [4] - Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson highlighted uncertainty in the baseline outlook for rate cuts due to changing government policies and their effects on employment and inflation [4] Technology Sector Performance - The technology sector saw a mixed performance, with a notable chip rally contributing to all-time highs in markets across Asia, including South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan [6] - Despite some declines in tech stocks, the S&P 500 achieved its 31st record high for 2025, indicating overall positive momentum in the sector [7] Oil Market Dynamics - Oil prices fell to $60 per barrel, marking the worst week since June, influenced by expectations of increased production from OPEC+ and declining summer demand [8] Upcoming Market Events - The Fed minutes are anticipated to provide deeper insights into individual voter positions ahead of the FOMC meeting, which may face challenges due to limited data for rate-cutting decisions [10] - The OpenAI developer conference is expected to be a significant catalyst for the AI sector, following a global chip rally and recent partnerships announced by OpenAI [11][12]

Core Viewpoint - Investors are encouraged to consider Micron (MU) due to solid improvements in earnings estimates and positive short-term price momentum [1][9] Estimate Revisions - The upward trend in earnings estimate revisions indicates growing analyst optimism regarding Micron's earnings prospects, which is expected to positively impact its stock price [2] - The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from 1 (Strong Buy) to 5 (Strong Sell), has shown that stocks with a Zacks Rank 1 have generated an average annual return of +25% since 2008 [3] - Strong agreement among analysts has led to significant upward revisions in consensus earnings estimates for both the current quarter and the full year [3] Current-Quarter Estimates - Micron is projected to earn $3.75 per share for the current quarter, reflecting a year-over-year increase of +109.5% [5] - Over the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Micron has risen by 26.69%, with seven estimates moving higher and no negative revisions [5] Current-Year Estimates - For the full year, Micron is expected to earn $16.58 per share, representing a year-over-year change of +100.0% [6] - The consensus estimate has increased by 27.14% over the past month, with nine estimates moving higher and no negative revisions [6][7] Zacks Rank - Micron currently holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) due to favorable estimate revisions, which is a reliable indicator for investors [8] - Research indicates that stocks with Zacks Rank 1 and 2 significantly outperform the S&P 500 [8] Bottom Line - Investors have shown strong interest in Micron, evidenced by a 47.9% stock gain over the past four weeks, driven by positive earnings growth prospects [9]

Group 1: Market Insights - Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon expressed uncertainty about whether the current AI investment trend is a bubble, stating that "it's not different this time" compared to past market behaviors [1] - Solomon anticipates a potential drawdown in equity markets within the next 12-24 months, which he believes is a natural outcome given the recent market rally [2] - The S&P 500 index has experienced significant growth, hitting 190 record highs since 2020, largely driven by AI investments and tech company gains, with a 15% increase year-to-date [3] Group 2: AI Investment Perspectives - Jeff Bezos characterized the current AI investment trend as an "industrial bubble," suggesting that while share prices may decline, the societal benefits from AI investments will persist [4] - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the possibility of an AI bubble, indicating that the market will experience cycles of overinvestment and underinvestment [5] - Solomon highlighted the transformative potential of AI on productivity, noting that Goldman Sachs has integrated AI into its operations, resulting in a 20% productivity boost for software engineers [6] Group 3: Future Outlook - Solomon emphasized that the industry is "at the beginning of the movie, not the end of the movie," indicating a long-term perspective on AI's impact [7]

Group 1 - Proactive provides fast, accessible, informative, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2][3] - The news team covers key finance and investing hubs including London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, and Perth [2] - Proactive focuses on medium and small-cap markets while also covering blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [2][3] Group 2 - The team delivers news and insights across various sectors including biotech, pharma, mining, natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging technologies [3] - Proactive adopts technology to enhance workflows and improve content production [4][5] - All content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, ensuring adherence to best practices in content production and search engine optimization [5]

Core Viewpoint - The technology sector is focusing on developing AI infrastructure for data-intensive applications, presenting a "picks and shovels" investment opportunity for those willing to explore beyond traditional views [1]. Company Overview: Sandisk - Sandisk's stock is currently priced at $134.70, reflecting an increase of 8.51% [2]. - The company has a 52-week price range of $27.89 to $137.05, with a consensus price target of $77.50, indicating a potential downside of 41.37% from the current price [7]. Growth Potential - Sandisk's cloud storage and data center solutions have seen rapid growth, increasing from 6% to 12% of total revenue over the past year [3]. - The cloud segment is the highest-margin area for Sandisk, suggesting that its expansion could significantly enhance earnings and cash flow [4]. Market Dynamics - The urgency to complete data center projects, coupled with U.S.–China tech restrictions, is driving parallel development across multiple providers, which benefits companies like Sandisk [5]. - Analyst upgrades reflect growing confidence in Sandisk's evolving role in AI-driven data center infrastructure, with three analysts raising their price targets to $125 per share, implying an 11% upside [8]. Financial Performance - Sandisk's cloud revenue demonstrated a remarkable 195% net growth on an annual basis, highlighting its potential as a significant growth engine for the company [12]. - As the cloud segment captures a larger share of total revenue, the efficiency gains are expected to positively impact the company's earnings per share (EPS) [13]. Valuation Insights - Sandisk's current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio stands at 12.4x, which is below its peers in the technology sector, indicating that the stock may not have fully priced in its future growth potential [14].

Core Viewpoint - Emerging markets (EM) outperformed developed markets (DM) in Q3, driven by strong gains in North Asian tech stocks and a rebound in Chinese market sentiment [1][2]. Group 1: Performance Overview - The MSCI Emerging Markets Index rose approximately 11% in Q3, compared to a 7% increase in developed markets [2]. - Key leaders included South Korea and Taiwan, benefiting from semiconductor and AI hardware demand, while ASEAN markets lagged due to weak domestic demand [3][5][8]. Group 2: Sector Performance - The rise was primarily driven by cyclical sectors such as consumer discretionary, technology, and materials [2]. - Notable sector performances included: - Consumer discretionary (+12.6%) - Technology (+10.4%) - Materials (+10.3%) - Communication services (+8.2%) - Defensive sectors like financials and healthcare underperformed, indicating a shift towards growth-sensitive sectors [11]. Group 3: Future Potential - Future performance of emerging markets will depend on several factors: 1. Earnings expectations: Bloomberg consensus predicts strong earnings growth for emerging markets, with +11.3% in 2025 and +15.0% in 2026, compared to lower expectations for the US and Europe [12]. 2. Valuation and capital flows: Emerging market stocks are trading at a lower valuation (expected P/E of 12.4) compared to developed markets, indicating potential for capital inflows [15]. 3. Dollar dynamics: A weaker dollar historically supports emerging market performance, while a strengthening dollar poses challenges [16]. 4. Domestic policies and reforms: Structural reforms in markets like India and Mexico can enhance mid-term earnings resilience [17]. 5. Commodity and trade conditions: Resource-rich regions benefit from rising metal and energy cycles, while Asian importers gain from lower energy prices [18]. 6. Industry leadership sustainability: The AI-related supply chain and consumer trends in emerging markets provide long-term growth drivers, though a shift to defensive sectors may alter leadership dynamics [18]. 7. Positioning and liquidity: Underweight positions suggest room for capital inflows, but smaller emerging markets may experience disproportionate volatility [18].

Group 1 - The aggregate crypto AI sector reached a market capitalization of $32 billion, driven by NVIDIA's stock rally to all-time highs above $190 per share [1][4] - NVIDIA's valuation is approaching $4.6 trillion, solidifying its position as a dominant force in the global AI landscape [1][6] - The crypto AI market capitalization increased by 8.8% in the last 24 hours, indicating strong sector-wide growth linked to NVIDIA's performance [4][5] Group 2 - The broader crypto market experienced a boost as investors sought alternatives amid political risks from the US government shutdown [2] - Capital rotation from US treasuries into blue-chip stocks provided additional momentum for risk assets [2] - ADP private payroll data eased bearish concerns, with a 97.8% likelihood of an interest rate cut anticipated in the upcoming Federal Open Market Committee meeting [3]

Core Insights - PDF Solutions, Inc. is collaborating with Lavorro Inc. to enhance semiconductor manufacturing through access to real-time engineering documentation, aiming for quicker and more effective implementation of actions and equipment control [1][4]. Company Overview - PDF Solutions provides comprehensive data solutions for the semiconductor and electronics ecosystems, focusing on improving yield, quality, and operational efficiency for increased profitability [6]. - The company has over three decades of semiconductor expertise and offers AI-ready data from a secure infrastructure, enabling manufacturing companies to analyze data at scale [2]. Collaboration Details - The partnership with Lavorro aims to transform how fab operators utilize real-time, clean process data and access the latest engineering knowledge, facilitating better yield-enhancing decisions [4]. - Lavorro employs Generative AI and Agentic AI to synthesize knowledge from static and real-time data, providing context-aware assistance to maximize engineering and fab efficiency [3][5]. Strategic Goals - The combined solutions from PDF Solutions and Lavorro are designed to enable fab operators to act more swiftly on process alerts, leading to quicker remediation actions and enhanced operational efficiency [5].

Group 1: Market Trends and Trading Strategies - The current market environment is characterized by all-time highs across various asset classes, making it difficult for investors to adhere to their original plans [1] - Investors often face the temptation to hold onto stocks for additional gains, even when their initial objectives have been met [1][2] - A proactive approach to trading, such as preparing for volatility in advance, can help capitalize on short-term opportunities [3] Group 2: Company-Specific Insights - SoundHound AI (NASDAQ:SOUN) has experienced over 250% stock growth in the past year, driven by its focus on Voice AI systems, but remains unprofitable with a larger EPS loss than expected in Q2 2025 [4][6] - Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) has seen significant revenue growth, reporting $11.3 billion in Q4, the largest in its history, but technical indicators suggest a potential profit-taking opportunity after a 50% gain in just over a month [7][9] - Dlocal (NASDAQ:DLO) is a profitable fintech startup with consistent sales growth, but faces challenges due to currency devaluation in Argentina, indicating a potential exit point for investors [10][13] - ACM Research (NASDAQ:ACMR) has shown strong performance with an 11% jump recently and annual sales exceeding $780 million, but earnings surprises are slowing, and revenue missed expectations in Q3 for the first time since 2023 [14][16] - Axcelis Technologies (NASDAQ:ACLS) reported over $1 billion in sales last year, but its revenue has declined recently, with Q2 2025 showing a YOY decline of over 20%, suggesting a potential pullback despite a 30% stock increase over the last three months [18][20]