By Suzanne McGee and Noel Randewich PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Tiger Global Management and Adage Capital Partners were among investors that trimmed their holdings of some AI heavyweights including Nvidia and Amazon during the fourth quarter of 2025, according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission disclosures. The quarterly 13-F filings provide insight into how some ‌major investors have been reacting to growing worries that valuations of the "Magnificent 7" AI giants -- a cohort ...

Group 1: Apple’s Capital Expenditure Strategy - Apple Inc. is significantly reducing its capital expenditure, cutting it by 19% year-over-year to $2.37 billion, while other major tech companies are collectively committing around $700 billion in capex over the next year [1][2] - Apple's full-year capital expenditure was $12.72 billion, which is less than what Amazon plans to spend in a single quarter [2] - CEO Tim Cook emphasized a prudent and deliberate approach to expenditure, relying on on-device processing and "private cloud compute" to avoid the massive server costs that burden its rivals [4] Group 2: Market Reactions and Predictions - The market is beginning to question the aggressive spending strategies of other tech giants, as seen with Amazon's $200 billion capex guidance leading to an 8% stock drop, and Alphabet's plans causing a 6% decline [3] - Prediction markets indicate skepticism regarding Apple's restrained spending strategy, with Apple valued at just 14 cents in a market predicting the largest company by the end of December 2026, compared to Nvidia at 44 cents and Alphabet at 33 cents [5] - Despite speculation about a leadership change, traders give Tim Cook a 69% chance of remaining CEO through 2027, suggesting that a reversal in strategy is unlikely [6]

Market Performance - The year of the Wood Snake was moderate for China stocks and ETFs, with iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI) gaining about 9.4% over the past year, primarily in 2025 [1] - China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 18% in 2025, outperforming the S&P 500's 16.4% gain [1] - The current year has seen a decline in the market due to the ongoing property market crisis, weak January manufacturing data, and subdued economic growth momentum [1] Economic Growth - China's economy grew 4.5% year over year in Q4 2025, down from 4.8% in Q3, marking the weakest rise in three years [3] - Full-year growth for 2025 reached 5%, aligning with Beijing's target, supported by a record-high trade surplus [3] - Forecasts for 2026 GDP growth vary, with Vanguard estimating around 4.5% and Goldman Sachs predicting 4.8% [4] Regulatory Environment - Chinese policymakers are shifting towards sustainable growth, introducing tighter enforcement measures to moderate market momentum and strengthen long-term investor confidence [5] - The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has intensified its crackdown on speculative activity following the Shanghai Composite Index reaching 10-year highs [6] AI Sector Growth - China aims to become a 90% AI economy by 2030, with significant growth in AI model usage projected [7] - Monthly token use in AI models in China is forecasted to range from 220-670Qa from 2025 to 2030, compared to 100-175Qa in the United States [8] Valuation and Equity Flows - The P/E ratio of FXI stands at 12.60X, significantly lower than the 28.77X of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), indicating a cheaper valuation for Chinese equities [9] - Domestic equity flows are expected to rise, with Goldman Sachs estimating that Chinese equities could attract about $500 billion in fresh domestic capital this year [11] Consumption and Property Market Concerns - Domestic consumption remains subdued, with retail sales rising only 0.9% year on year in December 2025, missing market expectations [12] - The property sector is under pressure, with primary property sales expected to fall 10-14% in 2026 due to an oversupplied market [13] Overall Outlook - The outlook for Chinese stocks and ETFs is moderate-to-upbeat for 2026, supported by attractive valuations, improving equity flows, and AI-driven growth momentum [14] - However, long-term confidence in the Chinese market is contingent on regulatory stability, with potential volatility due to property sector stress and geopolitical risks [14]

Robert Brokamp: Being intentional with your cash flow and the best performing sector of the past five years may surprise you. You're listening to the Saturday Personal Finance edition of Motley Fool Money. I'm Robert Bro Camp, though my nickname here at The Fool is Bro. Don't be surprised if you hear colleagues call me Bro when they're guests on the show, including this week when fellow Fool employee and certified financial planner, Stephanie Marini joins me to discuss this month's installment of our 2026 F ...

Core Insights - Entergy provided an update on the financial performance and outlook for its regulated electric utilities in the New Orleans area, greater Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and east Texas, with the largest subsidiary being in greater Louisiana [1] Financial Performance - Estimated capital spending through 2029 is projected to be $43 billion, an increase from $41 billion in the previous quarter [5] - Weather-adjusted retail sales rose by 1.5% in Q4 2025 and 3.9% for the full year, driven by a 6.7% increase in industrial sales [5] - Residential and commercial sales increased modestly by 2.1% and 1.2%, respectively [5] Sales Growth Projections - Expected weather-adjusted retail sales growth in 2026 is 5%, primarily due to a 10% growth in industrial sales [3] - Annualized industrial sales growth is expected to reach 15% through 2029 [4] Demand Drivers - Data centers and large industrials are anticipated to drive the bulk of new demand, with a large-load pipeline of 10 GW to 17 GW [2][6] - Data centers account for 7-12 GW of the large-load pipeline, with other large industrials comprising 3-5 GW [8] Customer Rate Expectations - Entergy expects residential customer rates to increase by 4% annually through 2029, aligning with national trends observed since 2022 [7] Future Projects - Upcoming customers include traditional heavy industrial sites and significant projects like the $6 billion hydrogen and steel plant by Hyundai near Baton Rouge, Louisiana [9] - Enthusiasm is particularly noted for data center opportunities, including a 2-GW Meta campus planned for northeastern Louisiana [9]

Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg A record number of investors say companies are spending far too much, according to Bank of America Corp.’s latest fund manager survey. While investors participating in the survey are the most bullish they’ve been since June 2021, about 35% warned that corporations are overinvesting, the highest proportion seen in data going back two decades, strategist Michael Hartnett wrote in a note. They’re also cutting their exposure to tech stocks. Most Read from Bloomberg Re ...

Crypto traders are set to push the price of Bitcoin back to $100,000, according to Shawn Young, chief analyst at MEXC Research. His argument? Yes, buyers aren’t scooping up digital assets at the same volumes they did a few months ago, but they’re still buying more Bitcoin than what’s mined each day. “This creates a net-positive supply dynamic that could trigger a rebound in the near term,” Young told DL News. His optimism offers a counterweight to the pessimism that’s swept across crypto markets since ...

Core Viewpoint - Investors are increasingly concerned about a potential bear market, prompting a shift towards value, dividend, and international stocks, despite the S&P 500 remaining flat in 2026 [2]. Group 1: Market Conditions - After three consecutive years of over 15% gains for the S&P 500, it is wise to consider portfolio protection against a market correction [1][15]. - Current expectations for GDP and earnings growth, along with stable inflation, do not indicate immediate risks for the markets, but preparation is advisable [3]. Group 2: Investment Strategies - The Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH) offers a low-volatility option by focusing on short-term U.S. Treasury bonds, providing a 3.6% yield and minimizing default risk [5]. - The Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND) invests across the entire U.S. investment-grade bond market, including Treasuries and corporate bonds, with a yield of 4.2% that compensates for added risk [8][9]. - The Vanguard U.S. Minimum Volatility ETF (VFMV) targets stocks with lower volatility, reallocating towards value and defensive equities, which can help mitigate downside risk [11]. Group 3: Sector Allocations - The VFMV ETF's top sector holdings include technology (26%), industrials (12%), consumer discretionary (11%), and financials (11%), with a focus on less volatile tech stocks [12][13]. Group 4: Overall Strategy - While these Vanguard ETFs may not guarantee protection in a bear market, they are designed to cushion against volatility and should be selected based on individual investment goals and risk tolerance [14].

Market Overview - The S&P/ASX 200 began the week positively, gaining 19.50 points or 0.22% to close at 8,937.10, following a strong 2.4% rally the previous week, marking its best weekly performance in ten months [2][8] - Gains were primarily driven by technology, gold, and healthcare sectors, while miners and financials showed weakness [1][8] Top Performers - AUSTAL LIMITED and WISETECH GLOBAL LIMITED were the top-performing stocks, rising 19.51% and 12.88%, respectively [2][8] - Other notable gainers included SEEK LIMITED, which increased by 7.95%, XERO LIMITED with a 7.58% rise, and JB Hi-Fi, which jumped 7.5% following positive half-year results [2][8][9] Sector Performance - Information Technology was the best-performing sector, gaining 5.65%, rebounding from a recent decline [5][8] - Technology stocks overall rose 5.7%, marking their strongest session in over 10 months, with major players like Wisetech, Xero, and Technology One leading the gains [6][8] - Healthcare stocks rebounded by 1.1%, with CSL and Cochlear rising 1.4% and 0.6%, respectively [6][8] Decliners - On the downside, Treasury Wine Estates Limited led the declines, falling 5.15% after cutting its interim dividend due to ongoing demand weakness [3][9] - Other significant decliners included Fortescue Ltd, down 4.71%, and Rio Tinto Limited, which dropped 4.12% [3][9] Mining and Financials - The mining sector fell by 1%, with BHP and Rio Tinto down 1.5% and 4.1%, respectively, ahead of their upcoming half-year results [8][9] - Financials showed a slight decline of 0.1%, with Commonwealth Bank of Australia rising 1.2%, while National Australia Bank slipped 1% [8][9]

Group 1 - The traditional white-collar career path is under threat from automation, with 37% of organizations planning to replace early-career roles with Artificial Intelligence, indicating a significant shift in the entry-level job market [2][8] - Goldman Sachs reported a record low intern acceptance rate of 0.7% from a pool of 360,000 applicants, making it more competitive than admission to most Ivy League universities [3][8] - Chinese equities are facing a deteriorating earnings outlook, with skepticism regarding the ability of Lunar New Year spending to sustain market recovery, particularly affecting major tech companies like Alibaba and Tencent [4][8] Group 2 - Young Americans are increasingly engaging in side gigs as a response to an uncertain labor market, reflecting a generational shift in employment perspectives and the decline of traditional 9-to-5 job stability [5][8]