Composite picture of Elon Musk (left) and Jeff Bezos (right)Joel Saget/AFP and Kevin Winter The 10 richest people are worth more than Amazon after a nearly $600 billion wealth gain in 2025. The AI boom has catapulted the group's combined net worth to north of $2.5 trillion. Elon Musk's fortune rose by $187 billion last year as his Tesla and SpaceX stakes jumped in value. The world's 10 richest people are worth more than Amazon after another banner year for billionaires. The group's combined weal ...

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Following the downward move seen to close out 2025, stocks fluctuated over the course of the first trading day of 2026 on Friday before eventually ending the day little changed.While the tech-heavy Nasdaq edged down 6.36 points or less than a tenth of a percent to 23,235.63, the S&P 500 crept up 12.97 points or 0.2 percent to 6,858.47.The narrower Dow showed a more notable move to the upside, climbing 319.10 points or 0.7 percent to 48,382.39.For the holiday-interrupted week, the Nasdaq tumbled by 1.5 perc ...

Rising market chart with Santa rally motif on a desk beside a 2026 calendar, signaling optimism for stock markets. Key Points Morningstar’s valuations indicate that U.S. equities are still trading slightly below their intrinsic value, despite record-high indexes. These five high-quality large-cap stocks offer catalysts from lower rates, earnings acceleration, and normalization of economic cycles. Each stock offers differentiated upside in 2026, ranging from defensive strength to premium growth. Intere ...

Core Insights - The market is shifting from the early-stage AI boom of 2025 to broader investment opportunities in 2026, with a focus on companies outside the "Magnificent 7" such as Micron Technology and AI infrastructure firms like GE Vernova [1] Trends Analysis What's IN - Agentic AI systems that execute tasks are gaining traction, replacing general-purpose chat models (LLMs) [5] - Tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) and stablecoins like USDC are becoming mainstream, moving away from passive crypto ETFs [3][5] - The return of IPOs is anticipated, contrasting with speculative late-stage venture capital rounds [5] - Prediction markets are emerging as a new form of event-based hedging, while traditional sports betting is declining [5] - Diversification across sectors is becoming a priority, moving away from over-concentration in major tech giants [5] - Gold and base metals, including gold, silver, and copper, are expected to perform well, while energy commodities like crude oil face bearish outlooks due to oversupply [4][5] What's OUT - General-purpose chat models (LLMs) are being phased out in favor of more specialized AI systems [5] - The popularity of crypto ETFs is waning, leading to "passive wrapper fatigue" [3][5] - Sports betting is losing ground as a pure gambling activity [5] - High-volatility alt-coins are falling out of favor as stablecoins gain importance for real-time settlements [5] - The focus on energy commodities, particularly crude oil, is diminishing due to concerns over oversupply [4][5]

Palantir is off to a slow start in 2026, after appreciating by 138% in 2025.Shares of AI software giant Palantir (PLTR 5.08%) plunged on Friday, falling 5.9% as of 1:41 PM EDT.There wasn't any company-specific news for Palantir today, but a combination of related factors led to the stock's big slump to start the new year.NASDAQ : PLTRPalantir TechnologiesToday's Change( -5.08 %) $ -9.03Current Price$ 168.72Key Data PointsMarket Cap$424BDay's Range$ 166.35 - $ 181.3552wk Range$ 63.40 - $ 207.52Volume46MAvg V ...

Looking into the current session, Synopsys Inc. (NASDAQ:SNPS) shares are trading at $478.22, after a 1.81% spike. Moreover, over the past month, the stock went up by 1.70%, but in the past year, decreased by 5.27%. Shareholders might be interested in knowing whether the stock is undervalued, even if the company is performing up to par in the current session. How Does Synopsys P/E Compare to Other Companies?The P/E ratio is used by long-term shareholders to assess the company's market performance against agg ...

Core Insights - ServiceNow (NOW) is actively expanding its portfolio through multiple acquisitions, including Logik.io, data.world, and Moveworks, enhancing its capabilities in AI-powered solutions and enterprise data governance [1] - The company has crossed a significant milestone with its Security and Risk business, achieving over $1 billion in annual contract value in Q3 2025 [2] - The acquisition of Veza strengthens NOW's security offerings by providing advanced identity governance capabilities, which will integrate with ServiceNow's existing workflows and AI systems [3] - ServiceNow's acquisition of Armis for $7.75 billion enhances its security portfolio, particularly in cyber exposure management, and is expected to drive AI adoption [4] - The company has raised its subscription revenue guidance for 2025 to between $12.835 billion and $12.845 billion, indicating a 20% growth on a non-GAAP constant currency basis [5] Financial Performance - ServiceNow's subscription revenue growth is projected to slow to 20% in 2025, down from 23% in 2024, due to tightening budgets in U.S. federal agencies [6] - The company's share price has decreased by 27.4% over the past year, underperforming the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector, which returned 26.2% [11] - The forward 12-month price/sales ratio for ServiceNow is 12.01X, significantly higher than the sector average of 7.31X, indicating that the stock may be overvalued [14] Competitive Landscape - ServiceNow faces strong competition from Atlassian and Salesforce, both of which are enhancing their offerings in enterprise collaboration and AI capabilities [7][9] - Atlassian is focusing on subscription-based solutions and has seen significant enterprise penetration, with over 500 customers spending more than $1 million annually [8] - Salesforce reported a 10% year-over-year increase in subscription and support revenues, driven by its AI products, indicating robust growth in its cloud business [10]

Core Viewpoint - The S&P 500 Index achieved a 16.39% return in 2025, but concerns arise about the sustainability of this performance due to various economic factors and the potential emergence of a tech bubble reminiscent of 2000 [1][2]. Group 1: Market Performance and Economic Factors - The stock market has returned 80% over the past three years, primarily driven by a few large tech stocks [1]. - High inflation, interest rates, and tariffs have negatively impacted many companies, leading to a reset in valuations and a rotation of investor interest towards better-performing assets [2][3]. - As 2026 begins, some underperforming stocks from 2025 are showing signs of stabilization, with expectations of a strong stock market driven by improving economic conditions [4]. Group 2: Rebound Stocks for 2026 - Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) had a disappointing performance in 2025 with a 5.2% increase, attributed to high capital spending and challenges in its AWS segment [6]. Experts predict a significant rebound in 2026 due to advancements in AI and robotics within its retail operations [7]. - The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) experienced a drastic decline of 67.70% in 2025, but analysts are optimistic about its recovery, with price targets suggesting a potential rise to between $98 and $155 per share from its current price of $38 [9][11][12]. - Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) saw a 20.76% decline in 2025, but is expected to benefit from a shift in investor sentiment towards established tech companies with stable revenue bases, particularly as it integrates AI into its offerings [13][14][16]. Analysts anticipate a 20%-to-25% upside for CRM shares in 2026 [17]. Group 3: Investment Sentiment and Valuation - The trend of seeking valuation-driven opportunities is becoming more prominent among investors, moving away from momentum chasing [18]. - The underperformance of companies like Amazon, Trade Desk, and Salesforce in 2025 is largely attributed to investment sentiment rather than fundamental issues, making their current valuations more attractive for potential gains in 2026 [19].

Core Insights - The world's 500 wealthiest individuals experienced a record increase in their fortunes, totaling $2.2 trillion in 2025, bringing their combined net worth to nearly $12 trillion, driven by gains in stocks, cryptocurrencies, and commodities [1] Group 1: Wealth Growth and Key Contributors - Big Tech companies significantly contributed to the wealth increase, with eight individuals accounting for about a quarter of the index's gains, predominantly from the tech sector [2] - Elon Musk maintained his position as the richest individual, with a net worth of nearly $623 billion, reflecting an increase of over $190 billion despite challenges faced by Tesla [3] - Larry Ellison briefly surpassed Musk as the world's richest man due to a surge in Oracle's share price, which increased by around 25% in September, following a major contract announcement [4] Group 2: Political and Market Influences - Donald Trump and his family's net worth rose to $6.8 billion, with a notable increase of $282 million, largely attributed to ventures in real estate, social media, and financial services [5] - The S&P 500 Index saw a 17% annual increase, while international markets outperformed it, with the U.K.'s FTSE 100 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gaining 22% and 27%, respectively [6] Group 3: Commodities and Safe Haven Assets - Precious metals had a standout year, with significant investments in safe haven assets like gold and silver, alongside high demand for copper and rare earths essential for green energy production [7]