2024 Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images Quick Read Morgan Stanley set a $650 price target on Microsoft, implying over 35% upside from current levels. Azure AI margins have upside potential that could drive significant earnings growth. Microsoft shares fell 12% from all-time highs above $542 despite favorable AI positioning. Have You read The New Report Shaking Up Retirement Plans? Americans are answering three questions and many are realizing they can retire earlier than expected. ...

Sometimes, the best value picks are the ones that have been hiding in plain sight all along. And while Morgan Stanley has more than a handful of top picks for the new year, I do find that one of its top large-cap software picks for 2026 to be intriguing but not at all surprising. Undoubtedly, shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) are a favored pick by many big-name pundits and investors for the new year, and it's no mystery as to why. It's one of the leading big forces as the AI revolution enters yet another ye ...

Market Overview - The U.S. stock market experienced a rally in 2023 and 2024, continuing into 2025, with the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite increasing by 13%, 16.4%, and 20.4% respectively [1] - December 2024 showed mixed results, with the Dow and S&P 500 rising by 0.7% and 0.3%, while the Nasdaq Composite fell by 0.5% due to profit booking in AI-centric technology stocks [2] - Strong fundamentals, solid fourth-quarter earnings projections, and accommodative Fed policies are expected to support market momentum in January 2025 [3] Investment Opportunities - Stocks with favorable Zacks Rank and momentum are recommended for investment in January, including Robinhood Markets Inc. (HOOD), MongoDB Inc. (MDB), Samsara Inc. (IOT), Ciena Corp. (CIEN), and Core & Main Inc. (CNM) [4] Robinhood Markets Inc. - Robinhood operates a financial services platform allowing investments in various assets, including cryptocurrencies [5] - The company is focusing on growth through product innovation, including AI tools and global expansion, with new features like Cortex and Legend enhancing user engagement [6][8] - Robinhood's expected revenue and earnings growth rates are 22% and 20.6% respectively for the current year, with a 5.7% improvement in earnings estimates over the last 30 days [10] MongoDB Inc. - MongoDB has expanded its Atlas platform into analytics, targeting modern workloads and generative AI applications [11] - The company has seen strong adoption across enterprises, with a focus on larger deals and efficient customer acquisition [12] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for MongoDB are 17.5% and 17% respectively for the next year, with a significant 29.6% improvement in earnings estimates over the last 60 days [14] Samsara Inc. - Samsara connects physical operations data to its cloud platform, developing sensor systems for analytics [15] - The company's Connected Operations Cloud includes AI capabilities and is expected to see revenue and earnings growth rates of 19.8% and 12.9% respectively for the next year [16] Ciena Corp. - Ciena reported a 20% year-over-year revenue increase and 69.5% EPS growth, driven by AI demand from cloud and service providers [17] - The company expects revenue for fiscal 2026 to be between $5.7 billion and $6.1 billion, reflecting nearly 24% growth at the midpoint [19] - Ciena's expected revenue and earnings growth rates are 24.3% and 97.7% respectively for the current year, with a 19.7% improvement in earnings estimates over the last 30 days [21] Core & Main Inc. - Core & Main distributes water and fire protection products to various markets in the U.S. [22] - The company has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 3% and 7.7% respectively for the next year, with a 24.4% improvement in earnings estimates over the last 30 days [24]

Core Insights - Software stocks in 2026 have diverged into two categories: winners with expanding margins and accelerating growth, and losers with stagnant performance despite solid execution. The key differentiator is profitability at scale rather than just revenue growth [1] Group 1: Market Performance - The top five software stocks were ranked based on profitability metrics, revenue growth, and competitive positioning, highlighting the importance of companies that generate real earnings while growing faster than peers [2] - Microsoft leads with a market cap of $3.51 trillion, profit margins of 35.7%, and revenue growth of 18.4% year over year, showcasing a strong business model [12] - Palantir has seen a remarkable 139% increase in stock price over the past year, with revenue growth of 62.8% and profit margins of 28.1%, indicating a rare combination of hypergrowth and profitability [10] Group 2: Company Highlights - Fortinet boasts the highest return on equity in the software sector at 228%, with a P/E ratio of 32x, 14.4% revenue growth, and 28.6% profit margins, demonstrating peak efficiency in cybersecurity [3] - Intuit achieved 41% revenue growth year over year, with earnings per share increasing from $2.64 in fiscal 2015 to $16.97 in fiscal 2024, reflecting a 543% growth over nine years [5] - Oracle reported a 38.7% earnings beat in its latest quarter, with a market cap of $553 billion, 14.2% revenue growth, and 69% return on equity, validating its cloud transformation strategy [7] Group 3: Investment Implications - The market is rewarding companies that convert revenue into profit at scale, leading to premium valuations and strong stock performance, while struggling peers like Snowflake and CrowdStrike fail to achieve similar results [15]

Trusted by nearly 75,000 organizations worldwide, including brands like Bridgestone (BRDCF), Nucor (NUE), and S&P Global (SPGI), Freshworks has built a strong global presence by delivering practical, scalable tools for modern customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) operations.California-based Freshworks (FRSH) develops easy-to-use service software designed to improve how companies support both their customers and their employees. Its enterprise-grade platform takes a people-first approach to a ...

Core Insights - Navan, a leading all-in-one business travel, payments, and expense management platform, will have its CEO Ariel Cohen participate in a fireside chat at the Needham Growth Conference on January 13, 2026 [1] - The presentation will start at 10:15am ET and will be available via live webcast and replay on Navan's investor relations website [1] - Navan management will also be available for one-on-one and small group meetings with investors during the conference [2] Company Overview - Navan simplifies business travel for frequent travelers by providing a comprehensive platform that includes flight and hotel bookings, automated expense reconciliation, and 24/7 support [3] - The platform is designed to deliver an intuitive experience that benefits both travelers and finance teams [3]

投行Truist发表报告，首次覆盖大数据服务商Palantir并予"买入"评级，目标价223美元。 Palantir过去一 年股价累涨逾1.2倍。Truist承认Palantir存在显著估值溢价，但其在推动政府和企业采用通用人工智能 (GenAI)方面拥有巨大机遇。报告指出，Palantir的发展势头因人工智能平台(AIP)的发布而显著增强，过 去数年收入按年增长加速，而且有更大比例的增长转化为营运利润率。该公司营收增长远远超过大多数 软件公司，且短期内没有放缓迹象。过去两个季度，美国政府合同营收按年增长50%，而商业收入增长 则加速至73%。尽管Palantir的大部分增长都发生在美国，预计更多的海外商业和政府合同可支持长期增 长。 ...

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NCR Voyix Corp. (NYSE: VYX), a platform-powered leader in unified commerce for shopping and dining, today announced the unveiling of its next-generation portfolio of microservices-based applications. Built on the Voyix Commerce Platform, it represents the culmination of NCR Voyix's software modernization strategy—transforming how retail and restaurant businesses deliver seamless experiences across every channel and format. This marks a major milestone in the Company's. ...

MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- #AI--Verint®, The CX Automation Company™, today announced it won two TrustRadius 2026 Buyer's Choice awards based on customer reviews. Most notably, Verint CX Automation earned top ratings in the Contact Center category. A perennial winner across multiple categories, Verint was recognized by customers as a 2026 award winner for: Verint CX Automation – Contact Center category Verint WFM – Workforce Management category "Verint is redefining what's possible in customer. ...

Acquisition solidifies Mixie’s expansion into AI-driven digital twin solutions and supports partner-centric scaling across infrastructure, energy, security, and wiring ecosystemsDENVER, Jan. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mixie Technologies, Inc. (OTC: PHCG), formerly known as Pure Harvest Corporate Group, Inc. (“Mixie” or the “Company”), today announced that it has closed on the acquisition of a 25% minority interest in HoloTwin LLC (“HoloTwin”) through the execution and simultaneous closing of the definitiv ...