picture/iStock via Getty Images Listen below or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify America vs. Venezuela (0:25). Memory, storage stocks soar; AI trade moving to different sectors (3:30). Jobs data this week just fine (6:15). Roblox's longer-term decline (10:00). Thoughts on the market in 2026 (14:00). Transcript Rena Sherbill: Brian Stewart, our Director of News at Seeking Alpha, our first Wall Street roundup of 2026. Welcome back. Brian Stewart: Yeah, great to be here. Rena Sherbill: It's grea ...

Drops in the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average followed intraday record highs earlier in the session. Shares of housing acquisition companies tumbled after President Donald Trump said he was moving to ban Wall Street investors from buying single-family homes, in a bid ‌to reduce home ‌prices. Blackstone and Apollo Global Management dropped more than 5%, contributing to a 1.4% decline in the S&P 500 financials index. American Homes 4 Rent fell 4.3%. Real estate platform Zillow moved over 2% higher. J ...

Moderna jumped after BofA Global Research raised its price target on the drugmaker, helping lift the S&P 500 healthcare index. Memory and storage technology stocks rallied after SanDisk, Western Digital, Seagate Technology and Micron Technology ‌all hit record highs. The PHLX chip index also hit an all-time high, bringing its gain in the first three trading sessions of 2026 to about 8%. "I think we're going to have a very strong earnings season for Big Tech, and all those capex estimates that we hear abou ...

Group 1: Amazon - Amazon plans to cut its global corporate workforce by up to 14,000 roles while leveraging opportunities in artificial intelligence [1] - RBC Capital analyst Brad Erickson identifies Amazon as a top pick, citing strong visibility on AI infrastructure return on invested capital and an upcoming product cycle [3][4] - Erickson raised revenue and EBITDA estimates for Amazon for 2026 and 2027, expecting a 10% revenue growth and a 30% adjusted EBITDA margin by 2028 [6] Group 2: Microsoft - Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss maintains a buy rating on Microsoft, with a price target of $650, highlighting robust demand for Microsoft Azure [8][10] - Weiss raised his Azure estimates, projecting Azure AI gross margin to reach 30% by fiscal 2029, with potential for margins to exceed 40% [11] - Microsoft is viewed as a top pick in the large-cap software sector, with sustained demand and margin expansion not fully valued by the market [12] Group 3: Micron Technology - Micron Technology reported strong Q1 FY26 results, exceeding expectations and providing an optimistic outlook for Q2, driven by high demand for memory products [14][15] - Stifel analyst Brian Chin reiterated a buy rating on Micron, with a price target of $300, noting a 20% sequential growth in DRAM and NAND revenue [16] - Micron expects both DRAM and NAND bit shipments to increase by 20% in 2026, despite industry supply constraints [17]

Group 1: Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) - Micron Technology has a Zacks Rank of 1 and a PEG ratio of 0.33, significantly lower than the industry average of 1.26 [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Micron's current year earnings has increased by 22.4% over the last 60 days [1] - The company possesses a Growth Score of A, indicating strong growth characteristics [1] Group 2: Sanmina Corporation (SANM) - Sanmina Corporation also holds a Zacks Rank of 1 and has a PEG ratio of 0.61, compared to the industry average of 1.75 [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Sanmina's current year earnings has risen by 38.9% over the last 60 days [2] - The company has a Growth Score of A, reflecting its strong growth potential [2] Group 3: Phibro Animal Health Corporation (PAHC) - Phibro Animal Health Corporation carries a Zacks Rank of 1 and has a PEG ratio of 1.14, which is lower than the industry average of 1.65 [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Phibro's current year earnings has increased by 9.1% over the last 60 days [3] - The company possesses a Growth Score of B, indicating solid growth characteristics [3]

Core Insights - Generative AI continues to be a significant trend in the stock market, impacting various industries and contributing to U.S. GDP growth [1] - The technology sector, particularly memory and storage companies, has seen increased demand due to the expansion of large language models [2] Company Performance - Seagate Technology's stock has surged 257% and Western Digital's has increased 316% in 2025, driven by strong demand for high-capacity hard drives [3] - Both companies are expected to maintain revenue and earnings growth through 2026, despite the challenges of balancing demand with capacity expansion [7][8] Market Dynamics - The demand for nearline storage has outpaced supply, allowing Seagate and Western Digital to raise prices, resulting in strong margin expansion [6] - HDDs remain the most common form of nearline storage, but competition from NAND storage and SSDs poses a threat to HDD makers [9][10] Competitive Landscape - Big tech companies are increasingly investing in NAND storage, which could lead to a shift away from HDDs if supply catches up to demand [14] - Seagate and Western Digital face competition from NAND chipmakers, which could impact pricing and market share [13][14] Valuation Concerns - Current forward P/E ratios for Seagate and Western Digital are 27 and 24, respectively, which may appear attractive compared to other AI stocks [15] - The cyclical nature of the HDD market and the interchangeable nature of their products with SSDs suggest that these companies may not maintain high valuations in the long term [16][18]

Core Insights - The storage sector, particularly NAND flash, is experiencing a significant supply crunch driven by the generative AI revolution, leading to increased demand in data centers and edge computing [2] - Sandisk's stock saw a remarkable 12% increase in November, reflecting strong performance amidst a relatively flat S&P 500 [1] Company Performance - Sandisk reported a 23% year-over-year revenue increase in Q3, attributed to stabilized flash prices, although earnings per share declined by 33% due to startup costs related to new technology [3][4] - Adjusted earnings per share surged by 321% quarter-over-quarter, indicating strong operational momentum, with management forecasting revenue between $2.55 billion and $2.65 billion for the next quarter [4] Market Dynamics - The NAND flash market has faced oversupply issues for years, but recent cuts in supply from major manufacturers, combined with a rebound in PC demand and AI inferencing, have led to a surge in demand [6] - Memory and storage manufacturers are benefiting from fixed costs, allowing them to retain more profit as prices stabilize or rise [5] Valuation and Future Outlook - Analysts project Sandisk's earnings per share to reach $20.21 by fiscal 2027, suggesting a low price-to-earnings ratio of 10.2, which may attract tech investors [7] - However, the NAND flash industry is characterized by boom-and-bust cycles, with earnings estimates for 2027 showing a wide range of uncertainty [8][9] - For continued investment, there is a need for confidence in sustained AI demand and disciplined supply growth, as historical trends indicate challenges in managing supply effectively [9]

SINGAPORE, Dec. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GCL Global Holdings Ltd (Nasdaq: GCL) (“GCL” or the “Company”), a leading provider of games and entertainment, today announced that its publishing subsidiary, 4Divinity Pte. Ltd. (“4Divinity”), has received a $3.0 million strategic investment from ADATA Technology Co. Ltd. (“ADATA”), a global leader in memory and storage solutions listed on the Taipei Exchange (TPEX), for approximately 1.2% equity interests of 4Divinity. Founded in 2001, ADATA is the world’s seco ...

Core Insights - Three stocks with strong growth characteristics and buy ranks are highlighted for investors: Dycom Industries, Micron Technology, and Sanmina Corporation [1][2][3] Company Summaries - **Dycom Industries, Inc. (DY)**: - Provides specialty contracting services to the telecommunications sector - Zacks Rank 1 - Current year earnings estimate increased by 4.7% over the last 60 days - PEG ratio of 1.78 compared to the industry average of 2.66 - Growth Score of B [1] - **Micron Technology, Inc. (MU)**: - Engages in memory and storage products - Zacks Rank 1 - Current year earnings estimate increased by 5.9% over the last 60 days - PEG ratio of 0.46 compared to the industry average of 1.24 - Growth Score of A [2] - **Sanmina Corporation (SANM)**: - Global provider of electronics contract manufacturing services - Zacks Rank 1 - Current year earnings estimate increased by 38.9% over the last 60 days - PEG ratio of 0.63 compared to the industry average of 1.86 - Growth Score of A [3]

Group 1: Skillsoft Corp. (SKIL) - Skillsoft is an instructor-led training services company with a Zacks Rank 1 [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 240.9% over the last 60 days [1] - Skillsoft has a PEG ratio of 0.36 compared to the industry average of 0.98, and it possesses a Growth Score of B [1] Group 2: Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) - Micron Technology is a memory and storage products company with a Zacks Rank 1 [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 24.4% over the last 60 days [2] - Micron has a PEG ratio of 0.51 compared to the industry average of 1.45, and it possesses a Growth Score of A [2] Group 3: Ultrapar Participaçoes S.A. (UGP) - Ultrapar is a distributor of liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline, ethanol, diesel, fuel oil, and kerosene with a Zacks Rank 1 [3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has increased by 51.9% over the last 60 days [3] - Ultrapar has a PEG ratio of 1.96 compared to the industry average of 2.44, and it possesses a Growth Score of A [3]