Core Insights - Samsung Electronics is expected to reach a 2nm production capacity of 21,000 wafers by the end of next year, primarily supplying AI chips ordered by Tesla, the Samsung Exynos 2600 AP chipsets, Micro BT, and Canaan's ASICs [1] Market Share Summary - In the second quarter of this year, TSMC held a global foundry market share of 71%, ranking first, while Samsung Electronics ranked second with a market share of 8% [1]

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the resilience of tech stocks, suggesting that despite concerns of a market bubble, long-term investment in stable tech companies like Alphabet, Amazon, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is advisable due to their strong fundamentals and growth potential [1][2][3]. Group 1: Alphabet - Alphabet has recovered significantly, with stock gains exceeding 50% this year and currently only 3% below its all-time high [4][7]. - Legal challenges earlier in the year regarding unfair practices have been resolved, allowing Alphabet to continue operations without major disruptions [5][8]. - In Q3, Alphabet generated $102.34 billion in revenue, with advertising revenue up 12.6% and Google Cloud revenue increasing by 33.5% to $15.15 billion [8]. Group 2: Amazon - Amazon operates in both retail and cloud computing, with Q3 revenue reaching $180.16 billion, a 13.4% increase year-over-year [9][10]. - The e-commerce division generated $147.16 billion in sales, up 12%, while Amazon Web Services (AWS) revenue was $33 billion, reflecting a 20% increase and a profit margin of 34.6% [11][12]. - The low profit margin of 4.1% in e-commerce highlights the importance of AWS as a significant profit center for Amazon [11]. Group 3: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is the largest semiconductor chip fabricator, crucial for producing high-performance chips for AI and large language models [13][14]. - TSMC generates 60% of its revenue from 3nm and 5nm chips, which are essential for advanced chip manufacturing [14]. - The company is investing $165 billion in U.S. production facilities, with new foundries in Arizona already producing Nvidia's Blackwell chips [16]. Group 4: Investment Outlook - The article suggests that AI will continue to grow, and even in the event of market corrections, historical trends indicate a quick recovery [17]. - Alphabet, Amazon, and Taiwan Semiconductor are positioned well to support the infrastructure needed for future AI developments, making them strong candidates for long-term investment [18].

Key TakeawaysHezbollah's leadership is deliberating its response to an Israeli strike in Beirut that killed five people, raising fears of a broader escalation in Lebanon.United Parcel Service (UPS) and FedEx Corp. (FDX) are working to secure alternative cargo capacity after the grounding of MD-11 freighters following a fatal crash, potentially impacting crucial holiday deliveries.Japan plans to impose a cybersecurity mandate as a condition for semiconductor plant subsidies, alongside requirements for long-t ...

Summary of Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) - **Industry**: Semiconductors, specifically focusing on AI and data center solutions Key Financial Results - **Revenue**: Reported revenue of $57.0 billion, exceeding Goldman Sachs (GS) estimate of $55.6 billion and Street estimate of $55.4 billion [2] - **Gross Margin**: 73.6%, slightly below GS at 73.5% and above Street at 73.7% [2] - **Operating Margin**: 66.2%, just above GS at 65.9% and Street at 66.0% [2] - **Operating EPS**: $1.30, above GS at $1.28 and Street at $1.26 [2] - **Data Center Revenue**: $51.2 billion, significantly above GS at $49.4 billion and Street at $49.7 billion [2] - **Gaming Revenue**: $4.3 billion, below GS at $4.7 billion but above Street at $4.5 billion [2] - **Professional Visualization Revenue**: $760 million, far exceeding GS at $643 million and Street at $619 million [2] - **Automotive Revenue**: $592 million, below GS at $620 million and Street at $633 million [2] Guidance and Future Outlook - **4Q Revenue Guidance**: Midpoint guidance of $65.0 billion, well above GS at $63.2 billion and Street at $62.4 billion [3] - **Gross Margin Guidance**: Non-GAAP gross margin expected at 75.0%, above GS at 74.4% and Street at 74.5% [3] - **Operating Expenses**: Guided to $5.0 billion, with operating income and expenses expected to remain stable [3] - **Implied Non-GAAP EPS**: Expected at $1.50, above GS at $1.49 and Street at $1.44 [3] Market Sentiment and Stock Performance - **Stock Performance**: Anticipated to trade higher following strong quarterly results and guidance, despite a ~6% pullback prior to the earnings report [1] - **Investor Focus Areas**: Key areas of interest include details on the $500 billion Datacenter revenue forecast, visibility into OpenAI deployments, and the timing of the Rubin product launch in 2026 [1] Industry Implications - **AI Spending Environment**: The guidance for the Data Center segment indicates a robust AI spending environment, positively impacting digital semiconductor companies such as Broadcom and AMD, and to a lesser extent, Marvell and ARM [4] Price Target and Risks - **Price Target**: 12-month price target set at $240, based on a 35X P/E multiple applied to a normalized EPS estimate of $6.85 [4] - **Key Risks**: Potential risks include a slowdown in AI infrastructure spending, increased competitive intensity, margin erosion, and supply constraints [7] Conclusion - Nvidia Corp. has demonstrated strong financial performance with significant revenue growth, particularly in the Data Center segment, and has provided optimistic guidance for the upcoming quarter. The company is well-positioned in the AI and semiconductor markets, although it faces potential risks from competition and market dynamics.

Core Insights - The third-quarter earnings season is concluding, with significant attention on Nvidia and mixed results from major home improvement retailers Home Depot and Lowe's amid softer demand [1][2]. Home Improvement Sector - Home Depot reported fiscal third-quarter results that fell short of analyst expectations, with adjusted earnings per share at $3.74, missing the expected $3.81 by 1.84% and declining from $3.78 in the prior year [4][3]. - Home Depot's sales reached $41.4 billion, a 2.8% year-over-year increase, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.88%, with approximately $900 million from a recent acquisition [5]. - Comparable sales growth for Home Depot was only 0.2%, significantly below the projected 2.1%, with customer transactions down 1.4% from the previous quarter [6]. - The company lowered its full-year 2025 adjusted earnings forecast due to ongoing consumer uncertainty and weaker housing turnover, leading to a 7% drop in its stock value [7]. Lowe's Performance - Lowe's reported fiscal third-quarter results that exceeded profitability expectations, with total sales of $20.8 billion, up 3.2% year-over-year, aligning closely with estimates [9]. - Adjusted earnings per share for Lowe's reached $3.06, surpassing the anticipated $2.97 by 3% and reflecting a 5.9% increase from the prior year [10]. - Comparable sales for Lowe's rose 0.4% for the second consecutive quarter, supported by an 11.4% increase in online sales and strength in professional categories [10]. - Lowe's stock increased by over 5% in early trading, indicating a better positioning for gradual recovery compared to competitors [11]. Retail Sector Challenges - Target reported a 1.5% year-over-year sales decline to $25.3 billion, missing estimates, with comparable sales down 2.7% [13]. - Target's earnings of $1.78 per share were slightly above estimates, but the bottom line declined 3.8% from the previous year, reflecting cautious consumer spending [14]. - Walmart is set to report its fiscal third-quarter earnings, with projections of a 5.2% increase in earnings per share to $0.61 and revenue expected to reach $177.14 billion, up 4.5% year-over-year [16].

Asian shares ended mixed on Monday as investors braced for a barrage of U.S. economic data and a spat over Taiwan threatened ties between China and Japan. The U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis said on Friday it was working to update its schedule of economic data releases affected by the recently ended government shutdown.The September nonfarm payrolls report is due on Thursday, but more up-to-date labor and price figures are not due until next month.The dollar gained in Asian trade whi ...

Core Insights - AI stocks are experiencing significant growth, driven by substantial investments in AI data centers projected to reach $4 trillion by 2030 [1] - Software companies are also benefiting from increased demand for AI services, enhancing productivity and cost savings [1] Company Analysis: SoundHound AI - SoundHound AI's share price has surged by 87% over the past year, attributed to its advanced conversational AI technology used by various industries, including Chipotle and Hyundai [2][3] - The company reported a 68% revenue increase in Q3, reaching $42 million, surpassing Wall Street's estimate of $40 million [4] - SoundHound narrowed its non-GAAP loss per share to $0.03, better than the expected loss of $0.04, contributing to its stock price surge [5] Company Analysis: Taiwan Semiconductor - Taiwan Semiconductor's share price increased by 44% over the past year, benefiting from tech giants' investments in AI data centers [2] - The company reported a 30% revenue increase in Q3, totaling $33.1 billion, with earnings rising 39% to $2.92 per ADR [7] - TSMC holds a dominant position, manufacturing about 90% of advanced processors, positioning it well to benefit from the projected $4 trillion in data center spending [8] Investment Comparison - SoundHound's stock is considered risky due to its unprofitability and a high price-to-sales ratio of 53, significantly above the software industry average of over 4 [10] - In contrast, Taiwan Semiconductor is profitable with a price-to-earnings ratio of 32, aligning closely with the S&P 500 average and lower than the tech industry average of about 48 [10] - The current profitability and reasonable valuation of Taiwan Semiconductor make it a more attractive investment compared to SoundHound [11]

Core Insights - U.S. stocks experienced a rally in Q3, supported by the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut and steady economic data, with the Russell Midcap® Growth Index increasing by 2.78% [3][17] - The Wasatch U.S. Select Fund underperformed, declining by -1.93%, primarily due to concentrated holdings in stocks that faced slower revenue growth [3][4][17] Fund Performance Analysis - The Fund's performance was negatively impacted by a few concentrated stock holdings that reported slower revenue growth, leading to significant declines in their stock prices [4][6] - The investment strategy focuses on high-quality, long-duration growth companies, which faced headwinds as low-quality stocks gained favor in the market [7] Key Detractors - BellRing Brands, Inc. (BRBR) was the largest detractor, with concerns over competition in the protein shake category; however, the long-term outlook remains positive due to category growth potential [8] - Shift4 Payments, Inc. (FOUR) faced stock price declines despite solid organic revenue growth, attributed to macroeconomic concerns and investor sentiment following its acquisition of Global Blue [9] - Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. (INSP) was sold during the quarter after management downgraded guidance due to delays in product rollout, raising execution concerns [10] Top Contributors - Medpace Holdings, Inc. (MEDP) was the top contributor, with strong revenue and earnings growth, raising full-year guidance despite a slowdown in biotech funding [11] - Fabrinet (FN) benefited from strong product adoption, particularly in data centers linked to AI, although the investment is not solely based on AI themes [12] - Nova Ltd. (NVMI) also contributed positively, with a strong track record in semiconductor manufacturing, benefiting from increasing complexity in the industry [13] Future Outlook - The Fund remains committed to its investment philosophy, focusing on high-quality growth companies despite recent underperformance [14] - The fundamentals of the companies within the Fund are encouraging, with strong earnings growth expected to drive return potential over a three- to five-year horizon [15]

Market Performance - The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange experienced an overall increase, with the Tel Aviv 35 Index rising by 1.32% to 3,434.03 points, the Tel Aviv 125 Index increasing by 1.35% to 3,485.94 points, and the BlueTech Global Index up by 1.54% to 603.17 points [1] - The All Bond corporate bond index rose by 0.18% to 419.00 points, with total turnover reaching NIS 4.19 billion in equities and NIS 6.99 billion in bonds [1] Foreign Exchange Rates - The shekel-dollar rate decreased by 0.528% to NIS 3.20/$, while the shekel-euro rate fell by 0.572% to NIS 3.702/€ [2] Leading Companies - Bank Hapoalim led the market with a rise of 2.61%, followed by Bank Leumi with a 1.76% increase, Mizrahi Tefahot Bank rising by 1.94%, and Israel Discount Bank increasing by 1.90% [2] - Enlight Renewable Energy saw the largest increase on the Tel Aviv 35 Index, rising by 6.93%, while Teva Pharmaceutical Industries rose by 2.54% and Tower Semiconductor increased by 4.86% [3] Declining Companies - ICL experienced the largest decline on the Tel Aviv 35 Index, falling by 3.66%, with its parent company Israel Corp. dropping by 5.46% [4] - Other notable declines included Bezeq Israel Telecommunications Company falling by 4.01%, Camtek decreasing by 3.60%, and Nice dropping by 1.93% [4]

Market Overview - Major U.S. index futures indicate a sharply higher open on Monday, suggesting a recovery after last week's weakness [1] - The Senate's vote to advance legislation to end the government shutdown, which is the longest in U.S. history, is contributing to the positive market sentiment [1][20] - The Senate voted 60-40 in favor of a temporary funding bill, which also aims to reverse some recent mass federal layoffs [1][20] Legislative Impact - Several Democratic Senators supported the legislation, which includes a vote on extending enhanced Obamacare tax credits [2] - Final approval of the bill may be delayed by any single Senator, and it still requires approval from the Republican-controlled House of Representatives [2] Economic Data and Market Sentiment - The end of the government shutdown would allow the release of key U.S. economic data that has been withheld, potentially alleviating market uncertainty [3][4] - Concerns about the shutdown have led traders to consider buying stocks at reduced levels due to recent valuation worries [3] Stock Performance - The major averages ended the day mixed, with the Nasdaq down 49.46 points (0.2%) to 23,004.54, while the S&P 500 rose 8.48 points (0.1%) to 6,278.80 and the Dow increased 74.80 points (0.2%) to 46,987.10 [5] - For the week, the Nasdaq fell 3.0%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.7%, and the Dow decreased by 1.2% [5] Sector Movements - Significant strength was observed in gold stocks, with the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index rising by 2.3% as gold prices climbed above $4,000 per ounce [11] - The NYSE Arca Computer Hardware Index surged by 3.2% after a substantial turnaround during the trading session [10] - Natural gas, airline, and commercial real estate stocks also showed strong upward movements, while networking and semiconductor stocks remained weak [11] International Markets - Asian stocks advanced following the U.S. Senate's vote to end the government shutdown, with China's Shanghai Composite Index rising 0.5% [13] - Japan's Nikkei 226 Index increased by 1.3%, driven by gains in the technology sector [15] - South Korean stocks surged 3.0% on renewed optimism over AI and expectations of tax cuts, with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix showing significant gains [17] Commodity and Currency Markets - Crude oil futures increased by $0.25 to $60 per barrel, while gold futures surged by $98.90 to $4,108.70 per ounce [12] - The U.S. dollar traded at 154.01 yen, up from 153.40 yen, and at $1.1569 against the euro, compared to $1.1565 previously [12]