The iPhone maker leads the way for the sector in terms of dollars spent on stock buybacks. But other tech companies have reduced their share counts significantly, as well. ...

US stocks opened muted on Friday as a holiday-shortened week and downbeat month drew to a close and as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange resumed trading following a data center glitch. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) led stocks lightly upward on Black Friday, gaining around 0.4% in the first minutes of trading. The generalist S&P 500 (^GSPC) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) both rose by a bit more than 0.2%. The CME Group restored operations after a long outage disrupted live trading in futu ...

We don't yet know, but we know that ETFs were pointing towards fractional gains at the opening bell. Do you feel as though we have strength going into the year end. >> Uh, we have modest strength.I'm not expecting a strong surge overall. It's been a really nice kind of market reaction for 2025. Uh, but I do think though that going into 2026, one needs to be a little bit more cautious about the type of risk that they put in their portfolio.>> And that takes us to your word of the day, which is an interesting ...

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index ended 0.04% lower at 8,614.10 on Friday. It fell 3% this month, posting its biggest drop in eight months and weakest November performance since 2014. The benchmark had been on a steady rising trend after hitting a trough on April, mainly due to gains in heavyweight miners. "It's been a tough month for the market, valuations were stretched after a strong run since April," said Luke Winchester, a portfolio manager at Merewether Capital. Banks fell 0.7% on Friday, shedding 7.4% ...

Market Overview - U.S. stock markets, including NYSE and Nasdaq, were closed on November 27, 2025, for Thanksgiving, but market sentiment remained positive due to expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in December and optimism surrounding artificial intelligence [1] - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 47427.12, up 314.67 points (0.6679%), indicating positive momentum in the market [1] Key Performers - Major gainers among Dow components included Boeing (BA), which rose by 2.46%, Walmart (WMT) with a 2.07% increase, and Microsoft (MSFT) adding 2.04% [2] - Other notable gainers were Goldman Sachs (GS) up 1.71% and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) increasing by 1.64%, reflecting broad-based strength across various sectors [2] Decliners - Salesforce (CRM) was the biggest laggard among Dow components, falling by 2.51% [3] - Merck & Co. (MRK) decreased by 0.73%, while 3M (MMM) saw a modest decline of 0.43% [3] - Other companies with slight pullbacks included Honeywell (HON) down 0.43% and IBM (IBM) with a 0.41% loss [3]

Core Insights - The artificial intelligence industry is facing a significant constraint due to a shortage of powered data centers, leading to idle AI chips at Microsoft [1][2] - Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasized that the primary issue is not a surplus of computing power but rather a lack of adequate energy and cooling capacity in data centers [2] - Microsoft has decided to slow or pause some early-stage data center projects to address these energy constraints as part of a major infrastructure scaling initiative [3] Industry Responses - Alphabet Inc.'s Google has entered into demand-response agreements with U.S. utilities to manage data center power usage during grid events and optimize computing schedules [4] - Amazon.com Inc. is also working on improving data center efficiency and supporting grid reliability in response to the growing demands of AI [4] Market Risks - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned of potential risks associated with long-term energy contracts, particularly if cheaper energy sources become available, which could negatively impact companies with existing agreements [5] - Altman noted that lower computing costs could lead to increased demand, further straining already near-capacity infrastructure, highlighting the importance of stable energy access for the growth of AI [6]

Core Insights - ESCO Technologies Inc. (ESE) is a significant player in the technology sector, focusing on innovative solutions across various segments such as filtration, RF shielding, and utility solutions [1] - The company is actively competing with other technology firms and aims to maintain its market position through strategic initiatives and financial prudence [1] Insider Transactions - On November 26, 2025, CEO and President Sayler Bryan H sold 401 shares of ESE at $220 each, leaving him with 20,254 shares, which may indicate his perspective on the company's future performance or personal financial planning [2][6] Q4 2025 Earnings Call - The Q4 2025 earnings call on November 20, 2025, included key executives like Bryan Sayler and Christopher Tucker, with analysts from Stephens Inc. and CJS Securities, Inc. attending, reflecting market interest in ESE's financial health and strategic direction [3][6] Financial Metrics - ESE's financial metrics indicate a favorable market valuation with a P/E ratio of 18.92, a price-to-sales ratio of 4.85, and an enterprise value to sales ratio of 4.95, showcasing investor confidence in the company's revenue generation [4][6] - The company maintains a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, indicating a conservative approach to debt, and a current ratio of 1.35, demonstrating its ability to meet short-term obligations [5][6] - An earnings yield of 5.29% provides insight into potential returns for investors [5][6]

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Core Insights - Dell Technologies Inc. (DELL) shares showed positive movement in pre-market trading following the release of its Q3 results, despite a sequential sales decline of approximately 9% [2] Financial Performance - The Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) generated around $14.1 billion in revenue during the reported quarter [2] Investment Insights - Tech Contrarians, an investing group led by former technology sector engineers, has achieved a realized return of 65.8% on closed positions since inception, offering exclusive insights and resources for individual investors [1]

Core Viewpoint - Alphabet Inc. is projected to achieve a market valuation of $4 trillion by November 26, 2025, following a significant increase in its share price and market capitalization over the past six months [1][4]. Group 1: Market Performance - Alphabet's shares reached $323.64, marking a 1.6% increase in a single trading session [1]. - The company has added approximately $2 trillion to its market capitalization in the last six months, with its share price nearly doubling [1]. Group 2: Strategic Partnerships and AI Development - The recent rise in Alphabet's share price is partly attributed to reports of Meta Platforms negotiating to purchase Google's AI accelerator chips, which could enhance Google's position in the AI market [2][3]. - Google's Gemini 3 AI model, set to launch on November 18, 2025, has also positively influenced investor sentiment [3]. Group 3: Financial Performance and Investment Strategy - Alphabet's third-quarter results exceeded expectations, driven by double-digit revenue growth in Google Services and Google Cloud, which significantly boosted its share price [4]. - The company has increased its capital expenditure plan for 2025, indicating a commitment to investing in high-growth areas like AI infrastructure and cloud computing [4]. Group 4: Competitive Positioning - A survey indicated that 60% of respondents found Google's AI Mode more helpful than ChatGPT, suggesting a strong competitive edge in AI-powered search tools [6][7]. - The rising preference for Google's AI search experience is expected to enhance engagement and drive growth in advertising and AI-related revenues [8]. Group 5: Future Growth Projections - Analysts predict that Meta's substantial capital expenditure for 2026 will benefit Alphabet, potentially leading to significant revenue growth [9]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate forecasts a 15.3% increase in Alphabet's 2025 revenues and a 30.9% surge in earnings per share compared to the previous year [10]. Group 6: Investment Opportunities - Several ETFs provide exposure to Alphabet's share price gains, including Global X PureCap MSCI Communication Services ETF, Vanguard Communication Services ETF, and Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF, all of which have shown significant growth over the past six months [11][12][13][14].