We also discussed whether Berkshire’s recent underperformance relative to the S&P 500 reflects transition anxiety rather than fundamentals. Buffett’s long-standing philosophy of buying quality businesses and holding them for decades remains deeply embedded in the organization. His legacy holdings, including Apple, still anchor the portfolio, even as Berkshire has selectively added exposure to companies like Alphabet and Amazon.Both of us acknowledged that a 20% market reset is far from unthinkable, particul ...

Group 1: S&P 500 Performance - The S&P 500 had a remarkable 2025, gaining 16.4%, driven by a tech rally focused on AI stocks [6] - The index recorded its eighth consecutive month of gains and the eleventh quarter of gains in thirteen quarters [6] - The S&P 500 surged 24% in 2023 and 23% in 2024, totaling nearly 80% gains over the past three years [7] Group 2: Economic Context - The S&P 500 started 2025 positively due to optimism surrounding President Trump's pro-business agenda, despite later concerns over tariffs and a potential global trade war [4] - After a significant drop of almost 18% by April, the index rebounded following a pause on tariffs and new trade deals [5] Group 3: Investment Opportunities - Recommended stocks for investment include Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), AppLovin Corporation (APP), and Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (CDNS), all showing strong potential for 2026 [2] - Amazon.com, Inc. has an expected earnings growth rate of 29.7% for the current year and holds a Zacks Rank 2 [10] - Analog Devices, Inc. has an expected earnings growth rate of 25.7% and also holds a Zacks Rank 2 [12] - AppLovin Corporation is expected to see earnings growth of over 100% and has a Zacks Rank 1 [13] - Cadence Design Systems, Inc. has an expected earnings growth rate of 18.3% and holds a Zacks Rank 2 [14]

Group 1: Amazon - Amazon has underperformed in 2025, with a year-to-date increase of only 5.5% compared to the S&P 500's 17.3% gain [4] - Amazon Web Services (AWS) is now generating more than double the operating income compared to the rest of the business combined, indicating a shift in the company's revenue model [5] - Despite pressures on consumer spending and competition in cloud computing, Amazon's earnings are growing at a solid pace, with a forward earnings multiple of 32.8, comparable to Apple's 33.2, while growing faster [6] Group 2: Netflix - Netflix's stock has decreased by 29% in the last six months, but it has still seen significant price increases since the start of 2023, with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 37 [7][10] - The company is facing uncertainty due to its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, which has raised concerns among investors about future earnings growth [8][11] - Despite rising operating expenses, Netflix maintains a strong balance sheet and is expected to leverage Warner Bros. Discovery's assets to enhance its subscription offerings and in-house production capabilities [12] Group 3: Visa - Visa is positioned as a leading payment processor in the U.S. and is benefiting from the ongoing shift towards digital transactions, with a market cap of $671 billion [15][16] - The company's fee structure allows it to generate revenue from every transaction, making it resilient even during economic downturns [17] - With a forward earnings multiple of 27.7, Visa is considered a reasonable investment for an industry leader, despite not being the cheapest option available [18]

Core Insights - Companies often execute stock splits as a sign of strong performance and optimism for continued growth, which can attract investor interest [1] Group 1: Amazon - Amazon has executed four stock splits, with the latest being a 20-for-1 split in June 2022, resulting in a 170% increase in share price since then [4] - Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a leading global cloud provider, benefiting from the AI boom, with significant investments in custom AI chips to maintain market leadership [5] - The advertising segment is growing faster than e-commerce, with high margins and effective advertising opportunities leveraging first-party customer data [6] - In Q3, Amazon reported net sales of $180.2 billion (up 13% year over year) and operating income of $17.4 billion, with AWS growth at 20% [9] Group 2: Netflix - Netflix has performed multiple stock splits, with the most recent being a 10-for-1 split in November 2025 [10] - The company is expanding into high-growth areas like ad-supported tiers, gaming, and live sports, aiming for profitable expansion rather than just subscriber growth [11] - In Q3 2025, Netflix's revenue reached $11.5 billion (up 17% year over year) with an operating margin of 28% and free cash flow of $2.7 billion [12] Group 3: Nvidia - Nvidia has executed six stock splits, with the latest being a 10-for-1 split in June 2024, leading to a 55% increase in share price since then [17] - The company reported record revenue of $57 billion (up 62% year over year) in Q3 2026, driven by data center and GPU sales [18] - Nvidia holds an estimated 80% to 90% market share in the data center AI chip market, with a strong competitive advantage through its CUDA software platform [20][21] - Demand for Nvidia's next-generation chips remains high, with a backlog of $500 billion in orders, and the company is expanding into new markets like robotics and autonomous vehicles [23]

Company Overview - IonQ is a pure-play quantum computing company that utilizes trapped-ion technology, allowing for high accuracy and operation at room temperature, distinguishing it from competitors using cryogenically cooled systems [3] Revenue Streams - IonQ generates revenue primarily by selling access to its quantum computing power on a per-use or subscription basis through cloud partnerships and its own cloud service [1] - The company also sells specialized quantum computing hardware systems to select customers, including government labs and research institutions, along with maintenance and support services [1] Strategic Partnerships and R&D - IonQ collaborates with third-party cloud platforms such as Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure Quantum, and Google Cloud to make its quantum computers accessible [2] - A significant portion of IonQ's resources is allocated to R&D aimed at enhancing the performance, accuracy, and scalability of its quantum systems [2] - The company is expanding into quantum networking, security, and sensing applications through strategic acquisitions [2] Recent Developments - IonQ achieved a revenue of $39.9 million in Q3 2025, marking a 222% year-over-year increase, despite operating at a loss [7] - The company ended the quarter with a strong cash and investment position of $1.5 billion [7] - IonQ reached an Algorithmic Qubit score of AQ 64 on its fifth-generation IonQ Tempo system, allowing it to evaluate over 18 quintillion possibilities [8] Market Potential - Quantum computing is projected to unlock trillions in economic value, with a market expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 30% or more through 2035 [10] - IonQ's advancements in quantum networking could further expand its long-term addressable market [10] Applications - The achievement of AQ 64 enables IonQ's quantum computers to address complex problems that classical supercomputers cannot, with potential applications in drug development, financial modeling, and logistics optimization [9]

One of these stocks hasn't performed well in 2025, leading to a magnificent opportunity for the year ahead.The premise of only picking a single stock from a small group of options obviously doesn't apply in the real world. You can buy any stock (or as many stocks as) you want to at any given time.Nevertheless, this sort of thought exercise has value. Not only does it require you to weigh a company's own pros against its own cons, but it also forces you to compare one potential investment to another. This ca ...

Core Insights - The e-commerce market is experiencing growth through innovation and technology, with Q3 2025 e-commerce sales increasing by 5.1% compared to Q3 2024, while total retail sales rose by 4.1% [1] - E-commerce now represents approximately 16.4% of total U.S. retail sales, with a trend towards blending online and offline shopping experiences [2] - Companies that can effectively operate in both online and offline channels are positioned to compete successfully in the future [2] Industry Trends - The convenience of online shopping is a primary driver of e-commerce growth, particularly among Gen-Z consumers who are accustomed to high levels of digitization [4] - Social media platforms are influencing shopping behaviors, with digital influencers playing a significant role in shaping consumer preferences [5] - AI is becoming a major enabler of e-commerce, with Adobe estimating a 515-520% increase in AI-driven traffic to retail websites during the 2025 holiday season [9] Company Insights - **Expedia Group, Inc. (EXPE)**: The company is experiencing growth in both B2C and B2B segments, with total gross bookings increasing by 12% and B2B bookings rising by 26% [23] [24] - Analysts are optimistic about Expedia, with earnings estimates for 2025 increasing by 6.8% and for 2026 by 9.2% [26] - **Amazon, Inc. (AMZN)**: Amazon maintains a dominant position in the online marketplace and is leveraging its Prime loyalty program to drive sales [28] - Despite recent challenges, including a settlement with the FTC and layoffs, analysts expect Amazon to achieve double-digit revenue and earnings growth in the coming years [30][32]

Grocery delivery firm Instacart will pay $60 million to refund consumers who were deceived into enrolling in the company’s subscription service, Instacart+, the US Federal Trade Commission said.The consumer protection agency said the company that operates Instacart, Maplebear Inc., misled consumers by saying their first order was “free” despite charging a mandatory grocery delivery fee, according to a complaint and settlement filed in California federal court Thursday. Instacart also failed to clearly discl ...

Now to shift gears and get some insights on the news that is shaping the overall markets. For that, we'd like to welcome in Dale Smothers, president and CEO at RDS Wealth Management. Dale, thanks so much for being with us on this Friday.I mean, looking back at the year that was in 2025. Why do you think the this bull market is still met with so much caution. >> Jenny, you're exactly right.It was the uh climbing the wall of worry is an analogy that I like to use. This this market has been resilient. The cons ...

U.S. stock futures are showing a mixed performance this Friday, December 19, 2025, as investors digest cooler-than-expected inflation data and a strong tech-led rally from the previous session. While the broader market sentiment remains cautiously optimistic, premarket trading indicates a nuanced picture across major indices. Futures on the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NDX) are up by approximately 0.43% to 0.45%, building on Thursday's momentum. Similarly, S&P 500 (SPX) futures are trading higher, gaining between ...