Stocks had another volatile week with oil, bond rates, and concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) dominating the headlines. Oil is moving lower, but investors should expect a higher floor as the demand for oil and natural gas remains insatiable. A 10-year Treasury rate of over 5% adds another headwind for stocks.
The next round of earnings won't kick off until mid-October. Until then, stocks are likely to move on headlines rather than fundamentals. But earnings are still the story, and they're expected to stay strong in the quarter that's ending. Many analysts believe that will spark a rally into the end of the year regardless of what happens with interest rates.
Next week, investors will get the latest reading on inflation with the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index on Sept. 30. That will be followed by the September Jobs report on Oct. 2. Both could be market-moving events.
Articles by Thomas Hughes
Thomas Hughes explained that the bull case for Bloom Energy NYSE: BE is simple. Energy is a bottleneck for the AI buildout, and Bloom can help unclog that bottleneck. In addition to speed of deployment, Hughes highlighted several other reasons why Bloom's technology supports a higher stock price.
NVIDIA NASDAQ: NVDA chief executive officer (CEO) Jensen Huang recently announced that cybersecurity would be the next area of growth in the AI trade. Hughes pointed investors to three stocks that sit at the center of NVIDIA's cybersecurity push.
Is it time to snack on General Mills NYSE: GIS? The stock is down over 25% in 2026 and delivered an uninspiring earnings report. However, Hughes explained why the company is nearing an inflection point that could make it appealing to yield-focused investors.
Articles by Sam Quirke
The Tesla Inc. NASDAQ: TSLA monthly delivery report used to be a significant moment for investors. However, Sam Quirke wrote that investors shrugged off this month's report. That's further evidence that institutions view Tesla as more than a car company.
Quirke also wrote about the AI power bottleneck. Amazon NASDAQ: AMZN is partnering with Generac Holdings NYSE: GNRC to secure backup generators for its expanding network of AI data centers. It adds to the company's capital expenditures, but power is now a must-have expense for hyperscalers.
Marvell Technology NASDAQ: MRVL has rebounded after a summer slump. Quirke explained why the stock is surging and whether it can keep up in the custom AI chip race.
Articles by Chris Markoch
Viking Therapeutics NASDAQ: VKTX may be shifting the GLP-1 conversation toward dosing rate rather than absolute weight loss. Chris Markoch explained what investors should understand about what this means for the sector and the risks that still exist for VKTX.
Markoch also looked at four stocks with high short interest and analyzed whether the bearish sentiment for each stock is warranted or misplaced.
Palantir Technologies NASDAQ: PLTR has been in a steady uptrend since its Q2 earnings. This week, Markoch highlighted two recent analyst upgrades and how they contrast with Michael Burry's bearish call.
Articles by Ryan Hasson
Higher interest rates and fears of a contracting AI trade have made dividend stocks appealing. This week, Ryan Hasson offered investors five dividend stocks that combine income and share price growth with bullish analyst sentiment.
Stocks, particularly technology stocks, were expected to move sharply lower after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates. For the most part, the opposite has happened, and Hasson highlighted three technology stocks that could have more upside if the rally has legs.
In a tale of two defense sector stocks, investors had a muted reaction to the news that Boeing NYSE: BA and Lockheed Martin NYSE: LMT secured nearly $1.9 billion in defense awards from the Pentagon. Hasson explained why the market may only have one story right.
Articles by Leo Miller
Three words can help investors navigate the AI headlines: follow the money. This week, Miller did just that by reminding investors that Broadcom NASDAQ: AVGO CEO Hock Tan doubled down on his bullish call for approximately $350 billion in AI sales despite calls for a slowdown in AI frontier development.
The call for AI regulation has put an end to any lingering concerns of a SaaS-pocalypse. Miller explained why that translates into bullish news for three software stocks that have already been on the rebound.
Meta Platforms NASDAQ: META is up over 30% in the last 30 days, and the stock got more bullish news this week. Miller highlighted that Meta One subscriptions are growing due, in large part, to the launch of the company's personal AI agent, Muse.
Articles by Nathan Reiff
At a time when consumers are increasingly sensitive to how they spend their money and to which companies, customer engagement software is having a moment. This month, Braze Inc. NASDAQ: BRZE beat expectations. Nathan Reiff highlighted two other SaaS companies for investors to watch.
IonQ Inc. NYSE: IONQ has been one of the early winners in the quantum computing sector. The company recently secured another big win. However, Reiff pointed out that while the headlines suggest future commercial success, the reality of future revenue will still take time.
Reiff also pointed investors to three stocks delivering market-beating growth not driven by AI. But Reiff noted that each company has catalysts that suggest the growth can continue.
Articles by Dan Schmidt
Dan Schmidt highlighted that recent headlines have convinced some investors to take profits in their AI stocks. But headlines and future reality are different, and Schmidt highlighted three AI stocks with attractive valuations, backed by strong demand and even stronger outlooks.
Sandisk Corp. NASDAQ: SNDK joined the S&P 100 this week. However, Schmidt explained that now that index-tracking funds are required to own SNDK, investors will need to be more discerning about what's driving any growth in the stock.
Recent data from the National Restaurant Association suggests consumers are still dining out. Schmidt explained why that news can't come at a better time for three restaurant stocks that are near 52-week lows due to growing pressure on their core consumer.
Articles by Jeffrey Neal Johnson
The story of Qualcomm Inc. NASDAQ: QCOM in 2026 is the company's pivot into agentic AI, which will allow the company to go beyond the cyclical smartphone upgrade cycles. This week, Jeffrey Neal Johnson highlighted the company's progress and why analysts are still taking a wait-and-see approach that may be an opportunity for patient investors.
Meta's rollout of Muse has created an unexpected winner in the AI trade. Johnson explained why Arm Holdings NASDAQ: ARM is surging as investors focus their attention on the CPU demands of agentic AI.
Oura Inc. NASDAQ: OURA expects to begin publicly trading the week of Sept. 28. Johnson explained why the company's engagement metrics and institutional support from players like Eli Lilly NYSE: LLY may help support Oura's premium valuation.
Articles by Peter Frank
The rebuilding of Tapestry NYSE: TPR is complete, and Coach is driving that growth. However, valuation concerns are keeping some investors on the sidelines. Peter Frank wrote about the opportunity that exists if the company can avoid executional risks.
In a year when small-cap stocks stand out, Dave Inc. NASDAQ: DAVE is having a moment. The company behind the cash-advance app is displaying impressive growth. Frank pointed to analyst support that should drive the stock higher.
Energy Transfer NYSE: ET is securing victory from the jaws of defeat. Frank explained why, nearly a year after abandoning what was supposed to be a signature natural gas export terminal, the company's focus on its pipeline backlog is paying off for investors.
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