Apple Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and accessories worldwide. The company offers iPhone, a line of smartphones; Mac, a line of personal computers; iPad, a line of multi-purpose tablets; and wearables, home, and accessories comprising AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, and HomePod. It also provides AppleCare support and cloud services; and operates various platforms, including the App Store that allow customers to discover and download applications and digital content, such as books, music, video, games, and podcasts. In addition, the company offers various services, such as Apple Arcade, a game subscription service; Apple Fitness+, a personalized fitness service; Apple Music, which offers users a curated listening experience with on-demand radio stations; Apple News+, a subscription news and magazine service; Apple TV+, which offers exclusive original content; Apple Card, a co-branded credit card; and Apple Pay, a cashless payment service, as well as licenses its intellectual property. The company serves consumers, and small and mid-sized businesses; and the education, enterprise, and government markets. It distributes third-party applications for its products through the App Store. The company also sells its products through its retail and online stores, and direct sales force; and third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers, and resellers. Apple Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.

Apple Inc.

There aren't many things we can say for certain these days, but there is one: We dividend investors are far better off than the mainstream crowd!
Consider the poor souls holding "America's ticker"--my name for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY). I call it that because, well, pretty well everyone owns it. These folks white-knuckled it through the April "tariff tantrum" and are now on a knife edge as the ETF bobs around near all-time highs, boosting the odds of yet another sharp drop.
Of course, pullbacks are a constant in investing (and something we contrarians love to tap for bargains!). But the trouble with holding something like SPY, with just a 1.2% payout, is that, if you need cash from your holdings, you run the very real risk of being forced to sell at a loss in a downturn.
That risk gets higher if you've spread your holdings across just a few stocks, or lean too heavily on one sector, like tech. (SPY "bakes in" this fault, by the way: A third of its portfolio is tied up in tech, far and away its biggest allocation.)
Consider a stock like Apple (AAPL), whose dividend is fine, but whose share price has cratered. Tim Cook's company shed 17% over the first half of 2025.
Sell Into This Dumpster Fire? A Nightmare for Any Retiree
Having to sell into a drop like that to get the cash we need can be a retirement killer.
Our Dividend Picks Are Built for Trying Times
Situations like that spotlight the value of high, safe payouts that help keep our bills paid no matter what. They also let us reinvest, boosting our income and upside as we do.
Even better if we use a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP), which automatically reinvests our payouts at a fixed level and a regular frequency. That way, we'll automatically buy more shares when they're down and fewer when they're pricey.
This is how lasting wealth is created. And it's yet another reason why dividends are crucial. But there is one thing that is, frankly, a pain when it comes to dividends: They can be a nuisance to track.
To be fair, more brokerages do offer accounts with built-in dividend trackers. But they're only useful for any investments you hold with that particular broker.
What if you have more than one account, or invest through more than one brokerage? Or you want to project income from an investment you don't own (yet) but are considering?
For those situations, brokerage-run apps are clumsy at best. Useless at worst.
There are a bundle of "outside" apps out there, too. But switching to one likely means manually entering your tickers and/or learning a whole new system. No thanks!
Know What You're Getting Paid--and When--With Income Calendar
Here at Contrarian Outlook, we've tried a lot of dividend-projection tools, and we didn't find any we loved (or even liked much). So we created our own. It's called Income Calendar, and it quickly and easily ensures your dividends are in your account before your bills come out.
Let's walk through this handy tool with a ticker subscribers to my Contrarian Income Report service will recognize: FS Credit Opportunities (FSCO). This closed-end fund (CEF) has returned a tidy 19% for us since we bought it last October, as of this writing.
FSCO is really a business development company (BDC) in a CEF wrapper: it offers loans in the private market, where it can dictate favorable terms. This, in turn, steadies its net asset value (NAV, or the value of its underlying portfolio). That gave its holdings a far calmer ride than our poor SPY investors endured in the first half of '25!
The fund takes the returns from this rock-steady portfolio and hands them to us in the form of its outsized 11.2% dividend. Payouts come our way monthly and steadily edge higher over time, in tune with FSCO's NAV. Take a look at this chart, generated through, you guessed it, Income Calendar:
Note that we only have a few years' worth of dividends to look at here. That's because FSCO only launched in November 2022. That newness is a big part of our opportunity here.
Since CEF investors hate new issues, we get to buy at a slight discount to FSCO's NAV, around 2% as I write this. I see a big premium in the future as more income-seekers catch on to FSCO's growing double-digit payout.
Now let's swing over to Income Calendar and plug in FSCO, along with a couple other Contrarian Income Report holdings that pay quarterly, so we can get a good sense of how our tracker helps us navigate a range of payout frequencies.
Those would be gas-pipeline operator Antero Midstream (AM), which stands to gain as the Trump administration's new tax-and-spending law helps the gas producers using its pipelines--and Ares Capital (ARCC), a lender to small businesses that's set to write more loans as these firms adopt AI, boost their productivity and expand.
Let's say we invest $100,000 in each. Income Calendar tells us, immediately, what we can expect in terms of dividends every month from our 3-buy "mini-portfolio":
As you can see, with just these three buys, we've got dividends ranging from $936.45 in a month up to $3,071.49, and a total of $24,876.10 in the year, on just $300K invested. That's a rich 8.3% yield. (Bear in mind, too, that to be overly conservative, we don't project dividend growth here, so our "real" payouts could end up higher.)
You can get complete breakdowns by stock, plus a month-by-month calendar giving you a heads-up on earnings dates, ex-dividend dates and other critical periods for every one of your holdings. Instantly!
Check it out. Here's what our three-buy portfolio shows us for September 2025, one of our highest-paying months:
We can see our projected pay dates, as well as ex-dividend dates (the dates before which we need to be "in" the stock to get the next payout) and even things like market holidays. We even get a heads-up on when our stocks are due to report earnings--though there are none of these for our trio in September.
There's more, too, like real-time email alerts every time a dividend drops into our account, a "week-ahead" summary telling us exactly how much we'll get paid and when, a handy tool that instantly tells us our "yield on cost" (so we can see the "true" yield on each of our stocks, based on the timing of our original buy) and more.
Now--with dividends (and the need to stay on top of them) more important than ever--is a perfect time to try Income Calendar.
Click here and I'll tell you more about this powerful dividend planner and give you the opportunity to "road test" it out for yourself. I'm sure you'll love it.
Also see:
Warren Buffett Dividend Stocks
Dividend Growth Stocks: 25 Aristocrats
Future Dividend Aristocrats: Close Contenders
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

How to Get $24,876 in Dividends (and Know the Exact Day They'll Hit Your Account)

(RTTNews) - Apple Inc. (AAPL) said on Tuesday that it has expanded its Apple Retail into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the launch of the Apple Store online and Apple Store app, introducing support directly from Apple in Arabic for the first time.
The customers in Saudi Arabia now will be able to shop Apple's full range of products with services.
In addition, Apple has announced its plans to open the first flagship Apple Store in Saudi Arabia in 2026. As part of this expansion, Apple is in the initial stages of its plans to bring a retail store to Diriyah.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Apple Launches Apple Store Online In Saudi Arabia; Plans To Open Apple Store In 2026

Key Points
One of these stocks finished the first half unchanged, and the other fell in the double-digits.
Both represent great long-term bets, and at today’s reasonable prices, are ripe for a rebound.
Over the past two years, investors put their money into an industry set to become the next big thing in technology: artificial intelligence (AI). This billion-dollar market is set to reach into the trillions in a few years as it potentially changes the way business is done and how our daily lives are organized. All of this is great news for companies that get in early and play a key role, and investors, recognizing this, drove these stocks higher.
But, earlier in the first half, many of these players lost their momentum. Investors worried that President Trump's import tariffs would hurt economic growth -- and that made any high-growth industry, such as AI, vulnerable. AI stocks and other growth players led declines in April on these concerns. In recent weeks, though, signs have emerged that headwinds may not be as strong as expected -- the U.S. has been negotiating tariffs with other countries, for example -- and this has helped optimism return to the stock market. The S&P 500 even reached record highs in recent days.
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Now, my prediction is the following two AI stocks -- one that stagnated and another that fell in the double-digits in the first half -- will rebound in the second half of the year.
1. Amazon
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) stock, after rising early in the year and dropping on import tariff concerns in April, then began to rebound -- and finished the first half unchanged. Today, there's reason to believe the positive momentum will continue and this stock will climb in the second half.
It's important to remember that Amazon is a well-established leader in both e-commerce and cloud computing and has delivered earnings growth over many years. So, investors who may have been a bit skittish about investing a few months ago may feel more comfortable with Amazon than with a newer player that hasn't yet proven itself. The company also revamped its cost structure a few years ago, a move that helped it through the challenge of higher inflation and that should help it face other cost challenges in the future -- such as import tariffs.
Amazon also is well positioned to benefit as the AI boom continues as the company is a user and a provider of AI. In e-commerce, Amazon uses AI across its fulfillment network to gain in efficiency, lowering its cost to serve. And Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud business, offers customers a wide range of AI products and services -- from chips to a fully managed service that gives users access to AI models they can tailor to their needs. All of this has helped AWS reach a $117 billion annual revenue run rate.
Right now, Amazon trades for 36 times forward earnings estimates, a reasonable price that could attract investors in the second half -- and help this top AI stock to rebound.
2. Apple
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has faced two problems in recent times. The company has been slower than other tech giants to adopt AI, and it also is viewed as a player that may suffer the most from import tariffs due to its reliance on production abroad -- most iPhones have generally been manufactured in China.
All of this has weighed on Apple stock, and in the first half, the shares fell 18%. Though the headwinds haven't disappeared, the situation is improving. Apple is in the early days of its Apple Intelligence growth story, meaning this array of AI features could offer a catalyst for growth in the quarters to come. And, as mentioned above, trade negotiations are happening -- it's also important to note that the U.S. is unlikely to make decisions that would destroy the earnings potential of one of its biggest companies. Apple is the third-largest in market value after Nvidia and Microsoft.
And, like Amazon, Apple is a company that's proved itself over time, delivering many years of earnings growth into the billions of dollars. It also has a solid brand moat, with customers flocking to the iPhone -- the world's No. 1 smartphone -- regardless of the price or wait time for the latest release. Investors looking for a growth pick that doesn't come with a great deal of risk may notice these points.
Finally, this established leader also has a newish growth driver, and that's services revenue. Now that it has more than 2.2 billion devices active worldwide, these devices, are bringing in recurrent revenue through services subscriptions -- from cloud storage to digital content.
All of this could prompt investors to set aside near-term challenges and get into Apple today at a bargain 29 times forward earnings estimates -- and that could power shares of this solid long-term stock higher in the second half.
Should you invest $1,000 in Amazon right now?
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John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Adria Cimino has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Prediction: These 2 AI Stocks Will Rebound in the 2nd Half

$2,290,000 of APPLE INC lobbying was just disclosed, from Q2 of 2025, in a new Lobbying Disclosure Act filing.
This included lobbying on issues like:
"General tax issues, including expiring tax provisions Providing information regarding Apple's tax posture
Issues related to encryption and cybersecurity, including operation of the CLOUD Act
Issues related to immigration reform Issues related to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program Issues related to waivers, recapturing unused green cards, and removing per-country caps on employment-based visas
Issues related to the domestic manufacturing of semiconductors Providing information related to Apples supply chain Providing information related to artificial intelligence and domestic manufacturing
Issues related to general spectrum management and policy, including issues related to ultra-wideband uses Issues related to telecommunications and accessibility
General patent policy, including issues related to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, S. 1553/H.R. 3160 the PREVAIL Act, and S. 708/H.R. 1574 the RESTORE Patent Rights Act Issues related to standard essential patents Issues related to anti-counterfeit policy General trademark and copyright policy Issues related to patent proceedings and the International Trade Commission, including the Advancing Americas Interests Act General overview of music licensing legal framework
Providing general information about Apple's coding and education programs
Providing information on Apples commitment to the environment, including recycling efforts Issues related to environmental policy, including critical minerals and renewable energy
Providing information related to Apples efforts around financial services and S.J. Res. 28 re the Larger Participant Rule
Issues related to the U.S. - EU Privacy Shield Issues related to anti-counterfeit and anti-piracy policy Issues related to the trade impacts of intellectual property disputes Issues related to U.S. competitiveness in global markets Issues related to tariff and non-tariff trade barriers
General consumer privacy issues Providing information relevant to online child safety, including potential legislation, regulatory policy, H.R. 3149/S. 1586 the App Store Accountability Act, and S. 1748 the Kids Online Safety Act Encouraging the development and adoption of strong consumer data privacy protections via legislation and/or regulatory policy Providing information on App Store policies and procedures Providing information related to Apple product features and functionality Issues related to privacy and security practices in the app ecosystem Providing information related to Apple's artificial intelligence offerings including consumer protections
Providing information related to the health features of Apples products Providing information relevant to H.R. 4203 the WEAR IT Act
Issues related to competition in digital markets and the app marketplace, including privacy, security, and competitiveness issues related to the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (pre-introduction), S. 2153 the Open App Markets Act, and H.R. 3209 the App Store Freedom Act Educating policymakers about Apples employee base in their states Providing information to policymakers about global regulations impacting competition in digital markets"
You can find more data on corporate lobbying on Quiver Quantitative.
AAPL Congressional Stock Trading
Members of Congress have traded $AAPL stock 42 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 21 have been purchases and 21 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $AAPL stock by members of Congress over the last 6 months:
REPRESENTATIVE CLEO FIELDS has traded it 11 times. They made 11 purchases worth up to $1,160,000 on 06/30, 06/25, 06/09, 06/03 and 0 sales.
REPRESENTATIVE TIM MOORE has traded it 2 times. They made 1 purchase worth up to $100,000 on 06/02 and 1 sale worth up to $250,000 on 06/02.
REPRESENTATIVE JEFFERSON SHREVE has traded it 4 times. They made 2 purchases worth up to $300,000 on 04/07, 03/31 and 2 sales worth up to $1,250,000 on 05/12, 05/08.
REPRESENTATIVE MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE has traded it 5 times. They made 5 purchases worth up to $75,000 on 05/05, 04/09, 04/03, 03/17, 02/12 and 0 sales.
REPRESENTATIVE BRUCE WESTERMAN has traded it 3 times. They made 1 purchase worth up to $50,000 on 03/03 and 2 sales worth up to $65,000 on 04/21, 03/20.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSH GOTTHEIMER has traded it 6 times. They made 0 purchases and 6 sales worth up to $90,000 on 04/09, 03/06, 03/05, 02/24, 02/21, 02/03.
REPRESENTATIVE JULIE JOHNSON has traded it 2 times. They made 0 purchases and 2 sales worth up to $30,000 on 04/07, 03/31.
REPRESENTATIVE GREG LANDSMAN has traded it 2 times. They made 0 purchases and 2 sales worth up to $100,000 on 03/27.
To track congressional stock trading, check out Quiver Quantitative's congressional trading dashboard.
AAPL Insider Trading Activity
AAPL insiders have traded $AAPL stock on the open market 14 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 14 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $AAPL stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
TIMOTHY D COOK (Chief Executive Officer) has made 0 purchases and 4 sales selling 108,136 shares for an estimated $24,184,658.
KATHERINE L. ADAMS (SVP, GC and Secretary) has made 0 purchases and 4 sales selling 38,822 shares for an estimated $8,683,252.
JEFFREY E WILLIAMS (COO) has made 0 purchases and 3 sales selling 35,493 shares for an estimated $7,950,690.
KEVAN PAREKH (Senior Vice President, CFO) sold 4,570 shares for an estimated $941,420
To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.
AAPL Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 2,100 institutional investors add shares of AAPL stock to their portfolio, and 3,131 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
KINGSTONE CAPITAL PARTNERS TEXAS, LLC added 205,656,808 shares (+573627.2%) to their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $42,194,607,297
UBS AM, A DISTINCT BUSINESS UNIT OF UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC removed 91,336,544 shares (-87.2%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $20,288,586,518
GAMMA INVESTING LLC removed 59,788,635 shares (-99.5%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $12,266,834,242
CAPITAL RESEARCH GLOBAL INVESTORS removed 23,748,072 shares (-32.9%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $5,275,159,233
PROFICIO CAPITAL PARTNERS LLC removed 20,945,084 shares (-99.5%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $4,652,531,508
H&H INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT, LLC removed 18,544,974 shares (-35.1%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $4,119,395,074
BLACKROCK, INC. added 16,785,263 shares (+1.5%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $3,728,510,470
AAPL Analyst Ratings
Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $AAPL in the last several months. We have seen 12 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 1 firms issue sell ratings.
Here are some recent analyst ratings:
JP Morgan issued a "Overweight" rating on 07/17/2025
Wedbush issued a "Outperform" rating on 07/09/2025
Morgan Stanley issued a "Overweight" rating on 06/10/2025
B of A Securities issued a "Buy" rating on 06/10/2025
Baird issued a "Outperform" rating on 05/02/2025
DA Davidson issued a "Buy" rating on 05/02/2025
Barclays issued a "Underweight" rating on 04/30/2025
To track analyst ratings and price targets for AAPL, check out Quiver Quantitative's $AAPL forecast page.
Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $AAPL recently. We have seen 19 analysts offer price targets for $AAPL in the last 6 months, with a median target of $235.0.
Here are some recent targets:
Samik Chatterjee from JP Morgan set a target price of $250.0 on 07/17/2025
Daniel Ives from Wedbush set a target price of $270.0 on 07/09/2025
Edison Lee from Jefferies set a target price of $188.32 on 07/01/2025
Erik Woodring from Morgan Stanley set a target price of $235.0 on 06/10/2025
Wamsi Mohan from B of A Securities set a target price of $235.0 on 06/10/2025
Laura Martin from Needham set a target price of $225.0 on 06/04/2025
William Power from Baird set a target price of $230.0 on 05/02/2025
This article is not financial advice. See Quiver Quantitative's disclaimers for more information.
This article was originally published on Quiver News, read the full story.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Lobbying Update: $2,290,000 of APPLE INC lobbying was just disclosed

The NASDAQ 100 After Hours Indicator is down -10.24 to 23,169.82. The total After hours volume is currently 131,263,799 shares traded.
The following are the most active stocks for the after hours session:
Opendoor Technologies Inc (OPEN) is +0.38 at $3.59, with 20,722,720 shares traded., following a 52-week high recorded in today's regular session.
Grab Holdings Limited (GRAB) is +0.36 at $5.71, with 10,906,133 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for GRAB is in the "buy range".
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI) is +0.0399 at $27.15, with 5,320,355 shares traded. KMI's current last sale is 86.19% of the target price of $31.5.
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) is -0.21 at $171.17, with 5,102,810 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for NVDA is in the "buy range".
TAL Education Group (TAL) is unchanged at $10.49, with 4,616,376 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for TAL is in the "buy range".
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) is +0.19 at $564.36, with 3,208,225 shares traded. This represents a 40.25% increase from its 52 Week Low.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (HPE) is -0.0543 at $20.61, with 2,989,889 shares traded. HPE's current last sale is 89.59% of the target price of $23.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) is +0.27 at $212.75, with 2,701,777 shares traded. AAPL's current last sale is 90.53% of the target price of $235.
Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN) is -2.27 at $212.30, with 2,674,310 shares traded.TXN is scheduled to provide an earnings report on 7/22/2025, for the fiscal quarter ending Jun2025. The consensus earnings per share forecast is 1.32 per share, which represents a 122 percent increase over the EPS one Year Ago
AT&T Inc. (T) is -0.0099 at $27.37, with 2,551,525 shares traded.T is scheduled to provide an earnings report on 7/23/2025, for the fiscal quarter ending Jun2025. The consensus earnings per share forecast is 0.51 per share, which represents a 57 percent increase over the EPS one Year Ago
Chevron Corporation (CVX) is unchanged at $149.68, with 2,460,525 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 3 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Jun 2025. The consensus EPS forecast is $1.67. CVX's current last sale is 90.99% of the target price of $164.5.
Brookfield Corporation (BN) is -0.08 at $66.25, with 2,436,556 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for BN is in the "buy range".
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

After Hours Most Active for Jul 21, 2025 : OPEN, GRAB, KMI, NVDA, TAL, QQQ, HPE, AAPL, TXN, T, CVX, BN

Key Points
Apple and Tesla will soon report second-quarter earnings.
Apple's growth is slow as it struggles to move beyond the iPhone.
Tesla's sales and profits are moving quickly in the wrong direction.
Earnings season is officially upon us, and some of the biggest companies in the world are set to report their quarterly financials in the coming days. Two key stocks I will be watching this earnings season are Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), which are both hitting speed bumps. Tesla is losing market share in electric vehicle sales, while Apple's growth has slowed with the flagship iPhone maturing around the globe.
In the coming days -- July 23 for Tesla and July 31 for Apple -- the companies will report their second-quarter earnings, and investors are on high alert. Is either company a sell before their report?
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Apple's stagnant growth
Apple's dominance in smartphones is undeniable, a category it popularized by releasing the iPhone in 2007, almost 20 years ago. Today, iPhone hardware sales are at $200 billion annually, with a lot of software and services revenue layered on top. It is still a great business, but one that is not growing quickly. Smartphone upgrades are decreasing (meaning customers aren't buying new models as often) because of the little difference between new devices every passing year. This has caused a stagnation in Apple device sales since 2022 after the COVID-19 spending boom.
Eventually, Apple will need to take the next step up in computing hardware or risk getting left behind technologically. For example, it is losing out so far in augmented and virtual reality to Meta Platforms, which is selling millions of its new glasses-based hardware every year. Apple tried to enter this market with the Vision Pro headset, but it was a flop and has likely been discontinued.
Stagnant growth is a concern for Apple. It needs to develop huge, widely bought products in order to move the needle for its $400 billion revenue base. With no products on the horizon and meager efforts in the hot AI market, it is hard to predict that Apple's revenue will grow substantially faster than inflation in the next few years.
This is a problem when looking at the stock's valuation. Today, Apple has a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 33, which is an earnings ratio typically reserved for high-growth stocks. Eventually, Apple is going to have to start growing again or risk multiple compression and a falling share price. This means you should consider selling Apple stock before it soon reports Q2 earnings.
If Apple investors need to be worried about stagnant growth, then Tesla investors have an even worse issue: declining sales. Last quarter, Tesla's automotive revenue declined 20% year-over-year to $14 billion. Profits are moving in the wrong direction and even worse than revenue due to the fixed leverage unwinding in the automotive manufacturing division. Operating income is off close to 50% from all-time highs over the last 12 months.
This quarter does not look promising, either. Tesla's unit sales to customers continue to slide and it already reported Q2 deliveries of 384,000 compared to 443,000 in the year-ago quarter. The brand is losing market share in the United States, Europe, and China to increasing competition among other electric vehicle upstarts and legacy automotive players.
In the United States, tax credits for electric vehicles are expiring, which will make it more expensive for customers to buy a Tesla. It has been forced to slash its selling prices, which has hurt its profit margins.
Even though it is struggling mightily, Tesla stock trades at a nosebleed P/E ratio of 179. At a market cap of $1 trillion, it will need to grow into net income of $40 billion or more just to get a somewhat reasonable valuation. It generated $6.4 billion in earnings over the last 12 months and only briefly hit an annualized rate of over $10 billion. The likelihood that Tesla achieves a bottom-line profit of $40 billion anytime soon seems far-fetched.
I can understand an argument for why an investor should hold Apple stock at today's prices. But there is no rational argument for continuing to risk your portfolio in Tesla shares. It would be prudent to sell your stake before this Q2 earnings report.
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Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Brett Schafer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Meta Platforms, and Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Should You Sell These 2 Popular "Magnificent Seven" Stocks Before They Report Earnings?

Netflix NFLX delivered another solid quarterly performance in second-quarter 2025, beating analyst expectations and raising full-year guidance across multiple metrics. (Read More: Netflix Q2 Earnings Beat on Squid Game Finale, 2025 Outlook Raised)
The streaming giant's results demonstrate continued momentum in subscriber growth, advertising revenues, and content engagement, though investors face the question of whether current valuations offer attractive entry points or warrant a patient approach.
Netflix has delivered impressive returns for shareholders so far in 2025, with the streaming giant's shares surging approximately 35.7% year to date, significantly outpacing other streaming competitors like Apple AAPL, Amazon AMZN, and Disney DIS, as well as the broader Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector and the S&P 500. Shares of Apple have lost 14.5%, while Disney and Amazon have returned 8.8% and 3.6% in the same time frame, respectively.
NFLX Outperforms Sector, Competition
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Strong Revenue Performance Drives Guidance
The company reported second-quarter 2025 revenues of $11.079 billion, representing 16% year-over-year growth that exceeded the consensus estimate. More significantly, Netflix raised its full-year 2025 revenue forecast to $44.8-$45.2 billion from the previous range of $43.5-$44.5 billion. This upward revision indicates anticipated growth of 15%-16% on a reported basis, or 16%-17% when adjusted for foreign exchange fluctuations.
The increase in revenues stems from multiple growth drivers working in tandem. Member growth accelerated toward the end of the second quarter, exceeding internal forecasts, while the company's advertising business continues gaining traction with expectations to roughly double ad revenues in 2025. Currency effects also provided a tailwind, as U.S. dollar weakness against major currencies enhanced international revenue contributions when translated back to dollars.
For third-quarter 2025, Netflix projects revenues of $11.526 billion, representing 17% growth on both reported and currency-neutral bases. This guidance suggests sustained momentum across pricing, membership expansion, and advertising monetization.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NFLX’s 2025 revenues is pegged at $44.85 billion, indicating 15% year-over-year growth. The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at $25.81 per share, indicating a 30.16% increase from the previous year.
Netflix, Inc. Price and Consensus
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Margin Expansion Reflects Operational Efficiency
Netflix's profitability outlook has similarly improved, with the company raising its full-year operating margin target to 29.5% on a currency-neutral basis from the previous 29% forecast. At current exchange rates, this translates to approximately 30% reported operating margin for 2025. The second-quarter operating margin of 34% demonstrated the company's ability to scale efficiently while investing heavily in content.
The improved margin guidance primarily reflects the revenue upside flowing through to profitability, as operating expenses remain largely unchanged from previous forecasts. This operational leverage underscores Netflix's maturing business model, where incremental revenue growth translates more directly to bottom-line expansion.
Free cash flow projections have also increased to $8.0-$8.5 billion from approximately $8.0 billion previously, reflecting the enhanced revenues and margin outlook. This cash generation capability supports continued content investment while enabling shareholder returns through share repurchases.
Robust Content Pipeline Supports Long-Term Growth
Netflix's content slate in the second half of 2025 represents one of its strongest lineups, featuring highly anticipated returns of marquee franchises. The fifth and final season of Stranger Things headlines the offering, alongside the second season of Wednesday and the third season of Alice in Borderland. These established properties have demonstrated significant global appeal and engagement metrics.
The new content pipeline spans diverse genres and international markets, including Billionaires' Bunker from Money Heist creator Álex Pina, the thriller Black Rabbit starring Jason Bateman and Jude Law, and House of Guinness from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. This international approach aligns with Netflix's successful "local for local" strategy while creating content with broader market potential.
Film offerings include major sequels like Happy Gilmore 2 and prestige projects from Academy Award winners, including Kathryn Bigelow's A House of Dynamite and Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein. The diverse slate positions Netflix to capture engagement across demographic segments and viewing preferences.
Live Programming Expansion Creates New Opportunities
Netflix's expansion into live programming continues with significant sporting events, including marquee boxing matches and the NFL Christmas Day doubleheader. These events serve multiple strategic purposes: driving subscriber acquisition, commanding premium advertising rates, and creating appointment viewing that enhances engagement metrics.
The live programming strategy represents a differentiated approach within the streaming landscape, potentially creating competitive advantages in both subscriber retention and advertising monetization as the company scales these capabilities.
Investment Considerations and Outlook
Netflix's second-quarter results and raised guidance demonstrate continued execution across key operational metrics. The combination of subscriber growth, advertising revenue expansion, margin improvement, and strong content pipeline suggests the company remains well-positioned for sustained growth.
However, investors should consider current valuations relative to growth expectations and competitive dynamics within streaming. Netflix trades at a premium with a forward 12-month P/S ratio of 10.81 compared to the broader Zacks Broadcast Radio and Television industry's forward earnings multiple of 4.48. The raised guidance may already be reflected in current share prices, potentially limiting near-term upside despite strong fundamentals.
NFLX’s P/S F12M Ratio Depicts Premium Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Conclusion
For existing shareholders, the results support a hold strategy given the company's demonstrated ability to execute across multiple growth vectors. New investors might consider waiting for more attractive entry points, particularly given the strong execution already evident in current valuations. The company's improving cash generation and margin expansion provide downside protection while the content pipeline supports long-term growth prospects. NFLX currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Netflix's Outlook Remains Strong Post Q2 Earnings Beat: Time to Hold?

MP Materials MP announced a landmark long-term agreement to supply Apple AAPL with rare earth magnets manufactured in the United States entirely from recycled materials. The $500 million agreement marks a transformative step for MP, launching its recycling platform and scaling up its magnet production business.
MP Materials will produce the magnets at its Fort Worth, TX, facility (known as Independence) using recycled rare earth feedstock processed at its Mountain Pass site in California. The feedstock will be sourced from post-industrial and end-of-life magnets. This marks a major development in both MP Materials and Apple’s long-standing endeavors to create sustainable, domestic supply chains.
Apple and MP Materials have collaborated over the past five years to develop advanced recycling technology that enables recycled rare earth magnets to be processed into material that meets Apple’s rigorous standards. To deliver on its commitments, MP will construct a commercial-scale, dedicated recycling line at Mountain Pass, enabling the processing of a range of inputs, including magnet scrap and components recovered from end-of-life products.
MP Materials recently entered into a public-private partnership with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to fast-track the development of a domestic rare earth magnet supply chain. Backed by the multibillion-dollar investment package and long-term commitments from DoD, and to fulfill this agreement with Apple, MP Materials will significantly expand the capacity of its Fort Worth magnetics facility.
Magnet shipments are expected to begin in 2027 and will be ramped up to support hundreds of millions of Apple devices.
Rare earth magnets are essential components in smartphones, computers, wearables and other electronics, as well as vehicles, robotics and energy systems. MP’s partnership with Apple not only strengthens its domestic supply but also elevates the global benchmark for sustainable and circular production in critical materials.
While MP focuses on recycled magnet production, peer Energy Fuels UUUU recently initiated the pilot-scale production of heavy rare earth element oxides at its White Mesa Mill in Utah.
Energy Fuels acquired Base Resources Limited in October 2024, which gave it access to the promising Toliara Mineral Sand Project, boosting its potential as a key producer of titanium and zirconium minerals, alongside rare earth elements. Energy Fuels aims to transform the White Mesa Mill into a critical mineral hub, producing uranium, vanadium, rare earth elements and potentially medical radioisotopes.
Energy Fuels recently received the final major regulatory approval to advance the Donald Rare Earth and Mineral Sand Project, a critical milestone in unlocking one of the world’s best near-term sources of 'light', 'mid' and 'heavy' rare earth oxides.
MP’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
MP Materials shares have skyrocketed 305.2% so far this year compared with the industry’s 18.7% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
MP is trading at a forward 12-month price/sales multiple of 27.20X, a significant premium to the industry’s 1.24X. It has a Value Score of F.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MP Materials’ 2025 earnings is pegged at a loss of 42 cents per share. However, the bottom-line estimate for 2026 is pegged at earnings of 41 cents per share. The estimates for both 2025 and 2026 have moved up in the past 60 days, as shown below.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
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Can MP Materials' Apple Deal Redefine U.S. Magnet Supply Chains?

Energy Fuels Inc. UUUU has initiated the pilot-scale production of heavy rare earth element (HREE) oxides at its White Mesa Mill in Utah. Currently, it is the only facility in the United States producing HREEs from mined ores at a commercial site. This makes Energy Fuels a pioneer in domestic HREE production, crucial for the permanent magnet industry and national supply-chain security.
Energy Fuels started producing Dysprosium (Dy) oxide at a purity of at least 99.5%, with plans to produce pilot-scale Terbium (Tb) by November 2025 and samarium (Sm) oxide on a pilot scale in January 2026.
Once the pilot production is successful, Energy Fuels can produce Dy, Tb and Sm on a commercial scale at its existing Phase 1 REE separation circuit at the White Mesa mill following minor modifications by the fourth quarter of 2026 from existing feed sources. The company has previously demonstrated its ability to separate NdPr on a commercial scale successfully through the commissioning of its Phase 1 REE separations circuit at the mill in April 2024.
Energy Fuels’ Donald Project in Australia could start production by the end of 2027. It is one of the richest deposits of HREEs in the world and could complement UUUU’s domestic operations.
Also, its Toliara Project in Madagascar and the Bahia Project in Brazil contain significant quantities of light and heavy REE oxides, which can be supplied to U.S. and European manufacturers.
Recently, its peer, MP Materials MP, entered into a long-term agreement to supply Apple AAPL with rare earth magnets manufactured in the United States from fully recycled materials. Per the deal, MP Materials will supply Apple with magnets produced at Independence, its Fort Worth, TX, facility using recycled rare earth feedstock processed at its Mountain Pass site in California.
The feedstock will be sourced from post-industrial and end-of-life magnets, marking a major milestone in both Apple and MP Material’s long-standing efforts to create sustainable, domestic supply chains.
UUUU’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Energy Fuels shares have gained 82.5% so far this year compared with the industry’s 4.6% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
UUUU is trading at a forward 12-month price/sales multiple of 19.24X, at a significant premium to the industry’s 2.78X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Energy Fuels’ 2025 loss is pegged at 27 cents per share. The bottom-line estimate for 2026 is pegged at earnings of six cents per share. Here is how the EPS estimates for 2025 and 2026 have been revised over the past 60 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
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Is UUUU Set to Dominate the U.S. Heavy Rare Earth Element Market?

The following are the top rated Information Technology stocks according to Validea's Patient Investor model based on the published strategy of Warren Buffett. This strategy seeks out firms with long-term, predictable profitability and low debt that trade at reasonable valuations.
APPLE INC (AAPL) is a large-cap growth stock in the Communications Equipment industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Warren Buffett is 93% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Apple Inc. designs, manufactures and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories, and sells a variety of related services. Its product categories include iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Wearables, Home and Accessories. Its software platforms include iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS. Its services include advertising, AppleCare, cloud services, digital content and payment services. The Company operates various platforms, including the App Store, that allow customers to discover and download applications and digital content, such as books, music, video, games and podcasts. It also offers digital content through subscription-based services, including Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple News+, and Apple TV+. Its products include iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 15, iPhone 14, iPhone SE, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, Mac Pro, iPad Pro, iPad Air, AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
Detailed Analysis of APPLE INC
ADOBE INC (ADBE) is a large-cap growth stock in the Software & Programming industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Warren Buffett is 72% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Adobe Inc. is a global technology company. The Company's products, services and solutions are used around the world to imagine, create, manage, deliver, measure, optimize and engage with content across surfaces and fuel digital experiences. Its segments include Digital Media, Digital Experience, and Publishing and Advertising. The Digital Media segment is centered around Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Document Cloud, which include Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly, Photoshop and other products, offering a variety of tools for creative professionals, communicators and other consumers. The Digital Experience segment provides an integrated platform and set of products, services and solutions through Adobe Experience Cloud. The Publishing and Advertising segment contains legacy products and services. In addition, its Adobe GenStudio solution allows businesses to simplify their content supply chain process with generative artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and intelligent automation.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
Detailed Analysis of ADOBE INC
MANHATTAN ASSOCIATES INC (MANH) is a large-cap growth stock in the Software & Programming industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Warren Buffett is 72% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Manhattan Associates, Inc. develops, sells, deploys, services and maintains software solutions designed to manage supply chains, inventory and omnichannel operations for retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, logistics providers and other organizations. It operates in North and Latin America; Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA); and the Asia Pacific (APAC) regions. It provides companies with the tools needed to manage distribution and optimize transportation costs throughout their entire commercial network. Its solutions consist of software, services, and hardware, which coordinate people, workflows, assets, events, and tasks holistically across the functions linked in a supply chain from planning through execution. These solutions help to coordinate the actions, data exchange, and communication of participants in supply chain ecosystems, such as manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, trading partners, transportation providers, among others.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
Detailed Analysis of MANHATTAN ASSOCIATES INC
CISCO SYSTEMS INC (CSCO) is a large-cap growth stock in the Communications Equipment industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Warren Buffett is 68% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.
Company Description: Cisco Systems, Inc. designs and sells a range of technologies that power the Internet. The Company is integrating its product portfolios across networking, security, collaboration, applications and cloud. The Company's segments include the Americas; Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), and Asia Pacific, Japan, and China (APJC). Its Networking product category represents its core networking technologies of switching, routing, wireless, fifth generation (5G), silicon, optics solutions and compute products. Its Security product category consists of its cloud and application security, industrial security, network security, and user and device security offerings. Its Collaboration product category consists of its meetings, collaboration devices, calling, contact center and platform as a service (CPaaS) offering. Its Observability product category consists of its full stack observability offerings.
The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.
Detailed Analysis of CISCO SYSTEMS INC
About Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett is considered by many to be the greatest investor of all time. As the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 for decades, and in the process has become one of the world's richest men. (Forbes puts his net worth at $37 billion.) Despite his fortune, Buffett is known for living a modest lifestyle, by billionaire standards. His primary residence remains the gray stucco Nebraska home he purchased for $31,500 nearly 50 years ago, according to Forbes, and his folksy Midwestern manner and penchant for simple pleasures -- a cherry Coke, a good burger, and a good book are all near the top of the list -- have been well-documented.
About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Apple Inc.

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