Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK and Barclays International division segments. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services. In addition, the company engages in securities dealing activities. The company was formerly known as Barclays Bank Limited and changed its name to Barclays PLC in January 1985. Barclays PLC was founded in 1690 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

Barclays PLC

Key Points
Marriott recently flagged some weakness in U.S. travel.
Despite a challenging macroeconomic backdrop, there's a lot to like about the hotel specialist.
Shares aren't cheap. But they aren't expensive either.
Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR) shares slipped after management told investors at a Barclays conference last week that fourth-quarter revenue per available room (RevPAR) will likely land at the low end of its guidance range. And the stock's downtrend since then has largely persisted, with shares down about 8% over the last week. Management's update highlighted a softer backdrop in the U.S. as 2025 winds down, even while business elsewhere looks more resilient.
The hotel operator, whose portfolio stretches from midscale brands to high-end luxury resorts, had already been dealing with slower RevPAR growth in recent quarters. Global RevPAR was barely positive in the third quarter of 2025, and U.S. and Canada RevPAR actually declined. International markets, however, continued to post modest growth.
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But there are positives, too. Investors now have to weigh near-term softness in U.S. travel against a still-healthy development pipeline and impressive cash generation.
All of this leads to the main question likely on many investors' minds: Is this a buying opportunity? Or is this a sign to stay away?
Softness in the U.S.
Management's remarks at Barclays fit with a pattern that has been emerging all year. Marriott's third-quarter global RevPAR increased just 0.5% year over year, with U.S. and Canada RevPAR down 0.4% and international RevPAR up 2.6%. That was a sharp slowdown from the 4.1% worldwide RevPAR growth the company delivered in Q1 and even the 1.5% growth it reported in Q2.
Management has been clear that the pressure is concentrated in the lower-priced chains in the U.S., where reduced government travel has weighed on demand. On the flipside, luxury has been consistently strong. In the third-quarter earnings release, Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano noted that global luxury RevPAR rose 4% in the quarter.
Management's update at Barclays' investor conference reinforced recent demand themes, but with one slight negative shift in tone: There has been a further deterioration in its U.S. market, including sub-luxury chains.
Marriott chief financial officer Leeny Oberg told investors last week that the company now expects its fourth-quarter global RevPAR growth is likely to come in at the low end of its guidance for 1% to 2% growth, "and that's really overwhelmingly because of the U.S.," she explained. Getting more specific, Oberg said that U.S. RevPAR actually declined 20 basis points year over year for the month of October, suggesting a rough start to the period. She suggested that the government shutdown is partly to blame.
Key growth drivers
Zooming out, however, the recent demand woes need to be viewed alongside Marriott's broader growth drivers.
Third-quarter 2025 revenue rose 4% year over year to $6.49 billion, while adjusted net income increased from $638 million to $674 million, and adjusted earnings per share climbed 9.2% to $2.47. Room growth, higher co-branded credit card fees, and strong performance in higher-end hotels did much of the heavy lifting.
Room growth remains a central part of the story. In Q3, Marriott added roughly 17,900 net rooms, lifting net rooms 4.7% from the end of the third quarter of 2024. At quarter-end, the company's global system topped 9,700 properties with about 1.75 million rooms. Management still expects net rooms growth to approach 5% for the full year 2025 and to stay in the mid-single-digit range over the next few years.
The development pipeline helps support that outlook. At the end of the third quarter, Marriott's worldwide development pipeline reached a new record of roughly 3,900 properties with more than 596,000 rooms.
Additionally, the company's lucrative business model means that cash generation remains robust -- and it's enabling meaningful dividends and share repurchases. Management plans to return roughly $4 billion to shareholders through dividends and repurchases this year -- not bad for a company with a market capitalization of $77 billion.
With these positives in mind, I don't believe that recent weakness in the U.S. is a thesis-breaker for the stock. Travel is a cyclical business, and there appears to be some weakness in the U.S. currently with Marriott's more affordable chains. But continued strength in international markets and luxury remains encouraging.
Still, shares aren't cheap. The stock currently has a forward price-to-earnings multiple of 24 -- a fair valuation multiple for a stock with Marriott's brand power and growth drivers.
So, is the stock a buy today? I think starting a small position may make sense. But investors should watch U.S. demand closely. Without a recovery in the U.S. market, the stock could underperform over the long haul. However, I believe it's unlikely the U.S. market won't pick up speed at some point.
Should you invest $1,000 in Marriott International right now?
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Daniel Sparks and his clients have no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Barclays Plc and Marriott International. 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.

Marriott Stock Dips. Time to Buy?

The following are today's upgrades for Validea's P/E/Growth Investor model based on the published strategy of Peter Lynch. This strategy looks for stocks trading at a reasonable price relative to earnings growth that also possess strong balance sheets.
BOYD GAMING CORP (BYD) is a mid-cap value stock in the Casinos & Gaming industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 72% to 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: Boyd Gaming Corporation is a gaming company. It operates over 28 gaming entertainment properties in 10 states, manager of a tribal casino in northern California, and owner and operator of Boyd Interactive, a B2B and B2C online casino gaming business. Its segments include Las Vegas Locals, Downtown Las Vegas, Midwest & South, and Online. The Las Vegas Locals segment consists of eight casinos in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Downtown Las Vegas segment consists of three properties: California Hotel and Casino, Fremont Hotel & Casino, and Main Street Station Hotel and Casino. Its Midwest & South properties consist of five land-based casinos, five dockside riverboat casinos, three racinos and four barge-based casinos that operate in nine states, predominantly in the Midwest and southern United States. The Online segment includes its online gaming operations through collaborative arrangements with third parties throughout the United States and the operations of Boyd Interactive.
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 BOYD GAMING CORP
BARCLAYS PLC (ADR) (BCS) is a large-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch changed from 0% to 89% 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: Barclays PLC is a diversified bank with five divisions comprising Barclays UK, Barclays UK Corporate Bank, Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management, Barclays Investment Bank and Barclays US Consumer Bank. The Barclays UK division represents businesses that sit within the United Kingdom ring-fenced bank, Barclays Bank UK PLC and its subsidiaries, and comprises Personal Banking, UK Business Banking and Barclaycard Consumer UK. The Barclays UK Corporate Bank division offers lending, trade and working capital, liquidity, payments, and FX solutions for corporate clients. Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management division comprises the Private Bank, Wealth Management, and Investments businesses. Barclays Investment Bank division incorporates the Global Markets, Investment Banking, and International Corporate Banking businesses. Barclays US Consumer Bank division represents the United States credit card business, focused on the partnership market, as well as an online deposit franchise.
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 BARCLAYS PLC (ADR)
About Peter Lynch: Perhaps the greatest mutual fund manager of all-time, Lynch guided Fidelity Investment's Magellan Fund to a 29.2 percent average annual return from 1977 until his retirement in 1990, almost doubling the S&P 500's 15.8 percent yearly return over that time. Lynch's common sense approach and quick wit made him one of the most quoted investors on Wall Street. ("Go for a business that any idiot can run -- because sooner or later, any idiot probably is going to run it," is one of his many pearls of wisdom.) Lynch's bestseller One Up on Wall Street is something of a "stocks for the everyman/everywoman", breaking his approach down into easy-to-understand concepts.
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.

Validea Peter Lynch Strategy Daily Upgrade Report - 12/10/2025

Key Points
Fluence Energy provided strong fiscal 2026 guidance on Monday.
Several analysts hiked their price targets higher.
Fluence offers investors the opportunity to gain exposure to AI.
Following its strong fiscal 2026 guidance on Monday, Fluence Energy (NASDAQ: FLNC) stock caught the attention of investors. The stock closed higher on each of the past two days, and the trend seems likely to continue on Wednesday as well. With several analysts upwardly revising their price targets on the energy storage stock, shares of Fluence are ripping higher today.
As of 12:14 a.m. ET, shares of Fluence are up 10.3%.
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A Wednesday wave of bullish sentiment is washing over the market
After Barclays hiked its price target on Fluence stock yesterday to $15 from $13, several other firms are following suit today:
Canaccord raised the price target to $25 from $10.
Goldman Sachs lifted the price target to $20 from $15.
Morgan Stanley bumped the price target to $14 from $12.
Susquehanna hiked the price target to $20 from $17.
According to thefly.com, Canaccord boosted its price target on the belief that the company is starting to see strong demand from data center operators, who are eager to meet the increasing power demands that artificial intelligence (AI) computing is placing on their facilities.
Fluence projects fiscal 2026 revenue of approximately $3.2 billion to $3.6 billion and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of roughly $40.0 million to $60.0 million. For context, Fluence reported 2025 sales and adjusted EBITDA of $2.3 billion and $19.5 million, respectively.
Is it too late to power your portfolio with Fluence stock?
The analysts' more bullish price targets are encouraging. Still, it's essential to remember that analysts often base their estimates on shorter time periods than the multi-year holding periods favored by The Motley Fool.
Although investors should take the price targets with a grain of salt, Fluence sees strong growth in fiscal 2026. For those seeking AI exposure, Fluence is a worthy consideration beyond the semiconductor stocks that often draw the majority of interest from AI-focused investors.
Should you invest $1,000 in Fluence Energy right now?
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Scott Levine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Fluence Energy and Goldman Sachs Group. The Motley Fool recommends Barclays Plc. 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.

Why Shares of Fluence Energy Are Charging Higher Today

With Mag 7 results starting to roll in, Alphabet GOOGL is grabbing headlines after posting record Q3 results on Wednesday evening in an earnings lineup that also included Microsoft MSFT.
Drawing attention to Alphabet is that the tech giant posted its first $100 billion quarter, driven by AI innovation that prompted robust advertising growth in its Search and YouTube businesses, as well as continued expansion in cloud services.
Spiking as much as +6% in Thursday's trading session, Alphabet stock has started to challenge Nvidia NVDA for the most year-to-date gains from the Mag 7, with GOOGL now up about +50% in 2025.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
AI Fuels Alphabet’s Strong Q3 Results
Alphabet’s custom AI chip, the Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), played a pivotal role in its strong Q3 results by powering its AI infrastructure, enabling product innovation, and attracting major enterprise deals.
TPUs are the backbone of Alphabet’s AI infrastructure, used to train and run models for Search, YouTube, and Google Cloud. Seeing double-digit revenue growth in all of these business segments, Alphabet’s consolidated revenue spiked 16% year over year to a quarterly peak of $102.3 billion.
Notably, Google Cloud’s 34% growth rate during Q3 slightly edged Microsoft’s Azure as the AI-driven momentum is helping Alphabet close the gap as the third-largest cloud provider, with Amazon’s AMZN AWS holding the top spot.
Excluding total traffic acquisition costs (TAC) to Google’s partners, Alphabet’s Q3 sales rose 17% to $84.47 billion, topping estimates of $84.96 billion by 3%. Alphabet’s increased profitability was also on display, with Q3 EPS soaring 35% YoY to $2.87 and crushing expectations of $2.26 by 27%.
Alphabet’s Bullish AI Outlook
While Alphabet didn’t provide specific revenue targets for Q4, its tone and investment posture alluded to expectations of sustained double-digit growth.
CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted that Alphabet is seeing real business value from AI, and expects this momentum to continue into Q4 and beyond. Signaling aggressive expansion in its AI endeavors, Alphabet raised its capital expenditure forecast for the full year to over $90 billion while emphasizing that these investments are aimed at supporting long-term growth.
The cherry on top is that Alphabet recently signed a record-breaking multi-billion-dollar deal with AI safety and research company Anthropic to supply up to 1million TPUs.
Monitoring Alphabet’s Valuation
Among its Mag 7 peers, Alphabet’s 27X forward earnings multiple is the second cheapest P/E valuation behind Meta Platforms META, with the others above 30X, led by Tesla at a noticeable premium of 282X.
In terms of price to forward sales, GOOGL also has the second most reasonable P/S ratio of 8X behind Amazon’s 3X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Average Zacks Price Target & Analyst Upgrades
Blowing past the current Average Zacks Price Target of $266.60 a share, a number of notable firms have raised their price tags for GOOGL following Alphabet’s Q3 results.
This includes analysts at Goldman Sachs GS, JPMorgan JPM, Wells Fargo WFC, and Barclays BCS, among others, with some price targets reaching as high as $350.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Conclusion & Final Thoughts
As a reminder that Alphabet stock previously traded over $2,000 a share before its 20-1 stock split in 2022, GOOGL currently lands a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). That said, a buy rating could be on the way with earnings estimate revisions likely to trend higher following Alphabet's strong Q3 report and bullish tone.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Buy the Spike in Alphabet Stock After Its First $100 Billion Quarter?

Barclays BCS reported third-quarter 2025 net income attributable to ordinary equity holders of £1.46 billion ($1.97 billion), down 6.8% from the prior-year quarter.
Results were hurt by an increase in expenses and higher credit impairment charges. However, an increase in revenues and a solid balance sheet supported the results.
Barclays’s Revenues Improve, Expenses Rise
Total income was £7.17 billion ($9.67 billion), up 9.5% year over year.
Operating expenses (excluding litigation and conduct costs) of £4.25 billion ($5.73 billion) increased 7.6% year over year.
The cost-to-income ratio was 63%, up from 61% in the year-ago period.
Barclays recorded credit impairment charges of £632 million ($852 million), surging 69% year over year.
Pre-tax income was £2.08 billion ($2.80 billion), up 6.9% from the prior-year quarter.
BCS’ Solid Balance Sheet
Total assets, as of Sept. 30, 2025, were £1,629.2 billion ($2,189.8 billion), up 7.3% from the Dec. 31, 2024, level.
Total risk-weighted assets fell marginally from the Dec. 31, 2024, level to £357.4 billion ($480.4 billion) as of Sept. 30, 2025.
As of Sept. 30, 2025, the Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio was 14.1% compared with 13.6% as of Dec. 31, 2024.
Update on Barclays’ Share Buyback Plan
Concurrent to the earnings release, the company announced its intention to bring forward a portion of its 2025 distribution plans, with a £500-million share buyback plan.
2025 Guidance
Management expects the loan loss rate to be 50-60 basis points through the cycle.
NII (excluding Barclays Investment Bank and Head Office) is expected to be more than £12.6 billion. Of this, Barclays UK is projected to generate NII of more than £7.6 billion.
The cost-to-income ratio is projected to be 61%, which includes £0.5 billion in gross efficiency savings.
The CET1 ratio is expected to be 13-14%.
Barclays expects to deliver a return on tangible equity (RoTE) of greater than 11%.
2026 Guidance
The company projects a total income of £30 billion.
Operating expenses are likely to be £17 billion, and the cost-to-income ratio is anticipated to be in the high 50s in percentage terms. This includes gross efficiency savings of £2 billion by 2026.
The loan loss rate is projected to be 50-60 basis points through the cycle.
The CET1 ratio is expected to be 13-14% and RoTE is estimated to be more than 12%.
Barclays Investment Bank RWAs are expected to be 50% of the Group RWAs. Further, the impact of regulatory change on RWAs will be in line with the company’s prior guidance of £19-26 billion.
In terms of capital returns, Barclays plans to return at least £10 billion between 2024 and 2026, through dividends and share buybacks, with a continued preference for buybacks. The company plans to keep the total dividend stable at the 2023 level in absolute terms, with progressive dividend per share growth driven through share count reduction as a result of increased share buybacks.
This multi-year plan is subject to supervisory and board approvals, and an anticipated financial performance.
Our View on Barclays
Given Barclays’ restructuring and business-simplification efforts, its operating efficiency is expected to improve in the quarters ahead. The company’s cost-saving efforts will likely keep aiding financials. Yet, uncertainties regarding the performance of capital markets businesses and a persistent rise in credit impairment charges are concerning.
Barclays PLC Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Currently, Barclays carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Performance & Expected Earnings Release Date of Barclays’ Peers
ICICI Bank Ltd.’s IBN profit after tax for second-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended Sept. 30, 2025) was INR123.6 billion ($1.42 billion), up 5.2% from the prior-year quarter.
IBN’s results benefited from growth in net interest income and non-interest income, along with lower provisions. The loan balance increased sequentially, which was another tailwind. However, an increase in expenses was the undermining factor for ICICI Bank.
Deutsche Bank DB is expected to report quarterly results on Oct. 29.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DB’s quarterly earnings has been unchanged at 81 cents per share over the past week. The figure implies a decline of 9% from the prior-year quarter.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Barclays Q3 Earnings Dip Y/Y as Costs, Credit Impairment Charges Rise

(RTTNews) - Barclays (BARC.L) reported that its nine-month profit before tax increased to 7.3 billion pounds from 6.4 billion pounds, prior year. Basic earnings per ordinary share was 35.1 pence compared to 29.3 pence. Attributable profit was 4.98 billion pounds, up 14%. Total income increased to 22.1 billion pounds from 19.8 billion pounds, previous year.
Third quarter attributable profit was 1.5 billion pounds, down 7% from a year ago. Basic earnings per share was 10.4 pence compared to 10.7 pence. Group income was 7.2 billion pounds, up 9% year-on-year.
Venkatakrishnan, Chief Executive, said: "We delivered RoTE of 10.6% in third quarter and 12.3% year-to-date. We are therefore upgrading our 2025 RoTE guidance to greater than 11% and reaffirming our 2026 target of greater than 12%."
Barclays has decided to bring forward a portion of full-year distribution plans, with a 500 million pounds share buyback. The Group now plans to move to quarterly share buyback announcements.
For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Barclays 9-month Profit Rises

Key Points
Microsoft has built a leadership position in the artificial intelligence (AI) race thanks to its Copilot virtual assistant and Azure cloud platform.
On Oct. 29, Microsoft will report its operating results for the quarter ended Sept. 30.
The stock isn't cheap right now, but its AI-led businesses are growing so quickly that it could still be a great long-term buy.
Over the next few weeks, many of America's largest technology companies will report their operating results for the quarter ended Sept. 30. They will provide investors with a valuable update on their progress in the artificial intelligence (AI) race, which is driving an enormous amount of value right now.
Sept. 30 marked the end of Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) fiscal 2026 first quarter, and it is scheduled to report those results on Oct. 29. The company's Azure cloud computing platform and its Copilot virtual assistant will be key points of focus for Wall Street because they are at the center of the company's AI strategy.
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Microsoft stock has already climbed 25% year to date. Is it still a buy ahead of the Oct. 29 earnings report?
Keep an eye on Copilot adoption
Microsoft launched its Copilot virtual assistant in early 2023. It was created using a combination of the company's own AI models and those developed by its longtime partner OpenAI. The chatbot can be used for free in some of Microsoft's flagship software products like Windows, Edge, and Bing, but it's also available as a paid add-on for enterprise products like the 365 productivity suite.
Copilot can rapidly generate content in applications like Word and PowerPoint, autonomously transcribe meetings in Teams, and help users craft email replies in Outlook, so it has the potential to significantly increase productivity for enterprises. Microsoft says organizations around the world pay for over 400 million licenses for 365, all of which are candidates for the paid Copilot add-on, so the AI assistant could generate billions of dollars in recurring revenue for the company over the long term.
During the fiscal 2025 fourth quarter (ended June 30), Microsoft said several large customers expanded their Copilot adoption through 365. Barclays, for example, bought 100,000 licenses for its employees after running an initial test with 15,000, which implies a high degree of satisfaction with the assistant's capabilities. This is the kind of information investors should look out for on Oct. 29, because it could be a predictor of future revenue.
But 365 isn't Microsoft's only enterprise opportunity when it comes to Copilot. There is Copilot Dragon, an innovative healthcare solution that autonomously documents millions of doctor-patient interactions, saving clinicians valuable time. Then there is Copilot Studio, a platform that allows businesses to create custom AI agents to automate workflows in any application, even those outside Microsoft's ecosystem.
The most important segment to watch on Oct. 29
Microsoft's Azure cloud platform operates hundreds of data centers spread across dozens of different regions around the world. They are fitted with the most advanced chips from suppliers like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, and businesses rent the computing capacity from Azure to power their AI training and AI inference workloads.
Microsoft also launched Azure AI Foundry earlier this year, which ties many of the cloud platform's AI services together to form a holistic solution for enterprises. It can be used to turn raw data into documents, build AI chat applications, deploy AI software, perform multimodal content processing, and more. It also offers access to the latest large language models (LLMs) from third parties like OpenAI to accelerate AI development.
Azure is regularly the fastest-growing part of Microsoft's entire business, but it surprised even the most bullish analysts during the fiscal 2025 fourth quarter when its revenue soared by a whopping 39% year over year. It was the fastest growth rate in three years, and it marked a significant acceleration from the 33% growth Azure generated in the third quarter just three months earlier.
Demand for data center capacity and Foundry were the key drivers of the incredible result, so this is where investors should focus most of their attention on Oct. 29.
Should you buy Microsoft stock before Oct. 29?
Microsoft stock isn't cheap right now. It's trading at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 38.3, which is a 14% premium to its five-year average of 33.5. It's also notably more expensive than the 33.3 P/E of the Nasdaq-100 index, which is home to many of Microsoft's big-tech peers.
As a result, investors who are looking for short-term gains over the next few months might be left disappointed. That doesn't mean the stock is a bad buy ahead of Oct. 29, but investors who pull the trigger must be willing to hold it for the long term -- preferably for three to five years -- to maximize their chances of earning a positive return.
One single quarter is unlikely to shift Microsoft's momentum in either direction, but as long as Copilot adoption continues to expand and Azure's revenue growth maintains its recent momentum, investors will probably be glad this stock is in their portfolio.
Should you invest $1,000 in Microsoft right now?
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Anthony Di Pizio has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Barclays Plc and 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.

Should You Buy Microsoft Stock Before Oct. 29?

Joining Broadcom AVGO and Nvidia NVDA, AMD AMD is the latest major chip supplier to strike a multibillion-dollar deal with artificial intelligence pioneer OpenAI.
Spiking as much as +7% in today’s trading session, AMD stock has soared over +30% since announcing a strategic partnership with the ChatGPT creator on Monday. Seen as a bold move, OpenAI secured more long-term compute capacity while giving AMD a massive boost in credibility and market share.
On the heels of hitting a new 52-week high of $226 a share, investors may be pondering if it’s time to get in on the surge in AMD stock.
Remarkably, AMD shares are now up more than +70% year to date to impressively top the broader indexes, along with Broadcom and Nvidia’s returns of roughly +40%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
OpenAI Partnership Overview
Beginning in the second half of 2026, OpenAI will deploy up to 6 gigawatts of AMD’s Instinct GPUs to power its next-generation AI infrastructure, including future versions of ChatGPT, model training, and inference systems.
As one of the largest GPU deployment agreements, AMD issued OpenAI a warrant for up to $160 million shares of its common stock, potentially giving OpenAI a 10% stake in AMD if all milestones are met. The warrant is based on incentives tied to deployment volume and AMD’s stock price targets.
AMD expects the deal to generate tens of billions of dollars in revenue over the next five years, positioning itself as a serious contender in the AI data center GPU market as OpenAI diversifies its supply chain away from Nvidia.
Tracking AMD’s Outlook
With the OpenAI partnership likely to significantly boost AMD’s outlook, the chipmaker's total sales are currently expected to surge 27% in fiscal 2025 to $32.81 billion, up from $25.79 billion last year. Plus, FY26 sales are projected to spike another 19% to $39.1 billion.
On the bottom line, AMD’s annual earnings are slated to rise 19% in FY25 and are projected to soar another 50% in FY26 to $5.90 per share.
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AMD Valuation Comparison
Amid the rally, AMD stock is now trading at 51.6X forward earnings, commanding a sharper premium to the broader market than Nvidia and Broadcom at 41.6X and 49.8X, respectively.
However, AMD does trade at a much more reasonable price-to-forward-sales multiple compared to other high-growth tech stocks at 10.1X, with Nvidia and Broadcom trading over 25X.
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AMD Price Target & Analyst Upgrades
As you can imagine, multiple Wall Street analysts have raised their price targets for AMD stock following its partnership announcement with OpenAI.
In fact, several major firms have upgraded their ratings and boosted their price targets to new street-highs of $300, including Jeffries and Barclays BCS. This comes as AMD stock has blown past its current Average Zacks Price Target of $188.53.
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Bottom Line
For now, AMD stock lands a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). That said, a buy rating could be on the way if there is a compelling trend of positive earnings estimate revisions (EPS) in correlation with the massive GPU deal with OpenAI. Aforementioned, this has officially positioned AMD as one of the most relevant players in the AI ecosystem, redefining the company as a very viable long-term investment.
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Buy the Surge in AMD Stock After Striking Partnership with OpenAI?

General Motors GM stock has often caught the attention of value investors, trading at relatively suppressed levels despite its robust financial metrics.
What has held GM shares back, you might ask, is the perception that the historic automaker won’t be able to sustain its dominance in an increasingly competitive and innovative market.
However, GM has continued to invest in electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous driving through its subsidiary Cruise, which is lifting sentiment in regard to its long-term growth potential.
In fact, many analysts have become bullish on GM, reflecting growing confidence in the auto giant’s strategy and financial performance.
GM’s Record EV Sales
Adding to the notion that GM may be one of the best automakers to invest in at the moment and can sustain its dominance is that it’s currently the second-leading EV seller in the U.S., behind Tesla TSLA.
Edging Ford F and solidifying its #2 spot, GM reported today that it sold 66,501 EVs in the U.S. during Q3, more than doubling its EV sales from the prior year quarter and marking its highest quarterly EV sales ever.
Year to date, GM’s EV sales have surged 105% from 2024 to over 144,000 units sold. This has been led by its Equinox EV, with over 25,000 units sold, making it the best-selling non-Tesla EV in the U.S.
Furthermore, GM’s luxury Cadillac EVs have also been in high demand, with it noteworthy that the eye-catching surge during Q3 was partly driven by a rush to purchase EVs before the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit for EV owners on September 30. Notably, GM stated total U.S. vehicle sales were up 8% from Q3 2024.
Tracking GM’s Outlook
Following a multi-year peak for annual sales, GM’s top line is expected to contract 4% in fiscal 2025 and is projected to dip another 2% in FY26 to $175.47 billion.
On the bottom line, GM’s EPS is expected to descend from multi-year highs of $10.60 in FY24 to $9.44 per share this year. That said, FY26 EPS is projected to stabilize and rebound 2% to $9.66
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GM’s Cheap Valuation
At around $61 a share, GM stock trades at just 6X forward earnings. This offers a distinct discount to its Zacks Automotive-Domestic Industry average of 13X and even Ford’s 10X forward earnings multiple, with Tesla at a very stretched 267X.
In terms of price-to-sales, GM trades at only 0.3X, which is roughly on par with Ford and slightly beneath the industry average of 0.7X, with Tesla at a high premium of 15X.
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Analyst Upgrades
Despite the anticipated contraction to its top and bottom lines, analysts have become bullish on GM stock, with the company now forecasting a smaller decline in vehicle pricing in the U.S. of 1%-1.5% compared to previous forecasts of 2%-2.5%.
Quieting concerns of marketing costs and lower-margin EV production, analysts at JPMorgan JPM recently raised their price target for GM shares to $80 from a previous tag of $60, maintaining an overweight rating on future performance.
More intriguing, a slew of other notable firms have raised their targets for GM stock to over $70 as well, including analysts at Barclays BCS, Citigroup C, Goldman Sachs GS, and UBS UBS.
Rising +5% over the last month, and now up a very respectable +15% YTD, GM stock has blown past its current Average Zacks Price Target of $59.19 a share.
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Bottom Line
As far as valuation is concerned, GM is certainly making the case for being the best domestic automaker to invest in, even ahead of Ford. And while market sentiment may still favor Tesla’s long-term growth potential, GM is the domestic leader in total auto sales and has become more attractive after resolidifying its #2 spot in EV sales.
Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. Little-known AI firms tackling the world's biggest problems may be more lucrative in the coming months and years.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Is GM the Best Automaker to Invest in Now?

Citigroup Inc. C and Dandelion, a subsidiary of Euronet Worldwide, Inc., collaborate to enhance cross-border payments by integrating Citigroup’s WorldLink Payment Services with Dandelion’s extensive digital wallet network.
In recent years, many companies have been taking steps to improve their payment platforms. In April 2025, Barclays PLC BCS partnered with Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. BAM to transform its payment acceptance business and drive long-term growth. The partnership combines BCS’s extensive UK client relationships and payments expertise with BAM’s global private equity experience in payments, technology and operational transformation, aiming to create a standalone entity and enhance service offerings for merchants and corporate clients.
Details of the Citigroup–Dandelion Collaboration
This partnership will enable C’s clients to deliver near-instant, full-value payments into digital wallets across multiple markets. The capability will initially be extended to the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Colombia, with further expansion planned.
The collaboration empowers Citigroup’s institutional clients to make faster, cost-effective business-to-consumer (B2C) payments across borders. By paying directly into wallets, the company can address applications such as remittances, payroll, expense reimbursements, customer refunds, compensation payouts and transfers to freelance or gig-economy workers.
Emanuela Saccarola, Citigroup’s head of Cross-Border Payments, Services, stated, “Our collaboration with Dandelion underscores Citi's commitment to delivering innovative and comprehensive payment solutions that meet the evolving needs of our global clients.” Saccarola further stated, “By integrating Dandelion's robust digital wallet network with Citi's global payment infrastructure, we are enabling clients to reach new markets with faster, more transparent and cost-efficient solutions. This reinforces Citi’s leadership in 24/7 real-time global payments.”
Strategic Implications of C's Collaboration
The partnership expands Citigroup’s WorldLink capabilities, allowing clients to make cross-border payments in more than 135 currencies through traditional wires, automated clearing house and cross-border instant payments.
With this partnership, the company extends its reach to over 150 digital destinations, including mobile wallets and debit cards, positioning itself strongly in the evolving global payments landscape.
With Dandelion’s network covering 63 countries, Citigroup clients could gain access to broader digital economies where digital wallets are the primary channel for financial transactions. The integration with wallet providers and card networks will also help to broaden its global payment footprint.
C’s Zacks Rank & Price Performance
Over the past six months, C’s shares have gained 42.1% compared with the industry’s 28.5% growth.
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The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
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