Alphabet Inc. offers various products and platforms in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets segments. The Google Services segment provides products and services, including ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. It is also involved in the sale of apps and in-app purchases and digital content in the Google Play and YouTube; and devices, as well as in the provision of YouTube consumer subscription services. The Google Cloud segment offers infrastructure, cybersecurity, databases, analytics, AI, and other services; Google Workspace that include cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, and Meet; and other services for enterprise customers. The Other Bets segment sells healthcare-related and internet services. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

Alphabet Inc.

Key Points
IonQ's CEO believes its technology will replace GPUs.
Nvidia is slated to rapidly grow thanks to increased data center spending.
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has been the undisputed king of AI investing, although some competition has started to emerge recently. However, these are traditional computing companies, not quantum computing businesses like IonQ (NYSE: IONQ). Quantum computing stocks have heavily sold off in the past few days, making them far more attractive than they were just a few weeks ago.
With quantum computing potentially threatening traditional computing's dominance in the artificial intelligence sector, is IonQ the better investment over the long term versus Nvidia?
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IonQ made a bold prediction about its future
IonQ's CEO Niccolo de Masi stated in an interview that he believes quantum processing units will eventually replace graphics processing units (GPUs) in accelerated computing applications. He compared the rise of quantum processing units to how GPUs replaced CPUs in situations where more computing power was needed.
That's a bold proclamation, but it could have huge ramifications if it pans out. Nvidia is the world's largest company and is putting up huge growth figures because its GPUs are in such high demand for AI computing applications. If IonQ could rise to replace Nvidia, that would result in monstrous returns that would turn meager investments in IonQ into more than a million dollars.
But is this realistic?
There's no guarantee IonQ will be the winner
The AI computing market is massive. Nvidia projected that global data center capital expenditures will total $600 billion in 2025, but rise to $3 trillion to $4 trillion in annual spending by 2030. That's a monstrous market, and if Nvidia can keep its market share, it will be slated to deliver massive growth for investors.
But could IonQ take some of that massive buildout figure? Likely not. IonQ and its quantum computing peers point toward 2030 as the turning point for the commercial viability of quantum computing. This means that most quantum computing companies won't see significant sales until this time frame. That's already after the bulk of the AI infrastructure has been built out, so it's unlikely that IonQ will be able to have a massive effect on the AI arms race, although it could allow companies to push into the next frontier of AI in the years following.
From a market standpoint, one of IonQ's competitors, Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI), notes that it expects a $15 billion to $30 billion annual market to emerge between 2030 and 2040. IonQ believes the total addressable quantum computing market will reach about $87 billion by 2035 (that's a cumulative figure). Nvidia generated $41 billion in data center GPU sales alone during Q2, so it's clear that Nvidia will likely generate more money than these quantum computing companies even a decade from now.
Furthermore, there's no guarantee that IonQ's approach will be the ultimate winner. While IonQ is a leader now, it's possible that it loses that leadership position over the net in the future.
Additionally, there are many potential competitors in the quantum computing arms race, and companies like Alphabet have nearly unlimited resources to spend on this technology, unlike IonQ. It's an uphill battle for IonQ, but if it pans out, it will still make investors a ton of money, although there's no guarantee of success.
Between Nvidia and IonQ, I think there's a clear winner as to which stock is the better AI computing play: Nvidia. Nvidia is still rapidly growing and making money from each GPU it sells. We're still a ways out from quantum computing becoming relevant, even though IonQ looks like a promising pick in this space. IonQ is a long-shot investment that could pay off, but if the AI market is as large as Nvidia says it is (alongside many other companies involved in this space), Nvidia will pay off.
Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now?
Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this:
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Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $590,357!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,141,748!*
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*Stock Advisor returns as of October 27, 2025
Keithen Drury has positions in Alphabet and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Nvidia. 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.

Is IonQ or Nvidia the Better AI Computing Stock to Buy Now?

Key Points
Alphabet, which owns Google, has launched popular AI products, including AI Overviews and the Gemini app.
It also provides custom-built AI chips.
A recent partnership with Anthropic should add to Alphabet's impressive revenue numbers.
The tech sector is doing well this year, with the Nasdaq-100 index up 21%, ahead of the S&P 500's 15% return. That growth has made tech stocks expensive. Overall, the Nasdaq-100 is trading at 39 times earnings.
There are exceptions, with Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL) being one of the biggest examples. The company that owns Google is trading at 28 times earnings, and with its recent moves, it's looking like one of the best tech stocks to buy right now.
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Alphabet is winning the AI race
The fear for Alphabet was that artificial intelligence (AI), particularly chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude, would cut into its search business. But Alphabet is usually able to take a leading position in major tech markets. It has the world's top search engine (Google), browser (Chrome), and mobile operating system (Android).
Alphabet has quickly turned AI into a point of strength, as well. Its AI Overviews feature has 2 billion monthly users, and the Google Gemini app has 450 million monthly active users, as reported on the company's second-quarter earnings call. In addition, Google and AI company Anthropic just announced an exciting partnership agreement.
The cloud partnership gives Anthropic access to up to 1 million of Google's custom-designed Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), and it's reportedly worth tens of billions of dollars. It's another sizable source of revenue for Alphabet, which produced $73 billion in free cash flow last year. The deal also reinforces Google as one of the top providers of AI infrastructure, in addition to its other AI products.
Statista is projecting that the AI market will grow by 37% per year through 2031. Alphabet will likely remain at the forefront of AI technology, and combined with its other businesses, it's well positioned to outperform the market.
Should you invest $1,000 in Alphabet right now?
Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $590,357!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,141,748!*
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*Stock Advisor returns as of October 27, 2025
Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet. 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.

What Is One of the Best Tech Stocks to Buy Right Now?

Key Points
Alphabet's technology is best-in-class.
Alphabet has massive cash flow to finance its quantum computing investments.
Quantum computing stocks were all the rage on Wall Street up until a few days ago. Now, quantum computing stocks have sustained heavy losses as investors readjust their expectations of when quantum computing could become a viable alternative.
The most popular quantum computing stocks by far are pure plays like IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI), and D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS). However, these three are long-shot investments that may or may not pay off.
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Instead of this trio, I think investors should look at an under-the-radar quantum computing alternative: Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL). While Alphabet may not be an under-the-radar company in general (it's the fourth-largest company in the world by market cap), it has mostly been forgotten about in the quantum computing realm. I've got three reasons investors should consider Alphabet as a quantum computing investment, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Alphabet outperform some of its quantum computing pure-play competition over the next few years.
1. Alphabet is a leader in quantum computing
While many point toward the quantum computing pure plays as being leaders in the quantum computing industry, Alphabet challenged that notion a few days ago when it released some of the latest results of its Willow quantum computing chip.
On Oct. 22, Google announced that its Willow quantum computing chip successfully ran a verifiable algorithm on its quantum computer at a speed 13,000 times faster than a traditional computer. It did this on a 105-qubit system, one of the largest and most powerful currently known. For reference, Rigetti Computing made headlines when two companies purchased its Novera quantum computing system, which has four sets of nine qubits.
Alphabet is clearly a leader in this field, and it has the results to prove it. Alphabet may wipe the floor with its competition, making it the smartest quantum computing company to invest in.
2. Alphabet has plenty of cash to fund its quantum computing investments
Unlike its quantum computing pure-play competition, Alphabet has nearly unlimited resources to pour into its quantum computing aspirations. This isn't a cheap technology by any means, so having massive cash flow to fund research is critical. Over the past 12 months, Alphabet has generated around $66 billion in free cash flow.
It's using a huge chunk of that for building out artificial intelligence data centers, but it could also shift those funds to finance its quantum aspirations as well. For reference, IonQ's revenue for Q2 totaled $20.7 million, and it currently has just over half a billion in cash and short-term investments on its balance sheet.
While David and Goliath stories exist for a reason, this seems to be one where David doesn't have enough funding to compete with the Goliath in the industry. I think this gives Alphabet a serious competitive advantage, and it's one that the pure plays may not be able to overcome.
3. Alphabet isn't an all-or-nothing quantum computing play
Lastly, there's no guarantee that quantum computing will work out. Although many companies are starting to prove meaningful applications, it's unknown how large the real-world application truly is for quantum technology. Additionally, these pure-play quantum computing investments are just that, pure plays. It's an all-or-nothing bet that they will achieve quantum computing supremacy. If they don't succeed, there's a significant chance of the investment going to $0.
Alphabet isn't like that. It has a strong advertising business based on its Google family of products, as well as a strong cloud computing offering. If quantum computing doesn't pan out or another competitor beats out Alphabet, it will still be a viable investment. This significantly reduces the risk of the overall investment, making me more confident in backing Alphabet as a quantum computing investment than any other stock in this industry.
Should you invest $1,000 in Alphabet right now?
Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $590,357!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,141,748!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,033% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 193% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
*Stock Advisor returns as of October 27, 2025
Keithen Drury has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet. 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.

3 Reasons to Buy This Under-the-Radar Quantum Computing Stock Today

For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 28, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Meta Platforms META, Alphabet GOOGL, Amazon AMZN and Snap SNAP.
Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:
Will Higher Ad Revenues Aid Meta Platforms Stock in Q3 Earnings?
Meta Platforms’ third-quarter 2025 results, set to be reported on Oct. 29, are expected to reflect the benefits of higher advertising revenues.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Meta Platforms’ third-quarter advertising revenues is pegged at $48.5 billion, indicating growth of 21.6% year over year.
Meta Platforms’ earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 20.47%.
Click here to learn how Meta Platforms’ overall third-quarter performance is likely to be.
Strong Ad Spending to Aid META’s Q3 Top Line
META’s staggering reach and increasing ad impressions (up 11% year over year in the second quarter of 2025) make it one of the most important players in the digital ad sales market, apart from Alphabet, Amazon and Snap. According to eMarketer, global ad spending is expected to rise 7.4% to reach $1.17 trillion in 2025, with Alphabet, Meta Platforms and Amazon accounting for roughly two-thirds of new ad spending.
In the second quarter of 2025, Alphabet’s Google advertising revenues rose 11.7% year over year to $82.54 billion and accounted for 74% of total revenues, driven by Search and other revenues. Meanwhile, Amazon’s advertising business increased 23% year over year to $15.6 billion, benefiting from powerful network effects as more sellers and brands compete for visibility, driving higher pricing and improved margins. Snap’s advertising platform is evolving with commerce-driven ad volume growing 39% year over year in the second quarter, and newer ad formats such as Sponsored Snaps are delivering stronger conversion outcomes.
Meta Platforms’ focus on improving ad ranking and measurement by leveraging AI has been a key catalyst driving advertisers’ return on investment. META has been leveraging AI and machine learning to boost the potency of WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and Threads. Effective usage of AI has been helping the company keep its users engaged.
AI-driven feed recommendations have been a key catalyst. Meta Platforms is committed to prioritizing user safety and well-being through initiatives to enhance parental supervision, messaging privacy and time management on its platforms. These factors are expected to have driven user base growth in the third quarter of 2025.
META’s Ad Revenue Estimates Show Strong Growth Trend
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for advertising revenues in Asia-Pacific is pegged at $9.66 billion, indicating year-over-year growth of 20% in the third quarter of 2025. The consensus mark for advertising revenues in Europe, the United States and Canada, and the Rest of the World is pegged at $11.65 billion, $21.7 billion and $6.37 billion, respectively, indicating 24.5%, 24.8% and 25.1% growth.
The consensus mark for Family Daily Active People or DAP, defined as a registered and logged-in user who visited at least one of the Family products on a given day, is expected to be 3.49 billion for the third quarter of 2025.
Zacks Rank
Meta Platforms currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Meta Platforms, Alphabet, Amazon and Snap

Key Points
Tech companies design the chips they need for their products, but they rely on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to manufacture them.
TSMC's business is more diversified than Nvidia's and less reliant on current AI hype and spending.
TSMC continues to produce more power and energy-efficient AI chips.
Although artificial intelligence (AI) is far from new, it has taken the world by storm and made many advancements over the past few years. And with these advancements, you can make the case that Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has been the biggest beneficiary. Its stock price might not have increased the most, but its business has surely exploded.
Nvidia designs many of the AI chips that are used in data centers and for training AI models. However, another AI chip company has solidified its position as indispensable in the AI pipeline: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE: TSM) (TSMC). If you're looking for the best AI stock to invest in right now, TSMC should be your go-to.
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Tech as we know it today suffers without TSMC
While companies like Nvidia and other big tech companies design the specific chips they need for their products, they don't actually manufacture them. Manufacturing chips requires significant capital, equipment, and specialized engineering talent, so in most cases, it's not worth it for these companies to make the investments. Instead, they rely on TSMC to bring these chips to life.
There's no doubt that TSMC is the leading chip manufacturer in terms of effectiveness, scale, and yield (the percentage of chips that work as intended). No other company comes particularly close, which is why major tech companies rely so heavily on TSMC.
Not only has this worked well for TSMC's revenue, but its near-monopoly has also given it pricing power that has boosted its profitability, especially in the past two years, when AI chips became a larger part of its business.
Nvidia became a hot AI company (and the world's most valuable public company) because of the graphics processing units (GPUs) it produces. However, I'd rather go with TSMC right now because without it, Nvidia's business would noticeably suffer.
Strengthening its competitive advantage
One of the major problems facing the AI revolution we're witnessing is the amount of power consumption that goes into data centers and training AI models. Some sources estimate that a single ChatGPT query could use 10 times as much power as a Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) search. And the amount of power required to train new AI models could be as high as what it takes to power thousands of homes in a year.
One way TSMC is expected to help this issue is through its new 2-nanometer (2nm) chip that's expected to be available in 2026. According to TSMC, the new 2nm chip could use 25% to 30% less power than its 3nm chip at the same speed. This isn't a solution to the power problem, but with TSMC's chips being so prevalent in data centers, it will surely help a bit.
TSMC is already the go-to for advanced AI chips, but if the company is producing more powerful and energy-efficient chips, companies investing in data centers and AI infrastructure will likely continue to choose TSMC because it saves them money in long-term energy costs. This is one effective way to strengthen its already strong competitive advantage.
A well-rounded business built to last
Although advanced AI chips have become a large part of TSMC's business, it's far from the company's only successful segment. TSMC manufactures chips for smartphones, laptops, tablets, TVs, cars, and dozens of other tech products. Even if the AI hype slows down (and eventually it will), TSMC's business is built to continue being successful.
This isn't to say Nvidia is only successful because of AI, but its business would undoubtedly take a major hit if demand for AI chips slowed or TSMC faced production issues. Without TSMC, the whole tech ecosystem would take a step back. Without Nvidia, the AI world would take a step back, but plenty of other areas of tech would operate without missing a beat.
TSMC is a stock you can comfortably hold for the long term.
Should you invest $1,000 in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing right now?
Before you buy stock in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $590,357!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,141,748!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,033% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 193% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
*Stock Advisor returns as of October 27, 2025
Stefon Walters has positions in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. 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.

Forget Nvidia: The Best AI Chip Stock to Buy Right Now

For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 28, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Microsoft MSFT, Apple AAPL, Alphabet GOOGL, Amazon AMZN and Meta Platforms META.
Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:
Five of Seven Mega-Caps Report: Global Week Ahead
What’s happening across this Global Week Ahead?
· Renewed trade tensions and talks between Washington, Beijing and Canada will dominate a week, headlined by
· Central bank decisions in the United States, Canada, and Europe, while
· Argentina's voters head to the polls
Next are Reuters’ five world market themes, re-ordered by equity traders—
(1) Five of the Seven Mega-Cap Stars Report Their Q3 Earnings
Mega-cap tech and growth company earnings reports headline a massive week of U.S. corporate results that could shed light on the state of the effervescent "AI trade.”
Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Amazon and Meta Platform — five of the "Magnificent Seven" mega-cap companies that dominate equity indexes — all report earnings.
Investors will also be scouring data for signs of the costs and impact of shifting U.S. trade policy. S&P500 companies are estimated to have increased Q3 earnings by 9.2% from the prior year, with a greater-than-typical number of companies beating profit estimates so far, according to LSEG IBES data.
(2) On Wednesday, Both Bond & Stock Traders Count on a 25-bps FOMC Cut
Markets are all but certain that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by a quarter-point when it concludes its meeting on Wednesday, and they are showing similar conviction for another trim in December.
Still, that year-end cut might be less clear if the government shutdown doesn't end, leaving data-guided policymakers driving blind without official economic indicators.
Meanwhile, Trump is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday as part of a trip to Asia and on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit.
Their long-awaited rendezvous had been called into question following an escalation in trade tensions and a standoff over China's restrictions on rare earth exports, as well as U.S. curbs on technology exports amid Trump's threat to impose 100% tariffs, all of which remain a market vexation — and a consideration for the Fed.
(3) The ECB meeting ends on Thursday. They Likely Stay Pat. The Bank of Canada (BoC) Looks to Cut its Policy Rate for a 2nd Month.
That's right, the Bank of Canada is also expected to cut rates for a second month running on Wednesday with a pick-up in inflation not expected to stand in its way, although Trump's announcement that all trade talks with the country are terminated will cast a cloud.
And the European Central Bank (ECB) ends a meeting on Thursday, although it appears to be in "nothing to see here" mode, with a Reuters poll of economists predicting it is likely to leave rates unchanged at 2% for a third straight meeting and remain on hold until the end of the year. Traders see a roughly 65% chance of a quarter-point cut by mid-2026 given the downside risks to economic growth.
Headwinds are looming, however. Apart from trade tensions, there is still French political turbulence and an election in the Netherlands on Wednesday dominated by populist cross-currents. So, ECB chief Christine Lagarde may be pressed on whether the bloc remains in a "good place.”
(4) Also Thursday, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) Should Stay Put with Its Policy Rate
The Bank of Japan is likely to forgo a rate hike next Thursday in favor of a move in December or January, but not due to pressure from the country's dovish new premier.
Two-thirds of analysts polled by Reuters say fiscal and monetary dove Sanae Takaichi, who ascended to the top job on Tuesday, won't delay monetary tightening, although her oft-repeated view is that the central bank should be aligned with government policies.
Instead, analysts and traders point to BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda's consistently cautious tone, particularly on potential tariff fallout, even with his board performing a conspicuously hawkish pivot last month.
And his desire to see more data — including U.S. Christmas shopping trends — has most analysts eyeing a December hike at the earliest.
(5) Argentina’s Mid-term Elections Re-shape the Ruling Milei Era
Argentina's mid-term elections on Sunday gave President Javier Milei a convincing win in the country’s midterms, outpacing rival Peronists 41% to 24.5%. After Milei’s inflation-crushing economic reform program, the peso is up +10% upon his victory.
Deepening ties with Washington have delivered some of the best returns for emerging market investors since Milei took over in December 2023. U.S. President Donald Trump's unprecedented backing, including direct intervention in FX markets, a $20 billion central bank swap line and the prospect of another $20 billion loan to shore up government bonds hadn't previously stopped the peso's slide to record lows.
Zacks Investment Research
800-767-3771 ext. 9339
https://www.zacks.com
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Quantum Computing Stocks Set To Soar
Artificial intelligence has already reshaped the investment landscape, and its convergence with quantum computing could lead to the most significant wealth-building opportunities of our time.
Today, you have a chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this technological revolution. In our urgent special report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power, you'll discover the little-known stocks we believe will win the quantum computing race and deliver massive gains to early investors.
Access the Report Free Now >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Amazon and Meta Platforms

For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – October 28, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Microsoft Corp. MSFT, Alphabet Inc. GOOGL, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B), C&F Financial Corp. CFFI and Syntec Optics Holdings, Inc. OPTX.
Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:
Top Analyst Reports for Microsoft, Alphabet and Berkshire Hathaway
The Zacks Research Daily presents the best research output of our analyst team. Today's Research Daily features new research reports on 16 major stocks, including Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B), as well as two micro-cap stocks, C&F Financial Corp. (CFFI) and Syntec Optics Holdings, Inc. (OPTX). The Zacks microcap research is unique as our research content on these small and under-the-radar companies is the only research of its type in the country.
These research reports have been hand-picked from the roughly 70 reports published by our analyst team today.
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Today's Featured Research Reports
Microsoft’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Computer - Software industry over the year-to-date period (+24.9% vs. +21.8%). The company capitalizes on AI business momentum and Copilot adoption alongside accelerating Azure cloud infrastructure expansion. Recently, MSFT introduced its first proprietary AI models, MAI-Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview.
Microsoft projects Azure growth of 37% for fiscal first-quarter 2026. Strong Office 365 Commercial demand has been propeling Productivity and Business Processes revenue growth. ARPU is increasing through E5 and M365 Copilot uptake across key segments. Strategic execution through expanding scale and enterprise customer growth is driving non-AI services.
Xbox revenues are benefiting from strength across third-party and first-party content offerings. The Zacks analyst expects fiscal 2026 net sales to grow 12.9% from fiscal 2025. However, elevated operating expenses and Azure investments amid intensifying cloud competition remain headwinds.
(You can read the full research report on Microsoft here >>>)
Shares of Alphabet have outperformed the Zacks Internet - Services industry over the year-to-date period (+37.7% vs. +37.1%). The company is benefiting from accelerated growth across AI infrastructure and Generative AI Solutions. Google Cloud’s annual revenue run rate is now more than $50 billion. GOOGL is advancing visual and contextual search capabilities.
The Circle to Search feature is now active on more than 300 million devices. AI Overviews reach more than 2 billion users per month and are available in above 200 countries across 40 languages. It is now driving above 10% more queries globally.
On the litigation front, per the latest ruling in the ongoing lawsuit between GOOGL and the DOJ, the former is now required to share Search data with rivals, but need not divest Chrome and Android, providing a much-needed relief. However, stiff competition in cloud computing has been concerning.
(You can read the full research report on Alphabet here >>>)
Berkshire Hathaway’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Insurance - Property and Casualty industry over the year-to-date period (+7.7% vs. +7.2%). The company is one of the largest property and casualty insurance companies with numerous diverse business activities. A strong cash position supports earnings-accretive bolt-on buyouts and is indicative of its financial flexibility.
Continued insurance business growth fuels an increase in float, drives earnings and generates maximum return on equity. The non-insurance businesses have also been doing well in the last few years. The insurer has also started increasing its investment in Japan. A sturdy capital level provides further impetus. Shares of Berkshire have outperformed the industry year to date.
However, exposure to cat losses induces earnings volatility and also affects underwriting results. Huge capital expenditure remains a headwind. Also, it remains to be seen how the behemoth fares when Greg Abel succeeds Warren Buffett as CEO of Berkshire.
(You can read the full research report on Berkshire Hathaway here >>>)
Shares of C&F Financial have outperformed the Zacks Banks - Southeast industry over the past year (+15.7% vs. +1.1%). This microcap company with market capitalization of $223.18 million offers strong earnings momentum and profitability, with Q2 2025 net income up 54% year over year to $7.8 million and ROE at 14.7%.
Loan growth remains disciplined at 10.3% annually, supported by geographic expansion and diversified credit exposure. Asset quality is sound, with minimal nonperforming loans (0.07%) and strong reserves (4.85% of loans). Capital strength (Tier 1 ratio 10%) and liquidity ($984 million) underpin dividend sustainability and valuation upside. Shares trade at 0.93X tangible book and 8X earnings.
However, rising charge-offs (2.42%) in consumer finance, high uninsured deposits (30%) and potential margin compression from rate normalization present near-term risks, alongside competition in auto lending and mortgage volatility.
(You can read the full research report on C&F Financial here >>>)
Syntec Optics’ shares have outperformed the Zacks Technology Services industry over the past year (+77.1% vs. +55.4%). This microcap company with a market capitalization of $104.48 million is strategically positioned in high-growth, high-barrier defense and aerospace markets, producing over 17,000 optics for LEO satellites and rocket fuel actuators.
Syntec Optics’ expertise in hyperspectral imaging supports advanced military surveillance, with capabilities in nanotech-enabled optics and coatings. Operating from a vertically integrated U.S. facility, Syntec offers agile, end-to-end manufacturing aligned with reshoring and national security priorities. It benefits from strong photonics sector tailwinds, including CHIPS Act incentives.
However, governance concerns loom with nine material internal control weaknesses, raising risks around financial reliability. Profitability declined in Q2 2025 amid margin pressure and reduced consumer sales, contributing to a net loss. Liquidity is tight, with high leverage, and end-market volatility. Despite a 80% one-year stock gain, valuation remains above industry peers.
(You can read the full research report on Syntec Optics here >>>)
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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.

The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights Microsoft, Alphabet, Berkshire Hathaway, C&F Financial and Syntec Optics

Key Points
Meta Platforms' social media platforms provide the company with a treasure trove of data.
The company uses artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure its ads hit their mark.
The stock is attractively priced, particularly in light of its track record of growth.
The engine that drives the U.S. economy has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Case in point: Energy bellwether ExxonMobil and industrial stalwart General Electric were the two largest publicly traded companies by market cap in 2005, with values of $375 billion and $362 billion, respectively. Now, just 20 years later, technology companies at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) top the charts.
Only four companies have joined the ultra-exclusive $3 trillion club, and the names are immediately recognizable. Chipmaker Nvidia leads the list at $4.4 trillion (as of this writing), within striking distance of a new all-time high. iPhone maker Apple recently soared into second place at $3.9 trillion. Cloud and software provider Microsoft is right on Apple's heels, worth $3.8 trillion. Search pioneer Alphabet wraps up our quartet at $3 trillion.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue »
With a market cap of $1.8 trillion, it might seem premature to suggest tech titan Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) is destined for membership in the $3 trillion club, but the evidence is clear. If this comes to pass, investors who buy shares today could pocket returns of 67% if Meta crosses the $3 trillion mark. Here's why I believe the writing is on the wall.
A captive audience
Meta is the parent company behind several of the world's most popular social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. To stake its claim in the AI revolution, Meta tapped the information it compiles from the nearly 3.5 billion users who visit one of its platforms every day. This data helped the company develop its suite of Llama large language models (LLMs), which are among the most competitive in the industry. This positions Meta to profit from the tidal wave of AI adoption.
The company benefits from its foray into AI in other ways. Meta has long used machine learning -- an earlier branch of AI -- to surface relevant content for users and direct its targeted advertising. The development of generative AI only increased Meta's advantage, as the company curated AI-powered tools to help advertisers succeed.
The results tell the tale. In the second quarter, Meta generated revenue of $47.5 billion, which climbed 22% year over year, resulting in diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $7.14, which jumped 38%.
Commentary from CEO Mark Zuckerberg shed light on the results. He noted that AI is "unlocking greater efficiency and gains across our ads system ... [driving] roughly 5% more ad conversions on Instagram and 3% on Facebook." There's more. The company's content strategy is bearing fruit as users spent 5% more time on Facebook and 6% more on Instagram. More time translates to more advertising, which ultimately increases revenue.
The company's ever-expanding user base and increasing ad conversions position Meta for continued success.
The path to $3 trillion
Meta has a market cap of roughly $1.8 trillion (as of this writing), so it will take a stock price increase of roughly 66% to propel its value to $3 trillion. Wall Street's estimates that Meta will generate revenue of $196 billion in 2025, giving the stock a forward price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 9. Assuming its P/S remains constant, Meta will need to generate revenue of roughly $327 billion annually to support a $3 trillion market cap.
Furthermore, Wall Street is currently forecasting Meta's revenue growth at nearly 15% annually over the next five years. If the company can achieve this benchmark, it could surpass a $3 trillion market cap as soon as 2029. Those projections might well be conservative, as Meta has grown its trailing-12-month revenue by more than 897% over the past decade.
Finally, at less than 27 times trailing-12-month earnings, Meta's valuation is cheaper than the multiple of 31 for the S&P 500 -- yet has increased by 656% over the past 10 years, well ahead of the S&P 500, which gained just 232%.
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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.

Prediction: This Unstoppable Stock Will Join Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet in the $3 Trillion Club Before 2029

Key Points
Sold 79,802 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies; estimated trade value ~$16.41 million
The sale represents 2.23% of CADINHA & CO LLC’s 13F reportable AUM as of Q3 2025.
Post-trade position: 2,925 shares valued at $589,475 as of September 30, 2025
The position now represents 0.08% of AUM, placing it outside the fund’s top five holdings
Image source: Getty Images
CADINHA & CO LLC reduced its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC), selling shares worth an estimated $16.41 million based on the average price for Q3 2025, according to an SEC filing dated October 16, 2025.
What happened
According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 16, 2025, CADINHA & CO LLC sold 79,802 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the quarter. The estimated value of the shares sold was $16.41 million, calculated using the period’s average unadjusted closing price. The fund held 2,925 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies at quarter-end.
What else to know
The sale reduced Marsh & McLennan Companies’ weight in the portfolio to 0.08% of 13F AUM, outside the fund’s top five holdings.
Top holdings after the filing:
BRK-B: $38.86 million (5.28% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
IAU: $38.47 million (5.2% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
COST: $35.68 million (4.8% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
MSFT: $35.17 million (4.8% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
GOOGL: $34.87 million (4.7% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
As of October 16, 2025, shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies were priced at $186.48, down 18.18% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 30.19 percentage points over the past year.
Company Overview
Revenue (TTM)
$26.45 billion
Net Income (TTM)
$4.13 billion
Dividend Yield
1.82%
Price (as of market close 2025-10-16)
$186.48
Company Snapshot
Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. is a global leader in professional services, specializing in risk, insurance, and consulting solutions. With a diversified business model, the company leverages its scale and expertise to deliver value-added services to a broad base of institutional and corporate clients. Its competitive advantage is rooted in its longstanding industry presence and comprehensive suite of advisory offerings.
The company generates revenue primarily through service fees, commissions from insurance broking, and consulting engagements for corporate and institutional clients.
Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. serves businesses, public entities, insurance companies, associations, and professional services organizations worldwide.
Foolish take
CADINHA & CO's recent sale of Marsh & McLennan stock reflects a broader trend of investors growing cautious and consulting firms as market conditions shift. For Marsh & McLennan, though, rising uncertainties are not a setback. It is the foundation of its business, and the company continues to find ways to turn that uncertainty into opportunity.
Marsh & McLennan's product offering isn't focused directly on selling insurance, and it is more heavily centered on its consulting services. The firm earns fees and commissions for placing coverage, arranging reinsurance, and advising on strategy and risk management.
Its portfolio is broader than many realize. Through its Marsh brokerage arm and Guy Carpenter reinsurance division, the company connects clients to insurance capacity worldwide, while Mercer and Oliver Wyman extend the relationship into workforce and strategy consulting. Each division reinforces the other and creates a self-sustaining loop of data and advisory demand that strengthens the company's moat.
For long-term investors, the lens is simple. As cyber threats and climate shocks grow more prevalent, more companies need help measuring exposure and negotiating protection. That type of work relies heavily on data, credibility, and global reach. Those are all strengths that have made the firm a trusted leader for decades. Marsh & McLennan's expertise will only become more valuable in a world where global risk grows more complex and becomes a permanent feature of the global economy.
Glossary
13F reportable AUM: Assets under management reported by institutional investment managers on SEC Form 13F, typically covering U.S. equity holdings.
AUM (Assets Under Management): The total market value of investments managed on behalf of clients by a fund or firm.
Quarter-end: The last day of a financial quarter, used as a reference point for reporting holdings and performance.
Portfolio weight: The percentage of a portfolio's total value allocated to a specific investment or holding.
Top holdings: The largest investments in a portfolio, usually ranked by market value or portfolio weight.
Reinsurance broking: The service of arranging insurance for insurance companies, helping them transfer risk to other insurers.
Consulting engagements: Professional advisory projects where firms provide expertise and recommendations to clients for a fee.
Institutional clients: Organizations such as corporations, pension funds, or governments that invest large sums, as opposed to individual investors.
Service fees: Charges paid by clients for professional services, separate from commissions or product sales.
TTM: The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.
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Eric Trie has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Costco Wholesale, and Microsoft. 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.

Marsh & McLennan Turns Global Risk Into Long-Term Growth

(RTTNews) - In what cybersecurity experts are referring to as one of the biggest credential dumps ever found, a massive data leak has revealed over 183 million email passwords, including tens of millions linked to Gmail accounts.
According to researcher Troy Hunt of Have I Been Pwned, the 3.5-terabyte trove was discovered online this month and contains 23 billion login records gathered from infostealer malware, which surreptitiously gathers usernames and passwords from compromised devices. Of the accounts, about 16.4 million had never been compromised before.
Although there was no direct hack of Gmail, malware, phishing scams, and phony software downloads were used to obtain the credentials, many of which are still active. Experts cautioned that credential stuffing attacks could compromise numerous accounts if victims reuse their passwords.
Google emphasized that claims of a breach unique to Gmail are untrue and acknowledged that the company is aware of the leak.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Alphabet Inc.

Price history and volume

Shares 360

Investment risk — high

Investment potential — high

AI Factors

stagflation

Labor Costs

Internet of Things

Cloud Computing

Quantum Computing

Inflation

Generative AI

USD Average Exchange Rate

European Bond Market

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