Robinhood Markets, Inc.

Valuations are stretched, but is it a bubble? In this podcast, Motley Fool contributors Travis Hoium, Lou Whiteman, and Rachel Warren discuss that as well as:
The latest AI and energy news.
ASML's earnings.
A surprising report from Johnson & Johnson.
Alphabet's $25 billion data center and energy deals.
Bold predictions this earnings season
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A full transcript is below.
Should you invest $1,000 in ASML right now?
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This podcast was recorded on July 16, 2025.
Travis Hoium: Is a market bubble farming right under our noses? Motley Fool Money starts now. I'm Travis Hoium, joined by longtime Fools, Lou the legend Whiteman, and from an undisclosed location somewhere in Europe, Rachel Warren. Today, we're going to get to ASML and Johnson & Johnson's earnings results, which came in overnight. Google's $25 billion energy deal. But first, are we in a market bubble? Lou, I remember Cloudflare trading for 100 times its sales at the peak of the market in 2021. The stock then fell 80% in six months. Today, Palantir is trading for 110 times sales. The stock is over $150 per share. Robinhood, 25 times sales at $100 per share. It looks like a bubble. It feels a little like a bubble. Are we in a bubble?
Lou Whiteman: Look, Travis, there's always a bubble somewhere. Valuations they look stretched. My go-to stat here is the S&P 500 is currently trading at 25 times earnings. That's well above the 20-year average, about 16 times earnings. That's frothy. I do think you need to keep that in mind. For example, I think Hidden Gems just sold down some of its position in Arista Networks based on high valuation. You keep that in mind. But here's the thing. Markets can remain at high valuations for a long time. I'm not running for the exits. I'm being selective. I'm looking for opportunities out there in areas like financial services and income stocks. I'm keeping that in mind, I'm adjusting as we go, but I also want to stay in the market.
Rachel Warren: I don't think I would say that we are in a stock market bubble, but I do think it's an important point to discuss. We're looking at valuations of a lot of tech companies right now, in particular. I think it's easy to be concerned that there might be a bubble forming. We've heard a lot of analysts make comparisons to the .com boom, of course. There's a lot of excitement that we're seeing in the tech base in particular, right now. This is being driven by the AI revolution, whether it's data center companies, chip companies, or software-based platforms like Palantir, as you mentioned, that are boosting their business with AI-driven services. This is where so much of the market seems to be focused. It's also a time where a lot of the modern pace of innovation is tracing back to right now. You look at a company like Robinhood. You've got the broader resurgence of interest in crypto that's benefited the platform. It's expansion into Europe, stock tokenization, and crypto futures. Those are just a few catalysts.
I will say, I think it creates a situation where many valuations are heightened, probably in some cases, for more than a given company's intrinsic worth. But I don't think that that valuation dynamic is true across the board. I think you can look at other industries where valuations are much more reasonable, find quality accessible businesses. For that reason, I don't think we're in a broad stock market bubble. But are valuations too high in some cases? I think that's the case. I think it's more important than ever for investors to be discerning when evaluating the intrinsic worth of companies, making sure it's the right fit for their personal portfolio, thinking about, where's your money? What is the true monetizable business here? Does it have those durable value-driven tailwinds for the company's growth? I think those are the questions that we have to ask ourselves as investors.
Travis Hoium: Sounds like the final answer is, we're probably in a bubble somewhere. We just don't know exactly where it is. I want to get to one of the companies that's involved in potentially inflating bubbles. That is Google and their latest AI news. We'll do that after a quick break.
Potential bubbles, let's turn to artificial intelligence, and Google announced $25 billion in data center and energy deals in the PJM, which manages electricity across 13 states from New Jersey to North Carolina, all the way over to Chicago. This comes on the heels of Energy's biggest inflation numbers in quite a while. 5.8% increase in electricity prices over the past 12 months. That was reported just yesterday. AI is an energy hog. We know that Rachel utilities have been a boring way to make money for decades, 1, 2, 3% growth. But does the recent change in artificial intelligence and the energy needs there, does that change anything? Does that change the way that you look at the utility space in any way?
Rachel Warren: For me, personally, I wouldn't say that this changes the trajectory of my investing interests in the energy space. I will say, it's not a space I gravitated toward. There are plenty of fellow fools who do. But if anything, as an alphabet investor, this makes me more excited about the investments this company is making that I think can help cement its continued leadership and strides in the AI space. In addition to that $25 billion data center and AI infrastructure investment, Google's also spending about $3 billion to modernize two hydropower plants in Pennsylvania, and that's designed to facilitate the power demand from AI and data centers in the area. One thing to bear in mind, PJM is the biggest electric grid in the nation. Its coverage area includes the world's largest data center market, that's located in Northern Virginia.
We're at a time where PJM and other providers are really struggling to keep up with rising electricity demand amid the AI boom. AI training, particularly for large language models and generative AI, it's incredibly energy intensive. A single generative AI query can require almost 10 times more electricity than a traditional Internet search. Data centers are already consuming a notable percentage of the nation's electricity. Unlike some other energy demands that can fluctuate, AI requires continuous operation. That means you need a constant power supply. That strains existing grid capacity. There was a meeting that just happened yesterday at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. We have the president, his cabinet, and executives from a range of companies, including Alphabet, were there. There was a report that the companies there, including, of course, Alphabet's Google, announced a combined total of $90 billion in investments in data centers, energy, and power infrastructure. From my perspective, that's the cost of doing business for these major providers. But if you are interested in the energy space, I think it creates some nice tailwinds there.
Travis Hoium: Lou, of course, Rachel mentioned the hydroelectric plants, and of course, Brookfield Asset Management was involved. They are the company that's behind a lot of electricity generation, not only in the US, but around the world, a lot of renewable energy. Is the investing takeaway here as simple as AI is a tide that is lifting all of these utility boats, and maybe we're going to lose the consumer overboard, or what are you taking away from?
Lou Whiteman: No, my investing takeaway is not by the utilities. I'm not there yet, but the invest takeaway for me is you said it, Travis. It's Brookfield. It's always Brookfield or something like that. Look, I think the demand for energy, that trend is real. It's a long-term tailwind, but I don't want to invest in individual utilities. I don't like to pick winners among geographies or projects. My way to take advantage of this trend is to buy into a company making investments all over the sector, giving me broad exposure instead of just an individual company. Look at the Brookfield Renewable Partners case. That's the actual entity that Google's partnering with here. Brookfield Renewable is going to bring on 8,000 megawatts of capacity in 2025 alone. I'm going to take my chances getting that broad exposure instead of focusing on any one individual company and hoping that they ride the wave, as well.
Travis Hoium: I think that's probably a smart way to look at it, and you get a nice dividend yield with a lot of those asset owners as well. Next up, we're going to talk about two of the big earnings reports of the day. We'll do that after this break.
ASML, which makes critical equipment for making chips, all the artificial intelligence chips, the chips that's probably in your smartphone today. This equipment costs as much as $400 million for a single piece of equipment. They reported earnings overnight, beat on the top and bottom line with 7.7 billion euros in revenue and 590 euros per share in earnings. But the stock is down 10% today because they were a little cautious about 2026, saying they couldn't confirm. It was going to be a growth year. Lou, what are you taking away from this earnings report?
Lou Whiteman: Worth saying that, like you said, these are really expensive machines. Even in the best of times, this is a company that's tough to judge quarter to quarter. You miss one delivery, and it can throw off the quarter. You're going to have lumpy. You throw in tariffs, trade wars, and chip restrictions to China, and I understand the caution. But I'm going to note here, CFO Roger Dyson attributed to this beat, this last quarter's beat to tariffs having "less negative impact than they anticipated." I think there's a real chance this trend can continue where the uncertainty is there, but it turns out not as bad as they thought because there's just so much demand out there, and if so, I think growth in 2026 can eventually be put back on the table, whether it comes or not for long term individual investors, the underlying growth story here, the need for more and more advanced chips and therefore, the need for more the machines that can make them. That's unchanged. I think Wall Street is overreacting today. I think this is still a great company with a great future up ahead.
Rachel Warren: What's interesting about this, Abi, as you noted, Travis, ASML, they beat on both the top and bottom line expectations. This was for their fiscal second quarter. Now, they gave guidance for the current quarter that missed expectations, and they warned that there might be the possibility of no growth in 2026. But it's not quite as bad as it appears at first glance. They forecast Q3 quarter revenue of between 7.4 billion euros and 7.9 billion euros at the upper end of that tier. I was just shy of the market expectations of about 8.3 billion euros for Q3. Taking a broader, more holistic look here, there are a lot of companies in the semiconductor industry that are facing similar headwinds as ASML is right now. There's a lot of uncertainty that's been created by the US tariff policy that remains the case. It's worth noting, management still expects their full year 2025 net sales to grow 15%, and they said that their AI customers' fundamentals are still looking really strong. Anything, management emphasized the continued uncertainty that's driven by macro headwinds, and that's a dynamic that competitors are contending with, too. They're preparing for growth in 2026.
But the reality that they and other adjacent players are facing right now in many ways. It goes back to external factors that they can't control. In my opinion, you've still got a quality business here. I think investors might need to moderate expectations. If macro headwinds shift in the short term, but I think the company is well-positioned to write those out.
Travis Hoium: Johnson & Johnson was the other big earnings report this morning. Stocks up 6% as we're recording. Rachel, this was another double beat. They said, they don't need to do deals out of desperation despite a Paden cliff. What were your takeaways from the report?
Rachel Warren: It was a fantastic quarter for the business. As you noted, a beat on both the top and bottom lines. They reported $23.7 billion in revenue. That beat estimates of 22.8 billion, adjusted earnings per share of $2.77. That was compared to analyst estimates of $2.70. That came with raised guidance for the year, as well, up 5.4%, at the midpoint. We had the chairman and CEO of the company say that their portfolio and pipeline is positioning them for elevated growth in the second half of the year with game-changing approvals and submissions and key disease verticals, including oncology, psoriasis, surgery, and cardiovascular, and they're looking to extend that as the year progresses. Broken down by segment, their innovative medicine segment, which is essentially their pharmaceutical business, grew 4.5% year over year. Their medical device business saw sales climb more than 7%. Those are fantastic figures for a company at this level of maturity. This is a business that I will note has been acquisitive in recent years. That goes back to everything from their acquisition of Abiomed several years ago, where they acquired the world's smallest heart pump from that acquisition.
They recently closed the purchase of intracellular therapies. That solidified their neuroscience portfolio. One important thing to note, this was something that CFO Joe Wolk addressed in a recent interview. They are facing patent pressures, particularly on some of their key older blockbuster drugs like Stelara. That's been a $10 billion-plus drug annually in recent years. But management thinks that, really, the expected gap in revenue from the generic competition is not going to have a noticeable impact on the company. That they're really well positioned to ride that out. Broadly speaking, going back to these recent acquisitions and their continued internal development pipeline. I will also say that management noted a revision in the impact of tariffs to 200 million. That was versus the 400 million that they were previously projecting. Now, there's still a lot of uncertainty about drug tariffs that is lingering, and something that their CFO said is, we're still really waiting to see what the administration shares in that regard. We're in an environment, of course, where there's a ton of uncertainty regarding tariffs and other cost pressures for businesses like this one. I will say this is one of the most well-bolstered companies in the pharma industry from a cash perspective. They're well-positioned to handle any headwinds that might come. They have an extensive domestic manufacturing presence that they are also looking to expand. This is also a company that has been paying and raising their dividend every single year for over six decades. It's a great company, in my opinion.
Travis Hoium: To end the show, I do want to get bold with some predictions here. Now, we are long-term investors, so a one-day drop in stock is maybe not that big a deal. It might even be opportunity. ASML is one of these companies wide moat. It's down after earnings, maybe an opportunity for those long-term investors. Now I'm thinking about opportunities like Netflix in the Quickstar days, Meta's drop when it was getting fit in 2022. What are the stocks that you're looking for a potential buy-the-dip stocks as we go through earning seasons, and maybe we have some short-term turbulence. Lou, let's start with you.
Lou Whiteman: The first name that comes to my mind is Mercado Libre. In part, because, look, given the markets, given the South American exposure, the wide range of businesses, there does tend to be volatility. There does tend to be dips. I think there could be opportunities. Look, for all of the growth that this company has delivered, crazy to think about, it's what, maybe one 20th the size of Amazon. It's a current position for me, and it's constantly on my radar.
Rachel Warren: One business I've been looking at recently is Toast. This has been a intriguing company to follow, particularly for me over the last 12-18 months. They really continue to expand the cohort of clients that they're onboard into their platform. They just booked Applebee's, which was their largest deal in company history. They added over 6,000 net new locations just in Q1 of 2025 alone, and they reached an annual recurring run rate that grew 31% year over year to about 1.7 billion as of the end of March. It's a sticky business. It resonates with a lot of small, medium-sized restaurant chains. But also some of these larger companies that are starting to see the value in Toast's platform. They're looking outside the restaurant space, too, convenience stores, companies like Top Golf, or more recent Partners for them. I think there's a lot to like about this business. I'm also quite impressed by their more recent profitability. It's one that I'd be curious to take a closer look at. They happen to go down that mark.
Travis Hoium: Thank you to Lou and Rachel for joining me today. As always, people on the program may have interest in the stocks that they talk about in the Motley Fool, may have formal recommendations for or against, so don't buy or sell stocks based solely on what you hear. All personal finance content follows Motley Fool editorial guidelines and is not approved by advertisers, are sponsored content, and provided for informational purposes only to see our full advertising disclosure, please check our show notes. For Lou Whiteman and Rachel Warren, and the entire Motley Fool team, I'm Travis Hoium. We'll see you tomorrow.
John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Lou Whiteman has positions in ASML, Cloudflare, and MercadoLibre. Rachel Warren has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, and Johnson & Johnson. Travis Hoium has positions in Alphabet, Cloudflare, MercadoLibre, and Robinhood Markets. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, Alphabet, Amazon, Arista Networks, Cloudflare, MercadoLibre, Netflix, Palantir Technologies, and Toast. The Motley Fool recommends Brookfield Asset Management, Brookfield Renewable Partners, and Johnson & Johnson. 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 the Stock Market in Bubble Territory?

Key Points
Ten large-cap stocks representing five sectors have delivered higher year-to-date gains than Palantir.
Wall Street analysts aren't especially excited about any of them.
Most of the high-flying stocks have exorbitant valuations.
No matter how you look at it, Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) is one hot stock. The share price of the artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics software company has more than doubled year to date.
Is Palantir the hottest stock on the market? Nope, not by a long stretch. Despite the impressive gain, it's not even the best-performing large-cap stock.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »
The top 10
Ten stocks of companies with market caps of $10 billion or more have outgained Palantir so far in 2025:
Data source: Finviz, Yahoo! Finance. *As of intraday trading on July 18, 2025. YTD = Year-to-date.
This list reflects several fast-growing markets. Like Palantir, three of the stocks have strong artificial intelligence (AI) connections. Coreweave is an AI cloud computing provider. Symbotic is a leader in AI-powered robotics for warehouses. NuScale Power makes small modular nuclear reactors that generate electricity, with a special focus on providing power for AI data centers.
Roblox runs a virtual universe for online gamers. It also has AI ties, though. For example, Roblox Cube is a generative AI application that helps users create 3D and 4D objects and scenes for its gaming platform.
Three of the stocks outperforming Palantir this year are in the financial services business. Robinhood is a popular online brokerage. Circle Internet Group specializes in building the infrastructure for stablecoins. Futu Holdings operates a digital brokerage and wealth management platform.
AngloGold Ashanti is a global gold mining company, but it's intertwined with the financial world. The price of gold has skyrocketed due largely to investors' concerns about market volatility.
Two other stocks are flying high -- literally. AST SpaceMobile is building a satellite-based broadband network. Joby Aviation operates vertical takeoff and landing air taxis.
Wall Street's take
Wall Street isn't bullish on Palantir. Only four of the analysts surveyed by LSEG in July recommended buying the stock. The consensus 12-month price target for Palantir is 34% lower than the current share price.
Do analysts have more favorable opinions about the 10 large-cap stocks that have outgained Palantir this year? For the most part, no.
The price targets for Coreweave, Robinhood, NuScale Power, Symbotic, and Roblox are at least 30% below the share prices for these stocks. The average price target for Joby Aviation is more than 50% lower than its share price. Analysts also expect shares of Circle Internet Group, Futu Holdings, and AST SpaceMobile to fall by double-digit percentages over the next 12 months.
Of the 10 large-cap stocks outperforming Palantir in 2025, only one has a consensus price target that reflects positive upside potential -- AngloGold Ashanti. But don't get excited yet. Analysts think the gold miner's shares will rise by less than 3% over the near term.
Are the analysts right?
I suspect Wall Street analysts are right to be skeptical about the near-term prospects of most of these high-flying stocks. The biggest knock against them (with a couple of exceptions) is their exorbitant valuations. That's the main issue for Palantir, too.
However, AngloGold Ashanti's shares trade at only 10.4 times forward earnings even after its huge gains. And while Symbotic's earnings multiples are at nosebleed levels, the stock's price-to-sales ratio is a much more reasonable 1.33.
Any or all of these stocks could continue to soar over the coming months. I think, though, that the best choices are the most attractively valued -- AngloGold Ashanti and Symbotic.
Should you invest $1,000 in AngloGold Ashanti Plc right now?
Before you buy stock in AngloGold Ashanti Plc, 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 AngloGold Ashanti Plc 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 $652,133!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,056,790!*
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Keith Speights has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Palantir Technologies, Roblox, and Symbotic. The Motley Fool recommends NuScale Power. 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.

These 10 Large-Cap Stocks Have Outgained Palantir in 2025. Here's How Wall Street Thinks They'll Do.

Shares of Interactive Brokers Group IBKR gained 4.8% in the after-market hours on better-than-expected quarterly results. Its second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share of $1.51 surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.46. The bottom line indicates a rise of 15.9% from the prior-year quarter.
Results were primarily aided by an increase in revenues. Growth in customer accounts and a rise in daily average revenue trades (DARTs) acted as other tailwinds. However, higher expenses were the undermining factor.
After considering non-recurring items, net income available to common shareholders (GAAP basis) was $224 million or 51 cents per share, up from $179 million or 41 cents per share in the prior-year quarter. Our estimate for net income was $197.4 million.
Interactive Brokers reported comprehensive income available to common shareholders of $303 million or 69 cents per share compared with $177 million or 41 cents per share in the prior-year quarter.
IBKR’s Revenues Improve, Expenses Rise
Total GAAP net revenues for the quarter were $1.48 billion, up 20.3% year over year. Adjusted net revenues were also $1.48 billion, up 14.7%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the top line was $1.36 billion.
Total non-interest expenses increased 7.4% year over year to $376 million. This rise was primarily due to an increase in execution, clearing and distribution fees, employee compensation and benefits charges, communications expenses, and general and administrative costs. Our estimate for non-interest expenses was pegged at $365.3 million.
Income before income taxes was $1.10 billion, up 25.5% year over year.
The adjusted pre-tax profit margin was 75%, up from 73% a year ago.
In the reported quarter, total customer DARTs jumped 49% year over year to 3.55 million. Our estimate for the metric was 3.33 million.
Customer accounts grew 32% from the year-ago quarter to 3,866,000. Our prediction for customer accounts was 3,599,000.
Strong Capital Position of Interactive Brokers
As of June 30, 2025, cash and cash equivalents (including cash and securities set aside for regulatory purposes) totaled $86.7 billion compared with $68.1 billion as of Dec. 31, 2024.
As of June 30, 2025, total assets were $181.5 billion compared with $150.1 billion as of Dec. 31, 2024. Total equity was $18.5 billion, up from $16.6 billion as of Dec. 31, 2024.
Our View on IBKR
Interactive Brokers' efforts to develop proprietary software and an increase in emerging market customers are expected to keep aiding financials. Relatively higher interest rates will likely aid revenue growth in the near term. However, rising expenses and high exposure to geopolitical risks overseas are headwinds.
Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Currently, Interactive Brokers sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Earnings Release Dates of IBKR’s Peers
Here are some of IBKR’s peers that are yet to come out with quarterly numbers. (Find the latest earnings estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.)
Robinhood Markets HOOD is slated to announce quarterly numbers on July 30.
In the past week, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Robinhood’s quarterly earnings has moved higher to 31 cents, implying a 47.6% jump from the prior-year reported number.
Tradeweb Markets TW is also slated to announce quarterly numbers on July 30.
In the past week, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for TW’s quarterly earnings has been revised upward to 86 cents, indicating a 22.9% rise from the prior-year reported number.
5 Stocks Set to Double
Each was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the favorite stock to gain +100% or more in the months ahead. They include
Stock #1: A Disruptive Force with Notable Growth and Resilience
Stock #2: Bullish Signs Signaling to Buy the Dip
Stock #3: One of the Most Compelling Investments in the Market
Stock #4: Leader In a Red-Hot Industry Poised for Growth
Stock #5: Modern Omni-Channel Platform Coiled to Spring
Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +171%, +209% and +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.

IBKR Stock Gains on Q2 Earnings Beat, Revenues & Expenses Rise Y/Y

Among the underlying components of the Russell 3000 index, we saw noteworthy options trading volume today in Lucid Group Inc (Symbol: LCID), where a total of 1.3 million contracts have traded so far, representing approximately 127.6 million underlying shares. That amounts to about 95% of LCID's average daily trading volume over the past month of 134.4 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $3.50 strike call option expiring July 18, 2025, with 130,864 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 13.1 million underlying shares of LCID. Below is a chart showing LCID's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $3.50 strike highlighted in orange:
Papa John's International, Inc. (Symbol: PZZA) saw options trading volume of 10,053 contracts, representing approximately 1.0 million underlying shares or approximately 91.8% of PZZA's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 1.1 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $35 strike put option expiring September 19, 2025, with 8,815 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 881,500 underlying shares of PZZA. Below is a chart showing PZZA's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $35 strike highlighted in orange:
And Robinhood Markets Inc (Symbol: HOOD) saw options trading volume of 488,767 contracts, representing approximately 48.9 million underlying shares or approximately 90.4% of HOOD's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 54.1 million shares. Especially high volume was seen for the $105 strike call option expiring July 18, 2025, with 35,954 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 3.6 million underlying shares of HOOD. Below is a chart showing HOOD's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $105 strike highlighted in orange:
For the various different available expirations for LCID options, PZZA options, or HOOD options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
Also see:
Blue Chip Dividend Stocks Hedge Funds Are Selling
WES Dividend Growth Rate
HPI Insider Buying
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Noteworthy Thursday Option Activity: LCID, PZZA, HOOD

"When I see a bubble forming, I rush in to buy, adding fuel to the fire."
— George Soros
Bubbles are not just market anomalies, they are often features of major eras of innovation and expansion. From railroads to dot-coms and digital assets, investors have repeatedly underestimated how far narrative-driven excess can go. Today, we are in the early innings of what may become the next great bubble, driven by a convergence of artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and crypto-financial systems.
Each of these technologies is transformational on its own. Together, they are catalyzing a new wave of speculative enthusiasm, and importantly, real capital investment across both public and private markets. The last couple of years, broad markets have performed very well led by a surge in thematic stocks tied to AI infrastructure and quantum computing, while tokenized financial rails have begun to proliferate more recently. Like in the late 1990s, the rally may seem unsustainable, and it likely will be, eventually. But history shows that there may be explosive gains in the years ahead for those who are well positioned.
This article explores what a full-blown speculative peak could look like over the next couple of years, and how much upside may still lie ahead if the current bull run evolves into a true mania. We’ll examine lessons from past bubbles, outline the broader themes driving this one, and highlight several individual stocks that could become major winners along the way.
Artificial Intelligence: The Infrastructure Behind Superintelligence
AI is already reshaping daily life, but we may only be scratching the surface of what’s coming. The exponential growth in large language model (LLM) usage, combined with an arms race in data center construction, is driving massive demand for compute infrastructure.
The growth in LLM usage across both consumer and enterprise applications has been nothing short of extraordinary. After becoming the fastest app in history to reach 100 million users, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has continued its explosive ascent, now estimated to have over 1 billion weekly active users. The company is reportedly generating more than $10 billion in annual revenue, and while it’s the most prominent player, it’s far from alone. Competitors like Anthropic’s Claude, Google’s Gemini, and Meta’s Llama are also accelerating rapidly, contributing to a broader AI boom.
Yet the infrastructure behind these systems may be the most compelling part of the story. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently revealed plans for a multi-gigawatt data center, code-named Prometheus, describing it as a facility that could ultimately match the physical footprint of Manhattan. The scale of this ambition highlights the extraordinary capital intensity required to push the frontier of artificial intelligence.
Global hyperscaler spending on data infrastructure is expected to reach nearly $400 billion this year, fueled not only by commercial demand but by geopolitical competition. Nations are racing to develop sovereign AI capabilities, with some viewing superintelligence as a matter of national security. Whoever controls the most advanced AI infrastructure could shape the future, not just of industries, but of economies, governance, and global power structures.
What I’m trying to say is this: a truly historic amount of capital is gushing into this industry as the world’s leading technologists attempt to build something akin to a digital god. Will they succeed? I honestly don’t know. But what I do know is that the sheer scale of spending, investment, and adoption, from the world’s wealthiest corporations and most powerful governments, is likely to drive the stock market significantly higher, especially for companies positioned in the right sectors.
Key stocks positioned to benefit from this wave include:
Nvidia NVDA – The dominant AI hardware provider powering the entire LLM and inference boom
Palantir Technologies PLTR – Enterprise-level AI decision-making systems used by governments and defense
Vertiv (VRT) – A critical infrastructure company providing thermal and power solutions to data centers
Microsoft (MSFT), Meta (META) and Alphabet (GOOGL) – AI hyperscaler titans building and scaling LLM platforms and integrating intelligently into core businesses
Constellation Energy (CEG) – Benefiting from the enormous power demands of next-gen AI facilities
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Quantum Computing: From Hype to Real-World Impact
Quantum computing has quietly taken a leap forward in the last year. What was once seen as far-off science fiction is now entering its commercialization phase, with breakthroughs in qubit coherence, quantum error correction, and hybrid classical-quantum systems accelerating the timeline.
While large-scale universal quantum computing is still several years away, practical use cases in logistics optimization, pharma, and material science are beginning to emerge. As these systems are paired with classical AI infrastructure, we may see the rise of hybrid models that radically outperform current methods.
Most notably, over the past several months, quantum computing stocks have gone vertical. While skeptics point to the still-limited revenue and earnings across the sector, early commercial traction is beginning to materialize, and it appears the market is starting to price in the tremendous long-term potential. One thing is clear: capital is flowing aggressively into the industry.
Promising public companies in the space include:
IonQ IONQ – The current leader among quantum computing pure-plays, with real commercial traction
Rigetti Computing (RGTI) – More speculative, but heavily shorted and capable of meme-stock behavior
D-Wave Quantum QBTS – A legacy player focused on annealing-based quantum systems
Quantum Computing Inc. (QUBT) – Ultra-speculative, with potential to catch fire in a retail bubble
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Bitcoin, Crypto, and Digital Assets: The Financial Layer of the New Era
Bitcoin has reclaimed its position as the best-performing macro asset, outpacing gold, stocks, and real estate by a wide margin. While its role as a hedge against fiat instability and global uncertainty can be difficult to quantify, it has clearly proven effective as a portfolio diversifier, and increasingly serves as a release valve for excess liquidity in the financial system.
The rise of tokenization and stablecoins is creating a new wave of speculative energy — not just in cryptocurrencies themselves, but in how traders and investors actually interface with the market. Tokenization refers to the process of putting real-world assets (like stocks, bonds, or even real estate) onto blockchain rails, allowing for 24/7 trading, fractional ownership, instant settlement, and increased global access.
Meanwhile, stablecoins are offering a new form of liquidity for investors, something between a money market account and pure cash. This new form of liquidity lubricates financial markets broadly as it enables real-time settlement, faster capital redeployment, and round-the-clock market participation.
Key stocks for exposure to this theme include:
Coinbase COIN – The leading U.S.-listed crypto exchange and a beneficiary of retail and institutional flows and stablecoins
Robinhood HOOD – The main point of access for speculative activites from retail as well as the first to introduce tokenization.
MicroStrategy (MSTR) – Effectively a Bitcoin ETF with software revenue as a bonus
Bitcoin ETF (IBIT)– Still the king, and still the most resilient asset in speculative cycles
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Buying Stocks With Eyes Wide Open
If this is the beginning of the next great bubble, it’s possible to imagine just how far markets could run. While it’s impossible to predict exact outcomes, rough estimates suggest that the Nasdaq 100 could double, the S&P 500 could push toward 10,000, and Bitcoin might rally to $300,000 or more over the next couple of years. These are, of course, just rough estimates, but they reflect the type of moves we’ve seen in past bubbles when narratives take hold and capital flows turn parabolic.
Yes, it may all come crashing down someday. But in the meantime, the market may reward those who are early, thoughtful, and positioned for narrative-driven upside. Just like Soros, sometimes the best trade is to lean into the mania and exit before the music stops.
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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 Next Great Bubble: Riding Quantum, AI, and Crypto Stocks

Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF (Symbol: IWR) where we have detected an approximate $152.2 million dollar inflow -- that's a 0.4% increase week over week in outstanding units (from 456,850,000 to 458,500,000). Among the largest underlying components of IWR, in trading today Coinbase Global Inc (Symbol: COIN) is up about 3.2%, Robinhood Markets Inc (Symbol: HOOD) is up about 4.3%, and Bank of New York Mellon Corp (Symbol: BK) is lower by about 0.2%. For a complete list of holdings, visit the IWR Holdings page » The chart below shows the one year price performance of IWR, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, IWR's low point in its 52 week range is $73.168 per share, with $96.005 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $92.34. Comparing the most recent share price to the 200 day moving average can also be a useful technical analysis technique -- learn more about the 200 day moving average ».
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) trade just like stocks, but instead of ''shares'' investors are actually buying and selling ''units''. These ''units'' can be traded back and forth just like stocks, but can also be created or destroyed to accommodate investor demand. Each week we monitor the week-over-week change in shares outstanding data, to keep a lookout for those ETFs experiencing notable inflows (many new units created) or outflows (many old units destroyed). Creation of new units will mean the underlying holdings of the ETF need to be purchased, while destruction of units involves selling underlying holdings, so large flows can also impact the individual components held within ETFs.
MRCC YTD Return
MGEN shares outstanding history
LMAT Dividend Growth Rate
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

IWR, COIN, HOOD, BK: Large Inflows Detected at ETF

Below is Validea's guru fundamental report for ROBINHOOD MARKETS INC (HOOD). Of the 22 guru strategies we follow, HOOD rates highest using our Quantitative Momentum Investor model based on the published strategy of Wesley Gray. This momentum model looks for stocks with strong and consistent intermediate-term relative performance.
ROBINHOOD MARKETS INC (HOOD) is a large-cap growth stock in the Software & Programming industry. The rating using this strategy is 94% 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.
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 ROBINHOOD MARKETS INC
More Information on Wesley Gray
About Wesley Gray: Wesley Gray is the founder of Alpha Architect and the author (along with co-author Jack Vogel) of "Quantitative Momentum A Practitioner's Guide to Building a Momentum-Based Stock Selection System". He is also the author (along with co-author Tobias Carlisle) of "Quantitative Value: A Practitioner's Guide to Automating Intelligent Investment and Eliminating Behavioral Errors". He is an industry recognized expert in the application of quantitative investing strategies. Wes is also a former Marine and has his Phd from the Univerisity of Chicago, where he studied under Nobel Prize winner Eugene Fama.
Additional Research Links
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.

HOOD Factor-Based Stock Analysis

Favorable quarterly reports from most of the large domestic banks are drawing attention to the financial sector, and Interactive Brokers IBKR is worthy of consideration ahead of its Q2 results on Thursday, July 17.
Soaring nearly +100% in the last year, Interactive Brokers stock is up +35% year to date and looks poised for higher highs after hitting a 52-week peak of $60 a share in today’s trading session.
The automated global electronic broker is seeing supercharged trading volumes following an unprecedented rebound among the U.S. stock exchanges. Enhancing its product offerings, Interactive Brokers has recently launched IBKR InvestMentor, a microlearning app aimed at educating new investors and has expanded its ETF and cryptocurrency offerings to compete with competitors such as Charles Schwab SCHW and Robinhood Markets HOOD.
Interactive Brokers Q2 Expectations
Based on Zacks' estimates, Interactive Brokers' Q2 sales are expected to increase 8% to $1.34 billion compared to $1.23 billion a year ago. On the bottom line, Q2 EPS projections of $0.45 would be a slight increase from $0.44 a share in the prior year quarter.
Furthermore, the Zacks ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) indicates Interactive Brokers could surpass earnings expectations with the Most Accurate and recent estimates among Wall Street having Q2 EPS slated at $0.46 (Current Qtr below).
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Positive EPS Revisions & Steady Growth
Most intriguing and alluding to the plausibility of more upside in IBKR is that earnings estimate revisions for Interactive Brokers have continued to trend higher following the announcement of its upgraded product offerings and investment tools. In the last week, fiscal 2025 and FY26 EPS estimates are up 4% and 3% respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Interactive Brokers' annual earnings are now expected to rise 4% this year and are projected to increase another 7% in FY26 to $1.97 per share. Reassuringly, this is accompanied by projections of steady sales growth with Interactive Brokers’ top line expected to expand 3% in FY25 and forecasted to stretch another 6% next year to $5.73 billion.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
IBKR Valuation Comparison
While the excitement for Interactive Brokers and Robinhood’s innovative trading platforms has led to blazing performances for both of their stocks, it’s noteworthy that IBKR still trades at a reasonable 32.4X forward earnings multiple compared to HOOD at 79.6X.
In comparison, Interactive Brokers trades closer to their Zacks Financial-Investment Bank Industry average of 15.8X and Charles Schwab’s 21.9X.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Bottom Line
Investors looking for exposure to the growth that many FinTech firms offer have a more affordable option with Interactive Brokers as opposed to Robinhood Markets. Appearing to be poised for higher highs ahead of its Q2 report, IBKR currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and notably has an “A” Zacks Style Scores grade for Momentum.
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."
Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.5% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention.
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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.

Time to Buy Interactive Brokers (IBKR) Stock as Q2 Earnings Approach

Tuesday, July 15, 2025
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 Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) and Shopify Inc. (SHOP), as well as two micro-cap stocks IDT Corp. (IDT) and Nathan's Famous, Inc. (NATH). 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.
You can see all of today’s research reports here >>>
Ahead of Wall Street
The daily 'Ahead of Wall Street' article is a must-read for all investors who would like to be ready for that day's trading action. The article comes out before the market opens, attempting to make sense of that morning's economic releases and how they will affect that day's market action. You can read this article for free on our home page and can actually sign up there to get an email notification as this article comes out each morning.
You can read today's AWS here >>> Economy Shows Signs of Warming: CPI, Q2 Bank Earnings
Today's Featured Research Reports
Shares of Amazon.com have gained +17.1% over the past year against the Zacks Internet - Commerce industry’s gain of +20.2%. The company’s top-line is driven by steady momentum in Prime and AWS. A strengthening AWS services portfolio and its growing adoption rate contributed notably to AWS performance. Ultrafast delivery services and expanding content portfolio were beneficial.
Strengthening relationship with third-party sellers was a positive. Robust advertising business contributed well. Amazon’s expanding global presence, growing capabilities in grocery, pharmacy, healthcare and autonomous driving are key positives. Deepening focus on GenAI is a major plus. The Zacks analyst expect 2025 net sales to increase 8.5% from 2024.
However, Amazon announced mixed guidance for the second quarter. High tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on goods imported from China have cast uncertainty on retailers such as Amazon. AMZN's free cash flow has decreased significantly.
(You can read the full research report on Amazon.com here >>>)
Meta Platforms’ shares have outperformed the Zacks Internet - Software industry over the past year (+48.1% vs. +38.6%). The company is benefiting from steady user growth across all regions, particularly Asia Pacific. Increased engagement for its offerings like Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Facebook has been a major growth driver.
META has been leveraging AI to improve the potency of its platform offerings. These services currently reach more than 3.43 billion people daily. Meta Platforms’ growing footprint among young adults, driven by improving recommendations, boosts its competitive prowess. AI usage is making it a popular name among advertisers. This is expected to drive top-line growth.
Meta Platforms now expects to invest significantly more over the next few years in developing more advanced models and the largest AI services in the world. However, monetization of these AI services will take considerable time, which is a concern.
(You can read the full research report on Meta Platforms here >>>)
Shares of Shopify have outperformed the Zacks Internet - Services industry over the past year (+66.3% vs. +1.7%). The company is benefiting from strong growth in its merchant base. New merchant-friendly tools like Shopify Balance, Shopify Tax, Shopify Inbox, and Tap to Pay solutions are helping the company to win new merchants regularly. Strong adoption of these solutions holds promise for Shopify’s prospects.
Shopify’s investment in AI-driven tools, such as Shopify Sidekick and tariffguide.ai, is helping merchants improve customer engagement and streamline operations. Expansion of back-office merchant solutions to more countries is also strengthening Shopify’s international footprint. An expanding partner base is further expanding the company’s merchant base.
However, challenging macroeconomic uncertainties, persistent inflation and cautious consumer spending are headwinds. Ongoing tariff uncertainties also remained a concern.
(You can read the full research report on Shopify here >>>)
IDT’s shares have outperformed the Zacks Diversified Communication Services industry over the past year (+60.6% vs. +12.2%). This microcap company with a market capitalization of $1.49 billion has a diversified business model which continues to demonstrate operating leverage and scalable growth. NRS remains a high-margin, recurring revenue driver, expanding its POS network and merchant services while integrating with online platforms like DoorDash.
BOSS Money is optimizing for profitability via digital channels, driving EBITDA growth and improving unit economics. net2phone is benefiting from high-ARPU seat growth and AI-driven efficiency tools. Traditional Communications, though declining, contributes to a stable cash flow.
A strengthened balance sheet supports capital returns, though risks remain from liquidity volatility in remittance prefunding, customer concentration, the pricing strategy in Fintech and ad-related pressure in NRS. Despite rising CapEx, the stock offers a discounted entry into a profitable and scalable growth opportunity.
(You can read the full research report on IDT here >>>)
Shares of Nathan's Famous have outperformed the Zacks Retail - Restaurants industry over the past year (+63.1% vs. +14.8%). This microcap company with a market capitalization of $473.36 million exhibits strong earnings resilience through a multi-channel model that spans high-margin licensing, branded retail sales and franchising.
Licensing revenues rose 11.4% in fiscal 2025, driven by Smithfield Foods, now contributing 89.8% of license royalties under a contract through 2032. Branded product sales grew 6.2% despite a 7% rise in beef costs, showing pricing power. Record net income of $24 million (up 22.5% from $19.6 million in the prior year) and adjusted EBITDA of $39.2 million (up 12.5% from $34.8 million in fiscal 2024) highlight operational efficiency.
Expansion via 25 new franchises and 143 virtual kitchens supports asset-light scalability. Risks include beef cost inflation, franchise underperformance, digital lag and high dependence on Smithfield Foods. The valuation suggests a potential upside with improved execution.
(You can read the full research report on Nathan's Famous here >>>)
Other noteworthy reports we are featuring today include Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD), IQVIA Holdings Inc. (IQV) and Guidewire Software, Inc. (GWRE).
Mark Vickery
Senior Editor
Note: Sheraz Mian heads the Zacks Equity Research department and is a well-regarded expert of aggregate earnings. He is frequently quoted in the print and electronic media and publishes the weekly Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview reports. If you want an email notification each time Sheraz publishes a new article, please click here>>>
Today's Must Read
Featured Reports
Global IT Infrastructure Benefits IQVIA (IQV), Liquidity Low
Per the Zacks Analyst, IQVIA's strong healthcare-specific global IT infrastructure places it firmly in the life sciences space. Low liquidity remains a concern.
Guidewire (GWRE) Banks on Deal Wins Momentum Amid Rising Costs
Per the Zacks analyst, Guidewire's strong Tier 1 & 2 insurer deals and global traction bode well, but rising costs could strain margins if revenue growth slows.
Investments Aid OGE Energy (OGE) Amid Supply Chain Issues
Per the Zacks analyst, OGE Energy makes systematic investments to strengthen its infrastructure. Yet supply chain issues result in delays and increase costs.
Expanding Vehicle Lineup Aids NIO Amid Rising SG&A Expenses
Per the Zacks analyst, NIO's expanding vehicle lineup is aiding the company's growth. However, high operating expenses are likely to weigh on margins.
Strong Demand, New Products Aid FMC Corp (FMC)
While FMC faces headwinds from weaker prices, strong demand for herbicides and insecticides and new product launches will drive its top line, per the Zacks analyst.
Upbound (UPBD) Gains From Acima's Sustained Growth Momentum
Per the Zacks analyst, Upbound's Acima segment drives consistent top-line gains, backed by retailer network expansion, higher applications, and AI-led personalization. Acima's GMV climbed 8.8% in Q1.
Omnicell (OMCL) Rides on XT Amplify Success, Cost Woes Stay
The Zacks analyst is impressed with Omnicell seeing strong gains from products and services launched as part of the multi-year, XT Amplify program. Yet, macroeconomic issues may push costs higher.
New Upgrades
Acquisitions & Product Expansion Support Robinhood (HOOD)
Per the Zacks analyst, interest rate cuts, strategic buyouts such as TradePMR and Bitstamp, product diversification efforts, and a solid balance sheet will likely support Robinhood's financials.
AUM, Global Presence, Cost Management Support Invesco (IVZ)
Per the Zacks analyst, robust AUM balance, strong balance sheet, diverse product offerings and global presence will aid Invesco. Its expense management efforts will lead to higher operating leverage.
American Public (APEI) Gains From Varied Product Strategy
Per the Zacks analyst, American Public is benefiting from its diversified product offerings, digital penetration, and from the ongoing demand strength for nursing and other healthcare professionals.
New Downgrades
Iovance (IOVA) Growth Outlook Dimmed by Guidance Cut
Despite having two marketed drugs in its portfolio, the Zacks Analyst is concerned by Iovance's warning on economic uncertainty and its sharply lowered 2025 revenue forecast.
Core Lab's (CLB) Revenue Pressured by Sanctions & Tariffs
The Zacks analyst believes that declining revenues and earnings in Core's Reservoir Description segment due to geopolitical conflicts and recent sanctions & tariffs raises concern.
Rising Expenses & Slow Enrollment Drag Centene (CNC) Down
Per the Zacks analyst, Medicaid redeterminations and rising care costs weigh on Centene's performance.
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."
Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.5% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention.
See them now >>
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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.

Top Stock Reports for Amazon.com, Meta Platforms & Shopify

For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – July 15, 2025– Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Coinbase Global COIN, Galaxy Digital GLXY, BlackRock's BLK, iShares Bitcoin ETF IBIT, Robinhood HOOD, Interactive Brokers IBKR and Alphabet's GOOGL.
Bitcoin's Unstoppable Rise: 5 Reasons $150k Is Next
"The hard-to-believe 'Great Paradox' in the stock market is: What seems too high and risky to the majority usually goes higher eventually, and what seems low and cheap usually goes lower."~William J. O'Neil
Bitcoin Is the Best Performing Asset
Bitcoin was once called a "gambling token" and "rat poison squared" by legendary investor Warren Buffett, arguably the best investor of his time. However, by now, it has become impossible for Wall Street to deny the once obscure and first-of-its-kind cryptocurrency.
A decade ago, Bitcoin traded at $286. Today, Bitcoin hit another all-time high of $123,000, marking a 430x increase over the past ten years and accruing an eye-popping 83% annualized return, far surpassing the next best asset class. Now, Bitcoin is one of the largest asset classes in the world. Below are five reasons the momentum is likely to continue into 2026, including:
1. Bitcoin: Digital Gold
What differentiates Bitcoin from fiat currency and any other cryptocurrency is its scarcity and role as a store of value. Unlike fiat currency, which can be printed by central bankers out of thin air, there will only ever be 21 million Bitcoins in existence.
Why is this important? As global central banks around the world print trillions of dollars and borrow money, fiat currencies like the dollar continue to lose value. As a result, investors gravitate towards Bitcoin and metals to fight this phenomenon. With the US passing another massive spending bill recently, there is no end in sight to this troubling trend in fiat.
2. Bitcoin ETFs Provide Wider Access
Until recently, investors who wanted to buy Bitcoin had to have a separate crypto account through an exchange like Coinbase Global or Galaxy Digital. However,early last year, theUS Securities and Exchange Commission finally approved Bitcoin ETFs, allowing far more access to a larger group of investors.
The launch of Bitcoin ETFs like BlackRock's, iShares Bitcoin ETF underscores the success. IBIT was the most successful ETF launch in history and is already the 20th largest ETF in the United States. In addition to the ETF approvals, traditional stock brokers like Robinhood and Interactive Brokers now offer a suite of crypto trading products.
3. Bitcoin Week Looms
This week has been dubbed 'Crypto Week' by the Republicans. DC is slated to vote on the 'GENIUS Act,' which will provide a regulatory framework around stablecoins like Circle Group's USDC token. 'The CLARITY Act' will also aim to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital assets. Crypto companies have had to deal with regulatory ambiguity from regulators for years. With a clear regulatory framework, more institutional investors are likely to flock to the digital asset industry.
4. Lack of Hype Around Bitcoin
Though Bitcoin continues to print fresh all-time highs, you wouldn't know it by looking at Bitcoin interest on Alphabet's 'Google Trends.' Interest is at multi-year lows, presenting investors with a contrarian opportunity.
5. Bitcoin Fibs Suggest $150k Price Target
Market technicians use Fibonacci levels as a tool to identify potential price targets. The Bitcoin fibs suggest that a price target of $150k by early 2026 is realistic.
Bottom Line
As market technicians now eye a $150k price target, Bitcoin's ongoing momentum suggests that its remarkable growth story is far from over, reminding investors that true opportunity often lies where the majority hesitates.
Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double"
From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.
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/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."
Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.5% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention.
See them 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.

Robinhood Markets, Inc.

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