• Does Macquarie rate a2 Milk shares a buy, hold, or sell?

    A woman stands at her desk looking a her phone with a panoramic view of the harbour bridge in the windows behind her with work colleagues in the background.

    A2 Milk Company Ltd (ASX: A2M) shares have been strong performers this year.

    Since the start of 2025, the infant formula company’s shares have risen a sizeable 60%.

    Does this mean it is too late to invest? Let’s see what analysts at Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX: MQG) are saying about the stock following its trading update.

    What is the broker saying?

    Macquarie notes that A2 Milk has upgraded its guidance for FY 2026 thanks to stronger than expected performances across all segments. It said:

    The increased FY26 revenue outlook (~+3pp) was broad-based across IMF, other nutritionals and liquid milk, while lower NZD was also a contributor – we think roughly half of uplift, while FX benefits will be stronger in FY27.

    Another positive is that the company reported a stabilisation in the China market and favourable marriage data. In addition, Macquarie points out the company’s opportunity in the Vietnam market, where sales are growing strongly. It adds:

    A2M see the China IMF market backdrop as stabilising which has been a positive factor and recent marriage data could be supportive of shallower CY26 birth normalisation, while less impact from supply chain disruption than anticipated has aided guidance. Vietnam was also called out as growing strongly and an attractive opportunity (~$2b market with 1.4m annual births). Some of the newer products including Genesis and fortified Nutritionals are tracking well.

    Macquarie also highlights that management has reaffirmed plans to pay a NZ$300 million special dividend. And while the process is taking longer than expected, the broker believes that the more it drags out, the more likely that A2 Milk will pay out even more. It said:

    A2M reiterated its intention to declare $300m special dividend subject to approvals in amending the two existing Pokeno CL registrations, and an update is expected in the next 12 months. The longer the timeframe to amend these registrations, the more we see the potential for a larger capital return given FCF generation across the business.

    Should you buy A2 Milk shares?

    In response to the update, the broker has retained its outperform rating on A2 Milk’s shares with an improved price target of $9.50 (from $8.70).

    Based on its current share price of $9.21, this implies modest upside of 3.1% from current levels.

    Though, with the broker forecasting a 2.2% dividend yield this year and a 6.4% dividend yield the year after, this does make things more attractive.

    Commenting on its recommendation, the broker said:

    Maintain Outperform while acknowledging valuation is elevated against history, while part of this is reflecting initial Pokeno losses (~4x to FY26 PER). Continuation of strong execution will allow for ongoing momentum, while Pokeno sets A2M up for strong med-long term growth, with reduced risks.

    The post Does Macquarie rate a2 Milk shares a buy, hold, or sell? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in The a2 Milk Company Limited right now?

    Before you buy The a2 Milk Company Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and The a2 Milk Company Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Zip share price plunges 30% in a month but fundie tips ‘meaningful upside’ ahead

    Happy woman in purple clothes looking at asx share price on mobile phone

    The Zip Co Ltd (ASX: ZIP) share price is $2.88, down 3% on Friday and down 30% over the past month.

    The buy now, pay later (BNPL) stock has had a lacklustre first half in FY26 after a rip-snorting period of growth, rising 110% in FY25.

    Zip shares maintained momentum in early FY26, but began falling after the company released its 1Q FY26 results on 20 October.

    The Zip share price fell 12.4% in October despite a strong first-quarter update, including upgraded FY26 transaction volume guidance.

    Zip reported record cash earnings of $62.8 million, up 98.1% year on year, reflecting an operating margin of 19.5%.

    The US segment delivered year-on-year TTV and revenue growth of 47.2% and 51.2% respectively.

    The ANZ business achieved double-digit TTV growth.

    What’s behind the 30% Zip share price dive?

    Blackwattle Investment Partners said Zip was among the worst performers in its Small Cap Quality Fund last month.

    Portfolio managers, Robert Hawkesford and Daniel Broeren, said the Zip share price fell due to worries about US credit quality.

    This followed the collapse of sub-prime auto lender, Tricolor, amid fraud allegations; the bankruptcy of auto parts supplier, First Brands; and an increase in Zip’s bad debts in the US.

    In their latest update, the managers said:

    While the direction of bad debts is negative, we highlight it has only reached the bottom end of Zip’s bad debt target range, and an increase is expected with strong transaction volume growth.

    While negative sentiment is pulling the Zip share price down, the managers said the underlying fundamentals of the business are strong.

    … the underlying fundamentals and outlook for Zip remain strong and we see meaningful upside from both a re-rating of the stock and the ongoing penetration of BNPL products in the US which has a significant runway, sitting at only ~2% today, vs ~15% and ~20% in Australia and Europe respectively.

    At the annual general meeting on 6 November, management said the company remained on track to deliver its upgraded FY26 guidance.

    In a speech, Group CEO and managing director Cynthia Scott said:

    We remain on track for our FY26 results to all be within target ranges as previously announced to the market in August and will report on progress at our first half results in February.

    Scott said Zip had three strategic priorities for FY26: growth and engagement, product innovation, and platforms for scale.

    The decline in the Zip share price presents a buy-the-dip opportunity, according to some experts.

    Macquarie recently began covering Zip shares with a buy rating and a 12-month price target of $4.85.

    The post Zip share price plunges 30% in a month but fundie tips ‘meaningful upside’ ahead appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Zip Co right now?

    Before you buy Zip Co shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Zip Co wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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    Motley Fool contributor Bronwyn Allen has positions in Zip Co. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Lovisa shares tank more than 10% on weaker than expected sales growth

    Two women shoppers smile as they look at a pair of earrings in a costume jewellery store with a selection of large, colourful necklaces made of beads lined up on a display shelf next to them.

    Shares in Lovisa Holdings Ltd (ASX: LOV) were sold down sharply on Friday morning after the company announced like for like sales growth figures which missed consensus estimates by a wide margin.

    The jewellery retailer said in a statement to the ASX that global total sales for the first 20 weeks of FY26 were up 26.2% on the same period in FY25, while comparable store sales were up 3.5%.

    New store openings driving growth

    The large growth in total sales came from the company opening a number of new stores, as it said in a statement on Friday.

    We continue to maintain our focus on expanding our global store footprint across all markets in which we operate, with 44 net new stores opened for the financial year to date, including 62 new stores opened and 18 closures (including 6 relocations). This has taken the store network to 1,075 stores across more than 50 markets, and we are currently trading from 148 more stores than this time last year.

    But while the overall sales growth figures were strong, RBC Capital Markets said on Friday morning that same-store sales missed expectations by a significant margin.

    As RBC said:

    Total sales for the first 20 weeks for Lovisa have been solid, up 26% on the previous corresponding period, tracking ahead of consensus expectations of 22% for 1H26. However, on a like for like basis, 3.5% is below consensus expectations of 5.3% and showed a deceleration from Lovisa’s August trading update of 5.6%.

    RBC also noted that no details were given in the brief trading update released to the ASX about why sales were slow.

    We believe this dynamic could be an outcome related to store roll-outs in higher revenue regions. We note the company has previously highlighted that stores in these regions will also exhibit higher cost of doing business.

    Analysts divided on the outlook

    Macquarie recently issued a research note on Lovisa, with a price target of $40.90 on the stock.

    They noted that the collapse of a key competitor, tween fashion retailer Claire’s, which operated about 2,750 stores across 17 countries, could be a positive for Lovisa, both in terms of capturing more market share and potentially acquiring some of its stores.

    Macquarie said, for example, there were 57 stores in the UK, “that could provide geographic diversification benefits” were Lovisa to have the opportunity to purchase them.

    The team at Citi has an even more bullish price target on Lovisa, recently publishing a price target on the stock of $42.50.

    RBC, meanwhile, has a price target of $26 on Lovisa shares.

    Lovisa shares were 10.3% lower on Friday morning at $31.22.

    The post Lovisa shares tank more than 10% on weaker than expected sales growth appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Lovisa Holdings Limited right now?

    Before you buy Lovisa Holdings Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Lovisa Holdings Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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    Citigroup is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Motley Fool contributor Cameron England has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Lovisa and Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Macquarie Group. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Lovisa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • David Ellison’s rapport with Trump could give him an edge in the Warner Bros. Discovery bidding war

    Ellison Zaslav
    David Ellison's Paramount Skydance has its sights on David Zaslav's Warner Bros. Discovery.

    • David Ellison's Paramount Skydance wants to buy Warner Bros. Discovery before it splits.
    • A Paramount-WBD pairing could form a superpower that challenges Netflix and Disney.
    • Mega-mergers are rare, but there are reasons the Trump administration might green-light this one.

    Don't bet against Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison — especially if he has President Donald Trump on his side.

    Paramount made a bid for all of Warner Bros. Discovery in time for the media conglomerate's self-imposed Thursday deadline, according to The New York Times. Comcast and Netflix are also bidding for the streaming and studios side of WBD, The Times reported.

    Spokespeople for Paramount and WBD declined to comment. Spokespeople for Comcast and Netflix didn't respond to requests for comment.

    A Paramount-WBD deal would be the largest media tie-up since Disney bought Fox's TV and movie studio in 2019. While mega-mergers of that magnitude are rare, legal experts say that Ellison's apparent rapport with Trump may help Paramount get around antitrust concerns.

    "If we were talking about this a year ago, there's no way," said Corey Martin, an entertainment lawyer at Granderson Des Rochers in Los Angeles. "But we're not under a Biden administration."

    Trump said in June that the then-incoming Paramount CEO was "great" and would "do a great job" at the media company. More recently, Ellison was invited to a White House dinner for Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday night. Ellison's father, the billionaire Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, has been a closer supporter of Trump for years.

    David Ellison has said he doesn't want to "politicize our company in any way, shape, or form." Despite this stance, his move to appoint the anti-woke media entrepreneur Bari Weiss as the top editor at Paramount's CBS News made waves in the worlds of politics and media.

    Paramount is the most logical bidder for WBD because it has the clearest path on the financing and regulatory fronts, and is the most motivated to make a deal, Raymond James media analyst Ric Prentiss wrote in a mid-November note.

    WBD's other bids have holes

    WBD put a for-sale sign on itself in late October, after CEO David Zaslav said it had received "unsolicited interest" from multiple suitors. It appears Paramount, Comcast, and Netflix are most interested, though only Paramount seems to have the appetite to swallow all of WBD, which is separating its studio and streamer from its cable networks.

    Rival Comcast is spinning off most of its cable TV assets, so adding more networks from WBD wouldn't make sense. Its stagnant stock price and high debt load may also limit how much it's able to bid without an equity partner, Raymond James' Prentiss wrote.

    Another negative factor: Trump has expressed disdain for Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, as well as for MSNBC (which Comcast is spinning off) and NBC News.

    The fit between Comcast and WBD "on paper, is nearly perfect," media analyst Craig Moffett wrote in a mid-November note. But the MoffettNathanson cofounder also said "the regulatory/political impediments to an acquisition could prove to be insurmountable."

    And while Netflix has the financial firepower to compete with Paramount in a bid, it has no interest or need for legacy TV networks. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the company is "choosy" about dealmaking on its latest earnings call.

    Netflix "is merely doing its due diligence" on WBD and "would not pay a premium to the current price in a competitive bidding process," MoffettNathanson's Robert Fishman wrote last week.

    Plus, the streaming giant could run into regulatory roadblocks, either in the US or abroad.

    Morgan Stanley's Ben Swinburne said in a Wednesday note that Netflix had the "smallest synergy opportunity," meaning cost savings from a WBD deal, "and perhaps the toughest regulatory path."

    Concerns abound — but perhaps not from regulators

    Wall Street's excitement isn't shared by Hollywood creatives and some Paramount employees.

    A Paramount marketing strategy staffer expressed concern that a merger would lead to more layoffs, although they said they had grown accustomed to cuts.

    "Everyone at Paramount is used to it, in a sinister kind of way," this person said of layoffs. Ellison's company laid off 1,000 staffers in late October, and a person familiar with Paramount's plans told Business Insider that about 1,000 more cuts are coming, though the timeline on that is unclear.

    Industry analysts say a merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. would be challenging to get through in a normal regulatory environment, as a consolidated studio could potentially pay creatives less while raising prices.

    Antitrust regulators typically focus on how a merger of two powerful companies could impact the labor market and their pricing power over consumers. However, Martin, the entertainment lawyer, said much of that conventional analysis "is out the window" in the second Trump administration, in which personal relationships play a larger role.

    Trump's apparent goodwill toward Paramount and Ellison, along with his administration's M&A-friendly stance, has legal experts feeling rosy about the chances of Paramount's WBD bid.

    "There's room for some optimism by the companies that they would be able to consummate this merger if they wanted to," said Ray Seilie, an entertainment litigator at Los-Angeles-based law firm Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.

    'Now or never'

    If WBD splits itself next summer, the two companies couldn't get acquired for two years without incurring significant tax penalties. That could delay any bidding process until 2028, when it's unclear who will control Congress and have the inside track to the White House.

    In other words, Paramount Skydance might be thinking it's "now or never" to get a deal done for the WBD assets, Seilie said.

    While Hollywood may complain about one firm controlling the Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. studios, Ellison's plea to the Trump administration may be simple, legal experts said: buying WBD is the only way to survive when competing against deep-pocketed tech giants in a cutthroat industry.

    "It's possible that the way things are right now are unsustainable, and they need this merger in order to effectively compete against Netflix," Seilie said.

    Pairing Paramount+ with HBO Max and Warner Bros. could make Paramount a streaming superpower.

    By bidding on WBD, Ellison can "take advantage of a much larger opportunity to redefine Paramount's future," MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman wrote.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • The TSA wants to charge flyers $18 if they show up at security without the right ID

    TSA agent holding a real ID.
    The TSA wants to charge flyers who don't have acceptable ID $18 to use biometric kiosks to verify their identity.

    • The TSA proposed an $18 fee for travelers without acceptable ID at airport security checkpoints.
    • The fee aims to fund biometric kiosks to streamline identity verification and reduce delays.
    • It's not a guarantee flyers clear security, and the $18 is non-refundable.

    The Transportation Security Administration has taken a page from the budget airline playbook.

    The agency filed a new proposal on Thursday that would charge travelers $18 at security checkpoints if they show up without a REAL ID or another acceptable government-issued ID, such as a passport or permanent resident card.

    The fee covers the cost of creating and maintaining the new program and would essentially be required for an agent to access a biometric kiosk system designed to verify a traveler's identity more quickly than the current manual process.

    The fee is optional, but flyers without acceptable ID risk not being allowed on their flight if they don't pay up.

    It's unclear when the rule to spur more REAL ID adoption could go into effect. The filing said it'll begin when the agency opens registrations for the program on its website.

    Under the proposal, the $18 would be valid for 10 days, meaning travelers without compliant ID documents wouldn't necessarily pay the fee every single trip within that window.

    The TSA said the new technology would be less time and resource-intensive than the current process when a flyer lacks these IDs, which involves providing personal information or answering detailed questions to match flyers to government databases. They also face extra screening of their carry-ons and persons.

    But it added that the kiosks would just be an alternative attempt to verify a flyer's identity — it's not a guarantee. Those who can't clear airport security through any means would not be refunded the $18. And they may still be subject to additional screening.

    The TSA said the program would require spending on data infrastructure, software development, program management, and compliance. It added that it may impose a limit on how many times an individual could use the kiosk.

    It's unclear if TSA agents would be the ones to collect the fee when a flyer opts into the program. The TSA did not immediately respond to a question about where the fee will be paid and what payment types it will accept.

    The fee-based system would be separate from the TSA's existing use of facial recognition technology, which is already deployed voluntarily at dozens of airports nationwide — including major hubs like New York-JFK, Boston Logan, Denver, and Atlanta.

    "This notice serves as a next step in the process in REAL ID compliance, which was signed into law more than 20 years ago," a TSA spokesperson told Business Insider. Congress passed the REAL ID Act of 2005 in response to the 9/11 attacks, but it just rolled out in 2025.

    They added that additional guidance would come in the "coming days" and that the rate of ID compliance is around 94%; a REAL ID card shows a star inside a circle in its upper right corner.

    In May, the TSA began requiring travelers to present a REAL ID or another government-approved identification to pass through airport security checkpoints.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • I got laid off and became a stay-at-home dad. My wife’s request for a bagel helped me figure out what I wanted to do next.

    Jeff Perera at  Jeff's Bagel Run in Florida.
    Jeff Perera became a stay-at-home dad after losing his retail job — and started making bagels.

    • Jeff Perera became a stay-at-home dad after he lost his job in retail.
    • He and his wife had been searching Florida for a true New York-style bagel — until he started to make them himself.
    • They sold their house, raised $28,000 on Kickstarter, and opened a bagel shop

    This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jeff Perera, 48, the cofounder of Jeff's Bagel Run. It has been edited for length and clarity.

    I met my wife while working at Target, marking the beginning of what became a decadeslong career in retail. Over the years, I moved into leadership roles at several major brands before eventually joining a senior living company in a senior role.

    Then, in August 2019, I got a call that changed everything: I was being let go. At the time, my wife, Danielle — who'd also built a successful career — was home full-time with our four kids.

    At first, settling into the role of stay-at-home dad wasn't natural — not because of the dad part, but because I was often the only dad at the park or play group.

    Still, it gave me a rare chance to slow down. Danielle, who had decided to return to corporate work around that time, helped me realize I'd never really taken a step back to ask what I wanted next.

    My identity had been closely tied to my job for years. I had no idea that space would make room for a question that would change everything: "Jeff, can you make me a bagel?"

    When you can't find the best bagel

    Some people go on coffee runs. Others go on Target runs or beer runs. For Danielle and me, it was always a weekly bagel run. But living in Central Florida — a true bagel desert — meant driving 45 minutes to find a decent New York-style bagel.

    So when my wife popped the question, given my newfound free time, I decided to try making her the perfect bagel.

    Danielle has vivid childhood memories of bagels, riding in her mom's station wagon on Long Island, eating one fresh from the bag. The best foods, of course, can transport us back to moments we just want to taste one more time.

    The problem was, I'd never baked anything in my life. I had zero culinary training. I just looked up the first recipe I could find and got to work. Those first bagels were terrible — dense, misshapen, and far from New York standards. But that only inspired me to try again.

    Every day, Danielle would come home from work to a new batch waiting for her to critique.

    Then the pandemic hit, and my family was locked down with a mad bagel scientist. I'd make up to six dozen bagels a day. Bowls of dough covered the counters, each marked with recipe notes. My kids helped knead and mix, turning the kitchen into a full-on test lab.

    Danielle would taste and review each one — the chewiness, the salt, the crust. Eventually, she joked that her work clothes might stop fitting if I didn't stop baking. So, we started giving them away.

    A box of Jeff's Bagel Run bagels.
    When he was getting started, Perera would make up to six dozen bagels per day, determined to get it right,

    Getting it right

    The look on my wife's face when I finally nailed the perfect bagel was unforgettable. We looked at each other and asked: Could we actually sell these?

    I made a simple flyer, posted on Instagram, and sold a few dozen. One of our early customers was a local journalist who wrote about us, and suddenly we had more orders than we could handle.

    Our kitchen exploded into a full-scale operation. We had five refrigerators stretching into the garage, extension cords running everywhere, and breakers popping constantly. We upgraded our confection ovens.

    In the third week of the pandemic, we started posting our bagel menu. Our bagels were selling out in seconds. During one stretch, we baked for 27 days straight. I delivered bagels across town, spreading a little joy during lockdown.

    Scaling up

    In 2020, we did our first in-person market. People lined up for a block to buy bagels. The next year, a downpour hit mid-market, and every other vendor packed up. But our line stayed. We threw tarps over the bagels, and people showed up soaked to buy half a dozen. That's when we knew we had something real.

    We sold our house and launched a Kickstarter campaign with a $10,000 goal. We raised over $22,000 from 276 backers, enough to buy equipment and take the next step. Danielle quit her job, and together we opened our first store in Ocoee, Florida, in 2021.

    Today, Jeff's Bagel Run — named after our weekly drives to find the best bagels — is a growing franchise with more than 100 stores in six states, and counting.

    Danielle Perera is the cofounder of Jeff's Bagel Run in Florida.
    Danielle Perera grew up in Long Island, New York, and wanted to find the perfect bagel in Florida.

    Peace, love, and bagels

    Starting a business with your spouse can be tough. We make it work by having short memories; what happens at work stays at work.

    Our corporate leadership training kicks in when we need to manage challenges or each other, but at the end of the day, we always choose "us" over the business.

    Building something from scratch taught me a lot about trust, not just in my partner but in myself. In my corporate days, I always had a mentor or a boss to call for advice. Now, it's just us.

    Read the original article on Business Insider
  • Prediction: This AI stock could quietly outperform Wall Street favorites

    Happy man working on his laptop.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    Key Points

    • Meta Platforms’ AI-equipped ad tools are now moving the needle in a significant way for the company.
    • The social media giant’s focus on investing more in AI products is likely to reap rich rewards in the long run.
    • Meta stock looks primed for more upside thanks to a potential acceleration in growth, as well as its attractive valuation.

    Artificial intelligence (AI) stocks have been in fine form on the stock market in 2025, and this is evident from the healthy gains of 21% clocked by the tech-laden Nasdaq Composite index so far this year.

    AI stocks such as Nvidia, Broadcom, AMD, Palantir, and others have delivered outstanding gains to investors in 2025. However, not all companies benefiting from the AI revolution have turned out to be great investments. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) is one such name.

    The “Magnificent Seven” stock is up just 4% this year, and that’s because it has witnessed a sharp pullback of late. The stock fell substantially after releasing its third-quarter results on Oct. 29. A massive noncash tax charge that led the company to miss Wall Street’s earnings estimates, and Meta’s decision to boost capital spending to fund its AI initiatives have been weighing on its shares of late.

    However, it won’t be surprising to see this tech giant regain its mojo and deliver stronger gains than some of the more popular AI stocks that have outperformed it this year. Let’s see why that may be the case. 

    Meta Platforms’ AI efforts are paying off

    Meta Platforms reported an impressive year-over-year increase of 26% in Q3 revenue to $51.2 billion. The company’s non-GAAP earnings would have landed at $6.73 per share as compared to the year-ago period’s reading of $6.03 per share had it not been for the $15.9 billion non-cash income tax charge related to the implementation of the “big, beautiful bill.”

    Importantly, Meta management believes that it will “recognize significant cash tax savings for the remainder of the current year and future years under the new law.” What’s worth noting is that Meta’s earnings would have increased by double digits (excluding the impact of the tax charge). That’s impressive considering that its costs and expenses increased by 32% year over year in Q3, exceeding its revenue growth.

    AI is a key reason why Meta’s bottom line is increasing at a healthy pace despite the higher spending. The company’s AI-driven content recommendations are leading to higher engagement on its social media properties. Specifically, Meta saw a 5% jump in the time spent on Facebook last quarter, along with a 10% jump in time spent on Threads.

    This higher engagement combined with Meta’s AI-powered ad tools is contributing to an increase in ad impressions delivered, as well as an increase in the average price per ad. Meta’s ad impressions across its family of apps increased by 14% year over year in Q3. Additionally, the average price per ad jumped by 10%.

    It is easy to see why that’s the case. Meta’s AI advertisement solutions are delivering a 22% increase in return on ad spend as compared to non-AI ad tools. The company points out that “for every dollar U.S. advertisers spend with Meta, they see a $4.52 return when they use our new AI-driven advertising tools.”

    Not surprisingly, Meta says that it has already achieved an annual revenue run rate of over $60 billion for its end-to-end AI-equipped advertising tools. That suggests Meta generated $15 billion in revenue last quarter from its AI-powered ad tools. This puts the company on track to corner a sizable chunk of the $107 billion revenue opportunity that the adoption of AI tools within the marketing space is expected to create by 2028.

    Given that Meta is on track to end 2025 with $198.5 billion in revenue, the AI-related opportunity within advertising should eventually allow the company to deliver solid incremental growth over the next three years.

    But what about the expenses?

    Meta is going all out to build more AI-equipped tools. This explains why the company is now on track to reach $71 billion in capital expenses this year as compared to its earlier expectation of $69 billion. That’s a big jump over the $39.2 billion that Meta spent in 2024. What’s more, the company points out that its expenses will grow at a faster rate in 2026.

    This is a key reason why Meta stock has struggled of late, as investors are probably questioning the rationale behind the heavy AI-related spend the tech giant is incurring. But the good part is that AI is indeed driving tangible growth for Meta, as we saw in the discussion above. That’s why it makes sense for the company to continue investing more in AI infrastructure and talent.

    This probably explains why analysts have raised their revenue forecasts for Meta.

    META Revenue Estimates for Current Fiscal Year data by YCharts

    Even better, investors are now getting a good deal on this stock. It is trading at 8.3 times sales, which is lower than the U.S. technology sector’s average price-to-sales ratio of 9.1. Assuming Meta hits $271 billion in sales at the end of 2027 and trades in line with the tech sector’s average, its market cap could jump to $2.46 trillion.

    That suggests a potential jump of nearly 60% from its current market cap. However, the fast-growing adoption of AI tools in the ad space and the head start that Meta has over here suggest that it could end up delivering faster growth, and that could set the stock up for bigger gains. That’s why it would be wise for investors to buy this underperforming tech stock before it steps on the gas.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    The post Prediction: This AI stock could quietly outperform Wall Street favorites appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Meta Platforms right now?

    Before you buy Meta Platforms shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Meta Platforms wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

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    Harsh Chauhan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Advanced Micro Devices, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended Broadcom. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Advanced Micro Devices, Meta Platforms, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Reece 1Q FY26: Revenue growth, profit margin pressures, and a $365m buyback

    A plumber gives the thumbs up

    The Reece Ltd (ASX: REH) share price is in focus after the company released a trading update. The plumbing and HVAC distributor reported 8% revenue growth to $2.41 billion for 1Q FY26, while EBITDA fell 8% to $222 million.

    What did Reece report?

    • Group sales revenue of $2,407 million, up 8% on prior year (6% on constant currency basis)
    • Like-for-like sales increased 2%, with low single-digit growth in ANZ and decline in US
    • EBITDA down 8% to $222 million
    • EBIT decreased 18% to $129 million, impacted by higher depreciation and amortisation
    • Added 15 net new branches during the quarter (5 in ANZ, 10 in US)
    • Completed $365 million off-market share buyback at $13.00 per share

    What else do investors need to know?

    Reece’s sales growth was underpinned by ongoing network expansion across Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, even as underlying markets remained subdued. The company noted elevated costs related to growth investments and labour cost inflation, especially in the US.

    The recently completed off-market share buyback returned $365 million to shareholders, funded through a mix of cash and debt. Reece expects gross interest expense on debt and borrowings to be between $65 million and $75 million for FY26.

    What did Reece management say?

    Peter Wilson, Chair and CEO, said:

    As we expected, the first quarter was soft reflecting subdued housing markets. Sales were supported by network expansion over the past 12 months. Costs remain elevated driven by network growth, ongoing investment in core capabilities and the impact of labour cost inflation in competitive markets, especially the US. We are still expecting a period of soft activity in both regions. We have navigated cycles before and, as ever, take a long-term view and will continue to invest to build a stronger business for our team and customers.

    What’s next for Reece?

    Reece continues to focus on network growth and investing in its core capabilities, despite the soft market environment in both ANZ and the US. Management remains committed to a long-term approach and building resilience for future cycles.

    Shareholders can expect ongoing investment to support both expansion and operational improvements, while the group manages costs and monitors borrowing levels following the recent buyback.

    Reece share price snapshot

    Over the past 12 months, Reece shares have declined 55%, trailing the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) which has risen 3% over the same period.

    View Original Announcement

    The post Reece 1Q FY26: Revenue growth, profit margin pressures, and a $365m buyback appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Reece Limited right now?

    Before you buy Reece Limited shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Reece Limited wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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    Motley Fool contributor Laura Stewart has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips. This article was prepared with the assistance of Large Language Model (LLM) tools for the initial summary of the company announcement. Any content assisted by AI is subject to our robust human-in-the-loop quality control framework, involving thorough review, substantial editing, and fact-checking by our experienced writers and editors holding appropriate credentials. The Motley Fool Australia stands behind the work of our editorial team and takes ultimate responsibility for the content published by The Motley Fool Australia.

  • Why are WiseTech Global shares tumbling 4% today?

    A man sitting at his desktop computer leans forward onto his elbows and yawns while he rubs his eyes as though he is very tired.

    WiseTech Global Ltd (ASX: WTC) shares are falling on Friday.

    In early trade, the logistics solutions technology company’s shares are down 4% to $61.50.

    Why are WiseTech shares sinking?

    Investors have been selling the company’s shares today after a market selloff overshadowed the release of an update at its annual general meeting.

    At the time of writing, the ASX 200 index is down 2% and the S&P/ASX All Technology Index is down 2.3%.

    This follows an unexpectedly poor night of trade on Wall Street on Thursday, when the market was expecting a positive session following a strong result from Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA).

    Annual general meeting update

    Ahead of the main event today, WiseTech released an update on its performance in FY 2026.

    Pleasingly, the company appears to be trading in line with expectations so far this year. As a result, WiseTech’s new CEO, Zubin Appoo, has reaffirmed its guidance for FY 2026. He said:

    Looking ahead, we reconfirm our guidance and expect revenue between $1.39 and $1.44 billion and EBITDA of $550 to $585 million. As outlined when we announced our FY25 Results in August, the e2open integration will temporarily impact margins – and that is exactly as planned.

    We have a clear execution roadmap, backed by more than three decades of successfully integrating strategic acquisitions and rebuilding margin strength. We know how to do this. Through disciplined execution, cost alignment, and synergy realization, we will restore and expand our margin profile over the medium term.

    At the event, WiseTech’s founder, Richard White, spoke positively about the company’s outlook. He said:

    As we look ahead, I see a WiseTech that has increased its reach significantly, has access to larger addressable market with new adjacencies, is more innovative, more global, and more deeply embedded in the world’s logistics processes and supply chains than ever before.

    With Zubin leading a talented team, a renewed and diverse Board, and an unmatched product suite, we are focused on the opportunities ahead. As one of Australia’s most successful global tech companies, and the leader in technology solutions for global trade and supply chain logistics, we’re continuing to push the boundaries of innovation in one of the world’s most vital industries, driving the next phase of our growth.

    Shareholders won’t have to wait long until there is a further update from the company.

    It notes that on 3 December it will be holding its Investor Day. At the event, the company plans to provide more details on the next phase of its strategy. This includes the rollout of its new commercial model, and progress relating to Container Transport Optimization and the e2open integration.

    The post Why are WiseTech Global shares tumbling 4% today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in WiseTech Global right now?

    Before you buy WiseTech Global shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and WiseTech Global wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Nvidia and WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended WiseTech Global. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway just bought one of my favorite stocks. Is it time to pile in?

    iPhone with the logo and the word Google spelt multiple times in the background.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    Key Points

    • Warren Buffett has said publicly that he regrets not buying shares of Google years ago.
    • Alphabet’s search business still has a wide moat, and AI is helping drive growth.
    • It looks as if it could be the best-positioned company in cloud computing.

    Any time Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) adds a new investment to its stock portfolio, it tends to grab attention. And because Berkshire has been much more of a seller of stocks than a buyer of them over the past two years, the company’s portfolio additions are likely to draw even more interest.  

    Berkshire’s latest Form 13F filing revealed that in the third quarter, the conglomerate opened an approximately $5 billion position in Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG), which also happens to be one of my favorite stocks. Whether the soon-to-retire Buffett or his successor, Greg Abel, was behind that decision is unknown, but back in 2017, Buffett famously admitted that he wished he had invested in the company then called Google years earlier, when he saw that one of his insurance subsidiaries, Geico, was paying it $10 to $11 per click.

    Let’s look at what Berkshire Hathaway may see in Alphabet today, and why its portfolio managers decided now was the right time to invest.

    A wide moat and growth opportunities

    With the rise of the artificial intelligence (AI) trend, Alphabet’s Google search engine is facing serious and intensifying competition for the first time in a very long time. However, the company still has a wide moat in this area. The search and AI chatbot businesses are currently merging together into what I’d describe as the “discovery” business. And in that space, Google has a couple of powerful advantages.

    Before I get into those advantages, it should not be overlooked that Alphabet has developed one of the world’s top foundational large language models (LLMs) in Gemini, which competes with the top models from OpenAI and others. Gemini, as a stand-alone app, has been taking market share, helped by the popularity of its Nano Banana AI image-editing tool.

    But Alphabet’s biggest advantage is distribution. It owns both the world’s leading browser (Chrome) and the world’s leading smartphone operating system (Android). Both command global market shares of more than 70%. It also has a search-revenue sharing deal with Apple that makes Google the default search engine on its devices. This essentially makes Alphabet the gateway to the internet for most people outside of China.

    At the same time, the company has infused Gemini and other AI enhancements across its search solutions. AI features such as Lens, Circle to Search, and AI Overviews are helping drive query growth. Meanwhile, it has just started rolling out AI Mode, which lets users easily toggle between traditional search results and an AI chatbot experience. This is a powerful tool, as users don’t have to change their behavior and use a separate app.

    Alphabet’s ad network is another huge edge. The company has spent decades building one of the most comprehensive digital ad networks on the planet — one that can just as easily handle a local campaign from a small merchant as a global campaign from a major brand. Advertisers know its platform works, and they tend to stick with what they know will be successful. Many of its competitors, meanwhile, are still trying to figure out their business models and are burning through cash.

    Beyond search

    Outside of search, Alphabet also has what is arguably the best-positioned cloud computing platform on the planet. It has the most complete tech stack, which should be a long-term differentiator. Gemini is one of the world’s leading foundational AI models, and the company has top software platforms, such as Vertex AI, to help customers create and customize their own AI models based on its Gemini foundational model. However, it doesn’t stop there.

    Perhaps the company’s biggest edge in cloud computing comes from its custom AI accelerator chips, which it calls tensor processing units (TPUs). While other companies are starting to invest in custom AI chips, Alphabet has spent more than a decade developing its TPUs, which are now in their seventh generation. This has helped put it far ahead of the pack in its efforts, and gives it a big advantage in cost and power efficiency for certain types of AI workloads, particularly relative to more general-purpose graphics processing units (GPUs). As inference becomes a larger and larger share of the total AI-related computing workload, this will give Alphabet a huge advantage, especially given that access to enough electricity to power data centers is one of AI’s biggest bottlenecks.

    In addition to cloud computing, Alphabet also owns YouTube, the world’s most-watched streaming service, which continues to generate solid growth. It also has some promising emerging bets. It has made real progress in quantum computing, meaningfully reducing that technology’s error rate with its Willow chip, while its Waymo robotaxi business is expanding rapidly.

    Trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 25.5 times 2026 analyst estimates, Alphabet isn’t expensive for a company with all it has to offer. As such, investors can feel comfortable following Berkshire Hathaway’s lead and buying the stock now.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    The post Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway just bought one of my favorite stocks. Is it time to pile in? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Alphabet right now?

    Before you buy Alphabet shares, consider this:

    Motley Fool investing expert Scott Phillips just revealed what he believes are the 5 best stocks for investors to buy right now… and Alphabet wasn’t one of them.

    The online investing service he’s run for over a decade, Motley Fool Share Advisor, has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

    And right now, Scott thinks there are 5 stocks that may be better buys…

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

    .custom-cta-button p { margin-bottom: 0 !important; }

    This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

    More reading

    Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Alphabet, Apple, and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Alphabet, Apple, and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.