Stock Pick

  • Meet the new Chinese vibe coding app that’s so popular, one of its tools crashed

    Ant Group
    LingGuang, Ant Group's fast-rising coding app, gained so much popularity that its flash program tool briefly crashed.

    Maxim Shemetov/Reuters

    • LingGuang, Ant Group's vibe coding app, got so popular that its function briefly crashed.
    • The Chinese AI coding assistant surged to over 2 million downloads in six days, the company said.
    • The app hit its first million downloads faster than OpenAI's ChatGPT and Sora.

    When Chinese tech giant Ant Group released its new AI coding assistant tool last Tuesday, it didn't expect the app to break under its own popularity.

    LingGuang, an AI app for vibe coding and building apps using plain-language prompts, reached over 1 million downloads in four days. By Monday, the app had crossed 2 million downloads, the company said in a press release.

    On Monday, LingGuang ranked first on Apple's mainland China App Store for free utilities apps and sixth overall for free apps.

    Ant Group, an affiliate company of the Chinese conglomerate Alibaba Group, said on Thursday — three days after LingGuang's debut — that the app's system buckled under heavy traffic. LingGuang's viral feature, its flash program tool, temporarily crashed after excessive usage and was soon restored.

    The flash program function allows users to create personalized, interactive apps using natural language prompts in 30 seconds. The company said that users have created apps like kid activity generators and car cost savings calculators.

    "LingGuang is bringing every user their own personal AI developer: someone who can code, create visuals, build programs, and turn complex ideas into simple solutions — right in your pocket," said the chief technology officer at Ant Group, He Zhengyu, in a Tuesday press release.

    The company said on Monday the growth milestone is a sign that LingGuang is "a key player worth following in the quickly evolving global AI race," adding the app hit its first million downloads faster than OpenAI's ChatGPT and Sora.

    Beyond its flash program function, LingGuang is pitched as a multimodal AI tool that can generate 3D models, interactive charts, animations, and other illustrations to help users understand abstract concepts. It also includes an "AGI camera" that can understand scenes in real time and help users analyze or edit images or videos on the fly.

    LingGuang is available internationally on the Apple App Store, major Android app stores, and the web.

    Ant Group, founded by Chinese businessman and billionaire Jack Ma, has been ramping up its AI push this year. In June, it launched its AI-powered healthcare app, AQ. A few months later, the company unveiled R1 in September, a humanoid robot positioned as a rival to Tesla's Optimus.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

  • The AI bubble debate: 16 business leaders, from Sam Altman to Bill Gates to Mark Cuban, weigh in

    A composite photo of Bill Gates, Sam Altman, and Mark Cuban
    Bill Gates and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman think AI is in a bubble; Mark Cuban isn't so sure.

    AP and Getty Images

    • OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's comments helped spark concerns about an AI bubble.
    • Mark Cuban says he doesn't see similarities to the dot-com bubble.
    • There's disagreement, even among business leaders and tech CEOs, around the existence of a bubble.

    The AI boom shows no sign of slowing down. Some top business leaders are concerned that a bubble is about to burst.

    In August, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman gave voice to those fears about the future of AI. Since then, other CEOs, including Nvidia's Jensen Huang, have dismissed concerns of an AI bubble. Wall Street is also worried about the increasing circular nature of Big Tech's spending spree.

    Here's what leading tech CEOs and business leaders are saying about what's ahead.

    Sam Altman
    Sam Altman is holding a microphone and speaking.
    "It was clear that if we didn't do it, the world was gonna be mostly built on Chinese open source models," Sam Altman said of OpenAI's newly released open-weight models.

    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images

    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that the AI market is in a bubble.

    "When bubbles happen, smart people get overexcited about a kernel of truth," Altman recently told reporters, per The Verge.

    Altman said this describes the state of play.

    "Are we in a phase where investors as a whole are overexcited about AI? My opinion is yes. Is AI the most important thing to happen in a very long time? My opinion is also yes," he said.

    Bill Gates
    Bill Gates speaks during an event
    Bill Gates

    Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bloomberg Philanthropies

    Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates says AI is in a bubble — just not to the extent of Danish tulips.

    "The value is extremely high, just like creating the internet ended up being, in net, very valuable," Gates told CNBC in late October. "But you have a frenzy. And some of these companies will be glad they spent all this money. Some of them, you know, they'll commit to data centers whose electricity is too expensive."

    Gates said that the situation reminds him of dot-com bubble when overvalued internet companies sparked a crash.

    "Absolutely, there are a ton of these investments that will be dead ends," he said.

    Still, the billionaire said that AI remains a major breakthrough, calling it "the biggest technical thing ever in my lifetime."

    Mark Cuban
    Mark Cuban speaks during a summer meeting of the National Governors Association
    Mark Cuban

    David Zalubowski/AP

    Mark Cuban, who famously sold Broadcast.com just before the dot-com bubble burst, said he doesn't see similarities to the current situation.

    "There were people creating companies with just a website and going public. That's a bubble where there's no intrinsic value at all," Cuban told podcaster Lex Fridman in 2024. '"People aren't even trying to make operating cap profits, they're just trying to leverage the frothiness of the stock market, that's a bubble. You don't see that right now. "

    Cuban took particular notice of the quality of AI companies going public.

    "We're not seeing funky AI companies just go public," he said. "If all of a sudden we see a rush of companies who are skins on other people's models or just creating models to create models that are going public, then yeah, that's probably the start of a bubble."

    Mark Zuckerberg
    Mark Zuckerberg
    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg

    Nic Coury/AP

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said AI could become a bubble, but there will only be a crash if companies fail to keep making advancements.

    "If the models keep on growing in capability year-over-year and demand keeps growing, then maybe there is no collapse," Zuckerberg told the "Access" podcast in September.

    Zuckerberg said there are risks that the AI boom becomes like the dot-com bubble.

    "There's definitely a possibility, at least empirically, based on past large infrastructure buildouts and how they led to bubbles, that something like that would happen here."

    For Meta, Zuckerberg said the real risk is not spending enough.

    "The risk, at least for a company like Meta, is probably in not being aggressive enough rather than being somewhat too aggressive," he said.

    Jensen Huang
    Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
    Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang name-dropped six startups playing in the AI agent space.

    picture alliance via Getty Images

    Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang doesn't see a bubble.

    "I don't believe we're in an AI bubble," Huang told Bloomberg TV.

    Huang said that instead of overspeculation, AI is part of a transition from an old way of computing.

    "We're going through a natural transition from an old computing model based on general purpose computing to accelerated computing," he said. "We also know that AI has become good enough because of reasoning capability, and research capability, its ability to think — it's now generating tokens and intelligence that is worth paying for."

    Nvidia is skyrocketing amid AI-fueled hope. In late October, the chipmaker became the world's first $5 trillion market cap company.

    Huang said Nvidia is happy to pay for AI for its employees, name-checking Cursor, an AI coding agent, as one of many services for which his company pays.

    Sundar Pichai
    Sundar Pichai
    Google CEO Sundar Pichai

    Camille Cohen/AFP/Getty Images

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai said there is some "irrationality" in the AI boom. He also cautioned that if a bubble were to burst, its blast radius would extend across the private sector.

    "I think no company is going to be immune, including us," Pichai told the BBC in November.

    Comparing the current moment to the Dotcom era, Pichai said that sometimes investment cycles can "overshoot."

    "I expect AI to be the same," he said. "So I think it's both rational and there are elements of irrationality through a moment like this."

    Jeff Bezos
    Amazon founder Jeff Bezos gestures as he speaks at the main panel of Italian Tech Week 2025 in Turin, Italy, on October 3, 2025
    Jeff Bezos said artificial intelligence is in a bubble, but added the technology is real and will ultimately deliver "gigantic" benefits to society.

    Remo Casilli/REUTERS

    Amazon founder Jeff Bezos says AI is in a bubble, but not in the way everyone might think.

    Bezos called the current situation an "industrial bubble." The world's third-richest person said there are similarities now, including the frenzy of investments.

    "The good ideas and the bad ideas. And investors have a hard time in the middle of this excitement, distinguishing between the good ideas and the bad ideas," he said in October during a conference in Italy. "And that's also probably happening today."

    Bezos said that hoopla shouldn't overshadow the reality that "AI is real" and will change society.

    "The [bubbles] that are industrial are not nearly as bad," Bezos said. "It can even be good, because when the dust settles and you see who are the winners. Societies benefit from those inventions."

    Daniel Pinto
    Daniel Pinto talks during an event
    JPMorgan Vice Chairman Daniel Pinto

    Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

    JPMorgan Vice Chairman Daniel Pinto said he sees a correction coming.

    "There is probably a correction there," Pinto said at a Bloomberg event in November.

    Pinto said the market is pushing valuations beyond current justifications.

    "In order to justify these valuations, you are considering a level of productivity that, it will happen, but it may not happen as fast as the market is pricing now," he said.

    Bret Taylor
    Bret Taylor walks around during the Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference
    OpenAI chairman Bret Taylor

    Brendan McDermid/Reuters

    Like Altman, OpenAI chairman Bret Taylor says we're in an AI bubble.

    "I think it is both true that AI will transform the economy, and I think it will, like the internet, create huge amounts of economic value in the future," Taylor told The Verge in September. "I think we're also in a bubble, and a lot of people will lose a lot of money."

    Taylor, who is also CEO of Sierra, also sees some similarities to the dot-com bubble. He also said that some of the internet companies that failed in the 90s were just ahead of their time.

    "Even things like Webvan, there's now, as the internet became more distributed, really healthy businesses like Instacart and DoorDash and others that were built now that the smartphone and the scale of the internet has matured," he said. "So even some of the specific ideas were actually not that bad, but maybe a little early."

    Eric Schmidt
    Former chairman and CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt.
    Former chairman and CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt.

    Shahar Azran/Getty Images

    Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt said just because it looks like a bubble doesn't mean that it is.

    "I think it's unlikely, based on my experience, that this is a bubble," Schmidt said in July during an appearance at the RAISE Summit in Paris. "It's much more likely that you're seeing a whole new industrial structure."

    Schmidt said it takes solace in where the hardware and chips markets stand.

    "You have these massive data centers, and Nvidia is quite happy to sell them all the chips," he said. "I've never seen a situation where hardware capacity was not taken up by software."

    Pat Gelsinger
    Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger.
    Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger.

    I-HWA CHENG/AFP via Getty Images

    Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger says AI is in a bubble, but it won't pop for "several years."

    "Are we in an AI bubble? Of course. Of course we are," Gelsinger told CNBC in October. "I mean, we're hyped. We're accelerating. We're putting enormous leverage into the system."

    Gelsinger said that businesses are just beginning to reap the benefits of AI.

    "As Jensen (Huang) talked about, and I agree with this, you know that businesses are yet to really start materially benefiting from it," he said. "We're displacing all of the internet and the service provider industry as we think about it today — we have a long way to go."

    Joe Tsai
    Jos Tsai speaks at a conference in Paris
    Jos Tsai

    Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

    Alibaba cofounder Joe Tsai has voiced concerns about the scramble for data centers needed to help power the next generation of AI models.

    "I start to see the beginning of some kind of bubble," Tsai told the HSBC Global Investment Summit in March, Bloomberg News reported.

    Tsai said he's worried the building rush might outpace demand.

    "I start to get worried when people are building data centers on spec," he said. "There are a number of people coming up, funds coming out, to raise billions or millions of capital."

    Ray Dalio
    Ray Dalio speaks onstage during the 2025 TIME100 Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on April 23, 2025.
    Ray Dalio said on Monday that the US "debt bomb problem" can only be solved with a "mix of tax revenue increases and spending decreases that are determined in a bipartisan way."

    Jemal Countess via Getty Images

    Hedge fund icon Ray Dalio voiced concerns about a bubble earlier this year, when DeepSeek's rollout led analysts to rethink AI's outlook.

    "Where we are in the cycle right now is very similar to where we were between 1998 or 1999," Dalio told the Financial Times in January. "There's a major new technology that certainly will change the world and be successful. But some people are confusing that with the investments being successful."

    At the time, Dalio cited high stock prices and high interest rates. The good news is that Wall Street widely expects the Federal Reserve to cut rates during its September meeting.

    Tom Siebel
    TomSiebel_photo1[1]
    Tom Siebel is the founder and CEO of C3.ai.

    C3.ai

    Billionaire tech CEO Thomas Siebel said there is "absolutely" an AI bubble and that it's "huge."

    "So we have this similar thing going on with generative AI that we've seen with previous technologies," Siebel told Fortune in January. "The market is way, way overvaluing."

    Siebel, who leads C3.ai, singled out OpenAI in terms of overevaluations.

    "If it disappeared, it wouldn't make any difference in the world," he said. "Nothing would change. I mean, nobody's life would change. No company would change. Microsoft would find something else to power Copilot. There's like 10 other products available that would do it equally as good."

    Lisa Su
    Lisa Su arrives for a dinner at the Elysee Palace
    Lisa Su

    Thomas Padilla/AP

    AMD CEO Lisa Su says the bubble talk "is completely wrong."

    "For those who are talking about a 'bubble,' I think they're being too narrow in their thinking of, what is the return on investment today or over the next six months," Su told Time Magazine in 2024. "I think you have to look at this technology arc for AI over the next five years, and how does it fundamentally change everything that we do? And I really believe that AI has that potential."

    Nicolai Tangen
    Nicolai Tangen

    OLE BERG-RUSTEN/NTB/AFP via Getty Images

    Nicolai Tangen, who runs the world's biggest sovereign wealth fund, said if AI is a bubble, "it may not be such a bad bubble."

    Speaking to the Financial Times in November, the CEO of Norway's $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund said that AI is a "pretty hot space" right now, fueled by hype and a wave of capital. As the technology marks a sweeping societal shift, traditional valuations can be difficult to determine.

    Tangen said overvaluation isn't entirely negative. The sheer volume of capital rushing into AI will ultimately fund technologies that boost long-term productivity — from automation to data processing to new types of AI models.

    The hard part for investors is telling real breakthroughs apart from noise in a landscape still dominated by a few powerful platform companies, he added.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

  • VC Max Altman says tech got too focused on mission: ‘We really lost our way for a little bit’

    Two colleagues working on a computer screen
    Max Altman said that tech became too focused on mission.

    Nitat Termmee/Getty Images

    • Max Altman urged tech workers to prioritize joining the fastest-growing companies.
    • He criticized tech's past focus on mission over business growth.
    • Today's tech companies emphasize efficiency, lean teams, and rapid growth.

    Max Altman's career advice: Focus on picking the fastest-growing company.

    On an episode of the "20VC" podcast published on Sunday, Altman said that tech once became too focused on prioritizing mission over "winning."

    "I say, don't care about the product. Don't care about anything, just go work at the fastest growing company," the venture capitalist said. "Because winning feels great. It feels amazing."

    Altman is the cofounder of Saga, a $125 million venture fund that launched last March. Its investments include defense tech startup Anduril, Reddit, and Rippling. He is the younger brother of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the older brother of Jack Altman, also a VC.

    On Sunday's podcast, Max Altman said that tech lost its way in the last few years before 2020. Before becoming an investor, he worked at Microsoft, Zenefits, and Rippling.

    He said that everyone in tech was making their company about their mission and "saving the world."

    "We're doing on-demand dry cleaning and on-demand dog walking, but it's gonna help the world this way, and you should feel good about yourself," Altman added.

    "I'm like, just go build a great business," he said. "Winning's the most fun thing here. And I think we really lost our way for a little a bit."

    In the last two years, tech has largely moved in the direction Altman says he prefers. The industry has been prioritizing growing quickly and doing more with less.

    Companies have cut middle-level management in favor of more streamlined teams and fewer tiers of hierarchy, which they say should lead to less bureaucracy.

    Across the industry, execs are sharing memos filled with words such as "efficiency" and "scrappiness and frugality."

    In April, Intel's CEO Lip-Bu Tan detailed his plan for the company's culture: more time in the office, less admin, and leaner teams.

    "The most important KPI for many managers at Intel has been the size of their teams," Tan wrote, referring to key performance indicators. "Going forward, this will not be the case. The best leaders get the most done with the fewest people."

    "We want to operate like the world's largest startup," Amazon's Andy Jassy wrote in a September 2024 letter. "That means having a passion for constantly inventing for customers, strong urgency (for most big opportunities, it's a race!), high ownership, fast decision-making, scrappiness and frugality, deeply-connected collaboration."

    Late last month, Amazon laid off 14,000 corporate employees, citing AI's rapid advancement.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

  • What $5,000 invested in ASX ETFs today could become in 10, 15, and 20 years

    An accountant gleefully makes corrections and calculations on his abacus with a pile of papers next to him.

    If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to start investing, then stop! The best time to begin is almost always now.

    Not because the market is perfectly priced, it rarely is, but because time in the market does far more for your wealth than trying to pick the perfect entry point.

    One of the easiest ways to get started is with exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

    They’re low-cost, diversified, beginner-friendly, and designed to grow with the broader market. You don’t need to pick stocks. You don’t need to predict which company will be the next big winner. You just need to get in, stay consistent, and let compounding quietly get to work.

    But what does that look like in real numbers? And what could a simple $5,000 investment today grow into over the next decade or two?

    Let’s break it down.

    Why ETFs make compounding so powerful

    When you buy an ASX ETF, you are buying a basket of companies in one shot.

    That could be Australia’s top 200 shares through something like an ASX 200 fund, the world’s biggest shares through a global ETF such as the Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares ETF (ASX: VGS) or the iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV), or fast-growing themes like technology through options such as the Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ) or the BetaShares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF (ASX: ATEC).

    Historically, share markets have returned around 8%–10% per year on average. That’s not guaranteed, but over long periods, it has been remarkably consistent despite market crashes, recessions, and geopolitical shocks.

    What your $5,000 could grow into over time

    If your $5,000 investment returned 10% per year on average, let’s now see what it could turn into over the long term.

    After 10 years, that initial $5,000 could grow to around $13,000. It isn’t life-changing yet, but it is already more than double your starting amount — and you didn’t have to do anything other than stay invested.

    After 15 years, the same investment could grow to roughly $21,000. At this point, compounding is starting to accelerate, because your returns are now earning returns of their own.

    After 20 years, that original $5,000 could be worth around $33,600. That’s more than six times what you started with, all from a single one-off investment and an average long-term return.

    And keep in mind, this doesn’t include any additional contributions. Add even small, regular top-ups over time, and those numbers can climb dramatically higher.

    For example, starting with $5,000 and adding $100 a month to your portfolio would turn these amounts into $33,000, $61,000, and $106,000, respectively, all else equal.

    Foolish takeaway

    A one-off $5,000 investment may not seem like much today, but over 10, 15, or 20 years, compounding can transform it into something far more meaningful.

    By using simple, broad-based ASX ETFs and giving them enough time to grow, investors can build real wealth without stress, guesswork, or constant tinkering.

    And if you can add to it with small monthly investments, you really could supercharge your wealth creation.

    The post What $5,000 invested in ASX ETFs today could become in 10, 15, and 20 years appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Betashares S&P Asx Australian Technology ETF right now?

    Before you buy Betashares S&P Asx Australian Technology ETF 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 Betashares S&P Asx Australian Technology ETF 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…

    See the 5 Stocks

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Vanguard Msci Index International Shares ETF and iShares S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today

    A happy young boy in a wheelchair holds his arms outstretched as another boy pushed him.

    The S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) kicked off the trading week on a very positive note indeed this Monday. Particularly considering the negativity that dominated the markets last week.

    By the time trading wrapped up today, the ASX 200 had gained an enthusiastic 1.29%. That leaves the index at 8,525.1 points.

    This optimistic beginning to the Australian trading week took its lead from a similarly rosy end to the American trading week on Saturday morning (our time).

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average Index (DJX: .DJI) had a strong session, rising 1.08%.

    The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index (NASDAQ: .IXIC) came in just behind that, enjoying a 0.88% increase.

    Let’s get back to this week and the local markets now, by digging deeper into what was happening with the different ASX sectors this happy Monday.

    Winners and losers

    It was an almost universally positive day on the ASX boards, with only one sector going backwards.

    That unlucky sector was energy shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Energy Index (ASX: XEJ) missed out on the fun, sinking 0.28%.

    The most enthusiastic winners this Monday were industrial stocks, with the S&P/ASX 200 Industrials Index (ASX: XNJ) shooting 2.71% higher.

    Tech stocks roared back to life as well. The S&P/ASX 200 Information Technology Index (ASX: XIJ) soared up 2.39% today.

    Real estate investment trusts (REITs) had a day to remember too, as you can see by the S&P/ASX 200 A-REIT Index (ASX: XPJ)’s 2.1% surge.

    Utilities shares didn’t miss out either. The S&P/ASX 200 Utilities Index (ASX: XUJ) galloped up 2.04%.

    Healthcare stocks proved popular, with the S&P/ASX 200 Healthcare Index (ASX: XHJ) jumping 1.97%.

    As did communications shares. The S&P/ASX 200 Communication Services Index (ASX: XTJ) lifted by 1.64% this Monday.

    Gold stocks didn’t miss out, illustrated by the All Ordinaries Gold Index (ASX: XGD)’s 1.53% bounce higher.

    Broader mining shares also put on a strong show. The S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) enjoyed a 1.09% improvement.

    Financial stocks were making investors happy as well, with the S&P/ASX 200 Financials Index (ASX: XFJ) adding 1.03% to its total.

    Consumer discretionary shares found some demand. The S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Discretionary Index (ASX: XDJ) put on an additional 0.7% this session.

    Its consumer staples counterpart was our final winner, evidenced by the S&P/ASX 200 Consumer Staples Index (ASX: XSJ)’s 0.35% bump.

    Top 10 ASX 200 shares countdown

    Leading the index winners today was logistics provider Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX: QUB). Qube shares rocketed a massive 19.41% up to $4.86 each this session.

    This big move came after Qube received a takeover offer from Macquarie Asset Management, which you can read more about here.

    Here’s the rest of today’s best:

    ASX-listed company Share price Price change
    Qube Holdings Ltd (ASX: QUB) $4.86 19.41%
    Reece Ltd (ASX: REH) $12.37 12.66%
    IRESS Ltd (ASX: IRE) $9.68 8.04%
    Sims Ltd (ASX: SGM) $16.29 8.02%
    Superloop Ltd (ASX: SLC) $2.60 7.44%
    Life360 Inc (ASX: 360) $39.10 7.09%
    SiteMinder Ltd (ASX: SDR) $6.11 5.89%
    Austal Ltd (ASX: ASB) $6.68 5.86%
    Megaport Ltd (ASX: MP1) $13.42 5.75%
    Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) $6.64 5.73%

    Our top 10 shares countdown is a recurring end-of-day summary that shows which companies made big moves on the day. Check in at Fool.com.au after the weekday market closes to see which stocks make the countdown.

    The post Here are the top 10 ASX 200 shares today appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you buy Qube 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 Qube 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…

    See the 5 Stocks

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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 Life360, Megaport, and SiteMinder. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Life360 and SiteMinder. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • 2 artificial intelligence (AI) stocks to buy before the end of 2025

    Hand with AI in capital letters and AI-related digital icons.

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

    Key Points

    • Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is a promising AI stock due to its growing role in the chip market.
    • Meta Platforms might be one of the most undervalued large tech companies right now.

    Tech stocks have experienced choppy trading patterns in recent weeks. However, the long-term outlook for top companies in the sector continues to position investors for excellent return potential.

    The tech-centric Nasdaq Composite has returned 90% over the last five years, outperforming the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a significant catalyst for the growth of the largest tech companies over the last few years, but it’s just getting started.

    The following AI stocks are excellent options to profit from the growth of this revolutionary technology. 

    1. Advanced Micro Devices

    Leading tech companies will continue to invest in advanced computing hardware until AI surpasses human intelligence. That’s where the world is heading. The stakes are enormous, but to achieve this, these companies will need significantly more computing power. This is why investors should consider investing in Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD).

    AMD has navigated through a slump in its growth over the past few years, but the investments it has made to catch up in the AI chip market are starting to pay off. Revenue grew 36% year over year in the third quarter, reaching $9.2 billion. It also reported a 30% year-over-year increase in adjusted earnings per share and record free cash flow, demonstrating how AMD is profitably scaling its business.

    It’s just getting started. The company is driving this accelerating growth by offering a superior cost-performance balance compared to competing chips. Its fifth-generation Epyc central processing units (CPUs) for servers continue to gain market share on Intel, while its MI300 series of graphics processing units (GPUs) are valued for their efficiency in handling AI inference workloads.

    The launch of the MI450 GPU next year is expected to drive record revenue. OpenAI is slated to purchase a large cluster of MI450s in the second half of 2026. This is part of a long-term agreement that will make AMD a key strategic partner for the owner of ChatGPT.

    These deals indicate further growth for AMD that could deliver substantial returns for investors. Analysts are currently projecting annualized free-cash-flow growth of 66% through 2029. This is why the stock rocketed to new highs and could offer significant upside.

    2. Meta Platforms

    Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) has over 3.5 billion people using its services daily, with more than 3 billion on Instagram alone. Meta is making these services even more profitable and engaging for users by leveraging AI. With substantial resources to expand its data center capacity, Meta is building an unstoppable competitive advantage around its tech infrastructure.

    Its third-quarter financial results were outstanding, with revenue up 26% year over year. Its ad revenue is generating a significant operating margin of 43% on a trailing-12-month basis, contributing to $44 billion in free cash flow.

    Meta has made improvements to its ad technology, where AI is driving better efficiency and more relevant ads shown to users. AI-driven ad tools are generating over $60 billion annually, accounting for approximately a third of the company’s total revenue.

    The stock is down 20% since the third-quarter earnings report, primarily due to the company’s plan to accelerate capital spending over the next year. This is expected to put pressure on margins and profits. However, the additional GPUs and compute capacity will further expand its AI capabilities, potentially leading to lucrative opportunities to generate more profits in the future.

    These investments will strengthen Meta’s long-term competitive moat and potentially lead to the development of new AI-driven services. There is considerable long-term upside for Meta that is not fully reflected in its current valuation. The stock is trading at just 20 times 2026 earnings estimates, which appears to be a bargain for a leading tech company.

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

    The post 2 artificial intelligence (AI) stocks to buy before the end of 2025 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 Advanced Micro Devices right now?

    Before you buy Advanced Micro Devices 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 Advanced Micro Devices 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…

    See the 5 Stocks

    * 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

    John Ballard has positions in Advanced Micro Devices. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Advanced Micro Devices, Intel, and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has recommended the following options: short November 2025 $21 puts on Intel. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Advanced Micro Devices and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Best buy for dividends today: Coles or Woolworths shares?

    A man in a supermarket strikes an unlikely pose while pushing a trolley, lifting both legs sideways off the ground and looking mildly rattled with a wide-mouthed expression.

    Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL) and Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) are two ASX 200 blue-chip shares that can be found in the portfolios of many a dividend investor in Australia.

    Income seekers like the sturdy business models that both of these companies offer, thanks to their defensive nature as consumer staples providers. Both Coles and Woolworths are established and highly profitable, which gives both stocks a durable earnings base from which to fund what have historically been reliable passive income to shareholders.

    Saying all of that, both Coles and Woolworths shares have been through some dramatic changes over the past 12 months. One at the expense of the other, as it happens.

    Today, let’s review both stocks’ dividends and determine which one appears to be the better buy for income investors at present.

    Coles vs. Woolworths shares: Which is the better dividend stock?

    Well, let’s start with the payouts.

    Coles sent out its normal two dividends in 2025. The first came in March, the interim dividend worth 37 cents per share. The second was the final dividend from September, worth 32 cents per share. Both payments came fully franked, as is typical for Coles. Together, the payments represent a payout ratio of 85.4% of earnings.

    Coles’ 2025 dividends came in ahead of 2024’s payout. Although the final dividend was flat year on year, the interim dividend was boosted by one cent compared to 2024’s equivalent payout of 36 cents per share.

    Today, these 2025 dividends give Coles a trailing dividend yield of 3.06%.

    In 2025, Woolworths also doled out two dividends, as is the company’s habit. The first was the April interim dividend worth 39 cents per share. The second, the final dividend from September worth 45 cents per share. Both payments came fully franked and represented a payout ratio of 74.1% of earnings.

    Unlike Coles’ payouts, though, these dividends from Woolworths shares represented significant reductions over the income shareholders banked in 2024. That consisted of an interim dividend of 47 cents per share and a final dividend worth 57 cents per share. There was also a special dividend of 40 cents per share paid out. However, that was funded from the one-off sale of Woolworths’ last 5% stake in Endeavour Group Ltd (ASX: EDV), so it isn’t worth including.

    Today, Woolworths’ stock is trading on a dividend yield of 2.97%.

    Foolish Takeaway

    If I had to choose between Coles and Woolworths shares for dividend income today, I would probably opt for Coles. Not just because it offers a slightly higher yield, though. Woolworths is currently in a bit of a funk, evident from its recent share price trajectory. The company’s management is facing questions about the direction it is taking, and it has been steadily losing market share to Coles in recent quarters. Its Big W division also continues to weigh on its overall strength.

    Meanwhile, Coles has a far better track record of delivering consistent dividends in recent years, despite its higher payout ratio. As such, it would be my pick of the two right now.

    The post Best buy for dividends today: Coles or Woolworths shares? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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

    Before you buy Coles Group 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 Coles Group 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…

    See the 5 Stocks

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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

    More reading

    Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen has positions in Endeavour Group. 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 positions in and has recommended Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

  • Elon Musk says Tesla’s hiring for its big AI chip push — and he’s ‘deeply involved’ in the design meetings

    Elon Musk
    Tesla is hiring engineers for its AI chip team, and Elon Musk says he's "deeply involved" in the design work, meeting with engineers twice a week.

    BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

    • Elon Musk is urging engineers to apply to Tesla as the company ramps up efforts for its AI chips.
    • Tesla's open jobs on its AI hardware team include design engineering roles.
    • Musk said he's "deeply involved" in Tesla's chip design and meets with engineers twice a week.

    Elon Musk isn't just talking about AI chips. The Tesla CEO is now asking engineers who are interested in a job to email the company, and he's personally running twice-weekly design meetings.

    In a post on X on Saturday night, Musk called for job applicants for Tesla's AI chip engineering team. He asked candidates to send an email with three bullet points proving their "exceptional ability" to Tesla.

    "We are particularly interested in applying cutting-edge AI to chip design," he said.

    Musk said in the post that the company aims to "bring a new AI chip design to volume production every 12 months."

    "We expect to build chips at higher volumes ultimately than all other AI chips combined," he added.

    The current chip in Tesla cars is known as AI4, and the company is "close to taping out AI5" while work is starting on AI6, Musk said.

    "These chips will profoundly change the world in positive ways, saving millions of lives due to safer driving and providing advanced medical care to all people via Optimus," Musk added. Optimus is Tesla's humanoid robot project.

    Musk has been ramping up Tesla's chip ambitions. In July, the company signed a $16.5 billion deal with Samsung to manufacture Tesla's A16 chip at its new plant in Texas.

    Tesla has posted Palo Alto, California-based engineering roles for its AI hardware team, including openings for physical design engineers and signal and power integrity engineers.

    The physical design engineer job requires candidates with 10 or more years of experience in designing and building integrated circuits, also known as chips. The role involves designing, constructing, and integrating the building blocks of Tesla's AI chips. The listing said the position pays about $152,000 to $264,000 a year, plus cash and stock awards and benefits.

    The signal and power integrity engineer role helps develop next-generation AI chips and systems for Tesla vehicles and Optimus robots. The position is focused on testing and validating the chips. The listing said the job pays about $120,000 to $318,000 a year, with cash and stock awards and benefits.

    Musk is 'deeply involved' in chip design and meetings

    Musk said in the post on X on Saturday that he is "deeply involved in the chip design" and meets with the engineering team "every Tuesday and Saturday."

    "The Saturday meetings are short-term and will no longer be needed in a few months when AI5 is taped out," he added.

    Musk has long been known for inserting himself into the day-to-day work at his companies. Musk said in July he would personally oversee Samsung's new chipmaking plant in Texas. The plant, located in Taylor, Texas, is expected to open in 2026.

    "This is a critical point, as I will walk the line personally to accelerate the pace of progress," Musk said on X, adding that the fab is "conveniently located not far from my house."

    During Tesla's Model 3 ramp-up in 2018, Musk said he slept on the company's factory floor. After taking over Twitter — now X — in 2023, he renamed the company and rehauled its entire structure.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

  • Ciara says her ‘greatest fear’ is where her 4 kids get information

    Ciara in a black strapless dress.
    Ciara says she stays "tapped in" to current trends for the sake of her kids.

    Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images

    • Ciara, 40, says her biggest parenting fear is where her four kids get their information.
    • "This world is like bananas, and so I think you've got to be locked in even more now because the access is so high," she said.
    • The singer also described herself as a "partial" helicopter mom who likes to "be up in the mix."

    Ciara, 40, says motherhood keeps her learning every day.

    During an appearance on Friday's episode of the "Angie Martinez IRL" podcast, Ciara spoke about staying connected to her kids and what it takes to keep up with their world.

    "I think my kids also keep me young, too. You know, mama's got to stay tapped in," Ciara told podcast host Angie Martinez.

    The singer is a mother of four. She shares a son with her ex, rapper Future, and two daughters and a son with her husband, New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson.

    Staying current helps her better understand her kids and the challenges they face at their ages, Ciara said.

    "I want to be, like, aware of what's happening in their world," she said.

    She added that she often reflects on what life was like when she was their age, so she can better understand what her kids are experiencing now.

    "I want them to feel comfortable with me, but I also want to make sure I'm like, thinking about what I could have done better to serve them better," she said.

    Ciara also described herself as a "partial" helicopter mom, and said she likes to "be up in the mix."

    "This world is like bananas, and so I think you've got to be locked in even more now because the access is so high," Ciara said. "And my greatest fear is that the world tells my kid information that shapes them when I could be the one telling them."

    As her kids get older and start talking at school, they can pick up and sometimes make up all kinds of things, she said.

    "I feel really proud sometimes when you beat the world to telling your kids something," Ciara said. "I feel really proud of those moments, like having real conversations with them. So you're just only empowering them, you're only armoring them for the world."

    In March, Ciara told Parents that she wants her daughters to learn to create their own self-worth.

    "I want my girls to know that they're not limited by their gender or the color of their skin," she said.

    Speaking to Vogue in August, Ciara said becoming a mother changed how she saw her career and herself.

    "When I first began, I'm in an industry where it was taboo to have a child. The moment you had a child, you were automatically labeled as older or not focused. So having my babies and being on this journey to go after all that I'm trying to achieve has just been one of the coolest things," she said.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

  • These top ASX dividend stocks offer 5% yields

    A couple sits in their lounge room with a large piggy bank on the coffee table. They smile while the male partner feeds some money into the slot while the female partner looks on with an iPad style device in her hands as though they are budgeting.

    There are a lot of options out there for income investors to choose from on the Australian share market.

    To narrow things down, let’s take a look at three ASX dividend stocks that brokers have named as buys. Here’s what they are saying about them:

    Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP)

    Centuria Industrial REIT could be an ASX dividend stock to buy.

    It is one of Australia’s leading owners of industrial real estate with a portfolio including major distribution hubs that are leased to blue-chip tenants in e-commerce, manufacturing, and logistics.

    Management notes that its portfolio includes 87 high-quality, fit-for-purpose industrial assets worth a collective $3.89 billion. These assets are situated in key in-fill locations and close to key infrastructure.

    Although rising interest rates have pressured the broader property sector in recent times, Centuria Industrial REIT’s long-term leases and stable rental income leave it well placed for the future.

    For example, UBS believes the company is now positioned to pay dividends per share of 16.8 cents in FY 2026 and then 17.9 cents in FY 2027. Based on its current share price of $3.41, this equates to dividend yields of 4.9% and 5.25%, respectively.

    The broker currently has a buy rating and $3.95 price target on its shares.

    Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)

    Another ASX dividend stock that could be a buy according to analysts is Transurban.

    It is the toll road operator behind CityLink in Melbourne and WestConnex in Sydney, as well as many other important roads across Australia and North America. It also has a development pipeline that looks set to support its long term growth.

    The team at Citi believes the company is well-placed to pay dividends of 69.9 cents in FY 2026 and 74.1 cents in FY 2027. Based on its current share price of $14.82, this would mean dividend yields of 4.7% and 5%, respectively.

    Citi has a buy rating and $16.10 price target on Transurban’s shares.

    Universal Store Holdings Ltd (ASX: UNI)

    Finally, youth fashion retailer Universal Store has been quietly delivering for shareholders despite a challenging retail environment.

    Bell Potter believes this trend can continue thanks to its multi-brand strategy across Universal Store, Thrills, and Perfect Stranger and growing private-label penetration.

    The broker expects this to support fully franked dividends of 37.3 cents per share in FY 2026 and 41.4 cents per share in FY 2027. Based on the current share price of $8.24, this implies yields of 4.5% and 5%, respectively.

    Bell Potter has a buy rating and $10.50 price target on its shares.

    The post These top ASX dividend stocks offer 5% yields appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

    Should you invest $1,000 in Centuria Industrial REIT right now?

    Before you buy Centuria Industrial REIT 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 Centuria Industrial REIT 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…

    See the 5 Stocks

    * Returns as of 18 November 2025

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

    More reading

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