Micron (MU) stock has been in a strong bull run since April 2025, when it bottomed at $62. It has soared to $415, making it one of the top gainers in the S&P 500 Index and Nasdaq 100. 

Despite this surge, the stock has more upside in 2026 as the artificial intelligence tailwinds remain. It is also seeing elevated demand for its Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and NAND memory as the global supply constraints remain. 

Micron’s stock upside is also supported by its cheap valuation metrics, bullish analyst forecasts, and its technicals. 

Micron Stock is Benefiting From Unprecedented Memory Demand

The ongoing AI spending and data center build-up have more room to run, even as concerns of the bubble bursting remain. In a recent note, Goldman Sachs analysts estimated that AI companies will spend over $525 billion this year.

Memory companies stand to benefit from this boom, which explains why firms like Micron, Sandisk, and Western Digital were the top gainers in the S&P 500 Index in 2025.

These stocks jumped because of the ongoing supply shortage in the High Bandwidth Memory industry, with supply for 2026 being sold out. 

In its recent earnings report, Sanjay Mehrotra, Micron’s CEO, noted that it had completed supply and pricing agreements for the year. He also noted that the HBM industry’s total addressable market would jump from $35 billion in 2025 to $100 billion in 2028. 

This growth is demonstrated by the company’s earnings, which have continued to beat analysts’ estimates. Its annual revenue grew from $27 billion in 2021 to $37 billion in FY’25, and analysts see it reaching $88 billion in 2027. 

Micron’s revenue growth will be accompanied by higher margins as it has higher pricing power. Indeed, in a recent note, analysts at Nomura Securities noted that Sandisk, another top memory company, could double the prices of its 3D NAND memory devices. 

The memory industry has always been characterized by booms and busts. This happened as companies boosted their supplies whenever demand rose. 

However, the complexity of the current HBM devices means that it is hard to boost supply. In Micron’s case, it will only be able to boost supply in the second half of 2027 when its Idaho fab comes online. It will be followed by the second fab in the state and the new one in New York. 

MU Stock is a Bargain in all Measures

It is always difficult to recommend a stock trading at a record high. However, a closer look at Micron’s numbers and growth prospects shows that it is a bargain. 

The most recent results showed that Micron’s revenue grew by 57% YoY to $13.6 billion. Its gross margin grew by 11 percentage points to 56.8%.

Wall Street analysts are optimistic that the company has more room to grow. The average estimate is that its second-quarter revenue will grow by 132% to $18.75 billion. Its annual revenue is expected to jump by 98% to $74 billion. Micron’s earnings per share is also expected to soar to $32.9 from the previous $8.29. 

Therefore, with such strong numbers and its market share, one would expect a premium valuation for the company. However, data shows that the company has a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 11, much lower than other similar companies. SanDisk has a multiple of 32, while Western Digital has 23. 

Additionally, the company has a forward price-to-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 0.22, lower than the industry’s median of 1.06. 

Micron’s Rule-of-40 metric also illustrates its valuation discrepancy. It has a forward growth estimate of 98% and a net profit margin of 28%. This gives it a Rule-of-40 metric of 126%, higher than popular AI companies like NVIDIA and Palantir. 

Is Micron Stock a Good Buy?

Most Wall Street analysts are largely bullish on Micron’s shares. 25 analysts have a buy rating, while two have a hold. The average target for the stock is $333, representing a ~3.3% drop from the current level.

Micron analyst ratings | Source: TipRanks

However, some recent analysts have boosted their targets, with Mizuho’s Vijay Rakesh moving it from $290 to $390. JPMorgan’s estimate is $350, while Piper Sander and UBS’s targets are $400. The most upbeat analyst is Rosenblatt’s Kevin Cassidy, who sees it rising to $500. 

Technicals Suggest a Brief Pullback Followed by a Rebound

While Micron has strong fundamentals, technicals suggest that it will have a brief pullback followed by a rebound. The weekly chart below shows that the stock has gotten highly overbought, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the Stochastic Oscillator moving to their extreme levels.

It also remains much higher than the 100-week Exponential Moving Average (EMA), which is at $138. These indicators mean that a brief pullback, potentially to $300 is possible. It will then bounce back and possibly end the year at $450.

The Bottom Line

Micron stock has been in a strong bull run, helped by the ongoing AI boom and its strong growth metrics. Its revenue and profitability growth will likely accelerate this year as the supply constraints in the memory industry remain. 

Most valuation models show that MU is a bargain, while most analyst have a buy rating on the company. These fundamentals mean that the stock has more upside to go. 

However, technicals suggest that the stock has become highly overbought, raising the possibility of a brief pullback as investors book profits. Such a pullback may form a good entry point for bulls. 

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European gas prices, already on a downward trend, face fresh uncertainty after heightened rhetoric between the US and Iran, fueled by statements from President Donald Trump, reignited fears over the security of the vital Strait of Hormuz—a transit point for a crucial one-fifth of the world’s seaborne LNG deliveries.

LNG shipments from US terminals are reportedly nearing a return to normal, with Bloomberg indicating that volumes have rebounded almost to the average seen in the first half of January, following a slump on Monday. 

This recovery aligns with earlier reports of a broader return to normal activities in the US.

While this offers some reassurance, the situation remains critical because EU gas storage is only at 43.5%, according to Commerzbank AG. 

In a typical winter, these levels would drop an additional 15 percentage points by the end of March.

“Whether this will happen depends, on the one hand, on demand: lower temperatures are now forecasted for Europe, although weather forecasts have fluctuated greatly recently,” Barbara Lambrecht, commodity analyst at Commerzbank AG, said in a report. 

On the other hand, it depends on imports: following the resumption of LNG exports from the US, the signs are at least better here. 

US LNG and European Import Dynamics

EU gas imports are currently showing a significant upward trend, according to recent analysis from the Bruegel think tank. 

Data collected for the initial twenty days of this year reveals that the European Union’s imports were a striking 14% higher when compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.

This notable increase in incoming gas supplies carries important implications for the Union’s energy reserves. 

Under the assumption of ceteris paribus—meaning all other factors remain constant—a higher volume of imports would naturally be expected to correlate with a reduction in the rate at which gas is withdrawn from storage facilities. 

This dynamic suggested a potentially easing pressure on reserves, which is a positive development for energy security, particularly during peak demand seasons. 

The extent to which this trend continues will be a key indicator for the EU’s resilience to potential supply shocks throughout the rest of the year.

US market: Henry Hub and inventory overhang

The happiness of one person often comes at the expense of another’s misfortune.

In the US, the front-month contract for Henry Hub was trading at just $3.75 per mmBtu on Thursday morning, around $3 lower than on Wednesday.

Lambrecht said: 

However, the massive decline was due to a contract change.

The recommencement of LNG shipments has already led to a slight increase in price across the Atlantic during trading.

US natural gas inventories dropped by 242 billion cubic feet in the last reporting week, exceeding market expectations, according to the US Department of Energy.

While the market has seen some recent inventory drawdowns, a significant overhang persists. 

Current inventory levels remain stubbornly high, resting at 5% above the five-year historical average. 

This deviation is a key concern for market watchers, as the rate of decrease has been disappointingly slow. 

Steep drop in stocks likely

Data from the most recent week shows that the change in this deviation is marginal, suggesting that the structural imbalance between supply and demand is not correcting itself at a pace conducive to sustained price recovery or market normalisation. 

The continued elevation of inventories acts as a ceiling on upward price movement, creating a bearish sentiment that weighs on the market despite other potentially positive fundamental indicators.

The impact of last weekend’s winter storm on the figures is apparently either minor or not yet reflected, according to Lambrecht.

A steep drop in stock values is expected during the present reporting week due to last week’s storm.

However, it remains to be seen whether there will be a record decline in stocks, as some expect.

At the time of writing, the Henry Hub natural gas contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange was at $4.098 per mmBtu, up 4.4%. 

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US producer prices climbed more than anticipated in December, driven primarily by a rise in service prices.

The Producer Price Index for final demand rose 0.5% month-on-month, accelerating from a 0.2% increase in November and surpassing economists’ expectations of a similar rise.

On an annual basis, producer prices increased 3%, unchanged from the previous month.

Services lead the price increase

The stronger-than-expected increase in producer prices was driven largely by services, which rose 0.7% in December.

Trade services played a particularly prominent role, with margins for wholesalers and retailers climbing 1.7%, accounting for roughly two-thirds of the increase in services prices.

More than 40% of the rise in final demand services was linked to a sharp jump in margins for machinery and equipment wholesaling, highlighting how supply chain adjustments and tariff-related costs are filtering through the economy.

Goods prices show mixed trends

Prices for final demand goods were flat in December after rising in November, reflecting divergent movements across categories.

Gains in goods excluding food and energy offset declines in energy and food prices.

Nonferrous metals recorded a notable increase, while prices also rose for residential natural gas, motor vehicles, soft drinks, and aircraft and related equipment.

At the same time, diesel fuel posted a steep decline, with gasoline, jet fuel, beef and veal, and iron and steel scrap also moving lower.

The mixed pattern underscores how inflationary pressures remain uneven, with certain sectors absorbing cost increases while others experience falling prices.

Tariffs and policy outlook in focus

Businesses had previously absorbed part of the impact of sweeping import tariffs, helping to contain inflation.

The latest data, however, suggest that firms are increasingly passing on these costs, raising the risk of broader price pressures.

The Federal Reserve recently kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged, with policymakers continuing to weigh the impact of tariffs on inflation.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has noted that tariff-driven inflation could peak later in the year, implying that price pressures may intensify before easing.

Producer price data are closely watched by economists because several components feed into the personal consumption expenditures price index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation.

The December PCE figures, delayed by earlier disruptions, are scheduled for release later this month, adding uncertainty to the near-term inflation outlook.

Data delays add to uncertainty

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has now caught up on producer and consumer price reports that were delayed during the recent federal government shutdown.

However, lawmakers are again racing to avert another shutdown, which could disrupt upcoming data releases, including the next employment report.

As tariff effects begin to surface more clearly in producer prices, investors and policymakers alike are bracing for a potentially more volatile inflation trajectory in the months ahead.

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As if the volatility in commodity markets this week was not enough, gold, silver, and copper experienced free falls on Friday as investors rushed to book profits after prices had hit record highs earlier this week.

Gold prices slumped more than 5%, and fell below $5,000 briefly, while silver’s decline was more brutal as the white metal plummeted 15% to below $100.

On Thursday, gold had hit $5,600 per ounce, while silver traded above $120 per ounce.

However, prices had remained volatile throughout the week, with both metals hitting a series of record highs.  

Meanwhile, oil prices also fell slightly after hitting four-month highs on Thursday on easing geopolitical tensions. However, at the time of writing, prices had mostly recovered.

Oil had hit a four-month high on Thursday on the back of increasing geopolitical tensions and concerns about supply.

Prices are likely to remain volatile ahead of this weekend’s Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies’ meeting.

Bullion plunge

Gold and silver prices came to a screeching halt on Friday as the precious metals experienced wild swings to the downside. Both metals are set to end a volatile week on the back foot.  

Silver prices on COMEX, which peaked above $120 per ounce earlier this week, fell below $100 on Friday.

Meanwhile, gold prices briefly fell below the crucial mark of $5,000 per ounce earlier on Friday, with the yellow metal now trading around $5,030.94 an ounce.

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that he selected former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh to lead the US Fed.

Anticipation of Warsh’s appointment had already caused the dollar index—which measures the US currency’s value against other currencies—to strengthen.

“The markets see Warsh as a more hawkish candidate than, for example, Kevin Hassett, who was seen to have high chances for the position at times and is considered a Trump loyalist,” Thu Lan Nguyen, head of FX and commodity research at Commerzbank AG, said in a report.

The final trading session of the month saw profit-taking after significant gains in gold and silver, which were up 17% and 39% in January, respectively.

This profit-taking followed several days of low liquidity, where relatively small trading volumes, fueled by the fear of missing out, led to disproportionately large price movements.

“Despite the savagery of the selloff, gold found some support around $5,000,” said David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation.

Silver saw even sharper moves, halting a seven-day winning streak and retreating aggressively after touching extreme highs earlier in the week.

At the time of writing, the gold contract on COMEX was at $5,077.25 per ounce, down 5.2%, while silver was at $98 per ounce, down 14.3%.

Oil reverses early losses

After initially pulling back from four-month highs , crude oil prices managed to recover some of their upside momentum as the market witnessed unprecedented swings.

On Thursday, front-month West Texas Intermediate briefly traded above $66 per barrel before selling pressure pushed prices lower to $63.50; however, they subsequently rebounded.

Oil prices retreated from their peaks following President Trump’s announcement that he would engage in talks with Iran’s leaders.

This lifted hopes that diplomacy (“jaw-jaw”) would prevail over conflict (“war-war”).

However, the substantial presence of US warships in the region and an insistence from Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, that the US remains prepared to act serve as counterpoints to this optimism.

“Technically, crude continues to trade north of the downtrend which began last summer,” said Morrison.

Survey-based estimates detailing OPEC production will be released early next week, offering insight into the current state of oil supply within OPEC member nations.

Barbara Lambrecht, commodity analyst at Commerzbank AG, said:

Against this backdrop, it can be assumed that the eight OPEC+ countries, which will agree on their future production strategy over the weekend, will stick to their previous production targets.

The price of WTI crude oil was at $65.77 per barrel, up 0.6%, while Brent was at $70 per barrel, also up 0.6%.

Copper tumbles

Base metals, including copper, were experiencing declines on Friday, concluding a tumultuous week.

This week was defined by reaching record-high prices, technical issues on exchanges, and a resurgence of uncertainty in the broader macro environment.

Benchmark copper futures on the LME have retreated toward $13,000 a ton after soaring above $14,500 on Thursday, a swing emblematic of speculative excess and thinning liquidity.

The shift comes as Chinese investors temper their exposure and the US dollar climbs after US President Trump nominated Kevin Warsh as the next Federal Reserve chair.

Warsh has recently endorsed lower interest rates, a stance that, paradoxically, lent near-term support to risk assets while rekindling debate over the Fed’s inflation priorities.

“Physical indicators now signal a cooling of the frenzy that recently gripped the copper market,” said Neil Welsh, head of metals at Britannia Global Markets.

The Yangshan premium has flipped into discount territory, Shanghai inventories remain elevated, and the forward spread has moved into contango, suggesting that tightening fears may have been overstated.

The significant volatility seen in copper futures over a short period is highlighted by CME’s recent decision to raise margin requirements.

The rally in copper prices exhibited a more speculative nature, moving beyond what is justified by supply dynamics, according to Welsh.

A key sign of this shift is that industrial consumers are resisting paying prices equivalent to futures, especially when added margins increase the financial burden.

The two-week period leading up to China’s Lunar New Year in mid-February is a critical risk window.

The potential for position squaring ahead of the holiday, coupled with a strengthening dollar, could limit upward price movement and initiate a period of consolidation.

Welsh said:

Traders may find opportunity in heightened volatility, but caution is warranted as market dynamics tilt from exuberance toward correction.

At the time of writing, the three-month copper contract on LME was at $13,414 per ton, down 2.6%.

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BitMine stock price continued its downtrend as Bitcoin and Ethereum dropped, a trend that may continue on Friday now that the crypto market crash is accelerating. BMNR dropped to $26.70, down by 83% from its highest level in July last year. This article explores why the stock may continue falling in the near term.

BitMine stock at risk as Ethereum price slips

Ethereum price crashed to a low of $2,683 on Friday, down sharply from the all-time high of $4,950. It continued the downtrend after it emerged that Kevin Warsh would become the next Federal Reserve Chair despite his past criticism of the crypto industry.

The daily timeframe chart shows that Ethereum price dropped to a low of $2,683, its lowest level since November 21st last year. It has moved below the 50-day and 100-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMA).

The coin has crashed below the 61.8% Fibonacci Retracement level at $2,743. It also moved below the Weak, Stop & Reverse level of the Murrey Math Lines tool.

Ethereum price has moved below the Supertrend and Ichimoku cloud indicators, a highly bearish sign in technical analysis. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the MACD indicators have continued falling in the past few months.

Therefore, the most likely scenario is where Ethereum continues falling, potentially to the next key support level at $2,500. A move below that level will point to more downside, potentially to the 78.6% Fibonacci Retracement level at $2,145.

BitMine stock price technicals points to more downside 

The daily timeframe chart shows that the BMNR stock price has crashed in the past few months, moving from a high of $160 in July last year to a low of $28.70.

The stock has remained below all moving averages and the Supertrend indicator. A closer look shows that the stock has formed a highly bearish descending triangle pattern.

The lower side of this pattern was at $25.50, while the upper side connects the highest swings since October last year. The two sides are nearing their confluence level.

Meanwhile, the stock has moved below the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) and the Supertrend indicator.

Therefore, the most likely scenario is where the stock makes a strong bearish breakdown, potentially to the key support level at $20.

BitMine’s long-term outlook is bullish 

The ongoing weakness in the BMNR stock price will be brief as the company has several bullish catalysts in the future.

Its main catalyst for the stock is that Ethereum has more upside in the long term. Data shows that Ethereum’s network is thriving, with the number of active addresses and transactions soaring. Its active addresses rose by 54% to over 14.7 million, while transactions rose by 40% to 67 million.

Ethereum is also a major player in the decentralized finance (DeFi) and Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization industry, with its network being used by popular companies like JPMorgan and Janus Henderson.

BitMine will also become a major cash generator in the long term because of its staking solution. It now holds 4.3 million tokens, and its goal is to get to 6 million.  

Ethereum has a staking reward of 2.85%, meaning that its hoard will make 17,100 ETH tokens a year. At the current price, it means that the company will start making nearly $500 million a year.

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Nvidia stock was mostly flat in early trading on Friday, consolidating recent gains that have lifted the stock to its highest level since early November.

Shares were down 0.1% at $192.22, after rising 0.5% in the previous session.

The stock has advanced over the past week on a mix of optimism around renewed access to China and encouraging signals from major customers’ earnings, reinforcing confidence in Nvidia’s dominant position in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Analysts lift target price on Nvidia stock

Wolfe Research raised its price target on Nvidia to $275 from $250, arguing that the company’s shift toward rack-scale AI systems, higher average selling prices and sustained margins will drive earnings well beyond current market expectations.

Wolfe estimates that shipments of Blackwell-based racks reached about 1,000 units per week by the end of calendar 2025 and expects that pace to hold through 2026.

That implies annual shipments of roughly 50,000 to 60,000.

The firm also expects Nvidia’s next-generation Rubin platform to begin ramping in the second half of 2026 without delays, helped by design changes that simplify assembly.

Based on those assumptions, Wolfe forecasts approximately 55,000 Blackwell racks and 20,000 Rubin racks in 2026.

For 2027, it models around 55,000 Rubin racks and 15,000 Rubin Ultra racks.

Over time, Wolfe expects Nvidia to continue shifting its product mix toward rack-scale systems, with slower growth in HGX and other standalone platforms.

Earlier in the week, Morgan Stanley reiterated its Overweight rating and $250 price target on Nvidia, citing increasingly strong market checks across the artificial intelligence ecosystem.

The bank acknowledged that Nvidia’s shares have lagged recently as AI beneficiaries broaden and supply-chain constraints affect much of the semiconductor industry.

However, Morgan Stanley described concerns about potential market-share losses as “overblown.”

It said Nvidia’s upcoming Vera Rubin platform should reinforce its leadership in AI computing and help counter fears around competition.

Morgan Stanley also addressed investor unease around the financing of frontier AI model developers and Nvidia’s exposure to that ecosystem, saying the situation “requires some adjustment,” but does not undermine the long-term opportunity.

OpenAI IPO seen as potential catalyst

Investors are also watching developments around ChatGPT developer OpenAI for clues about sentiment toward the broader AI ecosystem.

OpenAI is preparing for a public listing as soon as the fourth quarter of this year and is pursuing a fundraising round of up to $100 billion at a potential valuation of $830 billion ahead of its IPO, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the matter.

A successful IPO would likely lift sentiment across AI-exposed stocks, including Nvidia.

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Palantir stock price has crashed into a technical bear market, moving from a high of $208 in November to the current $150. It has also formed a highly bearish chart pattern pointing to more downside in the near term as the company prepares for its earnings.

Palantir stock price technical analysis 

The daily timeframe chart shows that the PLTR stock price has been in a strong downward trend in the past few months. It has moved from a high of $208 in November to the current $150.

The stock has formed the highly bearish head-and-shoulders pattern, which is made up of a head, two shoulders, and shoulders. In this case, it is now hovering near its neckline at $147.

The stock has now moved below the 50-day and 200-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMA), meaning that a death cross pattern could be about to form.

It has moved below the Supertrend indicator and the ultimate support level. Therefore, the most likely scenario is where it drops, potentially to the psychological level at $100 in the near term.

PLTR stock chart | Source: TradingView 

Palantir is facing major headwinds ahead of earnings 

The ongoing Palantir stock price crash is happening as the company faces more headwinds ahead of its earnings. One of the recent headwinds is its relationship with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. However, chances are that the outrage will not have an impact on its business.

There are concerns about its valuation, which has become overstretched in the past few years. Data shows the company has a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 217, much higher than the sector median of 24. The multiple is also much higher than the five-year average of 135.

A P/E ratio of 217 makes it more expensive than other companies in the United States. A good example of this is NVIDIA, a company that dominates the AI data center industry. 

NVIDIA has a faster growth trajectory and much higher margins than Palantir. Yet, its forward price-to-earnings ratio is 40. 

Another way to look at its valuation is to look at its revenue and profits. Data shows that Palantir’s revenue rose from $1 billion in 2020 to $2.8 billion in 2024. Its profit stood at over $1 billion in the trailing twelve months (TTM). 

Analysts believe that its revenue in 2025 will be $4.4 billion, followed by $6.2 billion this year. As such, its annual revenue will cross the $10 billion mark in 2029.

The company now has a market capitalization of $361 billion, meaning that its forward price to sales multiple is 58, which makes it highly expensive.

Analysts expect the upcoming results to show that its upcoming results will show that its revenue to be $1.34 billion, up by 62% YoY. Its earnings per share are expected to come in at 23 cents, up by 14 cents.

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SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI) silenced skeptics this morning, reporting “blockbuster” Q4 financials, with revenue exceeding the coveted “$1.0 billion” mark for the first time.

The financial technology specialist posted adjusted earnings of 13 cents a share – handily beating 11 cents per share that experts had forecast.

Still, SOFI stock remains down over 25% versus its November high.

Much of this hangover is related to a “massive” $1.5 billion capital raise the company announced last month that sparked dilution concerns.

Speaking with CNBC this morning, however, Anthony Noto – its chief executive – argued the raise is “misunderstood” as it may just prove the secret sauce for SOFI’s long-term dominance.

Why capital raise is actually positive for SoFi stock

While dilution concerns often see the market react to stock offerings with an initial sell-off, Noto confirmed the capital raise was purely “opportunistic” and not an urgent response to cash depletion

In fact, it was immediately “accretive to our tangible book value,” boosting it by $2 per share to an overall $7, he added.

On “Squawk Box”, the chief executive said the funding means “greater flexibility” for the Nasdaq-listed firm to “drive faster growth” through new offerings or strategic deals that “fortify” our footing against rivals.

By doubling its statutory required leverage ratio, the fintech now has “optionality to grow in any direction,” including aggressively growing its loan platform or cutting its high-cost debt to improve margins.

And that – most certainly – is bullish for SOFI shares, he concluded.

Noto’s take on why SOFI shares are worth owning

CEO Anthony Noto touted SoFi shares on CNBC, saying the company is in a “unique” position to benefit from both artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency tailwinds.

According to him, both blockchain and AI are “tech supercycles” that will define the next decade.

By integrating AI into their underwriting via the Galileo and Technisys platforms, SOFI is driving efficiency, while their recent launch of integrated crypto trading caters to a huge member demand.

Noto’s vision is to become a “one-stop shop” where sophisticated AI-driven financial advice meets the frontier of digital assets, creating a diversified ecosystem that traditional banks simply cannot replicate.

How to play SoFi Technologies after Q4 earnings

The case for owning SOFI stock is arguably stronger now than during its November peak.

With the company forecasting $4.66 billion in revenue for 2026 and a 30% increase in membership, its growth engine is  really “firing on all cylinders”.

While SoFi Technologies is expensive compared to legacy banks at a price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of less than “9”, it’s a bargain compared to high-growth tech peers given its 160% year-over-year EPS growth in Q4.

Between the “Loan Platform” business scaling – where SOFI earns fees without the balance sheet risk – and the massive capital cushion now at Noto’s disposal, the company is perfectly positioned to capitalize on a stabilizing interest rate environment.

For investors, the “dilution” may soon look like a small price to pay for a fortress balance sheet.

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SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) has already witnessed an exceptional 20x rally in less than a year – but a senior Cantor Fitzgerald analyst says its “massive and unprecedented” earnings beat warrant buying at current levels.

The flash memory storage specialist reported record revenue of $3.03 billion and earnings of $6.20 per share for its fiscal second quarter, released late on Thursday.

Profit figures were well above market expectations, with analysts having forecast earnings of $3.62 per share.

Christopher Muse said the results indicate the company is operating in what he described as a “perfect storm” of strong demand and constrained supply.

Following the post-earnings rally, SanDisk shares are now trading at more than double their level at the start of 2026.

Why SanDisk stock is poised to rip higher in 2026

Muse expects average selling prices (ASPs) for NAND flash to soar by another 50% quarter-over-quarter, signalling SanDisk is seeing a kind of pricing power that’s rare for the memory sector.

This pricing power, he believes, will push the Nasdaq-listed firm’s gross margin to a “staggering” 67% – nearly double the 34.8% it reported just a few months ago.

According to the Cantor Fitzgerald analyst, SNDK stock could rally much further in 2026 because the company’s enterprise SSDs have become “critical enablers” for hyperscale AI infrastructure.

Note that the unprecedented AI demand helped the company guide for $13 a share of earnings for its current financial quarter – nearly double the $7.0 Muse had anticipated.

SNDK shares remain relatively inexpensive to own

In his research note, Christopher Muse argued the market is still underestimating the “structural shift” in SanDisk’s profitability following its spinoff from Western Digital last year.

“We are witnessing a structural reset. The unprecedented shortages of NAND memory are giving SanDisk significant power to raise prices, creating massive upside in the short term.”

Moreover, SNDK is successfully moving customers away from quarterly price negotiations toward multi-year agreements, which he believes will reduce the historical cyclicality of the stock, helping justify a higher multiple.

Note that SanDisk shares are not egregiously overvalued in 2026.

At a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of about “34” only, they’re actually cheaper to own than Nvidia at “43”.

SanDisk could hit $800 over the next 12 months

On Friday, the investment firm announced aggressive upward revisions to its long-term estimates.

Its senior expert Christopher Muse now expects SanDisk to earn $77 on a per-share basis this year, and lift it further to a remarkable $91 a share in 2027.

That’s nearly four times his expectation for next year ahead of the Q4 release.

All in all, the Cantor Fitzgerald analyst believes SNDK shares will hit “$800” by the end of 2026, indicating potential upside of more than 30% from here.

That said, the California-based company doesn’t currently pay a healthy dividend to attract income-focused investors.

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Europe enters the year in a state of strategic tension: resilient at home, uneasy abroad.

Businesses are still hiring and investing, but confidence is wobbling as global risks mount. From boardrooms rattled by trade threats to governments quietly redesigning defense and deterrence, the continent is adapting in real time.

Growth has surprised on the upside, yet security, trade, and geopolitics are reshaping priorities faster than economic models can keep up.

UK business confidence weakens amid global economic doubts

UK business confidence stumbled in January as executives turned increasingly pessimistic about the global economy.

Lloyds’ Business Barometer fell to +44% from +47% in December, driven by a sharp 14-point collapse in economic optimism to +28%, its lowest in a year.

The timing wasn’t coincidental: Trump’s tariff threats against Britain and European nations dominated the survey window (January 5-20), rattling boardrooms already unmoored by post-budget uncertainty.

The silver lining? Firms remain confident in their own operations, with trading prospects climbing to a three-month high of +59%.

Hiring intentions and wage expectations strengthened, too, signaling resilience at the ground level.

The contradiction reveals a UK economy caught between two realities: businesses adapting and investing locally while watching darkening skies globally.

Germany eyes European nuclear deterrent amid Trump uncertainty

Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed Thursday that Europe is beginning early-stage talks on a shared nuclear umbrella, not to replace the US arrangement, but to supplement it.

The move signals profound anxiety about Washington’s reliability under Trump, who’s rattled allies with Greenland acquisition rhetoric and tariff threats.

Germany itself remains legally barred from owning nukes under the 1990 and 1969 treaties, but Merz pivoted smartly: Germany can’t build warheads, but it can architect a European system with France and Britain’s arsenals.

The pivot matters because six of ten Germans now distrust the US nuclear deterrent, a seismic shift for a nation that built its post-WWII identity around Atlantic security.

Merz emphasized timing isn’t now, framing talks as long-term reflection rather than panic. But the subtext screams urgency: European strategic autonomy isn’t optional anymore, it’s existential.

Europe raids crisis fund vault for defense

Europe’s crisis kitty just got a second act.

Pierre Gramegna, head of the European Stability Mechanism, revealed Thursday that the 430 billion euro ($514 billion) emergency fund, originally designed to bail out failing economies during the 2008 debt crisis, could funnel money straight to defense.

The timing screams geopolitics: Baltic states are hemorrhaging cash on rearmament (Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia each doubled defense spending to 5% of GDP), while Trump’s threats toward Europe and uncertainty about US security guarantees force Brussels to scramble.

Gramegna cleverly positioned it as “precautionary credit lines” to avoid the stigma of ESM bailouts; smaller nations wouldn’t need to broadcast economic weakness to access funds.

The catch? All 21 eurozone members must approve, including neutral Austria and Cyprus.

It’s Europe’s defense moment, written in borrowed time and borrowed money.

Eurozone closes 2025 strong despite trade headwinds

The eurozone ended 2025 punching above its weight.

Quarterly growth hit 0.3% in Q4, above the 0.2% forecast, with full-year expansion reaching a robust 1.5%, crushing the European Commission’s 1.3% prediction.

Spain’s engine kept roaring: 0.8% quarterly growth, while Germany surprised upward at 0.3%, shattering skeptics’ recession narrative.

The bloc’s 350 million people absorbed US tariff threats, Chinese competition, and Ukraine’s war without buckling.

Households finally started spending after hoarding cash post-pandemic, while Germany’s defense and infrastructure spending boom won’t fully land until Q2, but promises cascade effects across European supplier networks.

The catch? Exports remain comatose as tariffs and the dollar’s collapse permanently rewired trade dynamics.

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