12 days ago
Cloudflare's Q2 beat and reaccelerating growth (36% revenue growth, 120% net dollar retention, record large customer adds) pushed NET stock to new highs, but the market has already paid up: NTM EV/Revenue sits at 35.17x, just below its all-time high of 36.30x and well above its roughly two-year average of 22.30x.
Free cash flow margin, the exact metric management points to as evidence of a credible path to GAAP profitability by 2028, has fallen for two straight quarters, from 14.55% in Q1 2026 to 9.71% in Q2 2026, even as severance and restructuring costs climbed toward $165 million for the year.
President Michelle Zatlyn, CFO Thomas Seifert, and director John Graham-Cumming all sold stock in August and September, Zatlyn alone disposing of roughly $44 million across two separate filings, while the company also raised $2.175 billion in convertible debt despite already holding $4.2 billion in cash.
Street consensus, which saw NET stock as 13% to 22% undervalued for most of late 2025 and early 2026, has now caught up: the mean ****** yst target of $336.81 sits just 4% above the September 18 close of $323.60, a far thinner cushion than investors had earlier in the rally.
Cloudflare's second quarter gave bulls plenty to like. Revenue grew 36% year over year to $696.1 million, beating the $665.5 million ****** yst estimate. The company added a record 986 large customers over the trailing year and net dollar retention accelerated to 120%, up six points from a year earlier. Management used that momentum to lean harder into its Act 4 story, the plan to turn Cloudflare's network into infrastructure for agentic commerce through products like Monetization Gateway, Wallets, and cloudflare.pay.
#revenue #dollar
Free cash flow margin, the exact metric management points to as evidence of a credible path to GAAP profitability by 2028, has fallen for two straight quarters, from 14.55% in Q1 2026 to 9.71% in Q2 2026, even as severance and restructuring costs climbed toward $165 million for the year.
President Michelle Zatlyn, CFO Thomas Seifert, and director John Graham-Cumming all sold stock in August and September, Zatlyn alone disposing of roughly $44 million across two separate filings, while the company also raised $2.175 billion in convertible debt despite already holding $4.2 billion in cash.
Street consensus, which saw NET stock as 13% to 22% undervalued for most of late 2025 and early 2026, has now caught up: the mean ****** yst target of $336.81 sits just 4% above the September 18 close of $323.60, a far thinner cushion than investors had earlier in the rally.
Cloudflare's second quarter gave bulls plenty to like. Revenue grew 36% year over year to $696.1 million, beating the $665.5 million ****** yst estimate. The company added a record 986 large customers over the trailing year and net dollar retention accelerated to 120%, up six points from a year earlier. Management used that momentum to lean harder into its Act 4 story, the plan to turn Cloudflare's network into infrastructure for agentic commerce through products like Monetization Gateway, Wallets, and cloudflare.pay.
#revenue #dollar
14 days ago
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Visa and Mastercard ATM cash withdrawals spanning roughly 19 years are part of a class-action lawsuit settlement totaling $167.5 million.
The case, known as Burke v. Visa Inc., involves independent ATMs often found in convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, hotels, and bars — non-bank locations that often levy surcharges on cash withdrawals.
Here's who is eligible for a cash payment as part of the settlement.
Read more: Just received a settlement? 5 smart ways to use the money.
#Visa #part #stores #mastercard
Visa and Mastercard ATM cash withdrawals spanning roughly 19 years are part of a class-action lawsuit settlement totaling $167.5 million.
The case, known as Burke v. Visa Inc., involves independent ATMs often found in convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores, hotels, and bars — non-bank locations that often levy surcharges on cash withdrawals.
Here's who is eligible for a cash payment as part of the settlement.
Read more: Just received a settlement? 5 smart ways to use the money.
#Visa #part #stores #mastercard
27 days ago
When people talk about shoplifting and organized retail crime (ORC), they tend to focus on the bottom-line impact on businesses. That makes sense because the numbers aren't small, according to the National Retail Federation's (NRF) The Impact of Theft & Violence 2026 report.
"The 2026 report demonstrates a concerning shift as criminals move beyond traditional shoplifting to more sophisticated external theft schemes, with retailers reporting higher rates of repeat offenders (50%), ORC-related incidents (40%), and walkout or pushout theft (37%). Fraud is also rising, with phone scams (69%), loyalty fraud (51%) and gift card theft or fraud (42%) increasing," the data showed.
The NRF, however, does not focus on how theft and thieves impact frontline retail workers.
A new report from HALOS, a bodycam company used by retailers like Walmart, Target, Kroger, TJ Maxx, H&M, and Aldi, shows that it does, and that the impact is quite severe.
"Two-thirds of frontline workers have experienced customer aggression acutely enough that they've considered leaving their job," according to HALOS' study of 2,500 frontline employees.
#according
"The 2026 report demonstrates a concerning shift as criminals move beyond traditional shoplifting to more sophisticated external theft schemes, with retailers reporting higher rates of repeat offenders (50%), ORC-related incidents (40%), and walkout or pushout theft (37%). Fraud is also rising, with phone scams (69%), loyalty fraud (51%) and gift card theft or fraud (42%) increasing," the data showed.
The NRF, however, does not focus on how theft and thieves impact frontline retail workers.
A new report from HALOS, a bodycam company used by retailers like Walmart, Target, Kroger, TJ Maxx, H&M, and Aldi, shows that it does, and that the impact is quite severe.
"Two-thirds of frontline workers have experienced customer aggression acutely enough that they've considered leaving their job," according to HALOS' study of 2,500 frontline employees.
#according
29 days ago
Fervo Energy (NASDAQ:FRVO) soared by 28.41 percent on Tuesday to close at $19.75 apiece after bagging home a new power purchase agreement (PPA) with Google to support the development of its data center facility in Utah.
Under the agreement, the energy company will deliver 396 megawatts of power to Google from its Cape Station project to serve as a foundational building block for the technology giant's future data center.
The first phase of the project has already advanced toward commercial operations, while the second phase is currently underway. Eight GeoBlocks are slated to come online in 2028.
Photo from Fervo Energy
Additionally, Google will have the option to expand its offtake by another 600 MW, which would bring its overall contracted capacity to around 1 GW by 2030.
#energy #data #phase
Under the agreement, the energy company will deliver 396 megawatts of power to Google from its Cape Station project to serve as a foundational building block for the technology giant's future data center.
The first phase of the project has already advanced toward commercial operations, while the second phase is currently underway. Eight GeoBlocks are slated to come online in 2028.
Photo from Fervo Energy
Additionally, Google will have the option to expand its offtake by another 600 MW, which would bring its overall contracted capacity to around 1 GW by 2030.
#energy #data #phase
1 month ago
Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
Airbnb doesn't have its own credit card, but you can use certain rewards credit cards to help cover your Airbnb expenses or earn more on your stays. This could help you save money if you're a frequent Airbnb guest.
Why we like it: The Capital One Venture Rewards lets you redeem miles toward past travel purchases, often including Airbnb stays. This allows you to completely cover your Airbnb purchase using credit card rewards, which isn't an option on every rewards card.
Read our full Capital One Venture Rewards review
Why we like it: The Chase Sapphire Preferred provides 2x points on eligible Airbnb purchases, and it's easy to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for Airbnb stays. You can redeem rewards for Airbnb gift cards, statement credits to cover your balance after paying for a stay, or deposits into an eligible bank account.
#rewards #card #venture
Airbnb doesn't have its own credit card, but you can use certain rewards credit cards to help cover your Airbnb expenses or earn more on your stays. This could help you save money if you're a frequent Airbnb guest.
Why we like it: The Capital One Venture Rewards lets you redeem miles toward past travel purchases, often including Airbnb stays. This allows you to completely cover your Airbnb purchase using credit card rewards, which isn't an option on every rewards card.
Read our full Capital One Venture Rewards review
Why we like it: The Chase Sapphire Preferred provides 2x points on eligible Airbnb purchases, and it's easy to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for Airbnb stays. You can redeem rewards for Airbnb gift cards, statement credits to cover your balance after paying for a stay, or deposits into an eligible bank account.
#rewards #card #venture
1 month ago
Our ******* ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
July's inflation report ran a touch hotter than Wall Street wanted, but Wall Street really only has itself to blame.
Gas got cheaper, down 2.7%. Furniture and appliances got cheaper, off 0.9%. Goods overall fell 0.1% in a month when tariffs of up to 50% were already running on autos, steel, and aluminum, which is a genuinely impressive act of price restraint. The American consumer did his part.
The line that ran hot was financial services and insurance, up 1.2% and the biggest single mover in the entire report. Cutting through the economist word soup, your advisor bills you a percentage of whatever you have parked with them, so when stocks went up in July, the pile got bigger, meaning your fees got bigger in dollar terms. On a purely statistical basis, the Bureau of Economic ******* ysis saw the S&P having a nice month and filed it under cost of living. It seems bizarre on its face, but it's also logically defensible as all that money really did leave real people's accounts. The BEA is rewriting the methodology on September 30 anyway, and it is worth noticing who benefits from a version of the index where Wall Street's take no longer counts.
Everything else behaved. Core inflation, the number the Fed actually steers by, came in exactly where the Street expected. Income rose 0.4% against spending of 0.2%, so households earned more and sat on the difference, which squares with Tuesday's confidence report showing people feel okay about this month and grim about next year.
#wall #street #next #NVIDIA
July's inflation report ran a touch hotter than Wall Street wanted, but Wall Street really only has itself to blame.
Gas got cheaper, down 2.7%. Furniture and appliances got cheaper, off 0.9%. Goods overall fell 0.1% in a month when tariffs of up to 50% were already running on autos, steel, and aluminum, which is a genuinely impressive act of price restraint. The American consumer did his part.
The line that ran hot was financial services and insurance, up 1.2% and the biggest single mover in the entire report. Cutting through the economist word soup, your advisor bills you a percentage of whatever you have parked with them, so when stocks went up in July, the pile got bigger, meaning your fees got bigger in dollar terms. On a purely statistical basis, the Bureau of Economic ******* ysis saw the S&P having a nice month and filed it under cost of living. It seems bizarre on its face, but it's also logically defensible as all that money really did leave real people's accounts. The BEA is rewriting the methodology on September 30 anyway, and it is worth noticing who benefits from a version of the index where Wall Street's take no longer counts.
Everything else behaved. Core inflation, the number the Fed actually steers by, came in exactly where the Street expected. Income rose 0.4% against spending of 0.2%, so households earned more and sat on the difference, which squares with Tuesday's confidence report showing people feel okay about this month and grim about next year.
#wall #street #next #NVIDIA
1 month ago
Microsoft (MSFT) cut a $6.8 billion dividend check in fiscal year 2026 while spending $116 billion on AI capex, an amount 4.5 times greater.
Applied Materials (AMAT) led the other 25 ex-dividend companies that same day at $421 million, less than 7% of Microsoft's single-day payout.
Amy Hood committed to staying free cash flow positive in FY2027 even as capex could reach $175 billion, with Azure already crossing $100 billion in annual revenue.
Act now: the ***** yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Microsoft didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) went ex-dividend on August 20, 2026 at $0.91 a share, cutting a check to holders of record for $6,757,245,950, payable September 10, 2026. That single distribution was the largest of the 26 companies going ex-dividend that day, and it dwarfed the runner-up: Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) at $420,798,270. Marriott (NASDAQ:MAR), SBA Communications (NASDAQ:SBAC), and LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) also went ex-dividend the same day, but none came close to Microsoft's scale.
#Microsoft #billion #amat
Applied Materials (AMAT) led the other 25 ex-dividend companies that same day at $421 million, less than 7% of Microsoft's single-day payout.
Amy Hood committed to staying free cash flow positive in FY2027 even as capex could reach $175 billion, with Azure already crossing $100 billion in annual revenue.
Act now: the ***** yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Microsoft didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) went ex-dividend on August 20, 2026 at $0.91 a share, cutting a check to holders of record for $6,757,245,950, payable September 10, 2026. That single distribution was the largest of the 26 companies going ex-dividend that day, and it dwarfed the runner-up: Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) at $420,798,270. Marriott (NASDAQ:MAR), SBA Communications (NASDAQ:SBAC), and LKQ (NASDAQ:LKQ) also went ex-dividend the same day, but none came close to Microsoft's scale.
#Microsoft #billion #amat
1 month ago
Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
Gemini is a crypto exchange that built its reputation on the idea of keeping your crypto safe and staying on the right side of regulators. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the twins behind it, launched the exchange in 2014 and still run it out of New York under strict state banking rules.
That focus shapes the whole product. You can buy, sell, and hold crypto in all 50 states through a simple screen built for beginners or through ActiveTrader, a full platform with live charts and an order book. The exchange offers bank-grade oversight and insurance on your cash and a portion of your crypto.
However, the coverage and features you get carry a cost. Basic trades run pricier here than on some of its major rivals, and the coin list it offers runs short.
So, who is Gemini actually right for? Here is what we found when we dug into the fees, the features, and the fine print.
#here #built
Gemini is a crypto exchange that built its reputation on the idea of keeping your crypto safe and staying on the right side of regulators. Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, the twins behind it, launched the exchange in 2014 and still run it out of New York under strict state banking rules.
That focus shapes the whole product. You can buy, sell, and hold crypto in all 50 states through a simple screen built for beginners or through ActiveTrader, a full platform with live charts and an order book. The exchange offers bank-grade oversight and insurance on your cash and a portion of your crypto.
However, the coverage and features you get carry a cost. Basic trades run pricier here than on some of its major rivals, and the coin list it offers runs short.
So, who is Gemini actually right for? Here is what we found when we dug into the fees, the features, and the fine print.
#here #built
1 month ago
Interested in OBOOK Holdings Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better.
OwlTing is shifting toward commercializing OwlPay, its stablecoin-enabled cross-border settlement platform. The company has approximately 80 signed enterprise relationships, but many remain in sales, integration or onboarding rather than generating production volume.
Management is targeting more than $1 billion in ******* ulative OwlPay payment volume in 2026, while emphasizing enterprise trade, treasury and liquidity-management flows. Visa Direct activity is expected to begin in the fourth quarter, with further expansion planned across ******* an, Taiwan and other regional markets.
First-half revenue was broadly flat at $3.87 million, while net loss widened to $18.82 million, partly due to $10.4 million in non-cash share-based compensation and $2.5 million in finance costs. The company ended June with $10.19 million in cash and cash equivalents and $1.67 million in restricted cash.
OBOOK (NASDAQ:OWLS), which operates under the OwlTing Group brand, said its first-half 2026 results reflected a transition from building stablecoin-enabled payments infrastructure to commercializing its OwlPay cross-border settlement platform.
#owlpay #owlting #commercializing
OwlTing is shifting toward commercializing OwlPay, its stablecoin-enabled cross-border settlement platform. The company has approximately 80 signed enterprise relationships, but many remain in sales, integration or onboarding rather than generating production volume.
Management is targeting more than $1 billion in ******* ulative OwlPay payment volume in 2026, while emphasizing enterprise trade, treasury and liquidity-management flows. Visa Direct activity is expected to begin in the fourth quarter, with further expansion planned across ******* an, Taiwan and other regional markets.
First-half revenue was broadly flat at $3.87 million, while net loss widened to $18.82 million, partly due to $10.4 million in non-cash share-based compensation and $2.5 million in finance costs. The company ended June with $10.19 million in cash and cash equivalents and $1.67 million in restricted cash.
OBOOK (NASDAQ:OWLS), which operates under the OwlTing Group brand, said its first-half 2026 results reflected a transition from building stablecoin-enabled payments infrastructure to commercializing its OwlPay cross-border settlement platform.
#owlpay #owlting #commercializing
1 month ago
Some offers on this page are from advertisers who pay us, which may affect which products we write about, but not our recommendations. See our Advertiser Disclosure.
Silver (SI=F) September futures opened at $63.43 per ounce on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, down 1% from Tuesday's closing price. The silver price moved higher this morning, reaching $65 as of 8:55 a.m. ET.
Despite signs of strength Wednesday morning, the silver price is down about 9% for the year — after spiking in late January and then dipping into negative territory in March. Catalysts have included ongoing tensions in the Middle East and higher rate hike expectations. While the war in Iran is ongoing, the interest-rate outlook has improved. Silver has not meaningfully appreciated, however.
The metal's industrial applications add complexity to its price drivers relative to gold. As a result, silver tends to be far more volatile. The current gold-to-silver ratio near 68 is in line with the long-term average range of 50 and 80.
The opening price of silver futures on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, was 1% lower compared to Tuesday's closing price. Here's how today's opening silver price has changed versus last week, month, and year:
#silver #closing
Silver (SI=F) September futures opened at $63.43 per ounce on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, down 1% from Tuesday's closing price. The silver price moved higher this morning, reaching $65 as of 8:55 a.m. ET.
Despite signs of strength Wednesday morning, the silver price is down about 9% for the year — after spiking in late January and then dipping into negative territory in March. Catalysts have included ongoing tensions in the Middle East and higher rate hike expectations. While the war in Iran is ongoing, the interest-rate outlook has improved. Silver has not meaningfully appreciated, however.
The metal's industrial applications add complexity to its price drivers relative to gold. As a result, silver tends to be far more volatile. The current gold-to-silver ratio near 68 is in line with the long-term average range of 50 and 80.
The opening price of silver futures on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, was 1% lower compared to Tuesday's closing price. Here's how today's opening silver price has changed versus last week, month, and year:
#silver #closing
1 month ago
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Vice President of Investor Relations and Treasury - Ryan Dale Cieslak
President and Chief Executive Officer - Neil A. Schrimsher
Chief Financial Officer - David K. Wells
#chief #motley #relations #treasury
Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Vice President of Investor Relations and Treasury - Ryan Dale Cieslak
President and Chief Executive Officer - Neil A. Schrimsher
Chief Financial Officer - David K. Wells
#chief #motley #relations #treasury
2 months ago
Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.
Buying a home has long been one of the primary ways Americans build wealth, but owning a home also comes with a long list of expenses that don't show up in the purchase price. Economist Peter Schiff argues those costs can make a house a much worse investment than many people ****** ume.
During an appearance on Graham Stephan and Jack Selby's The Iced Coffee Hour Podcast, Schiff was asked about the common belief that, for many, a house represents their primary means of saving (1).
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
JPMorgan still sees gold hitting $5,000/oz by Q4 — and savvy investors are protecting their wealth with a tax-advantaged Gold IRA. Learn more with a free guide from Priority Gold
#wealth #home #ways #build
Buying a home has long been one of the primary ways Americans build wealth, but owning a home also comes with a long list of expenses that don't show up in the purchase price. Economist Peter Schiff argues those costs can make a house a much worse investment than many people ****** ume.
During an appearance on Graham Stephan and Jack Selby's The Iced Coffee Hour Podcast, Schiff was asked about the common belief that, for many, a house represents their primary means of saving (1).
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
JPMorgan still sees gold hitting $5,000/oz by Q4 — and savvy investors are protecting their wealth with a tax-advantaged Gold IRA. Learn more with a free guide from Priority Gold
#wealth #home #ways #build
2 months ago
On August 5, 2026, AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ:APP) announced its second-quarter results, highlighting revenue that grew by 53% to $1.92 billion. The adjusted EBITDA rose 58% to $1.61 billion at an 84% margin, while the net income reached $1.27 billion. AppLovin also confirmed that the SEC had ended its inquiry, which was initiated in October 2025, with no action. But the stock fell anyway. APP is now down about 53% year-to-date and approximately 31% in the past month. Bank of America, on August 11, cut its rating on the stock from Buy to Neutral. Beyond the federal probe clearance and the 53% growth in revenue, something has happened; something that upsets the market.
Though the revenue was positive, it came in below consensus by under 1%. This is the first guidance-midpoint miss since AppLovin's 2021 IPO – a rounding error erased almost $40 billion in market value after CEO Adam Foroughi explained it. He noted that model improvements were lighter than normal during the quarter, with the next step-up landing right after it ended. The stock's downgrade to a Neutral rating at BofA, a week past the quarterly results, came with a related angle. The firm began by noting that the risks surrounding the company's 30% year-over-year long-term revenue growth forecast have increased. BofA's ***** yst further argued that engineer-led tuning of gaming models now appears to be the main driver of quarterly growth and remains unsure whether the company can continue producing another 3–5% improvement every quarter purely by self-learning. So, the question arises – is AXON, the company's AI-driven advertising engine, really a compounding flywheel?
The answer is much of the valuation. A self-improving engine earns a premium multiple because growth arrives on its own and compounds. When such sequential growth stops, it affects the stock's premium narrative. Foroughi's explanation raises questions about how consistently AppLovin can deliver sequential growth when some gains depend on the timing of engineer-led model upgrades. It shows how heavily a quarter relies on when a discrete upgrade lands — the sensitivity of the tiny less-than-1% miss. Repricing is based on the durability of the growth, rather than on the quarter's performance.
AppLovin has grown 53% at an 84% margin and bought back $551 million of stock in the quarter. The company has also guided third-quarter revenue to $2.06–$2.09 billion and is pushing AXON into e-commerce. After the collapse it trades near 22 to 26 times forward earnings. Compared to its former multiple, this is only a fraction. Short interest remains moderately low at 4.13%. The number of hedge funds holding the stock has declined from 108 in Q4 2025 to 91 in Q1 2026, according to the Insider Monkey database. Despite the fall, the number indicates a significant institutional interest in the stock.
#year
Though the revenue was positive, it came in below consensus by under 1%. This is the first guidance-midpoint miss since AppLovin's 2021 IPO – a rounding error erased almost $40 billion in market value after CEO Adam Foroughi explained it. He noted that model improvements were lighter than normal during the quarter, with the next step-up landing right after it ended. The stock's downgrade to a Neutral rating at BofA, a week past the quarterly results, came with a related angle. The firm began by noting that the risks surrounding the company's 30% year-over-year long-term revenue growth forecast have increased. BofA's ***** yst further argued that engineer-led tuning of gaming models now appears to be the main driver of quarterly growth and remains unsure whether the company can continue producing another 3–5% improvement every quarter purely by self-learning. So, the question arises – is AXON, the company's AI-driven advertising engine, really a compounding flywheel?
The answer is much of the valuation. A self-improving engine earns a premium multiple because growth arrives on its own and compounds. When such sequential growth stops, it affects the stock's premium narrative. Foroughi's explanation raises questions about how consistently AppLovin can deliver sequential growth when some gains depend on the timing of engineer-led model upgrades. It shows how heavily a quarter relies on when a discrete upgrade lands — the sensitivity of the tiny less-than-1% miss. Repricing is based on the durability of the growth, rather than on the quarter's performance.
AppLovin has grown 53% at an 84% margin and bought back $551 million of stock in the quarter. The company has also guided third-quarter revenue to $2.06–$2.09 billion and is pushing AXON into e-commerce. After the collapse it trades near 22 to 26 times forward earnings. Compared to its former multiple, this is only a fraction. Short interest remains moderately low at 4.13%. The number of hedge funds holding the stock has declined from 108 in Q4 2025 to 91 in Q1 2026, according to the Insider Monkey database. Despite the fall, the number indicates a significant institutional interest in the stock.
#year