Nasdaq NVDA Nvidia

The SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF (QUS) was launched on 04/15/2015, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Large Cap Blend segment of the US equity market.

Adobe, IBM, Nvidia and five other firms have signed President Joe Biden's voluntary commitments governing artificial intelligence, which requires steps such as watermarking AI-generated content, the White House said.

Enfabrica, a Silicon Valley chip startup working on networking chips for artificial intelligence data centers, said on Tuesday that it has raised $125 million in venture capital, with Nvidia joining as a strategic investor.

Sept. 4 marked the silver anniversary of Google and its parent, Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG). The company was founded 25 years ago this month, ushering in a paradigm shift in the world of internet search. In a blog post last week, CEO Sundar Pichai marveled at the tech

ChatGPT's global takeover appears to have hit a bump. After months of rapid growth for the popular artificial-intelligence (AI)-based chatbot, monthly traffic actually declined for the first time ever in June and continued that slide in July.

In today's video, I discuss recent updates impacting various semiconductor companies. Check out the short video to learn more, consider subscribing, and click the special offer link below.

Wall Street has been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride since the start of 2020. Investors experienced the quickest bear market decline in history during the COVID-19 crash in 2020, as well as a period of unfettered exuberance in 2021, which sent all three major indexes to re

Shares of Tesla TSLA soared +10% on Monday primarily attributed to an upgrade from Morgan Stanley MS, who is bullish on the EV pioneer's AI capabilities raising their price target to $400 a share. 

The Invesco QQQ Trust ( NASDAQ:QQQ) and the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund ( NYSEARCA:XLK) are two of the biggest and best-known technology ETFs out there. They’ve also been two of the market’s best ETFs to own over the past decade. With the tech sector surging in 2023, both have posted excellent total returns in 2023 so far, with QQQ up 40.8% and XLK up 41.3%. So, what’s the difference between these top tech ETFs, and is one better than the other? What are QQQ and XLK’s Strategies? While these are both tech-centric ETFs, their investment universes are somewhat different. QQQ invests in the Nasdaq 100 Index, the largest 100 non-financial stocks in the Nasdaq ( NDX ). Meanwhile, XLK invests in the technology sector of the S&P 500 ( SPX ).  Below, we’ll discuss how this plays out in each fund’s holdings.  Comparison of Portfolios QQQ owns 101 stocks, and its top 10 holdings make up 48.4% of the index. Below, you’ll find an overview of QQQ’s top 10 holdings using TipRanks’ holdings tool. As you can see, QQQ gives investors exposure to the market’s top mega-cap tech stocks like Apple ( NASDAQ:AAPL ), Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ), Amazon ( NASDAQ:AMZN ), Nvidia ( NASDAQ:NVDA ), Meta Platforms ( NASDAQ:META ), Alphabet ( NASDAQ:GOOG ) ( NASDAQ:GOOGL ), and Tesla ( NASDAQ:TSLA ).  It’s also important to note that while the Nasdaq is a technology-heavy index, there are also plenty of non-technology companies that comprise the index, and several of these companies can be found just outside of QQQ’s top holdings. For example, Costco ( NASDAQ:COST ) and Pepsi ( NASDAQ:PEP ) are the fund’s 11th- and 12th-largest holdings, with weightings of approximately 2% each. This isn’t a bad thing, as these stocks have been phenomenal performers for years, but investors should simply be aware that there are some non-tech stocks here, even though "the Q’s" have become synonymous with technology for many investors.  XLK is slightly different. It focuses specifically on the technology sector of the S&P 500, so there are no non-tech stocks within its holdings. It’s also a bit more concentrated than QQQ -- it owns 65 stocks, and its top 10 holdings make up 69.2% of the fund. Below, you’ll find an overview of XLK’s top 10 holdings. As you can see, XLK has large positions in some of the same mega-cap tech stocks that QQQ owns, like its massive positions in Microsoft and Apple, which each have weightings of around 22% in the fund. However, look closely, and you’ll notice that many of the other mega-cap tech stocks that QQQ owns aren’t present here in the top 10, or at all, because XLK doesn’t own them.  Why not? Because the S&P index categorizes these stocks differently and does not include them within the technology sector. For example, Amazon and Tesla are classified as consumer discretionary companies, and they make up the largest positions for the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund ( NYSEARCA:XLY) . Meta Platforms and Alphabet are considered communications services and can be found in the Communications Services Select Sector SPDR Fund ( NYSEARCA:XLC) . With these tech behemoths not included in XLK, the fund has room for other large-cap tech stocks in its top 10 holdings, such as Adobe ( NASDAQ:ADBE ), Salesforce ( NYSE:CRM ) and Oracle ( NYSE:ORCL ).  One approach isn’t necessarily better than the other, but QQQ probably gives investors a larger and more comprehensive range of exposure to what many investors think of as ‘technology stocks’ (even though it also includes some non-tech stocks like Pepsi and Costco). XLK has a more narrow definition of tech stocks. It doesn’t include any non-tech stocks, but it’s also missing some of the household names that investors think of when they think of tech stocks. Ultimately, this is the key difference between these two ETFs. Both strategies yield portfolios with strong Smart Scores. The Smart Score is a proprietary quantitative stock scoring system created by TipRanks. It gives stocks a score from 1 to 10 based on eight market key factors. A score of 8 or above is equivalent to an Outperform rating. Seven of QQQ’s top 10 holdings feature Smart Scores of 8 or above, while eight of XLK’s top 10 holdings score 8 or better. Nevertheless, QQQ and XLK both have ETF Smart Scores of 8 out of 10. How Have QQQ and XLK Performed in the Long Term? Both ETFs have posted dazzling returns over the long term. As discussed above, both ETFs have returned over 40% in 2023 (as of the end of August). Over the past three years, QQQ’s annualized total return has been 9.3%. It has returned 16.0% over the past five years on an annualized basis and 18.6% over the past 10 years on an annualized basis. XLK has outperformed QQQ on a three-year basis, with a three-year annualized return of 13.4%. It has also beaten QQQ over the past five years, with an annualized return of 19.6%. Even over the past 10 years, it edges QQQ out with an excellent 20.5% annualized return.    Both ETFs have been top performers and have given their investors tremendous gains over the years, but XLK has outpaced QQQ over each of these time frames.  Expenses These are both very reasonably-priced ETFs. QQQ sports an expense ratio of 0.20%, while XLK is even cheaper at 0.10%. This means that an individual putting $10,000 into QQQ would pay $20 in fees during their first year of investing in the fund, while an individual allocating $10,000 into XLK would pay just $10 in fees. These are both favorable expense ratios for investors, but over the long run, the XLK investor would save a bit more money. Assuming that each fund returns 5% per year going forward and that the expense ratios stay where they are now, the QQQ investor would pay $255 in fees, while the XLK investor would pay $128 over the course of the decade.  Below, you’ll find a comparison of QQQ and XLK using TipRanks' ETF Comparison Tool, which enables investors to compare up to 20 ETFs at a time on factors like fees, performance, and more.  Is QQQ Stock a Buy, According to Analysts?  Turning to Wall Street, QQQ earns a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 84 Buys, 18 Holds, and no Sell ratings assigned in the past three months. The average QQQ stock price target of $432.87 implies 14.8% upside potential. Is XLK Stock a Buy, According to Analysts?  Turning to Wall Street, XLK earns a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 53 Buys, 14 Holds, and no Sell ratings assigned in the past three months. The average XLK stock price target of $197.70 implies 13.8% upside potential. Investor Takeaway  These are both top tech ETFs. XLK has slightly outperformed QQQ over the past 10 years and also offers investors a lower expense ratio. Additionally, it offers an exclusive focus on technology stocks. However, I also like QQQ’s more all-encompassing group of technology holdings, which gives investors exposure to leading tech stocks like Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Alphabet, which aren’t found in XLK. Both approaches have been fruitful over the years, and I find it hard to go wrong with either of these ETFs, and they both continue to look attractive over the long term.   Disclosure

Shares of data cloud company Snowflake ( NASDAQ:SNOW ) failed to launch following the firm's latest quarterly results. While the numbers were still impressive, investors seem to have been unenthused by the underrated artificial intelligence (AI) stock. Still, I think Snowflake's recent post-earnings stumble ought to be viewed as more of a buying opportunity than a signal that SNOW stock has hit a slippery slope. The Wall Street community maintains its "Strong Buy" rating on the stock for a reason. The company is serious about AI, and it's more than willing to spend money to improve its footing in the AI race over the coming years. For this reason, I remain incredibly bullish, just like the many analysts praising the name. Generative AI is Full of Potential, but Monetization is Key Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman isn't shying away from his firm's longer-term AI ambitions. In a recent sitdown with CNBC, Slootman acknowledged that spending on AI initiatives will not come cheap and that AI business models need to be established. I think Slootman is right on the money. On its own, new generative AI technologies are impressive, given their potential to transform entire businesses. However, monetization and solid business models may be vital to punching a ticket to the next leg of AI upside. As interest rates keep climbing, investors will want to see more than just promises of growth several years from now. Higher rates call for higher profitability in the foreseeable future. Indeed, the headwind of higher rates seems to be pulling investors from getting too euphoric when it comes to the market's top AI names -- perhaps with the exception of Nvidia ( NASDAQ:NVDA ). Though the term "AI bubble" may have floated around this year, I think we're far from any repeat of the events that unfolded during the dot-com bust days! Back then, promises, overly-euphoric growth assumptions, and a ".com" were enough reasons to buy a stock. These days, investors seem excited about what AI has to offer. However, we don't see "AI events" or new AI product launches acting as the needle movers as they used to be. Earlier this year, an AI event may have been enough to jolt a stock. Nowadays, it seems like every firm has an AI plan. As someone wise once put it, "If everyone has it, nobody has it." Back to Snowflake. Slootman remains "super confident" that it can sort things out as the company works hard to play the long game regarding AI. Impressive capabilities are one thing, but developing an effective business model on top of the technology is another. From AI Chips to Software and Infrastructure For now, it seems doubtful that Snowflake will perform as well as AI chip kingpin Nvidia did over the past year. It seems like every firm has stockpiled Nvidia chips due to a sense of scarcity, but how many firms overbought AI chips over the past year? It's hard to say, but it's not hard to imagine many firms may have bought a bit more than they need at this early phase in the AI boom. If there's a limited supply of a hot commodity, you can be sure that the risk of overbuying may be seen as far less than the risk of being caught empty-handed as competing firms bolster their AI hardware firepower. When it comes to the software side of the AI boom (think usage of Snowflake's Data Cloud), there's less sense of urgency at this juncture. As services are needed, though, Snowflake will be ready to aid its many clients as they look to build out their AI models. In that regard, Snowflake seems to be a terrific way for AI investors to play the long game. Eventually, firms will have more than enough AI hardware to meet their needs. From there, such firms will need to spread AI-related investments toward software and infrastructure. Such a scenario benefits firms like Snowflake and could pave the way for many years' worth of steady AI upside. Is SNOW Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? On TipRanks, SNOW stock comes in as a Strong Buy. Out of 30 analyst ratings, there are 25 Buys and five Holds. The  average Snowflake stock price target is $195.96, implying upside potential of 15.2%. Analyst price targets range from a low of $160.00 per share to a high of $235.00 per share. The Bottom Line on SNOW Stock The next phase of the AI boom may be less euphoric as firms go from "Look at the new AI products we have" to "Here's how we're going to monetize this technology." In this regard, Snowflake stands out above other firms with major skin in the AI game. Slootman is already looking at business models, which, I believe, suggests he's skating toward where the puck is going next in AI rather than where it is currently. For now, Snowflake stock is an underrated AI stock that I believe deserves its "Strong Buy" rating from the analyst community. Disclosure

Don’t look now, but the Dow has quietly put together a new three-day winning streak. All major indices closed in the green today, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq notching back-to-back up-days. The Dow gained 87 points on the sessi

The Nasdaq closed sharply higher on Monday as Tesla surged on optimism around artificial intelligence and investors awaited inflation data due later this week.

The Nasdaq closed sharply higher on Monday as Tesla surged on optimism around artificial intelligence and investors awaited inflation data due later this week.

Wall Street stocks rose on Monday, with the Nasdaq jumping over 1% as Tesla surged on optimism around artificial intelligence and investors awaited inflation data due later this week.

Bill Holdings BILL is transforming the financial landscape for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) by streamlining their financial operations through its latest Financial Operations Platform.This integrated platform comprises acco

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq were on course for their best day in two weeks on Monday as Tesla led gains in megacaps, while investors awaited inflation data due later this week for clues on the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest-rate path.

Several mega-cap technology stocks and suppliers to Apple (AAPL ) tumbled last week after the Chinese government banned iPhones from government-backed agencies and state companies, thereby threatening iPhone sales. Also, suppliers to Huawei Technologies came under pressure last week, with some U.S. lawmakers calling for a halt to all U.S....

What happened Shares of social networking powerhouse Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), owner of both Facebook and Instagram, jumped 2.1% through 10:25 a.m. ET Monday -- but for reasons entirely unrelated to social networking.

Salesforce ( NYSE:CRM ) seems to be doubling down to gain a better position in the AI race. That much was clear after the company's latest AI day, and though AI chip stocks have continued to hog most of the momentum in the AI universe, it may not take long before that AI wave hits the software scene. If it does, Salesforce could be one of the bigger beneficiaries, given its AI prowess and its ability to monetize its enterprise solutions. Though it's quite a stretch to compare Salesforce's AI upside potential to the likes of a pre-ChatGPT-era Nvidia ( NASDAQ:NVDA ), I believe that many investors and analysts may be discounting the company's potential to take the AI ball and run with it all the way to the endzone. Given this, I'm staying bullish on CRM stock, even as rates on the 10-Year Treasury Note reach 4.3%. Over the past few weeks and months, Salesforce stock has been steadily trending higher. Indeed, investors still seem upbeat on Salesforce stock after its recent Q2 earnings beat and promising growth drivers highlighted in the company's latest AI day. For now, enthusiasm seems to be enough to offset rate concerns that have been troubling some tech-focused investors. As the company moves from cost-cutting and driving efficiencies to "flooring it" on the front of AI innovations, CRM stock's all-time highs (of over $300 per share) may be within striking distance. AI Could Help Power Future Quarters Salesforce's latest round of numbers were quite impressive ( earnings per share of $2.12 vs. $1.90 consensus estimate). As the company continues to invest heavily in generative artificial intelligence (AI), we shouldn't be surprised if Marc Benioff's empire can one-up itself in the near future. With Salesforce’s annual Dreamforce event coming up tomorrow, investors should expect to learn even more about what the company has to offer on the front of AI. Though there's still quite a bit of AI-related upside priced in already, I'd pay more attention to commentary on how generative AI technologies can help bolster earnings growth. The company already hiked prices by 9% for the first time in seven years. Now, it needs to show the world that such hikes aren't just a response to inflation. The company's recent AI day shone a bright light on some pretty intriguing innovations. As the company continues doubling down on AI innovations ($20 billion to go into AI-related R&D), I believe the company will have the means to justify price hikes again at some point in the near future, especially if clients can't get enough of Salesforce’s AI Cloud, which was launched in June. Is CRM Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? On TipRanks, CRM stock comes in as a Moderate Buy. Out of 35 analyst ratings, there are 23 Buys, 11 Holds, and one Sell recommendation. The  average Salesforce stock price target is $253.48, implying upside potential of 13.2%. Goldman Sachs analyst Kash Rangan seems to be pounding the table on Salesforce stock with his Street-high price target of $340.00, which implies more than 51% upside from current prices. As a five-star analyst, according to TipRanks, Mr. Rangan has a pretty good track record. On a one-year time frame, his success rate stands at 60%, while his average return per rating is 8.9%. Why's Mr. Rangan so bullish? He's a fan of the firm's move into profitability and its ability to innovate organically and inorganically through acquisitions. One organic innovation Mr. Rangan highlighted was its real-time customer data platform Genie. As Salesforce tilts toward AI innovation, I think Mr. Rangan is right in that many analysts may need to re-rate CRM stock higher. The Bottom Line on Salesforce Stock Salesforce isn't a newcomer to the AI race. For those paying attention to the firm, Salesforce has been a big player in AI for quite some time with its Einstein AI technology. Post-ChatGPT, Salesforce seems to have doubled down. As a result, the firm stands out as one of the more impressive plays in AI software today. The company's latest quarter was great, with continued margin improvement (non-GAAP operating margins surged to 31.6%, up from last year's 19.9%), but future quarters have the potential to be magnificent if AI tech manages to hit the spot. Disclosure 

What you need to know… The S&P 500 Index ($SPX ) (SPY ) today is up +0.43%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI ) (DIA ) is up +0.23%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX ) (QQQ ) is up +0.58%. Stock indexes this morning are moderately higher. Strength in...