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Wall Street closed sharply higher on Monday as investors awaited key inflation data, which is likely to give a fair idea of the stance the Fed will adopt for future interest rate hikes. Also, Treasury yields slipped on Tuesday that sent tech stocks on a rally. All three m

U.S. stock indexes were set for a muted open on Tuesday after data showed consumer prices accelerated in January but the pace of annual increase slowed, likely keeping the Federal Reserve on a path of moderate interest rate hikes.

U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Tuesday ahead of January consumer inflation data that could offer investors further clues on how long the Federal Reserve will stick to its hawkish monetary policy.

Alphabet's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Google search engine has dominated the competition. In fact, in 2021 the top search term on the Bing search engine, owned by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), was "google."

Some of Wall Street's most speculative names, including meme stocks and shares of artificial intelligence companies, are leading the equity market rally this year, helped by renewed interest from retail investors.

Some of Wall Street's most speculative names, including meme stocks and shares of artificial intelligence companies, are leading the equity market rally this year, helped by renewed interest from retail investors.

The video-streaming industry made countless headlines last year after many companies suffered steep stock declines. Increased competition and macroeconomic headwinds created a challenging environment for expansion. As a result, market leaders Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), Disney, and W

Cloudflare (NYSE: NET) had a terrible run on the stock market in 2022 amid the broader sell-off as investors were shunning high-growth companies amid rising interest rates and surging inflation, but the picture has changed in recent months thanks to favorable economic data points

Warren Buffett is undoubtedly one of the most successful investors in history. With a fortune exceeding $100 billion, he currently ranks fifth on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. For that reason, many investors track Buffett's portfolio by monitoring the Forms 13F Berkshire Hath

Artificial intelligence stocks are having their moment, or, more accurately, another moment, following the public success of ChatGPT in recent months. This is leading to a lot of chasing the "next big thing," which often leads to losses. Instead of chasing some speculative invest

Amazon’s stock (NASDAQ: AMZN) has gained roughly 17% YTD as compared to a 6% increase in the S&P500 index over the same period. However, at its current price of $98, the stock is trading 27% below its fair value of $134 – Trefis’ estimate for Amazo

What happened Shares of Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), which have been in recovery mode so far this year following a dismal 2022 for tech stocks, received another boost on Monday. The tech stock rose by almost 2% on the day, edging past the 1.1% gain of the bellwether S&P 500 index. I

What happened On Monday, two fresh analyst takes on Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) made the stock a winner. The storied tech-company's share price climbed 3.1% higher, nearly three times the percentage gain of the S&P 500 index on the day.

Artificial intelligence, -- specifically, ChatGPT -- has captured the imagination of investors and the general public in a way that no new technological innovation has since the launch of the iPhone. The AI-powered chatbot was only released on November 30th, 2022, but it's already shaking up business models and reshaping entire industries. For instance, shares of beleaguered Buzzfeed ( NASDAQ:BZFD )  soared on the mere mention that the company would use tools from ChatGPT parent company OpenAI to generate content. Meanwhile, Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) announcing that its Bing search engine will incorporate answers from ChatGPT gave it a new weapon in its quest to chip away at Alphabet's ( NASDAQ:GOOGL ) longtime dominance in search. Impressively, ChatGPT has already passed the bar exam, and schools are scrambling to prevent students from using ChatGPT to complete essay assignments. Many investors are understandably eager to invest in this type of game-changing technology. Unfortunately, ChatGPT creator OpenAI is off-limits to the average investor because it is a private company. However, companies like Alphabet and Baidu ( NASDAQ:BIDU ) are developing their own consumer-facing AI offerings, and Tesla ( NASDAQ:TSLA ) is pioneering self-driving cars while semiconductor companies are providing the computing power that powers the space.  Rather than picking individual winners and losers, investors can gain broad-based exposure to the theme of artificial intelligence with ETFs. Here are two of the best ETFs for gaining exposure to the growth of artificial intelligence, like ChatGPT. 1. ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF ( ARKQ) Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest is no stranger to disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence. The ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF is an ETF that specifically focuses on the space. Regarding  ARKQ's top holdings, Tesla, which utilizes AI in autonomous driving, comes in at number one (14.2% weighting). UiPath ( NYSE:PATH ), known for using AI to create automated workflows, is also a top holding (6.9% weighting). Additionally, investors may be surprised to see names like Deere ( NYSE:DE ) in this fund because Deere is more associated with tractors than technology. However, it’s important to remember that Deere is incorporating AI into its agricultural equipment. Deere has been investing in AI and robotics for years and now has fully-autonomous tractors. Another holding, Kratos Defense ( NASDAQ:KTOS ) (7.1% weighting), is a defense contractor that makes unmanned systems. The fund is fairly concentrated, with just 38 holdings. The top 10 positions make up 64% of the total fund. ARKQ ETF has $949 million in assets under management. It has a neutral Smart Score of 7, and the consensus is that ARKQ is a Hold. The average price target for ARKQ stock is $58.38, which is a 18.5% premium from current levels. ARKQ posted a phenomenal return of 106.7% in 2020 and tacked on another 2.7% in 2021. However, the ETF fell 46.7% in 2022 as investor sentiment towards the technology sector soured thanks to rising inflation and higher interest rates. Perhaps unsurprisingly, thanks to the surge in investor interest in artificial intelligence, ARKQ is up nearly 22% year-to-date.  Overall, ARKQ looks like a useful tool for investors interested in gaining broad-based exposure to artificial intelligence as a whole, whether it's a quintessential tech stock like UiPath or an ag-tech company incorporating AI into its products like Deere. 2. VanEck Semiconductor ETF ( NASDAQ:SMH) My other pick for exposure to ChatGPT isn’t an artificial intelligence ETF but rather the VanEck Semiconductor ETF. Why? Because semiconductors are the picks and shovels that will power the AI revolution, and this ETF gives you exposure to the industry. All three of  SMH's top holdings have significant AI exposure.  Taiwan Semiconductor ( NYSE:TSM ) is the fund’s largest holding, having an 11.57% weighting. Taiwan Semiconductor makes the world’s smallest and most advanced chips. These chips are crucial to semiconductor companies that serve the AI market, such as Nvidia ( NASDAQ:NVDA ) and Advanced Micro Devices ( NASDAQ:AMD ), which are the fund’s second and third-largest holdings. Nvidia is making its own language learning models (like the ones that ChatGPT was trained on) and collaborating with Microsoft on a supercomputer to handle AI workloads. Also, AMD is in the middle of developing several AI projects of its own. SMH even incorporates stocks like Lam Research ( NASDAQ:LRCX ) and ASML Holdings ( NASDAQ:ASML ). These companies provide and service the high-end equipment that semiconductor makers need to make chips.  Like ARKQ, the Van Eck Semiconductor ETF is relatively concentrated, holding just 26 positions. The top two holdings, Taiwan Semiconductor and Nvidia, make up about 22% of the fund. The top 10 positions account for 59.4% of the fund's assets. SMH is a large ETF with $7.7 billion in assets under management. SMH has a Smart Score of 8, giving it an outperform rating. Further, the consensus is that SMH is a Moderate Buy, and the average SMH stock price target of $267.16 indicates 7.9% upside potential from here. Lastly, blogger sentiment is bullish, and the hedge fund trend is positive. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF posted an impressive 55% gain in 2020 and followed it up with a 42% gain in 2021. However, it plummeted 33% in 2022 as investors worried about an oversupply of semiconductors and a slowing economy. Like ARKQ, SMH has rebounded strongly so far in 2023, with a 23% year-to-date gain. The Takeaway After a challenging 2022 for tech stocks, excitement over generative AI has breathed new life into the tech sector. The pace at which technologies like ChatGPT have hit critical mass has been incredible. The ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF is a great way to gain exposure to artificial intelligence in all its forms. This includes both self-driving cars like Tesla and companies that are incorporating AI into AgTech like Deere. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF is not strictly focused on AI, but semiconductors are the fuel that will feed the AI fire. SMH stock is a great way to get exposure to the space. The top three holdings, Taiwan Semiconductor, Nvidia, and Advanced Micro Devices, will all be crucial to the growth of AI. Taking all this in, both ETFs look like sensible ways to gain exposure to the new technological age that ChatGPT is ushering in. Disclosure

Artificial intelligence, -- specifically, ChatGPT -- has captured the imagination of investors and the general public in a way that no new technological innovation has since the launch of the iPhone. The AI-powered chatbot was only released on November 30th, 2022, but it's already shaking up business models and reshaping entire industries. For instance, shares of beleaguered Buzzfeed ( NASDAQ:BZFD )  soared on the mere mention that the company would use tools from ChatGPT parent company OpenAI to generate content. Meanwhile, Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) announcing that its Bing search engine will incorporate answers from ChatGPT gave it a new weapon in its quest to chip away at Alphabet's ( NASDAQ:GOOGL ) longtime dominance in search. Impressively, ChatGPT has already passed the bar exam, and schools are scrambling to prevent students from using ChatGPT to complete essay assignments. Many investors are understandably eager to invest in this type of game-changing technology. Unfortunately, ChatGPT creator OpenAI is off-limits to the average investor because it is a private company. However, companies like Alphabet and Baidu ( NASDAQ:BIDU ) are developing their own consumer-facing AI offerings, and Tesla ( NASDAQ:TSLA ) is pioneering self-driving cars while semiconductor companies are providing the computing power that powers the space.  Rather than picking individual winners and losers, investors can gain broad-based exposure to the theme of artificial intelligence with ETFs. Here are two of the best ETFs for gaining exposure to the growth of artificial intelligence, like ChatGPT. 1. ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF ( ARKQ) Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest is no stranger to disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence. The ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF is an ETF that specifically focuses on the space. Regarding  ARKQ's top holdings, Tesla, which utilizes AI in autonomous driving, comes in at number one (14.2% weighting). UiPath ( NYSE:PATH ), known for using AI to create automated workflows, is also a top holding (6.9% weighting). Additionally, investors may be surprised to see names like Deere ( NYSE:DE ) in this fund because Deere is more associated with tractors than technology. However, it’s important to remember that Deere is incorporating AI into its agricultural equipment. Deere has been investing in AI and robotics for years and now has fully-autonomous tractors. Another holding, Kratos Defense ( NASDAQ:KTOS ) (7.1% weighting), is a defense contractor that makes unmanned systems. The fund is fairly concentrated, with just 38 holdings. The top 10 positions make up 64% of the total fund. ARKQ ETF has $949 million in assets under management. It has a neutral Smart Score of 7, and the consensus is that ARKQ is a Hold. The average price target for ARKQ stock is $58.38, which is a 18.5% premium from current levels. ARKQ posted a phenomenal return of 106.7% in 2020 and tacked on another 2.7% in 2021. However, the ETF fell 46.7% in 2022 as investor sentiment towards the technology sector soured thanks to rising inflation and higher interest rates. Perhaps unsurprisingly, thanks to the surge in investor interest in artificial intelligence, ARKQ is up nearly 22% year-to-date.  Overall, ARKQ looks like a useful tool for investors interested in gaining broad-based exposure to artificial intelligence as a whole, whether it's a quintessential tech stock like UiPath or an ag-tech company incorporating AI into its products like Deere. 2. VanEck Semiconductor ETF ( NASDAQ:SMH) My other pick for exposure to ChatGPT isn’t an artificial intelligence ETF but rather the VanEck Semiconductor ETF. Why? Because semiconductors are the picks and shovels that will power the AI revolution, and this ETF gives you exposure to the industry. All three of  SMH's top holdings have significant AI exposure.  Taiwan Semiconductor ( NYSE:TSM ) is the fund’s largest holding, having an 11.57% weighting. Taiwan Semiconductor makes the world’s smallest and most advanced chips. These chips are crucial to semiconductor companies that serve the AI market, such as Nvidia ( NASDAQ:NVDA ) and Advanced Micro Devices ( NASDAQ:AMD ), which are the fund’s second and third-largest holdings. Nvidia is making its own language learning models (like the ones that ChatGPT was trained on) and collaborating with Microsoft on a supercomputer to handle AI workloads. Also, AMD is in the middle of developing several AI projects of its own. SMH even incorporates stocks like Lam Research ( NASDAQ:LRCX ) and ASML Holdings ( NASDAQ:ASML ). These companies provide and service the high-end equipment that semiconductor makers need to make chips.  Like ARKQ, the Van Eck Semiconductor ETF is relatively concentrated, holding just 26 positions. The top two holdings, Taiwan Semiconductor and Nvidia, make up about 22% of the fund. The top 10 positions account for 59.4% of the fund's assets. SMH is a large ETF with $7.7 billion in assets under management. SMH has a Smart Score of 8, giving it an outperform rating. Further, the consensus is that SMH is a Moderate Buy, and the average SMH stock price target of $267.16 indicates 7.9% upside potential from here. Lastly, blogger sentiment is bullish, and the hedge fund trend is positive. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF posted an impressive 55% gain in 2020 and followed it up with a 42% gain in 2021. However, it plummeted 33% in 2022 as investors worried about an oversupply of semiconductors and a slowing economy. Like ARKQ, SMH has rebounded strongly so far in 2023, with a 23% year-to-date gain. The Takeaway After a challenging 2022 for tech stocks, excitement over generative AI has breathed new life into the tech sector. The pace at which technologies like ChatGPT have hit critical mass has been incredible. The ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF is a great way to gain exposure to artificial intelligence in all its forms. This includes both self-driving cars like Tesla and companies that are incorporating AI into AgTech like Deere. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF is not strictly focused on AI, but semiconductors are the fuel that will feed the AI fire. SMH stock is a great way to get exposure to the space. The top three holdings, Taiwan Semiconductor, Nvidia, and Advanced Micro Devices, will all be crucial to the growth of AI. Taking all this in, both ETFs look like sensible ways to gain exposure to the new technological age that ChatGPT is ushering in. Disclosure

Wall Street closed sharply higher on Monday as investors awaited inflation data likely to hint at the path of the Federal Reserve's future interest rate hikes, while Meta Platforms gained after a report that the Facebook parent was planning fresh layoffs.

Wall Street closed higher on Monday as investors awaited inflation data likely to hint at the path of the Federal Reserve's future interest rate hikes, while Meta Platforms gained after a report that the Facebook parent was planning fresh layoffs.

The best performing sector as of midday Monday is the Services sector, higher by 1.5%. Within that group, Warner Bros Discovery Inc (Symbol: WBD) and Carnival Corp (Symbol: CCL) are two large stocks leading the way, showing a gain of 5.7% and 3.9%, respectively. Among the lar

Wall Street rallied on Monday as investors awaited inflation data likely to hint at the path of the Federal Reserve's future interest rate hikes, while Meta Platforms gained after a report said the Facebook parent was planning fresh layoffs.

Microsoft ( NASDAQ:MSFT ) has been outpacing its big-tech rivals of late, partly thanks to its early artificial intelligence (AI) prowess. Its stake in OpenAI, the firm behind ChatGPT, is a major reason investors are getting really excited with the software behemoth as it looks to climb back to the very top of the stock market. As Microsoft sheds more light on its plans to tie AI to its broad range of product offerings, I think it will be difficult to stop Microsoft stock's ascent, even if the rest of the market is headed south for the Spring ahead of a potential recession. I am bullish on Microsoft and think recent gains are more than warranted after it flexed its AI muscles recently. Indeed, Microsoft is an old company that keeps reinventing itself by stepping out of its comfort zone to pursue new growth arenas. In my last piece, I praised CEO Satya Nadella as a great manager. Satya Nadella Sets a Low Bar for Microsoft Of late, cloud growth has slowed, and it's not just Azure that's feeling the pressure of macro headwinds. Recently, Nadella guided "cautiously in the short term," also hinting at another two years of pain for the tech sector. Nadella is only prudent to guide cautiously at a time like this. We're in the midst of one of the most unpredictable market environments, with recession calls, high-interest rates, and a Federal Reserve that seems indifferent to last year's bear market in stocks. Whether or not Fed chair Jerome Powell will come to the rescue again if the economic landing ends up harder-than-expected remains to be seen. Regardless, I don't think it's a good idea to get one's hopes up for a sudden reversal in monetary policy. Instead, I'd look farther out for growth prospects. Regarding Microsoft, investors seem to be looking beyond the looming recession to the company's improving growth prospects. Indeed, Microsoft's bet on OpenAI could pay off many times over if its AI products integrate well with Microsoft software (Bing, Teams, Office, etc.). Microsoft: OpenAI and ChatGPT Could Prove Incredibly Disruptive In the prior piece linked above, I outlined the possibility that OpenAI and ChatGPT would cause users to make the jump from competing products to Microsoft-owned offerings. Specifically, I noted that Bing search stood up as a better match for Alphabet's ( NASDAQ:GOOG ) ( NASDAQ:GOOGL ) Google search engine with AI by its side. Beyond replacing search, AI could reach into other markets, including some that may not exist yet (think AI's enhancement of Non-Player Characters (NPCs) in Xbox video games). Further, it's arguable that AI could help improve almost any form of software or digital experience. While Google was quick to respond with Bard AI, ChatGPT appears to be the language model ahead in a race that could see the winner take home most of the prizes. Of course, it's tough to tell how Bard will stack up, especially since most users haven't had the opportunity to test out the product. Bard's first impression wasn't great, but because Google's AI came second does not mean it will forever be in ChatGPT's shadow. In that regard, I don't think it's wise to count Google entirely out of the game just yet. It's a formidable rival as AI looks to enhance the software many of us already use. How Did Other Companies Fare after "Game-Changing" Innovations? It's hard to know how much market share and economic profit are up for grabs as AI's in the early innings. Microsoft seems to have the most exciting innovation since the first Apple's ( NASDAQ:AAPL ) iPhone launch, or even Netflix ( NASDAQ:NFLX ) back when Blockbuster was still popular. Investors who bought shares of Apple around the time the first iPhone launched have doubled up many times over, with returns of over 4,000% since July 2007. Note that timing didn't matter much, and the 2008 stock market crash now looks like a tiny blip when looking back. Meanwhile, Netflix has also clocked in its own massive gains since it announced its move into streaming. Like Apple, the timing did not mean too much for those willing to hold for more than a decade. Further, there were massive question marks as to whether smartphones and streaming were game-changing technologies. Both innovations seemed amazing at the time, but there were big unknowns. Looking back, though, it's clear that both technologies were game-changers. Now, I'd temper expectations regarding Microsoft and the potential behind AI to power gains over the next 15 years. Microsoft is already a behemoth with a nearly $2 trillion market cap. Setting too high a bar, even over a long-term horizon, is just setting oneself up for disappointment, especially since there is likely to be more than one winner in the AI race. Still, one can't help but be intrigued that Microsoft has a foot in the door of generative AI. Is Microsoft Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? Analysts maintain a "Strong Buy" consensus rating, with 25 Buys, three Holds, and one Sell. The average MSFT stock price target of $291.07 implies 7.05% upside potential from here. Takeaway: MSFT Looks Like a Buy I think AI could more than offset slowed growth in Microsoft's Azure and evolve to become the reason to own Microsoft stock. Further, I believe shares can continue to deliver above-average results for investors as it transforms. Recession or not, I think Microsoft makes for a solid buy here at just shy of 30 times trailing earnings — a historically in-line multiple for Microsoft. Analysts agree. With tempered expectations for the next two years, Microsoft stock seems poised to delight. Disclosure