Category: 3. Business

QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) is one of the AI Stocks in the Spotlight This Week. On October 28, Citi raised the firm’s price target on the stock to $175 from $170 and kept a Neutral rating on the shares.

The rating follows QCOM’s announcement of two products for artificial intelligence, along with a deal with Saudi Arabia’s startup Humain.

The company unveiled two artificial intelligence chips for data centers, on October 27, which will be available next year. The two new chips, known as AI200 and AI250, are designed for improved memory capacity and running AI applications, or inference.

Meanwhile, the deal with Humain will allow QCOM to supply Humain with up to 200 megawatts of capacity. This deal, the firm believes, represents a $1.0B in sales and 25c earnings per share opportunity for the company.

Discussing the two developments, the firm stated how QCOM’s recent rally has been due to a short squeeze but is doubtful whether the company will be successful in AI considering how it is “several years behind” AMD (AMD) and Nvidia (NVDA).

QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) develops wireless technologies, supplies chips for mobile, automotive, and IoT, licenses patents, and invests in emerging tech.

While we acknowledge the potential of QCOM as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: 10 AI Stocks Analysts Are Watching Closely and 11 Must-Watch AI Stocks on Wall Street

Disclosure: None.

• AEON announced that a unit of Marubeni Corporation will supply solar power to its stores in Japan, expanding renewable energy solutions in the retail sector.

• This collaboration highlights Marubeni’s growing participation in Japan’s solar power market as retailers increase their renewable energy adoption.

• We’ll explore how Marubeni’s enhanced presence in renewable energy could influence its investment narrative and future growth prospects.

Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value.

For Marubeni shareholders, the big picture hinges on believing in the company’s ability to capture global growth opportunities while managing risks from diverse, sometimes volatile sectors. The news that Marubeni may acquire TiAuto in South Africa stands out as a potentially meaningful move: this could offer access to Africa’s largest vehicle market at a time when automotive demand is on the rise, but it also brings new geographic and operational risks to the forefront. Meanwhile, Marubeni’s expanding activity in solar, highlighted by the AEON contract, reinforces its investment narrative in renewables. In the short term, such expansion could lift growth catalysts and sentiment, but investors should weigh this against challenges like board turnover and a modest outlook for profit and revenue growth compared to the broader Japanese market. Near-term catalysts may shift if the TiAuto acquisition proceeds, given the increased exposure to emerging markets.

But with fresh board changes and new market entries, unexpected shocks remain a risk for investors. Marubeni’s shares are on the way up, but could they be overextended? Uncover how much higher they are than fair value.

With five community fair value estimates on Simply Wall St, views on Marubeni range from ¥1,439 to ¥3,901 per share, indicating both cautious and bullish outlooks. This diversity sits against recent acquisition news, reminding you that market opinions often diverge, consider several perspectives before deciding.

Explore 5 other fair value estimates on Marubeni – why the stock might be worth less than half the current price!

Disagree with this assessment? Create your own narrative in under 3 minutes – extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd.

Right now could be the best entry point. These picks are fresh from our daily scans. Don’t delay:

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include 8002.T.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com

The US Department of Justice is probing market volatility at a Hong-Kong based traditional Chinese medicine company after a stock surge briefly made its value soar 46,000%.

The DOJ sent a subpoena to Regencell Bioscience Holdings Ltd. to turn over documents and communications concerning trading in the company’s shares “and other corporate operational, financial and accounting matters,” according to the company’s financial report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday in Washington.

Oct 31 (Reuters) – Central Bancompany said on Friday that it was targeting a valuation of up to $5.72 billion in its U.S. initial public offering, in a rare move for a U.S. bank looking for a fresh flotation.

The Jefferson City, Missouri-based lender is looking to raise as much as $426.7 million by offering 17.8 million shares priced between $21 and $24 each and reinforcing a strong demand for IPOs in the market.

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However, a government shutdown in October has pulled the brakes on appetites for IPOs, hindering activity with short-term delays.

“The United States government shutdown took the Securities and Exchange Commission offline at exactly the wrong time, like a DJ walking away mid-drop,” said Michael Ashley Schulman, partner and chief investment officer at Running Point Capital.

Since the 2008 financial crisis, U.S. bank IPOs have been rare, as tighter regulations, rising compliance costs and market volatility reduced the appeal of public listings.

“For banking and finance specialists that have seen their pool grow smaller through M&A (and the occasional bellyflop), this will be a welcome addition,” Schulman said.

Central Bancompany has total balance sheet assets of $19.2 billion and wealth assets under advice of $15.4 billion, serving consumers and businesses in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Florida.

Morgan Stanley and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods are the joint lead book-running managers for the offering.

Central Bancompany intends to list its shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “CBC”.

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He proudly celebrates his upcoming 20th anniversary at Leonardo. Having joined the company as a graduate student in Electronic Engineering at the University of Genoa, writing a thesis on security applied to networking equipment, 43-year-old electronic engineer Enrico Giacobbe has held numerous positions, from developing products for defence and space to providing security services for institutions and critical infrastructure, prior to his current role as Head of Global Cyber Consultancy & Advisory. This is a high responsibility role, leading a team of about 100 people in Italy and abroad, which designs and manages security solutions for over 160 customers worldwide.

“The Global CyberSec Center manages end-to-end security for the Division’s customers, carrying out projects and providing services ranging from predictive analysis, protection and real-time monitoring to cyber incident response. Leonardo‘s work is crucial for protecting strategic assets, including critical data and infrastructure, for the benefit of public administrations, institutions and companies,” explains Enrico. In a context of hybrid threats and geopolitical upheavals, the work carried out by this international team guarantees security for numerous organisations.

This sector is rapidly growing, which is why Leonardo has developed a targeted programme for recruiting young talent with STEM training. “We are looking for talented young people who are capable, passionate and motivated by desire to learn, become professionals and grow within the company: this is why we consider our collaboration with Higher Technical Institutes (ITS) and universities to be very fruitful. I tell new recruits about my career path, because I understand the uncertainties and doubts of those in their twenties who are taking their first steps in a large company. But,” Enrico adds, “as it was for me, there are many opportunities at Leonardo: it is a company that allows you to gain important international experience and that values people who are committed to achieving short- and long-term goals with competence and a strong sense of responsibility.”

Enrico’s suitcase is always packed and ready to meet clients and partners in Italy and Europe: “I obtained a diploma in electronics and a degree in electronic engineering, and then went on to work in cybersecurity with a business perspective.” Half-jokingly, he adds: “One of two things: am I a boring person? I would say, rather, a consistent person.”

Pfizer is suing over some unsolicited competition in its nearly $5 billion bid to buy the drugmaker Metsera.

New York-based Pfizer said Friday after markets closed that it was suing Metsera and a third drugmaker, Denmark’s Novo Nordisk, over a bid for Metsera that Novo announced Thursday.

Novo said it planned to buy Metsera in a deal that could be worth up to $9 billion, and Metsera said the offer appeared to be superior to Pfizer’s bid, which was announced in September.

Metsera Inc. has no products on the market, but it is developing potential oral and injectable treatments. That includes some potential treatments that could target lucrative fields for obesity and diabetes.

Novo already has the treatments Wegovy and Ozempic on the market in those respective categories.

Pfizer said the offer from Novo cannot be considered superior to its bid because it carries significant regulatory risk that makes it unlikely to be completed.

Pfizer, which ended development of a potential pill to treat obesity this spring, also said Novo’s offer represents “an illegal attempt by a company with a dominant market position to suppress competition.”

Representatives of both Novo and Metsera did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

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First Guaranty said it has a $52 million credit exposure tied to commercial lease financing to entities related to an unnamed auto parts manufacturer that declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy during the third quarter.

“We are continuing to monitor our loan portfolio and are working to de-risk the bank,” CEO Michael Mineer said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

“We are monitoring all events related to our large recent issue and will continue to assess our reserve and are working in conjunction with our servicer of the lease.”

The lender did not respond to Reuters’ request for the name of the bankrupt auto parts maker.

Provision for credit losses vaulted to $47.9 million in the quarter from $4.9 million a year earlier.

First Guaranty’s shares fell another 1.2% on Friday, following a 17.5% plunge in the previous session to a seven-month low. On Thursday, the lender released its quarterly call report, a regulatory filing that provides details about the bank’s financial health.

The bank’s stock is down 42.3% year-to-date.

“We have taken proactive steps to reserve against the credit, given the current known facts. We anticipate further clarification of our position in the fourth quarter,” Mineer said in a statement.

“For the time being, we will retain the high level of reserve against these commercial lease credits.”

The bank swung to a net loss of $45 million, or $3.01 per share, in the three months ended September 30, versus a net profit of $1.9 million, or 11 cents per share, a year earlier.

It booked a $12.9 million goodwill impairment charge in the quarter, as its stock trades below book value and higher provisions.

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Italian prosecutors ordered the seizure of around €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) in shares from the holding company that controls the drinks maker Davide Campari-Milano NV, as part of an alleged tax-fraud probe, according to a statement late Friday.

The order from Monza’s prosecutor office, carried out by the finance police, targets alleged unpaid taxes on assets moved abroad.