money

I’ve loved high-yield savings accounts over the past two years. They’ve been paying over 4.00% APY, which is the kind of return we haven’t seen in more than a decade. But those rates aren’t going to last.

The Federal Reserve is expected to begin cutting interest rates later this month, and savings account APYs will tumble right alongside. That’s why I’m moving a chunk of my money out of high-yield savings in September and locking it into places where I can preserve today’s higher returns.

Savings accounts are about to pay less

High-yield savings accounts are variable. When banks cut rates, they cut them fast. That 4.25% APY you see today could be under 3.75% by November. And once it drops, you have to wait for rate cycles to change to get it back.

I’m not closing my savings account completely. It’s still the best spot for my emergency fund and short-term goals. But I don’t want thousands of dollars sitting in cash earning less and less interest each month.

Where I’m moving the money

I’m moving my cash into certificates of deposit (CDs). CDs let me lock in today’s yields for a set term like 12, 24, 36 months, or longer. Once I’m in, the bank can’t cut the APY, no matter what the Fed does.

I’m also using a CD ladder. That means splitting my money across different term lengths so a portion comes due every year. It gives me steady access to cash if I need it, while still locking in higher rates on longer terms.

This way, I don’t have to guess exactly when I’ll need the money, and I don’t miss the chance to preserve today’s top APYs.

The math behind the move

Let’s say you have $20,000 sitting in savings:

• At 4.25% APY, that earns about $850 in interest over the next year.
• If rates fall to 3.50% by year’s end, that drops to $700 in interest.

That’s $150 less just because you waited. Now scale that up if you’ve got a bigger emergency fund or down payment fund. The lost interest adds up fast.

Why now is the time to act

Waiting until after the Fed cuts rates is too late. By then, banks will already have slashed their APYs. Moving money before the Fed meeting on Sept.17 gives you the chance to lock in one of the last rounds of 4%+ rates before they likely disappear.

I’m not abandoning high-yield savings altogether; they’ll always have a place for my emergency cash. But for the money I don’t need immediately, I’d rather secure today’s top rates than watch them slide lower. Compare the best CD rates today.

On Aug. 30, Jan van Eck, the chief executive officer of VanEck, a major investment management company, said that if Bitcoin (BTC 0.68%) gets to be priced at just half the total value of gold, it would reach $400,000. At the same time, he made it clear that he considers the coin a scarce asset that’s essentially digital gold, and that he thinks there’s going to be a consistent demand for it, making that outcome highly plausible.

In other words, if supply keeps tightening while larger and steadier buyers keep showing up, the path of least resistance is up. Here’s what else you need to know about van Eck’s perspective and why you should take his opinion on this topic (very) seriously.

Image source: Getty Images.

Why this call matters

When a mainstream asset manager with more than $100 billion in assets under management (AUM) floats a price like $400,000 for Bitcoin, you should ask two questions: Is the speaker credible? and Is the idea anchored in data? It’s easy to answer yes to both.

On credibility, VanEck manages about $135.8 billion in assets as of July 31, and it has been quick to get exposure to crypto compared with its peers. VanEck filed for a Bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund (ETF) as far back as August 2017, years before today’s spot products.

Another important fact is that VanEck pledged to donate 5% of its spot Bitcoin ETF profits to fund the Bitcoin Core team of developers, putting tangible support behind the network’s resilience. That combination of AUM heft, crypto first-mover history, ETF product footprint, and direct developer funding gives van Eck’s call a lot more weight than a random internet forecast, particularly because his assets are sizable enough and deployed such that it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Now let’s examine the quality of the data used in van Eck’s argument.

After the April 2024 halving, mining activity produces just 450 bitcoins per day. Corporate buyers alone are absorbing about 1,755 coins per day on average, roughly four times the daily issuance, with funds and ETFs adding significant inflows on top. Against a mechanically tightening float — coins available for public trading — that absorption rate is exactly the kind of imbalance long-term investors look for.

So the idea that Bitcoin is digital gold is supported by the numbers right now, at least in terms of its scarcity versus incoming supply to the market.

If you want a near-term napkin math check on van Eck’s price target specifically, consider first that Bitcoin recently traded at about $111,000. The gap between today and $400,000 is large, but the mechanism to get there, scarcity, is the exact same one that took the coin from $1 to more than $100,000.

How investors should use this view

Let’s step back for a moment and introduce some skepticism.

Price targets can excite or mislead, even when they’re issued by business leaders or investors at the very apex of their craft. The real utility of a $400,000 call is that it sets a benchmark for the coin’s long-term investment thesis. The thesis is that Bitcoin’s engineered supply constriction and the consolidation of ownership into price-insensitive hands will raise the clearing price for the marginal coin. If that continues, the destination becomes a function of patience and liquidity cycles.

There is another practical takeaway about who is making the call. VanEck does not need Bitcoin to reinvent itself to capture value. It needs the rules to remain clear enough for institutions to keep allocating. The company’s own history shows it can help shape that clarity and sustain the ecosystem, from being an early filer to supporting developers, and over time, its influence could push prices higher than they would have been otherwise.

Investors should also weigh the risks with clear eyes. Macro liquidity tightening, policy surprises, or adverse regulation could interrupt flows into ETFs and corporate treasuries for a time, pressuring prices. It might also be the case that the migration of coins into deep cold storage reduces on-chain activity in ways that occasionally spook investors.

Still, now is a favorable time to dollar-cost average (DCA) into Bitcoin, and van Eck’s price target signifies that capital is increasingly considering the coin a worthy asset to hold forever. Don’t get too fixated on arbitrary forecasts, just keep accumulating.

It’s the end of an era on Wall Street. In less than four months, Berkshire Hathaway‘s (BRK.A -1.26%) (BRK.B -1.40%) Warren Buffett will retire from the CEO role he’s held for six decades. During his 60 years at the helm, he’s overseen a roughly 6,140,000% cumulative gain in his company’s Class A shares (BRK.A), which compares quite favorably to the roughly 43,300% total return, including dividends, delivered by the benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.32%) over the same timeline.

The Oracle of Omaha’s outperformance has made him the most-followed money manager on Wall Street, with some investors riding his coattails to substantial long-term gains.

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. Image source: The Motley Fool.

But the other factor — aside from market-crushing returns — investors have come to appreciate about Buffett is his willingness to share his thoughts and the company traits he looks for when taking stakes in wonderful businesses. Whether it’s Berkshire’s annual shareholder letter or the company’s yearly meeting, Buffett is no stranger to offering up nuggets of wisdom.

While books have been written about Warren Buffett’s investment ideals, four ominous words from Berkshire’s latest shareholder letter perfectly encapsulate why he’s such a phenomenal investor, and explain why his recent investment activity sends a clear warning to Wall Street.

Warren Buffett sends a $344 billion warning to Wall Street using just four words

Investors are likely aware of some of the Oracle of Omaha’s core principles. For example, Buffett prefers to buy stakes in companies with sustainable competitive advantages, strong management teams, and hearty capital return programs. He also looks at investments as multiyear or multidecade commitments, with eight stocks in Berkshire’s portfolio currently considered “indefinite” holdings.

But possibly the best investment advice Buffett has ever offered, which perfectly encapsulates the promise and peril of the stock market, was penned in Berkshire Hathaway’s latest annual shareholder letter. While discussing where his company has money allocated, Buffett proclaimed, “Often, nothing looks compelling.”

At his core, Berkshire’s billionaire boss is an unwavering value investor. Though there are some unwritten “Buffett rules” that sometimes get broken, such as investing for the short-term via an arbitrage opportunity, Berkshire’s head honcho isn’t willing to buy a stock if its valuation doesn’t make sense.

Warren Buffett Indicator hits 215%, the most expensive stock market valuation in history 👀 pic.twitter.com/kjnbGN67be

— Barchart (@Barchart) August 29, 2025

At the moment, stock valuations are historically expensive. Keeping in mind that valuation is subjective, the affably dubbed “Buffett Indicator” recently hit an all-time high. This valuation measure adds up the cumulative market cap of all public companies in the U.S. and divides this figure by U.S. gross domestic product (GDP).

The market cap-to-GDP ratio, which has averaged closer to 85% of U.S. GDP when back-tested to 1970, surpassed 214% in late August. In other words, finding value has been exceedingly difficult for Buffett and his team.

Beginning in October 2022, the Oracle of Omaha began selling more stock than he was purchasing. This net-selling activity has been ongoing for 11 consecutive quarters (Oct. 1, 2022 – June 30, 2025), totaling $177.4 billion in net stock sales. All the while, Berkshire Hathaway’s cash pile, which includes cash, cash equivalents, and U.S. Treasuries, has ballooned to a near-record $344.1 billion.

Despite sitting on $344 billion in capital, Buffett prefers to be a net-seller of stocks, and isn’t even buying shares of his own company any longer. It’s as direct a warning as Wall Street will get from Berkshire’s billionaire chief.

Image source: Getty Images.

Patience pays off handsomely in the stock market

Though Buffett’s ominous advice – “often, nothing looks compelling” — perfectly explains why he’s been more of a seller than a buyer amid a historically pricey stock market, it also provides a backdrop of how Berkshire’s boss has been able to deliver outsized returns spanning six decades.

Fundamentally, Warren Buffett is well aware that the U.S. economy and stock market have both expanded over the long run. Even though recessions and stock market corrections are normal and inevitable aspects of respective economic and stock market cycles, optimism prevails over long periods. This means being patient and waiting for price dislocations to become apparent is a winning and time-tested strategy — in case the nearly 6,140,000% aggregate return for Berkshire’s Class A shares didn’t give it away.

In August 2011, shortly after the worst of the financial crisis, the Oracle of Omaha engineered a $5 billion stake in Bank of America (BAC -1.29%) preferred stock. While Bank of America wasn’t desperate for cash, it wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to shore up its balance sheet amid ongoing litigation and a still-uncertain loan portfolio.

When Buffett initially made this investment, Bank of America’s common stock was trading at a 62% discount to its book value. But in the summer of 2017, Berkshire exercised its warrants to purchase 700 million shares of BofA stock at $7.14 per share. This August 2011 price dislocation instantly netted Berkshire a $12 billion (unrealized) profit, which has since grown even larger.

Berkshire’s billionaire CEO recognized a price dislocation with Apple (AAPL -0.16%), as well, in early 2016. The maker of the beloved iPhone was trading at just 10 to 15 times forward-year earnings nine years ago, which is an inexpensive valuation for a company that had been consistently growing by high single digits to low double digits annually. Apple stock has jumped approximately tenfold since Buffett first entered the position, with artificial intelligence euphoria and the company’s rapidly growing services segment doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

Although it can be frustrating waiting for Warren Buffett and his top advisors to deploy Berkshire Hathaway’s treasure chest, being patient has paid off handsomely for decades. When price dislocations do become apparent in the future, Buffett or his successor Greg Abel will be ready to pounce.

Crowd-pleasing growth isn’t new for Nvidia (NVDA -2.78%). But the AI and graphics chip company’s late-August update still managed to turn heads. Revenue rose sharply year over year, and the data center engine kept humming. Management also issued bullish guidance for the current quarter.

Sure, shares are down since the report. But remember: The growth stock is still up 28% year to date and is up more than 240% since the beginning of last year. With a run like this in a rearview mirror, Nvidia needs to deliver impressive numbers — and it did.

Image source: Getty Images.

Recent results were strong and cash-rich

Nvidia’s momentum in AI infrastructure continued. Fiscal second-quarter revenue was $46.7 billion, up 56% year over year and 6% sequentially. Data center revenue hit $41.1 billion, up 56% year over year and 5% sequentially. Profitability remains best-in-class. Non-GAAP gross margin was 72.7%.

Under the hood, trends were “mixed” but healthy. I put “mixed” in quotes because investors are so used to impressive results from Nvidia that they often judge the company’s growth on sequential trends instead of year-over-year trends. On this front, there was one area where the trend wasn’t positive sequentially. Yes, Blackwell data center revenue grew 17% sequentially as the new platform ramps. But compute revenue dipped 1% sequentially because of a $4 billion reduction in H20 sales (more on this later). Meanwhile, networking jumped 46% as NVLink fabrics, InfiniBand, and Ethernet AI buildouts accelerated. That mix shift matters. It shows customers aren’t just buying GPUs — they’re building complete AI systems.

Cash generation remains a major part of the story. Free cash flow was $13.5 billion in the quarter and $39.6 billion for the first half of fiscal 2026. Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities ended Q2 at $56.8 billion. With this firepower, Nvidia returned $10.0 billion in Q2 through repurchases and dividends (primarily repurchases) and authorized an additional $60 billion for buybacks. Those are elite numbers for any large cap, and they give management flexibility to invest and to return capital.

Guidance and risks set the near-term tone

The near-term outlook reinforces the growth narrative. Management guided Q3 FY26 revenue to about $54 billion, plus or minus 2%. It also expects non-GAAP gross margin of roughly 73.5% and continues to see exit-year margins in the mid-70% range. Impressively, this guidance assumes zero H20 shipments to China. That last detail is key: There were no H20 sales to China in Q2, and management’s Q3 outlook again excludes them.

This creates a clean base case — growth without a China lift. If export restrictions ease or product roadmaps adapt, upside could emerge. If they don’t, the business still expects to grow through global demand for accelerated computing, the Blackwell ramp-up, and networking attached to larger AI clusters.

But things get a little less upbeat when we start talking about valuation. The stock’s current price-to-earnings multiple of 49 bakes in years of exceptional execution and continued growth, all from a base of extraordinary profit margins and a huge revenue base. Driving the point home about Nvidia’s overly rich valuation, consider that its market cap of about $4.2 trillion as of this writing gives the company a free cash flow yield of only about 2%. Given AI’s potential, living up to this valuation is certainly a possible outcome. But the valuation leaves less room for disappointments in supply, competitive responses from rivals, potential moves from its customers to de-risk their dependence on Nvidia, or a pause in AI spending.

So, should you buy the stock now?

Nvidia’s quarter checked the right boxes: rapid top-line growth, elite margins, massive free cash flow, and confident guidance. In addition, the balance sheet and repurchase firepower add support on pullbacks. But the risks arguably demand a lower valuation before investors should consider pulling the trigger. The risks are significant, including ongoing China restrictions, potential lumpiness as product cycles and customer mix shift, and a valuation that demands continued outperformance.

If you already own the stock with a long-term thesis, this report is good news and may help justify continuing holding shares. For new money, however, I’d scale in rather than chase — nibbling on volatility while letting the fundamentals and guidance do the talking over time.

Google parent Alphabet‘s (GOOGL 1.13%) (GOOG 1.04%) stock received a boost from an unexpected source: the courts. The stock rose 8% on Sept. 3 after a federal district judge ruled it would not have to sell its Chrome browser.

Although it will have to share data with its rivals, investors saw this ruling as a win. Additionally, with the rising share price, the artificial intelligence (AI) stock seems to have gained momentum in earnest, possibly igniting a long-awaited bull market in Alphabet.

Image source: Alphabet.

The state of Alphabet

Perhaps one of the more surprising investment stories over the last two years is Alphabet’s perceived lack of AI success. It has utilized the technology since 2001 and was widely seen as an industry leader. However, the release of GPT-4 in early 2023 seemed to catch the Google parent off guard, and the release of Gemini did little to win back investor confidence.

The ruling ensures Chrome will remain a platform for Google’s AI. Still, with or without Chrome, Alphabet was still set to move away from digital ad revenue in favor of driving its growth from other technologies. While Google Cloud is the only major source of non-ad revenue right now, its other businesses, such as autonomous driving platform Waymo, could become significant AI-driven revenue sources.

Judging by its valuation, investors may have only begun to appreciate Alphabet’s potential recently. It trades at a 25 P/E ratio, up from a 16 earnings multiple on “Liberation Day” in early April. Although that is a significant gain, it still has the lowest valuation among “Magnificent Seven” stocks, indicating the stock is still a bargain.

GOOGL PE Ratio data by YCharts

Alphabet’s financials

That P/E ratio is arguably low when looking at Alphabet’s financial situation. Alphabet retains $95 billion in liquidity. Amid such optionality, it pledged $75 billion in capital expenditures (capex) for 2025, authorized a $70 billion share repurchase program, and raised its dividend.

It can afford to do all that because its digital ad business and Google Cloud have become major cash generators. In the first half of 2025, its $96 billion in revenue grew 14% from year-ago levels. Approximately 74% of revenue came from digital ads, down from 76% the previous year. Also, Google Cloud now makes up 14% of revenue for the year.

Additionally, costs and expenses increased by 11% during that time, lagging the revenue growth rate. Thus, its $63 billion in net income for the first two quarters of 2025 increased by 33% compared to the same period a year ago.

That is not much less than the $67 billion in free cash flow over the last 12 months. However, the difference is due to Alphabet’s heavy capex spending, which it subtracts out of the free cash flow calculation, and the fact that it can afford such levels of spending is a testament to the company’s financial strength.

Furthermore, despite negative perceptions, Alphabet stock has generally trended higher since the beginning of 2023. The latest surge of momentum came after the sell-off that culminated in Liberation Day.

Since the low in early April, Alphabet stock is up nearly 60%. When one also considers its massive cash reserves, rapidly rising profits, and low valuation, the momentum could easily continue.

Consider Alphabet stock

Amid a favorable antitrust ruling, Alphabet stock is gaining momentum.

Despite worries that it was behind in generative AI weighing on the stock, it has produced increasingly positive returns while retaining the lowest P/E ratio among the Magnificent Seven stocks.

The news that its browser will remain part of its AI strategy is a significant boost for this stock. Moreover, its cash reserves and ability to invest heavily in capex should keep it competitive in AI. Now that the antitrust ruling has added some certainty to its strategy, it is likely time to capitalize on the discounted valuation and consider buying Alphabet stock.

CoreWeave (CRWV 1.92%) stock got hit with a double-digit sell-off over the last week of trading. The company’s share price fell 13.5% from its level at the previous week’s market close.

CoreWeave saw a valuation pullback due to some hesitance about growth-dependent valuations for artificial intelligence (AI) companies. The stock also saw sell-offs in conjunction with news that the company is on track to acquire another player in the AI space. CoreWeave is still up roughly 123% from its price at market close on the day of its initial public offering earlier this year, but it’s also down 51.5% from its high.

Image source: Getty Images.

CoreWeave stock slips on valuation and acquisition concerns

Investors have recently been taking a more cautious approach to valuations for some companies in the AI space, and CoreWeave stock has seen sell-offs in conjunction with the trend. Investors also apparently haven’t been thrilled with some of the company’s planned acquisition moves.

On Sept. 3, CoreWeave published a press release announcing that it had entered into definitive terms to acquire OpenPipe — a company that specializes in the training of AI agents. Specifics of the buyout were not included in the press release. Investors were also seemingly unimpressed when CoreWeave announced in July that it planned to acquire Core Scientific in a $9 billion all stock deal.

What’s next for CoreWeave?

While many new AI companies will be launched over the next decade, the artificial intelligence market is also likely to see a very high amount of consolidation across the stretch. Buying companies that can complement its own technologies and product offerings and reduce operating costs through synergies could wind up being a great move for CoreWeave, but it’s also not surprising that the stock has seen big pullbacks in response to recent acquisition and financing news.

In addition to the all-stock buyout proposed with Core Scientific and the potential for new stock to be used to fund the OpenPipe buyout, CoreWeave has also announced other plans to sell large blocks of new stock in order to raise funds. This raises some questions about whether the company has thought that its stock was overvalued in a way that made new stock sales and stock-backed buyouts attractive, and the new share sales and related deals mean that existing shareholders are seeing the value of their stakes diluted.

Shares of American Eagle Outfitters (AEO 0.21%) rallied 19.8% in August, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

American Eagle capitalized on July’s optimism regarding its new ad campaign starring actress Sydney Sweeney when President Trump endorsed the company’s campaign in early August. Then later in the month, American Eagle announced a collaboration with Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Taylor Swift fiancée Travis Kelce.

American Eagle’s investment in celebrity pays off

American Eagle’s stock got a bump in late July when it launched a controversial ad with actress Sydney Sweeney with the byline, “Sydney Sweeney has Great Genes Jeans.” While the stock then faded after an initial lift, President Trump weighed in in early August, writing on his social media platform Truth Social that the ad was, “the HOTTEST out there…the jeans are flying off the shelves.”

In response, investors bid up the stock, thinking the controversy might boost publicity for the brand and therefore subsequent sales.

Then later in the month, American Eagle announced a limited addition collaboration with Travis Kelce’s “Tru Colors” clothing line, which Kelce began in 2019. The new limited edition collection is to be unveiled in two “drops,” with one on Aug. 27, and another upcoming on Sept. 24. As luck would have it, the collaboration announcement came one day after Kelce announced his engagement to music star Taylor Swift.

So, American Eagle nabbed a marketing coup in both late July and into August, grabbing support from the President, as well as arguably two of the biggest celebrities in sports and entertainment.

Image source: Getty Images.

What will it mean for the stock, though?

The high-profile marketing push — both planned and unplanned – appeared to boost American Eagle’s near-term outlook. On Sept. 3, the company reported its second-quarter earnings results for the quarter ending Aug. 2, beating analyst expectations even though sales and comparable-store sales were each down 1%.

However, management said it was seeing “an uptick in customer awareness, engagement and comparable sales,” as a result of the Sweeney and Kelce campaigns, and projected comps to return to positive low single digits in both Q3 and Q4. That improvement would appear to validate the impact of the Sweeney and Kelce campaigns.

That said, despite a near-20% gain in August and a 20%-plus gain in September thus far, American Eagle’s stock is only up about 12.8% on the year and is still actually 2.3% below where it was one year ago. A cautious consumer, high interest rates, and the Trump administration’s tariffs have all acted as headwinds to the clothing retailer, as it has to many retailers.

August 2025 was a big month for a handful of stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. While the index, which tracks 30 of the most influential publicly traded companies in the U.S., was up 3.8% on the month, there were some outliers that drove the component’s overall performance even higher.

Here are the five companies that led the way in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and why they led the charge.

UNH data by YCharts.

UnitedHealth Group: Up 30.3%

UnitedHealth Group (UNH 1.53%) stock has been a disappointment in 2025, down 50% heading into August. But it made a massive turnaround on a couple of key investments.

First, Berkshire Hathaway, led by famed CEO Warren Buffett, disclosed a $1.5 billion position in UnitedHealth, pocketing 5.04 million shares. It was a big move for Berkshire, which also operates an insurance company in GEICO, and signaled to investors that the beaten-down insurer was ripe for the picking.

Second, investor Michael Burry disclosed his own investment through his Scion Asset Management hedge fund. Burry, who’s best known for his bet against the housing market that was dramatized in The Big Short, disclosed that Scion bought 20,000 shares of UnitedHealth stock and another 350,000 call options.

The company’s second-quarter earnings were also solid, with revenue of $111.6 billion up $12.8 billion from a year ago. UnitedHealth issued full-year guidance for revenue between $344 billion and $345.5 billion, which would be up 15% from 2024.

Apple: Up 14.7%

Buffett’s cash to fund his UnitedHealth purchase came from his sale of Apple (AAPL -0.16%) stock. The Oracle of Omaha trimmed Berkshire’s stake by 20 million shares. But Apple had some other positive things going for it, so it still had a very good August.

First, Apple had a better-than-expected earnings report. Financials for its fiscal 2025’s third quarter (ended June 28) showed revenue of $94 billion, up 10% from a year ago. Earnings per share totaled $1.57, which was a 12% increase from last year.

Apple badly needed a quarter like that because the company’s revenue has been flat since 2023. While some investors were expecting more of the same, Apple was able to report double-digit growth in its iPhone, Mac, and Services segments.

American Express: Up 12.6%

American Express (AXP -1.30%) is a credit card company that has distinct advantages over competitors Mastercard and Visa. While it has a smaller market share, American Express caters to corporate accounts and affluent customers who crave the American Express gold or platinum card perks.

In addition, the company operates its own payment network and extends loans, giving it another income stream from the interest charged.

Although there remains some concern about the strength of the economy, American Express reported revenue that was up 9% in the second quarter to $17.8 billion. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $4.08, up 17% from the second quarter of 2024.

American Express isn’t sitting on its laurels, though. CEO Steve Squeri indicated that the company is looking to upgrade its Platinum card in an effort to draw Generation Z and millennial customers.

Amazon: Up 6.6%

Amazon (AMZN -1.46%) has multiple growth engines with its lucrative Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing segment and its powerful e-commerce division. Both had good news to report in August, pushing Amazon shares higher.

First, the company’s second-quarter results showed strong performance from AWS, with revenue in the segment coming in at $30.87 billion and operating income of $10.16 billion. AWS is by far most profitable segment for Amazon, and its cloud computing division is essential for companies that are looking to operate artificial intelligence-infused programs without spending massive amounts of money to create their own data centers.

Image source: Getty Images.

Amazon also is seeing greater success with advertising. Its advertising-services segment brought in $15.69 billion in the second quarter, up 23% from the previous year.

Finally, the company’s Amazon Prime Day shopping event in July brought in billions. The company said it was the biggest Prime Day event in its history. While Amazon didn’t release sales figures yet, Adobe Analytics projected $23.8 billion in overall sales from the three-day event.

Home Depot: Up 8.8%

Home Depot (HD 1.69%) had a good August after reporting solid earnings of its own. As home sales are struggling in 2025, more people seem to be putting work into their existing properties, according to CEO Ted Decker, who cited “smaller home improvement projects” as driving the company’s successful quarter.

Home Depot said it saw sales of $45.3 billion in the second quarter, up 4.9% from a year ago. Adjusted earnings per share of $4.68 were $0.01 per share higher than a year ago. The home-improvement retailer reaffirmed its 2025 guidance for sales growth of 2.8%.

All eyes were on the automotive industry, and more specifically the electric vehicle (EV) sector, for August. That’s because consumers who were on the fence about making an EV purchase within the next few months rushed ahead to buy before the $7,500 federal tax credit disappears at the end of September.

Once the tax credit disappears, the industry is expected to slow down for some time, so Ford Motor Company (F 0.51%) and General Motors (GM 0.42%) needed to deliver.

Momentum continues

Ford had some momentum as August was the automaker’s sixth consecutive month of sales gains in the U.S., driven by popular SUVs and a spike in EVs due to the pull-forward of demand before the tax credit’s demise.

The automaker reported a 3.9% gain in sales during August to 190,206 vehicles, compared to the prior year. Although it was the sixth consecutive month of gains, August was a slowdown compared to the prior months. Through the first eight months of the year, Ford sold 1.5 million vehicles, 6.6% more than the previous year.

On the flip side, sales of Ford’s EVs were almost the opposite: They spiked 19% during August to a total of 10,671, but year to date, the company’s EV sales are down 5.7% to 57,888 vehicles.

August’s spike was driven not only by the surge in demand from consumers beating the end of the tax credit, but also by the Mustang Mach-E’s 35% sales gain and the F-150 Lightning’s 21% gain, compared to the prior year.

Ford’s F-150 Lightning. Image source: Ford Motor Company.

With U.S. EV sales likely to set an all-time monthly record once August data is complete, it set the stage for General Motors to also perform well — and it did.

Duncan Aldred, GM’s president for North America, said in a press release: “August was our best month ever for EV sales — and we expect that buying surge to pay long-term dividends, given our industry-leading manufacturer loyalty, and EV customers’ overwhelming commitment to the technology. I’m grateful to our team and our dealers for helping us outperform nearly every EV competitor.” 

General Motors sold more than 21,000 EVs combined from its Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC brands and remains the No. 2 seller in the U.S., thanks in big part to the Chevy Equinox EV, Cadillac Lyriq, and GMC Sierra EV.

What’s next?

September is going to be another strong month for EV sales, but then the big looming question is: What happens after the tax credit disappears? There’s likely to be a whipsaw effect where the industry sees an equally strong lull in demand during the fourth quarter, and it’s likely to take several months to normalize.

The key to September, as well as the third quarter entirely, will be which competitors were able to move EVs without substantial discounts. But discounts are a part of the automotive industry, and expect automakers to dish them out to move as much product as possible before the tax credit expires, since no automaker wants to find itself with bloated inventory on Oct. 1.

Investors have to remember that while EVs represent a small percentage of sales for traditional automakers, it’s a huge deal for their bottom line. Consider that Ford’s Model-e division, responsible for its EVs, lost roughly $5 billion in 2024. The faster the automakers scale up this business segment and turn it profitable, the faster investors see upside in their earning power.

On the bright side, Ford and GM needed to deliver a strong month for EV sales, and it was just a little good news that they both executed.

The hype over artificial intelligence (AI) stocks helped shares of SoundHound AI (SOUN 7.26%) hit a 52-week high of $24.98 last December. But in 2025, its stock is down about 35% through Sept. 3. The drop could be a signal that now is a good time to invest in this AI tech provider. Or does it suggest reasons exist to steer clear of the stock?

To determine whether SoundHound is a worthwhile investment in the AI sector, a deeper look into its business is required. Here’s an analysis into this company specializing in voice-activated conversational AI.

Image source: Getty Images.

SoundHound’s strengths

SoundHound possesses attributes that make it a compelling investment. In the second quarter, its revenue hit $42.7 million, an impressive 217% increase over last year.

The company’s sales success prompted management to raise the revenue outlook for this year. SoundHound now expects 2025 sales of $160 million to $178 million, a substantial step up from the previous year’s $84.7 million.

The company made strategic acquisitions in 2024 that expanded its business beyond the automotive sector, which had previously accounted for 90% of sales. Today, SoundHound’s income is more diversified, as its services reach into industries such as restaurants, healthcare, and financial services.

This diversification helps its business to weather economic downturns in any one sector. Now, no one vertical contributes more than 25% of revenue.

SoundHound also boasts a robust balance sheet. In Q2, total assets were $579.5 million, including $230.3 million in cash and equivalents. Total liabilities were $219.7 million.

SoundHound’s shortcomings

But the business has downsides, too, notably its lack of profitability. SoundHound’s Q2 operating loss widened considerably to $78.1 million from a $22 million loss in the prior year. This increase was primarily a result of greater expenses related to its acquisitions.

The company is working to improve its financials. Management’s goal is to be profitable on an adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) basis by the end of 2025. Adjusted EBITDA stood at a loss of $14.3 million in Q2.

In addition, SoundHound intends to strengthen its Q2 gross margin of 39%, which is down from 63% in the prior year, again due to the acquisitions. A boost in gross margin will support its goal of achieving profitability.

The company noted, “We expect to gradually improve gross margins in the midterm,” as it finds cost synergies while integrating its acquired businesses into existing operations.

Other considerations with a SoundHound investment

A key factor that dragged down SoundHound stock this year was that Nvidia sold its entire stake in the company. Nvidia revealed the sale in a February filing, which led investors to follow suit, causing shares to plunge nearly 30%. Nvidia’s move made sense at the time. SoundHound’s share price valuation was quite high when the AI semiconductor chip leader decided to sell.

You can see this in the stock’s price-to-sales (P/S) ratio, which measures how much investors are willing to pay for every dollar of revenue produced over the trailing 12 months, particularly in comparison with competitor Cerence, which also offers voice-activated AI products for the automotive industry.

Data by YCharts.

The chart shows SoundHound’s sales multiple peaked around the end of last year, indicating its stock was expensive. Its P/S ratio is lower now, but still elevated compared to Cerence’s.

Arguably, SoundHound deserves a higher valuation, since Cerence’s revenue in its fiscal Q3, which ended June 30, declined to $62.2 million from $70.5 million in the previous year. Meanwhile, SoundHound’s Q2 sales grew over 200% year over year. That said, SoundHound stock’s current valuation is so far above Cerence’s that it still looks high.

SoundHound has rising revenue and a diversified business in its favor, but its elevated stock valuation suggests it’s best to put it on your watch list and wait for the share price to drop.

You may also want to consider waiting for SoundHound’s Q3 earnings report to see if it’s made headway on reducing operating expenses and improving its gross margin and adjusted EBITDA before deciding to invest.

Investors haven’t been kind to Intuitive Surgical (ISRG 2.67%) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN 0.96%) this year. Both healthcare leaders have encountered company-specific issues that have led to sell-offs. Intuitive Surgical’s stock is down 15% this year, while Regeneron has shed 21% of its value.

However, there are excellent reasons to think both companies could rebound, and if that’s the case, now might be a wonderful time to purchase their shares on the dip. Here’s why I remain bullish on these medical companies.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Intuitive Surgical

Intuitive Surgical is facing at least two main issues. First, President Donald Trump’s tariffs could have a significant impact on the company’s financial results, potentially decreasing its earnings. Second, there is mounting competition in its niche. Intuitive Surgical develops and markets robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) devices. Its best-known one is the da Vinci system, which is cleared across a range of indications, from general surgery to urologic procedures, weight loss surgeries, and more.

However, medical device giant Medtronic is inching closer to launching its Hugo system in urologic procedures in the U.S. Do these challenges make Intuitive Surgical’s prospects unattractive? Not at all, in my view. Even with the impact of tariffs, the company’s financial results remain excellent. Second-quarter revenue grew by 21% year over year to $2.44 billion, despite a 1% hit from tariffs.

Also, although competition is intensifying, the RAS market remains deeply underpenetrated. Furthermore, Intuitive Surgical has a significant established lead in this field, having launched its da Vinci system in 2000. The company’s advantage doesn’t just come from its large installed base of 10,488 systems as of the second quarter. Real-world use of its crown jewel has proven its efficacy beyond what can be established in clinical trials, and it has also provided Intuitive Surgical with the data and insight to improve its device.

Last year, the company launched the fifth generation of its da Vinci system, which was well-received in the market. Intuitive Surgical also benefits from high switching costs associated with the price of its da Vinci systems, making it likely to retain most of its customers. The company will profit from increased demand for surgical procedures. Though it makes money from the sale of its devices, it makes even more revenue from instruments and accessories, which is tied to procedure volume.

That’s a long-term trend that could ride for a while, given the world’s aging population and increased demand for medical services. So, Intuitive Surgical might be down right now, but the stock remains attractive to long-term investors.

2. Regeneron

In the second quarter, Regeneron’s revenue increased by 4% year over year to $3.68 billion. While that may not seem impressive, it’s essential to put things into perspective. The drugmaker is facing competition, including from biosimilars for Eylea, a medicine used to treat wet age-related macular degeneration. However, it is mitigating the losses associated with that product, thanks to a new, high-dose formulation of it, whose sales should continue moving in the right direction as it earns some label expansions.

The rest of Regeneron’s lineup looks pretty strong. The company’s revenue from cancer medicine Libtayo is growing at a healthy clip, while its most important growth driver, eczema treatment Dupixent, remains as robust as ever. Regeneron shares global rights to Dupixent with Sanofi. The medicine has been performing well over the past year, thanks to new indications, including an important one in COPD. Dupixent’s sales in the second period (recorded by Sanofi) grew by 22% year over year to $4.34 billion.

Meanwhile, the medicine could earn even more label expansions in the future, seeing as it is still being tested across a range of potential indications. Libtayo could also earn a label expansion of its own in squamous cell carcinoma. Furthermore, Regeneron recently received approval for a new cancer medicine, Lynozyfic.

The company’s pipeline features several additional products that could enhance its lineup. So, despite the competition for Eylea, Regeneron has launched a new formulation of the medicine, which is helping it stay afloat. The company is also launching new products and expanding labels for existing growth drivers. The stock looks like a buy despite the headwinds it has encountered.

Investors in search of stocks that can produce dramatic gains in a short time frame will want to turn their heads toward the healthcare sector. A handful of stocks in the space more than doubled in price recently.

Shares of Precigen (PGEN -4.61%) and Mineralys Therapeutics (MLYS 4.86%) have already risen more than 100% since the end of July. Despite the recent run-ups, Wall Street experts who follow these stocks believe they could soar even further.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. Precigen

From the end of July through Friday, Sept. 5, shares of Precigen shot 155% higher. The market cheered because the drugmaker earned approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its first treatment. Papzimeos is a cell-based immunotherapy for the treatment of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), a rare disease that results in tumors lining the respiratory tract.

Papzimeos is the first and only treatment approved by the FDA to treat an estimated 27,000 patients with RRP. The agency granted the drug full approval instead of waiting for a confirmatory study. In the single-arm trial supporting its application, 18 out of 35 patients responded well enough to avoid tumor removal surgery for at least 12 months after treatment with Papzimeos.

The agency and analysts following Precigen were encouraged by the fact that 15 out of the initial 18 responders remained surgery-free 24 months after treatment with Papzimeos. In response, Swayampakula Ramakanth from HC Wainwright reiterated a buy rating and an $8.50 price target that implies a 95% gain in the year ahead.

2. Mineralys Therapeutics

Shares of Mineralys Therapeutics rose 146% from the end of July through Sept. 5. Investors were excited about a successful new funding round to support continued development of lorundrostat, its lead candidate. On Sept. 2, Mineralys suspended an at-the-money equity offering and, within a couple of days, completed a secondary offering that ended up raising $287.5 million.

In August, investors hardly noticed a presentation of phase 3 trial results regarding lorundrostat. Patients who added the aldosterone inhibitor to the medications they were already taking reduced their systolic pressure by 16.9 millimeters of mercury after six weeks on treatment, compared to just 7.9 millimeters of mercury for patients who received a placebo.

Mineralys’ stock shot higher after AstraZeneca reported arguably inferior 12-week data for an aldosterone inhibitor it’s developing called baxdrostat. At week 12, it reduced patients’ systolic pressure by 15.7 millimeters of mercury, compared to 5.8 millimeters of mercury for the placebo group.

Less than a week ahead of Mineralys’ successful secondary stock offering, Bank of America analyst Greg Harrison boosted his target for the stock to $43 per share. The raised target implies a gain of about 24% from recent prices.

Time to buy?

Before you get too excited about Mineralys and its hypertension candidate, it’s important to realize the pre-commercial-stage business finished June with $325 million in cash, or enough to last into 2027. Diluting shareholder value to raise additional capital that could now push the stock price higher means the company isn’t super confident that it can quickly submit an application and earn approval for its lead candidate before the beginning of 2027.

MLYS Shares Outstanding data by YCharts.

At recent prices, Mineralys sports a huge $2.7 billion market cap that could shrink significantly if it looks like timing will become an issue that allows AstraZeneca’s candidate to gain and maintain a large share of the market for new hypertension drugs. It’s probably best to wait and see whether this company can earn approval for lorundrostat in a timely manner before adding the stock to your portfolio.

With a market cap of $1.3 billion at recent prices, expectations for Precigen are lower than they probably should be. Papzimeos is already approved and will launch unchallenged in its niche market.

Papzimeos’ addressable patient population is small, but a list price north of $200,000 per year per patient means it could rack up more than $1 billion in annual sales at its peak. Since drugmaker stocks generally trade at mid- to high-single-digit multiples of total sales, adding some shares to a diversified portfolio now looks like a smart move.

There’s a reason 62 tends to be a common age to sign up for Social Security — it’s the earliest age you’re allowed to take benefits. If you’re thinking of filing for Social Security at 62, it’s important to understand exactly what that means for you and your family financially. Here are three key pieces of information to keep in mind.

1. You’ll reduce your monthly benefits for life

You’re entitled to your complete Social Security benefit without a reduction at full retirement age, which is 67 for anyone born in 1960 or later. You can start getting those benefits at 62, but the Social Security Administration will reduce them if you sign up before full retirement age.

Image source: Getty Images.

One thing you must know is that any reduction in Social Security you face by claiming early is a permanent one. And if you sign up at 62 with a full retirement age of 67, you’re looking at slashing your monthly benefits by 30% for life. If you don’t have a lot of retirement savings, that’s a hit you may not be able to afford easily.

2. You’ll leave your spouse with a smaller survivor benefit

If you’re married, the financial decisions you make regarding your retirement can significantly impact your spouse. And that extends to Social Security.

If you’re the higher earner in your household, your spouse might depend heavily on Social Security survivor benefits if they end up outliving you. But if you claim benefits at 62 and reduce them substantially in the process, it could mean leaving your spouse with that much less money once you’re no longer around. That could cause them a world of stress and make it difficult for them to keep up with their expenses.

3. You’ll be subject to an earnings test if you’re still working

You don’t have to stop working to claim Social Security. And once you reach full retirement age, you can earn any amount of money from a job without it negatively impacting your Social Security benefits if you’re collecting them.

But if you claim Social Security before full retirement age, you’ll be subject to an earnings test if you’re still working. And exceeding its limit could result in withheld benefits.

In 2025, you can earn up to $23,400 without risking the withholding of your Social Security benefits. Beyond that point, you’ll have $1 in Social Security withheld per $2 of earnings.

Now you should know that if you have benefits withheld for exceeding the earnings-test limit, they’re not forfeited completely. You should get the money back in the form of larger monthly benefits once full retirement age arrives.

However, it may not make sense to reduce your benefits by claiming them at 62 only to then have most of that income source withheld due to earning too much. Run the numbers to see how much Social Security, if any, you’re likely to lose temporarily.

Though it’s easy to see why 62 is such an appealing age to file for Social Security, it may not be the optimal age for you. Or maybe it is. The key, either way, is to understand the ramifications of taking benefits that early and to make sure you’re prepared to deal with the aftermath.

When cryptocurrency last soared in 2020 and 2021, we also saw smaller cryptocurrencies take off in what’s known as an “altcoin season.” These often unheard of cryptocurrencies skyrocketed and sometimes generated returns of thousands of percent.

Times have changed. Although Bitcoin (BTC 0.37%) has repeatedly set all-time highs during the past year, many smaller coins have struggled. Not only has Bitcoin grown more dominant, but there are also millions more new projects now than there were in the last crypto boom.

The appeal of under-the-radar cryptocurrencies is that you might uncover the next big thing and see eye-watering gains. However, the project might also collapse or turn out to be a scam. Altcoins can carry significantly more risk, not least because it isn’t always easy to find reliable information about them.

Image source: Getty Images.

That said, these six lesser-known cryptocurrencies are worth a closer look. All have established use cases, either in decentralized finance (DeFi) or in the real world. There are no guarantees, but these certainly have potential.

1. Chainlink

Chainlink (LINK 0.16%) is an important cog of the blockchain machine. Smart contracts (tiny pieces of code) need accurate information to function, and Chainlink provides it. It collates on-chain and off-chain data and feeds it to various blockchain ecosystems.

Chainlink recently announced it would work with the U.S. Department of Commerce to bring government data onto the blockchain. It is also collaborating with financial heavyweights such as the Swift international banking cooperative, Mastercard, JPMorgan, and more.

2. Monero

Monero (XMR 0.33%) is a privacy cryptocurrency. There’s a perception that these coins are mainly used by hackers and money launderers. That’s a valid concern, but, as Chainalysis points out, a lack of liquidity in privacy coins means criminals are actually more likely to use Bitcoin.

Importantly, there are also legitimate reasons for turning to privacy coins. Transparency is one of the core tenets of blockchain, meaning pseudonymous transactions can be viewed on the ledger. However, only the wallet address can be seen, which — in theory — protects people’s identities. The challenge is that it’s increasingly possible to connect wallet addresses to actual people or organizations.

As cryptocurrency becomes more mainstream, that could be problematic. For example, a business that uses stablecoins won’t want competitors to use blockchain transparency to find out what salaries they pay or what suppliers they use. Individual investors may want to protect their privacy for a host of reasons.

As a result, the growth in stablecoins and tokenization may well drive demand for privacy coins like Monero.

3. Cardano

Cardano (ADA 0.89%) may well be the best-known crypto on this list. Cardano is a smart-contract crypto, which means that other projects can be built on its ecosystem. It emphasizes real-world utility, particularly in terms of digital identities.

The project depends heavily on peer-reviewed research, which isn’t always popular in the fast-moving world of digital currencies. However, as the industry matures, established businesses are exploring ways to use the blockchain. That could well be the opportunity Cardano needs — the non-crypto world may be more appreciative of its methodical approach.

4. Render

Render (RENDER 1.38%) highlights a different use case for blockchain technology. People can join its network and put their unused computer processing power to work, earning Render tokens along the way.

Render sells this idle computing power to people who want to perform processing-intensive tasks like making graphics and videos. It splits the work across the tens of thousands of computers in its network. Originally aimed at graphics, the Render now also supports generative AI tools.

5. Arbitrum

Arbitrum is one of several so-called Layer-2 (L2) solutions. These sit on top of existing blockchains like Ethereum (ETH 0.10%) to improve performance, while still using the security and foundation of the main chain.

Arbitrum makes Ethereum more scalable. Developers can do all the same things they might do on Ethereum, but with faster transaction times and lower fees.

There are quite a few L2 solutions, but a look at DefiLlama shows that Arbitrum has attracted a good number of developers and users. As of Sept. 4, it had the third-highest number of apps. And it’s in the top 10 chains for total locked value — the value of assets on its system.

6. Hedera

Did you know that some cryptocurrencies don’t use blockchain technology? Hedera (HBAR 1.80%) is one of them. It supports the functionality that you would look for with a blockchain-based crypto. You can use it to make payments, transfer money, build smart contracts, and more. But the underlying technology works differently.

It uses something called hashgraph technology, where nodes talk to one another in a process it describes as gossip-about-gossip. Because it doesn’t rely on a process of adding and verifying new blocks, it can process transactions more quickly than traditional blockchains.

One of the big appeals of Hedera is its energy efficiency. Many traditional cryptos rely on either proof-of-work or the less energy-intensive proof-of-stake systems to keep their networks secure. Hedera says it consumes hundreds or thousands of times less energy without sacrificing speed or security.

It boasts heavyweights like Alphabet (GOOG 1.04%), Dell (DELL -1.45%), and IBM (IBM 0.51%) on its governing body, but has yet to prove itself in terms of DeFi activity.

Understand the risks

Cryptocurrency is still a relatively new asset class, and it’s advisable to ensure it only makes up a small percentage of your investment portfolio. If you’re moving beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum into smaller caps, the projects may fail or drop dramatically in value. Bear in mind that eight of the cryptos that were in the top 20 by market cap in September 2021 have fallen off that list today.

Even with relatively established altcoins, there’s a lot of risk. Be clear about how much you want to invest and what your strategy is — particularly what might cause you to sell your crypto. Try not to get caught up in the hype, especially around the latest meme coin. The idea is to find under-the-radar cryptos that will eventually be on people’s radars and stay there.

Nuclear stocks are hot right now as electricity usage continues its artificial intelligence (AI)-fueled rise. Nuclear start-up Oklo (OKLO 0.26%) has been one of the hottest, with shares trading up more than 225% already this year.

Even though Oklo hasn’t built a single small modular reactor (SMR), and even though it’s up against some fierce competition, and even though it’s a risky bet, I’m predicting that Oklo will be a millionaire-maker stock.

Here’s why I’m so confident.

Oklo is all in on AI

Most nuclear companies don’t particularly care who their customers are: Their reactors generate electricity, and they’ll sell it to whoever’s willing to pay for it. Oklo has taken a different approach, specifically tailoring parts of its investment pitch to AI providers.

Image source: Getty Images.

In July, Oklo announced a collaboration agreement with digital infrastructure company Vertiv (VRT -1.34%) to co-develop thermal management solutions for hyperscale data centers co-located with and powered by Oklo’s nuclear power plants. The collaboration makes sense because both data centers and nuclear reactors generate lots of heat and require heavy-duty industrial cooling systems.

This AI focus isn’t particularly surprising given Oklo’s history. It went public in 2024 through a merger with AltC Acquisition, a SPAC helmed by OpenAI founder Sam Altman. Altman himself served as Oklo’s board chair until April, when he stepped down to allow the company to pursue deals with AI companies other than OpenAI.

Oklo apparently has friends in high places

Besides Altman, Oklo has its fair share of big investors. Cathie Wood‘s Ark Invest owns a stake, for example. But the company has some even more powerful players in its corner.

Oklo seems to have found a friend in the Trump administration, which has promoted nuclear power even as it has canceled funding for solar and wind projects. But even beyond its general support for nuclear energy, the Trump administration seems to hold Oklo in particularly high regard.

The U.S. Department of Energy recently selected 11 projects for its Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program. Two of these are Oklo projects, and a third is a project of Oklo’s subsidiary Atomic Alchemy. No other company had more than one of its projects selected. The program’s stated goal is to have three reactors operational by July 4, 2026, and it seems ready to provide extra help to make that happen.

A little success

In spite of all these elements — powerful backers, government support, AI buzz — there’s still the very real possibility that Oklo might never get off the ground. SMRs are still a relatively unproven technology, with only a handful operational anywhere in the world (and none in the U.S.). Unforeseen technical issues or design flaws could delay Oklo’s projects enough that competitors bring viable products to market first, shutting Oklo out. Oklo’s design might fail to deliver the promised output or end up costing too much to be viable. In short, a lot could go wrong here for investors.

That said, Oklo could become a millionaire-maker stock well before it ever fully deploys its technology at scale. If Oklo can bring one of its SMR prototypes online by 2027 as planned, and that prototype performs well enough to convince some big AI companies to place orders for Oklo-powered data centers, the company’s share price is likely to skyrocket in anticipation of future business, rewarding investors who buy in now.

Even though it’s a speculative investment that might not pan out, I think Oklo’s potential makes it worth a look for risk-tolerant investors.

In the late 2010s, it felt like a daily occurrence that new cryptocurrencies were arriving onto the scene. From meme tokens to stablecoins, the variety of newly launched cryptos holding their initial coin offerings was considerable.

Today, things have quieted down considerably, yet Ethereum (ETH 0.03%) remains one cryptocurrency that remains at the forefront of investors’ radars. In fact, the price of Ethereum has risen more than 32% since the start of the year.

But how have investors fared who bought Ethereum when the crypto frenzy started to taper off in 2020? Below, I’ll take a closer look at what a $10,000 investment five years ago would be worth today.

Image source: Getty Images.

The price of Ethereum has soared into the ether

Thanks to an explosion of interest in decentralized finance, the price of Ethereum soared through 2021. In that one year alone, the price of the crypto rose more than 408%.

Due, in part, to rising inflation and, to a larger extent, a growing skepticism for cryptocurrencies after the collapse of crypto exchange FTX, the market’s appetite for Ethereum dwindled in the following year, and the price of Ethereum plunged 67% in 2022.

Subsequently, a variety of factors have contributed to the price of Ethereum repeatedly rising and falling. Most recently, for example, the price of Ethereum ripped higher last month after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell intimated that interest rates could drop before the end of the year.

There have been some downturns in the price of Ethereum over the past few years, but overall, the crypto has skyrocketed in price. Investors who bought $10,000 in Ethereum on Sept. 4, 2020 have seen their positions grow to $132,740 five years later.

Does Ethereum represent a good buying opportunity today?

While Ethereum has provided long-term investors with impressive gains over the past five years, there are plenty of reasons to suspect that there’s much more room for the crypto to run higher. Investors must carefully consider their risk tolerances before buying Ethereum, as volatility is sure to persist.

Investors can find success in the stock market by sticking with companies that consistently report strong growth in revenues. This is a simple strategy that, when applied across a diversified portfolio of growth stocks, can lead to outstanding returns over a decade or more.

The important thing is to follow the growth of the business, not the short-term volatility in the share price. There’s a high correlation between a company’s growth and stock performance over many years.

With that in mind, let’s look at two stocks that could be easy wealth builders for a long-term investor.

Image source: Getty Images.

1. MercadoLibre

The Latin American e-commerce market is booming. It is a large population surpassing 650 million people, which is fueling strong growth for MercadoLibre (MELI 0.00%). The company offers an online marketplace where merchants can sell goods to millions of buyers, but it also generates revenue from mobile payments, advertising, and other fintech services.

Over the last 10 years, the company’s revenue has grown at a compound annual rate of more than 40%, sending the stock up 2,000%. MercadoLibre continues to report high rates of growth as it continues to invest in improving the customer experience, such as lowering prices, increasing shipping speeds, and rolling out new products like credit cards. Revenue reached nearly $6.8 billion in its second quarter 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 34%.

MercadoLibre has multiple levers to pull to sustain high rates of growth. It recently reduced shipping and seller fees, incentivizing sellers to also reduce their selling prices. This move shows how it is leveraging its massive scale as the dominant e-commerce company in Latin America to gain share and grow its customer base.

Lower fees for sellers are expected to increase the selection of goods offered on the marketplace, which, in turn, will drive higher customer satisfaction and more frequent shopping.

Additionally, the Mercado Pago credit business has been a fast-growing source of revenue in recent years and an attractive long-term opportunity to win more customers. The company’s credit portfolio roughly doubled in Q2 over the year-ago quarter, indicating strong adoption of its credit card product.

The integration of financial services like credit cards, paired with its commerce business, helps create a tighter ecosystem of services that drives customer loyalty. With just 68 million monthly active users, MercadoLibre has an enormous runway to grow its fintech business.

MercadoLibre is tapping into a huge opportunity, helping millions of people in the region get access to basic financial services. The compounding growth of this business makes it an excellent buy-and-hold stock to build wealth for retirement.

2. Coupang

Coupang (CPNG 0.63%) has a lot of similarities to Amazon. It is revolutionizing e-commerce in South Korea and Taiwan, where it’s showing strong growth potential outside its home market in Korea. It might seem challenging for another e-commerce juggernaut to rise under Amazon’s shadow, but Coupang has advantages.

Coupang’s trailing-12-month revenue has increased 62% over the three years to $32 billion. Quarterly revenue increased by 19% year over year in Q2 on a constant-currency basis. The company’s profitability also continues to trend in a positive direction, with gross profit, operating income, and earnings per share increasing over the year-ago quarter. Strong financial results pushed the stock up 30% year to date.

This growth reflects execution at expanding product selection, and investing in automation to improve delivery speed. It offers same-day delivery across a massive selection of products to millions of customers living in densely populated cities, which is the basis of its competitive advantage.

One area of the business that indicates a lot of growth potential is its Developing Offerings. This includes grocery delivery and streaming entertainment. Revenue from these items grew 33% year over year — significantly faster than its product commerce. This reflects more customers continuing to spend more with Coupang after initially purchasing products through its e-commerce business.

Moreover, management indicated in the last earnings report that its Developing Offerings in Taiwan are growing faster than anticipated. This is a great sign that its business model could find more markets outside of South Korea, where it can be successful and deliver returns for shareholders.

Coupang is essentially becoming the default app that 24 million active customers rely on for buying goods, food, and digital entertainment. Its record of consistently reporting high-double-digit growth, with promising international expansion potential, could make this a huge winner for investors over the long term.