Nasdaq Posts Best Quarter in 6 Years as AI Backlogs Grow

The NASDAQ Composite gained 21.4% in Q2 2026, posting its best quarter in six years alongside the S&P 500, driven by strong AI and data center demand with record order backlogs. The job market is improving with positive employment trends, and analysts expect continued earnings growth. The author forecasts Q3 GDP growth of 5-6% fueled by AI productivity gains, better trade balance from energy exports, and consumer spending, though housing market recovery remains modest.

07/01/2026, 3:32 PM • Investing

BigBear.ai vs. SoundHound AI: Which AI Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?

The article compares two AI stocks with divergent strategies: BigBear.ai focuses on government defense contracts with declining revenue and significant legal risks, while SoundHound AI pursues rapid commercial expansion in automotive and restaurant sectors with strong revenue growth. Despite both companies being unprofitable, SoundHound AI is recommended as the better long-term buy due to its expanding customer base and clearer path to profitability through scale.

07/01/2026, 1:15 PM • The Motley Fool

Meet the Magnificent Small-Cap ETF Crushing the S&P 500 in 2026. Is It Still a Buy?

The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (IWM) has significantly outperformed the S&P 500 in 2026, gaining 20.5% versus 7.2%. While small-cap stocks offer diversification and growth potential, the article cautions against expecting continued 20% returns and recommends limiting small-cap allocation to 10% of a portfolio. The S&P 500's tech-heavy composition contrasts with the Russell 2000's broader sector diversification.

07/01/2026, 12:30 PM • The Motley Fool

Amazon Could Be About to Reap the Rewards of a Software Spending Boom

A Jefferies survey of IT executives shows cloud spending is expected to grow over 10% in 2026, with 95% of CIOs planning to increase cloud budgets and 56% specifically planning to spend more on AWS. This data supports Amazon's massive CapEx investments in AI infrastructure and data centers, suggesting the market has been undervaluing the company based on fear rather than fundamentals.

07/01/2026, 12:19 PM • Investing

Cathie Wood Goes Bargain Hunting: 3 Stocks She Just Bought

Cathie Wood's Ark Invest added to positions in Amazon, SoFi Technologies, and Snowflake on Monday. Amazon is up only 3% this year despite strong AWS growth, SoFi has fallen 32% but shows strong revenue growth and profitability improvements, and Snowflake posted its strongest revenue growth since 2023 with high customer retention rates.

07/01/2026, 11:07 AM • The Motley Fool

Glass Marks Two Years Transforming Federal Procurement with G-Commerce

Glass, a GovTech company, has achieved significant growth in the GSA's Commercial Platforms Program over two years, expanding from its first federal transaction to 50,000+ users across 44 federal agencies with 16 million compliant products. The company has facilitated over $10 million in federal purchasing and earned exceptional GSA performance ratings. Glass is now introducing AI-native procurement capabilities and was selected for Mastercard's Start Path Corporate Solutions program to modernize government purchasing infrastructure.

07/01/2026, 11:00 AM • GlobeNewswire

If I Could Tell Everyone 1 Thing About the Stock Market Right Now, It's This

Despite a strong three-year bull market with double-digit returns driven by AI and tech stocks, the S&P 500 faces potential correction risks similar to pre-2000 tech bubble and 2022 bear market. The article advises investors to focus on fundamentals and financially strong stocks to minimize risk during uncertain economic conditions.

07/01/2026, 10:30 AM • The Motley Fool

Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang Just Called Marvell Technology The Next Trillion-Dollar Company. But Is It the Better Stock to Buy?

While Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang praised Marvell Technology as a potential trillion-dollar company, the article argues Nvidia remains the better investment. Nvidia is growing faster (81% expected this year vs. Marvell's 41%), trades at a more reasonable valuation (22x forward earnings vs. Marvell's 70x), and maintains dominance in the AI data center market. Marvell's AI chip partnerships with Microsoft and Amazon show promise but are still ramping up.

07/01/2026, 6:20 AM • The Motley Fool

Warren Buffett's Successor, Greg Abel, Started His Tenure With a Bang by Dumping Domino's and Making a Virtual Monopoly Berkshire's New No. 5 Holding

Greg Abel, Warren Buffett's successor as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has begun reshaping the company's $332 billion investment portfolio by exiting 16 positions including Domino's Pizza, while significantly increasing stakes in Alphabet. Alphabet has become a top-five holding worth over $29 billion, driven by its dominant search engine market position and AI capabilities.

07/01/2026, 5:06 AM • The Motley Fool

Rising AI and HPC Workloads Propel Demand for Liquid Cooling in European Data Centers

Europe's data center construction market is expected to grow from $16.99 billion in 2025 to $58.74 billion by 2031, driven by liquid cooling adoption for AI workloads, digitalization, cloud expansion, and government support. Hyperscale data centers lead investments, with Western Europe and the Nordics dominating due to renewable energy availability and strategic locations.

07/01/2026, 4:51 AM • GlobeNewswire

How Long Can Target Stock Continue To Crush Amazon, Walmart, and Costco?

Target stock has surged over 40% in 2026 under new CEO Michael Fiddelke's turnaround plan, significantly outperforming retail competitors. The company reported strong Q1 results with 6.7% revenue growth, improvements in product availability, and expansion across digital and physical channels. With owned brands generating $30B+ annually and early recovery momentum, Target appears positioned to continue outperforming peers in the near term, though challenges like difficult year-over-year comparisons and weak consumer sentiment remain.

07/01/2026, 4:02 AM • The Motley Fool

アナプラン、信頼性の高いAI駆動型意思決定インフラ「エージェンティック・エンタープライズ」を発表、大規模なリソース配分の効率化、意思決定の質とスピードの向上を実現

Anaplan announced the launch of 'Agentic Enterprise,' an integrated operational model that leverages AI agents to automate core business functions across finance, supply chain, HR, and sales. The platform combines LLM conversational capabilities with deterministic computing to provide auditable, trustworthy AI-driven decisions. Anaplan plans to deliver comprehensive agent portfolios for CFO offices by October 2026, with full suites for other departments by year-end. The solution is deployed on Amazon Bedrock and aims to reduce costs while improving operational efficiency.

06/30/2026, 5:32 PM • GlobeNewswire

Anaplan stellt Agentic Enterprise vor – eine vertrauenswürdige, KI-gestützte Entscheidungsinfrastruktur für effiziente Ressourcenallokation sowie höhere Entscheidungsqualität und -geschwindigkeit in großem Maßstab

Anaplan launched Agentic Enterprise, an AI-powered operating model that automates operational tasks across finance, supply chain, HR, and sales through AI agents, freeing humans to focus on strategic decision-making. The platform integrates real-time data across enterprise systems and will be deployed on Amazon Bedrock, with finance-focused agents launching by October 2026 and full suites for other domains by year-end.

06/30/2026, 5:32 PM • GlobeNewswire

Best Buy’s Turnaround Is Gaining Traction, But Wall Street Still Needs Proof

Best Buy is showing signs of stabilization with Q1 results beating expectations, including revenue of $8.94B, comparable sales up 2%, and improved margins. However, Wall Street remains cautious with a Hold rating, citing concerns about leadership transitions, muted sales guidance, appliance sales decline, and ongoing competitive pressure from e-commerce giants.

06/30/2026, 4:11 PM • Investing

The "Magnificent Seven's" Capex Supercycle Has Given Birth to 2 Millionaire-Maker Stocks Hiding in Plain Sight. Here's the Best of the Bunch

Major U.S. hyperscalers are projected to spend a record $725 billion on AI infrastructure this year, creating significant opportunities for semiconductor and server suppliers. Micron Technology and Dell Technologies are positioned to benefit from this supercycle, with Micron identified as the better investment due to higher predicted earnings growth and cheaper valuation.

06/30/2026, 2:23 PM • The Motley Fool