Forget Nvidia: This Infrastructure Upstart Is The Real Backdoor AI Winner

IREN, an Australian AI infrastructure company that transitioned from Bitcoin mining, has rallied nearly 150% over the past 12 months. With major contracts from Microsoft ($9.7B) and Nvidia ($3.4B), analysts project IREN's revenue will grow from $510M in fiscal 2025 to $6.44B by fiscal 2028. Trading at attractive valuations relative to growth expectations, IREN is positioned as a potential outperformer compared to larger AI leaders like Nvidia.

07/03/2026, 2:18 PM • The Motley Fool

Meta Is Reportedly Building a Cloud Business to Rival Amazon and Microsoft -- and a Way to Make Its Massive AI Bet Pay Off

Meta is reportedly developing a cloud business called Meta Compute to sell AI computing power and models, competing with Amazon and Microsoft's cloud units. This move could help justify Meta's massive capital expenditure plans ($125-145 billion for 2026) by monetizing excess data center capacity. The stock jumped 8.8% on the news, though the plan remains unconfirmed. Meta's core business is accelerating with 33% year-over-year revenue growth in Q1, and the stock trades at a modest 21x earnings multiple.

07/03/2026, 9:23 AM • The Motley Fool

Why Is Wall Street So Bullish on Micron? There's 1 Key Reason.

Micron Technology has surged over 800% in the past year, driven by strong Q3 earnings that beat analyst expectations. Wall Street remains bullish on the stock, with analysts projecting Micron could become the world's third-most profitable company by 2027 with estimated operating income of $200.8 billion, trailing only Nvidia and Alphabet.

07/03/2026, 8:16 AM • The Motley Fool

Geopolitical Tensions Impacting AI in Pathology Market: Insights into US-Israel-Iran Conflicts on Market Dynamics

The global AI in Pathology market is valued at USD 28.75 Million in 2025 and expected to reach USD 68.81 Million by 2035 with a 9.12% CAGR. However, the US-Israel-Iran conflict is creating headwinds, causing IDC to revise US IT spending growth downward and disrupting cloud infrastructure and semiconductor supply chains. Despite challenges, AI infrastructure investment remains strong as enterprises seek automation solutions.

07/03/2026, 7:59 AM • GlobeNewswire

Hyperscalers and Sovereign Initiatives: Driving Forces Behind AI Data Center Expansion

The global AI data center market is undergoing rapid transformation as traditional data centers transition to AI-optimized facilities with advanced liquid cooling and high-density designs. Driven by hyperscalers (Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta) and sovereign AI initiatives, the market is projected to experience significant growth from 2026-2032. Key challenges include power availability, grid interconnectivity, and energy efficiency, while competitive advantages will stem from power efficiency and advanced networking capabilities.

07/03/2026, 7:58 AM • GlobeNewswire

Palantir's Business Is Booming. So Why Has the Stock Dropped by More Than a Third?

Despite Palantir's strong business fundamentals—including 85% revenue growth, 130% surge in commercial revenue, and 46% operating margins—the stock has fallen 37% from its November 2025 peak. The decline reflects a valuation reset rather than business deterioration, as investors have become less willing to pay extraordinary premiums for AI stocks. The company's P/E ratio of 146 remains elevated, illustrating that stock performance and business performance don't always move in tandem.

07/03/2026, 7:10 AM • The Motley Fool

Software-Defined Automation Market Poised for Significant Growth to Reach $96.98 Billion by 2030

The software-defined automation market is projected to grow from $46.63 billion in 2025 to $96.98 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 15.7%, driven by AI-driven process automation, cloud-based platforms, and manufacturing innovations. China's industrial sector deployed 2.027 million robots in 2024, highlighting growing adoption. North America currently leads the market while Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region.

07/03/2026, 6:29 AM • GlobeNewswire

Generative AI in Gaming Market Report 2026

The generative AI in gaming market is experiencing rapid growth, projected to expand from $1.79 billion in 2025 to $5.09 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 23.2%. Key drivers include procedural content generation, cloud gaming, VR/AR integration, and personalized player experiences. Major industry players are leveraging AI-driven tools for competitive advantage, with Asia-Pacific dominating the market.

07/03/2026, 6:28 AM • GlobeNewswire

Virtual Machine Market Projected to Hit USD 53.52 Billion by 2035 as AI, Cloud Computing, and Hybrid IT Infrastructure Drive Adoption | SNS Insider

The global virtual machine market is expected to grow from USD 13.70 billion in 2025 to USD 53.52 billion by 2035, with a CAGR of 14.6%. Growth is driven by increasing adoption of AI, cloud computing, hybrid IT infrastructure, and edge computing. North America leads with 38% market share, while Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region at 15.7% CAGR. Large enterprises currently dominate, but SMEs are expected to show the fastest growth.

07/03/2026, 5:42 AM • GlobeNewswire

Meta Wants In on the Cloud. Is Amazon Stock Still a Buy?

Meta is reportedly building a cloud computing service to compete with Amazon Web Services (AWS) by renting AI computing power. However, analysts believe AWS's dominance is secure due to its established enterprise relationships, comprehensive software services, and deep customer base built since 2006. AWS grew revenue 28% year-over-year in Q1 2026 and generates nearly 60% of Amazon's operating income. Amazon stock remains a buy at $242 per share, as Meta's entry would likely only compete in the commodity computing capacity layer, not AWS's full-service platform.

07/02/2026, 9:28 PM • The Motley Fool

Why Is Microsoft Stock Falling, and is it a Generational Buying Opportunity?

Microsoft experienced one of its worst months of performance in June 2026, disappointing investors. The article questions whether this decline represents a generational buying opportunity for the stock.

07/02/2026, 7:27 PM • The Motley Fool

My 12 Top Ranked Stocks to Buy Right Now in July (2026)

An investment analyst presents 12 top-ranked stocks to buy in July 2026, offering opportunities across semiconductor, growth, and dividend stock categories despite market volatility earlier in the year.

07/02/2026, 7:27 PM • The Motley Fool

Stock Market Today, July 2: UiPath Gains as Agentic Automation Strategy Faces Earnings Test

UiPath closed up 1.08% at $11.69 as investors monitor whether its agentic automation strategy can drive stronger annual recurring revenue growth and customer expansion. The company is positioning itself as an orchestration layer for complex enterprise workflows combining AI agents, robots, and people. The next earnings report will be critical in validating whether this strategic shift translates to durable growth and higher enterprise demand.

07/02/2026, 5:34 PM • The Motley Fool

If I Could Only Hold 1 Vanguard ETF Forever, Here's What I'd Buy

The article recommends the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) as the ideal single buy-and-hold ETF for long-term investors. VTI is preferred over the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) because it provides broader diversification by including roughly 3,500 stocks across all market caps, including mid- and small-cap stocks that have recently outperformed large-caps. With an ultra-low expense ratio of 0.03%, VTI serves as an ideal foundational portfolio holding for participating in broad U.S. economic growth.

07/02/2026, 2:29 PM • The Motley Fool

Meta’s AI Compute Push Could Turn Its Massive CapEx Bill Into a Competitive Weapon

Meta is monetizing its surplus GPU capacity by selling raw compute to third-party developers, transforming its massive $125-145B capital expenditure into a revenue stream. This move creates a deflationary pricing floor that threatens pure-play hardware lessors like CoreWeave while leaving enterprise-focused hyperscalers (Amazon, Microsoft) relatively insulated due to their bundled software services. The cheaper compute benefits software-as-a-service companies by reducing development costs.

07/02/2026, 1:09 PM • Investing