Past Stories

2026-10-23 12:13 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective ASB ASBA ASBPE ASBPF

Associated Banc-Corp reported strong Q3 2026 results with net interest margin expansion driven by $700 million in core deposit growth over seven consecutive quarters. The bank resumed share buybacks with a $100 million repurchase program and expanded its commercial loan pipeline by nearly 40% year-over-year, signaling management confidence in sustainable organic growth.

Axe note: US regional lender Associated Banc-Corp shows earners expansion and deposit strength that echo risks and opportunities for SA banks like FirstRand and Standard Bank.

2026-10-23 12:13 • The Motley Fool Neutral Axe Cap view: Selective MU SKHY

Micron Technology's stock surged over 850% between June 2025 and June 2026 due to AI data center demand and memory shortages, but has since fallen 25% from its peak. While the company has grown revenue 256% and earnings 879%, market concerns about oversupply, competition from Chinese manufacturers, and historical precedent of memory price crashes are keeping valuations modest despite strong fundamentals.

Axe note: Micron’s remarkable growth is tempered by familiar memory market risks, a lesson South African investors should weigh carefully.

2026-10-23 12:09 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective DUOL S CRWD PANW ZS

AI stocks are experiencing a significant sell-off, with the Nasdaq-100 down 5.5% last week. The article identifies Duolingo and SentinelOne as potential bargain opportunities during this market downturn, as both companies are well-positioned to benefit from long-term AI adoption despite current market pressures.

Axe note: A sharp pullback in AI stocks has left some quality growth names trading at more reasonable prices.

2026-10-23 12:05 • The Motley Fool Mixed Axe Cap view: Selective RIVN LCID

Rivian's $4.5 billion Department of Energy loan provides favorable financing for its Georgia factory construction with low interest rates and delayed repayment starting in 2030-2031. While the loan itself isn't directly dilutive, it indirectly required a $1.3 billion capital raise in July that diluted shareholders. The loan offers significant advantages including hundreds of millions in annual interest savings compared to other debt instruments and breathing room before repayment begins, though early Georgia plant production may initially be less profitable than the Illinois facility.

Axe note: Rivian’s government-backed loan offers attractive terms that ease short-term pressures but comes with indirect dilution and execution risks.

2026-10-23 12:02 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective MU

Micron Technology has emerged as a major AI success story with revenue surging 379% and stock price tripling this year, reaching a $1 trillion market cap. With the stock trading near $900, speculation arises about a potential stock split to make shares more accessible to retail investors. However, the author suggests a split is unlikely in the near term given the stock's recent pullback from its $1,200 peak, despite the company's strong AI-driven growth prospects.

Axe note: Micron’s blockbuster AI-driven growth raises questions about South Africa’s appetite and timing for exposure via USD/ZAR or local tech proxies.

2026-10-23 11:52 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective PYPL

PayPal stock has declined over 80% from its 2021 peak of $310 as pandemic-era e-commerce tailwinds faded and growth slowed to single digits. However, the author argues the stock presents a compelling value opportunity, trading at 10x forward earnings with strong free cash flow generation ($1.8B last quarter) and aggressive share buybacks. Despite modest 5% revenue growth and flat user base, the combination of modest profit growth and share count reduction could drive double-digit EPS growth.

Axe note: PayPal has lost over 80% from its peak but still offers value on cheap earnings and cash flow.

2026-10-23 11:46 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective OMC

Omnicom reported strong Q3 2026 results with ~5% organic revenue growth and 7.2% Q3 organic growth. The company is realizing $900 million in cost synergies from its Interpublic acquisition, expanding adjusted EBITA margins by 2 percentage points to 18.2%. Management is completing portfolio pruning of non-core assets and executing a $5 billion share buyback program that has already reduced shares by 12% since year-end 2025, positioning the company for reinvestment in digital services and AI technology.

Axe note: Omnicom’s strong growth and cost savings signal smart capital allocation amid digital transformation.

2026-10-23 11:40 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective QQQ NVDA AAPL MSFT

The Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is recommended as a core holding for long-term investors. Tracking the Nasdaq-100 index of the 100 largest non-financial stocks, QQQ has delivered average annualized returns of 10.6% since 1999, outperforming the S&P 500's 8.6%. Over the past 20 years, QQQ returned 16.1% versus 11.1% for the S&P 500, with the ETF heavily concentrated in technology stocks (68%) that have historically driven market growth.

Axe note: The Nasdaq-100 ETF offers unique tech exposure that South African investors can't easily replicate locally.

2026-10-23 11:33 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective WDC

Western Digital reported 55% year-over-year revenue growth to $4.4 billion in Q1 FY2027, driven by expanding cloud storage demand from AI. The company is leveraging ePMR technology to increase storage capacity without additional factory investments, expanded gross margins to 58% through higher-capacity drives and pricing discipline, and has improved customer visibility through 2030 as AI workloads drive demand across cloud, enterprise, and neocloud markets.

Axe note: Western Digital’s cloud storage surge and margin gains highlight a strong tech play amid AI expansion.

2026-10-23 11:30 • The Motley Fool Mixed Axe Cap view: Selective META SPCX TSLA WMT AMZN NET CRM BRZE ISRG NFLX CSCO GLW EQT MELI

Meta, SpaceX, and Tesla posted strong revenue but are spending heavily on AI infrastructure with uncertain cash flow outcomes. Walmart opened AI shopping to approved agents while Amazon blocked them. Salesforce acquired Braze for a 58% premium but analysts expect modest returns. Netflix and Intuitive Surgical face pricing power challenges. Old-economy companies like Cisco, Corning, and EQT benefit from AI buildout demand.

Axe note: Global tech firms ramp up AI investments with mixed cash flow results, hinting at cautious positioning for JSE investors amid rand volatility.

2026-10-23 11:30 • The Motley Fool Negative Axe Cap view: Selective VOO VXUS

The IMF raised its global growth forecast to 3.1% for 2026 and 3.7% for 2027, driven largely by AI investment. However, the report warns that growth is concentrated in just 32 economies and heavily dependent on AI spending. If AI investment slows, global GDP could decline by 1.1% by 2028. Investors should be cautious about adding tech and semiconductor stocks, and recognize that international diversification may not fully mitigate AI exposure since major Asian economies are also heavily invested in the AI boom.

Axe note: IMF lifts growth forecast driven by AI, but warns of fragile concentration in few economies, calling for caution.

2026-10-23 11:23 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective CRWD S AMZN NVDA

The article compares two leading cybersecurity companies: CrowdStrike, which dominates with its unified Falcon platform, cloud-native architecture, and profitability, versus SentinelOne, which offers AI-powered Singularity platform with high-speed automated response but remains unprofitable. CrowdStrike is recommended as the stronger long-term investment due to its scale, profitability, accelerating growth, and deep integration into enterprise AI infrastructure, despite facing reputational risks from a 2024 incident. SentinelOne shows promising momentum and improving economics but is still in heavy investment phase with significant losses.

Axe note: CrowdStrike’s profitable growth and AI integration make it a stronger pick than SentinelOne’s high-burn approach.

2026-10-23 11:20 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective NEM

Newmont reported $1.9 billion in free cash flow for Q3 2026 and reduced its full-year gold production cost guidance by 10% to $1,520 per ounce. The company expanded its Nevada Gold Mines joint venture by acquiring three previously excluded properties for $1.95 billion. Production is expected to resume growth in 2027 following a planned production low point in 2026.

Axe note: Newmont’s Q3 results show cost cuts, strong cash flow, and expansion setting up production growth in 2027.

2026-10-23 11:15 • The Motley Fool Neutral Axe Cap view: Neutral ONON

On Holding's stock has declined 23% in 2026 due to an intentional slowdown in wholesale shipments to promote full-price sales. Despite the near-term headwinds, the company maintains strong fundamentals with 34.3% direct-to-consumer sales growth, 65.4% gross margins, and 56.2% apparel sales growth. Management projects low-20% constant-currency sales growth for 2026 and is expanding into football and golf with a $7 billion sales target. The stock trades at a reasonable 21x trailing earnings with a PEG ratio of 0.49, below analyst consensus price target of $43.55.

Axe note: On Holding’s share price has faced a sharp drop, but its core business remains remarkably healthy.

2026-10-23 11:06 • The Motley Fool Negative Axe Cap view: Selective NVDA SPCX ORCL ORCLPD CRWV

Bond markets are flashing warning signs about the massive debt-fueled AI infrastructure build-out, with long-duration corporate bond prices plunging for major AI companies like Nvidia, SpaceX, Oracle, and CoreWeave. Credit default swap spreads have hit record highs, and market-implied default risks have surged, suggesting investors are increasingly skeptical that AI revenues will justify the enormous capital spending. The article warns that the puzzle pieces are in place for an AI bubble-bursting event similar to past technological booms.

Axe note: Heavy bond sell-offs in global AI firms signal rising skepticism that might ripple into the Johannesburg market and USD/ZAR.

2026-10-23 11:00 • The Motley Fool Mixed Axe Cap view: Selective DRAM SOXX VGT NVDA MU TSM SKHY AAPL MSFT

While semiconductor ETFs SOXX and DRAM have experienced significant declines from their highs, the article argues that the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) is a better long-term investment choice. VGT offers broader tech sector exposure including AI infrastructure and software, lower fees (0.09% vs 0.65%), and more diversification across 314+ holdings compared to DRAM's concentrated bet on three memory chip stocks. The author suggests pairing VGT with individual international semiconductor holdings for customized exposure.

Axe note: Despite steep falls in semiconductor ETFs DRAM and SOXX, Vanguard’s broad tech ETF VGT offers a smarter, lower-cost way to ride the AI wave.

2026-10-23 10:50 • The Motley Fool Negative Axe Cap view: Selective KHC

Kraft Heinz faces continued investor frustration as its core business shrinks, with Q2 2026 net sales down 1.4% year-over-year and a $6.4 billion operating loss. New CEO Steve Cahillane's $600 million U.S. market revitalization strategy shows limited early results. While the stock offers a high 6.38% dividend yield, the analyst recommends waiting for the turnaround strategy to demonstrate tangible progress before investing.

Axe note: Kraft Heinz’s shrinking business and losses offer little comfort to South African investors eyeing consumer staples.

2026-10-23 10:41 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective META

Meta Platforms reported strong Q3 2026 earnings with 26% revenue growth to $64.6 billion, beating consensus estimates. The company's AI-driven advertising business continues to thrive, with advertising revenue jumping 26%. Meta's new Muse AI agents have attracted over 10 million users in the U.S. and Canada within six weeks, opening a new revenue stream. Despite increased capex spending on AI infrastructure ($135-145 billion), the stock is considered attractively valued at a forward P/E of 19, making it a solid buy heading into 2027.

Axe note: Meta’s strong Q3 results highlight AI-driven revenue gains, but local investors should watch USD/ZAR dynamics before diving in.

2026-10-23 10:39 • The Motley Fool Neutral Axe Cap view: Neutral RBLX

Roblox stock has declined 36% in 2026 despite growing revenue and free cash flow, due to slowing bookings growth (8% YoY) and weakening engagement. The company intentionally implemented safety measures and algorithm changes to prioritize long-term growth over near-term monetization. With a new AI creation tool launching and strong free cash flow generation ($294M in Q2), the stock now trades at a more attractive 22x free cash flow valuation.

Axe note: Roblox’s stock drop reflects near-term challenges but emerging strengths hint at a possible rally, with mixed signals for cautious investors.

2026-10-23 10:30 • The Motley Fool Positive Axe Cap view: Selective AMZN MSFT GOOG GOOGL GOOGM GOOGN META NVDA BRK.A BRK.B

With the S&P 500 and Nasdaq experiencing volatility amid rising bond yields and inflation concerns, Warren Buffett's investment philosophy emphasizes focusing on companies with durable competitive advantages (economic moats) rather than chasing trendy AI stocks. The article warns that while AI is transformative, not all companies in the sector will succeed long-term, drawing parallels to the dot-com bubble. Buffett advocates for diversification, quality businesses at reasonable prices, and patience with compounding rather than market timing.

Axe note: Focus on quality companies with durable advantages rather than chasing AI hype during volatility.