Markets staged a rally when markets opened on Friday, but overall, it was a down week for stocks. Higher oil prices and elevated expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate increase next week were two factors weighing on investor sentiment.
On a more bullish note, Oracle's (NYSE: ORCL) earnings report on Thursday was the latest example that the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure trade remains strong. It’s also a reminder that corporate earnings remain strong, which may be a more significant data point for investors heading into the last quarter of the year.
The Federal Reserve's decision on Sept. 16 will be the dominant theme for investors as they start the week. But whatever the Fed’s decision is, the MarketBeat analysts are here to help investors find the opportunities that always exist. Here are some of our most popular stories from this week.
Articles by Thomas Hughes
The second quarter earnings season is winding down, but the Q3 earnings season will kick off in just a few weeks. Thomas Hughes previewed the factors that may mean even high earnings expectations are too low.
AeroVironment Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) has been one of 2025’s hottest stocks, but it has fallen on rough times in 2026. However, Hughes analyzed the company’s strong earnings report and why it could be the catalyst that lifts AVAV off its recent lows.
Chewy Inc. (NYSE: CHWY) delivered a solid earnings report. CHWY dropped as investors chose to focus on consumer weakness. But Hughes explained why that reaction may be underselling the company’s business model and, specifically, its growing recurring revenue.
Articles by Sam Quirke
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) “launched” its Cybercab on Sept. 2. The problem, as noted by Sam Quirke, was that the announcement lacked key details “on how Tesla intends to price, scale, or make money from the service.” TSLA remains under pressure, but Quirke explained why the Cybercab debut was neither as bad nor as good as it seemed.
By contrast, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) previewed its foldable iPhone Duo this week to significant fanfare. Quirke wrote, however, that the enthusiasm didn’t translate into immediate stock price gains over concerns about consumer demand and the company’s AI strategy.
DocuSign Inc. (NASDAQ: DOCU) has been a company that many investors have marked for extinction due to AI. Quirke explained why the company’s latest earnings report shows that, for now, the company isn’t merely surviving AI; it’s transforming its business model to create more value.
Articles by Chris Markoch
Investors are frequently attracted to stocks that trade for under $20. As Chris Markoch wrote this week, understanding the underlying business is critical. Markoch highlighted three stocks under $20 with bull cases tied to the future of U.S. Energy and Materials.
Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR) recently signed a new contract with the U.S. Army that expands its role in the U.S. defense industry. Markoch explained why Palantir now acts like a systems integrator for the Pentagon, which is likely to put a higher floor on PLTR.
Revolution Medicines (NASDAQ: RVMD) moved higher after scoring FDA approval on its clinical-stage oncology drug, the first of its kind for metastatic pancreatic cancer. However, as Markoch noted, RVMD dropped after the announcement, underscoring the difference between getting approval and getting a drug to market.
Articles by Ryan Hasson
This week, three companies addressed catalysts that investors shouldn’t ignore. GameStop (NYSE: GME), Apple, and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) each faced significant tests of investor sentiment. Ryan Hasson explained what those catalysts were and what each company had to prove.
This week’s CPI report and next week’s Federal Reserve interest rate decision may keep volatility high. Hasson noted that it’s a good environment for five defensive stocks that offer growth and stability no matter which way the broader market moves.
It may surprise some investors that railroad stocks are one of the best-performing sectors in 2026. This week, Hasson explained the reasons behind the sector’s surge and three railroad stocks that have much more track to run.
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Articles by Leo Miller
Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) delivered one of the week’s most anticipated earnings reports. Leo Miller summarized why the solid report met mixed reactions from analysts. Even the weakened sentiment suggests bullish upside, despite some near-term hurdles to clear.
Could bad news turn into good news? That’s what Morgan Stanley believes could be the case for Meta Platforms. The tech giant agreed to pay up to $18 billion over the next 10 years to settle its social media addiction trial. Morgan Stanley believes that having the trial behind it clears the way for META to benefit from new product releases.
The AI infrastructure trade is expensive. As Miller pointed out this week, short sellers are eyeing three companies that don’t have the large cash piles of the largest hyperscalers. Miller highlighted the risks and potential rewards for each of these stocks.
Articles by Nathan Reiff
Small-cap stocks carry risks that aren’t found in large-cap names. However, Nathan Reiff highlighted three beaten-down small-caps that analysts believe could have 100% upside.
The emerging quantum computing sector is getting crowded, and as Reiff noted, it’s becoming harder for the big names to impress investors. That has some speculative investors looking for under-the-radar quantum stocks like the three Reiff wrote about this week.
Lululemon Athletica Inc. (NASDAQ: LULU) delivered a mixed earnings report, adding more pressure to LULU stock. This week, Reiff highlighted the concerns with Lululemon, along with two other athleisure stocks that show why LULU isn’t an indictment of the entire sector.
Articles by Dan Schmidt
Defense stocks have performed well this year as geopolitical conflicts continue to dominate the headlines. While many investors eye the tried-and-true blue-chip names, Dan Schmidt wrote about three under-the-radar defense stocks with backlogs to move their stocks higher.
Will they, or won’t they? That’s the question hanging over the market before the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meets next week. Rather than hanging on every rate-cut decision, Schmidt guided investors to three ETFs with compositions that will do well regardless of the Fed’s decision.
There’s the earnings report, and then there’s the post-earnings reaction. When a stock continues to receive analyst upgrades days or weeks after the company reported earnings, that’s always a bullish sign. Schmidt highlighted three earnings winners that analysts keep upgrading.
Articles by Jeffrey Neal Johnson
Tokenmaxxing has become a weight on enterprise software budgets. Jeffrey Neal Johnson noted that this is changing the flow of capital from software to hardware. That showed in the recent earnings reports of Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE: DELL) and MongoDB (NASDAQ: MDB).
Despite the lukewarm reaction to its Cybercab launch, Johnson explained why Tesla is still disrupting the robotaxi debate. For now, investors seem willing to give TSLA the premium that it won’t extend to Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER).
Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM) has been a volatile stock with investors pricing the potential for the company’s growth beyond smartphones. Johnson wrote why the bulls may have room to run after Qualcomm’s data center agreement with Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).
Articles by Peter Frank
The buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) model is now a key part of the retail landscape. This week, Peter Frank directed investors to Sezzle (NASDAQ: SEZL), an under-the-radar fintech building a niche by turning payments into recurring revenue. But Frank explained the execution risks that could hold SEZL back.
Life Time Group Holdings (NYSE: LTH) would seem to be the perfect stock for the perfect time. The company caters to affluent, health-conscious consumers who are willing to pay for resort-style amenities not available with a basic gym membership. The company’s results show the model is working, but Frank explained the risks overhanging the stock.
Frank also wrote about the ongoing comeback story with Victoria’s Secret & Co. (NYSE: VSXY). However, the outlook for the stock is mixed despite a strong earnings report, as analysts are putting more weight on tepid guidance. Frank outlined why investing in VSXY is a case of momentum versus valuation.
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