qfx

Intel, the storied semiconductor behemoth, made an unexpected return to the spotlight in August, posting a 23% gain. One could almost hear the muffled sighs of relief from its boardroom as they counted their blessings. Having endured a string of ignominious quarterly results and a stock price wallowing in the mire, Intel found salvation-or perhaps more accurately, a temporary reprieve-in an arrangement that had the grace of a Faustian bargain. The Trump administration, ever the patron of dubious alliances, secured a 9.9% stake in Intel, creating a partnership so unusual it would make even the most seasoned corporate lawyer raise an eyebrow.

Ah, but let’s rewind the clock, shall we? Gemini, the space-age cryptocurrency exchange, embarked on its IPO adventure today. And what an adventure it was! The stock, a shiny new celestial body in the stock market galaxy, rocketed from its starting price of $28 per share and blasted off to a staggering $37.01. But wait, it wasn’t done yet! The share price soared higher, reaching a cosmic peak of $45.89 – a 63.9% gain – before finally settling back down to $32 by the end of the day. Quite the roller-coaster ride, wouldn’t you say?

Nvidia has now emerged as the globe’s largest company, boasting a market value surpassing an astounding $4 trillion. In the second quarter alone, it dominated the GPU market with an astonishing 94% share and witnessed its data center revenue surge by an impressive 56%, reaching $41.1 billion. Despite this remarkable growth, there might be potential investment opportunities within the sector due to such substantial figures.

In the autumn of 2019, Amazon and Rivian inked a covenant-a pact to deploy 100,000 electric delivery vans by 2030. The younger company, still in its adolescence, saw this as a coronation. Five years onward, half that fleet roamed the earth, yet the marriage of necessity and ambition now shows fissures. Amazon, ever the pragmatist, has declared its intent to diversify its chariotry. “We’re committed to 100,000 electric delivery vehicles by 2030,” they intoned, a statement as precise as it was evasive. Note the omission: these are not “Rivians,” merely “vehicles.”

Let’s talk about Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. Seven percent growth in revenue? That’s the financial equivalent of a yawn. Seventy-seven percent? Now we’re in “should I sell my house and buy a yacht?” territory. And by 2030, they’re projecting $144 billion in revenue. Someone get this man a Nobel Prize.

But how does this relate to Nvidia? Simple. Oracle’s cloud division is the reason Nvidia’s GPUs are selling faster than I can say “quantum computing.” If AI is the new oil, Nvidia’s chips are the drills-and Oracle just announced it’s building a pipeline to the moon.

Which brings me to my favorite paradox: Why is everyone so surprised? Oracle’s been quietly building this rocket ship while the rest of us were busy arguing about meme stocks. If only I’d paid attention, I’d be sipping margaritas in Cabo instead of recalculating my retirement age.

You see, the reason for this sudden surge? Well, it ain’t the good Lord’s blessing, that’s for sure. It’s a little something we call an “analyst upgrade.” A fellow by the name of Christopher Dendrinos over at RBC Capital decided to double his price target for the company-from a humble $35 to a bold $75 per share. Why? Because he’s seen some “promising demand and growth opportunities.” Promising, mind you. Not a sure thing. If I had a nickel for every time I heard that phrase, I’d be a richer man than the folks behind these hydrogen fuel cells, I reckon.