In 2020, Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google realized it had a big problem... For years, folks complained about how the Internet search giant tracks its users. These critics didn't like how much data Google collects about us.

Google's 'Storm Clouds' Could Be Clearing By Marc Chaikin, founder, Chaikin Analytics In 2020, Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google realized it had a big problem... For years, folks complained about how the Internet search giant tracks its users. These critics didn't like how much data Google collects about us. Then, in June 2020, Google became the target of a $5 billion class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit accused the company of secretly tracking users while their Internet browsers were set to "incognito" mode. With this feature, Google isn't supposed to save your activity. It's a way to browse the Internet more privately. The scariest part was the man behind the lawsuit – David Boies. You've probably never heard of Boies. But every major corporation in America knows him... Boies is one of the most feared lawyers in the country. For example, in 1998, the U.S. government hired Boies as the lead attorney for its antitrust suit against tech giant Microsoft (MSFT). In a videotaped deposition, Boies crushed Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. His questions completely flustered the world's richest man. At one point, it got so bad that Gates accused Boies of being "out to destroy Microsoft." Microsoft lost that case. But after years of legal wrangling, the company avoided the need to break up. More than 20 years later, Boies' next big target became Google. A few months later, things got even worse... Recommended Links: How to Access Nearly ALL Our Best Recommendations (in One Place) There's ONE specific place our friends at our corporate affiliate Stansberry Research recommend you put your money in 2025 to grow it the smartest way possible this year – meaning, no big risks... no crazy speculations... no options... and no trading. It's not Nvidia, Apple, gold, bitcoin, or the S&P 500. But it could double your entire portfolio, thanks to a huge update they're about to make to their research. America's Next Currency Crisis Just Started in Texas The people of Texas are fed up. Like a lot of us, they're sick of being over-taxed and over-regulated. And they're tired of the U.S. dollar being devalued and inflated by politicians in Washington, D.C. So, the Lone Star State has taken matters into its own hands... and has begun embracing a new currency. It's not gold or silver, and it has nothing to do with Texas' huge oil reserves. But this new currency is already creating enormous wealth for anyone who understands it. Here's exactly what's happening. The U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") sued Google in October 2020. It accused the company of having a monopoly over the online search and advertising markets. In short, Google found itself in the same position as Microsoft in the late 1990s. It needed to square off in a courtroom with the U.S. government and Boies. You probably heard about this story in the news. But if the details seem fuzzy, here's why... These legal battles take years to play out. So the few developments are easy to miss. Google agreed to settle the class-action lawsuit in December 2023. As part of the deal, it agreed to destroy billions of data records linked to folks who used incognito mode. The court didn't award any of the $5 billion sought by the class-action lawsuit. (That's not surprising, though. It's difficult to prove that users suffered any monetary damages.) The government's antitrust case is progressing a bit more slowly... It took almost three years for the federal trial to start in September 2023. Then, this past August, a judge found Google guilty of having monopoly power over search services and text ads. As the judge wrote in a ruling... After having carefully considered and weighed the witness testimony and evidence, the court reaches the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly. The trial is still ongoing. In November, the DOJ said Google should need to sell its Chrome web browser – and possibly its Android mobile-operating system. The court doesn't have to follow this advice during the next phase of the trial. That part is set to begin in April. Regardless of the outcome, you can bet that Google's lawyers will appeal the decision. And it will likely take years before we hear a final ruling. That's probably exactly what Google wants, too... The company obviously survived the more restrictive regulatory environment of the Biden administration. And now, it can focus on cleaning up the damage during Donald Trump's more business-friendly term. In other words, the "storm clouds" seem to be clearing over the tech giant. And when it comes to the stock of its parent company Alphabet, the Power Gauge agrees... After spending most of the past six months stuck with a "neutral" rating, Alphabet flipped into "bullish" territory early last month. And its stock surged higher. Take a look... Now, Alphabet holds a "very bullish" rating in the Power Gauge. Put simply, our system sees upside ahead for the stock. This is a good sign for the company itself... and the broad market overall. Good investing, Marc Chaikin Market View Major Indexes and Notable Sectors     # Hld:     Bullish     Neutral     Bearish Dow 30 +0.93% 12 10 8 S&P 500 +0.55% 102 247 149 Nasdaq +0.21% 33 47 20 Small Caps +0.46% 411 1049 442 Bonds -0.78% Health Care +1.34% 8 35 17 — According to the Chaikin Power Bar, Small Cap stocks and Large Cap stocks remain somewhat Bearish. Major indexes are mixed. *  *  *  * Sector Tracker Sector movement over the last 5 days Information Technology +4.91% Industrials +3.46% Communication +3.07% Discretionary +2.38% Health Care +2.09% Financial +1.79% Materials +1.68% Staples +0.91% Real Estate +0.83% Utilities -0.05% Energy -1.12% *  *  *  * Industry Focus Retail Services 28 38 14 Over the past 6 months, the Retail subsector (XRT) has underperformed the S&P 500 by -4.68%. However, its Power Bar ratio, which measures future potential, is Strong, with more Bullish than Bearish stocks. It is currently ranked #6 of 21 subsectors. Top Stocks BBW Build-A-Bear Worksho GCO Genesco Inc. ACI Albertsons Companies *  *  *  * Top Movers Gainers MRNA +10.1% GE +6.6% ENPH +5.41% UNP +5.2% KMX +4.75% Losers EA -16.7% LDOS -7.57% UAL -4.6% MU -4.02% WRB -3.59% *  *  *  * Earnings Report Reporting Today Rating Before Open After Close AXP, MMM ADM, DHI, NEE, PGR, ROK EW FCX, SLB, VZ No earnings reporting today. Earnings Surprises FCX Freeport-McMoRan Inc. Q4 $0.31 Beat by $0.09 GE General Electric Company Q4 $1.32 Beat by $0.28 NTRS Northern Trust Corporation Q4 $2.26 Beat by $0.23 UNP Union Pacific Corporation Q4 $2.98 Beat by $0.19 TXN Texas Instruments Incorporated Q4 $1.30 Beat by $0.07 *  *  *  * You have received this e-mail as part of your subscription to PowerFeed. If you no longer want to receive e-mails from PowerFeed, click here. You're receiving this e-mail at STEVENMAGALLANES520.NIMS@BLOGGER.COM. For questions about your account or to speak with customer service, call +1 (877) 697-6783 (U.S.), 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Eastern time or e-mail info@chaikinanalytics.com. Please note: The law prohibits us from giving personalized investment advice. © 2025 Chaikin Analytics, LLC. All rights reserved. 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