🐤 Why Lowe’s Could Be a Bargain Before Housing Recovers

Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE) is no longer the niche fuel-cell maker Wall Street shrugged at for much of the past decade as it racked up years of losses. Instead, it’s become a player on the front lines of an urgent AI problem. AI data centers need power faster than the electric grid can deliver it. Bloo.... ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  Unsubscribe Thursday, August 20th Good Morning U.S. stocks moved higher Wednesday as long-term Treasury yields fell sharply after the Treasury Department announced plans to increase its purchases of longer-dated government debt. The drop in yields supported risk appetite across the market, while oil prices also advanced. Gold climbed to its highest level in more than two months as lower yields and a weaker dollar boosted demand for the precious metal. Crypto-linked assets rallied, with Bitcoin climbing about 6% and shares of Coinbase and Circle posting double-digit gains. The rally was already underway ahead of a White House meeting with crypto industry executives, where President Trump urged Congress to advance the CLARITY Act, a proposed framework for regulating the U.S. digital asset market. Corporate news remained mixed. BILL reported 14% fiscal fourth-quarter revenue growth but a wider GAAP net loss, while Accuray posted a 21% decline in quarterly revenue and a $1.9 million net loss. Wolfspeed said fiscal 2026 AI data-center revenue more than doubled from the prior year. Investors are also looking ahead to Thursday earnings reports from Walmart, Deere and Ross Stores. Featured: The Replay I Forgot to Send You Earlier This Week (Ad) Industrials Bloom Energy’s AI Surge Meets a Valuation Reality Check Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE) is no longer the niche fuel-cell maker Wall Street shrugged at for much of the past decade as it racked up years of losses. Instead, it’s become a player on the front lines of an urgent AI problem. AI data centers need power faster than the electric grid can deliver it. Bloo... Read the Full Story From Our Partners Why this trader's track record is public record Joel Peterson publishes his trade plans on a public record, a rare move for anyone claiming an edge in trading. His system shows a verifiable 74-78% win rate, checkable before you ever pay a dollar. His free workshop breaks down the TCC Sentinel engine, the Cycle Pro Dashboard for entries and exits, and WaveBot Automation that runs plans around the clock. Save your free seat to see the verified win rate now Consumer Staples Target Is Winning Shoppers Back—Can the Rally Reach $180? Target (NYSE: TGT) hit the bullseye with its Q2 results, proving that getting back to basics works. The results included better-than-expected top- and bottom-line results, sustained growth, and improved guidance. A key detail was comp store strength, highlighting the most important factor in retail... Read the Full Story Technology IonQ’s Space Contract Points to a New Frontier for Quantum Investors Another quarter has come and gone, and investors may still be waiting for the quantum computing industry's breakthrough moment. Although many likely assume this will come via artificial intelligence applications, cryptographic advancements, or even something like pharmaceutical research, it's possi... Read the Full Story From Our Partners Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Sam Altman Are Teaming Up to Back THIS New AI Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Sam Altman are backing a new AI use case discovered at MIT that has already identified potential treatments for dangerous diseases. McKinsey estimates this technology could be 500 times bigger than ChatGPT, while Nature projects it could add $367 trillion to the global economy. See which stocks could benefit as Medical AI expands nationwide Technology Is Apple’s AI Strategy Smarter Than Skeptics Think? Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) just reported record revenue, is selling more devices than ever, and generates cash at a rate most companies can only envy. And yet a growing chorus of skeptics is fixated on a single, awkward question those glittering numbers cannot drown out. Why is the most valuable co... Read the Full Story Consumer Discretionary Why Lowe’s Could Be a Bargain Before Housing Recovers Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) continues to face headwinds in 2026; however, the stock's value, capital returns, and long-term catalysts make for a compelling setup. Trading in the low $200s, LOW is near multi-year lows and at the bottom end of its historic price-to-earnings (P/E) range, setting the stage for... Read the Full Story From Our Partners #1 Stock to Own as Trump Launches Historic Mission Backing "Medical AI" The federal government is throwing its full support behind a new class of AI technology, in what's being called the biggest push since the Apollo moon landing. This AI reportedly works 10,000 times faster than human PhDs and could eventually be worth 500 times more than ChatGPT. Elon Musk has called the underlying tech the most disruptive force in history. Discover the stock positioned to benefit as this AI initiative accelerates Technology Okta’s AI Tailwind Could Put This Forgotten Software Stock Back in Play For a few years now, Okta Inc. (NASDAQ: OKTA) has been something of a forgotten name in technology investing. Once a high-flying darling of the cloud-software boom, the identity-management specialist saw its growth cool and its shares languish, leaving many investors to move on to shinier names. La... Read the Full Story Technology Datavault AI Locks Down CyberCatch in $94M Security Rollup Enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) adoption is forcing a sudden reckoning in data governance. Recent headlines, capped by an approximate $1.5 billion piracy settlement involving Anthropic, send a clear message across the tech sector. AI training data and continuous compliance are no longer aft... Read the Full Story Technology Quantum Stocks Are Starting to Choose Sides: Should Investors Do the Same? As much as enthusiasts might wish it not to be the case, quantum computing is still a highly speculative investment thesis heading into the second half of 2026. That's not to say that companies have yet to make real progress—technological breakthroughs are accelerating across the industry, and even... Read the Full Story Industrials AeroVironment Hit a Bottom in Q2—Can It Take Flight in Q3? The war in Ukraine taught the U.S. Army many lessons, including the value of drone technology, and AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) is well-positioned to benefit. While enemies struggle to get materiel in place, AVAV's drones are in the sky, hunting them down in real time and providing actionable intel... Read the Full Story Finance The Pre-IPO Playbook: How to Cash in on Anthropic Before the Bell Anthropic recently exceeded expectations by surpassing an annualized revenue run rate of about $65 billion at the close of July. Enterprise AI monetization is compounding at a pace that breaks historical software adoption curves. The developer behind the Claude foundational models confidentially fi... Read the Full Story Thursday's Early Bird Stock Of The Day A Stock With Recent Earnings Beat:Chevron (NYSE:CVX) Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the integrated energy and chemicals operations in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment is involved in the exploration, development, production, and transportation of crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation, and regasification of liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; transportation, storage, and ... Should I Buy Chevron Stock? CVX Bull and Bear Case Explained These insights were generated using artificial intelligence. They are based on proprietary MarketBeat data, news articles, and custom LLM A.I. algorithms. This analysis of Chevron was last updated on Monday, August 17, 2026 at 6:08 PM. Chevron Bull Case The company reported a significant revenue increase of over 57% compared to the same quarter last year, indicating strong growth potential. Chevron has a solid return on equity of over 11%, which suggests effective management and profitability relative to shareholder equity. The current stock price is around $170, reflecting investor confidence and market interest in Chevron's performance. Chevron recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.78, contributing to a favorable annualized dividend yield of 3.6%, which can provide a steady income stream for investors. The company operates in various segments of the energy sector, including upstream and downstream activities, which diversifies its revenue sources and reduces risk. Chevron Bear Case The dividend payout ratio is currently over 68%, which may indicate that a significant portion of earnings is being distributed to shareholders, potentially limiting reinvestment in growth opportunities. Chevron's operations are heavily tied to the volatile oil and gas market, which can lead to unpredictable revenue and profit fluctuations based on global energy prices. Recent geopolitical tensions and regulatory changes in the energy sector could pose risks to Chevron's operations and profitability. As an integrated energy firm, Chevron faces increasing competition from renewable energy sources, which may impact its long-term growth prospects. Market analysts have projected earnings per share (EPS) of 15.86 for the current year, which may not meet investor expectations if the company fails to achieve this target. View Today's Stock Pick The Early Bird is a daily email newsletter powered by MarketBeat that covers the top stories that will impact the stock market each day. Read your copy every morning at 7:00 AM Eastern so that you can "catch the worm" when the market opens. View as a Web Page     If you have questions about your newsletter, please don't hesitate to email our South Dakota based support team at contact@marketbeat.com.   Unsubscribe   Copyright 2006-2026 MarketBeat Media, LLC. All rights protected. 345 N Reid Place, Suite 620, Sioux Falls, S.D. 57103. United States of America..   Daily Bonus Content: Sell these "safe" blue chips immediately (From Chaikin Analytics)

Private equity's defense deals could come under increased scrutiny after midterms

======================================================================= Federal News Network - The Federal Report - August 20, 2026 ======================================================================= ** FederalNewsNetwork.com Homepage https://link.federalnewsnetwork.com/click/47114950.23067/aHR0cDovL2ZlZGVyYWxuZXdzbmV0d29yay5jb20v/5e0befac44d51f198c739bdfBb0019cc7 (copy and paste link in browser) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Congress Private equity's defense deals could come under increased scrutiny after midterms https://link.federalnewsnetwork.com/click/47114950.23067/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWRlcmFsbmV3c25ldHdvcmsuY29tL2NvbmdyZXNzLzIwMjYvMDgvcHJpdmF0ZS1lcXVpdHlzLWRlZmVuc2UtZGVhbHMtY291bGQtY29tZS11bmRlci1pbmNyZWFzZWQtc2NydXRpbnktYWZ0ZXItbWlkdGVybXMv/5e0befac44d51f198c739bdfEe31bdd89 (copy and paste link in browser) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Cybersecurity CMMC review: DoD's inconsistent CUI marking continues to plague program https://link.federalnewsnetwork.com/click/47114950.23067/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWRlcmFsbmV3c25ldHdvcmsuY29tL2N5YmVyc2VjdXJpdHkvMjAyNi8wOC9jbW1jLXJldmlldy1kb2RzLWluY29uc2lzdGVudC1jdWktbWFya2luZy1jb250aW51ZXMtdG8tcGxhZ3VlLXByb2dyYW0v/5e0befac44d51f198c739bdfC8f6b282b (copy and paste link in browser) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Advertisement $100k coverage, guaranteed. : Eligible Feds under 40 can get $100k in guaranteed life insurance-no exams required. 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IonQ Raises Guidance After Record Quarter and Space Win

Another quarter has come and gone, and investors may still be waiting for the quantum computing... ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ Unsubscribe The Department of War is on a gold mine's filings (From Behind the Markets) IonQ’s Space Contract Points to a New Frontier for Quantum Investors Written by Nathan Reiff on August 19, 2026 Key Points IonQ’s Capella unit won an NRO radar contract, giving the company another government-backed revenue opportunity outside traditional quantum computing. The award shows how IonQ’s acquisition strategy is expanding its reach into space, defense and sensing markets. IonQ’s Q2 results and raised guidance strengthen the case that the company is moving faster than many quantum peers toward commercialization. Special Report: These gold assets are priced for $1,800 gold [it's over $4,000] (From Golden Portfolio) Another quarter has come and gone, and investors may still be waiting for the quantum computing industry's breakthrough moment. Although many likely assume this will come via artificial intelligence applications, cryptographic advancements, or even something like pharmaceutical research, it's possible that aerospace may get there first in the end. IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) recently announced a promising government contract that suggests as much, although many investors may have missed it in the hype surrounding the company's noteworthy Q2 2026 earnings. In early August 2026, IonQ announced that its Space Division—formerly Capella—had been awarded a contract with the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The contract supports the NRO's Radar Commercial Augmentation (RCA) program. At first glance, this contract seems to be a satellite imaging award rather than a typical quantum computing contract. However, this may be exactly why IonQ's announcement could signal that the company is on the verge of a much larger commercial breakthrough. Small Colorado Company (Backed by Sam Altman) Could Save U.S. Power Grid (Ad) A small Colorado company has secured rights to technology that could prevent the U.S. public power grid from collapsing — and billionaire Sam Altman is now an investor. This under-the-radar firm is drawing serious attention from those watching the energy infrastructure space closely. Click here to learn this company's name for free today A Closer Look at IonQ's Space Award IonQ's agreement with the NRO provides that the company will offer commercial synthetic aperture radar imagery and related data services in support of various U.S. national security missions. This seems to be a far cry from IonQ's quantum tech and an unusual avenue for the firm to pursue, given its recent sales success and expanding commercial traction in that area. IonQ did not share the financial terms of the agreement. Investors expecting a quantum computing deployment may be disappointed at first, but the contract suggests that IonQ may be transitioning from a firm focused entirely on quantum hardware to one building exposure to multiple industries and finding creative approaches to commercialize its tools. Given that the government is willing to agree to pay IonQ for these services, this contract is evidence of the company's success in making that pivot. IonQ's Acquisitions Are Paying Off All of this is possible thanks to IonQ's $311-million acquisition of Capella Space last year, one of a series of major purchases, including the recent high-profile deal involving SkyWater Technology. Although D-Wave (NASDAQ: QBTS) made headlines early in the year with its major acquisition of Quantum Circuits, this was, in some respects, a straightforward quantum play rather than a lateral move to dramatically expand its reach beyond the industry. Despite paying substantial sums for several companies in recent years, IonQ's financials continue to stand out. Its latest earnings saw 287% year over year (YOY) growth in revenue to a record $80 million, plus a notable full-year revenue guidance raise to a range of $280 million to $290 million. What's more, the company still has about $3 billion in cash and investments, not including the SkyWater acquisition, which gives it tremendous financial flexibility compared to many rivals. Get my No. 1 gold stock now (Ad) Gold has broken past 4400 per ounce, and major banks think it has further to run. Goldman Sachs now sees 4900, while JPMorgan projects 6000 by year-end. Some analysts point to a broader monetary shift, dubbed the Mar-a-Lago Accord, as a driving force behind the rally. Hedge fund investors, including Steven Cohen, are reportedly building positions. See the research behind gold's record run and what could come next Why Space Makes Sense for IonQ Like quantum computing, space is an industry undergoing rapid transformation, with many opportunities for growth that are likely yet untapped. Quantum technology applications in aerospace are becoming increasingly clear and may include securing satellite communications, developing and improving ultra-precise atomic clocks, managing observation and data collection, optimizing satellite constellations, providing GPS-independent navigation, and more. The radar application related to IonQ's NRO contract is especially important because it offers a real commercial benefit that is immediately available. These radar systems collect imagery regardless of time of day, cloud cover, and adverse weather, making them especially helpful for not only military intelligence but also disaster response, insurance use, and more. IonQ's commercial synthetic aperture radar platform gathers data that could be invaluable for monitoring pipeline movement or bridge stresses, for example. The NRO award shows that IonQ's space projects—including prior defense work under both IonQ and Capella Space before the acquisition—are attracting government funding. Perhaps the surest sign that this has financial potential is the fact that competitors like IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM) are also exploring collaborations with NASA on quantum tech. It's unlikely that IonQ's NRO contract will have a material impact on the company's near-term financial results, particularly given that the firm has not disclosed the contract value. Rather, this award is more important as a potential strategic signal, suggesting that IonQ is putting into practice what many other quantum tech companies are still only hoping to do: finding revenue-generating real-world uses for quantum tools that can draw customer interest. If aerospace becomes increasingly important in the quantum computing industry, IonQ is particularly well-prepared to be able to meet that demand. What's more, the company's breadth outside of the pure quantum space suggests it may be able to achieve similar results elsewhere as well. Read this article online › Further Reading Bloom Energy’s AI Surge Meets a Valuation Reality Check The $15 Gold Fund That Pays Up to $1,152/Month (From Investors Alley) Target Is Winning Shoppers Back—Can the Rally Reach $180? The world's #2 gold miner is running on fumes [it has to buy] (From Golden Portfolio) Is Apple’s AI Strategy Smarter Than Skeptics Think? Why Lowe’s Could Be a Bargain Before Housing Recovers Okta’s AI Tailwind Could Put This Forgotten Software Stock Back in Play       Did you like this article?      Thank you for subscribing to MarketBeat!   MarketBeat empowers individual investors to make better trading decisions by delivering up-to-the-minute financial information and independent market analysis.   If you need assistance with your subscription, don't hesitate to email our South Dakota based support team at contact@marketbeat.com.   If you would like to unsubscribe or change which emails you receive, you can manage your mailing preferences or unsubscribe from these emails.   Copyright 2006-2026 MarketBeat Media, LLC. 345 North Reid Place #620, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57103. U.S.A..   Featured Link: Hormuz tanker traffic collapses as the oil crisis deepens (From Golden Portfolio)