The dominant warehouse retailer has disappointed its investors this year.You'd probably struggle to find investors that wouldn't agree that Costco (COST 0.21%) is a wonderful business. The performance of the shares speaks for itself over the long term. However, this year hasn't been as kind. The top retail stock's price is down 6% in 2025 (as of Dec. 17), despite the company performing well.With shares 20% off their peak, investors that haven't owned the business might be ready to buy the dip. Before doing ...

Fee-conscious investors and those seeking broader diversification will find key differences in how these two ETFs shape a portfolio.The Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 ETF (QQQ +1.30%) and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO +0.89%) are two of the most popular exchange-traded funds. Each offers exposure to large-cap U.S. stocks, but with distinct approaches. QQQ tracks the NASDAQ-100 Index, which is heavily weighted toward technology, while VOO follows the S&P 500 Index. This comparison highlights key differences in ...

Fee structure, sector focus, and risk profiles set these two high-dividend ETFs apart for income-minded investors.Both the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM +0.33%) and the Fidelity High Dividend ETF (FDVV +0.41%) aim to provide exposure to U.S. companies with above-average dividend yields, but they approach this goal in different ways.FDVV uses a sector-constrained approach, while VYM tracks a broad, rules-based index of high-yielding stocks -- resulting in some notable differences in cost, portfolio m ...

Micron Technology trounced the market's returns in 2025, and it's poised to do the same next year.The returns of many artificial intelligence (AI) stocks have been a significant driver of the market's gains over the past year, and one standout stock has been the data center memory company Micron Technology (MU +6.89%).Micron's shares have increased about 217% since the beginning of 2025, outpacing the S&P 500's 16% returns. And there are a few good reasons why it could continue marching higher in 2026 and b ...

Amazon and Alphabet are two market leaders in cloud computing.Two of the big three cloud computing companies are Alphabet (GOOGL +1.47%) (GOOG +1.60%) and Amazon (AMZN +0.21%). While both Google Cloud and AWS (Amazon Web Services) have seen solid growth, Alphabet's stock far outpaced Amazon's in 2025, climbing nearly 60% as of this writing, versus a modest gain for Amazon.Let's look at which stock is set to outperform in 2026. The case for AlphabetAlphabet has been one of the best-performing mega-cap tech s ...

Investors are growing concerned about the increasing leverage on Oracle's balance sheet.Oracle's (ORCL +7.03%) stock price is falling, and investors are curious about the causes.*Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of Dec. 17, 2025. The video was published on Dec. 19, 2025. ...

Explore how sector focus and holdings concentration set these leveraged ETFs apart for risk-aware traders.The Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3X Shares ETF (SPXL +2.61%) and the ProShares - Ultra QQQ ETF (QLD +2.61%) both offer amplified exposure to major U.S. stock indexes, but they differ meaningfully in sector focus, and holdings concentration.Both funds are designed for aggressive traders seeking daily leveraged returns, but SPXL targets triple the daily S&P 500 performance, while QLD aims for double the da ...

Parkev Tatevosian, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Parkev Tatevosian is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through his link, he will earn some extra money that supports his channel. His opinions remain his own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool. ...

There are several companies primed to thrive in 2026.With 2026 quickly approaching, investors need to have a game plan for what stocks they will buy. Several interesting trends are brewing in the market, and may cause investors to think differently about how they want to invest. Still, I think some smart investments in the artificial intelligence (AI) realm could result in monster returns in 2026.Three smart stocks to buy with $1,000 right now for 2026 are Alphabet (GOOG +1.60%) (GOOGL +1.47%), Taiwan Semic ...

If you are seeking multibagger returns over the long term, this group of five growth stocks may offer some potential.As we approach a new year, it is the perfect time to add some new money to some of the most promising growth stocks on the market. While the broader S&P 500 index remains within a couple of percentage points of its all-time high, the stocks in this article are down between 22% and 55% from their 52-week highs.Despite their recent declines, these businesses have exhibited strong past price app ...