140,000 social insurance numbers swiped in Nova Scotia Power hack
That number represents about half the number of customers impacted by the incident. While the president of the company is apologizing, that is no comfort to one woman who is asking why the numbers were being held in the first place. Gareth Hampshire has the story.
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Globe and Mail
16 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
3 Stocks Set to Ride the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Wave to New Heights
Artificial intelligence (AI) is this decade's most prominent investing theme so far. As AI-powered applications took the world by storm, Wall Street fell in love with AI stocks. With the AI wave far from cresting, three Motley Fool contributors take a closer look at three of their favorite AI stocks: Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM), and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Amazon's cloud leadership makes the stock a no-brainer for the AI wave Justin Pope (Amazon): Artificial intelligence will change the game for Amazon, a company that's already wildly successful by any measure. Amazon Web Services, or AWS for short, is the world's leading cloud platform, with a 30% share of the global cloud infrastructure market. AWS generated more than 58% of the company's total operating income over the past four quarters, but only 17% of total net revenue. Many artificial intelligence (AI) applications, which are software at their core, will run on cloud computing platforms. Amazon and other cloud companies continually invested billions of dollars to build data centers to expand their cloud capacity to accommodate all this demand. Research from Goldman Sachs estimates that AI will drive sustained cloud growth, boosting global cloud computing revenue at a 22% annualized pace, to $2 trillion by 2030. It seems likely that AWS, which grew revenue by 17% year over year in the first quarter, will sustain healthy growth for the foreseeable future as long as AI momentum continues. Amazon is building out an AI ecosystem on AWS, including Bedrock, a platform for developing generative AI applications such as virtual agents. Amazon's market leadership should help it upsell its cloud customers and retain them on AWS for their AI needs. Analysts estimate Amazon will grow earnings by an average of 17% annually over the long term. I think those are fair growth expectations given Amazon's AI opportunities, as well as its continued growth potential in e-commerce, digital advertising, streaming, and Prime subscription service. It makes the stock a buy at its current price-to-earnings ratio of 33, a reasonable valuation for such a growing, world-class company. Low-cost AI could stoke demand for this company's products Will Healy (Qualcomm): Admittedly, investors may not necessarily think of Qualcomm when looking at stocks that will take AI to new heights. Its longtime client, Apple, appears poised to stop using its smartphone chipsets in the iPhone. Additionally, Qualcomm's ties to China could put pressure on the stock should U.S.-China relations continue to deteriorate. Nonetheless, DeepSeek's breakthrough dramatically lowered the cost of developing AI models. Qualcomm's chipset business, which made up 64% of the company's revenue in the first half of fiscal 2025 (ended March 30), relies on an AI-driven upgrade cycle that presumably benefits from low-cost AI. Moreover, Qualcomm applied its technical capabilities to the automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) industries in recent years. Over the last year, these segments grew revenue by 60% and 31%, respectively, and such successes are likely to put a brighter spotlight on its AI. Qualcomm may have already begun to benefit. It generated $22.6 billion in revenue in the first two quarters of fiscal 2025, 17% higher than year-ago levels. Costs and expenses grew 13% over the same period, and thanks to lower investment income and higher income taxes, the $6 billion in net income increased by 18% over the last year. When considering that growth, one must also assume Qualcomm stock prices in its challenges. It sells at a P/E ratio of 15, even after bouncing off the 52-week lows reached in early April. Low valuations are not necessarily a reason to buy a stock. However, considering Qualcomm's potential to transform parts of the AI industry, investors may want to buy this semiconductor stock while it is still inexpensive. Jake Lerch (Nvidia): When it comes to AI stocks, it's impossible to ignore Nvidia. Simply put, Nvidia remains the king of AI stocks. Since January 2020, Nvidia shares gained more than 2,200% -- meaning a $5,000 investment made on Jan. 1, 2020, would now be worth nearly $120,000. Yet, even after this magnificent run, Nvidia is showing no signs of slowing down. Indeed, the company just notched another fantastic quarterly report (for the three months ending on April 30, 2025), beating expectations for both revenue and earnings. Highlights included: Revenue of $44.1 billion, up 69% from a year earlier. Net income of $18.8 billion, up 26% year over year. Share repurchases totaling $14.1 billion during the quarter. While the report was a stunning success for the company, there was one fly in the ointment: Nvidia's gross margin fell from 78% to 61% over the last year. However, management attributed most of the drop to a write-off due to export restrictions to China. In effect, Nvidia's AI chips are so powerful that the U.S. government restricted their delivery to geopolitical rivals like China. Consequently, Nvidia couldn't deliver products that were earmarked for sale to the Chinese market and was forced to write off the inventory this quarter. Going forward, management noted that gross margin should rebound back into the 70% to 75% range later this year. At any rate, Nvidia continues to show why it is riding the AI wave as well as -- if not better than -- any other company. Its AI chips remain the go-to product for AI developers. Demand remains strong, and the company continues to deliver the red-hot growth that has powered its stock to an eye-popping market cap of more than $3 trillion. For investors looking for an AI stock with staying power, Nvidia is a name to consider. Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now? Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Nvidia wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $651,049!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $828,224!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is979% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Jake Lerch has positions in Amazon and Nvidia. Justin Pope has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Will Healy has positions in Qualcomm. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Apple, Goldman Sachs Group, Nvidia, and Qualcomm. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Globe and Mail
30 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
1 No-Brainer S&P 500 Vanguard ETF to Buy Right Now for Less Than $1,000
The S&P 500 index is, without a doubt, the most closely watched stock market barometer on the planet. It contains some 500 large and profitable businesses listed on U.S. stock exchanges. Combined, they represent about 80% of the entire stock market capitalization. Investors who want exposure to the index don't need to look far to find a compelling exchange-traded fund (ETF) to add to their portfolio. In fact, there's one that deserves some attention. Here's why the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT: VOO) is a no-brainer buy for someone who might have less than $1,000 of money to put to work in the stock market. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Instant diversification for your portfolio As mentioned, this ETF contains 500 stocks, so investors gain exposure to all sectors of the economy -- from information technology and financials to materials and real estate. This means there is a diverse range of businesses and industries included in the portfolio. At the end of the day, this ETF can be viewed as a bet on the ongoing ingenuity of the American economy and some of the hottest trends -- and this includes artificial intelligence (AI). Some of the ETF's top positions are in companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia, all of which are focused on AI-related initiatives to fortify their competitive positions. The ETF's sponsor, Vanguard, is one of the most highly regarded asset management firms in the industry. It's been around since 1975. As of the end of last year, it had eclipsed $10 trillion in assets under management, which goes to show you the amount of trust that so many investors (and so much capital) have in the business. The numbers are hard to ignore Warren Buffett, who has an unbelievable track record handling capital allocation and running Berkshire Hathaway, suggests that a low-cost ETF like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is the best investment option for most people out there. It's hard to beat an expense ratio of just 0.03%. That's pennies compared to the exorbitant fees you see active fund managers charge. A typical hedge fund charges its clients both a management fee and a performance fee. This can significantly eat away at returns over time. Even so, a good chunk of these so-called experts struggles to outperform the S&P 500 over long stretches of time. Because the S&P 500 has put up better returns than its historical average of 10% per year, it's no wonder the professionals are having a hard time. Just in the past decade, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has generated a total return of 232%, which would've turned a $1,000 initial investment into $3,300 today. It's all about mindset Even though the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF has produced such a great return, it doesn't necessarily mean that investors have achieved that same performance in their own portfolios. It's easy to fall victim to our emotions, with the goal of successfully trying to time the market, forcing us to trade too frequently, resulting in more damage being done. This is why it's critical to fixate on the next decade and beyond with your investments instead of the next month or year. The stock market rewards those who are patient and disciplined, even in the face of extreme bouts of volatility, like what we experienced earlier in 2025. It's impossible to say whether or not the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF will repeat its past decade's performance between now and 2035. However, I'm sure that long-term investors will end up with a very favorable result. Should you invest $1,000 in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF right now? Before you buy stock in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $651,049!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $828,224!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is979% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Neil Patel has positions in Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
2 Nasdaq Stocks to Buy in June
It's not surprising that the Nasdaq Composite 's return of 275% outpaces the S&P 500 return of 178% over the last 10 years. The Nasdaq is full of tech-centric companies that are driving change and innovation in the economy, which is where you'll find stocks with monster growth potential. While the stock market got off to a shaky start this year, there are good opportunities to buy shares of dominant tech firms at attractive valuations. Here are two stocks that can deliver great returns in the coming years. 1. Alphabet Shares of Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL) have surged in recent weeks. The company formerly known as Google and home of the famed search engine (among other products) has been weighed down amid increasing competition, fears a recession could slow the advertising market, and the possibility of a court-ordered breakup. But these concerns are well reflected in the stock's modest valuation. Alphabet delivered double-digit growth in revenue and earnings over the last decade. The stock doubled over the last five years and still trades at a modest forward price-to-earnings multiple of 18. That is a bargain for a business with billions of users across popular services like Gmail, YouTube, and Google Search. One of the chief concerns for investors right now is Google's competitive position in search, which generates 56% of the company's revenue. OpenAI's ChatGPT and other leading artificial intelligence (AI) models can function like search engines with a brain, and that is a threat to Google's long-dominant position in the search market. However, Google has very capable AI technology. It built world-class AI infrastructure with a large footprint of data centers, including investment in its Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) for AI workloads. The company also turned heads last fall when it unveiled its Willow chip for quantum computing. The latest version of its Gemini large language model is the top-ranked model on Chatbot Arena's leaderboard at the time of writing. Gemini powers all seven of the company's products with over 2 billion users. These achievements reflect a massive war chest of resources at the company's disposal. Over the last year, Alphabet generated $75 billion in free cash flow on $360 billion of annual revenue, and analysts expect its earnings per share to grow 15% on an annualized basis over the long term. Alphabet 's investments in data centers, Gemini, and cloud services are laying the foundation for tremendous growth over the long term. These assets will lead to better services for consumers while also positioning Google to capture a large share of a $1 trillion AI opportunity. These prospects make the stock a compelling buy on the dip. 2. Amazon Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) stock had a great run over the past few years. Since bottoming out in 2022, the stock soared to new highs, rising 144% and outperforming the Nasdaq's return of 83%. Amazon continues to show solid growth in revenue, while cost reduction efforts in its retail business and growth in cloud computing are helping the business convert more revenue into cool profits. Amazon is in a league of its own when it comes to e-commerce -- its largest business. Revenue from online stores grew 6% year over year in the first quarter to $57 billion, as management saw sales of everyday essentials grow twice as fast as the rest of the business. A healthy number of Prime members are clearly relying on Amazon more, which is strengthening its competitive moat. One of the best reasons to consider buying the stock is Amazon's opportunity in cloud computing. Amazon is making cloud services more cost-effective for businesses with its range of hardware and software solutions. Amazon Web Services currently sits at the top of the $348 billion cloud computing market. Over the last year, it generated $112 billion in revenue, with quarterly revenue up 17% year over year in the first quarter. Amazon's cloud opportunity is massive. It is seeing triple-digit growth for AI services, where it offers tools to help companies build their own AI-based applications. Growing demand for cloud services will significantly grow the value of Amazon's business over the long term, as Amazon Web Services generates most of the company's operating profit. Management believes AWS could generate hundreds of billions in revenue over the long term. Recent demand trends certainly point to AWS becoming a bigger piece of Amazon's business, which is a catalyst for the stock. The stock trades at 33 times trailing earnings. For a business that could see many more years of double-digit earnings growth, Amazon investors could be looking at more market-beating returns. Should you invest $1,000 in Alphabet right now? Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $651,049!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $828,224!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is979% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. John Ballard has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Amazon. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
