Bill Ackman Pulls the Trigger on These 2 Magnificent 7 Stocks in Q2
Elevate Your Investing Strategy:
Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence.
Amazon Joins Pershing's Top Five Holdings
Pershing Square bought 5.82 million-share stake in Amazon during Q2, valued at roughly $1.3 billion. The e-commerce giant now ranks as Pershing's fourth-largest position, accounting for 9.3% of the portfolio.
In its Q2 2025 earnings report, Amazon delivered better-than-expected revenue and earnings, but its guidance and growth in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud division left some investors underwhelmed. Still, the company is looking ahead with optimism, ramping up AI-related spending, particularly on infrastructure, to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence.
Amazon's stock has rebounded after sliding earlier this year on April 2, when President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs. Shares are now up 5.3% year to date.
What Is the Price Target for Amazon Stock?
Overall, Amazon stock earns a Strong Buy consensus rating on TipRanks. The average AMZN stock price target of $264.21 implies 23.6% upside potential from current levels.
Alphabet Stock Gets a Boost
Alongside the Amazon buy, Ackman increased Pershing's stake in Alphabet Class A shares by 21% in Q2. When combined with the fund's holdings in Alphabet Class C shares, Google's parent company becomes Pershing's third-largest investment.
These moves reflect a broader hedge fund shift toward doubling down on the Magnificent Seven amid the AI boom. With the addition of Amazon and the expanded Alphabet position, Pershing's exposure to this elite group of tech giants now exceeds 24% of the total portfolio.
Is Alphabet Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Turning to Wall Street, the analysts' consensus rating for Alphabet is Strong Buy, based on 27 Buy and nine Hold ratings over the past three months. With that comes an average GOOGL stock price target of $217.25, representing a potential 7.05% upside for the shares.
Other Portfolio Adjustments in Q2
Beyond the two Magnificent Seven stocks, Pershing increased its stakes in Hertz Global Holdings (HTZ) by 2% and Hilton Worldwide (HLT) by 1%. The firm also made an increase of less than 1% in Brookfield Corporation (BN). Its position in Uber Technologies (UBER) was unchanged, with the ride-hailing company remaining Pershing's largest holding.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Oil markets seen bearish after Trump-Putin Alaska meeting
By Seher Dareen LONDON (Reuters) -Oil markets are set for a muted price reaction when they open on Sunday after U.S. President Donald Trump's and Russian leader Vladimir Putin's meeting in Alaska, at which Trump said a fully-fledged peace deal was the aim for Ukraine rather than a ceasefire. Trump said he had agreed with Putin that negotiators should go straight to a peace settlement - not via a ceasefire, as Ukraine and European allies, until now with U.S. support, have been demanding. Trump said he would hold off imposing tariffs on countries such as China for buying Russian oil following his talks with Putin. He has previously threatened sanctions on Moscow and secondary sanctions on countries such as China and India that buy Russian oil if no moves are made to end the Ukraine war. "This will mean Russian oil will continue to flow undisturbed and this should be bearish for oil prices," said ICIS analyst Ajay Parmar. "It is worth noting that we think the impact of this will be minimal though and prices will likely see only a small dip in the very near term as a result of this news." The oil market will wait for developments from a meeting in Washington on Monday between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. European leaders have also been invited to the meeting, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. "Market participants will track comments from European leaders but for now Russian supply disruption risks will remain contained," said Giovanni Staunovo, analyst at UBS. Brent settled at $65.85 a barrel on Friday, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate at $62.80 - both down nearly $1 before the talks in Alaska. Traders are waiting for a deal, so until that emerges, crude prices are likely to be stuck in a narrow range, said Phil Flynn, a senior analyst with Price Futures Group. "What we do know is that the threat of immediate sanctions on Russia, or secondary sanctions on other countries is put on hold for now, which would be bearish," he said. After the imposition of Western sanctions, including a seaborne oil embargo and price caps on Russian oil, Russia has redirected flows to China and India.
Tom's Guide
23 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
Don't wait! Huge Apple sale live on Amazon from $24 — 15 early Labor Day deals I'd add to my cart now
Labor Day weekend is just around the corner, but you don't have to wait until September to upgrade your favorite Apple devices without breaking the bank. It's no secret that Apple's premium brand comes with a similarly premium price tag. Thankfully, you can say goodbye to paying full price this weekend, as Amazon is discounting select Apple products from the latest AirPods, iPads, MacBooks and more. With up to 32% off select devices across Apple's entire lineup, it's the perfect time to snag any coveted Apple gadgets you've been hesitating to click "add to cart." For instance, the new MacBook Pro with an M4 chip is now $300 off, the lowest price yet for one of the best laptops currently on the market. If you're constantly losing track of your belongings, you can also snag the Apple AirTag 4 pack for just $74, or a single AirTag for just $24 now. Below, I've rounded up all the best Apple deals I could find on Amazon. Here are my 15 favorite early Labor Day deals on Apple devices. If you're interested in even more ways to save, be sure to check out this week's best Amazon promo codes. While you're at it, why not peruse our round-up of the best early Labor Day deals on tech, home decor, and sneakers to shop now? The Apple AirTag is an excellent key finder that is extremely easy to set up and does a great job of locating your valuables. What more could you ask for? Save $5 right now. Save $25 on this 4-pack of Apple's AirTag trackers, letting you track multiple objects direct from your iPhone. Whether you're traveling with multiple bags, or just can't keep track of your bags and keys, these could prove invaluable in the months ahead. The best new iPads, including iPad mini 7, all get to benefit from the new features in the Apple Pencil Pro — like the squeeze and barrel roll features. Not to mention all the classic Apple Pencil capabilities like pressure sensitivity, low-latency and tilt support. The AirPods 4 boast a new design as well as Apple's H2 chip, which delivers clearer calls with Voice Isolation, and a new, hands-free way to interact with Siri. The AirPods 4 also have USB-C charging and include up to 30 hours of listening time. In our AirPods 4 review, we said the Editor's Choice earbuds bring Apple's wireless earbuds lineup into the modern day with Pro-level features for less. The AirPods Pro 2 are Apple's best wireless earbuds. Our AirPods Pro 2 review found excellent sound quality, great noise cancelling performance and immersive Spatial audio. The base model Mac mini M4 is a big step up from its predecessor and likely enough for most people without any expensive upgrades. It comes with Apple's powerful M4 chip, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. You also get plenty of ports in a tiny package with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-C ports, HDMI and Ethernet. The Apple Watch SE (2022) is the best budget Apple Watch and one of the best affordable smartwatches on the market today, even before a discount. For folks with smaller wrists, the 40mm SE is Apple's lightest and easiest-wearing smartwatch. It also offers the same battery life, water resistance and many of the same features as the pricier Series 10. The Apple Watch 10 boasts a thinner and lighter design, faster charging and a new sleep apnea detection feature. Some new key features include 30% more screen area, rounded corners and a first-ever wide angle OLED display. The device also feature advanced health insights, including the ability to take an ECG anytime. The 2025 iPad Air packs Apple's M3 processor, an 11-inch LED (2360 x 1640) display, 128GB of storage, a 12MP rear camera, and a 12MP front camera. The tablet features a more powerful 8-core CPU, which makes the M3 up to 35% faster for multithreaded CPU workflows than the iPad Air M1. There's also a 9-core GPU on board with 40% faster graphics performance. In our iPad Air M3 review, we called it "the best Apple tablet for most people."Price check: $449 @ Best Buy This larger size iPad Air sports the same M3 processor, but it's coupled with a 13-inch LED (2732 x 2048) display. Otherwise, it packs the same 128GB of storage, 12MP rear camera, WiFi 6E support, and a 12MP front camera. The new CPU and larger display should make this iPad a favorite for gamers. The 11-inch iPad Pro packs Apple's latest M4 processor paired with a stunning 11-inch Tandem OLED (2420 x 1668) display. The new M4 processor features 9 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores. In our iPad Pro 2024 review we said it could very well be the most stunning tablet ever made. At 5.1mm thick, this is one of the thinnest iPads Apple has ever made. It packs Apple's new M4 processor, a 13-inch Ultra Retina XDR display, and 12MP camera. The new MacBook Air is powered by Apple's latest M4 chipset. The new Mac upgrades the camera from 1080p to 12MP with Center Stage support. The M4 chipset also supports dual external monitors, even when you have the laptop's lid open. It packs a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (2560 x 1664), Apple's M4 CPU w/ 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. In our MacBook Air M4 review, we said the Editor's Choice laptop is irresistible thanks to its speedy performance, sharper camera, and lower starting price. Prefer a bigger screen? The 15-inch model is also on sale. It packs a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display (2880 x 1864), Apple's M4 CPU w/ 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. Thanks to its M4 chip, the new MacBook Pro offers up to 2x faster Neural Engine performance for AI tasks and 2x faster ray tracing compared to the old M3 models. As we said in our MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 review, you also get a sharper 12MP Center Stage webcam and extended battery life of over 18 hours in our testing.
Newsweek
24 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Map Shows Tax Cuts Promised by Trump Administration Across 50 States
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan Washington-based think tank, has produced a map forecasting the effects of President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act on taxes across the United States, broken down to the county level. The White House's website reposted the map, noting that the Tax Foundation said Trump's package would "reduce federal taxes on average for individual taxpayers in every state" and create almost 1 million jobs. Newsweek contacted the Tax Foundation for comment on Saturday outside regular office hours. Why It Matters Trump signed his One Big Beautiful Bill, the centerpiece of his economic agenda, into law on July 4 after it narrowly passed both the House and Senate. The Congressional Budget Office has said the legislation will add $2.4 trillion to the U.S. national debt, a forecast that contributed to a falling out between Trump and his previous close confidant Elon Musk. The One Big Beautiful Bill included sweeping tax cuts, reduced spending on Medicaid, and additional funding for the military and border security. It also raised the U.S. debt ceiling by $5 trillion. What To Know On Wednesday, the Tax Foundation published a study forecasting the effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill on taxes paid by the average American on a county-by-county basis between 2026 and 2035. This was accompanied by a map showing the breakdown by county over this period. Two days later, the White House published a news release welcoming the study, which included a screenshot of the Tax Foundation's map taken for 2026. According to the Tax Foundation, the average tax cut per American for 2026 will be $3,752 because of Trump's spending package. This is forecast to fall to $2,505 in 2030 as some measures expire before increasing again to $3,301 in 2035. A map produced by the Tax Foundation showing the effects of President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill in 2026 on a county-by-county basis. A map produced by the Tax Foundation showing the effects of President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill in 2026 on a county-by-county basis. Tax Foundation The states forecast to see the largest tax cuts in 2926 are Wyoming ($5,375), Washington ($5,372) and Massachusetts ($5,139). By contrast, the smallest cuts are expected in West Virginia and Mississippi—at $2,503 and $2,401, respectively. In its report, the Tax Foundation described the One Big Beautiful Bill as "the most significant legislative changes to federal tax policy since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act," which was passed in Trump's first term. The president's One Big Beautiful Bill contained a number of tax cuts, including extending corporation and income taxes he imposed in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It also raises the cap on state and local tax deductions over the next five years to $40,000 for those making less than $500,000 per year, reduces tax on tips and overtime pay, and phases out some of former President Joe Biden's energy tax credits. The Tax Foundation also projected that the One Big Beautiful Bill would produce about 938,000 jobs "over the long run," including 132,000 in California and 81,000 in Texas. What People Are Saying White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in the news release: "President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill is the largest, most consequential tax cut on the middle class ever. Now, the Tax Foundation—the leading nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit—confirms that. Between lower inflation, massive investments, and historic tax cuts, all Americans are reaping the benefits of the Trump Economy—and the Golden Age has just begun." What Happens Next While supporters of Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill may be buoyed by the Tax Foundation's report, which suggests it will result in widespread tax reductions and job creation, critics are likely to continue raising concerns about its effects on the national debt and Medicaid cuts.
