Tech Archives - Channelchek

1-800-Flowers.com (FLWS) – Leaning Into Its Efficiency Initiatives

Posted on January 30, 2026January 30, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

Friday, January 30, 2026

For more than 45 years, 1-800-Flowers.com has offered truly original floral arrangements, plants and unique gifts to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, everyday occasions, and seasonal holidays, and to deliver comfort during times of grief. Backed by a caring team obsessed with service, 1-800-Flowers.com provides customers thoughtful ways to express themselves and connect with the most important people in their lives. 1-800-Flowers.com is part of the 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. family of brands. Shares in 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, ticker symbol: FLWS.

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Difficult quarter. Fiscal Q2 revenue of $702.2 million declined by a disappointing 9.5%, but was in line with our conservative estimate of $702.0 million. Adj. EBITDA was $98.1 million, beating our estimate of $89.5 million by 9.6%. In our view, the results reflect the company’s initiative to focus on efficient use of marketing spend.

Cost actions are working, but benefits are not fully visible yet. Operating expenses declined meaningfully year over year, and the company has already achieved approximately $15 million in annualized run-rate cost savings. However, temporary consulting and incentive compensation costs related to the transformation are delaying the full earnings benefit. As these costs roll off, underlying profitability should improve.

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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst certification and important disclosures included in the full report. NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of this research summary. Proper due diligence is required before making any investment decision.

Are Investors Abandoning Crypto for Hard Assets?

Posted on January 28, 2026January 28, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

The investment landscape entering 2026 has delivered an unmistakable verdict: when uncertainty strikes, capital flows to tangible assets. While cryptocurrencies continue to struggle with volatility and declining investor confidence, precious metals are shattering records in a historic surge that’s forcing investors to reconsider where true value resides.

In a stunning display of safe-haven demand, gold exploded past $5,100 per ounce in late January 2026, following a 65% gain throughout 2025. Silver achieved an even more extraordinary feat, soaring beyond $117 per ounce after rising over 200% in just 12 months. Platinum surged 121% while palladium rallied to breach $2,000 per ounce. This synchronized rally across all major precious metals represents the most significant wealth preservation movement in modern financial history.

Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market tells a starkly different story. After finishing 2025 down 6% for Bitcoin and 11% for Ethereum, early 2026 has brought more pain. Bitcoin plunged below $90,000 in mid-January amid global risk-off sentiment, while Ethereum dropped below $3,000. Heavy liquidations continued to plague the market, with over $1 billion wiped out in a single January event as 182,000 traders saw their positions forcibly closed. Bitcoin ETFs recorded persistent outflows, with nearly $500 million exiting in late 2025 as investors lost confidence in digital assets.

The rotation from crypto to hard assets isn’t speculation—it’s quantifiable and accelerating. Gold funds attracted nearly $40 billion in 2025 alone, while gold mining funds soared 114% with $5.4 billion in net inflows during Q3—the largest quarterly move since 2009. Most tellingly, the Bitcoin-to-gold ratio collapsed by 50% throughout 2025 and continues to deteriorate. With gold now around $5,100 and Bitcoin at roughly $90,000, one bitcoin now buys less than 18 ounces of gold—down dramatically from highs where it purchased over 30 ounces.

Four converging forces explain this historic reallocation. The U.S. Dollar Index plummeted 10-11% in 2025, marking its worst performance in over five decades, driving investors urgently toward assets with intrinsic value. Goldman Sachs recently raised its December 2026 gold forecast to $5,400 per ounce. Federal Reserve rate cuts have made non-yielding assets like gold more attractive, while paradoxically failing to boost crypto as advocates predicted. Rising geopolitical tensions including tariff threats, military actions, and global debt fears have amplified safe-haven demand. Perhaps most critically, physical precious metals face real-world production limits—COMEX silver inventories plunged 26% in a single week in January 2026, triggering what analysts call a “run on the vaults” that pushed prices parabolic.

The market has spoken with unprecedented clarity: as gold breaches $5,100, silver soars past $117, and investment banks project gold could reach $6,000 by year-end, the evidence of a historic wealth rotation is irrefutable. When survival is at stake, investors don’t seek innovation—they seek preservation. And preservation, history repeatedly demonstrates, resides in physical assets that have maintained value for millennia, not digital tokens that have existed for barely a decade.

IonQ’s Skywater Deal Signals a New Phase for Quantum Commercialization

Posted on January 26, 2026January 26, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

IonQ’s announced acquisition of SkyWater Technology marks one of the most consequential strategic moves yet in the early-stage quantum computing industry. In a $1.8 billion cash-and-stock deal, IonQ will acquire the largest exclusively U.S.-based pure-play semiconductor foundry, creating what it calls the world’s first vertically integrated, full-stack quantum platform company.

For investors, this transaction is less about near-term earnings and more about long-term positioning in what could become one of the most critical computing platforms of the next decade.

At its core, the deal gives IonQ something most quantum competitors lack: direct, embedded access to a trusted domestic semiconductor foundry. By bringing SkyWater’s fabrication, packaging, and advanced manufacturing capabilities in-house, IonQ expects to accelerate its roadmap toward fault-tolerant quantum computing—one of the biggest bottlenecks in the sector.

Management believes the integration will pull forward functional testing of its 200,000-qubit quantum processing units (QPUs) to 2028, enabling more than 8,000 ultra-high fidelity logical qubits. Even more ambitious, IonQ expects this to shave up to a year off development timelines for its future 2,000,000-qubit chips. In a field where progress is measured in years, that acceleration matters.

Just as important is the national security angle. SkyWater is a DMEA Category 1 Trusted Foundry, a designation that positions the combined company as a preferred quantum partner for the U.S. government, defense agencies, and allied nations. With its newly launched IonQ Federal division, the company now controls an end-to-end U.S.-based quantum supply chain—from design and prototyping to manufacturing and deployment. That level of security and control could be a decisive advantage as governments race to deploy quantum technologies for cryptography, sensing, and defense applications.

From SkyWater’s perspective, the deal provides scale, capital, and access to next-generation quantum customers while preserving its role as a merchant foundry. SkyWater will continue to serve existing aerospace, defense, and commercial customers and operate as a wholly owned subsidiary. That structure reduces the risk of customer attrition while allowing SkyWater to participate in IonQ’s long-term upside.

Financially, SkyWater shareholders receive a 38% premium to the 30-day average share price, while retaining exposure to IonQ through the stock component. Post-close, SkyWater shareholders will own between 4.4% and 6.7% of the combined company, depending on the collar mechanics.

For IonQ investors, dilution is the tradeoff—but it comes with strategic depth. IonQ already expects 2025 revenue at the high end of its $106–$110 million guidance range, and this deal strengthens its balance sheet flexibility while addressing one of the biggest execution risks in quantum computing: manufacturability at scale.

This acquisition doesn’t eliminate the risks inherent in early-stage quantum technology. Commercial timelines remain long, capital requirements are high, and competition from both startups and tech giants is intense. However, IonQ’s move to vertically integrate—especially within the U.S.—signals confidence that quantum is moving from theoretical promise toward industrial reality.

For small-cap investors looking beyond quarterly noise, IonQ’s SkyWater acquisition may be remembered as a defining inflection point.

Release – SKYX Announces Pricing of $25 Million Registered Direct Offering at $2.50 per share of Common Stock from One Fundamental Institutional Investor

Posted on January 23, 2026January 23, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

MIAMI, Jan. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SKYX Platforms Corp. (NASDAQ: SKYX) (d/b/a SKYX Technologies) (the “Company” or “SKYX”), a highly disruptive smart home platform technology company with over 100 pending and issued patents globally and 60 lighting and home décor websites, with a mission to make homes and buildings become safe and smart as the new standard, today announced that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with one fundamental institutional investor to raise $25 million of gross proceeds via a registered direct offering.

Under the terms of the securities purchase agreement, the Company will issue, for an aggregate purchase price of $25 million, a total of 10 million shares of common stock, at a purchase price of $2.50 per share with no warrants. The closing of the offering is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close on or about January 26, 2026. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Roth Capital Partners is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the offering.

A shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-271698) relating to the securities being offered was originally filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on May 5, 2023 and declared effective on May 12, 2023. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus that form a part of the shelf registration statement. The final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering, when available, may be obtained on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by contacting Roth Capital Partners, LLC, 888 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660 or by email at rothecm@roth.com.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About SKYX Platforms Corp.

SKYX Platforms Corp. (NASDAQ: SKYX) is a technology platform company focused on making homes and buildings safe, advanced, and smart as the new standard. As electricity is present in every home and building, SKYX is developing disruptive plug & play technologies designed to modernize traditional electrical infrastructure while improving safety, functionality, and ease of use.

The Company holds over 100 issued and pending U.S. and global patents and owns 60 lighting and home décor websites serving both retail and professional markets. SKYX’s platform emphasizes high-quality design, simplicity, and enhanced safety, with applications intended for every room in residential, commercial, hospitality, and institutional buildings worldwide.

SKYX’s technologies support recurring revenue opportunities through product interchangeability, upgrades, AI-enabled services, monitoring, and subscriptions. The Company follows a “razor-and-blades” model, anchored by its advanced ceiling electrical outlet platform and an expanding portfolio of plug & play smart home products, including lighting, recessed and down lights, emergency and exit signage, ceiling fans, chandeliers, indoor and outdoor fixtures, and themed lighting solutions. Its plug & play technology enables rapid installation in high-rise buildings and hotels, reducing deployment timelines from months to days.

SKYX estimates its U.S. total addressable market at approximately $500 billion, with more than 4.2 billion ceiling applications in the U.S. alone. Revenue streams are expected to include product sales, licensing, royalties, subscriptions, monitoring services, and the sale of global country rights.

For more information, please visit our website at https://skyx.com/ or follow us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this press release are not based on historical facts but are forward-looking statements. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “can,” “could,” “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “evaluate,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “objective,” “ongoing,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “probable,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “view,” “will,” or “would,” or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements reflect the Company’s reasonable judgment with respect to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which have outcomes difficult to predict and may be outside our control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include statements relating to completion, size and timing of the offering, the Company’s intended use of proceeds from the offering, the Company’s ability to successfully launch, commercialize, develop additional features and achieve market acceptance of its products and technologies and integrate its products and technologies with third-party platforms or technologies; the Company’s efforts and ability to drive the adoption of its products and technologies as a standard feature, including their use in homes, hotels, offices and cruise ships; the Company’s ability to capture market share; the Company’s estimates of its potential addressable market and demand for its products and technologies; the Company’s ability to raise additional capital to support its operations as needed, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern; the Company’s ability to execute on any sales and licensing or other strategic opportunities; the possibility that any of the Company’s products will become National Electrical Code (NEC)-code or otherwise code mandatory in any jurisdiction, or that any of the Company’s current or future products or technologies will be adopted by any state, country, or municipality, within any specific timeframe or at all; risks arising from mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and other collaborations; the Company’s ability to attract and retain key executives and qualified personnel; guidance provided by management, which may differ from the Company’s actual operating results; the potential impact of unstable market and economic conditions on the Company’s business, financial condition, and stock price; and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. There can be no assurance as to any of the foregoing matters. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws.

Investor Relations Contact:
Jeff Ramson
PCG Advisory
jramson@pcgadvisory.com

Netflix Faces Pivotal Earnings Report as $72 Billion Warner Bros. Bid Looms

Posted on January 21, 2026January 21, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

Netflix is set to report fourth quarter earnings Tuesday afternoon amid one of the most consequential moments in the streaming giant’s history—a high-stakes bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery that could fundamentally reshape the entertainment landscape.

Wall Street expects Netflix to post revenue of $11.96 billion for the quarter, up from $10.25 billion in the same period last year. Adjusted earnings per share are projected at $0.55, in line with company guidance. For the full fiscal year, analysts anticipate revenue of $45.1 billion alongside adjusted earnings of $2.52 per share. First quarter revenue is expected to reach $10.54 billion with adjusted earnings of $0.66 per share.

However, subscriber growth and content spending metrics may take a backseat to the elephant in the room: Netflix’s amended all-cash offer of $27.75 per share for Warner Bros. Discovery, valuing the deal at $72 billion in equity. The revised proposal comes as Netflix faces stiff competition from Paramount Skydance, which has offered $30 per share, or $108 billion, for the entire company including cable and news assets. Netflix’s bid specifically targets Warner Bros.’ film and streaming properties, excluding the Discovery Global assets.

The acquisition represents a dramatic strategic shift for Netflix, which has historically relied on organic growth and original content production rather than major acquisitions. Manhattan Venture Partners’ head of research Santosh Rao emphasized that as the industry leader, Netflix must maintain its competitive advantage, particularly as its growth rate shows signs of slowing.

The market has responded skeptically to the acquisition plans. Netflix shares have tumbled nearly 27% over the past six months, declining steadily since the company announced its Warner Bros. pursuit in late 2025. Investors appear concerned about the financial burden and integration challenges of such a massive acquisition, particularly as streaming competition intensifies and subscriber growth moderates.

While Netflix no longer discloses subscriber figures, Wall Street estimates total streaming memberships now exceed 325 million—representing approximately 8% year-over-year growth. That’s a significant slowdown from the 16% growth rate posted in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 13% growth between 2022 and 2023. The deceleration underscores why Netflix may be pursuing inorganic growth through acquisition rather than relying solely on its traditional playbook.

CFRA analyst Kenneth Leon has cautioned that the acquisition uncertainty could weigh on the stock for 18 to 24 months, with outcomes remaining unclear. He noted that Netflix would likely need to sell assets to manage the debt load from such a substantial transaction. The concern is valid—a $72 billion all-cash deal would substantially increase Netflix’s leverage and potentially constrain its ability to invest aggressively in content, the very fuel that powered its dominance.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s board has unanimously endorsed the Netflix offer, with leadership highlighting that the all-cash structure provides greater certainty for shareholders while allowing them to participate in the strategic value of the remaining Discovery Global assets. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has expressed strong confidence that the proposed combination would benefit all stakeholders, from investors to content creators.

Despite near-term headwinds, some analysts maintain a constructive long-term view. Rao acknowledged legitimate concerns about the immediate impact but argued that the acquisition would ultimately strengthen Netflix’s content library, production capabilities, and overall competitive position in an increasingly crowded streaming marketplace.

As Netflix reports earnings, investors will scrutinize not just the quarterly numbers, but management’s commentary on the acquisition rationale, financing plans, and vision for integrating one of Hollywood’s most storied studios into the streaming era’s dominant platform. The results could provide critical insights into whether Netflix can successfully execute this transformative deal while maintaining the operational excellence that made it an industry leader.

Information Services Group (III) – AI Acquisition

Posted on January 20, 2026January 20, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 700 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For additional information, visit www.ISG-One.com

Joe Gomes, CFA, Managing Director, Equity Research Analyst, Generalist , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

AI Maturity Index. Information Services Group has acquired the AI Maturity Index, a SaaS platform that allows organizations to assess the AI readiness of their workforces and improve their employees’ ability to leverage AI technology. The AI Maturity Index provides ISG with a high-impact, scalable entry point into every client’s AI journey. In its short time on the market, the AI Maturity Index has assessed more than 6,000 individual AI users and collected more than 400,000 data points—adoption that will expand exponentially as the platform gains broader use. Terms of the deal were not released.

Acceleration. The acquisition is part of a broader AI acceleration strategy by ISG that includes the formation of an AI Acceleration Unit that brings an integrated, expert-led approach to helping clients rapidly scale AI, and the upcoming launch of a proprietary insights platform with an AI-powered “intelligence advisor” to give organizations real-time access to highly sought-after ISG data and analysis.

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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

SelectQuote (SLQT) – Extended Maturities Enhances Balance Sheet Flexibility

Posted on January 13, 2026January 13, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Patrick McCann, CFA, Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Extended maturity. The company completed a comprehensive refinance that extends its primary debt maturities to January 2031, removing the prior 2027 overhang. The new $325M senior secured term loan and $90M revolver replace the legacy structure and provide a multi-year runway. We view this as a structural reset that repositions the balance sheet to be better-aligned with the company’s long-term growth strategy.

Cost of capital improvements. The new facility delivers immediate interest savings on the revolver (SOFR + 400 bps versus SOFR + 500 bps previously) and embeds a clear path to lower term-loan pricing. The term loan begins at SOFR + 650 bps, with step-downs to SOFR + 600 bps and ultimately SOFR + 550 bps as leverage and Cash EBITDA improve. Operating performance will now have the potential to directly translate into interest savings.

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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

Kelly Services (KELYA) – Trust To Sell Controlling Stake; Kelly Adopts Shareholders Rights Plan

Posted on January 13, 2026January 13, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Kelly (Nasdaq: KELYA, KELYB) connects talented people to companies in need of their skills in areas including Science, Engineering, Education, Office, Contact Center, Light Industrial, and more. We’re always thinking about what’s next in the evolving world of work, and we help people ditch the script on old ways of thinking and embrace the value of all workstyles in the workplace. We directly employ nearly 350,000 people around the world and connect thousands more with work through our global network of talent suppliers and partners in our outsourcing and consulting practice. Revenue in 2021 was $4.9 billion. Visit kellyservices.com and let us help with what’s next for you.

Joe Gomes, CFA, Managing Director, Equity Research Analyst, Generalist , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

A Surprise Sale. Yesterday morning, Kelly Services announced that last Friday, the Terence E. Adderley Revocable Trust K notified Kelly’s Board that it entered into a definitive agreement to sell its entire holding, which constitutes 92.2% of the voting Class B common stock, to a private party. In an amended Schedule 13D filing after the market closed yesterday, the buyer was identified as Hunt Equity Opportunities.

A Large Premium. Hunt is purchasing the 3,039,940 B shares held by the Trust for $106 million, or the equivalent of $34.87/sh. The B shares closed on Friday at $8.86. Historically, the A and B shares have traded in tandem, although there have been periods in which one class has outpaced the other. There is a potential $15.2 million additional payout if the market capitalization of Kelly is equal to or greater than $1.2 billion at any time over the next 48 months. The deal is expected to close by the end of January.

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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

Direct Digital Holdings (DRCT) – Year End Review: 2026 Could Be A Pivotal Year

Posted on January 9, 2026January 9, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

Friday, January 09, 2026

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Equity Research Analyst, Digital, Media & Technology , Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Jacob Mutchler, Research Associate, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

Direct Digital remained a key strategic channel, supporting customer acquisition, margin mix improvement, and first-party data ownership despite a challenging macro and media cost environment. The channel continued to evolve toward a full-funnel model, with increasing contribution from returning customers, improved conversion rates, and greater emphasis on retention and lifecycle engagement.

Repositioning for strategic growth. Ongoing headwinds from media cost inflation, intensifying competition, and platform volatility have persisted in 2025, prompting a strategic shift toward owned-channel development, tighter audience targeting, and stronger cross-functional execution. Looking forward, Direct Digital is increasingly aligned around a more disciplined growth model, prioritizing customer retention, lifetime value, and earnings durability over volume-driven top-line expansion.

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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

The Real AI Arms Race: Why Power and Data Centers Are Becoming the Next Big Investment Theme

Posted on January 9, 2026January 9, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

The artificial intelligence boom is no longer just about software models and chips—it’s increasingly about power, land, and infrastructure. That reality came into sharp focus this week as OpenAI and SoftBank jointly committed $1 billion to SB Energy, a fast-growing energy and data center infrastructure company positioned at the center of America’s AI buildout.

Under the deal, OpenAI and SoftBank will each invest $500 million to support SB Energy’s expansion as a large-scale developer and operator of data centers. As part of the partnership, SB Energy has been selected to build and operate OpenAI’s 1.2-gigawatt data center in Milam County, Texas, a facility large enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes. The investment highlights a critical shift: for AI leaders, securing reliable energy has become as strategic as securing advanced chips.

AI workloads are extraordinarily power-hungry. Training and running large language models requires enormous computing capacity, which in turn drives unprecedented electricity demand. As a result, hyperscalers and AI developers are now racing to lock down long-term energy sources and infrastructure partners to avoid future bottlenecks. In this environment, companies that can deliver power at scale are emerging as essential enablers of the AI economy.

SB Energy represents a hybrid model well-suited for this moment. Originally founded as a renewable energy and storage developer and long backed by SoftBank, the company has expanded aggressively into data center development, ownership, and operations. This dual exposure to both energy production and digital infrastructure positions SB Energy as a critical middle layer between power generation and AI compute demand.

The investment also ties directly into OpenAI’s Stargate initiative, a massive joint effort with partners including SoftBank and Oracle to invest up to $500 billion in U.S. AI infrastructure over the next four years. Stargate’s ambition underscores how central physical infrastructure has become to sustaining AI growth—and why capital is flowing into companies that can execute at scale.

From an investor’s perspective, this trend carries important implications. While mega-cap tech companies dominate AI headlines, much of the real opportunity may lie one layer below, in infrastructure providers, energy developers, and specialized operators that enable AI expansion. These businesses often generate long-term contracted revenue and may benefit from structural demand regardless of short-term swings in AI sentiment.

However, the rapid interconnection between AI firms, financiers, and infrastructure developers also introduces risk. Heavy capital commitments assume that AI demand will continue to rise at an aggressive pace. If adoption slows or efficiency gains reduce power needs, some projects could face pressure. Investors should therefore favor companies with diversified customers, strong balance sheets, and assets that retain value beyond AI-specific use cases.

Ultimately, the OpenAI–SoftBank investment in SB Energy signals a broader shift: AI is becoming an infrastructure-driven industry. For investors willing to look beyond the obvious names, the companies powering the AI revolution—literally—may offer some of the most compelling opportunities in the years ahead.

Coincheck Group Expands Global Footprint with 3iQ Acquisition

Posted on January 8, 2026January 8, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

Coincheck Group N.V. (Nasdaq: CNCK) has announced a significant expansion of its institutional capabilities through an agreement to acquire approximately 97% of 3iQ Corp., a pioneering digital asset investment manager based in Ontario, Canada. The transaction values 3iQ at approximately $111.8 million and represents a strategic repositioning for the Japan-focused crypto exchange as it pursues aggressive global growth. For small cap investors seeking exposure to the digital asset infrastructure space, this deal offers a compelling case study in how emerging players are consolidating capabilities to compete against larger, established financial institutions entering the crypto market.

The all-stock transaction will see Coincheck Group issue 27.1 million newly issued ordinary shares to Monex Group, its majority shareholder and current owner of the 3iQ stake. Based on an agreed share price of $4.00, the deal also includes provisions for minority shareholders to receive up to 810,435 additional shares, potentially bringing Coincheck Group’s ownership to 100%. Subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, the acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026.

Founded in 2012, 3iQ has established itself as a trailblazer in bringing digital assets into traditional investment frameworks. The company achieved several industry firsts, including launching North America’s first major exchange-listed Bitcoin and Ether funds on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 2020, and introducing the world’s first Ethereum staking ETF in 2023. More recently, 3iQ launched one of the first Solana staking ETFs and a spot-based XRP ETF in 2025. The firm’s QMAP platform, launched in 2023, provides a managed account solution for sophisticated investors seeking risk-managed digital asset exposure. Its recent partnership with UAE-based Further Asset Management to launch a market-neutral, multi-strategy hedge fund demonstrates 3iQ’s expanding geographic reach and product sophistication.

For investors in Coincheck Group, this acquisition represents a meaningful pivot toward institutional services and geographic diversification. While Coincheck has dominated Japan’s retail crypto market—ranking number one in trading app downloads for over six consecutive years—the addition of 3iQ’s institutional infrastructure opens new revenue streams in North America and beyond. This is particularly significant for small cap investors, as the deal transforms CNCK from a single-market operator into a multi-jurisdictional player with products spanning retail trading, institutional prime brokerage, and regulated investment products. The company’s current market capitalization positions it as an accessible entry point for investors who believe traditional finance’s adoption of digital assets is still in early innings. CEO Gary Simanson emphasized that the combination positions Coincheck Group to serve traditional financial institutions now seeking digital asset exposure for their clients. The company expects the acquisition to be earnings accretive, while spreading its public company costs over a more diversified revenue base.

The 3iQ deal follows Coincheck Group’s October 2025 acquisition of Aplo SAS, a Paris-based crypto prime brokerage, and its March 2025 purchase of staking platform Next Finance Tech. Management has indicated plans to create revenue synergies across these businesses, with 3iQ and Aplo cross-selling services to their respective institutional clients, and Next Finance providing staking infrastructure across the group.

The transaction highlights Coincheck Group’s ambition to evolve from a Japan-centric retail exchange into a diversified, global digital asset services provider. For small cap investors, the key questions revolve around execution: Can management successfully integrate these disparate businesses? Will institutional clients embrace the combined platform? And can the company achieve the promised synergies? With 3iQ’s proven track record and Coincheck’s operational expertise, the foundation appears solid. Investors should monitor regulatory approval progress and watch for early signs of cross-selling success as the deal approaches its anticipated Q2 2026 close.

Nvidia’s CES Comments Ignite Breakout Rally in Sandisk Shares

Posted on January 7, 2026January 7, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

Sandisk Corp. has emerged as one of the most explosive stocks in the early days of 2026, with a rally that has captured Wall Street’s attention and reshaped expectations for the memory and storage sector. Shares of the company surged as much as 25% on Tuesday, marking their best intraday performance since February and pushing the stock to a fresh record high. The move followed comments from Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang at the CES technology conference, where he underscored the critical — and largely untapped — role of storage in the artificial intelligence boom.

Sandisk’s gains extend far beyond a single trading session. The stock has climbed more than 40% in the first three trading days of the new year and has skyrocketed roughly 1,050% since bottoming out in April 2025. On Tuesday alone, it stood as the best-performing stock in the S&P 500, outpacing peers across the memory and storage ecosystem. Western Digital and Seagate Technology also posted double-digit percentage gains, reflecting renewed enthusiasm for companies tied to data storage infrastructure.

At the heart of the rally are Huang’s remarks about what he described as a massive, underserved market. Speaking at CES, the Nvidia CEO said storage represents “a completely unserved market today,” adding that it could become the largest storage market in the world as it evolves to hold the working memory of artificial intelligence systems. His comments reinforced a growing narrative that AI’s next phase will not be limited to compute power alone, but will increasingly depend on fast, scalable, and affordable memory and storage solutions.

Industry fundamentals appear to support that thesis. According to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jake Silverman, tight supply conditions and rising memory prices are already benefiting digital storage companies. The surge in demand is being driven by both AI training and inferencing, which require enormous volumes of data to be stored, accessed, and processed efficiently. Huang’s CES commentary, Silverman noted, suggests that demand for NAND storage will remain strong across Nvidia-powered systems.

Pricing trends add further fuel to the bullish outlook. Memory prices have been climbing steadily, and reports from Korea Economic Daily indicate that Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are seeking to raise server DRAM prices by as much as 60% to 70% in the first quarter compared with the prior quarter. Such increases signal a supply-demand imbalance that could continue to lift margins across the sector.

Wall Street analysts are increasingly framing Sandisk and its peers as central players in the next leg of the AI investment cycle. Bank of America analysts, led by Wamsi Mohan, recently described memory and storage companies as “key beneficiaries” of the push toward AI inferencing and edge computing in 2026. As organizations retain more data for training, analytics, and regulatory compliance, demand for storage is expected to surge. Mohan highlighted expanding use cases across drones, surveillance systems, vehicles, and sports technology as areas of rapid growth.

While the AI narrative has so far been dominated by capital spending on chips and data centers, analysts argue that the focus is beginning to shift. Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, AI inferencing — and the storage required to support it — may dominate the next wave of hardware investment. For Sandisk, that shift has already translated into a historic rally, and investors are betting the momentum is far from over.

Nvidia’s Market Dominance Faces Growing Challenges in 2026

Posted on January 6, 2026January 6, 2026 by slightbourne@noblecapitalmarkets.com

The world’s most valuable company is entering 2026 on uncertain footing. Nvidia shares have declined roughly 8% since hitting a record on October 29, losing $460 billion in market value over recent months while underperforming the broader S&P 500. The pullback comes as investors question the sustainability of AI spending and whether the chip giant can maintain its stranglehold on the accelerator market.

The decline is striking given Nvidia’s remarkable three-year run, which saw the stock surge more than 1,200% since late 2022 and pushed its market capitalization above $5 trillion at its peak. The company remains the single biggest contributor to the current bull market, accounting for approximately 16% of the S&P 500’s advance since October 2022—more than double Apple’s contribution. Any sustained weakness in Nvidia would reverberate across most equity portfolios.

Competition is intensifying from multiple directions. Advanced Micro Devices has secured major data center contracts with OpenAI and Oracle, with its data center revenue projected to jump about 60% to nearly $26 billion in 2026. More significantly, Nvidia’s largest customers are developing their own chips to circumvent the expense of buying Nvidia’s accelerators, which can exceed $30,000 each. Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft—collectively representing over 40% of Nvidia’s revenue—are all building internal alternatives.

Google has been working on tensor processing units for over a decade and recently optimized its latest Gemini AI chatbot to run on these proprietary chips. The company announced a chip deal with Anthropic valued in the tens of billions of dollars, and reports suggest Meta is negotiating to rent Google Cloud chips for use in 2027 data centers. This shift toward custom silicon is lifting companies like Broadcom, whose application-specific integrated circuit business has helped vault its market capitalization to $1.6 trillion, surpassing Tesla.

Nvidia’s December licensing deal with startup chipmaker Groq appears to acknowledge the growing demand for specialized, lower-cost alternatives. The company plans to incorporate elements of Groq’s low-latency semiconductor technology into future designs, suggesting even the market leader recognizes it must adapt to changing customer preferences.

Despite these headwinds, Wall Street remains largely bullish. Of the 82 analysts covering Nvidia, 76 maintain buy ratings with only one recommending a sale. The average price target implies a 37% gain over the next year, which would push the company’s valuation above $6 trillion. CEO Jensen Huang declared at CES that demand for Nvidia GPUs is “skyrocketing” as AI models increase by an order of magnitude annually, with the company’s next-generation Rubin chips nearing release.

Investors are closely monitoring Nvidia’s profit margins as competition heats up. The company’s gross margin dipped in fiscal 2026 due to higher costs from ramping up its Blackwell chip series, falling to a projected 71.2% from the mid-70s percentage range in previous years. Management expects margins to recover to around 75% in fiscal 2027, but any shortfall would likely trigger concern on Wall Street.

Interestingly, Nvidia trades at a relatively modest valuation of 25 times forward earnings despite expectations for 57% profit growth on a 53% revenue increase in its next fiscal year. This multiple is lower than most Magnificent Seven stocks except Meta, and cheaper than over a quarter of S&P 500 companies. Some analysts view this as opportunity, arguing the stock is priced as if the AI cycle has already ended.

The AI infrastructure buildout remains massive, with Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta projected to spend over $400 billion on capital expenditures in 2026, much of it directed toward data center equipment. Even as Big Tech develops internal chips, the computing power requirements are so enormous that companies continue purchasing Nvidia’s products. Bloomberg Intelligence analysts expect Nvidia’s market share to remain intact for the foreseeable future, though maintaining 90% dominance will clearly be more challenging than before.