$AAPL - $AAPL

Apple Option Alert: Thu $205 Calls Sweep (27) near the Bid: 888 vs 19449 OI; Earnings 7/31 After Close [est] 

Apple Option Alert: Thu $205 Calls Sweep (27) near the Bid: 888 @ $8.901 vs 19449 OI; Earnings 7/31 After Close [est] Ref=$213.88

Apple Option Alert: Thu $210 Calls Sweep (92) near the Ask: 2419 vs 40701 OI; Earnings 7/31 After Close [est] 

Apple Option Alert: Thu $210 Calls Sweep (92) near the Ask: 2419 @ $2.077 vs 40701 OI; Earnings 7/31 After Close [est] Ref=$210.8799

Apple Option Alert: Jul 18 $210 Puts Sweep (7) near the Ask: 2127 vs 10753 OI; Earnings 7/31 After Close [est] 

Apple Option Alert: Jul 18 $210 Puts Sweep (7) near the Ask: 2127 @ $5.643 vs 10753 OI; Earnings 7/31 After Close [est] Ref=$207.275

Apple Option Alert: Thu $205 Calls Sweep (17) near the Ask: 1080 vs 28108 OI; Earnings 7/31 After Close [est] 

Apple Option Alert: Thu $205 Calls Sweep (17) near the Ask: 1080 @ $5.0 vs 28108 OI; Earnings 7/31 After Close [est] Ref=$209.7313

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Stock

APPLE INC

Apple

Apple is among the largest companies in the world, with a broad portfolio of hardware and software products targeted at consumers and businesses. Apple's iPhone makes up a majority of the firm sales, and Apple's other products like Mac, iPad, and Watch are designed around the iPhone as the focal point of an expansive software ecosystem. Apple has progressively worked to add new applications, like streaming video, subscription bundles, and augmented reality. The firm designs its own software and semiconductors while working with subcontractors like Foxconn and TSMC to build its products and chips. Slightly less than half of Apple's sales come directly through its flagship stores, with a majority of sales coming indirectly through partnerships and distribution.

What Happened?

$ETH

AAPL

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Apple Inc

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders will search for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges heavily from its normal worth. High amounts of trading activity could push option prices to exaggerated or underestimated levels. 
Here's the list of options activity happening in today's session: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>07/11/25</td>
<td>$160.00</td>
<td>$25.2K</td>
<td>88.6K</td>
<td>115.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CRWV</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>07/03/25</td>
<td>$160.00</td>
<td>$51.2K</td>
<td>3.7K</td>
<td>10.7K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AAPL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/15/25</td>
<td>$235.00</td>
<td>$104.8K</td>
<td>19.7K</td>
<td>7.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ORCL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>07/18/25</td>
<td>$250.00</td>
<td>$110.0K</td>
<td>3.9K</td>
<td>5.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MARA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>07/11/25</td>
<td>$17.00</td>
<td>$52.6K</td>
<td>2.9K</td>
<td>3.7K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSTR</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>07/11/25</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
<td>$57.7K</td>
<td>15.5K</td>
<td>3.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AVGO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>07/11/25</td>
<td>$275.00</td>
<td>$90.1K</td>
<td>2.1K</td>
<td>2.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>QUBT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>07/03/25</td>
<td>$20.00</td>
<td>$40.9K</td>
<td>3.6K</td>
<td>2.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SEDG</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$25.00</td>
<td>$44.0K</td>
<td>1.6K</td>
<td>1.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SMCI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/15/25</td>
<td>$55.00</td>
<td>$29.7K</td>
<td>9.8K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• For NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 7 day(s) on July 11, 2025. This event was a transfer of 100 contract(s) at a $160.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.2K, with a price of $252.0 per contract. There were 88681 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 115803 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding CRWV (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWV#NASDAQ">CRWV</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 1 day(s) on July 3, 2025. Parties traded 150 contract(s) at a $160.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $51.2K, with a price of $345.0 per contract. There were 3751 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 10708 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AAPL (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 42 day(s) on August 15, 2025. Parties traded 699 contract(s) at a $235.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $104.8K, with a price of $150.0 per contract. There were 19715 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 7135 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ORCL (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 14 day(s) on July 18, 2025. This event was a transfer of 500 contract(s) at a $250.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 26 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $110.0K, with a price of $220.0 per contract. There were 3907 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 5310 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MARA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MARA#NASDAQ">MARA</a>), we observe a put option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 7 day(s) on July 11, 2025. Parties traded 1548 contract(s) at a $17.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 46 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $52.6K, with a price of $34.0 per contract. There were 2904 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 3793 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding MSTR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>), we observe a call option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 7 day(s) on July 11, 2025. Parties traded 50 contract(s) at a $400.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $57.7K, with a price of $1155.0 per contract. There were 15522 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 3348 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding AVGO (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 7 day(s) on July 11, 2025. Parties traded 175 contract(s) at a $275.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $90.1K, with a price of $515.0 per contract. There were 2101 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2883 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding QUBT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QUBT#NASDAQ">QUBT</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 1 day(s) on July 3, 2025. Parties traded 372 contract(s) at a $20.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $40.9K, with a price of $110.0 per contract. There were 3648 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2240 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding SEDG (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SEDG#NASDAQ">SEDG</a>), we observe a put option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 196 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 78 contract(s) at a $25.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $44.0K, with a price of $565.0 per contract. There were 1671 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1500 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding SMCI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>), we observe a call option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 42 day(s) on August 15, 2025. Parties traded 100 contract(s) at a $55.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $29.7K, with a price of $297.0 per contract. There were 9817 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1490 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Options

AVGO

CRWV

MARA

MSTR

NVDA

ORCL

QUBT

SEDG

SMCI

10 Information Technology Stocks Whale Activity In Today's Session

In today's rapidly evolving and fiercely competitive business landscape, it is crucial for investors and industry analysts to conduct comprehensive company evaluations. In this article, we will undertake an in-depth industry comparison, assessing Apple (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) alongside its primary competitors in the Technology Hardware, Storage &amp; Peripherals industry. By meticulously examining crucial financial indicators, market positioning, and growth potential, we aim to provide valuable insights to investors and shed light on company's performance within the industry.
<h3>Apple Background</h3>
Apple is among the largest companies in the world, with a broad portfolio of hardware and software products targeted at consumers and businesses. Apple's iPhone makes up a majority of the firm sales, and Apple's other products like Mac, iPad, and Watch are designed around the iPhone as the focal point of an expansive software ecosystem. Apple has progressively worked to add new applications, like streaming video, subscription bundles, and augmented reality. The firm designs its own software and semiconductors while working with subcontractors like Foxconn and TSMC to build its products and chips. Slightly less than half of Apple's sales come directly through its flagship stores, with a majority of sales coming indirectly through partnerships and distribution.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Company</th>
<th>P/E</th>
<th>P/B</th>
<th>P/S</th>
<th>ROE</th>
<th>EBITDA (in billions)</th>
<th>Gross Profit (in billions)</th>
<th>Revenue Growth</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Apple Inc</td>
<td>33.09</td>
<td>47.50</td>
<td>8.07</td>
<td>37.11%</td>
<td>$32.25</td>
<td>$44.87</td>
<td>5.08%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Super Micro Computer Inc</td>
<td>26.49</td>
<td>4.56</td>
<td>1.42</td>
<td>1.72%</td>
<td>$0.14</td>
<td>$0.44</td>
<td>19.48%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co</td>
<td>20.43</td>
<td>1.17</td>
<td>0.90</td>
<td>-4.4%</td>
<td>$0.87</td>
<td>$2.17</td>
<td>5.87%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Western Digital Corp</td>
<td>22.53</td>
<td>4.43</td>
<td>1.48</td>
<td>5.86%</td>
<td>$0.28</td>
<td>$0.91</td>
<td>30.94%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NetApp Inc</td>
<td>18.98</td>
<td>20.73</td>
<td>3.42</td>
<td>33.42%</td>
<td>$0.43</td>
<td>$1.19</td>
<td>3.84%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Pure Storage Inc</td>
<td>147.37</td>
<td>14.71</td>
<td>5.92</td>
<td>-1.1%</td>
<td>$0.04</td>
<td>$0.54</td>
<td>12.26%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Eastman Kodak Co</td>
<td>12.60</td>
<td>0.87</td>
<td>0.52</td>
<td>-1.66%</td>
<td>$0.02</td>
<td>$0.05</td>
<td>-0.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Turtle Beach Corp</td>
<td>19.59</td>
<td>2.42</td>
<td>0.80</td>
<td>-0.55%</td>
<td>$0.0</td>
<td>$0.02</td>
<td>14.42%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Average</td>
<td>38.28</td>
<td>6.98</td>
<td>2.07</td>
<td>4.76%</td>
<td>$0.25</td>
<td>$0.76</td>
<td>12.29%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<style>
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 font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
 font-size: 14px;
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 </style>After a detailed analysis of Apple, the following trends become apparent: 
<ul>
<li>
With a Price to Earnings ratio of 33.09, which is 0.86x less than the industry average, the stock shows potential for growth at a reasonable price, making it an interesting consideration for market participants.
</li>
<li>
With a Price to Book ratio of 47.5, which is 6.81x the industry average, Apple might be considered overvalued in terms of its book value, as it is trading at a higher multiple compared to its industry peers.
</li>
<li>
With a relatively high Price to Sales ratio of 8.07, which is 3.9x the industry average, the stock might be considered overvalued based on sales performance.
</li>
<li>
The company has a higher Return on Equity (ROE) of 37.11%, which is 32.35% above the industry average. This suggests efficient use of equity to generate profits and demonstrates profitability and growth potential.
</li>
<li>
The Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) of $32.25 Billion is 129.0x above the industry average, highlighting stronger profitability and robust cash flow generation.
</li>
<li>
The company has higher gross profit of $44.87 Billion, which indicates 59.04x above the industry average, indicating stronger profitability and higher earnings from its core operations.
</li>
<li>
The company is witnessing a substantial decline in revenue growth, with a rate of 5.08% compared to the industry average of 12.29%, which indicates a challenging sales environment.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debt To Equity Ratio</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1751641244_0.png" alt="debt to equity" />
The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio is a key indicator of a company's financial health and its reliance on debt financing.
Considering the debt-to-equity ratio in industry comparisons allows for a concise evaluation of a company's financial health and risk profile, aiding in informed decision-making.
When examining Apple in comparison to its top 4 peers with respect to the Debt-to-Equity ratio, the following information becomes apparent:
<ul>
<li>
Among its top 4 peers, Apple is placed in the middle with a moderate debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47.
</li>
<li>
This implies a balanced financial structure, with a reasonable proportion of debt and equity.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Takeaways</h3>
For Apple in the Technology Hardware, Storage &amp; Peripherals industry, the PE ratio is low compared to peers, indicating potential undervaluation. The high PB and PS ratios suggest that the market values Apple's assets and sales highly. Apple's high ROE, EBITDA, and gross profit reflect strong profitability, while the low revenue growth may indicate a need for strategic expansion to align with industry trends.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

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Trading Ideas

Industry Comparison: Evaluating Apple Against Competitors In Technology Hardware, Storage &amp; Peripherals Industry

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) has been a rare laggard among the tech giants in 2025, down 15% year-to-date and underperforming peers like Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and Microsoft Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NYSE">MSFT</a>). 
But a powerful mix of seasonal strength, rising App Store revenue and improving sentiment could set up the stock for a rare comeback—and Bank of America thinks the recent data might mark <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/short-ideas/25/07/46251589/sp500-technical-analysis-rsi-july-2025">a potential turning point.</a>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Apple's Revenue Engine Is Revving</h3>
"The App Store saw strong +12% year-over-year revenue growth in June," the bank&#8217;s analyst Wamsi Mohan said in a note dated July 2, citing SensorTower data. 
Fiscal third-quarter App Store sales jumped to $8.4 billion, up from $7.5 billion in the same period last year, while downloads grew 4.3%. Notably, dollars spent per download rose nearly 7% to $0.98—a sign that Apple's monetization per user is improving.
Gaming, which once accounted for more than half of all App Store revenue, has seen its share fall to 45% in fiscal third quarter. Meanwhile, other categories like productivity, utilities, lifestyle, education, and photo &amp; video apps are steadily gaining traction.
Productivity apps alone saw their revenue share climb by 200 basis points year-over-year, the largest gain of any category, while books, education and lifestyle apps each gained around 100 basis points. 
This suggests consumer spending is diversifying across the ecosystem, and Apple may be less reliant on volatile gaming trends than in the past.
Another trend in Apple's App Store performance is who's driving the revenue. The top 10 developers now account for nearly 25% of total revenue year-to-date, split between studios with single hit apps like Tinder and ChatGPT, and larger firms like Tencent and Google that operate multiple apps.
With the company now capturing more value from non-gaming categories like productivity, lifestyle and utilities—and maintaining resilience despite regulatory changes—Mohan reiterated a Buy rating with a price objective of $235, implying a nearly 10% upside from the July 3 close at $213.55.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Why July Could Be Apple's Golden Month</h3>
History shows July is far and away Apple's strongest month. Over the last 20 years, the stock has ended July in positive territory 17 times, averaging a 7.6% gain. 
Since 2016, Apple has won every single July—marking a nine-year winning streak. Standout gains include 18.9% in 2022 and 18.6% in 2006.
Going further back, the trend holds: Apple has finished July higher in 23 of the past 30 years, with an average return of 7.3%. Just as striking, its performance relative to the S&amp;P 500 has been positive in 77% of those years, beating the benchmark by an average of 5.8%.
No other stock in the S&amp;P 500 has matched that level of consistency or magnitude in July.
There have been some rare drawdowns—namely in 2001, 2002 and 2008—when Apple fell 19.2%, 13.9% and 5.1%, respectively. But those declines coincided with broader market collapses, not company-specific weakness. In recent history, any red July prints have been shallow: down 3.3% in 2015 and less than 1% in 2004.
That makes July something of a seasonal floor for Apple stock, especially when paired with strong fundamentals like rising services revenue and growing diversification outside gaming within the App Store ecosystem.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table class="has-fixed-layout">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Year</th>
<th>AAPL July Return (%)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>1994</td>
<td>27.12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1995</td>
<td>-3.10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1996</td>
<td>4.76</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1997</td>
<td>22.81</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1998</td>
<td>20.70</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1999</td>
<td>20.24</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2000</td>
<td>-2.98</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2001</td>
<td>-19.18</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2002</td>
<td>-13.88</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2003</td>
<td>10.60</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2004</td>
<td>-0.61</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2005</td>
<td>15.87</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2006</td>
<td>18.67</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2007</td>
<td>7.96</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2008</td>
<td>-5.07</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2009</td>
<td>14.72</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2010</td>
<td>2.27</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2011</td>
<td>16.33</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2012</td>
<td>4.58</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2013</td>
<td>14.12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2014</td>
<td>2.87</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2015</td>
<td>-3.29</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2016</td>
<td>9.01</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2017</td>
<td>3.27</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2018</td>
<td>2.80</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2019</td>
<td>7.64</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2020</td>
<td>16.51</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2021</td>
<td>6.50</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2022</td>
<td>18.86</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2023</td>
<td>1.28</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2024</td>
<td>5.44</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
<tfoot>
<tr>
<td>Average&nbsp;gain</td>
<td>7.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Win ratio</td>
<td>77%</td>
</tr>
</tfoot>
</table>
<figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Source: Author's own elaboration based on TradingView data</figcaption></figure>
Read now: 
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/economic-data/25/07/46253377/warren-buffett-trading-indicator-sp500-valuations">This Indicator Made Warren Buffett Famous — But It&#8217;s Been Wrong About The Market For Years </a></li>
</ul>
 Image: Shutterstock

Tech

MSFT

Apple's App Store Just Had A Blowout Quarter—And That Might Be The Signal Bulls Needed

As Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) turned the most valuable publicly traded company on Thursday, inching closer to a $4 trillion market capitalization, this multinational technology company, nicknamed &#8216;Big Blue,&#8217; has outperformed the Magnificent 7 and the Jensen Huang-led tech giant in 2025.
What Happened: International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) has quietly outpaced the gains in Magnificent 7 stocks on a year-to-date basis, emerging as one of the most profitable artificial intelligence plays this year.
IBM&#8217;s generative AI book of business has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/content/46151129/is-ibms-ai-transformation-powering-a-sustained-rally">surpassed $5 billion since its inception</a>, a clear indicator of customer demand. The stock has returned 32.75% YTD, higher than Nvidia&#8217;s 15.20% gains and also much higher than all the other Magnificent 7 stocks.
Even on a five-year basis, IBM has outperformed four out of seven Mag 7 components.
Moreover, the stock has also gained more than the exchange-traded fund tracking the Magnificent 7 stocks, Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MAGS#BATS">MAGS</a>).
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table class="has-fixed-layout">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Stocks</td>
<td>YTD Performance</td>
<td>One-Year Performance</td>
<td>Five-Year Performance</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)</td>
<td>15.20%</td>
<td>26.63%</td>
<td>1558.06%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>)</td>
<td>-12.43%</td>
<td>-5.65%</td>
<td>134.59%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>)</td>
<td>19.17%</td>
<td>6.69%</td>
<td>141.85%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>)</td>
<td>1.45%</td>
<td>11.70%</td>
<td>54.60%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>)</td>
<td>-5.29%</td>
<td>-5.94%</td>
<td>146.52%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>)</td>
<td>19.99%</td>
<td>33.17%</td>
<td>208.03%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>)</td>
<td>-16.86%</td>
<td>25.38%</td>
<td>291.35%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (BATS:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MAGS#BATS">MAGS</a>)</td>
<td>3.27%</td>
<td>14.47%</td>
<td>123.1% (Since 2023)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>)</td>
<td>32.75%</td>
<td>65.87%</td>
<td>155.37%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/07/46258864/ray-dalio-warns-us-debt-per-family-will-rise-85-to-425000-over-next-10-years-as-house-passes-trumps-big-beautiful-bill">Ray Dalio Warns US Debt Per Family Will Rise 85% To $425,000 Over Next 10 Years As House Passes Trump&#8217;s &#8216;Big Beautiful Bill&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters: Apart from AI, IBM also emerged as one of the top investors alongside Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>), making significant investments in the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/06/45901958/ibm-google-emerge-as-top-investors-in-quantum-computing-with-most-patents-issued-in-2025-only-two-companies-seriously-investing-says-martin-shkreli">quantum computing space</a> on a year-to-date basis.
According to the data shared by Martin Shkreli in mid-June, there was a steep drop in the number of quantum computing patents issued after IBM and Google, suggesting that other companies are either smaller players or not prioritizing quantum computing as heavily.
Meanwhile, highlighting the tariff impact during the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/04/44972416/ibm-plays-down-trump-tariff-concerns-doge-could-affect-consulting-business-but-its-us-federal-business-is-less-than-5-says-ceo">first quarter earnings call</a>, IBM's CFO and Senior Vice President, James Kavanaugh, said that the company was exploring alternatives to mitigate any indirect effects because the direct tariff impact was "minimal." 
"Goods imported to the U.S. represent less than 5% of our overall spend, and under current U.S. tariff policy, the impact to IBM is minimal. While we have limited direct exposure outside the United States, we are tactically evaluating alternative sources and other strategies to mitigate tariffs," he said.
Talking about the impact of DOGE-related initiatives, its Chairman, President, and CEO, Arvind Krishna, highlighted that its consulting business was "susceptible to discretionary pullbacks and DOGE-related initiatives."
The company is set to report its <a href="https://newsroom.ibm.com/2024-07-10-IBM-to-Announce-Second-Quarter-2024-Financial-Results#:~:text=ARMONK%2C%20N.Y.%2C%20July%2010%2C,at%205%3A00%20p.m.%20ET">second-quarter earnings</a> on July 24. -.
Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings shows that IBM had a stronger price trend over the short, medium, and long term. Its momentum ranking was solid, and its value ranking was poor at the 17.38th percentile. The details of other metrics are <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-4/#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">available here</a>.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-4/#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="159" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/04062451/IBM-Edge-New-1024x159.png" alt="" class="wp-image-973084" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/04062451/IBM-Edge-New-1024x159.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/04062451/IBM-Edge-New-300x47.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/04062451/IBM-Edge-New-768x119.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/04062451/IBM-Edge-New.png 1279w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
Price Action: On the truncated trading day of July 3rd, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, scaled fresh records and ended higher. The SPY was up 0.79% at $625.34, while the QQQ advanced 0.98% to $556.22, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro </a>data.
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Photo courtesy: MacroEcon / Shutterstock.com

Equities

AMZN

GOOG

GOOGL

MAGS

TSLA

Everyone Talked About Nvidia, Apple And Tesla, But This One Tech Stock Has Left Them All Behind In 2025

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) is rolling out a new feature with iOS 26 that aims to curb spam by automatically filtering and silencing unwanted texts in its Messages app.
What Happened: As part of the iOS 26 update, Apple is getting an enhanced spam screening tool within its Messages app, <a href="https://9to5mac.com/2025/07/03/ios-26s-messages-app-has-a-solution-coming-for-unwanted-texts/">reported</a> 9to5Mac.
Once enabled, the feature filters suspected spam and messages from unknown senders into dedicated folders, keeping them out of the user's main inbox and disabling notifications for those texts.
When users first install iOS 26, Messages will prompt them to activate the screening feature. If enabled, all suspected spam will be automatically rerouted into a separate &#8220;Spam&#8221; section, while unknown senders—those not in the user's contacts—will be moved to an &#8220;Unknown Senders&#8221; tab.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46210955/apple-sues-ex-engineer-over-alleged-theft-of-vision-pro-secrets-as-snap-prepares-ar-glasses-launch">Apple Sues Ex-Engineer Over Alleged Theft Of Vision Pro Secrets As Snap Prepares AR Glasses Launch</a>
Both sections can be accessed through a new filtering option at the top-right of the Messages app, the report said.
The upgrade also includes visual cues on the filters button, alerting users when a new message has been screened, allowing them to review it manually if needed.
Other updates to Messages in iOS 26 include conversation backgrounds, group typing indicators, polls and live translation.
Why It's Important: Apple's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45852236/steve-jobs-would-have-fired-everyone-apples-liquid-glass-in-ios-26-gets-roasted-online-dan-ives-calls-wwdc-2025-a-yawner">bold new design</a> for iOS 26 — called "Liquid Glass" — is also facing a wave of online criticism. Liquid Glass introduces a translucent, reactive interface designed to make the iPhone feel more fluid and immersive.
The design now spans buttons, sliders, the lock screen, Control Center and more.
Apple released iOS 26 Beta 2, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/46066274/apple-liquid-glass-gets-tweaks-in-ios-26-beta-2-after-early-testers-slam-readability-issues-heres-what-else-has-changed">tweaking its new</a> Liquid Glass interface after early testers criticized poor readability. The update improves background blur in Control Center to make buttons and sliders clearer and notifications now appear sharper, though some issues remain on light backgrounds.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings show that Apple's stock maintains an upward trend in the short term, but the outlook turns negative over the medium and long term. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">More detailed performance insights can be found here</a>.
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/04033044/Screenshot-2025-07-04-at-12.58.48%E2%80%AFPM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-972971" /></a></figure>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: jamesteohart / Shutterstock.com

Apple's iOS 26 Will Silence Spam Texts Automatically With New Messages Update That Filters Unknown Senders Into Hidden Folders

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABAF#OTC">BABAF</a>) announced the pricing of HK$12.023 billion ($1.5 billion) in zero-coupon exchangeable bonds due 2032, marking the Chinese e-commerce giant&#8217;s latest move to fuel its artificial intelligence and cloud expansion strategy.
What Happened: The bonds, priced on Thursday, are exchangeable for shares of Alibaba Health Information Technology Limited (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALBBY#OTC">ALBBY</a>), a consolidated subsidiary where Alibaba holds approximately 64% equity interest. The offering is expected to close July 9, subject to customary closing conditions.
Bondholders can exchange their securities at an initial ratio of approximately 160,513.6 Alibaba Health shares per HK$1 million principal amount, equivalent to an initial exchange price of HK$6.23 per share. This represents a 48% premium over the HK$4.21 per share price in the concurrent delta placement.
If fully exchanged, the bonds would represent up to 12% of Alibaba Health&#8217;s issued share capital as of May 31. The exchange price is subject to customary adjustments and anti-dilution provisions.
Alibaba expects net proceeds of approximately HK$11.9 billion ($1.55 billion) after deducting underwriter commissions and estimated expenses. The company plans to use proceeds for general corporate purposes, including investments in cloud infrastructure and international commerce businesses.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/07/46257412/is-the-market-open-on-july-4th-everything-you-need-to-know">Is the Market Open On July 4th? Everything You Need To Know</a>
Why It Matters: The bond offering comes as Alibaba shares have surged 28% year-to-date, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46250853/alibabas-ai-and-cloud-moves-have-sparked-28-stock-rebound">significantly outperforming the NYSE Composite&#8217;s 8% gain</a>. The rally has been driven by accelerating growth in the company&#8217;s Cloud Intelligence Group, particularly AI-related products, and strategic investments in artificial intelligence.
In June, Alibaba released updated Qwen3 <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46250853/alibabas-ai-and-cloud-moves-have-sparked-28-stock-rebound">AI models and partnered with</a> Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) to deploy machine-learning features on devices in China. The company is aggressively expanding its global cloud presence with new data centers in Malaysia, South Korea, and the Philippines.
The bonds will be listed on the Vienna MTF operated by the Vienna Stock Exchange within 60 days after closing. Bondholders may require redemption on July 9, 2030, or following certain corporate events, with redemption at 100% of the principal amount.
Price Action: As of Friday at 1:13 p.m. local time, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd traded at HK$105.60 (~$13.45) on the Hong Kong Exchange, down 0.56%.
On the NYSE, Alibaba ADR closed Thursday at $108.70, down 1.82%, with after-hours trading slipping to $108.63.
BABA scores well on momentum and growth based on Benzinga&#8217;s Stock Edge Ranking. While the stock shows a negative short- and medium-term price trend, its long-term trend remains positive. Click <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">here for a full stock breakdown</a> and to compare it with rival stocks.
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="890" height="640" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/04013153/image-49.png" alt="" class="wp-image-972858" style="width:451px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/04013153/image-49.png 890w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/04013153/image-49-300x216.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/04013153/image-49-768x552.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 890px) 100vw, 890px" /></a></figure>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Robert Way / Shutterstock.com

ALBBY

BABA

ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD by Alibaba Group Holding Limited

BABAF

Alibaba Prices $1.5 Billion Via Zero-Coupon Bonds To Fund AI, Cloud Push

Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) CEO Jensen Huang has added nearly $25 billion to his net worth year to date as the chip giant's market value surges past tech titans to become the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/07/46253485/nvidia-stock-hits-new-all-time-highs-whats-driving-the-record-breaking-run">most valuable company</a> in the world — but he's still trailing just behind former Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) CEO Steve Ballmer.
What Happened: Nvidia hit an all-time high on Thursday, closing with a market capitalization of $3.88 trillion, edging out Microsoft and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) to take the top spot globally.
The rally came amid broader gains across U.S. equity markets, fueled by stronger-than-expected labor market data that eased recession fears.
The Bloomberg Billionaires <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/">Index</a> shows Huang's net worth has grown to $139 billion year-to-date — an increase of $24.8 billion — placing him tenth among the world's richest people.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46256702/sundar-pichai-next-trumps-next-big-tech-payday-could-be-from-youtube-after-settling-lawsuits-with-meta-and-x-productive-discussions-underway">Sundar Pichai Next? Trump&#8217;s Next Big Tech Payday Could Be From YouTube After Settling Lawsuits With Meta And X: &#8216;Productive Discussions&#8217; Underway</a>
Former Microsoft chief Ballmer, also benefiting from the tech surge, sits in fifth place with $172 billion, after gaining $25.5 billion this year.
Analysts, including Wedbush Securities&#8217; Dan Ives, predict Nvidia and Microsoft could be the first companies to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46188671/nvidia-microsoft-on-track-to-achieve-4-trillion-market-cap-says-analyst-dan-ives-tech-bull-market-is-still-early">reach a $4 trillion</a> valuation this summer.
The optimism is largely fueled by the global AI boom, in which Nvidia plays a foundational role through its dominance in graphics processing units (GPUs).
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It's Important: Nvidia's rise reflects broader trends in technology, AI infrastructure and government policy. The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/07/46251714/wall-street-today-stock-market-news-thursday-nvidia">House and Senate passed</a> "One Big Beautiful Bill," which increased tax credits for semiconductor manufacturing from 25% to 35% for facilities expanding domestic production by 2026.
The company also stands to benefit from strong technical indicators. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH), where Nvidia accounts for over 21%, has formed a "Golden Cross" — a bullish signal suggesting <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46230357/nvidia-taiwan-semiconductor-broadcom-drive-chip-stocks-to-a-golden-cross-will-history-repeat-with-145-rally">continued upward momentum</a>.
Price Action: Nvidia shares climbed 1.33% during Thursday's regular session but dipped 0.056% in after-hours trading, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>. The stock is up 15.20% so far this year and has gained 24.21% over the past 12 months.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings show that NVDA maintains a solid upward trend across the short, medium and long term. While its value ranking remains relatively weak at 6.92, its momentum and growth scores are strong. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-4/#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">More detailed performance metrics are available here</a>.
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Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Jensen Huang's Wealth Has Shot Up $25 Billion In 2025 As Nvidia Solidifies Position As The World's Most Valuable Company, But Steve Ballmer Is Still Giving Him A Run For His Money

Apple's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NYSE">AAPL</a>) short percent of float has risen 6.35% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 100.23 million shares sold short, which is 0.67% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 1.98 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Apple Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1751565620_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Apple has grown since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to fall in the near-term but traders should be aware that more shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Apple's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Apple's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 11.17%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze?adType=benzinga-insights&amp;ad=short-interest&amp;campaign=wallstreetadvantage">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Short Sellers

Short Ideas

Peering Into Apple's Recent Short Interest

<a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/apple-explored-launching-cloud-service-developers" title="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/apple-explored-launching-cloud-service-developers">https://www.theinformation.com/articles/apple-explored-launching-cloud-service-developers</a>

'Apple Explored Launching a Cloud Service for Developers' - The Information

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders often look for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges away from its normal worth. Abnormal amounts of trading activity could push option prices to hyperbolic or underperforming levels. 
Here's the list of options activity happening in today's session: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NVDA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>07/11/25</td>
<td>$160.00</td>
<td>$25.2K</td>
<td>88.6K</td>
<td>115.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CRWV</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>07/03/25</td>
<td>$160.00</td>
<td>$51.2K</td>
<td>3.7K</td>
<td>10.7K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AAPL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/15/25</td>
<td>$235.00</td>
<td>$104.8K</td>
<td>19.7K</td>
<td>7.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ORCL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>07/18/25</td>
<td>$250.00</td>
<td>$110.0K</td>
<td>3.9K</td>
<td>5.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MARA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>07/11/25</td>
<td>$17.00</td>
<td>$52.6K</td>
<td>2.9K</td>
<td>3.7K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MSTR</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>07/11/25</td>
<td>$400.00</td>
<td>$57.7K</td>
<td>15.5K</td>
<td>3.3K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AVGO</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>07/11/25</td>
<td>$275.00</td>
<td>$90.1K</td>
<td>2.1K</td>
<td>2.8K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>QUBT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>07/03/25</td>
<td>$20.00</td>
<td>$40.9K</td>
<td>3.6K</td>
<td>2.2K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SEDG</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$25.00</td>
<td>$44.0K</td>
<td>1.6K</td>
<td>1.5K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SMCI</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>08/15/25</td>
<td>$55.00</td>
<td>$29.7K</td>
<td>9.8K</td>
<td>1.4K</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These bullet-by-bullet explanations have been constructed using the accompanying table. 
• For NVDA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 8 day(s) on July 11, 2025. This event was a transfer of 100 contract(s) at a $160.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $25.2K, with a price of $252.0 per contract. There were 88681 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 115803 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For CRWV (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWV#NASDAQ">CRWV</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, is expiring today. Parties traded 150 contract(s) at a $160.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $51.2K, with a price of $345.0 per contract. There were 3751 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 10708 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For AAPL (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 43 day(s) on August 15, 2025. This event was a transfer of 699 contract(s) at a $235.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $104.8K, with a price of $150.0 per contract. There were 19715 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 7135 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ORCL (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 15 day(s) on July 18, 2025. This event was a transfer of 500 contract(s) at a $250.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 26 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $110.0K, with a price of $220.0 per contract. There were 3907 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 5310 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For MARA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MARA#NASDAQ">MARA</a>), we notice a put option sweep that happens to be bearish, expiring in 8 day(s) on July 11, 2025. This event was a transfer of 1548 contract(s) at a $17.00 strike. This particular put needed to be split into 46 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $52.6K, with a price of $34.0 per contract. There were 2904 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 3793 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For MSTR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 8 day(s) on July 11, 2025. This event was a transfer of 50 contract(s) at a $400.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $57.7K, with a price of $1155.0 per contract. There were 15522 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 3348 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For AVGO (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 8 day(s) on July 11, 2025. This event was a transfer of 175 contract(s) at a $275.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $90.1K, with a price of $515.0 per contract. There were 2101 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2883 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For QUBT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QUBT#NASDAQ">QUBT</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, is expiring today. Parties traded 372 contract(s) at a $20.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $40.9K, with a price of $110.0 per contract. There were 3648 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2240 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding SEDG (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SEDG#NASDAQ">SEDG</a>), we observe a put option trade with bullish sentiment. It expires in 197 day(s) on January 16, 2026. Parties traded 78 contract(s) at a $25.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $44.0K, with a price of $565.0 per contract. There were 1671 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1500 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For SMCI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 43 day(s) on August 15, 2025. This event was a transfer of 100 contract(s) at a $55.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $29.7K, with a price of $297.0 per contract. There were 9817 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1490 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more about unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Alibaba Group Holding (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/alibaba" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stock has surged 28%</a> year-to-date, topping the NYSE Composite&#8217;s 8% gain and the NYSE Arca China&#8217;s 18%. It has gained over 44% in the last twelve months.
The Chinese e-commerce giant&#8217;s core e-commerce and cloud businesses, strategic investments in artificial intelligence, and phase-out of non-core assets have been fueling the upside for the company, which is also deemed the tech barometer of China.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cloud And AI</h2>
Specifically, the company&#8217;s Cloud Intelligence Group is experiencing accelerating growth, particularly in AI-related products, and its Qwen AI model family is gaining traction.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45925331/alibaba-co-founder-sees-open-source-qwen-driving-cloud-demand" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alibaba Co-Founder Sees Open-Source Qwen Driving Cloud Demand</a>
In June, Alibaba released its updated <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45975004/alibaba-updates-llms-to-power-ai-on-apple-devices-in-china" rel="noreferrer noopener">Qwen3 AI models</a>, aiming to unlock value by enabling Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) to deploy machine-learning features on iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks in China.
This move supports Apple&#8217;s push to expand its Apple Intelligence suite in the region while aligning with China&#8217;s regulatory requirements for public AI model use.
Also in June, Alibaba&#8217;s Damo Academy and Zhejiang Cancer Hospital co-developed an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/46137326/alibabas-ai-model-outperforms-radiologists-in-early-gastric-cancer-detection" rel="noreferrer noopener">AI model, Grape</a>, to detect gastric cancer from 3D CT scans. The Grape model identifies early-stage stomach cancer and significantly outperforms radiologists, according to Nature Medicine.
Alibaba continues integrating AI into healthcare, building on its 2023 breakthrough in pancreatic cancer detection.
Alibaba is aggressively expanding its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46215371/alibaba-cloud-opens-third-malaysia-data-center-plans-second-in-philippines" rel="noreferrer noopener">global cloud presence</a>, opening new data centers in Malaysia, South Korea, and the Philippines. By 2025, it plans to extend Qwen AI models and Model Studio globally and launch a global AI hub in Singapore.
The company aims to grow its cloud network across China, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas over the next three years.
Backed by a $52 billion investment, Alibaba pushes international growth amid U.S. tensions and intensifies AI competition in China.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Market Share And Earnings</h2>
In 2025, the revenue in the smartphone market in China could reach $111.86 billion, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/consumer-electronics/telephony/smartphones/china" rel="noreferrer noopener">as per</a> Statista, implying a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.31% from 2025 to 2030.
Revenue in the public cloud market worldwide could reach $980.30 billion in 2025, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.statista.com/outlook/tmo/public-cloud/worldwide" rel="noreferrer noopener">as per</a> Statista. The revenue could post an annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2030) of 17.12%, resulting in a market volume of $2.16 trillion by 2030.
In May, Alibaba reported <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45473543/alibabas-cloud-and-e-commerce-units-shine-as-analyst-sees-ai-take-rates-fueling-future-growth" rel="noreferrer noopener">fiscal fourth-quarter</a> revenue growth of 7% to $32.58 billion, missing the analyst consensus estimate of $33.08 billion. Revenue from Taobao and Tmall Group grew by 9% to $13.97 billion. Revenue from Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group increased by 22% to $4.63 billion. Cloud Intelligence Group revenue grew by&nbsp;18%&nbsp;to&nbsp;$4.15 billion.
While near-term margin pressure remains a concern, Benchmark&nbsp;analyst Fawne Jiang noted Alibaba as a leading beneficiary of accelerated AI adoption in China and a top structural player in the sector.
Alibaba&#8217;s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/BABA/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus price forecast</a> is $146.81, based on the ratings of 17 analysts. With an average price forecast of $159.33, Alibaba&#8217;s implied upside from these most recent analyst ratings is 46.6%.
Price Action:&nbsp;BABA shares are trading lower by&nbsp;2.06% to&nbsp;$108.43 at&nbsp;last check on Thursday.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46246152/iphone-sales-bounce-back-in-china-but-huawei-and-xiaomi-intensify-pressure" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iPhone Sales Bounce Back In China, But Huawei And Xiaomi Intensify Pressure</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock

Asia

Alibaba's AI And Cloud Moves Have Sparked 28% Stock Rebound

"I still feel responsibility," former Apple (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) design chief&nbsp; Jony Ive told the Financial Times in an <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7f0a45b0-a3cc-4e1c-be71-1b7b42958d4d">interview</a> earlier this month. OpenAI announced in May it would acquire his hardware startup for $6.4 billion to develop an AI device aimed at addressing the negative effects of smartphones.&nbsp;
The Apple legend added that "humanity deserves better," promising a gadget that counters screen addiction and anxiety while reviving Silicon Valley's original sense of mission.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">OpenAI Bets On Hardware</h2>
OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman announced on May 21 an all-stock deal to buy Ive's year-old startup io Products for about $6.5 billion, elevating the designer to group creative director.&nbsp;
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The transaction would fold Ive's 15-person LoveFrom industrial-design team into OpenAI's San Francisco campus, where engineers plan to fuse large-language-model software with custom silicon for natural voice dialogue. However, the agreement may be in limbo.
A trademark lawsuit filed by a separate startup called iyO has prompted a federal judge to temporarily bar OpenAI from marketing the product under the "io" name. In response, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman <a href="https://x.com/sama/status/1937606794362388674">posted </a>screenshots of email exchanges with iyO founder Jason Rugolo, showing that Rugolo had first approached him about an acquisition. Altman declined, citing a competing product, and called the lawsuit "silly, disappointing and wrong."
A now-pulled 9-minute promotional <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDNyFN_eMec">video</a>—removed after a trademark lawsuit—showed Altman calling their prototype "the coolest piece of technology the world will have ever seen.&#8221;
Trending: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/wiseradvisor-retirement-planning">Schedule your free call with a financial advisor to start your financial journey – no cost, no obligation.&nbsp;</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Prototype Leaves Screens Behind</h2>
TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the screen-free device to resemble a neck-worn iPod Shuffle with microphones and cameras that read a user's surroundings,<a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2025/05/22/ming-chi-kuo-on-openai-device-design/"> </a>according to her May <a href="https://x.com/mingchikuo/status/1925543472993321066">X post</a>. Altman also told employees the unit would be "unobtrusive" and "fully aware" of a user's surroundings, designed to sit on a desk or in a pocket and function without a traditional screen, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/what-sam-altman-told-openai-about-the-secret-device-hes-making-with-jony-ive-f1384005?mod=rss_Technology">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mental Health Signals Urgency</h2>
"Many of us would say we have an uneasy relationship with technology at the moment… While some of the less positive consequences were unintentional, I still feel responsibility… The manifestation of that is a determination to try and be useful," Ive told the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7f0a45b0-a3cc-4e1c-be71-1b7b42958d4d">FT</a>.
Public-health data amplify the stakes: 11% of U.S. children ages 3–17 have diagnosed anxiety, according to recent <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/children-mental-health/data-research/index.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> statistics. A survey released in April by the<a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2025/2025-04-05-monitor.pdf"> American Psychological Association</a> found only 58.5% of teens say they routinely receive needed emotional support. A separate<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/04/22/teens-social-media-and-mental-health/"> Pew Research Center report</a> shows that 34% of teen girls feel social media makes them worse about their lives.
Philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs echoed those concerns during the same FT interview, warning that technology's "dark uses" have sent youth mental-health trends "sideways."
See Also: GoSun's Breakthrough Rooftop EV Charger Already Has 2,000+ Units Reserved — <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/meet-the-company-seeking-to-give-americans-energy-independence-and-learn-how-you-can-become-an-early-investor">Become an Investor in This $41.3M Clean Energy Brand Today</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Funding And Release Window</h2>
OpenAI's war chest has swelled with ChatGPT demand. A spokesperson for OpenAI <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/09/openai-hits-10-billion-in-annualized-revenue-fueled-by-chatgpt-growth.html">told CNBC</a> that its annual recurring revenue recently climbed to $10 billion, up from approximately $5.5 billion in 2024. This month the <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4218062//">Pentagon awarded</a> the firm a $200 million contract to prototype AI tools.&nbsp;
Whether this $6.4 billion vision redefines the future or simply begins to mend it, one thing is clear: Ive is back—this time, to design technology with humanity at its heart.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/are-you-rich">Are you rich?</a> Here&#8217;s what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy.
Image: Shutterstock

'I Still Feel Responsibility,' Says Ex-Apple Executive Sir Jony Ive, Pledging to Fix Tech's Harms With $6.4 Billion AI Device

Apple (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 10 years by 9.61% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 21.42%. Currently, Apple has a market capitalization of $3.20 trillion. 
Buying $1000 In AAPL: If an investor had bought $1000 of AAPL stock 10 years ago, it would be worth $6,789.72 today based on a price of $213.31 for AAPL at the time of writing.
<h3>Apple's Performance Over Last 10 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1751552111_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

$1000 Invested In Apple 10 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much Today

China&#8217;s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/smartphones" rel="noreferrer noopener">smartphone market</a> is set for a significant rebound in the second quarter of 2025, with both Huawei Technologies and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) leading the charge in year-on-year growth, according to preliminary figures from Counterpoint Research.
Huawei is expected to post the highest growth among <a target="_blank" href="https://www.counterpointresearch.com/insight/china-smartphone-market-q2-2025/" rel="noreferrer noopener">major brands</a>, potentially taking the top spot in the Chinese market in the second quarter.
Ivan Lam, Senior Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research, notes that Huawei is &#8220;still riding high on the loyalty of its core users, who are replacing their old phones with new Huawei releases.&#8221;
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/45930835/iphone-sales-rebound-in-china-but-apples-next-move-could-be-risky" rel="noreferrer noopener">iPhone Sales Rebound In China, But Apple&#8217;s Next Move Could Be Risky</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Apple&#8217;s Strategic Rebound And Market Dynamics</h2>
Apple also saw an increase in sales during May, primarily driven by promotional discounts for the iPhone 16 series, especially the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Counterpoint Research Associate Director Ethan Qi stated that &#8220;Apple&#8217;s May discounts for iPhones bore fruit, coming a week ahead of the 618 shopping festival.&#8221;
This move proved effective. Apple ultimately claimed the top spot during the 618 sales period, with three iPhone variants making it onto the bestseller list.
Mengmeng Zhang, Senior Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research, added that the domestic smartphone subsidy boosted the second quarter&#8217;s performance, but also flagged risks related to scaling back these subsidies later in the year. While the 618 sales period itself was flat year-on-year, most of the quarter&#8217;s growth occurred in May.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Fierce Competition And Apple&#8217;s Counter-Moves</h2>
The competitive landscape in China remains intense. Xiaomi (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XIACF#OTC">XIACF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XIACY#OTC">XIACY</a>) is directly challenging Apple with its new 15S Pro, which is priced lower than iPhone models and eligible for government subsidies, CNBC <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/22/chinas-xiaomi-claims-new-phone-chip-rivals-apple-at-a-cheaper-price.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> in May.
CEO Lei Jun claims Xiaomi&#8217;s Xring O1 chip outperforms Apple&#8217;s A18 Pro in heat management during gaming.
To counter this, Apple has reportedly been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45585977/apple-raises-iphone-trade-in-prices-in-china-to-fend-off-huawei-xiaomi-amid-lagging-sales" rel="noreferrer noopener">increasing trade-in prices</a> for iPhones in China to fend off competition in its second-largest market. Trade-in prices refer to the money people in China can receive toward a new iPhone by exchanging their old device.
Furthermore, Apple is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45975004/alibaba-updates-llms-to-power-ai-on-apple-devices-in-china" rel="noreferrer noopener">working to expand</a> its Apple Intelligence suite to mainland China by integrating Alibaba Group Holding&#8217;s (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) updated Qwen3 AI models into devices like iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks. This move signals Apple&#8217;s push to gain traction in China while complying with local regulations that require government approval for publicly used AI models.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Global Outlook And Headwinds</h2>
Despite the positive outlook for China, the global smartphone market faces some headwinds. Counterpoint Research lowered its 2025 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings/analyst-color/25/06/45930835/iphone-sales-rebound-in-china-but-apples-next-move-could-be-risky" rel="noreferrer noopener">global smartphone shipment growth</a> forecast to 1.9% from 4.2%, citing tariff uncertainties under the Trump administration.
Similarly, IDC cut its 2025 global growth outlook to 0.6% from 2.3%, though it projects China&#8217;s shipments to rise 3% thanks to government subsidies.
However, IDC expects Apple&#8217;s global shipments to fall 1.9% in 2025 amid Huawei competition, economic headwinds, and a lack of local incentives.
U.S. smartphone growth could also slow to 1.9% in 2025 from 3.3% in 2017, as higher tariff prices weigh on demand.
Price Action: AAPL stock is trading higher by 0.51% to $213.53 at last check Thursday.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46242782/why-qualcomms-stock-isnt-soaring-like-its-rivals" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Why Qualcomm&#8217;s Stock Isn&#8217;t Soaring Like Its Rivals</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock

Analyst Ratings

XIACF

XIACY

iPhone Sales Bounce Back In China, But Huawei And Xiaomi Intensify Pressure

<ul>
<li>TSLA</li>
<li>BULL</li>
<li>HOOD</li>
<li>GLD</li>
<li>NVDA</li>
<li>AAPL</li>
<li>MSFT</li>
<li>GOOG</li>
<li>ADP</li>
<li>GOOGL</li>
</ul>
Data from <a href="https://swaggystocks.com/dashboard/wallstreetbets/ticker-sentiment">https://swaggystocks.com/dashboard/wallstreetbets/ticker-sentiment</a>
&nbsp;

BULL

HOOD

Top 10 Trending Stocks On WallStreetBets As Of July 3, 2025 (Via Swaggy Stocks)

Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>) has underperformed the PHLX Semiconductor Index year-to-date, with returns of approximately 6% for QCOM <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/chip-stocks">compared to the index&#8217;s</a> roughly 13%.
The divergence is starker over three months, where Qualcomm&#8217;s ~6% gains pale against the index&#8217;s 30% AI-driven rally, even with U.S.-China tech restrictions.
The gap is evident when looking at its peers in the GPU and custom chip space, Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) generated ~43% returns, Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) a robust 57%, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) 35%, and Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRVL#NASDAQ">MRVL</a>) ~18%.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45624771/qualcomm-eyes-alphawave-to-power-ai-and-data-center-growth-analyst-sees-strategic-fit" rel="noreferrer noopener">Qualcomm Eyes Alphawave To Power AI And Data Center Growth, Analyst Sees Strategic Fit</a>
Given this performance disparity, it&#8217;s crucial to assess Qualcomm&#8217;s current difficulties and its strategies for improvement.
Qualcomm&#8217;s core business spans chipsets, software, and products for mobile, automotive, and IoT. A notable impact on Qualcomm&#8217;s revenue stemmed <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43519066/qualcomm-rides-ai-wave-to-record-quarter-but-q2-guidance-dampens-investors-dragging-the-stock-down">from the slowdown in</a> Apple Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) shipments, as Apple previously relied on Qualcomm for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/specialty-etfs/25/02/43888012/apples-in-house-modem-chip-sparks-qualcomm-concerns-3-etfs-with-key-exposure">modem chips</a> that connect iPhones to wireless networks. 
This gradual transition by Apple to its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45490266/qualcomm-re-enters-data-center-cpu-market-taps-nvidia-tech-to-power-ai-ambitions">in-house chips</a> has, in turn, spurred Qualcomm to strategically re-enter the data center CPU market, a segment currently dominated by AMD and Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>). 
Looking ahead, Qualcomm has set an ambitious goal to generate $22 billion in non-handset revenue by 2029, with AI identified as a pivotal driver for this expansion.
Central to this strategy is a planned integration of Nvidia technology into future chips to optimize GPU communication for its AI data center offerings. 
Following a prior pause on an Arm-based CPU project with Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), Qualcomm has revived its data center CPU initiatives and re-engaged in discussions. Additionally, a strategic partnership with Saudi AI firm Humain is underway to co-develop a custom data center CPU.
Beyond AI, Qualcomm sees substantial growth in the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46217099/autonomous-vehicles-best-stocks">autonomous vehicle market</a>. Bank of America analyst Martyn Briggs highlights this sector&#8217;s potential, likening its current trajectory to the &#8220;ChatGPT moment&#8221; in AI.
Despite its stock underperformance, Qualcomm demonstrated <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45150491/qualcomm-stock-drops-after-analysts-lower-price-targets-despite-strong-demand-from-apple-and-samsung">solid operational results</a>, exceeding second-quarter expectations with $10.84 billion in revenue and $2.85 EPS. This was driven by robust performance across its Handsets, IoT, and Automotive segments. 
Notably, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT) revenue surged 18% year-over-year, boosted by Snapdragon adoption, AI-enabled IoT solutions, and a 59% growth in Automotive from new global OEM contracts.
Looking ahead, analysts project QCT to expand approximately 12% year-over-year in the third quarter, with IoT and Automotive forecasted to see 15% and 20% growth, respectively. 
Qualcomm&#8217;s China business remains resilient, underpinned by premium Android subsidies and consistent design wins.
For the June quarter, revenue guidance stands at $9.9 billion-$10.7 billion, with EPS projected at $2.60-$2.80. The launch of Samsung&#8217;s (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SSNLF#OTC">SSNLF</a>) Snapdragon-based foldables could provide an additional boost to handset sales.
Analyst sentiment reflects cautious optimism, with a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/QCOM/analyst-ratings">consensus price forecast</a> of $186.71 based on 32 analyst ratings. Price forecasts range from a high of $270 (Tigress Financial, June 21, 2024) to a low of $140 (Wells Fargo, May 1, 2025). The average forecast of $170.67 suggests a potential 5.16% upside for Qualcomm from current levels.
Qualcomm is actively transforming its business beyond smartphones to overcome its stock underperformance against the semiconductor index and rivals. By focusing on high-growth areas like AI data center CPUs (including partnerships with Nvidia and renewed Meta discussions) and autonomous vehicles, and aiming for $22 billion in non-handset revenue by 2029, Qualcomm seeks to diversify. Despite a lagging stock, strong second-quarter results and analyst price forecasts suggest potential upside as its strategic pivot unfolds.
Price Action: Qualcomm stock is trading higher by 0.38% to $162.95 premarket at last check Thursday.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/45878443/qualcomm-taps-vietnam-for-next-gen-ai-push-joining-apple-and-nvidia-in-supply-chain-shakeup" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Qualcomm Taps Vietnam For Next-Gen AI Push, Joining Apple And Nvidia In Supply Chain Shakeup</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock

Movers

INTC

MRVL

QCOM

SSNLF

Why Qualcomm's Stock Isn't Soaring Like Its Rivals

Chipmakers are likely to benefit from the &#8216;One Big Beautiful Bill Act&#8217; passed by the Senate on Tuesday, as they will be eligible for an investment tax credit that can incentivize the semiconductor business.
What Happened: According to the provisions of the tax cut bill proposed by President Donald Trump, the Big Beautiful Bill aims to temporarily increase an investment tax credit for semiconductor manufacturers till the end of 2026.
It would raise the tax credit to 30% of investments in manufacturing facilities, from the current 25%, providing stronger incentives for companies to expand domestic production.
Trump was initially critical of the Chips and Science Act, which granted awards worth $32.5417 billion and provided loans up to $5.85 billion to 32 companies, as per the <a href="https://www.semiconductors.org/chip-supply-chain-investments/">Semiconductor Industry Association</a>.
However, Trump set up a new entity, the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/04/44584283/days-after-calling-the-chips-act-a-horrible-thing-donald-trump-sets-up-new-entity-for-negotiating-much-better-deals-heres-more">United States Investment Accelerator</a>, within the Commerce Department, which now oversees the CHIPS Act program, as established by an executive order signed by him. 
The Big Beautiful Bill has now gone back to the House after<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/07/46211326/one-big-beautiful-bill-passes-senate-with-jd-vances-tie-breaking-vote-trump-says-its-going-to-go-very-nicely-in-the-house"> narrowly passing in the Senate</a>, before the President could finally sign it to make it into a law. 
These are the top chipmakers and the existing beneficiaries of the Chips Act that will benefit from this investment tax credit mentioned within the tax cut bill.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table class="has-fixed-layout">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Company Stocks</td>
<td>YTD Performance</td>
<td>One-Year Performance</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)</td>
<td>13.69%</td>
<td>22.58%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>)</td>
<td>16.35%</td>
<td>56.08%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>)</td>
<td>8.21%</td>
<td>-29.94%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>)</td>
<td>5.65%</td>
<td>-20.36%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>)</td>
<td>14.83%</td>
<td>-15.49%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMAT#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>)</td>
<td>15.95%</td>
<td>-21.91%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>)</td>
<td>2.35%</td>
<td>11.34%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>)</td>
<td>8.21%</td>
<td>-29.94%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Texas Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TXN#NASDAQ">TXN</a>)</td>
<td>15.32%</td>
<td>8.37%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MU#NASDAQ">MU</a>)</td>
<td>39.40%</td>
<td>-11.02%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MCHP#NASDAQ">MCHP</a>)</td>
<td>28.62%</td>
<td>-21.82%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Analog Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADI#NASDAQ">ADI</a>)</td>
<td>15.99%</td>
<td>6.58%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Coherent Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COHR#NYSE">COHR</a>)</td>
<td>-12.16%</td>
<td>19.63%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Corning Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLW#NYSE">GLW</a>)</td>
<td>12.87%</td>
<td>37.22%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Entegris Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ENTG#NASDAQ">ENTG</a>)</td>
<td>-11.08%</td>
<td>-38.54%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Globalfoundries Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GFS#NASDAQ">GFS</a>)</td>
<td>-6.90%</td>
<td>-22.05%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/07/46188237/bill-gates-is-betting-two-thirds-of-his-foundations-portfolio-in-these-3-stocks">Bill Gates Is Betting Two-Thirds Of His Foundation&#8217;s Portfolio In These 3 Stocks</a>
Why It Matters: On March 4, during his joint address to Congress, Trump said, "Your Chips Act is a horrible, horrible thing."
He also urged U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to "get rid" of it and use "whatever is left over" to "reduce debt or any other reason you want to."
However, the Trump administration has skipped repealing the act with the Investment Accelerator entity and even managed to get the semiconductor firms to invest in the U.S. over and above the Chips Act this year.
In early March, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>) revealed its plans to inject $100 billion into U.S. advanced semiconductor manufacturing, significantly expanding its ongoing $65 billion Arizona initiative under the Chips Act and bringing total investment to $165 billion.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43910982/apple-commits-500-billion-in-us-investment-for-ai-push-boost-us-manufacturing-tech">committed over $500 billion</a> to U.S. investments, focusing on AI, silicon engineering, and expanding advanced manufacturing. 
Price Action: The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, edged higher on Wednesday. The SPY was up 0.45% at $620.45, while the QQQ advanced 0.70% to $550.80, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Read Next:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/07/46216283/dan-ives-urges-apple-to-make-a-move-saying-that-perplexity-acquisition-is-a-no-brainer-its-a-matter-of-when-and-not-if">Dan Ives Urges Apple &#8216;To Make A Move,&#8217; Saying That Perplexity Acquisition Is &#8216;A No-Brainer&#8217;: &#8216;It&#8217;s A Matter Of When And Not If&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

AMAT

COHR

ENTG

MCHP

Nvidia, Intel, Broadcom, Micron, AMD And Other Chipmakers Stand To Benefit As Trump's Tax Bill Increases Incentives To Make Semiconductors In US

Leading cryptocurrencies rallied sharply on Wednesday as institutional demand fuels optimism.
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table class="has-fixed-layout">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Cryptocurrency</th>
<th>Gains +/-</th>
<th>Price (Recorded at 10:20 p.m. ET)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>)</td>
<td>+3.09%</td>
<td>$108,832.24</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ethereum (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/eth/usd">ETH</a>) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>+6.72%</td>
<td>$2,571.03</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dogecoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/doge/usd">DOGE</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>+6.21%</td>
<td>$0.1680</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
What Happened: Bitcoin rallied to an intraday high of $109,763.65 in the afternoon before profit-taking dragged it back to the $108,000 region.
The upsurge followed news that BlackRock&#8217;s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBIT#NASDAQ">IBIT</a>) is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/07/46228970/blackrocks-bitcoin-etf-surpasses-sp-500-etf-in-revenue-as-xrp-dogecoin-etf-approval-predicted-to-follow-soon">now generating more in fees</a> than its flagship S&amp;P 500 fund.
Bitcoin's spike rubbed off on the rest of the market, with Ethereum and altcoins surging significantly.
The upsurge resulted in over $250 million in bearish short positions getting erased in the last 24 hours.&nbsp;
Bitcoin&#8217;s open interest powered 8.71% in the last 24 hours to $74 billion, indicating high speculative interest. Interestingly, over 68% of Binance traders with open BTC positions continued to be short as of this writing.
The "Greed" sentiment intensified from 63 to 73 in the last 24 hours, according to the Crypto Fear &amp; Greed Index.
Top Gainers (24 Hours)
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table class="has-fixed-layout">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Cryptocurrency</th>
<th>Gains +/-</th>
<th>Price (Recorded at 10:20 p.m. ET)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Bonk (BONK)</td>
<td>+19.97%</td>
<td>$0.0000164</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Celestia (TIA)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>+17.82%</td>
<td>$1.61</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>dogwifhat (WIF)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td>
<td>+16.87%</td>
<td>$0.9243 </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The global cryptocurrency market capitalization stood at $3.36 trillion, surging 3.49% in the last 24 hours.
Major stock averages bumped during Wednesday's trading. The S&amp;P 500 climbed &nbsp;0.47% to close at a new record high of 6,227.42. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.94%, also closing at a record of 20,393.13. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was the outlier, recording a minor dip to close at 44,484.42.&nbsp;
The rally comes after Trump announced that the U.S. struck a trade <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114784170652465525">deal </a>with Vietnam, a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/04/44726879/vietnam-a-hub-for-us-tech-giants-like-apple-and-nvidia-wants-to-talk-trade-after-trump-pauses-46-tariff">hub for tech giants</a> like Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>)
See More: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-crypto-scanners">Best Cryptocurrency Scanners</a>
Analyst Notes: Blockchain analytics platform Santiment said Bitcoin's rally has sparked a FOMO on social media.
"Prices move opposite to retail traders&#8217; behavior, so don&#8217;t be surprised by a brief rally halt while greed is high," Santiment added.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">&#x1f973; Bitcoin has jumped to $109.8K today with FOMO setting in across X, Reddit, Telegram, 4Chan, BitcoinTalk, &amp; Farcaster. Prices move opposite to retail traders&#39; behavior, so don&#39;t be surprised by a brief rally halt while greed is high. &#x1f517; Link to chart: <a href="https://t.co/Ak3ITrgSay">https://t.co/Ak3ITrgSay</a> <a href="https://t.co/nG9LcIajEo">pic.twitter.com/nG9LcIajEo</a>
&mdash; Santiment (@santimentfeed) <a href="https://twitter.com/santimentfeed/status/1940499298468442591?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
On the other hand, widely followed cryptocurrency analyst and trader Ali Martinez found Bitcoin's daily chart "promising."
"A daily close above $109,000 could open the door to a rally toward $118,000," the analyst predicted.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Despite the broader quarterly outlook shared in this video, the daily chart for Bitcoin <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24BTC&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$BTC</a> looks promising. A daily close above $109,000 could open the door to a rally toward $118,000! <a href="https://t.co/6v8skxXj0P">https://t.co/6v8skxXj0P</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ohqh3THBIm">pic.twitter.com/Ohqh3THBIm</a>
&mdash; Ali (@ali_charts) <a href="https://twitter.com/ali_charts/status/1940454912779047034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Photo: Antonio Gravante On Shutterstock.com
Read Next:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/crypto/cryptocurrency/25/07/46215827/bitcoins-halving-cycle-is-over-standard-chartered-affirms-what-that-means-for-you">Bitcoin&#8217;s Halving Cycle Is &#8216;Over&#8217;, Standard Chartered Affirms: What That Means For You</a></li>
</ul>

Coverage of Bitcoin, Etherum, Ripple and all the latest digital currencies.

Cryptocurrency

$BTC

$DOGE

IBIT

Bitcoin Nearly Hits $110,000 — Ethereum, Dogecoin Also Spike Amid ETF Buzz: Analyst Says Door Open For $118,000 BTC Rally

Each trading day features hundreds of headlines and press releases on Benzinga Pro, a source for traders to see the latest news on the overall market<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/register?utm_adType=bzprocontent&amp;utm_campaign=14daytrial&amp;utm_ad=0702" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;and individual tickers.</a>
The 2025 year is half over with July now here, which is likely hard for many to believe. Here is a look at the most searched stocks on Benzinga Pro for the first half of 2025. Current prices and year-to-date performance are based on June 30 market close prices and do not include dividends.
1. SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>)
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Current Price: $617.85</li>
<li>52-Week Range: $481.81 to $619.22</li>
<li>Year-to-Date Return: +5.7%</li>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/01/42802731/exclusive-top-20-most-searched-tickers-on-benzinga-pro-in-2024-where-do-tesla-nvidia-gamestop-trump-media-stocks-rank">2024 Benzinga Pro Search Rank</a>: 3rd</li>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/05/45171636/exclusive-aprils-20-most-searched-tickers-on-benzinga-pro-where-do-tesla-apple-palantir-nvidia-stocks-rank">April</a>/<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/06/45750724/exclusive-mays-20-most-searched-tickers-on-benzinga-pro-where-do-apple-palantir-coreweave-nvidia-rank">May</a>/<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/07/46205646/exclusive-june-20-most-searched-tickers-on-benzinga-pro-where-do-coreweave-nvidia-apple-stock-rank">June </a>2025 Search Rank: 1st/1st/1st</li>
</ul>
2. Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>)
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Current Price: $317.66</li>
<li>52-Week Range: $182 to $488.54</li>
<li>Year-to-Date Return: -16.3%</li>
<li>2024 Benzinga Pro Search Rank: 2nd &nbsp;</li>
<li>April/May/June 2025 Search Rank: 3rd/4th/2nd</li>
</ul>
3. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>)
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Current Price: $157.99</li>
<li>52-Week Range: $86.63 to $158.71</li>
<li>Year-to-Date Return: +14.2%</li>
<li>2024 Benzinga Pro Search Rank: 1st</li>
<li>April/May/June 2025 Search Rank: 2nd/2nd/3rd</li>
</ul>
4. Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>)
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Current Price: $136.32</li>
<li>52-Week Range: $21.23 to $148.22</li>
<li>Year-to-Date Return: +81.3%</li>
<li>2024 Benzinga Pro Search Rank: 7th</li>
<li>April/May/June 2025 Search Rank: 7th/3rd/4th</li>
</ul>
5. Hims &amp; Hers Health Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HIMS#NYSE">HIMS</a>)
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Current Price: $49.85</li>
<li>52-Week Range: $13.47 to $72.98</li>
<li>Year-to-Date Return: +97.8%</li>
<li>2024 Benzinga Pro Search Rank: Not in Top 20</li>
<li>April/May/June 2025 Search Rank: 8th/9th/8th</li>
</ul>
6. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNH#NYSE">UNH</a>)
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Current Price: $311.97</li>
<li>52-Week Range: 248.88 to $630.73</li>
<li>Year-to-Date Return: -38.2%</li>
<li>2024 Benzinga Pro Search Rank: Not in Top 20</li>
<li>April/May/June 2025 Search Rank: Not in Top 20/5th/Not in Top 20</li>
</ul>
7. CoreWeave Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWV#NASDAQ">CRWV</a>)
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Current Price: $163.06</li>
<li>52-Week Range: $33.52 to $187</li>
<li>Year-to-Date Return: +307.8%</li>
<li>2024 Benzinga Pro Search Rank: Not Public</li>
<li>April/May/June 2025 Search Rank: Not in Top 20/11th/6th</li>
</ul>
8. Super Micro Computer Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>)
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Current Price: $49.01</li>
<li>52-Week Range: $17.25 to $96.33</li>
<li>Year-to-Date Return: +63.1%</li>
<li>2024 Benzinga Pro Search Rank: 4th</li>
<li>April/May/June 2025 Search Rank: 9th/Not in Top 20/Not in Top 20</li>
</ul>
9. Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>)
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Current Price: $141.90</li>
<li>52-Week Range: $76.48 to $187.28</li>
<li>Year-to-Date Return: +17.6%</li>
<li>2024 Benzinga Pro Search Rank: 6th</li>
<li>April/May/June 2025 Search Rank: 18th/14th/9th</li>
</ul>
10. Oklo Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OKLO#NYSE">OKLO</a>)
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Current Price: $55.99</li>
<li>52-Week Range: $5.35 to $73.55</li>
<li>Year-to-Date Return: +156.3%</li>
<li>2024 Benzinga Pro Search Rank: Not in Top 20</li>
<li>April/May/June 2025 Search Rank: Not in Top 20/12th/10th</li>
</ul>
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/07/46198021/nvidia-vs-microsoft-vs-apple-which-stock-reaches-4-trillion-first">Nvidia Vs. Microsoft Vs. Apple: Which Stock Reaches $4 Trillion First?</a>
Honorable Mentions:&nbsp;The following stocks were the 11th&nbsp;to 20th&nbsp;most-searched tickers on&nbsp;<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent030425&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro</a>&nbsp;for the first six months of 2025.
11. Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>)
12. Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>)
13. Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>)
14. Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COIN#NASDAQ">COIN</a>)
15. Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>)
16. SharpLink Gaming (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SBET#NASDAQ">SBET</a>)
17. D-Wave Quantum (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QBTS#NYSE">QBTS</a>)
18. Asset Entities (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ASST#NASDAQ">ASST</a>)
19. Circle Internet Group (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRCL#NYSE">CRCL</a>)
20. Pony AI (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PONY#NASDAQ">PONY</a>)
Why It's Important: The top 10 list for the first six months of 2025 looked similar to the month of June, with eight of the companies the same.
UnitedHealth Group, which has appeared in only one top 20 over the past three months, ranked sixth thanks to the strong interest in the ticker at the start of the year.
Super Micro Computer similarly ranked eighth for the first half of 2025 despite only a ninth place rank in April and not being in the top 20 in May or June. The stock was particularly popular during the first three months of the year.
If the top 10 holds steady for the rest of the year, the top three stocks would match the 2024 year, but in a different order. In 2024, it was Nvidia ranked first, followed by Tesla and the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust. The three stocks now rank in opposite order through the first six months of the year.
Outside of the top 10 there weren't many huge surprises with themes such as cryptocurrency, AI and quantum computing being strong in the first six months of 2025.
Apple ended the first half of the year ranked 12th, despite previously ranking in the top 10 in several months to start the year. Other Mag 7 stocks such as Amazon and Meta also ranked in the 11 to 20. Alphabet ranked just outside of the top 20 for the first half of the year at 22nd place. Nowhere to be found in the top 25 was Microsoft, a member of the Mag 7 and the second most valuable company in the world.
Stay tuned <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pro/register?utm_adType=bzprocontent&amp;utm_campaign=14daytrial&amp;utm_ad=0702" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">to Benzinga Pro </a>for more market-moving news and to track the top tickers.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/large-cap/25/07/46200141/dow-jones-2025-first-half-scoreboard-top-10-winners-losers-where-do-nvidia-apple-stock-rank">Dow Jones 2025 First Half Scoreboard: Top 10 Winners, Losers — Where Do Nvidia, Apple Stock Rank?</a></li>
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EXCLUSIVE: 2025's First Half Most-Searched Tickers On Benzinga Pro — Where Do Nvidia, Tesla, Apple Stock Rank?

Following <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/06/46133145/apple-opens-eu-app-store-to-external-payments-to-avoid-fines-under-digital-markets-act-but-adds-new-fees">recent legal setbacks</a> for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) regarding alleged monopolistic practices and new App Store fee policies driven by the EU&#8217;s Digital Markets Act (DMA), Bank of America Securities (BofA) analyst Curtis Nagle has re-evaluated the financial outlook for major subscription service companies.
His updated analysis suggests that a reduction in app store fees, currently a significant cost of revenue, could provide a boost to the earnings of Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DUOL#NASDAQ">DUOL</a>), Match Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MTCH#NASDAQ">MTCH</a>), and Bumble Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMBL#NASDAQ">BMBL</a>).
The analyst emphasized that while shifts in user and revenue trends will continue to drive sentiment and valuation for subscription-based companies, lower app store fees could offer meaningful earnings upside that Wall Street hasn&#8217;t fully priced in. App store fees currently represent the largest share of cost of revenues, 17% for Duolingo, and 20% each for Match Group and Bumble.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/large-cap/25/06/45798733/apple-faces-modest-earnings-hit-after-court-ruling-but-analyst-expects-match-bumble-spotify-set-to-gain" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Faces Modest Earnings Hit After Court Ruling But Analyst Expects Match, Bumble, Spotify To Gain</a>
On a gross basis, every 500 basis-point (bps) shift in subscription revenue to off-app payments could boost Duolingo&#8217;s EBITDA by 3.3%, Match&#8217;s by 2.8%, and Bumble&#8217;s by 3.0%. Similarly, a 100 bps reduction in app store fees could lift their EBITDA by 3.2%, 2.7%, and 3.5%, respectively.
While he is constructive on earnings accretion from lower fees, potential offsets include reinvestment of savings and companies limiting efforts to move payments off the app if it results in frictions that decrease subscriber conversion. 
Nagle raised his price forecasts for Bumble <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/BMBL/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">to $5.50 from $5.25</a> and Match Group to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/MTCH/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">$34 from $32</a> due to higher sector valuation. He <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/DUOL/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">maintained his $450</a> price forecast for Duolingo.
This shift or fee reduction is expected to translate to a 1-2% increase for US-based revenues for these companies. The impact on EU-based revenues is estimated to be smaller, resulting in only a 0.5% EBITDA increase.
As per Nagle, Bumble stands to gain the most from a potential drop in U.S. app fees. Two recent developments, the Apple-The Department of Justice (DOJ) case and an April court ruling in the Apple-Epic case, support this possibility. The analyst noted that the latter ruling allows developers to direct users to off-app payment options. Although Apple is appealing, he pointed out that it plans to comply now.
Bumble, along with Duolingo and Match, is already testing off-app payments. Analysts expect more updates during the second-quarter earnings in August. According to Nagle&#8217;s estimates, every 500 bps shift to off-app payments and a 100 bps cut in U.S. app fees could boost Bumble&#8217;s total EBITDA by 1.7%. He said that even when limited to U.S. subscription revenue via Apple&#8217;s App Store, EBITDA could still rise by 1.2%.
Because Duolingo, Match, and Bumble generate only about 20% of their subscription revenue from the EU, compared to 45% from the U.S., Nagle noted that they have limited earnings upside if EU app fees decline due to DMA compliance. The analyst estimated that every 500 bps shift in EU revenue to off-app payments and a 100 bps reduction in EU app fees would raise total EBITDA for these companies by only about 0.5% on average.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/06/46097698/bumble-is-breaking-up-with-30-staff-investors-swipe-right" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bumble Is &#8216;Breaking Up&#8217; With 30% Staff, Investors Swipe Right</a></li>
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Photo by DANIEL CONSTANTE via Shutterstock

Analyst Color

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App Store Fee Cuts Set To Boost Duolingo, Match, Bumble Earnings

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Hewlett Packard

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Pure Storage

Quantum

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Super Micro Computer, Inc. - Common Stock

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Transact Technologies

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Western Digital Corporation - Common Stock

Western Digital

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Xerox Holdings

Jefferies

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BENZINGA MONDIAL

Date	Put/Call	Strike Price	Exp Date	DTE	Trade Vol	Day Vol	Vol / OI	OI	Trade Type	Sentiment
11:00 AMJul 03, 2025	CALL	$205.00	Jul 03, 2025	-2	2964	888	15	19449	SWEEP	BEARISH
09:36 AMJul 02, 2025	CALL	$210.00	Jul 03, 2025	-2	25007	2419	61	40701	SWEEP	BULLISH
11:40 AMJul 01, 2025	PUT	$210.00	Jul 18, 2025	13	12343	2127	115	10753	SWEEP	BEARISH
10:15 AMJul 01, 2025	CALL	$205.00	Jul 03, 2025	-2	24644	1080	88	28108	SWEEP	BULLISH