Nasdaq AAPL Apple

India's cyber security agency is investigating complaints of mobile phone hacking by senior opposition politicians who reported receiving warning messages from Apple, Information Technology Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw said.

Okta, Inc. ( NASDAQ:OKTA ), a global leader in the identity solutions sector, has come under pressure in recent weeks due to a major security breach, triggering a market sell-off that likely presents a good opportunity for investors who have been waiting on the sidelines. On October 20, Okta’s Chief Security Officer David Bradburry acknowledged in a blog post that Okta’s support case management system had been accessed by an unauthorized user. The hacker was able to view files uploaded by some customers as part of support cases. Despite the short-term pressures resulting from this security breach, Okta seems well-positioned to grow in the long term. Therefore, I'm bullish on OKTA stock. Okta’s Response Will be Scrutinized by Customers and Analysts In the cybersecurity sector, hackers gaining unauthorized access to client accounts is not uncommon, but at the same time, these events can leave a long-lasting impact on a security solutions provider. In addition to the security breach, stakeholders often pay attention to the company’s response to the breach and the support extended to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Okta’s initial response to the alerts it received about this security breach does not seem satisfactory at first glance. BeyondTrust, a security company that is also a customer of Okta, claimed in a blog post recently that it alerted Okta of a potential security breach on October 2. BeyondTrust claims to have prevented an unauthorized user from gaining access to an in-house Okta administrative account. Okta, in return, alerted its customers about this breach weeks later, which does not paint a good picture of the company. Okta is currently investigating this incident to find the root causes and formulate a strategic response to prevent such security breaches from happening in the future. Long-Term Growth Potential Remains Intact Okta operates as an identity and access management (IAM) solutions provider within the broad cybersecurity market, and the company has been able to climb the ladder in recent years to emerge as a leader in this space. This is a fast-growing market, with Grand View Research projecting the market to grow at a CAGR of 13% through 2030. The growth of this market will be driven by the increasing cloud adoption on a global scale, which is forcing both small and large-scale enterprises to take measures to prevent their data from being accessed by unidentified users. IAM solutions offer many benefits to organizations, including the ability to automatically delete inactive accounts, detect policy violations, and remove unwanted access privileges on an ongoing basis. Okta offers two main types of IAM solutions: workforce identity solutions, allowing a company’s employees to access both in-house and cloud-based company resources, and customer solutions, allowing the customers of a company to access relevant resources securely. Aided by the ongoing digital transformation that has boosted the demand for zero-trust applications, Okta’s revenue has grown in leaps and bounds from just $41 million in 2015 to almost $2 billion in 2022. The company’s success in the last few years is a testament to its ability to penetrate the identity management market, and the stellar growth ahead for this market paints a promising long-term picture for Okta. Some of Okta’s recent customer wins validate the company’s strong footing in the market. OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, uses Okta’s identity cloud solutions for authentication processes, which gives an indication of how Okta remains to benefit from the rise of generative AI applications in the future. Some of Okta’s noteworthy customers include Apple ( NASDAQ:AAPL ), CVS Health ( NYSE:CVS ), and Chevron ( NYSE:CVX ). Billion-dollar enterprises choosing Okta to secure their identity access frameworks is a vote of confidence in the technology deployed by the company. Is OKTA Stock a Buy, According to Analysts? Okta has come under pressure from Wall Street analysts, with the company suffering from its second major security breach within just two years. Earlier this year, Okta’s systems failed to prevent the attacks on MGM Resorts International ( NYSE:MGM ) as well, adding worries to the company’s ability to remain a leader in the identity access solutions sector. Evercore ISI analyst Peter Levine, in a note to clients, claimed that Okta’s short-term pipeline will be negatively impacted by the recent security breach, thereby forcing analysts to revise their revenue estimates for Fiscal 2024 and 2025. Citigroup ( NYSE:C ) analyst Fatima Boolani also raised concerns about the potential for reputational risk resulting from the security breach. With analysts striking a negative tone, Okta stock may remain under pressure in the foreseeable future due to a series of potential negative earnings revisions for the current and next fiscal year. Based on the ratings of 27 Wall Street analysts, the average Okta price target is $91.38, which implies upside of 33.6% from the current market price. The Takeaway: Okta Looks Attractive Okta is becoming increasingly attractive as the market plays a blind eye to the company’s long-term prospects while focusing on the short-term impact of the recent security breach. Investors, however, will have to stomach some pains in the short term as the company navigates a challenging few months that will be characterized by its response to the security breach and the potential loss of business resulting from this security event. Still, while there are concerns regarding Okta’s short-term market and financial performance, the company seems well-positioned to thrive in the long run, potentially enjoying competitive advantages resulting from its growing scale. I believe the recent market sell-off presents an opportunity for long-term-oriented investors to gain exposure to Okta at a meaningfully cheaper valuation compared to just a few weeks ago. Disclosure

Asian shares and bonds extended a global rally on Thursday as a non-committal Federal Reserve Chair had markets double down on bets that U.S. interest rates have peaked and cuts are on the way.

The NASDAQ 100 After Hours Indicator is up 10.37 to 14,675.28. The total After hours volume is currently 90,734,173 shares traded.The following are the most active stocks for the after hours session: PPL Corporation (PPL) is unchanged at $24.70, with 4,185,124 shares traded.PPL

PayPal Holdings raised its forecast for full-year adjusted profit above Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, as the payments giant banks on resilient consumer spending trends during the key holiday shopping season.

Chip designer Qualcomm forecast first-quarter sales and profits above Wall Street targets on Wednesday as a smartphone sales slump finally starts to ease and a renewed contract with Apple helps boost its outlook.

Chip designer Qualcomm forecast first-quarter sales and profits above Wall Street targets on Wednesday as a smartphone sales slump finally starts to ease and a renewed contract with Apple helps boost its outlook.

Apple, Coca-Cola, and Visa - all handpicked by Warren Buffett himself for Berkshire's own portfolio - are top stocks to add to any portfolio for their strong financials, growth potential, and attractive dividends

Walt Disney's ESPN sports network could secure an enterprise value of $24 billion and attract investment interest from sports leagues, tech firms like Apple and telecom majors including Verizon, according to BofA Global Research.

Tech giant Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth-quarter results on Thursday. Wall Street will undoubtedly be watching the report closely. After all, the company's approximately $2.7 trillion market cap is big enough to influence major market indexes like

U.S. stock markets have now closed with losses for three consecutive months to mark their worst losing streak since 2020. However, the outlook for stocks looks relatively better as we head into November.

The Invesco Dow Jones Industrial Average Dividend ETF is seeing unusually high volume in afternoon trading Wednesday, with over 661,000 shares traded versus three month average volume of about 32,000. Shares of DJD were off about 0.3% on the day. Components of that ETF with th

Apple’s AAPL fourth-quarter fiscal 2023 results, to be reported on Nov 2, are expected to reflect the impacts of the sluggishness in the Mac and iPad shipments, as well as slowing momentum in the Services business.Apple expects re

What should investors make of this year’s third-quarter earnings? The Q3 results have been pretty good, with 78% of companies reporting so far beating the forecasts, but stocks are still feeling pressure. One obvious sign of that pressure: the S&P 500 this week hit its lowest point since last May, and is just shy of correction territory. The effect is most clearly seen in the ‘Magnificent Seven,’ a group of Big Tech giants whose gains earlier in the year carried the markets generally – but which are facing serious losses lately, despite solid earnings results. Four of these tech giants – Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft – have reported earnings so far, and all beat expectations. The group as a whole is expected to show a 33% year-over-year increase in profits this earnings season. Even so, the Magnificent Seven stocks are down 11% since the end of July. But does this mean you shouldn’t buy in? Wall Street’s analysts are weighing in on that question, especially relevant with both Apple and Nvidia scheduled to release earnings in the near future. These are iconic names, leaders in their respective industries, and they have proven records of long-term success. Let’s put them into focus ahead of their upcoming financial releases to see where they stand now and why some analysts are recommending 'Buy' ahead of the earnings results. Don’t miss Nuclear Power Is the Future — and These Stocks Are Leading the Charge J.P. Morgan Sees at Least 60% Gains in These 2 ‘Strong Buy’ Stocks —  Here’s Why They Could Soar ‘Buy the Dip’: Analysts Say These 2 Beaten-Down Stocks Offer a Compelling Entry Point —  Here’s Why They Could Rebound Apple ( AAPL) We’ll start with a company that needs little introduction: Apple. Apple's $2.67 trillion market cap makes it the largest publicly traded firm in the world. The company is best known for its iconic products, including the iPhone line, iPads, and MacBook computers. Apple’s success was built on its reputation for high-end quality and the professional-level applications that the Mac computer lines could support. In recent years, the company has been expanding its service segment. Apple has also been working to integrate AI technology into its user experience. The company has used it to improve the autocorrect feature on its iPhone line and is using AI to create a smarter AirPod, making an earbud that will recognize when the user is having a conversation and automatically lower the volume. Small tweaks have kept the product lines popular with consumers, and Apple weathered a serious industry-wide drop in smartphone sales earlier this year. Industry research showed that smartphone shipments fell 24% in 1H23, but Apple saw only a 6% decline in iPhone sales. By the end of the half, Apple held a 55% market share in smartphones. In its last reported quarter, fiscal 3Q23, which ended on July 1, Apple posted revenues of $81.8 billion, marking a 1% year-over-year loss, and earnings of $1.26 per diluted share, indicating a 5% year-over-year gain. These results were considered positive, especially in light of the overall decline in smartphone sales. The company also reported having more than 1 billion paid subscription customers, driving its Services segment to record revenues. Looking forward, the Street expects Apple to report $89.4 billion in revenue and $1.39 in earnings per share when it reports its fiscal Q4 financial results on November 2. Covering Apple for Morgan Stanley, analyst Erik Woodring writes of the upcoming earnings, “We expect Apple to post an in-line to better than expected September quarter (F4Q23), highlighted by MSD Y/Y iPhone revenue growth, accelerating Services growth, and record gross margins. However, we are more cautious on the December quarter (F1Q24) given iPhone supply shortages and uneven consumer spending, and believe Apple will guide to a revenue range that is both below normal seasonality and Consensus expectations. Looking at the rest of the mega cap tech names that reported this earnings season, the companies that have guided to December quarter profitability in excess of Consensus have seen greater post-earnings outperformance than those guiding closer (or below) to Consensus, and therefore we lean cautiously into earnings on Thursday.” Even though he is somewhat cautious, Woodring goes on to give an upbeat bottom line: “However, with the potential for iPhone upside later in the quarter (if supply improves; akin to the iPhone 13 cycle) and/or a better than seasonal March quarter, Services growth accelerating, and shares near what we believe is a near-term floor (of $160), we are bullish over the next 12 months.” The analyst’s stance supports his Overweight (i.e. Buy) rating on the shares, and his $210 price target implies a gain of nearly 23% for AAPL over the next 12 months. ( Watch Woodring’s track record) Overall, the analyst consensus on Apple is a Moderate Buy, based on 31 recent reviews that break down to 22 Buys and 9 Holds. The shares are selling for $171.40 right now, and their $203.35 average price target suggests a one-year upside potential of ~19%. (See Apple stock forecast ) Nvidia Corporation ( NVDA) Next up is Nvidia, a leader in the global semiconductor chip industry – and another of the stock market’s handful of trillion-dollar-plus companies. Nvidia has built its dominance around high demand for its top-end GPU chips, which were originally developed for high-end gaming apps but have found strong market share with professional graphic designers and AI developers as well. The launch of ChatGPT last November, and the subsequent boom in AI, opened up even more opportunities for Nvidia. Prominent among those opportunities was the announcement from ChatGPT’s creator, OpenAI, that it will need as many as 10,000 new GPU chips in the coming year in order to maintain current performance levels of the popular chatbot. Nvidia is already a leading supplier for the Microsoft-backed company, and now looks at 2024 from the happy vantage point of having a satisfied high-volume customer. It's not just AI that’s powering Nvidia’s growth. The company saw more than $10 billion in data center revenue, as customers went all-in on the company’s high-end, advanced computing chips. This accounted for the majority of Nvidia's $13.5 billion revenue in fiscal 2Q24, surpassing expectations by $2.43 billion. The firm’s non-GAAP EPS figure, of $2.70, was 61 cents ahead of the forecasts. Looking ahead to the company’s upcoming fiscal 3Q24 release, the expectations are for continued growth – revenue of $15.99 billion, and earnings of $3.37 per share. For 5-star analyst Ambrish Srivastava, writing from BMO, all of this adds up to a bullish picture for the long term. Srivastava says of Nvidia, “We believe as a company NVIDIA is likely experiencing the best visibility it has ever had. NVIDIA highlighted that its visibility for data center is backed by purchase orders, which are required for allocation requests from customers given supply constraints, with customers with large commitments likely getting priority... NVIDIA appears confident in its ability to secure supply into next year, both on the CoWoS side for the more complete GPU solutions, as well on the networking side, particularly in infiniband.” Looking ahead, the analyst, who is rated by TipRanks in the top 3% of the Wall Street stock pros, lays out a clear path for Nvidia in the near-term: “NVIDIA sees a very large addressable TAM ($1T installed base of data center infrastructure), with the company today addressing a single-digit percentage of the annual data center spend. NVIDIA sees a long-term tailwind of the installed base from general purpose CPUs to accelerated computing and generative AI.” Srivastava quantifies his outlook on Nvidia with an Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating, and a price target which, at $600, points toward a robust 47% gain in the coming year. ( Watch Srivastava’s track record) Overall, Nvidia has a Strong Buy consensus rating from Wall Street, supported by 38 analyst reviews with a lopsided split of 37 Buys to 1 Hold. The stock is priced at $407.80 – and its $645.53 average target price suggests an appreciation of 55% on the one-year horizon. (See Nvidia’s stock forecast ) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’  Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

Apple Inc on Wednesday lost a bid to block a mass London lawsuit accusing it of hiding defective batteries in millions of iPhones by "throttling" them with software updates.

In its upcoming report, Apple (AAPL) is predicted by Wall Street analysts to post quarterly earnings of $1.39 per share, reflecting an increase of 7.8% compared to the same period last year. Revenues are forecasted to be $88.32 bi

A slide in the shares of the massive U.S. technology and growth companies that have led stocks higher this year is tempting investors hoping for bargains ahead of results from market bellwether Apple.

Warren Buffett is widely regarded as one of the best investors of all time. When you look at his holdings, the majority of his positions within the Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.B) portfolio are dividend stocks. Berkshire earned more than $4 billion in dividend income from just f

Below is Validea's guru fundamental report for APPLE INC (AAPL). Of the 22 guru strategies we follow, AAPL rates highest using our Multi-Factor Investor model based on the published strategy of Pim van Vliet. This multi-factor model seeks low volatility stocks that also have str

Warren Buffett is known as one of the greatest investors ever. As the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, he has a long and successful track record of allocating capital.