Alphatec stock tumbles after disappointing 2026 guidance

Investing.com -- Bank of America said Apple is heading into its fiscal first-quarter earnings with a “bullish setup,” citing stronger-than-expected iPhone demand, double-digit services growth and several product catalysts later in the year. 

The firm reiterated its Buy rating and $325 price target on the stock, saying it sees “upside to Street estimates” when Apple reports on Jan. 29.

Analysts led by Wamsi Mohan expect revenue and earnings slightly ahead of consensus, modelling $140 billion in revenue and $2.69 in EPS, compared with the Street’s $138 billion and $2.67. 

BofA forecasts revenue growth of 13% year over year, above Apple’s 10% to 12% guidance. 

The bank added: “We see iPhone demand remaining strong… and Services revs continuing double-digit y/y growth despite weaker App store sales in China.”

Mohan cited two major catalysts for 2026, including the launch of a foldable iPhone in the autumn and an enhanced Siri integrated with Gemini AI, which he said “can drive higher upgrades.” 

The analyst also expects margins to improve in the March quarter on a higher mix of services, projecting a gross margin range of 47.5% to 48.5%.

BofA raised its iPhone unit estimates for the December quarter to 85 million, saying demand for the iPhone 17 remains robust. 

“We model iPhone revs… growing 17% y/y, which implies one of the strongest quarters ever for iPhone,” the bank’s analysts wrote.

Apple’s recent underperformance, driven by concerns over memory costs, is seen as temporary. 

BofA argued that the company has levers to offset these pressures and remains “underweight in investor portfolios,” a trend it expects to reverse this year.

Investing.com -- BofA upgraded Comcast to Buy from Neutral, saying the media group is approaching a window to unlock value at NBCUniversal as industry consolidation accelerates and investors reassess media assets.

The bank raised its price objective to $37 from $31 and said it now values Comcast on a sum-of-the-parts basis. BofA argued that Comcast’s media assets have been weighed down for years by a conglomerate discount, which it believes still depresses the stock.

That discount could narrow after Comcast spun off its linear cable networks and signaled greater openness to strategic deals.

BofA said removing the secularly declining linear assets makes NBCUniversal easier to transact and increases strategic flexibility. Options include a merger, an outright sale, an acquisition or a broader portfolio reconfiguration.

BofA said NBCUniversal is a high-quality but sub-scale asset, making participation in industry consolidation increasingly likely. Recent transaction activity and bidding interest for studio and streaming assets at attractive multiples underscore the potential to surface value, the bank said.

BofA expects mergers and acquisitions to accelerate in media and cable as companies seek greater global scale and deeper content libraries to reduce churn, following years of subscriber erosion in linear television and structural challenges in streaming economics.

Sports rights remain central to that strategy, according to BofA, as one of the few content categories capable of attracting large live audiences and supporting advertising and subscriber retention. Advertising trends are also stabilizing, with dollars continuing to move from linear to digital formats, while sports and news remain relative bright spots.

BofA added that AI adoption across content creation, marketing and operations could help lower costs and support margins over time.

Taken together, BofA said strategic action at NBCUniversal is becoming a necessity after the linear network spin, making Comcast well positioned for a re-rating as those options come into focus.

Investing.com -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM) stock rose 1.5% Monday, with gains accelerating midday following a New York Times report that the Trump administration is finalizing a trade deal with Taiwan.

According to the report, the agreement would reduce U.S. tariffs on Taiwanese exports to 15%, bringing them in line with rates applied to imports from Japan and South Korea following similar deals struck last year. As part of the arrangement, TSMC would reportedly commit to building at least five additional semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Arizona, potentially doubling its presence in the state.

The deal, which has been under negotiation for months, is currently undergoing legal review and could be announced this month, according to people familiar with the matter cited by the New York Times. The timeline for TSMC’s proposed additional investments in the U.S. was not specified in the report.

This development comes as the U.S. continues efforts to strengthen domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and secure supply chains for critical technology components. TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, has already begun construction on facilities in Arizona as part of its U.S. expansion strategy.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Investing.com – U.K. stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Mining, Industrial Metals & Mining and Beverage sectors led shares higher.

At the close in London, the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 rose 0.12% to hit a new all time high.

The best performers of the session on the Investing.com United Kingdom 100 were Fresnillo PLC (LON:FRES), which rose 6.50% or 228.00 points to trade at 3,734.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Glencore PLC (LON:GLEN) added 3.50% or 15.85 points to end at 468.50 and Diageo PLC (LON:DGE) was up 2.73% or 44.50 points to 1,674.50 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were WPP PLC (LON:WPP), which fell 6.55% or 22.90 points to trade at 326.90 at the close. B&M European Value Retail SA (LON:BMEB) declined 4.07% or 7.05 points to end at 166.15 and International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. (LON:ICAG) was down 3.09% or 13.10 points to 411.00.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the London Stock Exchange by 922 to 852 and 530 ended unchanged.

Shares in Fresnillo PLC (LON:FRES) rose to all time highs; up 6.50% or 228.00 to 3,734.00. Shares in Glencore PLC (LON:GLEN) rose to 52-week highs; rising 3.50% or 15.85 to 468.50.

Gold Futures for February delivery was up 2.77% or 124.46 to $4,625.36 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March rose 0.32% or 0.19 to hit $59.13 a barrel, while the March Brent oil contract rose 0.19% or 0.12 to trade at $63.46 a barrel.

GBP/USD was up 0.50% to 1.35, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.18% to 0.87.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.28% at 98.61.