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Investing.com — InvestingPro members—who subscribed to our monthly updated list of AI-picked stocks for less than $9—are closing what can only be called an unmatched January for stock market gains.

On top of receiving timely calls on several names that went on to rally more than +25% during the month, such as:

• Amkor Technology Inc (NASDAQ:AMKR): +26.65% in January ALONE
• Onto Innovation Inc (NYSE:ONTO): +35.01%  in January ALONE
• Teradyne Inc (NASDAQ:TER): +30.13% in January ALONE
• Stride Inc (NYSE:LRN): +29.43% in January ALONE

(Among more than fifteen other 25%+ gainers)

Those following our premium list of picks are also enjoying a game-changing +174.2% MTD rally on a tech stock that has been considered a high-conviction pick by our AI models since November: SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK).

In fact, since added by our AI three months ago, InvestingPro members have already compounded an incredible +227.38% gain.

But it wasn’t just our InvestingPro members who benefited from the rally in SanDisk. Readers of this column were warned a few times this month about this potential winner; once back when the stock was up 48%, a second time when the stock was up 71%, and yet a THIRD TIME when the stock was up 112%. 

Now, with the rally in SanDisk stock, our composed list of tech picks for January is up a massive +13.30% MTD. That compares to a much smaller +1.80% gain for the S&P 500 during the same period—that’s more than 11% higher in a single month. 

Longer term, results are arguably even greater, with our actively managed selection of tech picks notching a massive +182.53% since its official launch in November 2023. That’s a +118.04% outperformance over the S&P 500 during the same period.

*These are real-world results, recorded since the official launch of our AI models.  

But if you missed these returns, here’s a piece of good news: a fresh list of AI-picked stocks is out on February first. Make sure to get to the list early, so you don’t risk missing the next SanDisk.

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Still not a member? Then here’s your chance to get the full list of picks with a special discount now.

Is There Still Time to Buy SanDisk Stock?

The storage solutions provider was called an ’AI-Fueled Memory Market Superstar’ by our AI models when added to our list of stock picks, that is BEFORE it went on to notch the crazy returns.

Here’s our AI’s full reasoning behind the pick, published by our AI in November last year:

• • SanDisk Corporation has delivered extraordinary market performance with a staggering 527% price return over 6 months and 468% year-to-date, placing it near its 52-week high.
• • The company is capitalizing on explosive AI-driven demand for NAND memory, with analysts projecting the AI NAND chip market to reach $29 billion by 2029, positioning SanDisk as a primary beneficiary of this secular growth trend.
• • Revenue growth of 10.4% and remarkable EBITDA growth of 362% demonstrate strong operational execution in a rapidly expanding market.
• • Multiple analyst upgrades reflect growing confidence, with Mizuho doubling their price target to $112, Morgan Stanley raising theirs to $96 and naming SanDisk a Top Pick, and Bernstein initiating coverage with an Outperform rating.
• • SanDisk is reportedly seeking 10% price increases while securing large hyperscaler orders, further strengthening their growth outlook.

(Similarly, the AI publishes its rationale for every stock it decides to either add to or remove from the portfolio)

Now, three months later, revenue jumped 64%, driven by strong adoption among AI infrastructure builders, semi-custom customers, and technology companies deploying AI at scale.

However, at the same time, price action has made the stock much more expensive in terms of its valuation, with our Fair Value Models indicating a potential −32.45% downside from here.

So, ride the momentum or look for the next SanDisk?

Well, check out our AI’s list of picks for February to see whether the stock was kept or removed. Unlike simpler, single-signal models, our AI evaluates a complex combination of more than 150 leading indicators to reach a decision.

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Still not a member? Then here’s your chance to get the full list of picks with a special discount now.

Here’s How the AI Stock Picker Works

At the start of each month, our AI refreshes each strategy with up to 20 stock picks. These selections are based on a blend of more than 150 well-established financial models compiled by our machine learning model on over 15 years of financial data worldwide.

Some stocks are added, others retained, and a few are removed, reflecting how the model reassesses each company’s medium-term growth potential.

To track performance, each strategy uses equal weighting across all selected stocks. While you’re not required to follow that weighting exactly, it offers a consistent benchmark to evaluate how well the model identifies opportunities across the board.

At the end of the day, stock picking is still a game of probabilities. But the key isn’t just finding winners — it’s knowing when to move on from the ones that no longer stack up.

Since launch, the model has done just that — delivering more than a few standout success stories along the way.

Disclaimer: Prices mentioned in articles are accurate at the time of publication. We regularly test different offers for our members, which may vary by region.

Investing.com – Australia stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Gold, Metals & Mining and Materials sectors led shares lower.

At the close in Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.65%.

The best performers of the session on the S&P/ASX 200 were Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd (ASX:NEC), which rose 4.59% or 0.05 points to trade at 1.14 at the close. Meanwhile, AMP Ltd (ASX:AMP) added 3.50% or 0.06 points to end at 1.70 and Resmed Inc DRC (ASX:RMD) was up 3.16% or 1.15 points to 37.55 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Liontown Resources Ltd (ASX:LTR), which fell 9.51% or 0.19 points to trade at 1.86 at the close. Genesis Minerals Ltd (ASX:GMD) declined 8.91% or 0.75 points to end at 7.67 and Newmont Corporation DRC (ASX:NEM) was down 7.84% or 14.77 points to 173.70.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Sydney Stock Exchange by 859 to 409 and 325 ended unchanged.

The S&P/ASX 200 VIX, which measures the implied volatility of S&P/ASX 200 options, was up 6.57% to 11.18 a new 1-month high.

Gold Futures for April delivery was down 1.82% or 97.70 to $5,257.10 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in March fell 1.65% or 1.08 to hit $64.34 a barrel, while the April Brent oil contract fell 1.54% or 1.07 to trade at $68.52 a barrel.

AUD/USD was unchanged 0.62% to 0.70, while AUD/JPY fell 0.12% to 107.75.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.28% at 96.41.

Investing.com-- Latin American oil and gas producer GeoPark Ltd (NYSE:GPRK) said on Thursday it had agreed to buy Frontera Energy's (TSX:FEC) Colombian exploration and production assets in a cash deal.

GeoPark will acquire 100% of Frontera Petroleum International Holdings, which holds oil and gas assets in Colombia, for $375 million in cash, plus an additional $25 million tied to development milestones.

The transaction excludes Frontera Energy’s infrastructure assets and its exploration interests in Guyana.

The deal, which has an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026, is expected to double GeoPark’s production and reserves, creating a leading independent upstream platform across Colombia and Argentina.

GeoPark said it would become the largest private oil producer in Colombia following the acquisition.

The company will also assume about $310 million of Frontera’s unsecured notes and $79 million in outstanding prepayment facilities, implying an enterprise value of around $600 million for the assets.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and will be funded through cash on hand and committed financing, with no equity issuance planned.

Investing.com-- Most Asian stock markets fell on Friday, led by declines in technology shares, after a weak finish on Wall Street overnight dented risk appetite, while investors weighed Tokyo inflation data that kept expectations for further Bank of Japan policy tightening in focus.

Several regional markets, which have posted strong gains so far in January, pulled back from record or multi-year highs amid profit-taking, with Chinese shares leading declines.

In the U.S., Wall Street closed lower overnight, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq under pressure as Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) shares plunged roughly 10% amid investor concern that heavy AI spending may not deliver commensurate returns, while its cloud growth lagged expectations.

U.S. stock index futures also declined modestly during Asian hours.

China, HK shares lead losses; KOPI gains

Back in Asia, Chinese shares led losses. The blue-chip Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 and the Shanghai Composite slipped over 1% each.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index slumped nearly 2%, with the Hang Seng TECH sub-index declining similarly. Hong Kong shares were set to jump over 7% for January.

Singapore's Straits Times Index edged down 0.2% after hitting a record high earlier in the session. The index was set for a 6% monthly rise.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.6%, but was on track to gain 2% this month.

Futures for India's Nifty 50 index inched 0.3% lower.

In contrast, South Korean shares rose, bucking the broader regional trend. The KOSPI gained 0.5% on strong performances in heavyweight chipmakers, with SK Hynix (KS:000660) and Samsung Electronics (KS:005930) extending gains after stellar earnings results reported a day earlier.

The KOSPI index was set for stellar gains of nearly 25% for January.

Tokyo inflation cools, core measure still above BOJ target

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.4%, while the broader TOPIX index fell 0.3%.

The Nikkei was set to rise over 5% in January, with some gains tempered by a stronger yen.

Tokyo’s consumer price data on Friday showed inflation in the Japanese capital easing to its lowest level in about four years, highlighting cooling price pressures while keeping the Bank of Japan’s policy outlook in focus.

The core measure, which excludes fresh food and is closely watched by the BOJ, also eased from the previous month but remained slightly above the central bank’s 2% target, indicating that underlying inflation has not fully faded.

The data still kept expectations of near-term BOJ tightening alive.

Investing.com -- Australia’s Nine Entertainment (ASX:NEC) announced a A$850 million ($597.7 million) acquisition of outdoor advertiser QMS Media on Friday, accelerating its pivot toward digital media while also exiting broadcast radio.

The company’s shares jumped as much as 5.5% to A$1.14, marking their biggest one-day gain since September 12. The stock outperformed the broader ASX 200 index, which rose just 0.5%.

The deal with Quadrant Private Equity advances Nine’s target to increase digital assets to over 60% of revenue by fiscal 2027, up from approximately 45% in 2025, as traditional media companies shift toward online advertising spending.

Nine Entertainment, which publishes The Australian Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Age, and owns the Nine Network, also announced it will sell its broadcast radio division to the Laundy Family Office for A$56 million. The radio assets include Sydney’s 2GB and Melbourne’s 3AW.

Billionaire pub baron Arthur Laundy, whose family controls Australia’s largest privately owned hotel group, is purchasing the radio assets despite having no previous media holdings.

This radio divestment represents Nine’s second major asset sale in about a year, following its August sale of a 60% stake in property listings platform Domain to U.S. real estate group CoStar.

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

Investing.com -- Australian lithium producer PLS Group (ASX:PLS) is considering restarting its Ngungaju plant in Western Australia after reporting a 73% surge in December-quarter revenue, driven by improving lithium prices.

The company, formerly known as Pilbara Minerals, posted second-quarter revenue of A$373 million ($262.89 million), up from A$216 million a year earlier. PLS logged average prices of $1,161 a tonne for its lithium, a 50% increase from the September quarter.

PLS said it could restart the Ngungaju plant within four months, citing strong interest for offtake volumes. The company expects to make a decision in the next quarter.

The improved outlook comes as increased demand for battery storage has brightened prospects for lithium this year, offering hope for a faster recovery for producers who have struggled with an oversupply-driven price slump since late 2022.

PLS produced 208,000 metric tonnes of spodumene concentrate in the December quarter, higher than the 188,200 dry metric tonnes recorded in the same period last year, but below analyst consensus of 212,000 metric tonnes.

The company reported an 8% sequential increase in unit operating costs on a free-on-board basis to A$585 per tonne. While PLS expects cost pressures to continue through the remainder of the year due to the wet season, it maintained that full-year unit operating costs would remain within the guided range.

The lithium producer kept its full-year forecast unchanged across all metrics.

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