Meta and IBM Shares Rise 7% After Earnings
US equity futures are mixed in the opening hour of the evening session as markets digest corporate earnings out of Big Tech - Metaand IBMare faring the best out of high-profile names, both gaining 7% afterhours, while Microsoftis slipping despite topping estimates following in-line guide given on the earnings call. Teslawas up mid-single-digits on earnings, though shares had pared some gains afterhours as the company indicated that 2026 capex would dwarf last year, calling 2026 a "new book" rather than a "new chapter" for the company. Dow Industrials futures are down 0.3%, S&P e-minis are off by 0.2%, and Nasdaq 100 futures are slipping by 0.1%.Precious metals continue to soar in the wake of US Dollar weakness sustained further by the FOMC decision featuring two dovish dissenters. Gold is now above $5,500 while Silver trades north of $118 per ounce. Energy is also waking up to the rally in commodities as WTI Crude Oil tops $63 per barrel - the highest level since September.Check out this evening's top movers from around Wall Street, compiled by The Fly.HIGHER AFTER EARNINGS -Deluxeup 10.9%IBMup 7.6%Metaup 7.3%C.H. Robinson Worldwideup 6.9%Lam Researchup 6.0%Viavi Solutionsup 5.1%Tetra Techup 4.5%Hexcelup 3.0%CONMEDup 2.6%Teslaup 1.2%DOWN AFTER EARNINGS -Las Vegas Sandsdown 9.9%Whirlpooldown 8.5%LendingClubdown 7.7%Microsoftdown 6.3%ServiceNowdown 6.3%Calixdown 2.2%Cimpress plcdown 1.6%ALSO LOWER -Comstockdown 13.0% after equity offeringJoby Aviationdown 11.1% after $1B convertible debt / common stock offering
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- Musk Ordered to Testify: A federal judge has ruled that Elon Musk must testify regarding his role in dismantling USAID, rejecting his legal team's attempt to avoid questioning, which could impact Musk's reputation and future business endeavors.
- Alphabet Beats Earnings Estimates: Alphabet reported fourth-quarter revenue of $113.83 billion, surpassing the Street consensus estimate of $111.31 billion, with earnings per share of $2.82 exceeding expectations of $2.63, indicating strong performance in advertising and cloud services that may drive stock price increases.
- Amazon Delivery Milestone: Amazon announced it delivered over 13 billion items globally in 2025, with more than 8 billion items reaching U.S. Prime members the same or next day, a speed enhancement that will further strengthen its competitive position in the e-commerce market.
- Tesla's New Model Launch: Tesla unveiled a new All-Wheel Drive variant of the Model Y in the U.S. and Puerto Rico following Elon Musk's announcement of discontinuing the Model S and X, which could attract more consumers and enhance market share.
- Investment Return Potential: A $5,000 investment in Amazon in early 2003 would now be worth approximately $1.25 million, illustrating the wealth-building potential of investing in emerging industries, with IonQ as a leading small player in quantum computing hoping to achieve similar returns.
- Technological Breakthroughs and Market Competition: IonQ achieved 99.99% 2-qubit gate fidelity last year, representing a 10 billion times improvement over past standards, and despite competition from tech giants like Alphabet and IBM, IonQ's advancements in quantum computing technology remain significant.
- Financial Status and Profitability Challenges: IonQ reported $68 million in revenue for the first nine months of 2025, a 117% increase year-over-year, yet it faces $406 million in operating losses, highlighting severe profitability challenges, and with less than $1.1 billion in liquidity, it may need to dilute shares or incur debt to sustain operations.
- Investment Risk Assessment: For a $5,000 investment to grow to $1 million, IonQ's market cap must increase from $12.5 billion to $2.5 trillion; while this target is below Alphabet's $4 trillion market cap, IonQ's financial losses and market competition significantly diminish the likelihood of achieving such a goal.
- Infrastructure Demand Surge: Fluor is expected to see a nearly 4% revenue decline in 2024, yet the urgency of infrastructure projects makes investing in FLR stock appealing, particularly as the demand for nuclear facility construction is set to triple by 2050 in the U.S.
- Cybersecurity Market Expansion: Palo Alto Networks reported a record 3,322 data breaches in 2022, a 79% increase from 2020, highlighting strong demand for its cybersecurity services, with projected revenue growth of 14% this year and 13% next year, indicating sustained market leadership.
- IBM's AI Transformation: IBM achieved a 12% year-over-year revenue growth last quarter, primarily driven by sales of AI-capable mainframes and software, particularly strong in automation and data management, showcasing its enhanced competitiveness in the artificial intelligence race.
- Investment Risks and Returns: While Fluor did not make the Motley Fool's list of top stocks, its potential in infrastructure and nuclear energy warrants consideration, especially amid increasing economic uncertainty, prompting investors to weigh risks against potential returns.
- Fluor's Outlook: Fluor (FLR) is expected to see a nearly 4% decline in full-year revenue for 2023, yet the urgency of infrastructure projects may drive a stock rebound, currently priced at $47.04 with a market cap of $7.6 billion, indicating potential for future growth.
- Rising Cybersecurity Demand: Palo Alto Networks (PANW) anticipates a 14% revenue growth this year and 13% next year, amidst a surge in data breaches to 3,322, highlighting strong demand for high-level cybersecurity services, with a current stock price of $159.43.
- IBM's Recovery: International Business Machines (IBM) achieved a 12% year-over-year growth last quarter, primarily driven by sales of AI-capable mainframes and software, with a current stock price of $299.04 and a market cap of $279 billion, indicating its strengthening competitiveness in the AI sector.
- Investor Confidence: Despite Fluor and Palo Alto Networks not sustaining stock price increases, analysts remain optimistic about their prospects, particularly for Palo Alto, which has a price target of $228.79, suggesting a 37% upside from its current price.
- Institutional Investment Surge: Vanguard Group added 1.2 million shares in December, a 2.5% increase; BlackRock raised its stake by 6.9% as of September 30, 2025, while Bank of America and Morgan Stanley increased their positions by 9.8% and 11.21%, respectively, indicating strong institutional confidence in UiPath.
- Significant Revenue Growth: In Q3 of fiscal 2026, UiPath reported revenue of $411 million, a 16% year-over-year increase, with annual recurring revenue (ARR) hitting $1.78 billion, up 11%, showcasing robust performance in the SaaS sector.
- Expanding Customer Base: The number of customers with ARR over $100,000 grew by 12% to 2,506, while those exceeding $1 million increased by 10% to 333, reflecting UiPath's appeal and market penetration among high-value clients.
- Strong Cash Flow and Debt Position: The company saw free cash flow rise by 8.2% to $25.11 million, with a net cash position of $744.1 million and total debt of only $82 million, indicating solid financial health despite not yet achieving net profitability, suggesting strong future growth potential.
- Market Potential: Research from McKinsey indicates that the quantum technology market could reach nearly $100 billion annually over the next decade, with quantum computing being the largest segment, highlighting significant investment appeal.
- Microsoft's Quantum Strategy: Microsoft's development of a quantum processing chip aims to scale quantum computer systems to 1 million qubits, far exceeding the current maximum of over 6,000 qubits, which could unlock new capabilities for its cloud and AI businesses.
- IBM's Quantum Development: IBM is a leading player in quantum computing, having generated over $1 billion from this sector, despite it being a minor part of its overall business, showcasing its commercial potential in the field.
- Investment Opportunities: Given IonQ's high valuation and limited success, investors should consider Microsoft and IBM as strong contenders in the quantum computing space, potentially benefiting from future technological advancements.











