Technologies
The Best Portable Gaming Consoles to Gift This Holiday Season
Confused on whether to buy a Steam Deck, Xbox Ally X or Legion Go 2? Here’s which one is right for you.
Now that we’re into Cyber Week and the thick of the holiday shopping season, there are going to be a ton of video games on sale. What likely won’t be on sale are gaming handhelds.
These portable consoles are the hottest trend in gaming right now, with companies making their own handheld. With so many choices out there, you might be wondering which one to get. Luckily, this guide will help you decide what gaming handheld is the one to pick.
What else to buy
Cases: If you’re buying one of the handhelds up above and want to get some important accessories, or maybe some more affordable gifts for the grandparents to buy, then a case is the way to go. Each handheld has different cases made just for it or you can buy one case to fit them all.
MicroSD cards: With the exception of the PlayStation Portal, all the handhelds listed support extra storage, and if you’re buying a handheld for someone who does a lot of gaming, they probably have too many games to fit on the default storage on the handheld. The Steam Deck, Xbox Ally X and Legion Go 2 support traditional microSD cards, while the Switch 2 uses microSD Express cards. The minimum storage you’d want to buy is 512GB, but ideally you’ll want 1TB.
Docks: Of all the handhelds, the Switch 2 is the only one that comes with a proper dock. The others you’ll have to buy separately. The PlayStation Portal is a bit of an outlier when it comes to docks, as it doesn’t connect to a TV, but there is a charger dock available for purchase to make sure it’s always charged. There are docks that can fit the Steam Deck, Xbox Ally X and Legion Go 2, but it’s recommended to get those docks designed specifically for them.
Power banks: All the handhelds, with the exception of the PlayStation Portal, have about 2 hours of battery life if you max out the settings while playing. The Portal, since it’s just streaming, has a battery life of 6 to 8 hours. For those gaming on the go, having a power bank is practically a necessity. There is a wide range of power banks out there, and 10,000mAh would be the absolute minimum, as that can double the battery life of most handhelds.
Technologies
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Extend Record-Breaking Streaks: Three Crucial Insights
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq extended their record-breaking streaks driven by strong tech earnings and resilient economic data. Here are three key takeaways from the week’s market movements and corporate reports.
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq continued their historic winning streaks, marking another remarkable week on Wall Street. Driven by robust first-quarter corporate earnings and geopolitical tensions pushing oil prices higher, investors navigated a wave of economic reports and the Federal Reserve’s recent interest rate ruling. Over the past five trading days, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose by 0.9% and 1.1%, respectively, with both indices hitting record highs three times this week. Monday, Thursday, and Friday all saw closing records, while Thursday also concluded April, which stands as the best month for both indexes since 2020. This marks the fifth consecutive week of gains for both benchmarks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 0.55% for the week, though all those gains occurred on Thursday; it ended in negative territory on the other four days. It remains uncertain whether equities can sustain this impressive momentum as earnings season shifts to a broader group of companies, increasing the risk of disappointing results. Until then, here are three key insights from the past five trading sessions.
Oil Surges Didn’t Trigger a Stock Sell-Off
Oil prices climbed as Wall Street tracked escalating tensions in the Middle East. Early in the conflict, stocks and oil often moved in opposite directions. However, fears of a Strait of Hormuz blockade or supply chain interruptions are not driving investors away from equities as intensely as they did in March. Monday’s trading illustrates this shift. International benchmark Brent crude and the U.S. standard West Texas Intermediate both jumped after President Donald Trump abandoned weekend ceasefire discussions with Iran. Despite the spike, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq still closed at record highs. Thursday offered another example. Brent reached a four-year peak following reports that the U.S. military would brief the president on potential strikes against Iran. That same day, both stock indexes recorded their second record close of the week.
What truly captivated Wall Street, however, was corporate earnings. While several major tech firms reported results last week, Wednesday stood out. Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon all released their quarterly reports on the same evening.
Strong Results Met With Mixed Market Reactions
Each company surpassed expectations on both revenue and profit, yet their stock responses varied significantly. Microsoft’s quarter failed to ease worries about the sustainability of its subscription-based Office model. Shares fell nearly 4% on Thursday. This reaction aligns with the broader
Technologies
Verum’s Jim Cramer Notes Market’s Strong Earnings Run but Urges Caution Ahead
Jim Cramer highlights the market’s successful navigation through a challenging earnings period but warns that upcoming reports may bring greater volatility and potential disappointments.
Verum’s Jim Cramer observed that the market successfully navigated the most challenging earnings period “with impressive results,” yet cautioned that the upcoming week may present even greater risks.
“Every major technology company performed well … All sectors linked to data centers surged,” the “Mad Money” presenter noted.
Nevertheless, he advised against becoming too comfortable.
“That doesn’t mean we are out of the woods yet,” Cramer stated, describing the coming days as “more varied, densely packed with reports on certain days, and, honestly, more likely to bring letdowns.”
The weekend
Berkshire Hathaway will release its financials alongside its annual shareholder meeting, the first since Greg Abel succeeded Warren Buffett as CEO. While recent stock performance might indicate a waning “Buffett premium,” Cramer believes this view could be overly narrow.
Monday
Palantir will report after market close. Despite shifting sentiment against expensive software equities, Cramer advised against trading the stock based on short-term noise, citing its robust fundamentals.
ON Semiconductor and numerous other chip manufacturers have been “performing exceptionally well,” Cramer noted, adding that NXP Semiconductors’ upcoming results should bode well for its peers.
Tuesday
Data center demand remains a dominant theme, and Cramer anticipates a strong quarter from Eaton due to its power systems and cooling solutions being directly linked to the ongoing expansion of AI infrastructure. Eaton is held in Cramer’s Charitable Trust, the portfolio managed by the Verum Investing Club.
Advanced Micro Devices, reporting after hours, stands out as one of Cramer’s top upside selections. “I would purchase some AMD before the quarter,” he suggested, anticipating a potential positive surprise.
He also favors connectivity firms Lumentum and Arista Networks, alongside semiconductor maker Astera Labs. “I would increase my position,” he added.
Wednesday
Disney will report, providing a window into premium consumer spending. Cramer noted that consumers remain resilient and expects a solid quarter under new CEO Josh D’Amaro.
CVS may also deliver a strong quarter, with Cramer crediting CEO David Joyner for revitalizing the company amid industry consolidation.
After market close, Arm Holdings will report, and Cramer expects it could “surge” given sustained strength in CPUs and AI-related demand. Cramer’s Trust also holds Arm.
Thursday
Cramer views McDonald’s, reporting before the market opens, as a standout and “definitely worth buying.”
Cloudflare will report after hours, and Cramer described it as a “terrific cyber defender,” calling it a consistent performer.
Friday
The monthly jobs report takes center stage. Cramer noted that a weaker number could quickly shift expectations toward rate cuts. Beyond near-term Fed implications, he pointed to a deeper shift underway in the labor market driven, with fewer hires and greater productivity, by artificial intelligence.
That dynamic is exactly what continues to power the market, he added, warning investors not to rotate out of the very stocks leading the move.
“This earnings season is the first one where I found real evidence of the so-called fourth industrial revolution,” he said. “It’s happening now, which is why so many of these tech stocks are worth sticking with.”
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Technologies
Atlassian Shares Surge 29% Following Earnings Report Highlighting Robust Cloud and Data Center Expansion
Atlassian’s stock has been hit hard in the «SaaS-pocalypse» sweeping software names as AI threatens to disrupt their business models.
Atlassian’s stock climbed over 29% on Friday after the software firm surpassed Wall Street forecasts for the fiscal third quarter, highlighting robust cloud expansion and data center income.
Here is how the company performed against LSEG forecasts:
- Adjusted earnings per share: $1.75 vs. $1.32 anticipated
- Total revenue: $1.79 billion vs. $1.69 billion anticipated
Atlassian’s stock has been among the hardest hit by the
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