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The fund generally invests at least 90% of its assets in securities of the underlying index and in depositary receipts representing securities of the underlying index. The underlying index measures the performance of stocks issued by small-capitalization companies that have exhibited above-average growth characteristics as determined by Morningstar, Inc.s (Morningstar or the index provider) proprietary index methodology.

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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Small Cap Growth segment of the US equity market, the iShares Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF (ARCA:ISCG) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 06/28/2004.

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Many investors utilize exchange-traded funds (ETFs) which are diversified securities that contain various investments including stocks, commodities, and 

Let&#39;s Take A Look At This Weeks Highest Performing ETFs 5/7

Exchange Traded funds (ETFs) are excellent investment tools that can be purchased or sold on the stock market.

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RBC Capital analyst Brian Abrahams reiterates Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SRPT#NASDAQ">SRPT</a>) with a Outperform and maintains $181 price target.

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RBC Capital Reiterates Outperform on Sarepta Therapeutics, Maintains $181 Price Target

JP Morgan analyst Anthony Paolone maintains Getty Realty (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GTY#NYSE">GTY</a>) with a Neutral and raises the price target from $31 to $33.

JP Morgan Maintains Neutral on Getty Realty, Raises Price Target to $33

Susquehanna analyst Shyam Patil maintains CrowdStrike Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWD#NASDAQ">CRWD</a>) with a Positive and maintains $310 price target.

CRWD

Susquehanna Maintains Positive on CrowdStrike Holdings, Maintains $310 Price Target

An Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) analyst says the company could turn to advertising revenue and other areas of growth as concerns mount over iPhone 16 demand.
The Apple Analyst: Needham analyst Laura Martin reiterated a Buy rating and $260 price target on Apple.
The Analyst Takeaways: Apple faces concerns over iPhone 16 demand. Martin points to ways the Cupertino, California-based company could kickstart additional growth, including a focus on advertising revenue.
"The top debate is when will the next iPhone replacement cycle begin? Is it the iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 or iPhone 18?" Martin asks.
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Martin estimates that iPhone revenue will be over 50% of Apple's total revenue in fiscal 2024. This represents $200 billion of a $390 billion estimate.
"New iPhone sales are the single largest driver of AAPL's EPS over (or under) delivery."
Marting lays out the top nine debates from investors when it comes to Apple valuation below:
<ol>
<li>Upgrade cycle timing</li>
<li>GenAI</li>
<li>China</li>
<li>iPhone dependence</li>
<li>Vision Pro</li>
<li>Services</li>
<li>Health</li>
<li>Regulatory Risks</li>
<li>Deteriorating competitive position</li>
</ol>
Martin said Apple trades at a higher price to earnings ratio than the S&amp;P 500 average, which makes the argument that the stock is either too cheap or too expensive depending on when the iPhone replacement cycle begins.
Apple's slow launch of GenAI with Apple Intelligence has increased the debate on iPhone demand and how the company will compete with other tech giants, Martin added.
On concern in China, Martin said the region represents a smaller portion of revenue in recent years.
"Most investors believe that rising geopolitical tensions are bad for AAPL from both a revenue and cost perspective, since most of their products are imported from China."
Martin said Apple's key strength is its ecosystem with a "loyal customer base" that uses devices and services from the company, which bring in "recurring revenue streams."
Martin argues that Apple should "aggressively pursue advertising revenue" as it has been slow in this area, including with its AppleTV+ streaming business.
"Over a 3-year time frame, AAPL's single-digit rev growth feels increasingly risky to us. It's just too slow for most investors to get excited about."
Apple could charge a similar advertising rate to Netflix "given its wealthy audience," Martin said.
Based on user metrics of 44.8 million viewers, the analyst sees a potential of $5.5 million in advertising revenue for fiscal 2024. This could add 0.9% to 1.5% to Apple's revenue growth rate, the analyst says.
"We believe that if AAPL followed Amazon's lead and built a robust advertising business over the next 5 years, this would meaningfully improve AAPL's business fundamentals by accelerating rev growth and expanding profit margins, which would result in valuation multiple expansion."
AAPL Price Action: Apple stock is up 3% to $226.47 on Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $164.08 to $237.23. Apple stock is up 22% year-to-date in 2024.
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Apple Revenue Growth 'Just Too Slow For Investors To Get Excited About': Analyst Highlights Advertising As Future Catalyst

On Thursday, Edgewise Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EWTX#NASDAQ">EWTX</a>) released announced topline data of EDG-7500 from the Phase 1 trial in healthy subjects and the single-dose arm of the Phase 2 CIRRUS-HCM trial for obstructive <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/09/b40935198/edgewise-therapeutics-announces-positive-top-line-data-from-phase-1-trial-in-healthy-subjects-and-" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hypertrophic cardiomyopathy</a>.
Obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is&nbsp;a heart condition that occurs when the wall between the left and right ventricles of the heart thickens, blocking blood flow from the left ventricle to the body&#8217;s main artery.&nbsp;
In the Phase 1 single ascending dose (SAD) trial (n=48), healthy subjects received single doses of EDG-7500, ranging from 5 to 300 mg.
In the trial&#8217;s multiple ascending dose (MAD) portion (n=24), healthy subjects received 25 to 100 mg once daily for 14 days.
EDG-7500 was well tolerated in both the SAD and MAD; there were no clinically meaningful changes or trends in vital signs, clinical chemistry, hematology, or electrocardiograms.
There were no meaningful changes in left ventricular ejection fraction for all SAD and MAD subjects across a broad range of EDG-7500 exposures.
The ejection fraction is&nbsp;an indicator of heart strength. It measures the amount of oxygen-rich blood pumped out to the body with each heartbeat.
In the MAD, a half-life of approximately 30 hours was observed, and a steady state was achieved approximately 4 days after the start of once-daily dosing.
Generally, dose-proportional increases in exposure were observed in both SAD and MAD.
In CIRRUS-HCM Part A, patients with obstructive HCM received a single dose of 50, 100 or 200 mg of EDG-7500.
A 67% mean reduction in resting LVOT pressure gradient (LVOT-G, obstruction&nbsp;of blood flow) and a 55% mean reduction in provokable (Valsalva) LVOT-G were observed in patients receiving the 100 and 200 mg single doses.
LVOT gradients less than 30 mmHg at rest and less than 50 mmHg with Valsalva were observed in 60% of patients receiving 100 or 200 mg of EDG-7500.
Gradient reduction was achieved without a meaningful change in LVEF.
Treatment with a single dose of EDG-7500 also led to a 64% mean reduction in NT-proBNP, a key biomarker of heart failure, in the 200 mg cohort.
Across the Phase 1 and CIRRUS-HCM trials, no subjects experienced a reduction in LVEF (left ventricular ejection fraction) below 50%, even with a wide range of EDG-7500 exposures.
Price Action: EWTX stock is up 39.3% at $26.58 at last check Thursday.
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Edgewise Therapeutics Stock Shoots Higher On Promising Early Results For Thickened Heart Treatment

JP Morgan analyst Rajat Gupta maintains CarMax (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KMX#NYSE">KMX</a>) with a Underweight and raises the price target from $55 to $65.

JP Morgan Maintains Underweight on CarMax, Raises Price Target to $65

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JP Morgan analyst John Royall maintains Alimentation Couche-Tard (TSX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ATD#TSX">ATD</a>) with a Overweight and raises the price target from C$83 to C$87.

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JP Morgan Maintains Overweight on Alimentation Couche-Tard, Raises Price Target to C$87

High-rolling investors have positioned themselves bearish on Dell Technologies (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DELL#NYSE">DELL</a>), and it's important for retail traders to take note. 
\This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga's tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in DELL often signals that someone has privileged information.
Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 9 options trades for Dell Technologies. This is not a typical pattern.
The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 33% bullish and 44% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $25,000, and 8 calls, totaling $409,402.
<h3>What's The Price Target?</h3>
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $105.0 to $170.0 for Dell Technologies over the recent three months. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Trends</h3>
Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Dell Technologies's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Dell Technologies's whale trades within a strike price range from $105.0 to $170.0 in the last 30 days. 
<h3>Dell Technologies Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1726755445_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Significant Options Trades Detected:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>DELL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>06/20/25</td>
<td>$6.2</td>
<td>$5.8</td>
<td>$6.2</td>
<td>$170.00</td>
<td>$79.9K</td>
<td>2.0K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">131</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DELL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$26.3</td>
<td>$26.2</td>
<td>$26.3</td>
<td>$120.00</td>
<td>$65.7K</td>
<td>500</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">105</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DELL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$26.4</td>
<td>$26.2</td>
<td>$26.3</td>
<td>$120.00</td>
<td>$65.7K</td>
<td>500</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">80</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DELL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>09/20/24</td>
<td>$4.6</td>
<td>$4.4</td>
<td>$4.4</td>
<td>$115.00</td>
<td>$59.8K</td>
<td>7.6K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">213</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DELL</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>01/16/26</td>
<td>$26.85</td>
<td>$26.4</td>
<td>$26.4</td>
<td>$120.00</td>
<td>$44.8K</td>
<td>500</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">39</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Dell Technologies</h3>
Dell Technologies is a broad information technology vendor, primarily supplying hardware to enterprises. It is focused on premium and commercial personal computers and enterprise on-premises data center hardware. It holds top-three market shares in its core markets of personal computers, peripheral displays, mainstream servers, and external storage. Dell has a robust ecosystem of component and assembly partners, and also relies heavily on channel partners to fulfill its sales.
Having examined the options trading patterns of Dell Technologies, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance
<h3>Where Is Dell Technologies Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 1,971,780, with DELL's price up by 2.26%, positioned at $118.61.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 71 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for Dell Technologies</h3>
A total of 5 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $154.6.
<ul>
<li>Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from B of A Securities keeps a Buy rating on Dell Technologies with a target price of $155. </li>
<li>An analyst from Bernstein has decided to maintain their Outperform rating on Dell Technologies, which currently sits at a price target of $140. </li>
<li>An analyst from UBS persists with their Buy rating on Dell Technologies, maintaining a target price of $158. </li>
<li>An analyst from Citigroup has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Dell Technologies, which currently sits at a price target of $160. </li>
<li>An analyst from Raymond James persists with their Outperform rating on Dell Technologies, maintaining a target price of $160. </li>
</ul>
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Dell Technologies with <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.

Options

DELL

Dell Technologies Unusual Options Activity

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on Western Digital (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WDC#NASDAQ">WDC</a>).
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with WDC, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did? 
Today, <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/?utm_source=insights">Benzinga</a>'s options scanner spotted 8 uncommon options trades for Western Digital.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 62% bullish and 37%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $124,140, and 5 are calls, for a total amount of $378,450.
<h3>Predicted Price Range</h3>
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $62.5 to $66.0 for Western Digital over the last 3 months. 
<h3>Volume &amp; Open Interest Development</h3>
Assessing the volume and open interest is a strategic step in options trading. These metrics shed light on the liquidity and investor interest in Western Digital's options at specified strike prices. The forthcoming data visualizes the fluctuation in volume and open interest for both calls and puts, linked to Western Digital's substantial trades, within a strike price spectrum from $62.5 to $66.0 over the preceding 30 days.
<h3>Western Digital Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1726755440_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Largest Options Trades Observed:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>WDC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$6.85</td>
<td>$6.5</td>
<td>$6.5</td>
<td>$62.50</td>
<td>$130.0K</td>
<td>975</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WDC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$6.45</td>
<td>$6.45</td>
<td>$6.45</td>
<td>$62.50</td>
<td>$129.0K</td>
<td>975</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">400</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WDC</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$6.5</td>
<td>$6.4</td>
<td>$6.5</td>
<td>$62.50</td>
<td>$65.0K</td>
<td>975</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WDC</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>10/18/24</td>
<td>$2.26</td>
<td>$2.1</td>
<td>$2.1</td>
<td>$65.00</td>
<td>$42.1K</td>
<td>5.6K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">400</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WDC</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>10/18/24</td>
<td>$2.41</td>
<td>$2.05</td>
<td>$2.05</td>
<td>$65.00</td>
<td>$40.9K</td>
<td>5.6K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">600</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Western Digital</h3>
Western Digital is a leading vertically integrated supplier of data storage solutions, spanning both hard disk drives and solid-state drives. In the HDD market it forms a practical duopoly with Seagate, and it is the largest global producer of NAND flash chips for SSDs in a joint venture with competitor Kioxia.
<h3>Present Market Standing of Western Digital</h3>
<ul>
<li>With a trading volume of 477,137, the price of WDC is up by 2.24%, reaching $65.86.</li>
<li>Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Next earnings report is scheduled for 39 days from now.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for Western Digital</h3>
In the last month, 3 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $81.66666666666667.
<ul>
<li>An analyst from TD Cowen persists with their Buy rating on Western Digital, maintaining a target price of $80. </li>
<li>An analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded its action to Overweight with a price target of $80. </li>
<li>Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Citigroup keeps a Buy rating on Western Digital with a target price of $85. </li>
</ul>
Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Western Digital with <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/register174">Benzinga Pro</a> for real-time alerts.

Smart Money Is Betting Big In WDC Options

Financial giants have made a conspicuous bearish move on Chevron. Our analysis of options history for Chevron (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVX#NYSE">CVX</a>) revealed 9 unusual trades.
Delving into the details, we found 44% of traders were bullish, while 55% showed bearish tendencies. Out of all the trades we spotted, 5 were puts, with a value of $262,772, and 4 were calls, valued at $193,400.
<h3>Expected Price Movements</h3>
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $135.0 and $160.0 for Chevron, spanning the last three months.
<h3>Analyzing Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3>
In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of Chevron stands at 3739.62, with a total volume reaching 1,343.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Chevron, situated within the strike price corridor from $135.0 to $160.0, throughout the last 30 days.
<h3>Chevron 30-Day Option Volume &amp; Interest Snapshot</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1726755435_0.png" alt="Options Call Chart" />
<h3>Biggest Options Spotted:</h3>

<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Ask</th>
<th>Bid</th>
<th>Price</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>CVX</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$6.7</td>
<td>$6.6</td>
<td>$6.7</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$114.5K</td>
<td>991</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">179</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CVX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$1.84</td>
<td>$1.61</td>
<td>$1.8</td>
<td>$160.00</td>
<td>$90.0K</td>
<td>4.8K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">506</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CVX</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$4.05</td>
<td>$3.9</td>
<td>$4.0</td>
<td>$140.00</td>
<td>$40.0K</td>
<td>4.7K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">112</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CVX</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>11/15/24</td>
<td>$1.42</td>
<td>$1.41</td>
<td>$1.42</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>$38.9K</td>
<td>1.6K</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">279</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CVX</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>12/18/26</td>
<td>$14.2</td>
<td>$13.85</td>
<td>$14.2</td>
<td>$155.00</td>
<td>$35.5K</td>
<td>162</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">25</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h3>About Chevron</h3>
Chevron is an integrated energy company with exploration, production, and refining operations worldwide. It is the second-largest oil company in the United States with production of 3.1 million of barrels of oil equivalent a day, including 7.7 million cubic feet a day of natural gas and 1.8 million of barrels of liquids a day. Production activities take place in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Its refineries are in the US and Asia for total refining capacity of 1.8 million barrels of oil a day. Proven reserves at year-end 2023 stood at 11.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent, including 6.0 billion barrels of liquids and 30.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
After a thorough review of the options trading surrounding Chevron, we move to examine the company in more detail. This includes an assessment of its current market status and performance.
<h3>Where Is Chevron Standing Right Now?</h3>
<ul>
<li>Trading volume stands at 787,602, with CVX's price up by 1.45%, positioned at $146.05.</li>
<li>RSI indicators show the stock to be may be approaching overbought.</li>
<li>Earnings announcement expected in 36 days.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Expert Opinions on Chevron</h3>
Over the past month, 2 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $189.0.
<ul>
<li>Maintaining their stance, an analyst from UBS continues to hold a Buy rating for Chevron, targeting a price of $189. </li>
<li>An analyst from Mizuho has decided to maintain their Outperform rating on Chevron, which currently sits at a price target of $189. </li>
</ul>
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Decoding Chevron's Options Activity: What's the Big Picture?

RBC Capital analyst Brian Abrahams reiterates Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VRTX#NASDAQ">VRTX</a>) with a Sector Perform and maintains $431 price target.

VRTX

RBC Capital Reiterates Sector Perform on Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Maintains $431 Price Target

In its bid to create a domestic competitor to rival Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) in the artificial intelligence (AI) chip market, China is reportedly facing significant challenges due to U.S. sanctions and technological gaps.
What Happened: Chinese firms are ramping up efforts to develop an alternative to Nvidia&#8217;s chips, crucial for AI operations. This initiative is part of Beijing&#8217;s wider strategy to lessen its reliance on American technology. However, U.S. sanctions on China and Nvidia&#8217;s market dominance pose significant hurdles, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/19/china-looks-for-domestic-nvidia-rival-but-thats-proving-challenging.html">reported</a> on Thursday. 
&#8220;Competing with Nvidia still presents substantial challenges in technological gaps, especially in general-purpose GPU. Matching Nvidia in the short-term is unlikely,&#8221; said Wei Sun, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research.
Nvidia&#8217;s success is largely due to its server products, which contain graphics processing units (GPUs) that allow companies to train their AI models on extensive data. These AI models are vital for applications like chatbots and other emerging AI applications.
Since 2022, the U.S. government has curtailed the export of Nvidia&#8217;s most advanced chips to China, tightening restrictions last year. These semiconductors are crucial for China&#8217;s ambition to become a leading AI player.
Several Chinese contenders, including tech giants Huawei, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), Baidu Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIDU#NASDAQ">BIDU</a>), and startups like Biren Technology and Enflame, are aiming to challenge Nvidia. However, these companies are currently trailing Nvidia.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/09/40886450/50-of-new-car-sales-in-china-are-electric-but-in-the-us-its-only-10-are-protectionist-policies-widen?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">50% Of New Car Sales In China Are Electric — But In The US, It&#8217;s Only 10%: Are Protectionist Policies Widening The Gap?</a>
U.S. sanctions and their subsequent impacts are the most significant hurdles to China&#8217;s ambitions. Some of China&#8217;s leading Nvidia challengers have been placed on the U.S. Entity List, restricting their access to American technology. Additionally, several U.S. restrictions have prevented key AI-related semiconductors and machinery from being exported to China.
Chinese GPU players design chips and rely on a manufacturing company for production. Previously, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) would have been the go-to, but U.S. restrictions mean many of these firms cannot access TSMC-made chips. As a result, they have to turn to SMIC, China&#8217;s largest chipmaker, whose technology is generations behind TSMC.
Despite these challenges, Chinese startups remain hopeful, seeking to raise funds to achieve their objectives. 
Why It Matters: Despite U.S. sanctions, Chinese tech giants have <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/08/40553145/despite-us-limits-on-chinas-access-to-nvidia-chips-tech-titans-like-alibaba-and-tencent-ramp-up-ai-i">increased their capital expenditure</a> in 2024, focusing on AI infrastructure. Furthermore, Nvidia&#8217;s AI chips are <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/09/40748185/chinas-markets-still-manage-to-get-nvidia-ai-chips-via-smuggling-report">still finding their way</a> into Chinese markets via smuggling, indicating the country&#8217;s continued investment in AI. 
Meanwhile, China&#8217;s Yangtze Memory Technologies Co has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/09/40923879/chinas-ymtc-makes-strides-in-chip-production-substitutes-asml-lam-research-tech-as-us-sanctions-bite">made significant strides</a> in substituting foreign chipmaking technology with domestic alternatives. These developments highlight China&#8217;s persistent efforts to become a leading player in the global AI market, despite the challenges.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40915796/japan-expresses-serious-concerns-as-chinese-aircraft-carrier-enters-contiguous-waters-amid-rising-te?itm_source=parsely-api" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Japan Expresses &#8216;Serious Concerns&#8217; As Chinese Aircraft Carrier Enters Contiguous Waters Amid Rising Tensions: &#8216;Utterly Unacceptable&#8217;</a></li>
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Image via Shutterstock
This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/Pooja-Rajkumari" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pooja Rajkumari</a>

BABA

BIDU

NVDA

'Matching Nvidia In Short-Term Is Unlikely,' Analysts Predict As China Ramps Up Search For Rivalling Jensen Huang-Led Chip Giant Amid US Sanctions

Walmart Inc. customers will soon have the option to pay directly from their bank accounts with instant transfers for online purchases. The enhanced feature is a flash point in the escalating tensions between merchants and the card networks setting the fees for payment processing.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-19/walmart-plans-instant-bank-payments-cutting-out-card-networks?srnd=phx-economics-v2" title="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-19/walmart-plans-instant-bank-payments-cutting-out-card-networks?srnd=phx-economics-v2">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-19/walmart-plans-instant-bank-payments-cutting-out-card-networks?srnd=phx-economics-v2</a>

'Walmart Plans Instant Bank Payments, Cutting Out Card Networks' - Bloomberg

WIIM

Haozi Health Technology shares are trading lower after the company announced the pricing of a $12 million underwritten follow-on public offering of 4 million units at a price of $3 per unit.

Haoxi Health Technology Shares Resume Trade

Macro Economic Events

Politics

Economics

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Schumer Says Senate To File Cloture On Stopgap Bill To Avert Partial Government Shutdown

Wednesday, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>) promoted Rose Castanares, executive vice president of the Arizona unit, as president.
Castanares, who joined the Taiwanese contract chipmaker in 1998, will take over Brian Harrison on October 1, who will retire on December 31, the Taipei Times <a target="_blank" href="https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2024/09/19/2003823993" rel="noreferrer noopener">cites</a> in a company statement.
TSM stock is trading higher on Thursday as the U.S. Federal Reserve <a target="_blank" href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/09/40932103/it-stocks-on-the-rise-after-u-s-fed-cuts-interest-rate" rel="noreferrer noopener">slashed its benchmark</a> interest rate by 50 basis points, setting the interest rate at 4.75%-5% to&nbsp;spur demand for discretionary spending from U.S. companies.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/09/40904754/amazons-leaner-structure-and-ai-chip-partnership-with-intel-could-boost-growth-bofa" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amazon&#8217;s Leaner Structure and AI Chip Partnership with Intel Could Boost Growth: BofA Analyst</a>
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/04/38249052/samsung-secures-6-4b-from-us-for-texas-chip-factory-after-nvidia-supplier-tsmcs-breakthrough" rel="noreferrer noopener">contract chipmaker recently raised</a> its U.S. investment by more than 60% to $65 billion, as the country granted a $6.6 billion federal grant and provided $5 billion in loans.
TSMC is a key artificial intelligence chip supplier for Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) and is building two advanced fabs in Arizona, leveraging the 4nm, 3nm, and 2nm processes.
It is also eyeing a third fab in Arizona, leveraging the 2nm process. Earlier this year, the company won approval to infuse $7.5 billion in the Arizona unit, reflecting its conviction in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40928754/what-has-taiwan-semiconductor-stock-done-since-nvidia-earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">artificial intelligence frenzy</a>, which it also voiced at the Semicon Taiwan industry forum in Taipei.
Recent reports also indicated Taiwan Semiconductor bagging at least two smartphone chip deals concerning Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google, and Apple. Samsung Electronics (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SSNLF#OTC">SSNLF</a>) Samsung Foundry recently lost out on the Pixel 10 and Pixel 11 chip deals to Taiwan Semiconductor&#8217;s chipmaking technology.
A separate report indicated that Taiwan Semiconductor has started making Apple&#8217;s iPhone chip A16 SoC at the Arizona unit, leveraging its 5nm N4 technology.
Taiwan Semiconductor stock has risen 90% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to semiconductor stocks through&nbsp;the VanEck Semiconductor ETF&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMH#NASDAQ">SMH</a>) and&nbsp;the&nbsp;iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOXX#NASDAQ">SOXX</a>).
Price Action:&nbsp;TSM stock is up 3.88% at $173.78 at the last check on Thursday.
Also Read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/m-a/24/09/40926078/nvidia-considers-165m-octoai-acquisition-aims-to-strengthen-ai-and-cloud-dominance" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nvidia Considers $165M OctoAI Acquisition, Aims to Strengthen AI and Cloud Dominance</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by Sundry Photography on Shutterstock

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GOOGL

iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index Fund

SOXX

SSNLF

What's Going On With Taiwan Semiconductor Stock On Thursday?

RBC Capital analyst Gregory Renza reiterates Viridian Therapeutics (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VRDN#NASDAQ">VRDN</a>) with a Outperform and maintains $44 price target.

VRDN

RBC Capital Reiterates Outperform on Viridian Therapeutics, Maintains $44 Price Target

Haoxi Health Technology Shares Halted On Circuit Breaker, Stock Now Down -77.3%

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