OpenAI has quickly reasserted its lead in the AI race following concerns it was falling behind Google, analysts at Jefferies say, pointing to the release of GPT-5.2 and recent enterprise-focused developments.
They also see performance gains, hiring moves, and scaling trends supporting OpenAI’s momentum heading into 2026.
Moderna Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA, XETRA:0QF) has been awarded a ‘Hold’ rating and $30 price target, implying limited upside, from Jefferies analysts in their initial coverage of the drugmaker.
Moderna shares are down almost 28% in the year to date, trading just shy of $30 on Friday morning.
Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:AVGO, XETRA:1YD) is drawing strong support from analysts following its latest earnings report, as the company’s expanding artificial intelligence (AI) business offsets concerns about margin pressures and a premium valuation.
Analysts at Bank of America noted the company’s AI backlog of $74 billion over the next six quarters, calling it “generally in line with bull case expectations, and management suggests that more could be added.”
UBS has published its latest HOLT analysis, identifying Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ:CROX), Maximus, Inc (NYSE:MMS) and K92 Mining Inc (TSX-V:KNT) among the attractively valued small- and mid-cap (SMID) stocks across developed markets – although notably, no London-listed companies were included.
The screen draws from the HOLT framework, focusing on companies that score well on operational quality, have shown strong CFROI (cash flow return on investment) revisions over the past three months, and appear undervalued relative to both their peers and historical levels.
There's been an odd reaction to some encouraging news from Scancell Holdings PLC (AIM:SCLP, OTC:SCNLF), with the shares barely flickering this week.
The company updated the market with more supportive data from a trial of its drug for people with hard-to-treat melanoma, a common skin cancer.
Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST, XETRA:CTO) reported an 8% rise in first-quarter revenue on Thursday aftermarket, lifted by robust digital engagement and steady traffic, while membership fees climbed and the retailer continued to aggressively expand its warehouse footprint.
Revenue for the quarter ended November 24 rose to $67.3 billion, topping analysts’ estimates by about $200 million. Earnings per share came in at $4.50, beating expectations by $0.22.
Copper will enter a supply-driven deficit in 2026, pushing prices higher amid tightening in both concentrate and scrap markets, UBS expects.
Aluminium and lithium are also expected to outperform due to supply constraints, energy transition and AI/ defence exposure, while the Swiss bank remained supportive of gold, but sees more upside in certain industrial metals after the precious metals gains in 2025.
Panmure Liberum has upgraded Ceres Power Holdings PLC (LSE:CWR, OTC:CPWHF) to a 'buy' and stuck with a punchy target price of 420p after a sharp sell-off in the shares.
The broker says the 28% fall since last month has swung the risk-reward back in favour of buyers. The shares rose 2% to 280.45p.