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Delhi Police special cell has foiled a major terror plot by arresting eight suspects linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba. The module, comprising mostly Bangladeshi nationals with Indian Aadhaar cards, had targeted a Chandni Chowk temple. The operation began after provocative posters appeared at metro stations, revealing a calculated psychological warfare tactic. View More

Tata Capital is currently negotiating a major loan nearly worth Rs 2,000 crore for Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd. This funding is intended to enhance the company's working capital and address its existing financial obligations. This noteworthy private credit arrangement marks a significant shift in the infrastructure financing arena. View More

Tata Capital is in advanced discussions to lend around Rs 2,000 crore to Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd (NECL) at an interest rate of about 13%, people aware of the development said. The proposed financing is expected to support working capital requirements, refinance existing debt and strengthen liquidity at the Hyderabad-based engineering and infrastructure company. This is one of the larger private credit-style deals in the infrastructure EPC space in recent months. Spokespersons of Tata Capital and NECL did not immediately respond to requests for comment. NECL is part of the Navayuga group, promoted by CV Rao and Chinta Sridhar. Established in 1986, the group's interests span from civil construction and infrastructure development to information technology. The company has reduced debt by selling its completed road projects, including Navayuga Udupi Tollway in fiscal 2024. Lower debt and better profits have improved leverage, with total debt to earnings falling sharply in FY24. It wasn't looking to take up new development projects soon, a ratings report said last year. Live Events With the monetisation of its road portfolio and improved debt position, its cash flows improved in FY24, resulting in lower reliance on the debt during the year, Care Ratings said in its report. An interest rate of around 13% for a ₹2,000 crore facility is a premium over traditional bank lending rates. It indicates the risks associated with the credit. Tata Capital has been active across a range of credit products, with some segments priced at relatively high interest rates compared with traditional bank lending. It is increasingly participating in mid-market credit transactions. The lender has been a co-financier in syndicated deals in May. It participated in the roughly ₹2,100 crore acquisition financing for Tilaknagar Industries , priced at about 9%-a bank-style loan alongside Avendus, ICICI Bank , JP Morgan and others. Tata Capital also joined the refinancing of Jayaswal Neco Industries , where 17.5% debt was replaced with funding at 12.5%, alongside Investec, Nippon India Alternative Investments and Vivriti Asset Management. .Pbanner{display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;background-color:#ec1c40;margin-top:20px;padding:5px 10px;border-radius:4px;color:#fff;line-height:10px;} .Pbannertext{display:flex;align-items:center;font-size:16px;font-weight:600;font-family:'Montserrat';} .Pbannertext img{height:20px;margin:0 6px} .Pbannerbutton a{display:flex;align-items:center;background-color:#fff;color:#ec1c40;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;padding:4px 8px;border-radius:6px;font-size:15px;font-family:'Montserrat';} .Pbannerbutton img{height:20px;margin-right:6px} .Pbannerbutton a:hover{background-color:#f7f7f7} Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)

CFM ARC is leading the bid to acquire Gammon India's ?514 crore debt from Punjab National Bank. The bank is holding an electronic auction to secure a higher price for the loans. CFM ARC has already taken over a portion of Gammon India's debt. This move could consolidate CFM ARC's position in resolving Gammon India's financial situation. View More

Mumbai: CFM ARC has emerged as the anchor bidder to takeover the ₹514 crore debt of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company Gammon India Ltd from state-owned Punjab National Bank ( PNB ). Documents accessed by ET show that PNB has called for a challenging bid to the ₹140 crore all cash offer it received from CFM ARC for its ₹514 crore loans in the EPC company. "The bank has initiated a Swiss auction to find a better price on an all cash basis. Bidding is likely via an electronic auction next week. From CFM's perspective, it will help the company to consolidate Gammon's debt," said a person aware of the details. CFM's offer at ₹140 crore means about a 73% haircut for PNB on the company's total exposure of ₹514 crore to the bank. Gammon's total debt stands at about ₹3,800 crore. It has been a legacy NPA account in bank's books for more than a decade. However, recovery from EPC companies is difficult as these companies have little real assets to show and are mostly entangled with litigations with regards to government payments. "In this case, CFM is looking to consolidate Gammon's debt with an eye on some real estate assets and also to benefit from setting off some taxes on losses accumulated by the company," said a second person familiar with the details. All-cash offer of ₹140 cr becomes anchor bid; lender PNB to hold Swiss challenge auction Live Events An email sent to CFM ARC did not receive a response till press time. Interested bidders challenging CFM's offer will need to submit bids at a mark up of 5% in an electronic auction with subsequent bids at a multiple of ₹7 crore. The auction is slated for Wednesday. CFM will get a chance to meet or beat the highest bidder according to Swiss auction norms. CFM has already taken over about ₹684 crore loans of Gammon consisting 18% of the total from IDBI Bank a couple of months ago. If successful in the PNB auction, CFM will have about a 32% of share of the company's debt, giving it an upper hand in any planned resolution. .Pbanner{display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;background-color:#ec1c40;margin-top:20px;padding:5px 10px;border-radius:4px;color:#fff;line-height:10px;} .Pbannertext{display:flex;align-items:center;font-size:16px;font-weight:600;font-family:'Montserrat';} .Pbannertext img{height:20px;margin:0 6px} .Pbannerbutton a{display:flex;align-items:center;background-color:#fff;color:#ec1c40;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;padding:4px 8px;border-radius:6px;font-size:15px;font-family:'Montserrat';} .Pbannerbutton img{height:20px;margin-right:6px} .Pbannerbutton a:hover{background-color:#f7f7f7} Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)

Rice argued during a podcast last week that "it is not going to end well" for corporations, news organizations, and law firms that "bent the knee" to Trump. View More

In this articlePSKYNFLXWBDFollow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT A drone view shows the Netflix logo on one of the company's buildings in the Hollywood neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, U.S., Jan. 20, 2026.Daniel Cole | Reuters President Donald Trump late Saturday called on Netflix to fire board member Susan Rice or "pay the consequences," after she said Democrats would push for corporate accountability if they regain power in the November midterm elections.In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump described Rice, who served as President Joe Biden's domestic policy chief and held top foreign policy posts under President Barack Obama, as "purely a political hack" with "no talent or skills.""HER POWER IS GONE, AND WILL NEVER BE BACK," Trump wrote. Rice argued during a podcast last week that "it is not going to end well" for corporations, news organizations, and law firms that "bent the knee" to Trump, and that their deference is unpopular."There is likely to be a swing in the other direction, and they are going to be caught with more than their pants down," Rice told Preet Bharara, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. "They're going to be held accountable by those who come in opposition to Trump and win at the ballot box." She added, "If these corporations think that Democrats, when they come back in power, are going to play by the old rules, and say, 'Never mind, we will forgive you for all the people you fired and all the policies and principles you violated, all the laws you skirted,' I think they got another thing coming."Rice served on Netflix's board from 2018 to 2021, and rejoined in 2023 after leaving the Biden administration. A Netflix spokesperson declined to comment on Trump's remarks, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Trump included a screenshot of an earlier post from far-right activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer, who said Rice's remarks were "anti-American" and urged the president to "kill the Netflix-Warner Bros. merger now." Loomer also tagged Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr in her post.The comments come after Trump told NBC News earlier this month that the Department of Justice will "handle" the deal and that he'll stay out of their review, after previously saying he'd be involved in the process. The DOJ is currently reviewing Netflix's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.Netflix has proposed acquiring WBD in a $72 billion deal that would not include the company's cable networks, including CNN. Paramount Skydance, in response, launched a hostile takeover bid for all of WBD, promising its shareholders $30 per share in an all-cash deal. The DOJ is investigating whether Netflix's proposed deal could hurt competition, and it's also asked how the company's previous acquisitions have affected competition for creative talent, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month.As part of its review, the agency is also examining whether the streaming giant uses anticompetitive tactics in negotiations with independent content creators for acquiring programming, Bloomberg reported, citing documents. Steve Sunshine, Netflix's outside counsel and the head of the global antitrust group at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, told CNBC in a statement that the law firm hasn't been given any notice that the DOJ is conducting a monopolization investigation. Netflix's Chief Legal Officer, David Hyman, said in a statement that the company operates in an "extremely competitive market." "Any claim that it is a monopolist, or seeking to monopolize, is unfounded," Hyman said. "We neither hold monopoly power nor engage in exclusionary conduct and we'll gladly cooperate, as we always do, with regulators on any concerns they may have."Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said last month that he's confident the company will be able to secure regulatory approval "because this deal is pro-consumer ... pro-innovation, pro-worker."

American Girl marks its 40th anniversary after five quarters of sales growth, but revenue remains far below its peak as Mattel faces industry pressures. View More

In this articleMATFollow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT The original six American Girl historical characters — Kirsten Larson, Samantha Parkington, Molly McIntire, Felicity Merriman, Addy Walker and Josefina Montoya — are displayed at the brand’s flagship store,Luke Fountain The flagship American Girl Place at Rockefeller Center in New York City feels frozen in time.The air smells faintly of vanilla. Young girls dart between doll displays clutching miniature shirts and sequined shoes. Beneath glittering chandeliers, the brand's iconic red boxes line shelves with museum-like precision. Blow dryers hum in the Doll Salon, and downstairs, pink-frosted cupcakes land on cafe tables before dolls sitting upright in their miniature highchairs."It feels timeless," said Jamie Cygielman, global head of dolls for Mattel, the brand's parent company. And yet, behind the scenes, the business of American Girl dolls is not what it once was. As American Girl turns 40, the brand is navigating more modern challenges: digital competition, shifting play patterns and an aging, more cost-conscious customer base. "The anniversary is at precarious moment for American Girl and the whole doll industry," said Jaime Katz, an analyst who covers Mattel for Morningstar. "Kids are more digital in play, and the [American Girl] brand has struggled."Around a decade ago, at its peak, American Girl was recording more than $600 million in annual sales. By 2023, annual sales had fallen to roughly $200 million — just a third of prior levels.While American Girl has shrunk back considerably from the mid-2010s, the brand has more recently posted five consecutive quarters of sales growth — one of the few steady performers inside Mattel's portfolio. "Growing off a base that's down more than 60% doesn't mean the brand is back. It means it's stabilizing," Katz told CNBC.Earlier this month, Mattel reported fourth-quarter sales of $1.77 billion, falling short of Wall Street expectations after holiday demand came in lighter than projected and heavier discounting weighed on margins. Earnings per share likewise fell short, and Mattel issued a lower-than-expect profit forecast for 2026.Mattel shares have fallen roughly 19% since the Feb. 10 report and are down about 20% over the past year. Citi and JPMorgan downgraded the stock after the results, too. "People are watching Mattel this year ... waiting with baited breath, because they are spending a ton and it seems unlikely they will be bringing in big profits," Katz said. A doll gets her hair washed, brushed and curled at the American Girl Salon at the brand's flagship store in Rockefeller Center.Luke Fountain Longstanding issues Even before the Covid pandemic forced American Girl to reduce its retail footprint from about 15 stores in 2019 to seven U.S. locations today, the brand faced mounting competition from lower-priced alternatives at big-box retailers like Target's "Our Generation" line. A traditional, 18-inch American Girl typically starts at $135, excluding accessories, which can cost as much as $250 for a bunk bed or $275 for a beach cruiser. The premium price once signaled to many parents a mark of quality and prestige, said Laura Tretter, co-host of the American Girl Women podcast. But in an inflation-conscious environment, it's narrowed the customer base, Katz said."Parents are more selective about discretionary spending right now," Katz said. "That price point [for an American Girl doll] looks steep to many households."Across the toy industry, companies, including competitors like Hasbro, are grappling with how to get kids interested in their products, particularly amid uneven consumer spending and, recently, trade uncertainty. "There are so many more things today that a kid might be enticed by to play with," Cygielman told CNBC. "There's also more competition today, and we saw in the past that tariffs can make an impact on the toy market, but we adapt."For many kids, play has migrated toward tablets, gaming subscriptions and short-form video. "The definition of 'toy' has changed," Katz said. "A iPad or Nintendo Switch competes directly with a doll. There are simply more claims on the same discretionary dollar."Overall, Mattel's doll and preschool categories have faced steady declines for the last three quarters, even after the halo effect of 2023's "Barbie" movie. Global dolls sales fell 7% in the latest quarter, while the infant, toddler and preschool segment declined 17%.Struggling sales for American Girl and Mattel's Fisher Price brand motivated activist investor Barington Capital in 2024 to push the company to streamline its portfolio and improve returns, floating the possibility of selling off the brands. "American Girl is not a huge part of Mattel's overall financial profile," Katz said. "Still though, for investors, the question isn't whether the brand is beloved. It's whether it's strategically essential. It was a drag on profits." A girl waits with her new Truly Me doll at the American Girl flagship store in Rockefeller Center.Luke Fountain Capitalizing on loyalty Inside the Rockefeller Center store, those industry headwinds feel distant.On a recent visit, Lisa Kandoski stood gazing at Molly McIntire — the World War II-era heroine adorned with round wire-rimmed glasses, a navy argyle sweater and braids tied in red ribbons — just like the doll Kandoski said her grandmother put under the Christmas tree in 1990."It's not just a doll," Kandoski, now 40, told CNBC, her eyes misty. "I sort of realized the impact Molly had on me as a kid. She taught me that you could be brave even when the world was scary, that you could 'do your part' even when you were small. She shaped who I am."That emotional alchemy has defined American Girl since it disrupted the doll industry in 1986. At the time, the market was dominated by either fashion dolls mirroring adulthood or baby dolls to rehearse motherhood. The original six American Girl characters — Samantha, Kirsten, Molly, Felicity, Addy and Josefina — came with books tackling subjects rarely taught to young kids like child labor or racism, and all dolls treated girlhood itself as a formative stage."American Girl remains a moral compass for many of us," said Tretter of the American Girl Women podcast. "I love that girls today are still getting positive messages about inclusivity, friendship and going through difficult changes."Over time, American Girl expanded into publishing, film and destination retail while diversifying its characters, like with the 2026 "Girl of the Year," Raquel Reyes, a biracial DJ and animal rescuer who helps run her family's Kansas City paleta shop.The brand's whimsical seriousness became a differentiator and fostered generational loyalty, said Justine Orlovsky-Schnitzler, a folklorist and author of "An American Girl Anthology: Finding Ourselves in the Pleasant Company Universe."Look no further than the Doll Hospital where white-coated "doctors" triage patients, fit wheelchairs, perform eye exams, and apply miniature casts for doll owners of all ages."That's why people return," Orlovsky-Schnitzler said. "You're not just buying plastic and fabric. You're revisiting a version of yourself."And even though the dolls remain preserved in childhood innocence, their original owners, now grown up, keep returning to American Girl through podcasts, memes, cosplay and fan fiction. Some pass their dolls down to their children. Others buy new ones for themselves."There's something powerful about handing your daughter the doll you once slept beside," Orlovsky-Schnitzler said. "It's also just as comforting to go back to the days of your youth with your own doll." American Girl is releasing modernized version of its original six characters for the brand's 40th anniversary.Mattel A growing base Mattel is battling to convert that nostalgia into broader sales growth. So‑called "kidult" consumers — adults who buy toys for themselves — have become a coveted demographic. By late 2024, spending on toys for adults 18 and older had surpassed that for children ages 3 to 5, according to market research firm Circana. That cohort continued to drive industry growth in 2025.Mattel has increasingly sought to monetize its intellectual property through publishing, collectibles, entertainment and digital platforms. In interviews and on calls with investors, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz has said that mobile games and interactive platforms are particularly promising areas. However, "nostalgia must translate into durable revenue and sales growth," Katz said. Lean too heavily into adult collectors, and a brand risks "aging alongside its original audience." Pivot too aggressively toward digital trends, and it "risks diluting what made it distinctive."Competitors have been doing the same. For instance, Lego continues to release more brick building sets aimed at adults like flowers, art and collectables based on millennial pop culture favorites such as the 1990s TV hit "Friends." For American Girl, its 40th anniversary offers a natural inflection point to strike a balance between kid and adult fans, Cygielman said.American Girl is releasing modernized versions of its original six characters and publishing its first book for adults, centered on Samantha Parkington and set during her adulthood in the 1920s. At the same time, the brand is working to keep the next generation engaged through contemporary "Girl of the Year" storylines and investments in digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and "American Girl World" on Roblox."Nostalgia is an entry point, not the endgame," Cygielman said. "The question is how we extend that emotional equity into new platforms and new audiences."

The draft new income-tax rules have proposed significant change in the scope and threshold for PAN quoting obligations for transactions of purchase or sale of immovable property. View More

Despite being a small part of closing costs, credit report fees have become a flashpoint in the mortgage industry. View More

In this articleEFXTRUFICOFollow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images There's a line item in homebuyers' closing costs that's causing a clash in the mortgage industry: the fee for lenders to check borrowers' credit.While the charges — typically in the tens or hundreds of dollars — represent a tiny slice of the amount that buyers pay when a home purchase is finalized, the cost has risen sharply in recent years. Costs in 2026 could rise an average 40% to 50%, according to a Dec. 12 letter from the Mortgage Bankers Association to Federal Housing Finance Authority Director Bill Pulte.The trade association asked the FHFA to give mortgage lenders the option of relying on a single credit report instead of three — known as a "tri-merge" report — for borrowers with a credit score of 700 or higher. Read more CNBC personal finance coverageHomebuyers are paying more for credit checks. Here's whyTrump accounts have 'more unanswered questions than answered,' expert saysTreasury: Trump accounts sign up about 3 million kids in early pushAverage IRS tax refund is up 14.2%, according to early filing dataStudent loan delinquency rate jumps to nearly 25% in Trump's second term: analysisWhat Supreme Court ruling against Trump tariffs means for your moneyPersonal loans surge: It's 'the middle-class refinancing option,' expert saysTrump: tax refunds are 'substantially greater than ever before.' What to expectTrump officials warn hundreds of colleges with low student loan repayment ratesAs AI puts the squeeze on entry-level jobs, teens remain optimistic: reportTrump administration finds more borrowers eligible for student loan forgivenessMore used cars are for sale, but ones under $20,000 are 'harder to find': ExpertHow to claim Trump's 'no tax on overtime' deduction this seasonParents with student debt face deadline to secure affordable repayment, forgivenessSecure 2.0 let employers pair emergency savings and 401(k)s, but few have done soHome sellers start getting lower prices at 70, research shows — here's whyAverage IRS tax refund is up 10.9% so far this season, early filing data showsCNBC's Financial Advisor 100: Best financial advisors, top firms ranked Although lenders generally have required a minimum credit score of 620 (on a typical scale of 300 to 850), Fannie Mae, a government-sponsored enterprise and buyer of mortgages, said in November that applications processed through its automated underwriting system would no longer require a minimum score. Nevertheless, most homebuyers have higher credit scores, and so stand to benefit from such a change. In 2024, the average credit score for a first-time homebuyer was 734, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. For repeat buyers, the average score was 775. The FHFA oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are the largest purchasers of mortgages on the secondary market. Currently, lenders that want to sell mortgages to Fannie and Freddie — most do, because those transactions provide them with capital to make more loans — must use a tri-merge report, which reflects credit scores and reports from the three largest credit-reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion."The cost of the requirement to have a tri-merge report has gone up exponentially," said Al Bingham, a loan officer with mortgage lender Momentum Loans in Sandy, Utah. "It's nuts." Closing costs range from 3% to 6% of loan amount Of course, credit reporting fees are only one of many expenses that have jumped in recent years, both for housing and in the broader economy. And for homebuyers, the rising fees they pay for credit reports and scores might go unnoticed next to much larger numbers when they settle on their loan.Buyers face other closing costs, including loan origination and underwriting fees, as well as agent commissions and expenses such as a home appraisal or inspection. Collectively, those costs generally range from 3% to 6% of the loan amount and are in addition to any down payment. For illustration: For a $350,000 mortgage, that would be $7,000 to $21,000.Bingham shared one example of pricing that showed a 40.4% year-over-year increase in the specific cost for a basic tri-merge report, going to $47.05 in 2026 from $33.50 last year for an individual applicant. That amount is on the low end, he said. Lenders typically pull a borrower's credit report twice in the home-purchase process — once at application and again just before the loan closes to ensure nothing significant has changed. So, if a lender did a tri-merge report both times, the above amount would be double for an individual, at $94.10, Bingham said. For a couple, it would be quadruple, or $188.20. However, prices vary from lender to lender.In other words, these prices are grabbing a lot of attention despite being a fraction of what buyers pay for closing costs, not to mention the house itself, said John Ulzheimer, a credit expert and president of The Ulzheimer Group in Atlanta."I get it that they want to save [on that expense], but to me that is an immaterial cost when you look at the cost of making a bad decision on a mortgage loan," Ulzheimer said, adding that three reports provide more information than one."I think most risk managers would likely tell you … that they'd never turn away more information to make a decision," he said.Part of the problem for lenders is that if a potential homebuyer ends up not finalizing the transaction, the cost of the credit report isn't passed on to the buyer — which means the lender eats the cost, Bingham said. FHFA is studying 'a variety of options' The MBA's December letter to the FHFA outlined its proposal. The group reiterated it in written testimony to a congressional subcommittee at a hearing last week on homeownership and the role of the secondary mortgage market.It's uncertain whether the FHFA is considering the proposal for single-report usage. A spokesperson told CNBC in an email that the agency is "studying a variety of options to fix the housing market." watch nowVIDEO1:2401:24January home sales fell more than 8%Squawk on the Street Of course, there is opposition to the proposal as well. The Consumer Data Industry Association, which represents credit-reporting firms including Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, issued a statement in support of continuing the tri-merge report, saying it promotes data accuracy, market competition and investor confidence.There's also a lot of finger-pointing in the industry over why credit report prices have jumped. In its statement, the CDIA said FICO has "steadily increased its pricing year over year." FICO provides the "classic" FICO credit score, which, until recently, was the only one lenders could use for mortgages sold to Fannie and Freddie. In a blog post, the Mortgage Bankers Association said both the credit-reporting companies and FICO are responsible.A FICO spokesperson said in an email to CNBC that the company has no control over how its score is priced by other parties, nor the price of credit reports.FICO said in late 2024 that its 2025 royalty of $4.95 per score for mortgage originations marked FICO's fourth royalty increase in the mortgage industry since the score was unveiled in 1989, not counting its inflation boosts over the last several years.The company also launched a direct-to-lender score this year, which would bypass the credit-reporting companies. VantageScore 4.0 approved, but still not in use Other changes related to mortgages and credit scores are also percolating: The FHFA announced last year that lenders could start using a particular score from VantageScore instead of only the classic FICO score for loans being sold to Fannie and Freddie.VantageScore is a joint venture among Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It was created in 2006 as a competitor to the FICO score, which has been around since 1989. Both brands use similar data to compute your number — including things like outstanding debt, payment history and other financial tidbits that help predict whether you'll repay what you borrow. The most familiar versions of both VantageScore and FICO result in a score that falls on a scale of 300 to 850.The particular VantageScore that was approved — VantageScore 4.0 — differs from the classic FICO score in several ways, including by considering alternative data such as rent and utility payments when evaluating a consumer's creditworthiness. However, VantageScore 4.0 is not yet deployed."While that approval is a significant step, the industry is currently awaiting additional guidance and operational details necessary to implement adoption," said Dan Smith, CDIA president and CEO.The FHFA also has approved the use of FICO 10T, a score that also considers alternative data such as patterns in a consumer's credit usage over at least 24 months instead of just a snapshot in time, but the agency has not yet said that lenders can start using it for loans being sold to Fannie and Freddie.

TipRanks names three stocks that analysts believe are set to perform well despite the recent market noise around AI disruption. View More

In this articleDDOGANETFollow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Thomas Fuller | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Investors have been grappling with volatility amid fears of artificial intelligence disruption in a range of sectors, but attractive opportunities abound if they can look beneath the surface.Ignoring the ongoing noise, investors with a long-term horizon can track the recommendations of top Wall Street analysts, who take several aspects into account and conduct in-depth research before assigning a buy rating to a stock.  Here are three stocks favored by some of Wall Street's top pros, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance.DatadogArtificial intelligence-powered observability and security platform Datadog (DDOG) is this week's first pick. Following the company's Investor Day event on Feb. 12, Baird analyst William Power reiterated a buy rating on Datadog stock with a price target of $180. The analyst stated that while Datadog didn't provide any new long-term forecasts at the event, it continues to target an adjusted operating margin of over 25%, reflecting a balanced approach between investing for future growth and near-term profitability. Power noted solid demand for Datadog's existing products and growing opportunities in AI, logs, developer tools and security. He added that given Datadog's notable advantage in contextual data compared to rivals, the company is well-positioned to help enterprises as AI is increasing complexity within IT stacks. The five-star analyst believes that Datadog has the ability to address enterprises' security needs, supported by its broad observability platform and significant data insights. Power highlighted that while the company currently has about 8,500 security customers, including 70% of customers with over $1 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), security makes up only 2% of total ARR from these large customers, reflecting that vast expansion opportunity."We remain positive on the company's leadership position in the observability market, the continued success of its land and expand motion, and long-term opportunities across new products (especially security)," said Power. Power ranks No. 459 among more than 12,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 55% of the time, delivering an average return of 15.8%. See Datadog Ownership Structure on TipRanks. Vertiv HoldingsAI infrastructure company Vertiv Holdings (VRT) provides power and cooling solutions to data centers. VRT recently rallied after reporting upbeat results for the fourth quarter of 2025, with organic orders surging 252%. Citing solid order growth and insights from Vertiv's 10-K filing, Bank of America analyst Andrew Obin reiterated a buy rating on VRT stock and raised his price target to $277 from $250. Obin highlighted that the company expects the strong momentum in its orders to continue in 2026. "To grow on top of 2025's $17.8bn in orders (+81% y/y organic) would be an impressive feat," said the analyst. He noted CEO Giordano Albertazzi's commentary that the pipeline was not depleted even after many large orders in the fourth quarter of 2025. Obin expects Vertiv's 2026 orders to grow by 5% to $18.6 billion. The analyst explained that even this modest year-over-year growth will result in significantly favorable backlog statistics. Specifically, a 5% order growth would add $5 billion to backlog (up 33% year over year). For Q1 2026, Obin projects $4.3 billion of orders (+52% year-over-year organic growth).Among the key takeaways from the 10-K filing, Obin highlighted that aside from tariff and economic uncertainty, AI, and thermal product expansion, Vertiv mentioned three new trends: strengthening services capabilities, strategic deals with Nvidia (NVDA) and Caterpillar (CAT), and prefabricated product development.Obin ranks No. 87 among more than 12,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 70% of the time, delivering an average return of 19.2%. See Vertiv Holdings Statistics on TipRanks. Arista NetworksFinally, we look at Arista Networks (ANET), which provides networking solutions to large AI and data center environments. The company impressed investors with market-beating Q4 results and issued strong guidance. Following the decline in ANET stock in reaction to the announcement that Nvidia will supply Meta Platforms (META) GPUs, CPUs, and networking solutions, Needham analyst Ryan Koontz said that he expects the deal to have "little to no impact" on Arista's solid supplier position with Meta. Koontz reiterated a buy rating on ANET stock with a price target of $185. It is worth noting that the analyst had recently raised his price target for Arista stock to $185 from $165. Koontz highlighted that the Meta Platforms-Nvidia deal sparked concerns as Arista is a major networking supplier to the social media company. The analyst estimates that Meta accounted for 16% of Arista's 2025 revenue. Based on several industry checks following the deal's announcement, Koontz continues to view ANET as a "dominant" supplier to Meta Platforms for its AI back-end spine and scale-across applications. "Our checks indicate that the bulk of NVDA networking sales to Meta have been and will continue to be NICs [network interface cards] that bridge NVDA xPUs to a first layer of Spectrum-X switches, which are backed by the ANET spine and scale-across networks," noted Koontz. The five-star analyst added that the announcement doesn't reflect anything notably new in networking, and is in fact a follow-up to a similar announcement in October 2025 from the Open Compute Project (OCP) conference, when Nvidia announced that Meta would deploy Spectrum-X. Koontz ranks No. 277 among more than 12,100 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 51% of the time, delivering an average return of 24.7%. See Arista Networks Financials on TipRanks. 

Stocks like NBCC India, PI Industries, are among others to trade ex-dividend next week, while others like Angel One will trade ex-stock split, and Infobeans Technologies will trade ex-bonus in the upcoming week, starting Monday, 22 February 2026. Check further details and key dates here.  View More

The Reserve Bank of India has established a high-security data center in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, to protect critical financial systems. This strategic location minimizes exposure to cross-border threats and seismic risks, ensuring operational continuity. The facility supports core banking functions and enhances the safety and resilience of India's financial infrastructure. View More