Google expands AI Mode with extra features for search
These developments are follow-ups to announcements made during Google's I/O conference this spring. AI Mode began rolling out to all Google users in May, and Deep Think was also announced as an option for the Gemini 2.5 Pro model at that time.
Another AI tool teased at I/O was the ability for Gemini to place phone calls with Project Astra. This agentic option is also coming in a limited form to AI Mode. For starters, it will only be able to contact local businesses and its topics will be limited to inquiring about availability and pricing. When a person searches for companies or services, they may see an option such as "Have AI check prices" that will initiate a call to that business. These AI phone calls are rolling out today to all Search users, but Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers will have higher limits.
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Is Archer Aviation Stock Due to Take Off After Aug. 11?
Key Points According to analysts, there is loads of growth potential in the eVTOL market in the years ahead. Archer's business isn't generating any revenue right now and its losses have been high. An update on its business operations, however, could spark a rally. 10 stocks we like better than Archer Aviation › Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) is an emerging company that's looking to make it big in the world of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. It has big plans for growth and for investors, presenting them with an exciting way to invest in a business that may have a ton of potential to become much more valuable in the years ahead. Analysts at Grand View Research project that the global eVTOL market will grow at a compound annual rate of 54.9% until the end of the decade. That's mind-boggling growth, and if Archer can be a part of that, there could be significant upside for the stock. Shares of Archer have more than doubled in the past 12 months. But year to date, things have cooled -- the stock is only up 3% since January. With earnings around the corner on Aug. 11, could now be a good time to consider buying shares of Archer? Could it be overdue for a big rally? How Archer's stock has done after recent earnings reports In the past few years, it's been a bit of a mixed bag for Archer's stock performance after earnings. Newsworthy items and announcements, rather than financials, are what tend to move the stock -- especially since the company isn't generating any revenue. What earnings could help with, however, is putting more of a spotlight on this seemingly overlooked stock this year. For all its potential, the excitement around Archer seems to have cooled. And what might give the stock a boost is any positive developments related to its operations and progress it is making toward certification of its Midnight aircraft. High short interest could make it a volatile holding One factor to consider when investing in Archer is that its short interest as a percentage of float is high, at around 20%. Although that has come down of late, it signifies that there are still a lot of short sellers and people betting against the company and its ability to succeed in the eVTOL market. If the company doesn't provide investors with an encouraging update to suggest that it may be on track for its goal of producing two aircraft per month by the end of the year, or making progress related to Midnight's test flights in Abu Dhabi (which began in July), then that could be the fuel that short sellers need to help drive the stock down lower. On the flip side, if there are positive signs that the business is going in the right direction, then it may result in a short squeeze and the stock taking off in value. Should you buy Archer stock today? Archer is a risky stock to invest in, because the company isn't generating any revenue today and it has burned through $377 million over the trailing 12 months, just from its day-to-day operating activities. With more than $1 billion in cash and cash equivalents on its books, it's not in any danger of running out of money anytime soon. But its cash burn will likely accelerate significantly as it ramps up production of its aircraft. The stock could be a good way to invest in the eVTOL market but this is an investment that may only be suitable to investors with a high risk tolerance. Archer's business, while promising, remains unproven. Given how early the company is in its growth, I don't see any urgency to buy the stock before it posts earnings on Aug. 11, and unless it releases some exciting developments, I wouldn't expect it to soar afterward, either. However, if you are bullish on the company's future and OK with the risk and uncertainty ahead, you may still be better off investing in Archer sooner rather than later, given that the eVTOL stock does appear to be flying under the radar these days. Do the experts think Archer Aviation is a buy right now? The Motley Fool's expert analyst team, drawing on years of investing experience and deep analysis of thousands of stocks, leverages our proprietary Moneyball AI investing database to uncover top opportunities. They've just revealed their to buy now — did Archer Aviation make the list? When our Stock Advisor analyst team has a stock recommendation, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor's total average return is up 1,019% vs. just 178% for the S&P — that is beating the market by 841.12%!* Imagine if you were a Stock Advisor member when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $624,823!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,064,820!* The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025 David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is Archer Aviation Stock Due to Take Off After Aug. 11? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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3 Reasons XPO Stock Could Take Off in the Second Half of the Year
Key Points XPO beat estimates on the top and bottom lines in its second-quarter report. After an earlier investment cycle, management expects capex as a percentage of revenue to start to decline. XPO was the only one of the three major LTL carriers to improve its operating ratio in the quarter. 10 stocks we like better than XPO › The stock of XPO (NYSE: XPO) was one of the biggest winners of the last decade, and the less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier has continued in recent years, as the stock has quadrupled since early 2023. Those gains followed the spinoff of both GXO Logistics and RXO, its former truck brokerage division. Like its peers including Old Dominion Freight Lines and Saia, XPO continues to face headwinds from a "freight recession" that has lasted for about two to three years as manufacturing activity and industrial production have mostly contracted during that time. Nonetheless, the carrier has found new ways to grow its bottom line and improve margins, and those trends were on display in its second-quarter earnings report. XPO clears the Wall Street bar In a difficult macro environment, XPO reported flat revenue at $2.08 billion, which topped estimates at $2.05 billion. Revenue in the core North American LTL business (carriers that specialize in transporting smaller shipments that don't require a full truckload) was down 2.5% to $1.24 billion, while its European Transportation segment rose 4.1% to $841 million. Tonnage was down 6.7% per day, but the company made up for the decline in volume with an increase in yield (or price) of 6.1%, excluding fuel. Price increases were driven in part by service improvements like reducing damage claims and improved on-time performance that have allowed the company to raise prices. And it has found growth in the local market, serving small to medium-size businesses in need of local transportation. XPO was the only one of the three top LTL carriers to improve its adjusted operating ratio, which is the inverse of operating margin, in North America, which fell 30 basis points to 82.9% (a lower ratio is an indication of higher efficiency). Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) were essentially flat, falling from $343 million to $340 million, while adjusted earnings per share (EPS) fell from $1.12 to $1.05 as it lapped a tax benefit from the year before. That result still beat the consensus at $0.99. Investors seemed to shrug off the news as the stock was down slightly following the results and the earnings call, but XPO could please investors in the back half of the year. Let's take a look at a few reasons why. 1. Share buybacks are set to resume Historically, share repurchases have been a key tool for XPO to generate shareholder value, and it has deployed them effectively. The company began repurchasing its stock again in the second quarter, buying back a modest $10 million, and chief strategy officer Ali Faghri said in an interview with The Motley Fool that he expected those repurchases to pick up in the second half of the year, the time of year when it brings in the vast majority of its free cash flow due to the seasonality of its capital expenditures (capex). After years of ramping up capex to invest in new tractors, trailers, and terminals, the company expects capex as a percentage of revenue to start to decline, freeing up cash to invest in share repurchases and paying down debt. Both of those moves should help lift EPS as debt reduction will lower its interest expense, which ate up more than a quarter of operating income in the second quarter, and lowering shares outstanding will boost per-share earnings even if net income remains flat. 2. Nearshoring could drive growth in the industrial economy Growth in the LTL sector and for XPO in particular is closely tied to manufacturing activity in the country, and according to the ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), manufacturing activity has been declining for most of the last three years. It's unclear if trade negotiations have had an impact so far on XPO's business, but Faghri was optimistic that the new round of tariffs could help encourage nearshoring, or the return of manufacturing to the U.S., which would be a boon to XPO since two-thirds of its business comes from industrial customers. More U.S manufacturing would drive demand for LTL transportation, and could fuel a boom in the industry after years of stagnation. 3. Its local business is accelerating Despite the overall headwinds in tonnage, XPO is finding growth in the local channel, where a combination of investing in a local sales force and improvement in service quality through lower damage claims and improved on-time percentages have helped it attract more local business. That segment grew by high single digits in the second quarter, according to Faghri. That's also a key strategic initiative for the company since those tend to be higher-margin customers. Over the longer term, XPO aims to grow its share of revenue from the local channel from 20% to 30%. That figure is now in the low-to-mid 20% range, indicating more runway ahead as it grabs market share in that segment. Overall, XPO remains on track to achieve the 2027 goals it announced in 2021, which include compound annual revenue growth of 6% to 8%, compound annual adjusted EBITDA growth of 11% to 13%, and a 600-basis-point decline in adjusted operating ratio, meaning it would improve to 81%. With three potential growth drivers for the second half of the year, XPO appears to be in position to deliver strong results for investors, even as the broader freight market is still weak. Should you invest $1,000 in XPO right now? Before you buy stock in XPO, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and XPO wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $624,823!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,064,820!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,019% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 178% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025 Jeremy Bowman has positions in GXO Logistics, RXO, and XPO. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Old Dominion Freight Line. The Motley Fool recommends GXO Logistics, RXO, and XPO and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $195 calls on Old Dominion Freight Line and short January 2026 $200 calls on Old Dominion Freight Line. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Reasons XPO Stock Could Take Off in the Second Half of the Year was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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an hour ago
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Why Prime Video Is One of Amazon's Most Underrated Assets
Key Points Prime Video is no longer a cost center. Prime Video has more than 200 million viewers. Commerce, content, and ads are converging for Amazon. 10 stocks we like better than Amazon › Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) is best known for its sprawling e-commerce empire, dominant cloud infrastructure business, and its ever-growing Prime membership base. But quietly sitting inside this flywheel is a business with surprising strategic upside: Prime Video. For years, Prime Video was viewed as just another perk -- a nice-to-have feature bundled into the Prime membership. But that's changing. Between a new ad-supported model, a powerful position in connected TV (CTV), and seamless integration into Amazon's broader retail ecosystem, Prime Video is emerging as one of Amazon's most underrated growth engines. Here's why smart investors should start paying closer attention. Prime Video's strategic shift from perks to platform When Amazon first launched Prime Video, it wasn't trying to compete directly with entertainment companies like Netflix or Disney. Instead, it used video content to increase Prime subscriptions, drive loyalty, and reduce churn. The focus was to delight its e-commerce customers, and that strategy worked. Happy customers became more engaged, spending more time and money on the e-commerce platform. But what started as a defensive move has become a strategic pillar. Today, in addition to getting free content as Prime members, customers can also subscribe to third-party channels offered by partners under the Amazon Channel. Besides, Amazon made another pivotal move in January 2024: it began running ads on Prime Video, instantly unlocking a massive audience of over 200 million globally to advertisers. The streaming arm is also increasingly investing in originals, live sports, and localized content across global markets. In other words, Prime Video is quietly building up its ecosystem of services, positioning it well to evolve from a cost-center to a hugely profitable entity of its own. Amazon Ads and Prime Video Amazon Ads is one of the next growth frontiers for Amazon, in which Prime Video is going to play a major role. By rolling out ads across Prime Video by default in key markets, Amazon steps up its monetization efforts of its gigantic Prime subscriber base. Prime members can pay a small monthly fee to go ad-free, but most don't, turning Prime Video into one of the largest ad-supported streaming platforms globally. To put the opportunity size into perspective, Netflix has 300 million subscribers, of which 94 million use the ad-supported service. On the other hand, Disney+ has 126 million global paid subscribers. With more than 200 million viewers, Prime Video is already among the biggest streaming services provided globally. But Prime Video doesn't run an ordinary advertising business. Its ad engine taps into its vast retail data, letting brands target viewers based on actual purchase behavior. A viewer watching an online video might see a relevant sponsored product ad and buy it on Amazon without ever leaving the app. It's a frictionless loop that few competitors can replicate. Owning the connected TV stack Prime Video isn't just a content platform -- it's Amazon's gateway to the living room. And through its connected TV (CTV) footprint, Amazon is building an end-to-end advertising and commerce engine few can match. Amazon Fire TV, now with over 200 million devices sold globally, gives the company direct control over the connected TV hardware and software stack. This integrated approach allows it to collect first-party data, control the user experience, and serve ads more effectively than most CTV players. While traditional media networks are still figuring out how to merge streaming, commerce, and advertising, Amazon already has all three pieces in place. The implications are enormous. Advertisers not only reach an engaged, high-intent audience on Prime Video, but they can also close the loop through Amazon's retail engine. That kind of direct attribution -- seeing a sponsored ad on Fire TV, clicking through, and buying the product on Amazon -- is a marketer's dream. With increasing demand for measurable, performance-based advertising, this positions Amazon as a formidable player in the future of CTV. In other words, Prime Video plays a strategic role in Amazon's expanding ecosystem, in which commerce, content, and advertising converge to form a defensible business model that strengthens both the parts and the whole. Now is the time to take a closer look at Prime Video Investors often think of Amazon in silos: retail, cloud, advertising, logistics, etc. But the company's greatest strength lies in how these pieces connect. Prime Video may have started as a "nice-to-have" feature bundled into Prime, but it's quickly becoming one of Amazon's most powerful strategic assets. By bringing together entertainment, commerce, and advertising into a seamless flywheel, Amazon is building a future where Prime Video not only entertains--but drives growth across the entire business. It's time investors gave this overlooked asset a much closer look. Should you invest $1,000 in Amazon right now? Before you buy stock in Amazon, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Amazon wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $624,823!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,064,820!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,019% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 178% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025 Lawrence Nga has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Netflix, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Prime Video Is One of Amazon's Most Underrated Assets was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
