Latest news with #JamesFish
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
‘Stay Realistic,' Says Piper Sandler About SoundHound AI Stock
SoundHound AI (NASDAQ:SOUN) stock has benefited from growing excitement around voice-enabled AI, surging 156% over the past year. However, that momentum may have outpaced the company's ability to deliver in the near term. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. While the long-term thesis remains intact, Piper Sandler analyst James Fish has recently stepped back from his bullish stance. His concerns now center on execution timing, the pressure to achieve profitability, and the challenge of balancing growth investments with delivering near-term performance. These concerns carry more weight given where SoundHound is headed. The company is in the midst of a shift from one-time auto and royalty revenues to a more stable, subscription-driven model. It's a promising direction, but one that also raises the stakes. Subscription businesses depend on consistent execution, efficient sales strategies, and upfront investment, and any missteps can quickly slow momentum. That's why Fish, while optimistic about SoundHound's tech – particularly its integration of automatic speech recognition (ASR) with natural language understanding (NLU) – argues that the company needs to step up its go-to-market efforts. Without stronger investment in sales and distribution, the transition to a recurring revenue model could fall short of its potential. That caution has deepened in recent months, as several key risks have come into focus. For one, the company's 2H25 outlook already assumes solid execution across all three pillars, but delays are becoming more likely. Deals expected to close this year may now slip into 2026. Meanwhile, SoundHound is trying to balance the pursuit of profitability with continued investment in Amelia's growth, an increasingly difficult juggling act. Even if Amelia performs well, it could trigger higher earn-outs and lead to increased dilution. Combined with a valuation above 20x 2026 estimates, which already bakes in strong performance, these dynamics significantly raise the stakes for hitting second-half targets. Supporting these concerns, Fish's 1H25 CIO Survey found strong interest in Voice AI, but only 17% of respondents indicated plans to engage with standalone vendors like Amelia – a signal that broader adoption may be slower than anticipated. Moreover, recent checks in both the CX and Amelia segments revealed limited traction, growing competitive pressure, and a lack of major customer wins. Compounding that, SoundHound's automotive growth depends on a robust 2H ramp-up, yet macroeconomic headwinds may limit sales and production across the sector. 'We remain constructive on the long-term opportunities, and 2H25 execution could create a squeeze on shares, but fundamentally, we see a balanced risk-reward here,' Fish summed up. As a result, Fish downgraded SoundHound shares from Overweight (i.e., Buy) to Neutral, while maintaining a $12 price target, implying a ~6% downside from current levels. (To watch Fish's track record, click here) That's one cautious take – but what does the broader Street think? 3 other analysts join Fish on the sidelines, and with an additional 3 Buy ratings, SOUN carries a Moderate Buy consensus. However, the $11.50 average price target implies a potential 10% downside over the next 12 months. (See SOUN stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
SoundHound AI (SOUN) Downgraded: What Investors Need to Know Now
SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOUN) is one of the . On July 14, Piper Sandler analyst James Fish downgraded the stock from Overweight to 'Neutral' with a price target of $12. The firm said it sees a tough setup for the AI company, particularly for the second half of 2025. 'We are downgrading shares of SoundHound from OW to Neutral but reiterating our $12 price target.' The firm noted that even though there is long-term potential for SoundHound, some deals may be pushed into 2026 for the company. The company is currently facing a challenge in trying to achieve profitability while also investing in its Amelia product line. Achieving both these goals effectively, the firm highlighted, can be a challenge for the company. The firm is particularly concerned about how pressure on second-half estimates may negatively impact SoundHound's valuation multiple. Currently, it exceeds 20 times the calendar year 2026 estimates. Piper Sandler is constructive on the company's long-term opportunities regardless of the downgrade, but also acknowledges that execution in the second half of 2025 'could create a squeeze on shares.' SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOUN) is a voice artificial intelligence company offering voice AI solutions to businesses. While we acknowledge the potential of SOUN as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and Disclosure: None.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Twilio (TWLO) Stock Is Trading Up Today
Shares of cloud communications infrastructure company Twilio (NYSE:TWLO) jumped 7.4% in the afternoon session after the company announced the launch of new platform features. Twilio announced the general availability of three new features aimed at enhancing real-time, personalized customer interactions for businesses. These new tools include "Event Triggered Journeys," which allow businesses to react to customer actions instantly, and "Data Residency for Email (EU)," a feature that helps companies comply with European data regulations. The announcements were met with optimism from other Wall Street firms as well, with Wolfe Research and JMP Securities also maintaining positive ratings, pointing to the company's strategic direction and growing interest in its technology. Is now the time to buy Twilio? Access our full analysis report here, it's free. Twilio's shares are quite volatile and have had 18 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today's move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business. The previous big move we wrote about was a day ago when the stock gained 4.3% on the news that an analyst at Piper Sandler raised the price target on the shares and named the company a top pick. Piper Sandler analyst James Fish boosted the firm's price target on Twilio to $140 from $121, while maintaining an "Overweight" rating on the stock. The new target suggests a potential upside of over 23% from the stock's previous closing price. The analyst cited increased confidence in the company's ability to achieve "durable, double-digit growth." This positive outlook is supported by expected benefits from artificial intelligence integrations and a likely price increase in U.S. messaging services. The move reflects growing optimism on Wall Street for the cloud communications platform. Twilio is up 16.1% since the beginning of the year, but at $126.54 per share, it is still trading 14.7% below its 52-week high of $148.35 from January 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Twilio's shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $564.41. Here at StockStory, we certainly understand the potential of thematic investing. Diverse winners from Microsoft (MSFT) to Alphabet (GOOG), Coca-Cola (KO) to Monster Beverage (MNST) could all have been identified as promising growth stories with a megatrend driving the growth. So, in that spirit, we've identified a relatively under-the-radar profitable growth stock benefiting from the rise of AI, available to you FREE via this link.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Possible Bearish Signals With Waste Management Insiders Disposing Stock
Many Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) insiders ditched their stock over the past year, which may be of interest to the company's shareholders. When evaluating insider transactions, knowing whether insiders are buying is usually more beneficial than knowing whether they are selling, as the latter can be open to many interpretations. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more. Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free. The CEO & Director, James Fish, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$10m worth of shares at a price of US$228 each. That means that an insider was selling shares at around the current price of US$226. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. In this case, the big sale took place at around the current price, so it's not too bad (but it's still not a positive). In the last year Waste Management insiders didn't buy any company stock. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! Check out our latest analysis for Waste Management If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of small cap stocks that are not only being bought by insiders but also have attractive valuations. Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Waste Management insiders own about US$171m worth of shares (which is 0.2% of the company). I like to see this level of insider ownership, because it increases the chances that management are thinking about the best interests of shareholders. The fact that there have been no Waste Management insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. While we feel good about high insider ownership of Waste Management, we can't say the same about the selling of shares. While it's good to be aware of what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. To assist with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Waste Management. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. 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
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stand by for town's first carnival for 33 years
People in the Tyldesley will be hoping the glorious summer weather continues for the town's first carnival for 33 years on Sunday. The event, which takes place at Tyldesley Rugby Union Club from 11 am to 5 pm, will include food and drink offers, a beer tent, live music, face painting, a fun fair, and stalls. A parade will leave the club to march around the town at noon. Local Independent councillor James Fish has hailed the return of the event. 'It should be a fantastic event for the people of Tyldesley,' he said. Adrian White, a member of the Tyldesley Matters Facebook group, said: 'Being born and brought up in Tyldesley, I have, like many others, many fantastic memories of this wonderful event that brought so many people together. 'The sight of floats travelling along Manchester Road, the smiling faces of people involved and family members lining the streets and the sound of the band in the distance, heard long before we could catch a glimpse of the band members are stored in my memory bank. 'The town centre came alive every year on carnival day and this year's return will mean so much to local folk who remember the glorious celebrations from yesteryear.' Local organisations participating in the event include Tyldesley Swimming and Water Polo Club, 180 Dance and Fitness Centre, Makants Greyhound Rescue NW, Northwest Funfairs and Astley and Tyldesley FC.
