Howard Smith, The Motley Fool (U.S.) Journalist Profile

Articles

Why Nucor Stock Jumped 10% This Week

3 weeks ago | fool.com | Howard Smith

Not every investor wants to invest in a cyclical sector. But it can be an important addition to a well-diversified portfolio. Nucor (NUE 2.30%) is the largest pure-play steel and steel products company in North America. While it is most commonly thought of as more of an income stock than a growth stock, shares popped as much as nearly 12% at one point this week. The stock has now moved off a three-year low it hit in early April.
Why Nebius Group Stock Soared Higher Today

3 weeks ago | fool.com | Howard Smith

Shares of artificial intelligence (AI) cloud service provider Nebius Group (NBIS 23.33%) are surging today. The stock jumped after one independent equity research firm began coverage on the stock with a very bullish outlook. Nebius stock was trading higher by 19.5% as of 11:05 a.m. ET. A growth story that's just beginningLondon-based Arete Research analyst Andrew Beale began coverage of the stock with a "buy" rating and a price target that seems to have taken investors by surprise.
Why Tesla Stock Plunged Today

3 weeks ago | fool.com | Howard Smith

It's an interesting time to be a Tesla (TSLA -3.55%) shareholder. CEO Elon Musk has stepped away from his leadership role in President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cost-cutting effort. The timing was presumably good, as Tesla is preparing to launch its robotaxi technology in Austin. Yet Tesla stock dove 5% this morning. As of 11:40 a.m. ET, shares of the electric vehicle (EV) leader are still lower by 3.2%.
Prediction: Nvidia's Rebound From the Correction Will Continue to Beat the Market

3 weeks ago | fool.com | Howard Smith

Nvidia (NVDA 2.92%) shares recovered nicely after the April market swoon. The stock is now just 10% off its all-time high, as of this writing. After a correction that bottomed on April 5, Nvidia shares have rocketed 48% higher. That compares to just a 27% rebound by the Nasdaq Composite since its early-April low.
Why Nvidia Stock Dropped to End the Week

4 weeks ago | fool.com | Howard Smith

Investors may have thought they missed out after Nvidia (NVDA -2.85%) shares popped yesterday from its fiscal 2026 first-quarter earnings report. But what a difference a day makes. Anyone who regretted missing yesterday's gains has another chance. Nvidia stock ended Friday's session down 2.9%, which is about in line with where it closed prior to the earnings pop yesterday. There were good reasons for both days' moves.
The Nasdaq Bounces Back: These AI Stocks Could Be the Smartest Buys of the Year

4 weeks ago | fool.com | Howard Smith

The Nasdaq Composite is only at about breakeven for the year, as of this writing, but it's made a powerful comeback in recent weeks. The tech-heavy index is now down less than 1% year to date, a massive improvement from the drop of more than 20% it recorded in early April. That doesn't mean it's too late to own tech names that are thriving from the boom in artificial intelligence (AI) spending.
Nvidia Stock Nears Its All-Time High. Is It a Buy Now?

4 weeks ago | fool.com | Howard Smith

Nvidia (NVDA 4.52%) did it again. The artificial intelligence (AI) leader beat Wall Street expectations with another record quarterly report. The stock surged as much as 6.4% Thursday morning as a result, coming within 5% of its all-time high. That comes even after Nvidia shares had surged nearly 25% in the last month. Investors expected to hear good things, but the 73% year-over-year growth in data center revenue drove even better-than-expected overall results.
Why Tesla Stock Popped Today Despite Sliding Sales

1 month ago | fool.com | Howard Smith

Tesla (TSLA 4.62%) shares are quickly rebounding from a drop last week. The stock fell 3% last week, ending a four-week winning streak. It's starting the week off strong, though. Shares jumped over 5% early Tuesday morning, even as data from Europe shows its electric vehicle (EV) sales continue to slump. As of 10:40 a.m. ET, Tesla stock is still trading up by 4.9%.
As Trump's Tariffs Bring Market Volatility, Here Are 2 Reliable American Companies Investors Need to Know

1 month ago | fool.com | Howard Smith

President Donald Trump's tariff policies have thrown the stock and bond markets into a frenzy this spring. Businesses and investors alike are clamoring to find the best way to position themselves in the new global trade environment. Much more detail on how things will eventually settle out is yet to come. But some American companies stand to benefit in almost any final scenario. Here are two that investors should consider having in their portfolios.
Why QuantumScape Stock Surged Higher Friday

1 month ago | fool.com | Howard Smith

Shares of QuantumScape (QS 10.68%) jumped as much as 14% today with the stock holding onto a gain of 10.6% as of 3:35 p.m. ET. New Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings might be what prompted the surge higher. Last week, the solid-state battery technology company named a new chief operating officer (COO). Luca Fasoli is experienced in advanced memory and storage technologies from his time spent at technology companies Western Digital and Sandisk.