Ontario lettuce farm using AI to grow greens
AI technology is used to farm greens at Haven Greens in King City Township. (CTV News/Luke Simard)
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Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Which AI Stocks Are Set to Soar in the Second Half?
Artificial intelligence (AI) stocks skyrocketed in 2024 amid excitement about this technology that could revolutionize businesses, saving time and money and leading to important discoveries. These players faced a few difficult months recently due to concerns about a potential economic slowdown. However, some of the uncertainty has passed, suggesting better days may be ahead for AI stocks. Against this backdrop, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) are set to soar in the second half. Here's why. 1. Nvidia President Donald Trump's plan to impose tariffs on imports weighed on technology stocks, including AI chip giant Nvidia, several weeks ago. This pushed Nvidia down nearly 30% from the start of the year through early April. Though the president initially exempted electronics products, this exemption was temporary, suggesting chips and other items would face tariffs at some point in the near future. But Nvidia has since rebounded, thanks to optimism that tariffs won't be as steep as originally expected and as the company showed the strength of its earnings through the first quarter of the year. Nvidia's revenue surged 69% to $44 billion, demand remained strong, and customer comments indicate that their spending plans for the year remain intact. This bodes well for ongoing growth for Nvidia. On top of this, the chip giant is making investments in U.S. manufacturing to limit any eventual tariff impact and sticks to its plan to update chips on an annual basis -- a move that should keep it ahead of rivals. Today, Nvidia trades for only 33 times forward earnings estimates, down from about 50 times just a few months ago, and this level offers the stock plenty of room to run in the second half. 2. Apple Among all the top tech stocks, Apple may be the one that has suffered the most amid the recent tariff turbulence. Trump, displeased that Apple has generally produced most iPhones abroad, even threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Apple's imported iPhones. Meanwhile, Apple has made efforts to diversify its manufacturing, with a plan to move much of it from China to India. Uncertainty remains as the president wants Apple to bring iPhone production to the U.S., but doing this could result in a drastically higher price for the smartphone. All of this has hurt Apple stock, which is down about 20% since the start of the year. I view this as a buying opportunity because I don't think the U.S. aims to destroy Apple's growth. It's possible that both parties will reach a reasonable agreement. Meanwhile, any positive news on the subject could result in Apple stock bouncing back in the coming months. It's important to remember that Apple has built a very profitable smartphone empire with a tremendous moat, or competitive advantage, and these elements should support growth over the long term. All of this means that buying Apple now may result in gains in the coming months, but even better, set you up for a long-term win. 3. Amazon Amazon's performance has been sluggish in recent times, with a 3% decline for the year, amid concerns that tariffs could hurt its e-commerce business and cloud computing unit, Amazon Web Services (AWS). But as mentioned above, the worst-case tariff scenario has been avoided, and the U.S. is making progress on trade agreements. So, I wouldn't expect to see a major impact from the tariffs on Amazon's growth. A key point is that Amazon has revamped its cost structure in recent years after facing pressure from rising inflation. This helped the company return to growth in just one year, and the efforts have positioned it well to maximize profit during future challenging times. So, these cost structure moves should help Amazon manage any potential tariff situation moving forward. And events such as Prime Day, which take place in the second half of the year, could help boost revenue. AWS has also been seeing tremendous growth from its AI efforts, which have helped it reach a $117 billion annual revenue run rate. We're still early in the AI story, so I would expect to see ongoing growth in this area, particularly since AWS is the world's No. 1 cloud service provider. Today, Amazon shares trade for 34 times forward earnings estimates, a reasonable level that could prompt investors to buy -- and help the stock take off in the second half. Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now? Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Nvidia 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 $664,089!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $881,731!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is994% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to172%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 June 9, 2025
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Canadian ambassador says there's a 'good path forward' to a trade deal with the U.S.
Social Sharing Canada's ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman said she "firmly" believes that both countries could reach a trade deal within the 30-day deadline discussed at the G7 summit in Alberta last week. "We can't do anything to force the U.S. side to come to a deal, but we do think we have a good path forward if we're able to take it," she said during an interview on Rosemary Barton Live that aired on Sunday. Hillman said it's "too soon to tell" whether all U.S. tariffs imposed on Canada will be removed, and she stopped short of saying whether the federal government is willing to accept the continuation of some tariffs. "These are things that will work themselves out in the next number of weeks," she said. Canada is fighting for "open trade and stability" for Canadian workers and businesses, Hillman said during the interview. WATCH | Canadian ambassador to U.S. discusses ongoing trade talks: Canadian ambassador to U.S. 'firmly' believes in path to trade deal 4 hours ago Duration 9:16 Chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton speaks with Canadian Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman about the ongoing negotiations between Ottawa and Washington. Hillman gets expanded role in Washington Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed Hillman as Canada's chief negotiator with the U.S. amid heightened trade tensions, CBC News has learned. This role comes in addition to her duties as Canada's ambassador to the U.S. Hillman previously worked on the team negotiating the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement during U.S. President Donald Trump's first term and as Canada's chief negotiator for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Her expanded duties now position her in bilateral talks as U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer's counterpart. Trade and defence talks continuing Since Carney and Trump set the 30-day deadline while meeting at the G7 in Kananaskis, Alta., on June 16, Hillman has had three meetings with her U.S. counterparts — one immediately following the leaders' bilateral, the second on the following day with Greer and another on Friday that included Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who is also the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade. More talks are planned throughout this week. The conversations with the U.S. are focused on different topics, including fentanyl, border security and Arctic defence, although the leaders are focused on tariffs. Hillman said it's still unclear whether defence and trade will be part of one deal coming within the next 30 days. Trump has said "many times" that he likes tariffs, Hillman said. "It's up to Canada to demonstrate we can achieve the same goals with the United States through other means that don't necessarily involve these punishing tariffs, especially on strategic goods." WATCH | PM may raise counter-tariffs on U.S. steel, aluminum if deal delayed: Canada to limit steel imports, may hike U.S. counter-tariffs next month 3 days ago Duration 2:20 Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced limits to foreign steel imports in a bid to prop up Canada's steel industry, which has been hit hard by the U.S. trade war. Canada may hike counter-tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum if a deal isn't reached by July 21. Steel tariffs still at 50% Just days after Canada and the U.S. set a 30-day deadline, Carney signalled he's willing to go higher with Canada's retaliatory tariffs if no agreement is reached. Canada's counter-tariffs on steel will go up or down, depending on trade progress by July 21, in response to U.S. metal tariffs that are now at 50 per cent. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly told CBC Power & Politics host David Cochrane that Canada is taking "measures like [it's] never done" in the free-trade era to protect the steel and aluminum sectors.
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Tempo GM Monica Wright Rogers plotting out Toronto roster a year before WNBA debut
Monica Wright Rogers is just about ready to shift the Toronto Tempo into a new gear. Wright Rogers has been focused on the business side of the new WNBA franchise in her first four months as the Tempo's inaugural general manager. But in the coming months, she'll turn her attention to assembling the on-court product before Toronto's debut in the 2026 season. "It's been a very busy time, and I know that it's important right now to really get into the community, to learn the landscape of the sports industry here in Toronto and in Canada, and to continue to push the Tempo name out there," said Wright Rogers after speaking at a sports industry conference in downtown Toronto. "There is going to be a point where I shift focuses here and really start focusing on the task at hand, which is building out the Toronto Tempo's roster and staff." Toronto's roster will take shape over the next 12 months. Meet Monica Wright Rogers, the GM of the WNBA's newest team, the Toronto Tempo 4 months ago Duration 12:57 An as-yet unscheduled expansion draft after the 2025 regular season will be the first opportunity for the Tempo and Portland's new franchise to select some players. Then the regular draft and free agency in early 2026 will help Wright Rogers complete Toronto's lineup. "Before all that we are going to hire our head coach, so those are the big to do's on my list," said Wright Rogers, who played in the WNBA for seven seasons and was previously the assistant GM of the Phoenix Mercury. "I think it's all about the strategy and that's why it is important for me to understand the landscape here. "That plays a role in the strategy of what players would be the right fit for this organization and what staff will be appropriate to not only lead us on the court, but lead us off the court as well." Why WNBA draft could provide clearest route for Tempo to acquire franchise player in 2026 Wright Rogers was one of the panellists at the espnW Summit Canada, a conference on the growth of women's sport in downtown Toronto, on Wednesday. Prepping for veteran-centric league During her talk, she noted that the WNBA is a veteran-centric league, with rookies usually taking two or three years to fully develop and keep pace with their more experienced peers. As a result, she expects free agency to be the most important step in building the Tempo's roster. Wright Rogers doesn't anticipate that being an issue for the Tempo. "I'm looking for the best players, but I think Canada has some of the best players in the league," said Wright Rogers, noting that the WNBA's current group of international players is also very strong. "I think specifically WNBA players are not foreign to playing internationally because a lot of us have, when I was a player included, have played in the WNBA, and then we play internationally in the off-season. "It won't be a big pain point for players to come across the border in that way or come across the water in that way. They're used to it." Wright Rogers was named the GM of the Tempo on Feb. 20. She said she wasn't expecting such excitement around the announcement, but found it an encouraging sign for her future roster. "I love that because, to me, that warm embrace and appetite and just the hospitality that I feel, I know our staff and players are going to feel when they get here as well," she said, standing in a courtyard at the Evergreen Brick Works. "That makes me really happy, because it's like people enter this team and they come on board and they just get a big Canadian hug."
