SUCCESS

Why one of the world’s most influential businessmen might think the Premier League is the right place to invest right now.

Nvidia has signed memorandums of understanding with six major Wall Street firms to establish “AI compute” as a bankable infrastructure asset.

The bitcoin miner’s 20-year agreement highlights an industry-wide shift toward AI infrastructure revenue.

The president was quietly whisked away and flown on board the smaller Boeing C-32A instead of the larger jet that usually serves as Air Force One.

Actress Aubrey Plaza will hopefully have one less thing to worry about before the arrival of her first child—having finally secured a buyer for her Los Angeles home.

Mark Cuban has spent years warning that the distance between a polished pitch and genuine safety is wider than most investors assume.The billionaire entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks minority owner has outlined five types of popular investments across podcasts, interviews, and his Blog Maverick site that have far more risk than their packaging suggests. His targets: complex financial products, cryptocurrency, broker-picked stocks, shortcut deals, and easy-to-replicate consumer businesses.The complexity test that filters out Cuban’s first red flagCuban’s filter begins with the products themselves, and his threshold for understanding an investment before committing a single dollar is unforgiving.In a 2010 post on Blog Maverick, written during the recovery from the Great Recession, Cuban laid out his position on this kind of risk. “If you don’t fully understand the risks of an investment you are contemplating, it’s ok to do nothing,” Cuban wrote at the time.Regulators share that concern, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority flagged complex products as a recurring compliance problem in its 2026 Annual Regulatory Oversight Report. Firms that recommended products exceeding their internal concentration limits left retail customers exposed to outsized risk, the report indicated.Cuban’s evolving position on cryptocurrency Cuban once framed digital currency as a speculative edge play for investors who crave volatility, suggesting that those willing to treat the position as a “Hail Mary” should invest a maximum of 10%. In a 2017 Vanity Fair interview, he compared digital currencies to collectibles, warning that they hold value only when another buyer shows up. More Mark Cuban:Mark Cuban sees a problem with the AI spending spreeMark Cuban’s group buys stake in relocating MLB franchiseMark Cuban predicts radical change for American workersHe told potential investors to treat any money placed in crypto as capital they have already lost and will never recover.His position has since hardened considerably, and on Front Office Sports’ “Portfolio Players” podcast on May 21, 2026, Cuban confirmed he had sold most of his Bitcoin. He argued that gold prices surged during recent periods of geopolitical stress while Bitcoin failed to keep pace as a hedge, CoinDesk reported. Bitcoin’s correlation with the dollar index had flipped positive for the first time since before 2014, a March 2026 analysis from JPMorgan Chase found.Broker tips and secondhand pitches Cuban avoidsTwo of Cuban’s remaining red flags target the persuasion that arrives through other people, whether from brokerage calls or compelling dinner-party pitches.In a 2007 Blog Maverick post, Cuban questioned why anyone would invest on a broker’s tip, calling the stock market a poor vehicle for followers. He argued that a broker with genuine market insight would have already left the industry, a pointed challenge to unsolicited stock tips.Charlie Clark, Director of the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, warned in a joint advisory with the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) that fraudsters are exploiting new technology to disguise the same old high-pressure sales tactics.The rapid growth of technology and the rise of artificial intelligence gives scam artists new tools to steal your money. Fraudsters are pitching new investments that often have nothing to do with the latest tech developments and instead play on fear of missing outHis view on shortcuts is equally direct, and Cuban has insisted on Blog Maverick that no legitimate shortcut to building wealth exists. “If a deal is a great deal, they aren’t going to share it with you,” he wrote on the blog.Easy-to-replicate businesses Cuban calls ‘the death’ for investorsCuban’s fifth red flag targets the allure of consumer-facing businesses in industries where almost anyone can open a competing shop with limited capital.On Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, he warned that familiarity with a brand is a poor substitute for a structural competitive advantage. “Don’t invest in the restaurant, don’t invest in the clothing label, don’t invest in the liquor company… or music,” Cuban told Sharpe. “That is the death!” Restaurants, clothing labels, liquor brands, and music ventures all face the levels of replication risk he calls fatal for investor returns. Without proprietary technology, distribution lock-in, or network effects, even a well-known brand can watch its margins collapse once competitors flood the market.

Mark Cuban has repeatedly warned investors away from consumer-facing businesses with low barriers to entry.Bloomberg / Getty Images

Cuban’s preferred alternative runs through low-cost index fundsFor investors who pass his five-point filter and still want to invest, Cuban has consistently preferred simplicity over complexity.He referenced S&P 500 index funds as a starting point, an approach that echoes the late Vanguard founder John Bogle’s long-standing argument about costs. Cuban told Money magazine that saving aggressively and investing the remainder in a low-cost mutual fund will produce stronger results than most alternatives.He also highlighted what he calls transactional returns on Blog Maverick, arguing that tax-free savings from smart bulk purchases outperform most stock market gains.The three questions that connect Cuban’s five red flagsThe five investments Cuban avoids look nothing alike from the outside. He treats them the same way underneath, running each pitch through three questions before any money moves: whether the product can be explained in one sentence, whether a total loss would be survivable, and whether the pitch offers false certainty.Cuban has consistently pointed investors toward that three-part filter across podcasts, interviews, and Blog Maverick posts.His warnings echo a discipline the late Vanguard founder John Bogle also championed. Bogle told students at Duke University that simplicity and low costs outperform complexity.Cuban reached the same conclusion from the other side of the industry, and turned it into a screening test any investor can apply.Related: Warren Buffett agrees with Mark Cuban on defying the market

Musician and prolific property investor Flea has brought his “extraordinary” Malibu sanctuary back to the market for $7.99 million inside one of California’s most exclusive beachfront enclaves.

Lawmakers might opt to pass a law on slowing down the pace of AI. If this happens, expect a dangerous preemptive acceleration. An AI Insider analysis and scoop.

Duolingo’s latest quartergave investors fresh evidence that user growth is accelerating, but one Wall Street firm still sees a problem with what the market is paying for the language-learning company.Duolingo (DUOL) reported second-quarter revenueof $298.5 million, up 18% from a year earlier, while total bookings rose 8% to $289.1 million. Daily active users increased 23% to 58.7 million, and paid subscribers rose 17% to 12.7 million.The company also reaffirmed its full-year targets for 10% to 12% bookings growth and 15% to 18% revenue growth, while raising its adjusted EBITDA margin outlook to about 26.5%.Those results arrived one day after Bank of America took a more cautious view of the stock.In a note given to TheStreet, BofA analyst Omar Dessouky downgraded Duolingo to Underperform from Neutral and cut his price objective to $93 from $103. Based on the $135.80 share price listed in the note, that target implied roughly 31.5% downside.

Duolingo (DUOL) reported second-quarter revenue of $298.5 million, up 18% from a year earlier, while total bookings rose 8% to $289.1 million.Cheng Xin via Getty Images

BofA questions what is behind Duolingo’s user growthDessouky’s concern centered on whether Duolingo can sustain the growth needed to support its valuation.The analyst said the stock had rallied more than 20% since early June alongside an improvement in monthly active users. June MAUs rose about 6% from May, following 3% growth in May and a 2% decline in April, according to the note.BofA argued that the June acceleration did not appear to be driven by major product improvements. The firm instead pointed to a June promotion tied to Airbnb that offered users a free month of Super Duolingo without requiring a credit card.Duolingo’s earnings report added another wrinkle to that argument.More EarningsBlock, Inc. Q2 2026 Earnings: Recap of $XYZ Earnings Call, ForecastWalt Disney Co. Q3 2026 Earnings: Recap of $DIS Earnings Call, ForecastPalantir Technologies Inc. Q2 2026 Earnings Call: Recap of $PLTR Earnings & OutlookManagement said Q2 user growth accelerated because of product changes, marketing, and a one-time Streak Revival event. The June campaign allowed eligible users to restore their longest-ever streak by completing three lessons, and 15.4 million learners participated. Nearly 8 million of them did not have an active streak when the event began.That disclosure gives some support to BofA’s broader concern that part of June’s acceleration came from a temporary event, although Duolingo pointed to a different one-time factor than the analyst did.The company also said its current-user retention rate reached an all-time high of 84%, up about one percentage point from a year earlier. Management expects DAU growth to remain above 20% for the rest of 2026, arguing that product improvements and marketing should provide more durable support.Duolingo’s valuation remains the bigger issue for BofAThe firm said Duolingo was trading at roughly 16 times its 2027 EBITDA estimate, compared with about 10 times for a group of mid-cap subscription companies with similar expected EBITDA growth. Dessouky said that premium was difficult to justify without more confidence in Duolingo’s longer-term product-market fit.BofA cut its 2027 bookings growth forecast to 9% from 11% and lowered its 2027 EBITDA estimate to $338 million from $388 million.The analyst had expected second-quarter bookings to reach $294 million, above the $284 million Street estimate and company guidance cited in the note. Duolingo ultimately reported $289.1 million, still above that comparison point but below BofA’s forecast.Management guided to $307 million of bookings in the third quarter, representing about 8.9% year-over-year growth. That figure is nearly identical to BofA’s $307 million estimate.The disagreement becomes more pronounced further out.Duolingo has been expanding AI-powered learning features such as Video Call and has laid out a longer-term vision for a more conversational learning experience. BofA said it is not yet willing to assume those changes will produce the growth required to justify today’s premium valuation.For investors, the latest earnings report strengthened the near-term user-growth story. BofA’s downgrade argues that the harder question begins after that.Related: Duolingo CEO issues stark forecast for 2026

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Why we love this dealFall may be around the corner, but rest assured, patio season is far from over, especially since many people are still experiencing summer temperatures. Now is actually the perfect time to upgrade your patio while tons of outdoor furniture is marked down to new low prices.Amazon’s sale includes the Best Choice Products 3-Piece Conversation Bistro Set, which is on sale for only $120. You can save $20 on this popular patio set on the market, and better yet, it’s eligible for free, one-day shipping, depending on your location. That means you could be relaxing comfortably on your deck with a cold beverage in hand just in time for the weekend.Best Choice Products 3-Piece Conversation Bistro Set, $120 (was $140) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Shop at AmazonDetails to knowThis three-piece set includes two wicker armchairs with removable cushions and a matching wicker side table with a tempered glass top. The table also features an additional storage shelf for displaying decor or stowing away magazines, card games, or blankets. It’s the perfect setup for any outdoor space big or small since it doesn’t take up a ton of room. It’s made of all-weather wicker to withstand the elements and is held together by durable steel frames to increase longevity. Although the set is made for outdoor use, it’s still recommended to move it inside or use covers to keep the pieces in pristine condition throughout the off-season.Related: Walmart’s 3-seat patio swing glider with an adjustable canopy is now 44% offWhy do shoppers love it?The patio set is loved by more than 3,900 shoppers who have rated it five stars and said it was “stylish and comfortable.””You cannot beat the price,” one reviewer wrote. “The finished look is great. This is a very sturdy set and is comfortable even for big people. We use it every day. I expect it to last a long time.”Don’t miss your chance to score Best Choice Products 3-Piece Conversation Bistro Set on sale for only $120. That equals $40 apiece, which is a steal for any type of furniture.