International Business Machines (IBM 1.10%), which is usually referred to by its ticker IBM, is a global icon in the technology sector. The company has a surprising ability to change with the times, and it’s been doing so for more than 100 years now. Indeed, when IBM was founded back in 1911, it made things like scales and clocks. Today, it makes all sorts of equipment, including quantum computers, and it supports the cloud computing industry, which is the backbone of artificial intelligence (AI).

Wall Street loves IBM again

Even after a fairly sizable drawdown since July, shares of IBM still trade up around 20% or so over the past year. Over the trailing three years, the stock has nearly doubled in price. That’s a pretty sizable return and highlights the fact that Wall Street is obsessed with IBM shares again. As noted, the company has shifted into key areas like quantum, cloud computing, and AI.

But what’s special about IBM is that it hasn’t always been focused on these areas. Just a few years ago, investors pretty much hated the stock because it was out of step with the technology sector. The concern about IBM was so bad that between 2012 and 2020, the stock actually lost roughly half of its value. Contrarian investors with a long-term view, however, realized that IBM had updated its business many times before.

IBM is worth loving most of the time

The business revamp was difficult and took many years. It involved a large corporate spin-off, asset sales, and acquisitions, the largest of which was Red Hat. But IBM did what needed to be done to remain relevant. So while IBM is popular again because of its current business focus, the real reason to be obsessed with IBM for long-term investors is its proven ability to change with the world around it.

Reuben Gregg Brewer has positions in International Business Machines. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends International Business Machines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

TL;DR

• XRP broke the $3.03 resistance with its weekend close, setting the stage for a potential rally toward $3.65 soon.
• Weekly RSI nears bullish crossover, signaling possible continuation of upward price momentum.
• $2.80 remains critical support as whales sell over $500M XRP with minimal price impact.

XRP Moves Above Weekly Highs

Ripple (XRP) closed the recent weekly candle above $3.03, surpassing its previous all-time high on the weekly chart. This move took place alongside a break of a descending trendline that had been in place since July. Market participants are watching this closely as it marks a shift from the pattern of lower highs seen in previous weeks.

Analysts are viewing the breakout as a technical development that could lead to further movement. The $3.03 level, previously acting as resistance, may now offer support. If the asset holds, the next target is around $3.65, a level previously identified during earlier moves.

$XRP closed above our previous weekly ATH and arguably broke our current downtrend.

Watching for weekly RSI bullish cross. pic.twitter.com/0d1JXvST3g

— Cryptoinsightuk (@Cryptoinsightuk) September 15, 2025

On the weekly chart, XRP’s Relative Strength Index stands at 58, with the RSI moving average slightly higher. The two lines are close to crossing, which would indicate rising strength in price movement if completed.

Cryptoinsightuk commented that they are “watching for weekly RSI bullish cross.” This technical signal is being monitored as it tends to appear ahead of trend continuation when supported by price and volume. A confirmed crossover could support XRP’s recent breakout from the downtrend.

Short-Term Chart Pressured by BTC Pair

On the daily timeframe, the asset closed with minor losses. The XRP/BTC pair was the primary influence, as it traded lower. This movement is not unusual, as XRP/BTC is testing a symmetrical triangle pattern and reacting to a recent double-top.

According to Cryptowzrd, XRP will likely show more decisive price action if it clears $3.1320. They noted,

“As soon as the market moves above the $3.1320 resistance target, it will offer an impulsive bullish move.”

The zone remains a focus for short-term traders looking for a new entry. Until then, short-term price action may stay limited.

Support at $2.80 Holds Over 2 Billion XRP

Glassnode’s cost basis distribution heatmap shows that over 2 billion XRP are held between $2.80 and $2.82. This range has become one of the largest supply concentration areas in recent weeks. Activity in this zone indicates that a large number of holders entered the market around these prices.

$2.80 is the most important support level for $XRP! pic.twitter.com/TH5osWEl3I

— Ali (@ali_charts) September 15, 2025

Ali Martinez, a market analyst, called this range “the most important support level for $XRP.” The asset has remained above this area, reinforcing it as a level where holders are defending positions. If it moves lower, this area is expected to serve as strong support.

As reported by CryptoPotato, recent data shows large XRP holders, often referred to as whales, have reduced their positions. Last week, 40 million XRP were sold within 24 hours, equal to more than $120 million. Over the past two weeks, this figure rose to 160 million XRP, totaling nearly $500 million in value.

Despite this, XRP’s price held above $3 and moved higher to reach $3.19 on Saturday. This was the highest price level in a month. The market’s ability to absorb this volume without a sharp decline shows continued demand at current levels.

If you’re looking for a broad stock market investment that will also deliver dividend income to you, you might want to consider the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI -0.09%). It’s an exchange-traded fund (ETF), which means it’s a fund that trades like a stock. It’s also an index fund, encompassing not just the 500 big American companies in the S&P 500 index but just about all of the U.S. stock market — more than 3,600 stocks.

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF pays dividends, too, and recently sported a dividend yield of 1.2% — but whereas most healthy and growing companies pay a fixed dividend amount until they increase it, this ETF’s payout fluctuates a fair amount, as the companies in it change what they pay.

But let’s assume a 1.2% yield. If you invest, say, $1,000, you’ll receive around $12. So to collect $500 in dividend income, you’d need about 42 times that — meaning a stake worth roughly $42,000. That would mean some 130 shares.

To be clear, you can collect much more in dividend income from various high-yield stocks and even some good dividend-focused ETFs. But the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF can still serve a useful role in your long-term portfolio, having you invested in pretty much the entire U.S. market — and, therefore, most of the U.S. economy — including stocks from Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) to ZIM Integrated Shipping Services (NYSE: ZIM). So if you’re bullish on the future of e-commerce and international trade, not to mention scores of other businesses, this ETF has you covered. (Note that there are reports that ZIM may be taken private. And Amazon investors are expecting its investments in artificial intelligence to make it even more efficient.)

It has more to recommend it, too, such as a low expense ratio (annual fee) of just 0.03%, costing you $3 per $10,000 invested per year.

Selena Maranjian has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Zim Integrated Shipping Services. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Crypto markets ended last week on a high note with total capitalization topping $4 trillion again, but momentum waned over the weekend.

Stock markets in the US reached record highs last week as markets fully priced in a 0.25% rate cut this week. However, the job market continued to signal weakness with a sharp jump in weekly unemployment claims.

On Wednesday, the Fed will cut rates for the first time in 2025 and ‘blame’ a weak labor market, said the Kobeissi Letter.

Economic Events September 15 to 19

The August retail sales report is due on Tuesday, which is a gauge of consumption and broader economic sentiment.

The main event of the week is the FOMC meeting on Wednesday, which is likely to see the central bank cut rates for the first time since December 2024. CME futures markets project a 96.4% probability of a 25 basis point cut and a 3.6% chance of a larger 50 basis point cut.

The Fed has been clear recently that it is more focused on the weakening labor market than on any persistent inflation risks.

“Amid US macro uncertainty and gold’s record rally, crypto assets are demonstrating resilience and long-term hedging properties against inflation,” said Nick Ruck, director at LVRG Research.

“With aggressive fiscal policies and expected Fed easing likely to extend the crypto cycle into 2026, both assets stand to benefit from sustained macroeconomic pressures. Mounting stagflation concerns may further support this dynamic, reinforcing the case for alternative stores of value as the Fed weighs this week’s interest rate decision.”

Key Events This Week:

1. August Retail Sales data – Tuesday

2. Fed Interest Rate Decision – Wednesday

3. FOMC Press Conference – Wednesday

4. Fed Dot-Plot Projections – Wednesday

5. Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index – Thursday

6. Initial Jobless Claims data – Thursday…

— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) September 14, 2025

“We have concerns that the September 17 Fed meeting, which delivers a 25bp cut, could turn into a ‘Sell the News’ event as investors pull back to consider macro data,” wrote JPMorgan Global Head of Market Intelligence Andrew Tyler in a note.

Thursday will see the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index and initial jobless claims data, but neither is likely to impact markets.

Crypto Market Outlook

With the Fed rate cut largely priced in, markets are already starting to react with the typical Monday decline as total capitalization shrinks by 1% to $4.13 trillion.

Bitcoin topped $116,000 twice over the past 24 hours but faced resistance there before sliding back to $115,000. The asset recovered in early trading on Monday morning in Asia to return to $116,000.

Ethereum topped $4,700 before pulling back slightly over the weekend to trade at $4,630 at the time of writing as it remains rangebound.

The altcoins were mostly red with larger losses for XRP, Solana, Cardano, and Chainlink.

Tesla (TSLA 7.21%) is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of electric vehicles (EVs), but rising competition is slowly chipping away at its market share. EV sales are still the main driver of Tesla’s financial results, but CEO Elon Musk is trying to future-proof the company by steering its resources into new products like autonomous vehicles and robotics.

Ark Investment Management, which was founded by seasoned tech investor Cathie Wood, predicts autonomous vehicles will transform Tesla’s economics. In fact, Ark thinks a whopping 86% of the company’s earnings will come from self-driving robotaxis by 2029, paving the way for a stock price of $2,600. That would be a 615% increase from where Tesla stock trades today.

How realistic is Ark’s forecast? Let’s dive in.

Tesla’s EV business is sputtering

To meet Ark’s bullish 2029 forecast, Tesla will have to transition from selling passenger EVs to selling self-driving robotaxis, and it will also have to build new services like an autonomous ride-hailing network.

Unfortunately, Tesla is currently operating from a position of weakness, which is forcing this shift earlier than the company perhaps would have liked. After all, government regulators haven’t approved Tesla’s full self-driving (FSD) software for unsupervised use anywhere in the U.S. yet, which is a huge barrier to the success of its upcoming Cybercab robotaxi.

Tesla delivered 1.79 million passenger EVs during 2024, which was down 1% from the prior year, marking the first annual decline since the company launched its flagship Model S in 2011. The situation is much worse in 2025, with deliveries shrinking by a whopping 13% in the first half of the year. This led to a 14% decline in Tesla’s revenue and a 31% collapse in its earnings per share (EPS) during the same period, which is alarming to say the least.

A rapid increase in competition is a key reason for Tesla’s woes. Low-cost EV producers like China-based BYD are making serious inroads into some of Tesla’s biggest markets. Tesla’s sales sank by 40% across Europe in July, despite EV registrations climbing by 33% overall. BYD, on the other hand, saw a whopping 225% increase in sales in the region.

Simply put, Tesla is quickly losing market share in the passenger EV space. The company is launching a low-cost EV of its own in order to compete, but production just started so it probably won’t be a factor until next year at the earliest.

86% of Tesla’s earnings could soon come from autonomous robotaxis

Elon Musk is making a big bet on autonomous ride-hailing. The Cybercab, which will enter mass production in 2026, will run entirely on Tesla’s FSD software, so it’s designed to operate without any human intervention. In theory, that means it can haul passengers and even small commercial loads at all hours of the day, creating a lucrative new revenue stream for the company.

Scaling this business will come with challenges. I mentioned FSD isn’t approved for unsupervised use in the U.S. just yet, but Tesla will also have to compete with established ride-hailing giants like Uber Technologies, which has already partnered with 20 other companies in the autonomous driving space. Around 180 million people already use Uber every single month, so it’s in a much better position to dominate the autonomous ride-hailing industry compared to Tesla, which has to build an entire network from scratch.

However, Ark thinks Tesla will eventually make it work. Its forecasts suggest the company will generate $1.2 trillion in annual revenue by 2029, with 63% ($756 billion) coming from its robotaxi platform alone. Ark says that could translate to $440 million in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), with 86% attributable to the robotaxi because of its high profit margins — human drivers are the largest cost in existing ride-hailing networks, but the robotaxi won’t need them.

Don’t rush to buy Tesla stock just yet

In my opinion, Ark’s predictions are too ambitious. Wall Street thinks Tesla will generate around $93 billion in revenue during 2025 (according to Yahoo! Finance), so that figure will have to grow by almost 1,200% over the next four years to meet Ark’s forecast of $1.2 trillion — driven by a brand-new robotaxi product that hasn’t even hit the road yet.

Tesla’s valuation is another issue. Its stock is trading at an eye-popping price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 209, making it almost seven times as expensive than the Nasdaq-100 technology index — which trades at a P/E ratio of 31.6. Remember, Tesla’s earnings are currently shrinking, which makes its premium valuation even harder to justify.

Therefore, I’m hesitant to buy into the idea that Tesla stock could surge by another 615% over the next four years to reach Ark’s price target of $2,600. It might be possible if the company’s robotaxi platform becomes as successful as Ark predicts, but I think that’s unlikely in such a short period of time. After all, Elon Musk has promised unsupervised self-driving cars for the last 10 years, and Tesla still hasn’t delivered.

In its latest report, BitMEX Research examined how BRC-20 Tokens and Ordinal images are affecting Bitcoin node verification.

The study looked at Ordinal-related data on Bitcoin, including the transaction count and data size, to determine their impact on node operators.

BRC-20 Tokens Strain Bitcoin Nodes More Than Images

The September 8 report revealed that BRC-20 tokens create more problems for some Bitcoin node runners than Ordinal images. Notably, the former make up 92.5 million transactions while the latter account for only 2.7 million, yet both use about 30GB of storage. However, BRC-20 transactions put greater strain on nodes, while larger image-based Ordinals have little to no effect on performance.

BitMEX explained that large Ordinal images are easier for nodes to handle than regular transactions since they are stored in a non-executed part of the Taproot witness, and do not require signature checks. This makes them less demanding to verify and sometimes even helpful for scaling because they take up blockspace without adding to the UTXO set.

On the other hand, BRC-20 transactions function more like regular Bitcoin activity. Despite being smaller in size, they have expanded the UTXO set, growing from 84 million to 169 million between December 2022 and September 2025. This increase is creating challenges for node runners, especially those operating pruned ones. Data shows that such transactions have paid higher fees for blockspace, contributing more than 5,000 BTC since the protocol was introduced.

Tests Show Larger Ordinals May Speed Verification

BitMEX ran several tests for nearly three years to measure how quickly nodes could download and verify blocks with different levels of Ordinal-related data. The results suggest that large amounts of “arbitrary data” can actually speed up blockchain verification, with around 11% of the differences in speeds being due to larger inscriptions.

However, the researchers warned that the results do not mean Ordinal images are good for Bitcoin. This is because data-heavy inscriptions use a lot of blockspace, which could push out financial transactions that are central to the network’s purpose.

Elsewhere, a separate study by Glassnode found that Ordinals and BRC-20 tokens are not displacing regular Bitcoin transactions. The firm’s lead analyst explained that they are instead bringing more value, fees, and data into each block.

Additionally, BitMex emphasized that the findings are not conclusive because factors like internet speed and hardware differences can influence performance. They also encouraged further testing, noting that any small efficiency gains for nodes must be weighed against the broader costs to the Bitcoin network.

Philippe Laffont was known for successfully investing in technology stocks before he founded Coatue Management, a technology-focused hedge fund, in 1999. Since then, he has grown the fund’s size to more $35 billion in assets under management.

Laffont has his finger on the pulse of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. His contrarian investment in Super Micro Computer, a company that manufactures high-end servers for data centers, turned some heads earlier this year.

Image source: Getty Images.

Coatue bought into Supermicro at a controversial moment, but it seems Laffont had a change of heart. At the end of June, there were zero shares of the custom server builder in its portfolio.

While Coatue was disposing of Supermicro with its left hand, it was buying up shares of Intuitive Surgical (ISRG -1.34%) with its right. The hedge fund snapped up 39,512 shares of the robot-assisted surgery pioneer in the second quarter.

Intuitive Surgical stock has tumbled this year, but Laffont has reasons to expect a rebound. Here’s a look at what they are to see whether this stock could be a good fit for your portfolio.

An unbeatable advantage

When the market closed on Sept. 12, 2025, shares of Intuitive Surgical were up 19,390% since its initial public offering (IPO) 25 years ago. A few years before its IPO, the Food and Drug Administration made the company’s da Vinci robotic surgical system the first one with clearance to assist with minimally invasive abdominal surgeries.

Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, and Stryker market surgical robots, but they entered the market after Intuitive Surgical. The pioneer is still the largest member of its industry. At the end of 2024, there were 11,040 Intuitive Surgical systems installed in hospitals worldwide.

Intuitive’s massive installed base of machines isn’t sitting idle either. Surgical teams trained to use da Vinci systems performed 2.7 million procedures last year. Plus, Ion, its more recently launched lung tumor biopsy machine, performed 95,000 procedures last year.

To date, competing systems generally address procedures that don’t already employ da Vinci systems, such as knee replacements and spinal surgeries. Hospital systems can spend more than $1 million installing a da Vinci system and then an even larger sum supporting and training the professionals who will use it. That’s a huge advantage over newer surgical systems that competitors probably won’t be able to overcome.

Placing systems and training surgeons to use them generates revenue for Intuitive, but these aren’t the main sources. Around 84% of total revenue last year came from recurring sources such as instruments and accessories that must be replaced before each procedure.

Why Intuitive Surgical stock is down

Intuitive Surgical has been a terrific stock for its long-term shareholders, but it’s been a stinker this year. It’s down about 26% from a peak it set in February.

Fear that tariffs will pressure profit margins has been a weight on Intuitive Surgical’s stock price. When reporting second-quarter results in July, management reduced its adjusted gross profit margin expectation to a range between 66% and 67%. That would be a minor decline from the 69.1% gross margin reported last year, but this temporary setback is hardly a reason to avoid the stock.

Earlier this year, Medtronic submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration to perform urology procedures with its Hugo RAS system. Roughly one-fifth of all procedures performed with da Vinci machines last year were in the urology category.

Investors concerned that the Hugo system will pull market share from da Vinci should know that its launch overseas hasn’t been very successful. It’s been authorized for sale in the European Union since 2021, but Medtronic still doesn’t tell investors how much revenue Hugo’s generating in its quarterly reports.

Time to buy?

In the U.S., hospitals considering a new surgical system for urologic surgeries could have a new option from Medtronic by the end of the year. Luckily for Intuitive Surgical, the da Vinci 5 system, which launched in March 2024, already makes Medtronic’s Hugo system seem outdated.

Despite tariff pressure, investors can expect significant growth from Intuitive Surgical. Management is forecasting overall procedure growth of 15.5% to 17.0% this year. High switching costs for hospitals could lead to procedure growth that continues rising for another decade or two.

With a stock price that’s been trading at 55.3 times forward earnings expectations, investors are already expecting profit growth at a double-digit percentage for years to come. Intuitive Surgical stock could fall hard if Medtronic or another competitor begins pressuring sales growth in the years ahead.

Given Hugo’s performance in the E.U., threats from well-heeled competitors appear toothless. Adding some shares to a diverse portfolio now could be the right move for investors with a high risk tolerance.

The Ethereum network has been on a positive roll for some time, with its momentum extending beyond on-chain activities to increased adoption.

Analysts at the crypto research firm CryptoQuant noted in their weekly report that Ethereum has come a long way since spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) were approved. Like bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH) is now increasingly being viewed as a long-term strategic asset. This has led to higher demand from market participants.

Rising Institutional Adoption

According to CryptoQuant, demand from institutional investors and large holders drove ether’s recent rally from $1,400 in April 2025 to nearly $5,000 in late August. Ethereum holdings by U.S. spot ETFs have risen to an all-time high (ATH) of 6.7 million ETH. The assets have almost doubled since the price of ETH began to surge.

Likewise, addresses holding between 10,000 and 100,000 ETH have scooped up roughly six million tokens within the same time period. The consistent accumulation has taken their holdings to new highs of 20.6 million ETH.

“This level of institutional endorsement provides a robust long-term tailwind for Ethereum’s price and perceived legitimacy,” analysts explained.

Besides rising demand, selling pressure on ETH has eased up. The amount of ETH flowing into centralized exchanges has declined, particularly since the asset reached its peak near $5,000. Daily inflows have fallen from 1.8 million in mid-August to 750,000 ETH currently. This indicates that investors prefer to hold for further upside rather than cash in current gains – a trend that supports price stability.

Additionally, the amount of ETH staked has surged since May, hitting a record 36.2 million. This rise in validator deposits indicates growing long-term confidence in the network, reduces liquid supply, and adds bullish pressure.

Ethereum Network is Booming

With the Ethereum network booming, total transaction counts and active addresses have reached record highs of 1.7 million and 800,000, respectively, in August. Smart contract calls have also reached new levels, surpassing previous cycles with 12 million daily interactions.

CryptoQuant analysts say such activity growth highlights Ethereum’s growing role as a programmable settlement layer supported by decentralized finance (DeFi) and asset tokenization.

Meanwhile, ETH currently faces resistance at $5,200, a realized price upper band that has remained a critical level in past cycles. A decisive breakout above this level would mark the onset of a strong bullish phase, while sustained consolidation below it could signal a cooling period.

With XRP (XRP -2.28%) priced near $3, the debate about whether to buy the coin is a question of whether its maturing payments and asset tokenization stack could drive it to outperform during the next few years.

Right now, several long-running uncertainties are giving way to concrete catalysts. This asset probably won’t be worth less than $5 for too much longer. But is it actually worth investing in today?

Image source: Getty Images.

The upside case keeps building

There are three reasons in particular that XRP is a smart option for investors to buy today, so long as they’re willing to hold it through at least 2028.

First, regulatory clarity in the U.S. is better than it has been in years, and Ripple, the company that issues XRP, is finally in the clear. In August 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) case against Ripple concluded with the payment of a $125 million penalty, and an injunction around institutional sales. That removes a major risk for XRP and lets financial institutions assess the risk of using its ledger, the XRPL, with far fewer unknowns, which is ultimately likely to drive more adoption.

In parallel to the SEC case finally resolving, in 2024 Ripple acquired Standard Custody & Trust Company, a New York‑regulated crypto custodian, and in mid-2025 it applied for a U.S. national bank charter to expand its offerings of regulated services. Those steps show intent to serve compliance‑sensitive customers directly, and to capture their business and hold their assets on the XRPL.

Second, an important value-generating flywheel is forming around payments and stablecoins. XRPL’s design keeps fees tiny and paid in XRP, which are burned on use. So, more activity on the chain incrementally tightens the coin’s float available for public trading, even if fees are low per transaction.

Today’s payments clients include those like SBI Remit’s production remittances in Asia, which run on Ripple’s infrastructure with XRP as the bridge asset, and others like Tranglo, which enable on‑demand liquidity across many other routes. Growing corridors mean more throughput and more reasons for institutions to hold settlement inventory on XRPL.

Furthermore, Ripple’s dollar stablecoin, RLUSD (RLUSD -0.02%), recently launched on XRPL and Ethereum, and it’s aimed at processing institutional transaction settlement and payments. As RLUSD grows and becomes a default settlement asset on XRPL, it will thus increase on‑chain volumes and liquidity.

Finally, asset tokenization is going to give XRP a plethora of durable jobs to do. The value of real‑world assets (RWAs) on chain is $308.7 million and rising, and XRPL already lists tokenized credit instruments and issuers with live projects. If the sector keeps growing, networks with strong regulatory compliance features, like XRPL, will have an edge in recruiting fresh capital inflows.

What could go wrong

XRP probably won’t be priced below $5 forever, but that doesn’t mean its path toward that price level will be smooth.

Competition is one factor likely to make the road much longer than it might be otherwise. Ethereum’s asset tokenization stack is dramatically ahead of XRP’s, with $8.3 billion in total value, and high‑throughput chains are also pushing hard on payments. The same goes for stablecoin value parked on chain, where Ethereum’s sum of $159.4 billion is nearly as large as XRP’s entire market cap, and far beyond the $90.1 million in stables on its chain.

Nonetheless, assuming that today’s product roadmap for XRP continues to develop, and its transaction volumes keep rising, the upside case is for more tokenized value and more settlements on XRPL to increase the reasons to hold working capital in the ecosystem, which in turn will increase the relevance of holding substantial quantities of XRP.

For long‑term investors, it is sensible to let the investment thesis for the coin play out over several years once you establish a position, and to revisit your holdings when new regulatory or product milestones clear. If the flywheels above keep spinning, buying under $5 can make sense as part of a diversified portfolio.