Twist Bioscience (TWST) just had a massive run-up after Anthropic's protein design results put its DNA synthesis platform in the spotlight. Here's what's really driving the stock — and whether it's still a buy.

Twist has surged in recent months, fueled by growing demand for AI-enabled drug discovery and a high-profile 8-K disclosure tied to Anthropic's protein design campaign. In this deep dive, we break down Twist's silicon-based DNA synthesis platform, how it differs from traditional synthesis methods, and why manufacturing costs have fallen sharply over the past three years.

We cover the two core segments — DNA synthesis and protein solutions versus next-gen sequencing (NGS) — and which one is growing faster. We unpack customer trends across therapeutics, diagnostics, academic/government, and industrial markets, plus the rationale behind spinning off the Atlas Data Storage business. From there, we walk through Twist's fiscal 2026 guidance, free cash flow trajectory, and the dilution risk created by its $200 million and $300 million at-the-market equity offerings. Finally, we run two reverse DCF scenarios to stress-test what the market may be pricing in today, and explain why the valuation still looks rich despite the growth story.

Is TWST a buy after this run, or still just a watch-list name?

TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Why Twist Bioscience Is Back on Our Radar1:14 - How Twist's Silicon DNA Synthesis Platform Works2:36 - Cost, Waste, and Turnaround Time Improvements3:44 - Segment Breakdown: DNA Synthesis vs. NGS5:00 - Where Growth Is Coming From: Customer Industries6:35 - The Atlas Data Storage Spin-Off Explained7:14 - AI Drug Discovery: Twist's Role in the Pipeline7:50 - The Anthropic 8-K and August's Stock Spike9:20 - FY2026 Guidance, Cash Burn, and Dilution Risk11:15 - Two Reverse DCF Scenarios: What's Priced In?13:14 - Final Take: Buy, Pass, or Watch List?

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Disclosure: Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, we might earn a little coffee money — thanks for helping us (Kasey) fuel our caffeine addiction.

Content in this episode is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal. CSI doesn't own shares of Twist Bioscience.

We compare Credo (CRDO) against Broadcom (AVGO), Marvell (MRVL), and Astera Labs (ALAB) on revenue growth, gross margin, operating margin, and free cash flow margin — four fabless companies selling into the same AI networking build-out with very different economics underneath.

Then we run Credo through our full Investment Thesis Checklist: industry classification, secular growth validation, sales cycle risk, financial health, and a simplified DCF to back out what growth rate is priced into the stock at $171.

The side-by-side numbers come from the Compare Companies tool we just launched on the Semiconductor Insider dashboard. https://linktr.ee/chipstockinvestor

Semiconductor Insider includes all our research, weekly live Q&A, and the dashboard tools: https://www.chipstockinvestor.com

Why Chip Stock Investor is becoming a software business: https://chipstockinvestor.com/why-chip-stock-investor-is-becoming-a-software-business/

Chapters
0:00 Why the fastest-growing chip stock sold off

0:45 The Compare Companies tool2:00 Broadcom, Marvell, Astera Labs and Credo side by side
3:00 Why allocation matters more late in a bull market3:40 Revenue growth: Credo leads at 115%4:05 Gross margin: four different business models5:00 Operating margin and free cash flow6:10 Inside Credo: fabless design and active electrical cables7:30 Thesis checklist: secular growth and cycle risk9:00 Financial validation: growth, margins, balance sheet10:00 DCF: what growth rate is priced in at $17112:00 Verdict: watchlist, buy, or pass

Some links in these show notes are affiliate links. If you buy something through one, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

This podcast is for general information and entertainment only and is not individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategy discussed will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal. CSI owns shares of Credo Technology.

We break down the takeaways from Oracle's (ORCL) Q1 fiscal 2027 earnings call — what to expect through 2026 and into 2027–2028 as hyperscaler CapEx stays high but is set to slow in growth by 2027, and more in 2028.

Oracle posted $19.3B in revenue (sequentially flat) with seasonality fading, while balance sheet concerns persist: $125B in debt against $37B in cash. Management cut debt for a second straight quarter and completed a $20B at-the-market equity program. But CapEx surged to $28.5B — though operating cash flow rose to $23.1B, and management said new data center capacity is getting booked quickly and generating positive cash flow.

Nick closes by connecting ongoing AI infrastructure spending to broader semiconductor stock volatility — and why our positive market outlook through the end of 2026 stays unchanged.

TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Oracle Earnings Setup0:51 - Revenue Growth Snapshot1:35 - Balance Sheet and Debt2:49 - CapEx Surge Explained4:01 - Free Cash Flow Outlook5:06 - CapEx Ratios Peak5:50 - Cloud Growth Drivers8:40 - Portfolio View on Oracle9:32 - Market Theme and CapEx12:04 - Wrap Up and Next Steps

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If you want the reasoning behind more names like this one, Semiconductor Insider covers the process in more depth. Get access to all our research, weekly live Q&A events, and a growing set of tools to build your process: https://www.chipstockinvestor.com

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Disclosure: Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, we might earn a little coffee money — thanks for helping us (Kasey) fuel our caffeine addiction.

Content in this episode is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal. CSI owns shares of Oracle.

Nvidia just proposed its largest acquisition ever — $12.9 billion for Hugging Face. But regulators in the US, EU, and China may have other plans.

Nvidia has announced plans to acquire Hugging Face, the leading open-source repository for AI and machine learning code, in a deal valued at $12.9 billion — technically the largest acquisition in Nvidia's history. In this episode, we break down what Hugging Face actually does, why it matters to Nvidia's broader ecosystem strategy, and how this move fits into Nvidia's history of vertical and horizontal acquisitions, from Mellanox to the failed Arm Holdings bid.

We also examine the growing trend of "acquihires" (Enfabrica, Groq, Poolside) and what regulatory scrutiny could mean for this deal specifically, given Hugging Face's large presence in the EU. We draw a direct comparison to Microsoft's 2018 acquisition of GitHub — and how that deal quietly became a distribution funnel for Azure and OpenAI — then ask whether Hugging Face could play a similar role for Nvidia's AI infrastructure business. Finally, we cover Nvidia's revenue segmentation shift, its position versus Broadcom, and why this remains our top semiconductor holding heading into the rest of 2026.

TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Nvidia's $12.9B Hugging Face Bombshell1:00 - What Hugging Face Actually Does2:30 - Why Nvidia Wants Developer Distribution4:00 - Nvidia's Acquisition Track Record: Mellanox to Arm5:30 - The Rise of the "Acquihire" (Enfabrica, Groq, Poolside)6:30 - Regulatory Risk: Why This Deal Could Get Blocked8:00 - The Microsoft-GitHub Playbook Comparison11:00 - Nvidia's Revenue Segmentation Shift13:00 - Nvidia vs. Broadcom: Growth Comparison14:00 - Valuation and Final Take for 2026

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If you want the reasoning behind more names like this one, Semiconductor Insider covers the process in more depth. Get access to all our research, weekly live Q&A events, and a growing set of tools to build your process: https://www.chipstockinvestor.com

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Disclosure: Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, we might earn a little coffee money — thanks for helping us (Kasey) fuel our caffeine addiction.

Content in this episode is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal. CSI owns shares of Nvidia.

Pure Storage just rebranded to Everpure — and in the same stretch, free cash flow went negative 20% in a single quarter. Here's what's really going on.

Pure Storage has officially rebranded as Everpure (P), reflecting its shift from a storage-hardware company into a broader enterprise data management platform. In this episode, we break down what the rebrand actually signals about the business, then dig into the numbers behind a rough quarter: free cash flow swung negative as the company prepaid roughly $500 million for NAND flash and memory components amid a broader memory shortage.

We map where Everpure sits in the semiconductor and data center supply chain, its suppliers (Micron, Kioxia), and its closest public peer, NetApp — comparing revenue growth, gross margin, and free cash flow margin side by side. We also unpack Everpure's growing hyperscaler relationships, including its Meta partnership and a newly disclosed second hyperscaler customer, and what that means for growth heading into fiscal 2028. Finally, we run a reverse DCF at current prices to show exactly what growth and margin assumptions the market is pricing in — and whether this could be a durable, long-term compounder.

TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Pure Storage Is Now Everpure — Why the Rebrand Happened1:15 - Where Everpure Fits in the Semiconductor Supply Chain5:00 - Suppliers, Competitors, and the Rise of Vast Data7:00 - The Meta Deal and Second Hyperscaler Explained9:00 - Everpure vs. NetApp: Margins and Growth Compared11:30 - Why Free Cash Flow Went Negative 20% This Quarter14:00 - Product Revenue vs. Subscription Revenue Breakdown16:30 - Reverse DCF: What the Market Is Pricing Into Everpure18:00 - Is Everpure Stock a Buy? Our Long-Term Thesis

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If you want the reasoning behind more names like this one, Semiconductor Insider covers the process in more depth. Get access to all our research, weekly live Q&A events, and a growing set of tools to build your process: https://www.chipstockinvestor.com

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Disclosure: Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, we might earn a little coffee money — thanks for helping us (Kasey) fuel our caffeine addiction.

Content in this episode is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal. CSI owns shares of Everpure.

Procept BioRobotics is down roughly 80% from its 2025 highs but the technology behind its Aquablation system genuinely works. So why won't we put PRCT in our portfolio?

Procept (PRCT) has one of the more interesting razor-and-blade models in medtech: sell the Hydros or Aquabeam system, then earn recurring revenue from single-use handpieces used in every Aquablation procedure for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Gross margins run around 65%, Medicare covers the procedure in all 50 states, and the addressable market is roughly 40 million U.S. men — yet the company has never generated positive free cash flow and has cut guidance multiple times over the past year.

In this episode, we size the real addressable market bottom-up using system counts and procedure volume, walk through the handpiece-to-procedure ratio that triggered a class-action lawsuit, compare Aquablation to competing BPH therapies like UroLift, Rezum, GreenLight, and traditional TURP, and dig into a foundational IP licensing structure that means Procept doesn't fully own the technology its business is built on. We also run a reverse DCF to see what growth rate the market is actually pricing in — and whether "cheap" is the right word for it.

This is a preview of the research format inside Semiconductor Insider, including our new investment thesis checklist dashboard.

TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Why PRCT Is Down 80% Despite Working Technology1:30 - How Aquablation Treats an Enlarged Prostate3:00 - Sizing the Real Market: 40 Million Men vs. Bottom-Up Math6:30 - The Business Model: Consumables, Margins, and Recurring Revenue8:00 - The Handpiece-to-Procedure Ratio and the Class Action Lawsuit10:00 - Competitive Landscape: UroLift, GreenLight, TURP, and da Vinci12:30 - Who Actually Pays? Medicare, CMS Codes, and Reimbursement Risk17:00 - The IP Problem: Why Procept Doesn't Own Its Core Patents19:00 - Guidance Cuts and Margin Trends Through Q2 202622:00 - Reverse DCF: What Growth Rate Is Priced In?26:00 - Investment Thesis Checklist and Final Verdict

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If you want the reasoning behind more names like this one, Semiconductor Insider covers the process in more depth. Get access to all our research, weekly live Q&A events, and a growing set of tools to build your process: https://www.chipstockinvestor.com

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Disclosure: Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, we might earn a little coffee money — thanks for helping us (Kasey) fuel our caffeine addiction.

Content in this episode is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal. CSI doesn't own shares of Procept BioRobotics.

Oscar Health looks like a screaming buy — growing revenue, growing members, positive free cash flow. So why does the market keep discounting it? We ran the numbers.

Oscar Health (OSCR) just posted strong headline numbers: member growth accelerating past 3 million, revenue climbing, free cash flow positive. Health insurers don't get valued like typical growth stocks — and free cash flow is one of the most misleading metrics you can use here.

In this episode, we break down why insurance float — not free cash flow — is the real driver of Oscar's balance sheet, how the medical loss ratio (MLR) caps profitability by regulation, and why receivables and payables to CMS matter more than most investors realize. We also walk through two reverse DCF scenarios on GAAP earnings per share — a 10-year model and a more aggressive 3-year model — to see what growth rate the market is actually pricing into OSCR today.

Think of it as a masterclass in valuing any financials-driven business — insurance, banks, specialty finance — differently than you'd value a software or semiconductor company. We also give a first look at the new investment thesis checklist tool and segment/KPI dashboard inside Semiconductor Insider.

TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Why Oscar Health Looks Cheap (And Why That's Misleading)1:04 - Revenue, Member Growth & Free Cash Flow Overview2:00 - The Problem: Free Cash Flow Isn't Real Cash Flow Here2:40 - Medical Loss Ratio Explained: The 80% Rule3:03 - Insurance Float 101 (The Berkshire Hathaway Playbook)4:38 - Reading the Balance Sheet: Premiums, Payouts & SG&A5:24 - CMS Receivables & Payables: The Hidden ACA Liability7:00 - Reverse DCF: 10-Year vs. 3-Year Growth Scenarios9:07 - Building a Custom Investment Thesis Checklist10:40 - Final Takeaway: How to Actually Value Oscar Health

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If you want the reasoning behind more names like this one, Semiconductor Insider covers the process in more depth. Get access to all our research, weekly live Q&A events, and a growing set of tools to build your process: https://www.chipstockinvestor.com

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Disclosure: Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, we might earn a little coffee money — thanks for helping us (Kasey) fuel our caffeine addiction.

Content in this episode is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal. CSI doesn't own shares of Oscar Health.

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) has been flying high into the end of FY2026. After a decade-long 1,400% run — capped by a broader cybersecurity rally following the Anthropic "Mythos moment" in early 2026 — what comes next?

Nick breaks down how Palo Alto expanded from network security into cloud security through acquisitions, including the completed CyberArk deal (identity and access management), plus newer moves into AI agent security (Console) and observability (Embrace, complementing Chronosphere).

On the financials: FY2026 revenue rose 24% to nearly $11.5B, with growth accelerating after CyberArk, while GAAP net income fell on stock-based compensation and amortization. Free cash flow came in just over $4.1B. We close with the next-12-months outlook for PANW as cybersecurity needs intensify for companies adopting more AI.

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Live event — new research platform sneak peek: join us Monday, September 7, 2026 at 7:00 AM Pacific for a live look at the new Chip Stock Investor research platform. Zoom: https://chipstockinvestor.zoom.us/j/98264538517?pwd=Hu3DuPQooFYZa7tYujMzUQcrAOIk6L.1 — or catch it live and on replay on our YouTube livestream.

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If you're getting value from the show, follow so you don't miss the next one.

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Disclosure: Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, we might earn a little coffee money — thanks for helping us (Kasey) fuel our caffeine addiction.

Content in this episode is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal. CSI owns shares of Palo Alto Networks, CrowdStrike, and Fortinet.

Nokia stock surged on Nvidia's investment and AI RAN hype — then gave much of it back. We ran the numbers on NOK's Q2 2026 earnings to see if the sell-off is a buying opportunity or a warning sign.

Nokia (NOK) has become one of 2026's most talked-about telecom equipment names after Nvidia's strategic investment and growing buzz around 6G and AI RAN (Radio Access Network) infrastructure. In this episode, we break down Nokia's Q2 2026 earnings, including the misleading telecom revenue chart, the real growth driver (AI and cloud products, up 105% year-over-year vs. just 4% for legacy telecom), and how the Infinera and Fenix Group acquisitions are repositioning Nokia as a vertically integrated optical communications and data center supplier.

We also compare Nokia's free cash flow margin against internet infrastructure peers Cloudflare, Akamai, and Fastly, then run a reverse DCF to see what profit growth rate is already priced into the stock at a $55–56 billion market cap. With shares down significantly from 2026 highs, we explain why we're staying on the sidelines for now — and the price level where Nokia would become interesting again.

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - New Research Platform & Live Event Announcement
1:15 - CDN Series Wrap-Up: Why We're Holding Cloudflare
2:00 - Nokia's Acquisition Spree: Fenix, Rapid, Infinera
4:00 - Selling Fixed Wireless Access to Inseego
5:00 - Q2 2026 Slide Deck: The Nvidia Investment Effect
6:15 - The Misleading Telecom Revenue Chart
7:30 - Real Growth Driver: AI and Cloud Up 105% YoY
9:00 - Guidance, Margins, and Peer Comparison (CDN Stocks)
11:20 - Reverse DCF: What Growth Rate Is Priced In?
14:00 - Verdict: Why We're Passing (For Now) and Our Watch Price

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Live event — new research platform sneak peek: join us Monday, September 7, 2026 at 7:00 AM Pacific for a live look at the new Chip Stock Investor research platform. Zoom: https://chipstockinvestor.zoom.us/j/98264538517?pwd=Hu3DuPQooFYZa7tYujMzUQcrAOIk6L.1 — or catch it live and on replay on our YouTube livestream.

If you want the reasoning behind more names like this one, Semiconductor Insider covers the process in more depth. Get access to all our research, weekly live Q&A events, and a growing set of tools to build your process: https://www.chipstockinvestor.com

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If you're getting value from the show, follow so you don't miss the next one.

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Disclosure: Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, we might earn a little coffee money — thanks for helping us (Kasey) fuel our caffeine addiction.

Content in this episode is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal. CSI doesn't own shares of Nokia.

AppLovin (APP) stock fell 38% after earnings — but is the digital advertising thesis actually broken, or is this a buying opportunity?

Shares dropped roughly 38% after AppLovin's latest report, and investors are asking whether the mobile-ad-turned-AI-advertising company can keep growing into its valuation. In this episode, we map the entire digital ad supply chain, from the walled gardens (Google, Meta, Amazon) that control roughly two-thirds of digital ad spend, down to the demand-side and supply-side platforms competing around them.

We trace AppLovin's path from a 2012 mobile-game user-acquisition tool into one of the largest software companies in digital advertising, powered by its Axon 2.0 AI algorithm. We cover the sale of its game studios to Tripledot, its push into e-commerce through a Shopify integration, and why the market is worried about decelerating revenue growth alongside historically high operating and free cash flow margins. Using our new Custom Supply Chain tool, we compare AppLovin against Omnicom, The Trade Desk, Google, and Magnite to show where value actually accrues and share our own take as long-time shareholders.

If you're deciding whether AppLovin is a buy after this sell-off, this is the fundamentals-first framework to make that call yourself.

If you want the reasoning behind more names like this one, Semiconductor Insider covers the process in more depth. Get access to all our research, weekly live Q&A events, and a growing set of tools to build your process: https://www.chipstockinvestor.com

All our socials: https://linktr.ee/chipstockinvestor

If you're getting value from the show, follow so you don't miss the next one.

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Disclosure: Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, we might earn a little coffee money — thanks for helping us (Kasey) fuel our caffeine addiction.

Content in this episode is for general information or entertainment only and is not specific or individual investment advice. Forecasts and information presented may not develop as predicted, and there is no guarantee any strategies presented will be successful. All investing involves risk, and you could lose some or all of your principal.

CSI owns shares of AppLovin.