And the award for most expensive US state goes to… California? Hawaii? New York?

Nope, nope, and nope. In fact, the cost of living in the latter two actually shrunk last year.

Believe it or not, the “winner” is Massachusetts, where the average family of four needs $300,000 to live comfortably, according to a new SmartAsset analysis. Those Nantucket reds and Martha’s Vineyard garden parties don’t come free…

— Brooks & Cas

Arista Networks $ANET ( ▼ 5.69% ) has been struggling to keep its head in the clouds. Tariff tailwinds dragged heavily on the data center and cloud networking solutions company — which gained over 90% in 2024.

In addition to trade tensions, investors feared a dip in Big Tech demand would damage the company's growth prospects. As a result, the stock is down 15% year-to-date.

Barron's thinks this represents a buying opportunity, particularly as Arista has already started to erase some of its losses. In a recent article, it argues the stock is ready to rally again.

Knock on wood, but President Donald Trump says the China-US trade truce is a “done” deal. Meta $META ( ▼ 0.7% ) and Microsoft $MSFT ( ▼ 0.23% ) — key Arista clients — both have serious expansion plans. And AI demand looks set to grow even more.

Throw in strong Q1 results, and it's easy to see why Barron's says the company is poised for recovery. It also points out that Arista has beaten earnings estimates for the past 20 quarters, in part due to a strong, product-focused management team.

Arista has increased its market share in high-speed ultra ethernet, giving it an edge over competitor Cisco Systems $CSCO ( ▼ 0.28% ). That said, there is still an ongoing threat from companies developing their own whitebox solutions.

Analyst sentiment is bullish, with 22 out of 28 rating it a Buy or Overweight, per WSJ. However, some are concerned that Arista won't be able to maintain its competitive edge.

This week, BNP Paribas Exane downgraded it to Neutral from Outperform. It also reduced its price target from $109 to $106, just 15% above Friday's close. It cited Nvidia's $NVDA ( ▼ 0.39% ) push to develop its own ethernet solutions as well as other competitive pressures.

All in all, Arista could be wired for opportunity, but it needs to continue to innovate if it's to stay ahead of the game.

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With Warren Buffett preparing to retire at year’s end, a new generation of Berkshire Hathaway $BRK.B ( ▼ 1.38% ) wannabes is drawing fresh attention.

These companies are following Buffett’s playbook: blend insurance operations with smart investments to compound returns over time. But matching the Oracle of Omaha’s success will surely be easier said than done.

It’s not just about copying the structure. Berkshire’s success came from executing across three fronts — insurance, investments, and fully-owned businesses. It’s a tough trifecta to master.

Top asset managers like Apollo Global Management $APO ( ▼ 1.3% ) and KKR $KKR ( ▼ 1.9% ) are already integrating insurance as a strategic growth driver. Elsewhere, hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman is converting Howard Hughes Holdings $HHH ( ▼ 1.74% ) into a holding company with insurance ambitions, while Dan Loeb is reshaping Third Point Investors around the booming annuities market.

Then there are long-time Buffett-inspired players like Markel Group $MKL ( ▼ 0.68% ), Fairfax Financial $FRFHF ( 0.0% ), Loews $L ( ▼ 0.37% ), and White Mountains Insurance Group $WTM ( ▼ 0.73% ), each pursuing a similar multi-pronged model.

Among these, Fairfax stands out. The Canadian firm has delivered nearly 20% annualized returns since 1985 and holds stakes in a wide mix of businesses, from shipping to Indian insurance. Its stock has jumped nearly 26% in 2025 so far, yet it still trades below analyst price targets.

Elsewhere, Markel pairs insurance with a wide-ranging ventures unit. It has drawn activist interest from Jana Partners, pressuring the company to unlock more value. Meanwhile, Loews leans into its disciplined capital return strategy, led by CEO Ben Tisch, and owns a mix of assets spanning pipelines, hotels, and insurance.

Berkshire’s above $1 trillion market cap means it’s harder for the company to meaningfully outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

These upstarts, with market values ranging from under $1 billion to $41 billion, have more runway to compound capital — if they can execute.

There’s little Wall Street coverage on these names for now. But investors looking for the next Berkshire might want to start paying closer attention.

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The latest earnings announcements from two big dollar store chains point in the same direction: Consumers across the spectrum are tightening their belts.

Dollar General $DG ( ▼ 0.27% ) and Dollar Tree $DLTR ( ▼ 0.66% ) both reported an uptick in the number of middle and high-income shoppers. Dollar Tree added 2.6 million new customers in Q1, including more from households with incomes of more than $100,000.

That's great news for budget-friendly retailers. However, analysts say it could be an economic red flag.

Consumer sentiment is just one of many indicators that tell us how the economy might shit. And Barron's warns it's an unreliable one at that. It says consumers have proved "shockingly resilient" and will probably continue to spend unless the job market takes a serious hit.

However, as Citi $C ( ▼ 0.91% ) economist Andrew Hollenhorst points out, there are other warning signals. These include a weakening housing market, rising jobless claims, and shrinking consumer spending.

Bear in mind that economists have been predicting recessions for the last few years. It still hasn't happened. The pandemic was unprecedented, and it upset the already precarious “predictions apple cart”.

If you're wondering whether the current economy makes Dollar General or Dollar Tree solid investments right now, you're not alone. In April, Citi upgraded both stocks. Changing consumer habits and tariffs will both impact performance.

Per the WSJ, 12 out of 33 analysts say Dollar General is a Buy. The remaining 21 have it at a Hold. Oppenheimer recently upgraded the stock from Perform to Outperform following strong earnings.

Sentiment on Dollar Tree is similar: 11 out of 27 analysts say it's a Buy. Ultimately, dollars don't grow on trees, and there are no easy plays in what continue to be uncertain times.

Are you bullish or bearish on Viking Holdings $VIK ( ▼ 1.35% ) over the next 12 months?

▇▇▇▇▇▇ 🐂 Bullish

▇▇▇▇▇▇ 🐻 Bearish

And, in response, you said:

Are you bullish or bearish on Cummins (CHA) over the next 12 months?

▇▇▇▇▇▇ 🐂 Bullish

▇▇▇▇▇▇ 🐻 Bearish

And, in response, you said:

Are you bullish or bearish on non-US stocks over the next 12 months?

▇▇▇▇▇▇ 🐂 Bullish

▇▇▇▇▇▇ 🐻 Bearish