Flipping houses isn’t what it used to be.

The typical flip netted just a 25% return in Q2 — the lowest margin since 2008.

With entry prices at record highs and competition for cheap properties fierce, even HGTV would struggle to make the math work.

— Brooks & Cas

Most people nearing retirement wonder if they’re truly on the best path. But they don’t always feel comfortable asking for a second opinion.

That’s where Money Pickle comes in.

A simple survey can connect you with licensed fiduciary advisors who specialize in retirement income planning. No pressure, no products, no sales pitch. Just clarity, confidence, and answers to big questions — all in a matter of minutes.

Universal Technical Institute $UTI ( ▲ 3.75% ) is finding its stride in a labor market reshaped by AI. The Phoenix-based company runs 32 campuses with more than 22,000 students nationwide, positioning itself as a leader in vocational training.

Its stock has gained more than 25% over the past year, though recent weakness has opened what some analysts see as an entry point. The company’s long-running automotive program remains a cornerstone, but UTI has also expanded into fields like welding, HVAC, aircraft maintenance, and wind turbine installation.

Healthcare now represents about a third of revenue following its 2022 acquisition of Concorde Career Colleges. That move added programs in nursing, diagnostics, and dental hygiene, further diversifying its footprint across industries less vulnerable to automation.

The company’s multiyear “North Star” strategy aims to broaden both reach and offerings. In July, UTI launched its first Electrical, Electronics, and Industrial Technology program, training students for entry-level roles in electrical work, networking, and industrial robotics. CEO Jerome Grant said early enrollment has been strong, reflecting steady interest in careers linked to new technologies.

Financials have kept pace. Third-quarter revenue climbed 15% year over year to $204 million, while adjusted EBITDA rose 37% to $25.3 million. Management expects 2025 revenue growth of about 14%, with adjusted EBITDA projected between $124 million and $128 million.

Analysts note that this momentum could accelerate if federal funding expands. The Trump administration is considering new provisions that would extend Pell Grants to short-term training programs, a potential catalyst not yet baked into UTI’s financial targets.

Truist Securities’ Jasper Bibb reiterated a Buy rating with a $40 price target, implying over 25% upside from recent levels. He highlighted enrollment momentum and the potential for additional revenue from government support.

Compared with peers, UTI trades at around 12x enterprise value to estimated 2025 EBITDA, slightly above industry averages. Analysts argue that its trade-focused model and growing healthcare segment may justify the premium. Competitors like Lincoln Educational Services $LINC ( ▲ 2.05% ) and Adtalem Global Education $ATGE ( ▲ 2.91% ) are smaller or less diversified in scope.

Risks remain, particularly around enrollment trends and the regulatory environment for for-profit education. Still, UTI’s positioning in skilled trades and healthcare has drawn attention as investors look for stocks tied to jobs AI may be slower to disrupt.

Oracle $ORCL ( ▼ 2.7% ) was one of the market’s AI winners earlier this month, fueled by a major forecast for cloud revenue growth. But the trade is showing cracks. The stock slipped more than 8% last week, falling into correction territory compared to its Sept. 10 peak.

The drop comes amid broader investor questions about sky-high valuations and the durability of AI-linked partnerships. Traders may simply be taking profits after the stock’s sharp run higher, though some analysts argue that deeper concerns are now surfacing.

Rothschild & Co. Redburn analyst Alex Haissl issued a Sell rating this week, a rare call on a stock that 33 of 44 analysts rate a Buy. His $175 price target implies nearly 40% downside from recent levels.

Haissl argued that Oracle’s $300 billion deal with OpenAI will not deliver the economics many expect. He sees Oracle acting more like a financier than a true cloud provider, with its role in single-tenant deployments yielding thin margins. The upside, he said, largely accrues to OpenAI rather than Oracle.

The downgrade highlights a growing shift in how Wall Street is parsing the AI trade. Investors are paying closer attention to the fine print in contracts, wary that not all cloud or infrastructure providers will capture value equally.

It’s not the first stumble for an AI stalwart. Earlier this year, Nvidia $NVDA ( ▲ 0.28% ) faced a selloff over competitive threats and trade policy headwinds before bouncing back. Whether Oracle can stage a similar recovery will depend on execution — and on whether its AI partnerships prove as lucrative as hoped.

Don't let it go to waste next week.

In the world of finance, growing your wealth is only half the battle. It's just as much work to maintain it — which is why advisors play a core part in the strategies of most successful investors.

And you don't have to be ultra-wealthy to get a financial advisor in your corner. Money Pickle connects everyday investors with trusted advisors. No obligation. No cost.

Pfizer $PFE ( ▲ 0.68% ) has stumbled in its obesity efforts before, most notably when its homegrown pill failed in trials. Years of patent expirations and shrinking Covid vaccine revenue have weighed heavily on results, with shares down nearly 50% in three years.

This week, the pharma giant signaled it isn’t ready to give up. Pfizer announced an agreement to acquire Metsera $MTSR ( ▼ 0.5% ) for up to $7.3 billion, betting that a new class of monthly injections can help it reenter the weight-loss race. The company said it expects to move the lead drug into late-stage testing next year.

Metsera’s main candidate is part of the GLP-1 drug class, the same category as Novo Nordisk’s $NVO ( ▼ 0.77% ) Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s $LLY ( ▲ 1.39% ) Zepbound. Early data suggest it may deliver similar weight-loss results but with fewer gastrointestinal side effects. Its unusually long half-life makes once-a-month dosing possible, a potential convenience advantage over weekly shots.

Pfizer is not the first to chase this idea. Amgen $AMGN ( ▲ 0.66% ) surged in 2023 on hopes for its own monthly GLP-1, only to disappoint investors a year later when trial results showed higher side effects and weaker efficacy than expected. Analysts say Pfizer’s stepped-up dosing design may help avoid those pitfalls, though results are still early.

At roughly 7.7x forward earnings, Pfizer trades at half the industry average. Eli Lilly commands a multiple of 27x, while Novo Nordisk trades near 15x. Leerink’s David Risinger has estimated Metsera’s portfolio could generate more than $5 billion in annual peak sales, offering one possible growth lever as older drugs go off patent.

The company also sees cost and regulatory advantages. Monthly dosing requires fewer pens and less active ingredient, which could help on the manufacturing front. Because the therapy is classified as a biologic, it could also enjoy a longer pricing window before Medicare negotiations kick in.

Still, the field is crowded, and Pfizer’s Metsera deal does not solve its growth gap overnight. But it offers a platform — including a potential GLP-1 and amylin combo shot, and even an oral candidate — that may give the company a fresh narrative in one of pharma’s hottest markets.

Are you bullish or bearish on Option Care Health $OPCH ( ▲ 1.79% ) over the next 12 months?

▇▇▇▇▇▇ 🐂 Bullish

▇▇▇▇▇▇ 🐻 Bearish

And, in response, you said:

Which stock do you think will outperform over the next 12 months?

▇▇▇▇▇▇ Western Digital $WDC ( ▼ 0.31% )

▇▇▇▇▇▇ Seagate $STX ( ▼ 1.06% )

And, in response, you said:

Are you bullish or bearish on McDonald’s $MCD ( ▲ 0.97% ) over the next 12 months?

▇▇▇▇▇▇ 🐂 Bullish

▇▇▇▇▇▇ 🐻 Bearish

And, in response, you said: