The Stock That Withstood the AI Doomsday Predictions
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 24 2026
0mins
Source: Barron's
Market Sentiment: Wall Street is experiencing fear and uncertainty, particularly due to concerns surrounding artificial intelligence.
Stock Performance: Despite the market turmoil, some stocks are still viewed as safe havens for investors seeking stability.
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Analyst Views on DASH
Wall Street analysts forecast DASH stock price to rise
21 Analyst Rating
18 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 168.090
Low
224.00
Averages
278.67
High
330.00
Current: 168.090
Low
224.00
Averages
278.67
High
330.00
About DASH
DoorDash, Inc. is engaged in providing services that reduce friction in local commerce and help merchants connect with consumers in their communities. The Company's primary offerings include the DoorDash Marketplace and the Wolt Marketplace (together, the Marketplaces), and its Commerce Platform. The Company's Marketplaces operate in over 30 countries across the globe and provide an integrated suite of services that help merchants establish an online presence, connect with consumers in their communities, and solve mission-critical challenges, such as customer acquisition, demand generation, order fulfillment, merchandising, payment processing, and customer support. It also offers advertising as a value-added service through its Marketplaces to help merchants and consumer packaged goods companies increase consumer engagement. The Company also has offsite advertising capabilities. Its white-label delivery fulfillment services include DoorDash Drive On-Demand and Wolt Drive.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Transaction Overview: Yum Brands announced the sale of Pizza Hut to private equity firm LongRange Capital for approximately $1.5 billion, excluding mainland China locations, which will be acquired separately by Yum China for about $1.2 billion, with the overall deal expected to yield around $2.3 billion in net proceeds, highlighting the company's focus on asset restructuring.
- Competitive Market Pressure: Pizza Hut faces ongoing market share erosion from rival Domino's Pizza in the U.S., while third-party delivery platforms like DoorDash have further diminished its sales, reflecting the company's struggle to adapt to market demands during its transition, negatively impacting overall financial performance.
- Strategic Restructuring Decision: Yum's management determined that selling Pizza Hut represents the strongest path to maximize shareholder value, aiming to provide the brand with an ownership structure better aligned with its market characteristics and long-term priorities, indicating a strategic shift in response to competitive pressures.
- Historical Context and Future Outlook: Founded in 1958, Pizza Hut was once the largest pizza chain globally but lost that title in 2017; with the completion of this sale, it will sever its long-standing ties with Yum's other brands like Taco Bell and KFC, allowing it to focus on new market strategies moving forward.
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- Sale Announcement: Yum Brands has announced the sale of Pizza Hut to private equity firm LongRange Capital, marking the end of years of struggles for the brand that have negatively impacted Yum's overall financial performance.
- Market Competition: In the U.S., Pizza Hut has shifted from traditional dine-in formats to focus on delivery and carryout, yet it has been losing market share to rival Domino's Pizza, highlighting its lag in adapting to industry changes.
- Historical Context: Founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, Pizza Hut went public in 1969 and became the largest pizza chain by 1971, but it lost that title to Domino's in 2017, reflecting significant market challenges for the brand.
- Brand Relationship Break: This deal severs Pizza Hut's long-standing ties with Yum's other brands like Taco Bell and KFC, indicating a shift towards an independent operational structure that may influence its future strategic direction.
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- Historic IPO: SpaceX went public on June 12 at $135 per share, achieving an initial market value of $1.8 trillion, making it the largest IPO in history, with a first-day stock surge of over 20%, pushing its valuation above $2 trillion, indicating strong market expectations for its future potential.
- First-Year Performance Risk: Historical data suggests that large IPOs typically underperform in their first year, with SpaceX's stock potentially declining by 50%, implying that a $10,000 investment could drop to about $4,000 by 2027, reflecting concerns over its high valuation.
- Valuation Warning: With a current market value of $2.2 trillion and sales of $19.3 billion, SpaceX's stock trades at an exorbitant valuation of approximately 115 times sales, significantly higher than Palantir's 59 times, indicating that such a premium is unsustainable and could lead to future price corrections.
- Market Prospects and Challenges: While SpaceX has unique advantages in building orbital AI data centers, its high valuation and the general caution surrounding large IPOs create uncertainty regarding its future growth, necessitating careful risk-reward assessments by investors.
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- Historic IPO: SpaceX went public on June 12 at $135 per share, achieving a market value of $1.8 trillion, making it the largest IPO in history, with a first-day stock gain of over 20%, pushing its valuation above $2 trillion, reflecting high market expectations for its future potential.
- Valuation Risks: With a market value of $2.2 trillion and sales of $19.3 billion, SpaceX's stock trades at an exorbitant 115 times sales, significantly higher than the S&P 500's highest at 59 times, indicating a substantial bubble risk that could lead to major losses for investors.
- Historical Performance Warning: Historical data shows that the average stock price of the 15 largest IPOs has dropped by 33% in the first year; if SpaceX follows this trend, its stock could decline by 50% within the first year, reducing a $10,000 investment to below $5,300 by 2027.
- Market Prospects and Challenges: While SpaceX has a unique advantage in building orbital AI data centers that could effectively address power and cooling issues faced by terrestrial data centers, its high valuation and uncertain market performance necessitate cautious evaluation of its long-term investment value.
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- Strong Market Performance: The S&P 500 rose by 1.65%, the Nasdaq 100 surged by 3.06%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a new record high, reflecting investor optimism about market prospects, particularly driven by gains in technology stocks.
- Crude Oil Price Plunge: WTI crude oil prices fell over 4% to a three-month low due to the US-Iran peace agreement and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, easing inflation expectations and boosting risk appetite in the equity markets.
- Weak Economic Data: The US June Empire Manufacturing Survey index dropped to 5.7, below the expected 13.7, indicating weakness in manufacturing that could pressure stocks, yet simultaneously supported gains in Treasury bonds.
- Tech Stocks Lead Gains: Chipmakers and AI infrastructure stocks performed strongly, with the iShares Semiconductor ETF rising over 5% and Western Digital up more than 15%, demonstrating strong market confidence in the technology sector.
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- Event Scale and Economic Impact: The 2026 World Cup, hosted in North America, is expected to attract over 6.5 million fans, generating approximately $14 billion in event-related spending and contributing $17.2 billion to the U.S. GDP, highlighting its significant economic impact.
- Investment Return Potential: Historical data indicates that host-country equities have delivered median returns of about 10% during World Cup years, driven by increased tourism spending and consumer sentiment, making related stocks attractive for investors.
- Surge in Advertising Spending: Digital advertising is projected to be a major beneficiary, with an estimated $5 billion increase in global advertising spending, 73% of which is expected to flow through digital channels, showcasing the World Cup's strong influence on the advertising market.
- Recommended Investment Basket: JPMorgan advises investors to consider the 2026 World Cup Beneficiaries Basket, which includes companies like Alphabet, Booking Holdings, and Coca-Cola, anticipating strong performance during the tournament.
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