The sun is shining on Nextracker in extended trading Tuesday, as shares soared after the solar technology company reported a top and bottom line beat for its fiscal third quarter. Even better, management increased its full-year profitability outlook and reported a record backlog. Revenue in its fiscal 2025 third quarter came in at $679 million, down 4.5% year over year, but well ahead of the $651 million consensus estimate, according to LSEG. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.03 in the three months ended Dec. 31 rose 7.3% on an annual basis, breezing past the 59-cent estimate, LSEG data showed. The results were strong and the call was bullish. Nextracker executives are firing on all cylinders, winning larger projects both in the U.S. and abroad, and the company seems well-positioned to navigate any hiccups resulting from tariffs, the supply chain or shifting U.S. energy policy priorities. It’s no wonder Nextracker shares jumped more than 16% in after-hours trading, to roughly $46.20 apiece. That is above the stock’s highest close so far this year, set on Jan. 16 at $45.27 a share. Nextracker began 2025 on a tear, extending momentum it found in mid-December after a post-election pullback ran its course. We twice sold into the strength, most recently on Jan. 7 . Following Nextracker’s Jan. 16 peak, though, the stock had been negative in six out of the past seven sessions through Tuesday. NXT 1Y mountain Nextracker shares over the past 12 months. Bottom line It’s hard to ask for more than what Nextracker delivered Tuesday night. Sales and earnings trounced expectations, fueled by an adjusted EBITDA margin that crushed Wall Street expectations. EBITDA — short for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization — is an alternative measure of operating profitability. Free cash flow also ran well ahead of estimates. Better yet, the future looks bright. Management raised its outlook for full-year cash flow and earnings, thanks no doubt to a record backlog that is now “significantly greater than $4.5 billion,” according to a press release. At the end of Nextracker’s fiscal second quarter, the company said the backlog was “more than $4.5 billion.” Investors keep a close eye on changes to this descriptive language, evidenced by an earnings sell-off in August after Nextracker used “over $4 billion” for the second straight quarter. The backlog growth is being supported by “robust demand in all key regions for the company with meaningful contributions from new products,” the press release said. During the earnings call, we learned that 87% of Nextracker’s backlog is expected to be realized over the next eight quarters. And of that eight-quarter chunk, “the majority of that” is expected to be realized over the next four quarters, President Howard Wenger said on the call. Tuesday’s report makes clear that this is a very strong management team, and the raised guidance — and record backlog — bode very well for the future. “As far as the U.S. market goes, the demand is strong,” Wenger said. “We had record bookings in the U.S. this quarter and our pipeline is indicative of continued strength.” Nevertheless, we’re keeping our hold-equivalent 2 rating and price target of $55 a share on Nextracker’s stock. For starters, it’s not our style to chase a move like the one we are seeing in extended trading Tuesday. But, crucially, we also need more clarity on solar policy under the new Trump administration. While President Donald Trump has said that he’s a “big fan of solar,” it’s unclear what the administration’s policies will be regarding government spending on renewable energy and solar tax credits. Trump has notably been critical of wind energy, and since taking office last week, he has taken a number of steps to boost fossil fuel production in the U.S. Nextracker Why we own it: Nextracker makes industry-leading tracking technology, which enables large-scale solar panel installations to follow the sun’s movement and increase their power generation. The stock has been volatile and largely disappointing, but we see this investment as a long-term bet on growing electricity demand, driven in large part by artificial intelligence computing. Competitors: Array Technologies Weight in the Club portfolio: 0.92% Initiation: June 27, 2024 Most recent buy: Sept. 6, 2024 Trump’s pledges to raise tariffs on imports into the U.S. is another wrinkle to the Nextracker story. Asked about tariffs, Nextracker executives sounded confident in their ability to navigate whatever may come, calling out “very strong relationships” with U.S. steel mills and a diversified international supply chain that includes India, a solid alternative to China. “We’re in this great position [where] we can make locally for local markets, or we can export to arbitrage depending on what’s happening with the global supply chain,” CEO Dan Shugar said on the call. That supply chain strength also makes Nextracker more attractive to customers. In our October earnings reaction, we noted that Nextracker’s successful efforts to sell 100% domestically made solar trackers could make its products more attractive to customers since they will be able to take advantage of a 10% investment tax credit included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Wenger provided a positive update on this dynamic on Tuesday’s call. “From a customer perspective in our pipeline, in our actual bookings, we’re seeing more and more domestic content to be part of what we’re contracted to do and not only to have domestic content, but they have higher and higher levels of domestic content,” he said. “We’re seeing more customers wanting 100% domestic content.” Ultimately, Nextracker continues to differentiate itself from the competition, resulting in growing demand. Wenger argued that Nextracker is winning because of what executives see as a “flight to quality.” “Over time with scale, these projects are getting bigger and bigger. There’s more of them where we believe we’re emerging as really the trusted brand, but we’re also differentiated across many of the key buying vectors, proven technology, proven low cost, proven energy yield,” he said, which all contributes to a lower levelized cost of energy, or LCOE, a key metric in the industry. Guidance Similar to what we saw in late October, Nextracker reaffirmed its fiscal 2025 revenue guidance while increasing its outlook profitability and cash flow. 2025 revenue guidance: $2.8 billion to $2.9 billion 2025 adjusted EBITDA guidance: $700 million to $740 million, up from $625 million to $665 million 2025 adjusted EPS guidance: $3.75 to $3.95, an increase from $3.10 to $3.30 Reiterating sales guidance is understandable considering there is elevated uncertainty about U.S. policy with Trump back in the White House and Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress. However, the material increase to the profit outlook demonstrates the strength of Nextracker’s leadership team, as the company is operating much more efficiently than the Street was expecting. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long NXT. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
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The sun is shining on Nextracker in extended trading Tuesday, as shares soared after the solar technology company reported a top and bottom line beat for its fiscal third quarter. Even better, management increased its full-year profitability outlook and reported a record backlog.
Forget fumbling with cables or hunting for batteries – TILER is making electric bike charging as seamless as parking your ride. The Dutch startup recently introduced its much-anticipated TILER Compact system, a plug-and-play wireless charger engineered to transform the user experience for e-bike riders.
At the heart of the new system is a clever combo: a charging kickstand that mounts directly to almost any e‑bike, and a thin charging mat that you simply park over. Once you drop the kickstand and it lands on the mat, the bike begins charging automatically via inductive transfer – no cable required. According to TILER, a 500 Wh battery will fully charge in about 3.5 hours, delivering comparable performance to traditional wired chargers.
It’s an elegantly simple concept (albeit a bit chunky) with a convenient upside: less clutter, fewer broken cables, and no more need to bend over while feeling around for a dark little hole.
TILER claims its system works with about 75% of existing e‑bike platforms, including those from Bosch, Yamaha, Bafang, and other big bames. The kit uses a modest 150 W wireless power output, which means charging speeds remain practical while keeping the system lightweight (the tile weighs just 2 kg, and it’s also stationary).
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TILER has already deployed over 200 charging points across Western Europe, primarily serving bike-share, delivery, hospitality, and hotel fleets. A recent case study in Munich showed how a cargo-bike operator saved approximately €1,250 per month in labor costs, avoided thousands in spare batteries, and cut battery damage by 20%. The takeaway? Less maintenance, more uptime.
Now shifting to prosumer markets, TILER says the Compact system will hit pre-orders soon, with a €250 price tag (roughly US $290) for the kickstand plus tile bundle. To get in line, a €29 refundable deposit is currently required, though they say it is refundable at any point until you receive your charger. Don’t get too excited just yet though, there’s a bit of a wait. Deliveries are expected in summer 2026, and for now are covering mostly European markets.
The concept isn’t entirely new. We’ve seen the idea pop up before, including in a patent from BMW for charging electric motorcycles. And the efficacy is there. Skeptics may wonder if wireless charging is slower or less efficient, but TILER says no. Its system retains over 85% efficiency, nearly matching wired charging speeds, and even pauses at 80% to protect battery health, then resumes as needed. The tile is even IP67-rated, safe for outdoor use, and about as bulky as a thick magazine.
Electrek’s Take
I love the concept. It makes perfect sense for shared e-bikes, especially since they’re often returning to a dock anyway. As long as people can be trained to park with the kickstand on the tile, it seems like a no-brainer.
And to be honest, I even like the idea for consumers. I know it sounds like a first-world problem, but bending over to plug something in at floor height is pretty annoying, not to mention a great way to throw out your back if you’re not exactly a spring chicken anymore. Having your e-bike start charging simply by parking it in the right place is a really cool feature! I don’t know if it’s $300 cool, but it’s pretty cool!
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Tesla has launched a new software update for its vehicles that includes the anticipated integration of Grok, but it doesnt even interface with the car yet.
Today, Tesla started pushing the update to the fleet, but there’s a significant caveat.
The automaker wrote in the release notes (2025.26):
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Grok (Beta) (US, AMD)
Grok now available directly in your Tesla
Requires Premium Connectivity or a WiFi connection
Grok is currently in Beta & does not issue commands to your car – existing voice commands remain unchanged.
First off, it is only available in vehicles in the US equipped with the AMD infotainment computer, which means cars produced since mid-2021.
But more importantly, Tesla says that it doesn’t send commands to the car under the current version. Therefore, it is simply like having Grok on your phone, but on the onboard computer instead.
Tesla showed an example:
There are a few other features in the 2025.26 software update, but they are not major.
For Tesla vehicles equipped with ambient lighting strips inside the car, the light strip can now sync to music:
Accent lights now respond to music & you can also choose to match the lights to the album’s color for a more immersive effect
Toybox > Light Sync
Here’s the new setting:
The audio setting can now be saved under multiple presets to match listening preferences for different people or circumstances:
The software update also includes the capacity to zoom or adjust the playback speed of the Dashcam Viewer.
Cybertruck also gets the updated Dashcam Viewer app with a grid view for easier access and review of recordings:
Tesla also updated the charging info in its navigation system to be able to search which locations require valet service or pay-to-park access.
Upon arrival, drivers will receive a notification with access codes, parking restrictions, level or floor information, and restroom availability:
Finally, there’s a new onboarding guide directly on the center display to help people who are experiencing a Tesla vehicle for the first time.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla is really playing catch-up here. Right now, this update is essentially nothing. If you already have Grok, it’s no more different than having it on your phone or through the vehicle’s browser, since it has no capacity to interact with any function inside the vehicle.
Most other automakers are integrating LLMs inside vehicles with the capacity to interact with the vehicle. In China, this is becoming standard even in entry-level cars.
In the Xiaomi YU7, the vehicle’s AI can not only interact with the car, but it also sees what the car sees through its camera, and it can tell you about what it sees:
Tesla is clearly far behind on that front as many automakers are integrating with other LLMs like ChatGPT and in-house LLMs, like Xiaomi’s.
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Robinhood stock hit an all-time high Friday as the financial services platform continued to rip higher this year, along with bitcoin and other crypto stocks.
Robinhood, up more than 160% in 2025, hit an intraday high above $101 before pulling back and closing slightly lower.
The reversal came after a Bloomberg report that JPMorgan plans to start charging fintechs for access to customer bank data, a move that could raise costs across the industry.
For fintech firms that rely on thin margins to offer free or low-cost services to customers, even slight disruptions to their cost structure can have major ripple effects. PayPal and Affirm both ended the day nearly 6% lower following the report.
Despite its stellar year, the online broker is facing several headwinds, with a regulatory probe in Florida, pushback over new staking fees and growing friction with one of the world’s most high-profile artificial intelligence companies.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier opened a formal investigation into Robinhood Crypto on Thursday, alleging the platform misled users by claiming to offer the lowest-cost crypto trading.
“Robinhood has long claimed to be the best bargain, but we believe those representations were deceptive,” Uthmeier said in a statement.
The probe centers on Robinhood’s use of payment for order flow — a common practice where market makers pay to execute trades — which the AG said can result in worse pricing for customers.
Robinhood Crypto General Counsel Lucas Moskowitz told CNBC its disclosures are “best-in-class” and that it delivers the lowest average cost.
“We disclose pricing information to customers during the lifecycle of a trade that clearly outlines the spread or the fees associated with the transaction, and the revenue Robinhood receives,” added Moskowitz.
Robinhood is also facing opposition to a new 25% cut of staking rewards for U.S. users, set to begin October 1. In Europe, the platform will take a smaller 15% cut.
Staking allows crypto holders to earn yield by locking up their tokens to help secure blockchain networks like ethereum, but platforms often take a percentage of those rewards as commission.
Robinhood’s 25% cut puts it in line with Coinbase, which charges between 25.25% and 35% depending on the token. The cut is notably higher than Gemini’s flat 15% fee.
It marks a shift for the company, which had previously steered clear of staking amid regulatory uncertainty.
Under President Joe Biden‘s administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission cracked down on U.S. platforms offering staking services, arguing they constituted unregistered securities.
With President Donald Trump in the White House, the agency has reversed course on several crypto enforcement actions, dropping cases against major players like Coinbase and Binance and signaling a more permissive stance.
Even as enforcement actions ease, Robinhood is under fresh scrutiny for its tokenized stock push, which is a growing part of its international strategy.
The company now offers blockchain-based assets in Europe that give users synthetic exposure to private firms like OpenAI and SpaceX through special purpose vehicles, or SPVs.
An SPV is a separate entity that acquires shares in a company. Users then buy tokens of the SPV and don’t have shareholder privileges or voting rights directly in the company.
OpenAI has publicly objected, warning the tokens do not represent real equity and were issued without its approval. In an interview with CNBC International, CEO Vlad Tenev acknowledged the tokens aren’t technically equity shares, but said that misses the broader point.
“What’s important is that retail customers have an opportunity to get exposure to this asset,” he said, pointing to the disruptive nature of AI and the historically limited access to pre-IPO companies.
“It is true that these are not technically equity,” Tenev added, noting that institutional investors often gain similar exposure through structured financial instruments.
The Bank of Lithuania — Robinhood’s lead regulator in the EU — told CNBC on Monday that it is “awaiting clarifications” following OpenAI’s statement.
“Only after receiving and evaluating this information will we be able to assess the legality and compliance of these specific instruments,” a spokesperson said, adding that information for investors must be “clear, fair, and non-misleading.”
Tenev responded that Robinhood is “happy to continue to answer questions from our regulators,” and said the company built its tokenized stock program to withstand scrutiny.
“Since this is a new thing, regulators are going to want to look at it,” he said. “And we expect to be scrutinized as a large, innovative player in this space.”
SEC Chair Paul Atkins recently called the model “an innovation” on CNBC’s Squawk Box, offering some validation as Robinhood leans further into its synthetic equity strategy — even as legal clarity remains in flux across jurisdictions.
Despite the regulatory noise, many investors remain focused on Robinhood’s upside, and particularly the political tailwinds.
The company is positioning itself as a key beneficiary of Trump’s newly signed megabill, which includes $1,000 government-seeded investment accounts for newborns. Robinhood said it’s already prototyping an app for the ‘Trump Accounts‘ initiative.