Prospect Financial Services LLC has acquired a new position in Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) by purchasing 13,785 shares valued at approximately $3.29 million, making it their 17th largest holding. This comes as other institutional investors have also adjusted their stakes in Amazon, with some significantly increasing their positions. The article also details recent insider transactions, analyst price target adjustments, and key news impacting Amazon, including its AI chip supply agreement with Qualcomm and expansion of AI and data center capacity.

Two Sigma Securities LLC has initiated a new position in Costco Wholesale Corporation, purchasing 1,277 shares valued at approximately $1.2 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 68.48% of Costco's stock, and analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" rating with an average price target of $1,056.03. The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.47 per share, yielding 0.7%, and its stock opened at $902.60.

HighTower Advisors LLC reduced its stake in PPG Industries, Inc. by 27.3% in the second quarter, selling 36,456 shares and holding 96,969 shares valued at $11.76 million. Despite this, other institutional investors like California State Teachers Retirement System and BlackRock Inc. significantly increased their holdings. PPG Industries recently reported earnings, increased its quarterly dividend, and received mixed analyst ratings with an average "Hold" rating.

HighTower Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in Xcel Energy Inc. by 18.9% during the second quarter, selling 34,935 shares and retaining 149,542 shares valued at $12,008,000. Despite this, several other institutional investors increased their stakes in Xcel Energy. The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.5925 per share and has an average analyst rating of "Buy" with a consensus price target of $92.41.

Hsbc Holdings PLC significantly reduced its stake in Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) by 63.7% in the second quarter, now holding 190,803 shares valued at $8.19 million. Despite this, other institutional investors increased their positions in the specialty retailer. Analyst ratings for Lamb Weston generally lean towards "Hold" with an average price target of $53.36, and the company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.38 per share.

Virginia Retirement Systems purchased 52,300 shares of Medtronic PLC, valued at approximately $4.09 million, contributing to institutional investors' 82.06% ownership of the company. Medtronic exceeded quarterly expectations with $1.45 EPS and $9.76 billion in revenue, and analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" rating with a $103.92 average price target. While the company declared a $0.72 quarterly dividend, competition, margin pressure, and execution risks could impact future gains.

HighTower Advisors LLC reduced its stock holdings in Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) by 16.6% in the second quarter, selling 12,945 shares and owning a total of 65,053 shares valued at $16,979,000. This reduction comes amidst mixed sentiment for Intuit, with positive news regarding AI development but also negative headlines concerning a director's stock sale and a securities class action lawsuit. Despite the stock being down 1.6%, Intuit recently increased its quarterly dividend and posted strong earnings, beating analyst expectations.

Core Capital Management & Research inc. has invested $3.04 million in Teledyne Technologies Incorporated by acquiring 4,781 shares, making it 1.6% of their portfolio. Teledyne exceeded Q2 earnings expectations with $6.28 EPS and $1.66 billion in revenue, and its shares hold a "Moderate Buy" consensus rating among analysts. The article also notes recent insider selling by Director Simon Lorne and discusses other institutional investors' adjustments to their stakes in Teledyne.

HighTower Advisors LLC reduced its stake in Hershey Company (The) by 8.8% in the second quarter, now holding 88,581 shares valued at $15.54 million. Other hedge funds also adjusted their positions, and institutional investors now own 57.96% of the stock. Analysts have set varying price targets, with the stock currently holding an average "Hold" rating and an average price target of $204.78.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al has acquired a new stake of 63,350 shares in Moderna, Inc., valued at approximately $4.44 million, during the second quarter. Other institutional investors also bought or sold shares of Moderna, with 75.33% of the stock owned by hedge funds and institutional investors. Moderna's stock performance shows a 50-day moving average of $89.93 and a 200-day moving average of $65.58, with recent insider selling activity by company executives.