As the US and China vie for AI dominance, energy has become a crucial battleground. Their competition extends beyond technology to securing sustainable and strategic energy resources, highlighting the importance of energy resilience and innovation in shaping global power dynamics in the race for technological supremacy.

The race for renewable energy dominance between the US and China is intensifying. China currently leads globally, with substantial investments in solar, wind, and hydropower projects. Its aggressive push towards clean energy aims to reduce reliance on coal and position itself as a leader in the green economy. Meanwhile, the US has made significant strides, fueled by policy initiatives like the Inflation Reduction Act, which boosts renewables development and innovation.

Despite the US’s advanced technological edge, catching up to China remains a formidable challenge. China’s vast manufacturing capabilities, government support, and large-scale infrastructure projects give it a distinct advantage. The US faces hurdles such as political gridlock, regulatory delays, and supply chain issues, which slow progress in scaling renewable energy deployment.

However, the US has the potential to close the gap with strategic investments and technological advancements. By fostering collaborations, improving policy consistency, and accelerating deployment, the US can boost its renewable capacity. While China currently leads, sustained effort and innovation could see the US competing more closely in the renewable energy race in the future.

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As a parent, one thing I often try to emphasize to my kids is the importance of hard work. Study a little bit for a test, and you might walk away with a 95. Study harder, and you could score 100 instead.

I’m also no stranger to hard work. There’s a reason I spend 40 or more hours a week at my desk as a freelance writer when I could probably get away with working less. I’m a big fan of the payoff.

But when it comes to investing, I happen to think it’s OK to be a little lazy.

A portfolio that also includes mid- and large-cap stocks provides balance. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

While some investors spend hours each week poring over their portfolios and choosing stocks to meet their long-term and retirement savings goals, others may prefer a more hands-off approach. And I think it’s totally fine to find a lazy person’s ETF, or exchange-traded fund, that you can put money into regularly and call it a day.

ETFS VS MUTUAL FUNDS IN 2026: WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO?

There’s one ETF in particular that I’m a fan of for this approach. And if your goal is to grow your money without having to put in a lot of effort, you may want to add it to your portfolio.

How the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF lends to “lazy” investing

The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF is ideal for lazy investing because it offers broad market exposure in a single fund. As the name implies, when you buy shares of the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF, you’re effectively investing in thousands of U.S. companies across a range of industries and market caps.

The latter point is important. Exposure to large-, mid- and small-cap stocks is crucial because each category plays a different role in a diversified portfolio.

Large-cap companies are typically well-established businesses with a proven model. Some may be poised for steady growth, while others may have a long history of paying and increasing dividends. These companies can offer the benefit of consistency and may hold up better during periods of market volatility.

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Mid-cap stocks, meanwhile, are usually companies that are still growing but have reasonably established businesses. They can offer a nice balance between stability and growth potential.

Finally, small-cap stocks tend to be less established companies. That can be a mixed bag. Small-cap stocks can carry more risk, but they also offer a lot of growth potential.

A portfolio of only small-cap stocks can be risky. But a portfolio that also includes mid- and large-cap stocks provides balance.

With the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF, you don’t have to rack your brain trying to come up with the ideal allocation across large-, mid- and small-cap stocks. The fund itself does it for you. And if you stick with it for the long haul, you’re likely to come away with strong returns.

A BEGINNER-FRIENDLY ETF PORTFOLIO THAT REQUIRES ALMOST NO MAINTENANCE AND DELIVERS LONG-TERM RESULTS

ETFs can trade at slight premiums or discounts to the value of their underlying holdings. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Over the past 10 years, the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF has generated a roughly 295% return. And the cost of this super-easy strategy is a mere 0.03% expense ratio, which is pocket change compared to the average 0.72% expense ratio found across similar funds.

There’s nothing wrong with simplicity

You might think investing in the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF is taking the easy way out. Well, it is. And if your goal as an investor is to beat the market, then this isn’t the way to do it.

But if you’re happy with the idea of having your portfolio mimic the broad market’s returns, there’s nothing wrong with bypassing the stress of choosing stocks individually and falling back on a broad market ETF instead. And there’s perhaps no fund that better fits that bill than the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF, especially if your goal is to combine simplicity with the safeguards that come with having a diversified portfolio.

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Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder may have unlocked a blueprint to contain Victor Wembanyama, holding the Spurs superstar to a series-low 20 points on inefficient shooting in Game 5, as San Antonio now faces elimination with the Western Conference finals at 3-2 heading into Thursday’s pivotal Game 6.

Wembanyama, who dominated earlier in the series with outputs of 41 and 33 points in Spurs victories, struggled against Oklahoma City’s physical, team-oriented defense on Tuesday night. He finished 4-of-15 from the field, including 0-of-5 from three-point range, while relying heavily on free throws for his scoring total. The Thunder’s strategy of contesting shots at the rim, using multiple defenders, and limiting easy opportunities in the paint proved effective in Game 5’s 127-114 victory.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault and players have emphasized collective effort rather than relying on a single defender to slow the 7-foot-4 phenom. Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso provided physical resistance, while the team’s help rotations and length made it difficult for Wembanyama to establish rhythm.

Defensive Adjustments Pay Off

In Game 5, Oklahoma City held Wembanyama to just eight points in the paint and limited him to six rebounds. The approach built on lessons from earlier matchups, where the Spurs star had exploited mismatches with his combination of size, skill and shooting range. By forcing him into tougher, contested shots and disrupting passing lanes, the Thunder reduced his overall impact despite his continued presence as a defensive anchor.

Jared McCain, who started in place of injured teammates and scored 20 points, highlighted the team’s commitment to physicality and rebounding as keys to containing the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. The Thunder’s depth allowed them to wear down Wembanyama over the course of the game, preventing him from dominating extended stretches as he had in San Antonio.

The strategy represents a significant evolution from Game 1, when Wembanyama exploded for 41 points and 24 rebounds in a double-overtime Spurs victory. Oklahoma City has progressively tightened its defense around him, mixing schemes that alternate between dropping big men back and using wings to harass him on the perimeter.

Spurs Must Adapt Quickly

For San Antonio, Thursday’s Game 6 in front of a passionate home crowd represents a must-win scenario. Coach Mitch Johnson and the Spurs staff will need to devise counters to Oklahoma City’s physical approach, potentially by involving Wembanyama more as a facilitator or creating better spacing to open driving lanes.

Wembanyama has shown the ability to adjust throughout the playoffs, delivering dominant performances after quieter outings. His versatility remains the Spurs’ greatest asset, but the team’s supporting cast must elevate their play to reduce his burden against a Thunder defense that has grown more comfortable contesting his shots.

The series has highlighted the chess match between two young, talented rosters. While the Thunder boast superior depth and home-court advantage, the Spurs have proven capable of stealing games through Wembanyama’s brilliance and opportunistic defense.

Broader Series Context

Oklahoma City leads 3-2 after bouncing back strongly from a Game 4 loss in San Antonio. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s consistent scoring and playmaking, combined with strong bench contributions, have given the Thunder the edge in most contests. Their ability to win at home while forcing the Spurs into tough road environments has been a defining characteristic of their playoff run.

For the Thunder, closing out the series on the road would mark another step toward their ultimate goal of repeating as champions. A victory in Game 6 would send them to the NBA Finals against the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks.

The Western Conference finals have delivered compelling basketball, showcasing the league’s future with two of its brightest young stars in Wembanyama and Gilgeous-Alexander. Their individual matchups, along with the supporting casts’ contributions, have created memorable moments and tactical battles that could influence future playoff trends.

What’s Next for Both Teams

If the Spurs force a Game 7 on Saturday in Oklahoma City, the series would return to a hostile environment where the Thunder have been nearly unbeatable. For San Antonio to extend the series, they will likely need Wembanyama to approach his Game 1 and Game 4 levels of dominance while receiving more consistent support from role players.

The Thunder, meanwhile, aim to maintain their defensive intensity and exploit any fatigue or frustration within the Spurs organization. Their roster construction, blending star talent with versatile defenders and shooters, has proven difficult for opponents to solve throughout the postseason.

As the series reaches its potential conclusion, both teams face critical decisions on personnel, rotations and game plans. Wembanyama’s ability to overcome Oklahoma City’s defensive schemes will be the central storyline in Game 6, but the collective efforts of both squads will ultimately decide the outcome.

The Western Conference finals have already provided a showcase for the league’s evolving style of play, where length, versatility and tactical discipline often outweigh traditional metrics. Whether the Thunder have truly solved the Wembanyama puzzle or if the Spurs can engineer one more memorable comeback remains to be seen in what promises to be an intense Game 6 atmosphere in San Antonio.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio just wrapped a four-day visit to India with a Quad meeting over the weekend. Energy security was at the forefront of discussions, alongside Indo-Pacific security, trade and supply chain resilience.

The trip was Rubio’s first visit to the country as the Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, and came at a moment of delicate U.S.-India relations and heightened volatility in global energy markets.

Before embarking on his trip, Rubio said Washington wants New Delhi to buy more American oil and gas.

HIGH ENERGY PRICES RISK KEEPING INFLATION ABOVE 2% TARGET, CONCERNING FED POLICYMAKERS

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar attend a joint press conference after their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, May 24, 2026.  (Adnan Abidi/Reuters / Reuters)

“We want to sell them as much energy as they’ll buy. We want them to be a bigger part of the portfolio,” Rubio told reporters in Miami last week, adding, “There’s a lot to work on with India. They’re a great ally, a great partner.”

India, the world’s second-largest importer of oil, imports nearly 88% of its crude. More than half of those imports come from the Middle East, much of it transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Iran war has created a significant energy crisis for the South Asian nation. And even with signs of a peace deal emerging, the disruptions are expected to linger, deepening New Delhi’s fears over long-term energy security.

India has increasingly sought alternative supplies and looked to diversify its energy future, which is accelerating broader U.S.-India energy cooperation.

“Secretary Rubio should make clear that America wants to be India’s energy partner of choice. U.S. energy gives India a secure alternative to opaque, sanctions-exposed supply chains, Max Meizlish, Research Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Economic and Financial Power, told FOX Business.

OIL, GAS PRICES JUMP AS TRUMP FLIRTS WITH STRIKING IRANIAN OIL INFRASTRUCTURE

“But the partnership has to run both ways. India cannot be a strategic energy partner for Washington while Indian firms are repeatedly surfacing in sanctions designations involving Iranian energy flows, shadow fleet shipping, falsified origin claims and Russian sanctions evasion,” he added.

An Iranian flag flies above ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. cracks down on Iran’s growing use of cryptocurrency. (Majid Saeedi / Getty Images)

India has continued to buy discounted Russian crude, despite sanctions and pressure from Washington to reduce dependence on Moscow’s energy exports. Now, the U.S. is hoping to persuade India to purchase more oil and liquefied natural gas from America and Venezuela.

This month, Venezuela overtook Saudi Arabia and the United States to become India’s third-largest crude supplier.

During a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rubio underscored the strategic importance of the U.S.-India partnership and affirmed that U.S. energy products have the potential to diversify India’s energy supply.
 

In an X post on Saturday, Rubio also said that Delhi committed to buying $500 billion in American goods over the next five years, focusing on energy, technology and agriculture.

IRAN WAR FUELS ASIA ENERGY CRUNCH AS INDIA, JAPAN, OTHERS FEEL STRAIN

At the same time, India is trying to secure long-term energy independence by rapidly expanding domestic nuclear power generation.

Last month, India hit a major nuclear milestone when its most advanced reactor, the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), achieved a self-sustaining stage.

Unlike conventional reactors, fast breeder reactors produce more fissile material than they consume, potentially reducing long-term dependence on imported fuel sources.

Once fully operational, India will become only the second country after Russia to run a commercial fast-breeder reactor.

The India-flagged oil tanker Desh Ujaala is pictured in the Gulf waters near Al-Basrah Oil Terminal (ABOT), about 50 kilometres offshore of Iraq’s southern Faw peninsula, on August 5, 2025.  (Hussein Faleh/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

As this unfolds, New Delhi is also deepening nuclear cooperation with Washington as it seeks foreign investment and advanced technology to rapidly scale up its atomic energy sector.

Earlier this month, a high-level 20-member U.S. Executive Nuclear Industry Delegation visited India to explore private investment and technology commercialization opportunities in India’s civil nuclear energy market, with discussions focused on advanced nuclear technologies and small modular reactors.

U.S. Ambassador to the country, Sergio Gor, recently praised the growing India-U.S. energy partnership, saying “big things” lie ahead.

India plans to increase its nuclear power capacity from 8.8 gigawatts to 100 gigawatts by 2047, creating what officials estimate could become a nearly $300 billion nuclear energy market.

The deepening energy ties extend beyond energy imports alone.

President Donald Trump recently announced a historic $300 billion refinery agreement with India’s Reliance Industries. Under the deal, a new oil refinery would be constructed at the Port of Brownsville in Texas. It’s set to become the first new major U.S. refinery built in 50 years.

Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, at the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters during election results night in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.  (Prakash Singh/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

With analysts warning that prolonged instability involving Iran could continue rattling global oil markets and supply chains, Rubio’s trip highlighted the growing strategic importance of energy cooperation between Washington and New Delhi.

For Washington, India represents one of the world’s fastest-growing energy markets and a key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific.

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For New Delhi, deeper ties with the U.S. offer an opportunity to diversify energy supplies, while reducing vulnerability to shocks rippling from the Middle East.

“The goal should be more American energy flowing to India and far less sanctioned Iranian and Russian energy moving through Indian channels,” Meizlish told Fox.

NEW YORK — As Meta Platforms Inc. shares trade near all-time highs in late May 2026, investors face a familiar dilemma: whether to buy into the company’s artificial intelligence momentum and advertising dominance or exercise caution over elevated valuations and ongoing losses in its Reality Labs division.

The social media giant has delivered strong returns year-to-date, driven by robust ad revenue growth and progress in its open-source AI initiatives. However, some analysts warn that the stock’s premium pricing leaves limited room for error if economic conditions soften or AI monetization timelines extend.

Meta reported solid first-quarter 2026 results in April, with revenue reaching $40.1 billion, up 21 percent year-over-year. Advertising revenue, which accounts for the vast majority of total sales, continued its steady climb as brands increased spending on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Threads. Daily active users across the family of apps exceeded 3.3 billion, underscoring the company’s unmatched digital reach.

AI Investments Fuel Optimism

Meta has aggressively positioned itself in the generative AI race through its Llama family of models. The company’s decision to release models openly has earned praise from developers and researchers while helping attract talent and partnerships. Recent updates to Llama 4 have shown competitive performance against closed-source alternatives, boosting confidence in Meta’s long-term AI strategy.

Analysts highlight Meta’s ability to integrate AI features directly into its core products. Tools like AI-powered content recommendations, advertising optimization and creative generation have improved user engagement and advertiser efficiency. This integration potentially offers faster monetization paths compared to companies building standalone AI businesses.

Chief Financial Officer Susan Li noted during the earnings call that AI is already contributing meaningfully to ad performance metrics. The company expects continued investment in compute infrastructure throughout 2026, with capital expenditures projected to reach $60-65 billion, primarily for AI-related data centers and chips.

Advertising Resilience Amid Economic Uncertainty

Meta’s core advertising business has proven remarkably durable. Despite periodic concerns about macroeconomic pressures, the company has consistently grown its user base and average revenue per user. Reels and short-form video formats have helped the platforms compete effectively with rivals like TikTok.

International markets, particularly in Asia and Latin America, continue to offer growth opportunities as digital advertising penetration increases. Meta’s focus on small and medium-sized businesses has also provided a buffer against fluctuations in large advertiser spending.

Reality Labs Remains a Drag

The company’s bet on the metaverse through Reality Labs continues to generate substantial losses. While mixed-reality headsets like the Quest series have seen improved sales, the division still operates at a significant annual loss. Management maintains that these investments are essential for positioning Meta in future computing platforms, but the ongoing cash burn raises questions about capital allocation efficiency.

Some investors argue that Meta should consider moderating its Reality Labs spending to improve near-term profitability and shareholder returns. Others view the division as a necessary long-term strategic bet that could eventually rival the core social media business in scale.

Valuation and Risk Considerations

At current levels, Meta trades at a forward price-to-earnings multiple in the mid-20s, which is elevated compared to historical averages but reasonable given its growth profile. The stock offers a dividend yield of approximately 0.3 percent, with the company having initiated payouts in 2024 and increased them steadily.

Bullish analysts point to Meta’s strong free cash flow generation, disciplined share repurchase program and potential for AI-driven margin expansion as reasons to maintain or add to positions. Bearish voices cite risks including regulatory scrutiny in Europe and the United States, competition in advertising, and execution challenges in emerging technologies.

Geopolitical tensions, particularly around data privacy regulations and potential tariffs, represent additional uncertainties. Meta has worked to diversify its operations and comply with regional requirements, but these issues could impact growth in key markets.

Analyst Consensus and Price Targets

Wall Street maintains a generally positive stance on Meta. The majority of covering firms rate the stock as Buy or Outperform, with average price targets suggesting 10-20 percent upside from current levels. Recent notes have highlighted the company’s AI progress and advertising resilience as key supportive factors.

However, a minority of analysts recommend a more neutral stance, citing valuation concerns and the potential for multiple compression if AI hype moderates or if economic conditions deteriorate.

Investment Considerations for 2026

For investors considering Meta stock in 2026, several factors warrant attention:

Bull Case: Continued AI integration drives higher engagement and advertising efficiency. User growth remains strong, and Reality Labs losses eventually narrow. The company’s vast data resources and distribution network provide significant competitive advantages.

Bear Case: Advertising market slowdowns pressure revenue growth. Reality Labs continues consuming capital without clear returns. Regulatory actions or competitive disruptions erode market share in key areas.

Diversification remains advisable. Many portfolio managers recommend pairing Meta with other technology names to balance exposure to social media, advertising and AI themes.

Longer-term, Meta’s ability to evolve beyond its core social platforms while maintaining profitability will determine its success. The company’s track record of adapting to changing user behaviors and technological shifts provides some reassurance for investors.

As the year progresses, quarterly results, AI product launches and capital expenditure updates will provide important signals about Meta’s trajectory. For now, the stock offers a blend of growth potential and cash flow stability that appeals to many long-term investors, though careful attention to valuation and execution risks remains essential.

The debate over buying or selling Meta in 2026 ultimately depends on individual risk tolerance, time horizon and conviction in the company’s AI and metaverse strategies. While near-term momentum appears positive, disciplined analysis of fundamentals will be key to navigating potential volatility ahead.