Wally is the founder and President of Wallace R. Weitz & Company. Wally, a Chartered Financial Analyst, manages Hickory Fund and Partners III Opportunity Fund and co-manages Value Fund and Partners Value Fund.
Wally’s investment career began in 1961, at age 12, when he invested the profits from various entrepreneurial ventures. After going through a charting phase in high school, Wally discovered Benjamin Graham’s Security Analysis and was converted to value investing. After earning a B.A. in Economics at Carleton College in 1970, Wally spent three years in New York doing security analysis, primarily on the small companies in which G.A. Saxton made over-the-counter markets. In 1973 he joined Chiles, Heider & Co., a regional brokerage firm in Omaha, where he spent ten years as an analyst and portfolio manager. In 1983 he started Wallace R. Weitz & Company, and now heads a group of eight investment professionals that manages approximately $2 billion. Wally’s approach to value investing has evolved over the years. It combines Graham’s price sensitivity and insistence on a “margin of safety” with a conviction that qualitative factors that allow companies to have some control over their own destinies can be more important than statistical measurements, such as historical book value or reported earnings. Wally has the good fortune to be paid to pursue his favorite hobby, investing, but he also enjoys golf, skiing, tennis, reading, and working with charitable and educational foundations. Wally is on the Board of Trustees for Carleton College and serves on the Executive Committee of Building Bright Futures in Omaha.

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Hundreds of thousands of space heaters sold at Costco and other major retailers for years are being recalled after reports that the units overheated and caught fire, prompting federal safety officials to warn consumers to stop using them immediately.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced Wednesday that more than 255,000 Vornado tower heaters have been recalled.

The agency said the heater’s fan blade can detach from the motor shaft, causing the unit to overheat and potentially ignite. Vornado has received 32 reports of overheating, including eight fires and one smoke inhalation incident, according to the agency.

Costco sent a letter to its members that the recalled Vornado SRTH small room tower heater was sold between August 2013 and January 2017 with the item number 1002889 (UPC 43765008478).

FROZEN FOOD ITEM SOLD AT COSTCO RECALLED OVER SALMONELLA CONCERN

The recalled Vornado SRTH small room tower heaters were sold in black and white, (Consumer Product Safety Commission  / Unknown)

“The fan blade can detach from the motor shaft, which can cause a stopped fan condition, leading to overheating and melting of the enclosure and internal parts,” the wholesaler said. “Melted internal parts can ignite and breach the enclosure if the thermal cut off or fuse does not timely activate, posing a fire hazard.”

Shoppers browse items at a Costco Wholesale Corp. store in Chicago, Illinois, on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. (Tim Boyle/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

OVER 2 MILLION PRESSURE COOKERS RECALLED AFTER DOZENS OF CONSUMERS SUFFER INJURIES

The recalled space heaters were also sold at Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond and ACE Hardware, and online at Vornado.com and Amazon.com, from August 2013 through May 2026 for between $40 and $50, the CPSC said.

A shopper browses in the aisles of a Costco Wholesale Corp. warehouse in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday, July 25, 2012. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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The agency said the heaters were manufactured in China.

Both Costco and the CPSC urged consumers to stop using the product immediately and contact the Vornado Recall Team at 888-240-2768.

NEW YORK — Players of the New York Times’ popular Wordle game woke up Sunday to a fresh five-letter challenge, with today’s solution proving accessible yet thoughtful for many enthusiasts tracking their streaks.

The answer for Wordle No. 1,814 on June 7, 2026, is THUMB. The word refers to the short, thick digit of the human hand nearest the wrist that is opposable to the other fingers, according to Webster’s New World College Dictionary.

This common anatomical term offered a mix of straightforward letter placement and everyday familiarity, allowing many to solve it within three to four guesses. The puzzle featured common consonants and a vowel that helped narrow options quickly for experienced players.

For those still working through the puzzle or seeking to improve future performance, here are spoiler-free hints: The word contains one vowel. It starts with a common consonant and ends with a consonant frequently seen in body-part words. No letters repeat. It relates to a part of the hand and can also describe an informal way of hitchhiking or a gardening technique.

Wordle continues its daily tradition of delivering a single word puzzle accessible worldwide. Created by Josh Wardle and acquired by the New York Times, the game has maintained massive popularity since its 2021 debut, blending simple mechanics with social sharing elements that fuel friendly competition among friends and families.

Today’s solution fits into a pattern of relatively solvable puzzles that reward vocabulary knowledge without overly obscure terms. “THUMB” aligns with Wordle’s preference for common English words, avoiding proper nouns, contractions or hyphenated terms per official rules.

Many players start with strong opening guesses containing frequently used vowels and consonants. Common starters like “SLATE,” “CRANE,” “TRACE” or “AUDIO” help eliminate multiple letters efficiently. For today’s puzzle, an opener featuring T, H or M would have provided an early advantage.

The game’s appeal lies in its balance of challenge and accessibility. With only six attempts allowed, players must balance risk and information gathering. Green tiles confirm correct letters in the right position, while yellow tiles indicate correct letters in the wrong spot. Gray tiles rule out letters entirely.

Wordle’s social component remains strong, with players sharing colored grid emojis on social media without spoiling the answer. This daily ritual fosters community and lighthearted rivalry, especially among those maintaining long streaks. Hard mode, which requires using confirmed letters in subsequent guesses, adds extra difficulty for dedicated solvers.

Beyond the daily puzzle, the New York Times offers companion games like Connections, Spelling Bee and Mini Crossword, creating an ecosystem of word-based challenges. Today’s Wordle performance contributed to ongoing discussions about average solve rates and strategic approaches shared in online forums.

The puzzle’s timing on a Sunday often sees slightly higher engagement as players enjoy leisurely mornings. “THUMB” proved approachable, with many reporting solves in three guesses after strong openers. Others needed four or five attempts when early guesses missed key letters.

Wordle’s enduring success stems from its simplicity and universal appeal. Unlike more complex games, it requires no downloads or subscriptions for the basic daily puzzle, though a Times subscription unlocks additional features and archives. The game has inspired variants and spin-offs, but the original remains the benchmark.

For players seeking to enhance their skills, experts recommend focusing on vowel distribution and common letter pairs. Today’s puzzle rewarded those familiar with body-part vocabulary and everyday actions. Future puzzles will continue testing linguistic intuition and pattern recognition.

The game also serves educational purposes, helping expand vocabulary and logical reasoning. Schools and families sometimes incorporate it into learning routines, turning daily play into a teaching moment about language and deduction.

As Wordle enters its sixth year, it maintains relevance through consistent quality and minimal changes to core gameplay. Occasional adjustments to the word list ensure fairness and freshness while avoiding overly rare terms that could frustrate casual players.

Today’s solution “THUMB” joins a long list of past answers that blend the familiar with occasional surprises. Players who missed it can try again tomorrow, as each puzzle resets independently. Streaks remain a popular personal challenge, with some users boasting hundreds of consecutive solves.

Community resources, including hint guides and post-game analyses, help players improve without spoiling the fun. Whether solved in two guesses or five, the daily ritual provides a small mental win and conversation starter for millions worldwide.

Looking ahead, Wordle continues evolving with the times while preserving its core charm. The June 7 puzzle offered a satisfying solve for most, reinforcing why this simple game captured global attention. As players reset for the next challenge, today’s “THUMB” serves as another memorable entry in the game’s growing history.

For those tracking performance, average solve rates and letter frequency statistics provide interesting insights into linguistic patterns. “THUMB” highlighted common letters that appear frequently across English vocabulary, rewarding strategic play.

The phenomenon extends beyond individual satisfaction to shared cultural moments. Friends and colleagues often compare results, turning a solitary activity into a collective experience. In an era of digital overload, Wordle’s five-minute daily commitment offers a refreshing pause.

As the sun sets on another Wordle Sunday, solvers reflect on their guesses and prepare for tomorrow’s puzzle. Whether “THUMB” boosted or ended a streak, the game’s gentle challenge endures, promising fresh linguistic adventures with each new day.

NEW YORK — The New York Times’ popular word grouping game Connections delivered another engaging daily challenge on Sunday, June 7, 2026, with puzzle No. 1,092 testing players’ ability to find thematic links among 16 words. Many solvers found it moderately difficult, with the purple category proving especially tricky for some.

The answers for today’s Connections are as follows:

Yellow Category (Translucent, as fabric): GAUZY, GOSSAMER, SHEER, THIN

Green Category (Speak): EXPRESS, STATE, UTTER, VOICE

Blue Category (Demolish): GUT, LEVEL, TOTAL, TRASH

Purple Category (Music genre suffixes): CORE, POP, STEP, WAVE

The puzzle rewarded recognition of descriptive language for materials, synonyms for verbal expression, verbs meaning to destroy or criticize harshly, and common endings for music subgenres. Players who started with obvious groupings often secured the yellow or green categories early, while the purple one required lateral thinking about terms like “pop” or “wave.”

For those seeking guidance without immediate spoilers, here are gentle hints: One category involves lightweight, see-through fabrics. Another features ways to convey thoughts aloud. A third relates to completely wrecking something, figuratively or literally. The toughest links words that often follow a music style prefix.

Connections, created by Josh Wardle (the mind behind Wordle) and acquired by the New York Times, continues to captivate word enthusiasts with its mix of vocabulary, categorization and pattern recognition. The daily grid presents 16 words that must be sorted into four groups of four, each sharing a distinct theme. Correct guesses earn color-coded feedback: yellow for the easiest, progressing to green, blue and purple for increasing difficulty.

Today’s puzzle featured a balanced mix of straightforward and deceptive groupings. Common trap words encouraged careful analysis, as terms like “express” or “total” could fit multiple potential categories before the correct connections emerged. Many players reported solving it in three or four attempts, with purple often solved last.

The game’s social element remains strong, with players sharing emoji grids on platforms like X and Reddit to compare results without spoiling solutions. Streaks and perfect games fuel friendly competition, while the New York Times’ companion articles provide post-game discussion and creator insights.

Connections complements other New York Times games, including Wordle, Spelling Bee and Strands, forming a robust daily puzzle ecosystem. Its appeal lies in accessibility — no obscure trivia required — combined with satisfying “aha” moments when categories click. For June 7, the fabric and music themes resonated with players familiar with descriptive language and pop culture.

Solvers offered varied strategies online. Some prioritize obvious synonyms or adjectives first, while others scan for proper nouns or multi-meaning words. Today’s grid rewarded attention to adjectives describing texture and verbs of communication or destruction. The music suffixes category highlighted how “-core,” “-pop,” “-step” and “-wave” denote subgenres in electronic, dance and alternative music scenes.

The puzzle’s Sunday timing often sees higher engagement as players enjoy relaxed mornings. Average solve difficulty for this edition aligned with recent trends, avoiding extreme obscurity while challenging pattern recognition. New York Times editors curate the word list carefully to maintain fairness and freshness.

Educational benefits extend beyond entertainment. The game sharpens categorical thinking, vocabulary and cognitive flexibility. Families and classrooms sometimes use it as a group activity, turning individual solving into collaborative discussion. Its minimalist design — just a grid and four lives — keeps focus on pure deduction.

As Connections approaches its next milestones, it maintains strong popularity alongside Wordle. The June 7 edition contributed to ongoing conversations about puzzle difficulty and creative category construction. Players who missed categories can review the official companion article for deeper explanations.

Looking ahead, tomorrow’s puzzle promises another fresh challenge. The New York Times continues refining the experience with occasional updates while preserving the core format that hooked millions. For dedicated fans, maintaining a streak adds personal stakes to the daily ritual.

Whether solved perfectly or with a few mistakes, today’s Connections offered mental stimulation and satisfaction. The categories — from sheer fabrics to genre suffixes — showcased the richness and playfulness of English language connections. As players reset for the next grid, the game reinforces why simple yet clever word puzzles endure in the digital age.

Community forums buzzed with reactions, from perfect solvers celebrating streaks to others sharing near-misses and strategies. The purple category in particular sparked discussion about music terminology and its evolution. Overall, the June 7 puzzle struck a balance that kept the experience enjoyable for casual and hardcore players alike.

In an era of constant digital stimulation, Connections provides a compact, rewarding daily pause. Its blend of logic and linguistics continues to attract new fans while retaining longtime enthusiasts. For those tracking performance, today’s solve added another entry to the ever-growing archive of daily challenges

This article was written by

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NEW YORK — SanDisk Corp. (NASDAQ: SNDK) has emerged as one of the standout performers in the technology sector in 2026, delivering extraordinary gains driven by surging demand for high-bandwidth memory and NAND flash solutions powering artificial intelligence data centers.

As of early June 2026, shares trade around $1,559 after a year-to-date surge exceeding 500% and multi-year gains surpassing 2,700% since its spin-off from Western Digital in 2025. The stock has been among the top performers in the S&P 500, fueled by robust earnings growth and AI infrastructure buildout.

SanDisk reported explosive results in recent quarters, with revenue surging over 250% year-over-year in one period and EPS significantly beating expectations. Analysts project continued strong growth, with fiscal 2026 earnings estimates revised sharply higher. The company benefits from long-term supply agreements with hyperscalers and its leadership in memory technologies critical for AI training and inference.

The bullish case for buying SanDisk centers on its position in the AI memory supercycle. High-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced NAND demand remain elevated as data centers expand. Analysts from firms like Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Mizuho and Susquehanna have raised price targets, with some reaching $1,750 to $3,250, citing sustained pricing power and volume growth.

“Don’t Count Out Memory Stocks Yet,” noted a Morgan Stanley analyst who lifted the target to $1,750. Multiple upgrades reflect confidence in SanDisk’s ability to capitalize on AI tailwinds similar to peers like Micron.

SanDisk maintains strong fundamentals, including high margins in its data center business and a growing enterprise presence. Recent design awards and product innovations further bolster its competitive edge in storage solutions for AI workloads.

However, risks are notable for potential buyers at current levels. The stock has experienced sharp volatility, including double-digit pullbacks amid broader semiconductor sector rotations and concerns over competition or softening spot prices. Valuation has expanded significantly, trading at premiums that assume flawless execution on growth forecasts.

Some analysts caution that much of the positive news may already be priced in. A 24/7 Wall St. analysis suggested a hold rating with a $1,500 target, implying limited near-term upside and potential mean reversion if AI spending moderates.

For sellers or those considering trimming positions, the parabolic run raises questions about sustainability. While fundamentals remain strong, elevated multiples leave little room for disappointment. Macro factors, including interest rates, geopolitical tensions affecting supply chains, and potential slowdowns in hyperscaler capex, could pressure the stock.

Longer-term investors focused on AI infrastructure may still favor accumulation on dips, viewing SanDisk as a core holding in the memory space. The company’s spin-off has allowed greater strategic focus, and its technology portfolio positions it well for multi-year demand trends in cloud computing and generative AI.

Broader market context includes ongoing semiconductor sector strength, though recent rotations have introduced volatility. SanDisk’s performance has outpaced many peers, but correlation with names like Micron remains high during market swings.

Investment decisions depend on time horizon and risk appetite. Growth-oriented portfolios with tolerance for volatility may lean toward buy on weakness, while conservative investors might await a more attractive entry or maintain smaller positions. Diversification across the semiconductor ecosystem is advisable given industry cyclicality.

Analyst consensus leans bullish overall, with Buy ratings dominating and average targets suggesting further upside, albeit more modest than earlier in the rally. Earnings momentum and guidance will be key watchpoints in upcoming reports.

SanDisk’s trajectory highlights the transformative impact of AI on memory demand. From its roots as a flash storage pioneer to its current role in enabling large-scale computing, the company exemplifies how specialized players can thrive in the current technology landscape.

As 2026 progresses, key variables include oil and energy costs affecting data center economics, competitive dynamics with Samsung and others, and overall AI adoption rates. Management’s ability to secure additional contracts and maintain pricing discipline will influence results.

For now, SanDisk represents a high-conviction but high-volatility play on AI infrastructure. Patient investors betting on continued data center expansion may find the risk-reward attractive despite elevated valuations, while others may prefer booking gains after the remarkable run.

The coming quarters will provide further clarity on whether the company can sustain its momentum or if a period of consolidation lies ahead. In the dynamic semiconductor sector, SanDisk’s story remains one of the most compelling in 2026.