T-Mobile and Verizon have been gaining momentum in attracting new internet customers; however, competition has just intensified with a new rival in the broadband market.  

In recent months, both companies have benefited from a growing trend of consumers switching from traditional internet services offered by cable operators to lower-priced fixed wireless and fiber internet offerings from wireless carriers.

Amid this trend, T-Mobile reportedly added roughly 520,000 broadband customers in the second quarter of 2026, according to data from research and consulting firm Recon Analytics. Verizon gained about 348,000 internet customers during the quarter, its latest earnings report revealed. 

In a May report from RCR Wireless News, Jeff Moore, telecom analyst and principal of Wave7 Research, said the “U.S. broadband duopoly of cable and telcos is fading” as “increased competition from carriers and alternative providers is giving consumers more choices, wider availability, easier setup, and lower prices.” 

Cricket Wireless introduces 5G home internet service

As T-Mobile and Verizon benefit from shifting consumer behavior, Cricket Wireless, which is owned by AT&T, has entered the broadband market by launching 5G home internet service (a fixed wireless internet service). 

Cricket 5G Home Internet officially launched on Sept. 16, according to a new press release. The carrier states that the offering “simplifies connectivity with predictable pricing, no annual contracts, and plan taxes included” in the monthly price. It also runs on AT&T’s network.

The plan is $65 per month, and if new customers bundle it with Cricket Wireless, it is $75 per month. However, existing Cricket Wireless customers can add Cricket 5G Home Internet for $45 per month (with the $5 autopay discount activated). 

Related: T-Mobile adds monthly fee to a new iPhone feature for customers

The plan offers “unlimited data for streaming, gaming, browsing and everyday household connectivity.” It has a typical download speed of 90-300 Mbps, an upload speed of 8-30 Mbps, and a latency of 30-65 milliseconds. 

Also, Cricket Wireless states that no installation appointments are needed, as customers can set up the service themselves in minutes using the myCricket Internet App.

“Customers are looking for fast, reliable internet that’s simple to buy, easy to understand, and backed by a brand they trust,” said Angela Rittgers, president of Cricket Wireless, in the press release. “With Cricket 5G Home Internet, we’re delivering the internet you need at the value you deserve while removing the complexity; it’s just the smarter way to stay connected.”

Cricket Wireless joins a growing push for affordable internet

The move announced by Cricket Wireless comes at a time when the big three carriers, T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon, have been revamping their internet offerings this year. 

For example, in March, AT&T launched its OneConnect plan, which costs $90 per month and offers customers combined wireless and 1-gig fiber home internet service (with speeds up to 1,000 Mbps).

In May, T-Mobile refreshed its fiber internet offerings with a new Fiber 300 Mbps plan that starts at $45 per month. It also lowered the price of its Fiber 1 Gig plan from $65 per month to $60 per month, and while its Fiber 2Gbps plan remained at $70 per month, a promotion is no longer required to secure that price. 

More Telecom News:

Verizon took a similar step as AT&T when it launched its Verizon One plan in June, which offers customers combined mobile and home internet service for $70 per month.

Recently, internet providers have increasingly focused on offering greater value and affordability as consumers become more sensitive to price increases. 

A survey from PCMag in August found that 47% of U.S. consumers saw their monthly internet bills increase over the last 12 months. 

The average estimated price hike was $16.58 per month, reflecting an almost $200 year-over-year increase. In extreme cases, approximately 11% saw price increases exceeding $30 per month.

Amid this trend, 36% said they are unhappy with their internet service and are contemplating switching providers. 

“So few of us have a true choice when it comes to picking an ISP (internet service provider),” said Eric Griffith, a senior editor covering broadband at PCMag, in the survey release. 

“Providers coast on their regional monopolies or duopolies,” he added. “That lack of competition means you’re over a barrel, paying high prices for service that seldom improves in any noticeable way.”

Related: Verizon scales back a perk that keeps prices low for customers

This story was originally published by TheStreet on Sep 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Sempra (NYSE:SRE) added a long-term customer commitment on September 14, when its infrastructure subsidiary announced a 20-year sales and purchase agreement with Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (NYSE:PBR). The agreement covers approximately 0.8 million tonnes annually of liquefied natural gas, or LNG.

Supply will come from the subsidiary’s contracted liquefaction capacity at Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 in Texas. The project is under construction, with trains 3 and 4 expected to begin commercial operations in 2030 and 2031, respectively. The agreement improves visibility into future sales, while the earnings contribution depends on delivery and contract economics.

Bull Case

Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) becomes the infrastructure subsidiary’s first South American LNG customer. That broadens the geographic base of buyers and establishes a commercial relationship extending over two decades.

For Sempra (NYSE:SRE), the practical benefit is an external buyer for part of the subsidiary’s contracted capacity. Securing that relationship before startup could reduce the need to find buyers for the covered volumes as production approaches, while supporting longer-term supply planning.

The annual commitment equals approximately 6.2% of Phase 2’s planned 13-million-tonne annual capacity. This provides a measure of scale, although it does not establish the percentage of capacity still available for sale.

The project also has an established development framework. Phase 2 reached a positive final investment decision in September 2025, and Bechtel Energy Inc. received full notice to proceed with construction. Using the same contractor across both phases could support continuity in execution. The new agreement builds on that existing investment and construction program.

Sempra (NYSE:SRE) has agreed to sell a 45% interest in Sempra Infrastructure Partners, retaining 25% after closing. The transaction remained pending in the latest disclosures, with closing expected in the third quarter of 2026. Its participation in future LNG earnings would reflect that smaller ownership stake.

Bear Case

The announcement does not disclose the pricing formula, expected contract margin, or detailed payment and termination provisions. Those terms determine how much commodity-price exposure remains and how reliably contracted volumes translate into earnings. A 20-year duration alone does not establish fixed revenue or protected profitability.

Construction remains a substantial financial commitment. At the September 2025 investment decision, estimated project-level incremental capital expenditure was approximately $12 billion, plus $2 billion for shared facilities.

Cost overruns, commissioning difficulties, or delayed availability of supporting infrastructure could weaken returns even with a customer agreement in place. With commercial operations targeted for 2030 and 2031, the associated LNG delivery cash flows remain years away.

The agreement also leaves counterparty performance and delivery obligations relevant throughout its term. Investors need to distinguish successful customer contracting from successful operation: the facilities must produce LNG reliably, and the commercial arrangements must generate enough margin to support the capital invested.

Hedge Fund Sentiment

The filings available so far reflect positions held before Sempra (NYSE:SRE) reported the 20-year LNG supply agreement. Insider Monkey’s database showed 46 hedge funds holding Sempra (NYSE:SRE) at the end of 2Q2026, down from 51 funds three months earlier.

Conclusion

Sempra (NYSE:SRE) has improved commercial visibility for part of its infrastructure subsidiary’s future LNG supply. The agreement reduces uncertainty about finding a buyer for those volumes, but the disclosed terms do not quantify the earnings benefit. Construction progress, budget discipline, commissioning, and margins on delivered LNG will determine whether the relationship produces durable returns.

While we acknowledge the potential of SRE as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: CBRE Group (CBRE) Unit Buys $1.6 Billion Net-Lease Platform. Can Scale Lift Fee Earnings? and Mastercard (MA) Partners With Flowcart. Can In-Chat Payments Deliver Profitable Growth?

This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

In crypto, a roadmap can describe what a project wants to build. Public code shows what developers have started to build already. That distinction is especially important for a memecoin launchpad, where users need to know how funding, token supply, refunds, and liquidity are meant to work.

MemeToro has released 1,373 lines of Solidity code across 17 files in its latest update. The project is building an AI-led fair-launch platform on BNB Chain and has raised more than $139,000 in its $0.00430 Stage 7 presale. 

The open-source update gives buyers and developers a clearer view of the proposed system, including its smart-contract rules and the work still required before mainnet deployment.

About MemeToro and its new AI agent on BNB chain

MemeToro is a planned BNB Chain ecosystem for discovering, funding, and trading memecoins. Its main goal is to use an AI agent to research trends and propose launches with documented reasons instead of relying on unverified hype.

The agent is designed to collect social, market, and news evidence. It then prepares a launch manifest that users can read before deciding whether to support a round.

The launch manifest is meant to show the proposed token structure, price, funding cap, and data sources. It gives buyers more information than a standard token announcement.

MemeToro’s validators are designed to reject proposals that fail basic rules. They can reject unsupported URLs, allocation totals that do not equal 100%, insider allocation above zero, and funding terms that conflict with the proposal.

$MT is the planned ecosystem token. It is intended to support access, funding, staking, rewards, memecoin trading, prediction markets, and a news portal.

The project is therefore building both an AI proposal layer and a contract layer. The agent suggests a launch, while smart contracts are meant to enforce the accepted rules.

What a $500 $MT position could look like

At the current $0.00430 Stage 7 rate, $500 would provide about 116,279 $MT before fees. MemeToro’s displayed launch target is $0.05186.

If $MT traded at that level, the allocation would have a theoretical paper value near $6,028, or about 12.06 times the original amount.

At a $1 billion fully diluted valuation, each $MT would be worth about $0.8333 based on the stated 1.2 billion supply. The same $500 allocation could then be worth around $96,899.

These figures are illustrative. They do not account for liquidity limits, slippage, transaction fees, taxes, supply changes, or the risk that $MT trades below the purchase price.

The real opportunity depends on whether MemeToro finishes the product and attracts enough users to make its AI-led fair-launch model valuable after the presale.

The 1,373-line release builds the first contract  layer

The latest update includes 17 files and 1,373 new lines of Solidity code. The main addition is FairLaunchEscrow.sol, a contract designed to hold contributor funds for one memecoin launch round.

The update also introduces ILaunchExecutor.sol. This is the planned plug-in point where future token deployment and liquidity work will connect to the escrow.

A third component, IERC20Minimal.sol, provides the basic token functions needed to support future claim payments. The release also adds documentation, architecture notes, contributor rules, and a full test suite.

The code is built with Foundry, a common Solidity toolkit used for contract development and testing. This allows outside developers to inspect the design and review how the functions are meant to work.

Open-source code does not eliminate risk. It does provide a public trail of development that buyers can compare with the project’s public claims.

The contract design focuses on what cannot happen

MemeToro’s fair-launch draft is designed without an owner, admin role, or upgrade path. This is meant to prevent a team from adding new privileges after a round goes live.

The contract locks round settings at creation. It also stores a fingerprint of the public launch manifest, so users can compare the on-chain terms with the plan they saw before contributing.

The design limits contributor funds to two outcomes: refunds or the planned liquidity process. It does not include a stated route for developer or treasury withdrawals.

The allocation logic is designed to prohibit insider supply. Contributors and liquidity must account for the total supply, while any rounding remainder goes to liquidity.

This is a major part of MemeToro’s bullish case. Instead of saying “trust us, there are no insiders,” the project is publishing code intended to make an insider allocation incompatible with the launch math.

The final system still needs independent review and real-world testing. But the initial contract structure gives the community something concrete to examine.

Tests and remaining milestones show a serious development path

MemeToro’s test suite checks the important launch states: funding caps, deadlines, thresholds, refunds, claims, and unexpected behavior from connected contracts.

Random-sequence testing is also included. This checks that the contract’s accounting remains balanced across many possible transaction orders and that users cannot claim more than they are owed.

The team added two extra tests to ensure the code reaches funded, launched, claimed, and refunded states. That is a useful detail because a passing test is not enough if it never enters the situation it is meant to verify.

The project still needs to complete the real token executor, manifest-to-contract integration, deployment scripts, factory, BNB Chain testnet launch, ERC-8004 agent identity, and independent security review.

MemeToro lists Coinsult, BlockSAFU, and SOLIDProof as audit or review providers. These give buyers three named firms to check alongside the public code and official project updates.

More Information on MemeToro ($MT) Presale Here:

Website: https://memetoro.com/ 

X: https://x.com/memetoro_mt 

Telegram: https://t.me/memetoro_mt 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY0jgWy_DtA 

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) has substantially outperformed the wider market this year, supported by an unusually sharp surge in global refining margins as the prolonged Iran crisis has significantly tightened global refining capacity and reduced supplies of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

With Marathon up by over 150% since the beginning of 2026, there are now concerns that the stock may have topped out. However, the analysts over at Morgan Stanley are convinced that the rally still has further room to run. On September 14, Morgan Stanley analyst Joe Laetsch significantly raised the firm’s price target on MPC from $265 to $453, while reaffirming an ‘Overweight’ rating on the shares.

The target boost reflects an upside of over 9% from the current price level and even exceeds the stock’s record high of just under $411 per share achieved earlier this month. The Morgan Stanley update comes amid broader Wall Street optimism surrounding the American refining giant, with analysts from Raymon James, UBS, and several others also improving their respective outlooks on MPC.

Cashing In on the Refining Crunch:

Morgan Stanley’s vote of confidence suggests that Wall Street expects the ongoing refining upcycle to last longer than previously expected, especially given the fresh wave of attacks between Washington and Tehran. Even if the conflict in the Middle East subsides, the region’s refined fuel output is expected to remain relatively tight, since the damaged or idled refineries in the Middle East are likely to take some time to return to full operations.

As the largest refiner by volume in the United States, Marathon has significant operating leverage to capitalize on the current high-margin environment. The company already demonstrated its ability to translate the high crack spreads into material earnings when it delivered an almost fourfold increase in profits in the second quarter.

Another major growth engine for Marathon is its stake in MPLX, which owns and operates midstream energy infrastructure. This provides the American refiner with significant exposure to a diversified midstream infrastructure business with relatively stable fee-based income, helping it offset the cyclicality of the refining business.

Marathon Petroleum’s shareholder return strategy also adds to its investment case. The company utilized its elevated cash flows to return $2.8 billion to shareholders during Q2, up from $1 billion in the year-ago period. According to TD Cowen’s Jason Gabelman, the refiner is expected to repurchase about 20% of its market value between Q3 and the end of next year, potentially lifting its per-share earnings.

A Refining Pullback Could Hit Hard:

Investors should bear in mind that Marathon’s unusually elevated Q2 profits were driven by extraordinary market conditions, much of which may already be priced into the stock. As a result, even a modest decline in global refining margins could trigger a significant pullback in the shares.

Marathon’s “super refining” run can also pose a challenge. The company moved quickly to capture windfall profits, with its refineries operating at about 94% of capacity in the second quarter, while Gulf Coast refineries reached even 100% utilization. This prolonged push to operate at near-maximum capacity, particularly if necessary maintenance is deferred, raises the risk of equipment failures, unplanned outages, and high repair costs.

Conclusion:

Morgan Stanley’s improved outlook signals its continued confidence in Marathon Petroleum’s rally, supported by tight global refining capacity and strong margins. However, the stock’s elevated valuation and the cyclical nature of refining leave MPC vulnerable to margin-driven pullback.

Market Sentiment:

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) was held by 58 hedge funds in the Insider Monkey database at the end of Q2 2026, with a total investment value of $1.68 billion. This was up from 54 hedge fund investors with a cumulative stake value of $1.58 billion in the previous quarter.

While we acknowledge the potential of MPC as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: UBS Bets on Valero Energy (VLO) to Shatter its Record High and Energy Transfer’s (ET) Strong 2026 Run Gets a Fresh Vote from Stifel

This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

Strategy shares have gained 47.65% over one month through Sept. 18, putting the Bitcoin treasury company at the top of the latest Nasdaq-100 constituent return ranking.

History of Market data updated Sept. 19 showed MSTR at $153.92 with a trailing one-month return of 47.65% and a one-week gain of 17.52%. The dataset uses exchange closing prices and the Nasdaq-100 constituent list. Its ranking placed Strategy ahead of the other index members over the one-month window.

Strategy stock closes at $153.92 after 16% Friday surge

The final session of the measurement period accounted for a large part of MSTR’s latest gain. Strategy shares climbed 16.39% on Sept. 18, closing at $153.92 after ending the previous session at $132.25, according to market data.

Trading volume reached 54.34 million shares, well above the company’s recent daily levels. The stock traded as high as $154.02 during the session after opening at $132.25.

MSTR had closed at $104.25 one month earlier on Aug. 19. Its rise to $153.92 produced the 47.65% trailing return. The rally has recovered a portion of the stock’s earlier losses, though MSTR remained down more than 55% over the trailing 12 months as of Sept. 18.

Bitcoin’s Friday rally coincided with the sharp move in Strategy. Reuters reported that crypto-linked equities rose as Bitcoin climbed during a volatile U.S. trading session, while the Nasdaq finished higher.

Bitcoin advanced more than 5% and moved through $80,000 during the session. Ascrypto.news reported on Bitcoin’s Sept. 18 breakout, BTC reached an intraday high of $81,258 after recovering from $75,560.

The timing supports a close relationship between the two moves, but it does not establish Bitcoin as the sole cause of MSTR’s entire one-month gain. Strategy’s stock incorporates its Bitcoin exposure alongside its debt, preferred securities, cash balances, common-share structure and investor expectations for future capital activity.

Strategy remains exposed to 845,050 Bitcoin

Strategy’s latest SEC filing shows the company held 845,050 BTC as of Sept. 13. It acquired those coins for $63.73 billion in aggregate, including expenses, at an average cost of approximately $75,412 per Bitcoin.

The position equals just over 4% of Bitcoin’s fixed 21 million supply cap. Strategy remains the largest publicly traded corporate Bitcoin holder based on its disclosed balance.

Its latest addition came during the week ending Aug. 30, when the company purchased 4,603 BTC for $369.7 million at an average price of $80,318. The transaction increased holdings from 840,447 BTC to the current 845,050 BTC.

Strategy’s 4,603 BTC purchase, the acquisition was funded through common-stock sales. Strategy sold 4.53 million MSTR shares that week for $602.8 million in net proceeds, directing $369.7 million toward Bitcoin.

The company then stopped buying Bitcoin for the following two reporting periods. Its Sept. 8 and Sept. 14 SEC filings showed no Bitcoin purchases or sales and no at-the-market share issuance during either week. Strategy’s Bitcoin exposure therefore remained unchanged while MSTR’s market price moved sharply.

Strategy has redirected cash toward STRC buybacks

During the pause in Bitcoin purchases, Strategy directed capital toward its Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch preferred stock, or STRC.

From Aug. 31 through Sept. 7, the company repurchased 1.81 million STRC shares for $176.3 million. Strategy simultaneously increased its Digital Credit Securities Repurchase Program authorization from $1 billion to $2 billion, according to its Sept. 8 filing.

Another 1.42 million STRC shares were repurchased for $139.3 million between Sept. 8 and Sept. 13. Strategy funded that transaction from its separate USD Cash balance, leaving its designated USD Reserve untouched.

As crypto.news reported on Strategy’s two-week Bitcoin pause, the company had neither issued common shares nor traded Bitcoin during the latest reporting period while continuing to reduce its preferred-share obligations.

Strategy had spent roughly $950.8 million on STRC repurchases since the program began in July. The preferred shares had recovered toward Strategy’s targeted $99-to-$100 range.

Strategy CEO Phong Le has described discounted STRC repurchases as an attractive use of capital because buying the preferred shares below their $100 stated amount reduces future dividend requirements at a lower purchase price.

The policy does not commit the company to a fixed amount or timing for future purchases. Strategy says repurchase decisions depend on market prices, liquidity, available capital and its other capital-allocation priorities.

MSTR rally outpaces the latest Bitcoin move

Strategy’s one-month return has been considerably larger than Bitcoin’s price increase over the same general period, reinforcing MSTR’s history of producing amplified moves around changes in the value of its primary treasury asset.

On Sept. 18 alone, MSTR gained 16.39% while Bitcoin rose roughly 5% to 6%, depending on the reference time. Barron’s reported that Strategy was among the strongest crypto-linked equities during the session as BTC climbed beyond $80,000.

Regulatory news coincided with the rally. The SEC had announced a five-year Innovation Exemption on Sept. 17 for qualifying tokenized U.S. stock trading, while the CFTC had sent proposed crypto-market rules for White House review. Bitcoin ETF flows had also returned to positive territory before Friday’s move.

Reuters reported that the wider market remained mixed as Treasury yields and oil prices continued to pressure equities. Against that backdrop, crypto-related stocks strengthened alongside the Bitcoin recovery, making Strategy’s advance part of a sector move rather than an isolated company event.

The History of Market dataset shows MSTR’s 47.65% one-month gain alongside a Nasdaq-100 index containing 101 securities as of Sept. 19. Strategy itself carries an estimated index weight of roughly 0.20%, far below the index’s largest holdings such as Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft.

The company’s shorter-term rebound has not erased its longer-term decline. History of Market recorded a roughly 55.35% trailing one-year loss for MSTR despite the latest monthly rise, while its year-to-date performance remained close to flat.

Strategy’s official capital position last disclosed on Sept. 14 included $5.10 billion in its USD Reserve and $1.30 billion in USD Cash. After the latest STRC purchases, approximately $1.05 billion remained under its preferred-securities repurchase authorization, while the separate $1 billion MSTR common-stock repurchase authorization remained unused.