AI is helping lift profits at consumer companies on multiple levels. It allows companies to better understand their customers, which can improve target marketing and customization. Companies can hone menus, goods, and services to achieve broader appeal and to reach new audiences. Consumer companies are also harnessing AI technology to help with processes, inventory control, and supply-chain management, and in many other ways. By way of examples, restaurants are using smart robots to take orders, and prep and serve food. They also have front and back offices, and AI is helping make both more efficient and cost effective. As well, consumer companies utilize a lot of data, and AI helps elevate the use of that data. We recently concluded our five-part webinar series on AI, looking at how different industries are using AI. Our final event spotlighted consumer companies. For this week's list, we offer details on the BUY-rated stocks we highlighted during the webinar.

Founded in 2005, Etsy operates a leading global marketplace, connecting roughly 87 million active buyers and 6 million sellers of unique, handmade, and vintage goods. In fiscal 2025, the firm generated $2.9 billion in revenue and almost $12 billion in gross merchandise sales. The firm monetizes its marketplace primarily through transaction fees and advertising, with core categories spanning homeware, jewelry, apparel, and craft supplies. The US drives 74% of sales, though its core geographic reach extends to the UK, Germany, Canada, and Australia.

Founded in 2005, Etsy is a global marketplace for creative goods. It went public in April 2015 and became a constituent of the S&P 500 in 2020. Etsy is a 'two-sided marketplace' that connects sellers of more than 50 merchandise categories with millions of buyers under the motto: 'keep commerce human.' Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, Etsy is one of the top-ranked U.S. e-commerce sites by monthly visits and has about 2400 employees. The company transferred its common stock listing from the Nasdaq to the NYSE in October 2025. As of December 31, 2025, the company had 8.8 million active sellers, and 94 million active buyers. Etsy's top six product categories in 2025 represented approximately $8.9 billion, or 85% of 2025 Gross Merchandise Sales.

Stocks saw a nice snapback rally on Wednesday. Crude oil (WTI) was smacked, falling 5.5% to $98.50/barrel, while Brent oil dropped about the same to $105/barrel. That took a lot of pressure off the bond market, as the 10-year Treasury yield declined 9.5 basis points (bps), the 5-year fell 10.5 bps, and the 2-year dropped 8 bps. So for a day anyway, everything was back to normal. The AI charge reasserted itself, led by semiconductor stocks. MU popped 5%, AMD 8%, ASML 6%, INTC and LRCX 7%, and ARM 15%. The hottest chip names come from the memory and storage areas, and the timing of the Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM, which began trading 4/2) has been a stroke of genius, so far. Assets under management (AUM) for new ETFs generally are nominal. But money has poured into this ETF, which now has an AUM of about $10 billion. And new funds go right into the stocks in the ETF, making an already hot area sizzle. From its 4/2 close, DRAM had rocketed 98% at its recent high on May 11. Indeed, momentum investing is the great self-fulfilling prophecy: higher prices attract more money, creating higher prices. The largest beneficiary of lower oil was Consumer Discretionary (XLY), rising 2.5%. The XLY was led by airlines (up 8%), furnishings (up 7%), and home construction and apparel retailers (up 5%). Meanwhile, durable household products, recreational services, and footwear all rose 4%. Most of these industries had been pounded recently.