Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF Sees Strong Inflows

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF ( $VTI ) has risen by 0.27% in the past week. It has experienced a 5-day net inflow of $983.08 million.
This is due, in part, to market sentiment on some of the ETF’s largest holdings. For example:

• Apple Inc spent the week back in Wall Street’s good graces as analysts sharpened their focus on an extended iPhone super‑cycle. Morgan Stanley lifted its price target to $315 and Jefferies’ Edison Lee raised his to about $283, both arguing that strong demand for the iPhone 17—especially in China, where November growth is estimated above 40% year over year—should drive Apple’s December 1QFY26 results ahead of expectations. Apple is planning to expand its iPhone range from five to at least seven models by 2027, including a first foldable device in 2026 and a premium 20th‑anniversary edition, and analysts expect higher average selling prices (including a potential $100 hike on Pro models) to more than offset surging memory and chip costs. At the same time, Apple is loosening its grip on the ecosystem in Japan, allowing third‑party app stores and alternative in‑app payments under the country’s new Mobile Software Competition Act, a reminder of rising regulatory pressure on App Store fees. Even so, the stock holds a Moderate Buy consensus with an average 12‑month target around $299–$300—implying roughly 9–10% upside as investors position for new iPhone form factors and resilient earnings growth through FY26–27.
• Nvidia Corporation remains the core play on the AI boom, but its share price has paused even as the business powers ahead, creating what several top analysts now call a rare value opportunity. The stock is up roughly 30–35% year to date yet has traded sideways since mid‑year, pushing its valuation down to about 25 times forward earnings—near the bottom of its 10‑year range and at a discount to the broader semiconductor index—leading Bernstein’s Stacy Rasgon to label it “unusually cheap” and to reiterate an Outperform with a $275 target. Tigress Financial’s Ivan Feinseth went further, hiking his target from $280 to $350 and calling Nvidia a “must‑own core holding” for AI, citing its dominance in GPUs, networking, and CUDA software across cloud, enterprise, and sovereign AI data centers, as well as an aggressive roadmap from Hopper and Blackwell to Rubin and beyond that underpins a potential $500 billion long‑term opportunity. U.S. regulators cleared Nvidia’s planned $5 billion investment in Intel, giving it more manufacturing flexibility just as demand for AI chips remains intense, while Nvidia’s technology continues to spread globally—sometimes controversially, as seen in Tencent’s access to Blackwell chips via a Japanese cloud partner that skirts U.S. export curbs. Despite rising competition from custom chips and new rivals like Cerebras, Wall Street remains firmly bullish: around 40 analysts rate the stock a Strong Buy with average price targets near $259–$260, implying about 44–49% upside and reinforcing the view that many investors see any weakness as a chance to add rather than take profits.
• Microsoft is doubling down on an AI‑first strategy even as it grapples with user pushback and internal culture shock, a combination that is reshaping the software giant’s investment story. The company’s Copilot AI assistant is coming to LG smart TVs, a move that initially drew criticism because users couldn’t remove the feature; after a backlash, LG promised customers will be able to delete the Copilot shortcut, easing privacy concerns and helping Microsoft shares tick higher. In gaming, Microsoft quietly skipped its usual year‑end “Xbox Wrapped” recap, with reports suggesting marketing and development resources are being redirected toward a major slate of events for Xbox’s 25th anniversary in 2026, even as key studios juggle demanding franchises like Starfield, The Elder Scrolls, and Fallout. Inside the company, CEO Satya Nadella is reportedly pushing senior leaders to fully commit to an AI‑driven overhaul—or step aside—tightening the focus around core AI platforms and its OpenAI partnership and driving a faster, leaner operating style that some long‑time executives find exhausting but that investors have largely welcomed. The stock has climbed high‑single to low‑double digits over the past year, and Wall Street remains upbeat: Microsoft carries a Strong Buy consensus based on a wide majority of Buy ratings, and an average price target around $632 suggests roughly 30% upside, signaling that analysts see AI and gaming investments as powerful long‑term growth engines despite near‑term friction with consumers and staff.