Key Corporate and Market Moves Shaping Investors’ Focus

Mediacom Mourns Founder and CEO Rocco B. Commisso

Mediacom Communications announced the passing of its founder, chairman and chief executive officer, Rocco B. Commisso, whose nearly 50-year cable industry career helped transform the company into the fifth-largest U.S. cable operator. Commisso founded Mediacom in 1995 to acquire and reinvigorate cable systems in underserved smaller communities, took the company public in 2000, and then private again in 2011; today Mediacom is wholly owned by the Commisso family.

Under Commisso’s leadership, Mediacom grew to provide high-speed data, video, phone and mobile services to more than 3 million households and businesses across 22 states, and was named a U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and the Wall Street Journal from 2021 to 2025. The company said visitation and funeral arrangements have been set, but did not outline any leadership transition, while emphasizing Commisso’s legacy as a member of the Forbes 400 and a major supporter of educational initiatives that have funded scholarships for about 4,000 students.

Beyond cable, Commisso’s business profile extended into sports, including his 2017 purchase of a majority stake in the New York Cosmos and his 2019 acquisition of Italian Serie A club ACF Fiorentina, where a state-of-the-art sporting center, Viola Park, opened in 2023 as a lasting contribution. Mediacom’s statement framed his death as a profound loss to the company while underscoring the continued family ownership of the business.

Gorilla Technology Surges on AI Data Center Partnership

Gorilla Technology Group’s shares climbed 12% after the company highlighted a US$1.40 billion multi-year partnership to deploy AI-ready data centers across Southeast Asia and scheduled an investor webinar for January 28, 2026. The firm reaffirmed 2025 revenue guidance of US$100 million to US$110 million with EBITDA margins of 20% to 25%, and introduced a 2026 revenue range of US$137 million to US$200 million.

Gorilla also disclosed three new project wins in Taiwan spanning public safety, port logistics and environmental protection, signaling deeper integration of its AI and analytics platform into critical infrastructure and government functions. Commentary around the announcement noted that while the large data center partnership and guidance strengthen near-term growth visibility, they heighten execution, timing and cash flow risks on long-duration government and enterprise deals in emerging markets.

Simply Wall St data cited a narrative projecting Gorilla’s revenue reaching US$201.8 million and earnings of US$57.2 million by 2028, implying 29.3% annual revenue growth and a US$132.1 million earnings swing from a current loss of US$74.9 million. Community fair value estimates for Gorilla range widely from roughly US$24 to US$200 per share, underlining divergent investor views on its concentrated contract base and ability to reduce reliance on additional equity raises.

Chip and Hardware Names Move on Auto, AI and Earnings Catalysts

United Microelectronics Corp’s U.S.-listed shares rose about 6% to US$9.30, touching the upper edge of their 52-week range after the foundry and Microchip’s Silicon Storage Technology unit said a 28nm automotive-grade embedded SuperFlash Gen 4 platform is now production ready on UMC’s 28HPC+ process. The solution targets automotive controllers and aims to meet Automotive Grade 1 reliability standards, as UMC investors look ahead to fourth-quarter 2025 results on January 28 and a January sales update on February 5.

Microchip Technology’s stock closed at US$74.70 after Stifel raised its price target to US$90 and TD Cowen increased theirs to US$75, following the same 28nm flash platform announcement with UMC. Microchip recently lifted its fiscal third-quarter net sales forecast to around US$1.19 billion, citing strong December-quarter bookings, while analysts cautioned that sector sentiment remains sensitive to inventory corrections and order trends in industrial and automotive end markets.

Separately, TE Connectivity’s shares traded near a 52-week high at about US$241, with investors focused on first-quarter fiscal 2026 results due January 21 and an annual meeting on March 11 in Dublin, where shareholders will vote on director elections and a renewed share repurchase authority. First Solar held near US$244 into a holiday-shortened U.S. trading week as markets await its next quarterly update, currently penciled in by Nasdaq for late February, after the company announced a new 3.7 GW U.S. finishing facility slated to start production at the end of 2026.

Valuation Debates: From Casinos to Telcos and Fitness Chains

Several analyst-driven pieces highlighted valuation gaps. A discounted cash flow model for Wynn Resorts suggested an intrinsic value of about US$161.88 per share versus a market price near US$114, indicating the stock trades roughly 29% below that estimate, though a price/earnings comparison showed Wynn slightly above its “fair” multiple. Fastenal was assessed as trading almost exactly in line with a fair value estimate of US$43.46, while its board declared a US$0.24 per share dividend ahead of a January 20 earnings release.

Telix Pharmaceuticals, at A$11.48 per share, was described as trading on a price-to-sales ratio of 3.9 times, well below an Australian biotech peer average of 22.3 times and a fair P/S estimate of 7 times, following news that it had dosed the first U.S. patient in its BiPASS Phase 3 trial. A separate discounted cash flow model suggested a Telix fair value of A$28.99, implying a discount of about 60%, though the analysis cautioned that outcomes from late-stage trials and commercial execution remain key risks.

In telecommunications, Telefónica’s share price of €3.34 was set against a narrative fair value of €4.51, reflecting a proposed 26% upside driven by portfolio optimization and a focus on core markets such as Spain, Brazil, Germany and the UK. Planet Fitness, trading around US$97.71 after a recent 11% one-month decline, was paired with a US$130.41 fair value estimate that assumes continued international expansion and value-oriented club formats, while flagging risks from higher member attrition and potential cannibalization when new clubs open near existing locations.