For many, Wedbush Securities has become synonymous with Dan Ives: the charismatic, media-savvy tech analyst known for his peacock-esque personal style, colorful metaphors, and plentiful emojis to describe tech’s biggest moments.
Now, after eight years at the firm, Ives said he’s leaving for a new chapter.
“I have truly enjoyed my time at Wedbush and proud of all we accomplished as a great tech franchise with awesome people across the board,” he said in a widely shared email on Wednesday.
He told Bloomberg that he’s leaving to launch a merchant bank — a bank primarily serving large corporations and high-net-worth individuals. The company will focus on sectors such as technology, energy, infrastructure, and financials, he said.
Here are some of the tech mega bull’s most famous calls — and some of the suit eschewer’s punchiest outfits over the years.
1. Apple isn’t just a hardware company
Between 2016 and 2018, Ives hyped Apple’s transformation, saying that investors were only thinking of it as a hardware company and missing the value of the app store and services.
By 2020, Apple’s services revenue had doubled. It’s now a major driver of its $4.3 trillion valuation.
2. Microsoft’s AI win
Immediately after OpenAI released ChatGPT in November 2022, Ives argued that Microsoft would be the biggest beneficiary of enterprise AI. This is because the company embedded AI across services like Office and Copilot, and because of infrastructure spend on Azure.
Microsoft’s stock roughly doubled over the next two-plus years.
3. Nvidia will be king
When many investors still viewed Nvidia primarily as a gaming chip company, Ives argued that AI infrastructure spending would create unprecedented demand for the company’s products.
Ives’ early thesis was that every major company would need Nvidia chips to build its AI.
Ives was spot on. Since 2023, hyperscalers have committed hundreds of billions of dollars to AI infrastructure, making Nvidia one of the world’s most valuable companies.
4. Pink on pink on pink suit
Ives rocked one of his most iconic outfits — a coral pink baseball cap and sports jacket with baby-pink pants and shoes — when he rang the Opening Bell for Eightco Holdings Inc (ticker: $ORBS) at the Nasdaq in September.
He chaired the company’s board until March.
Last August, Ives launched a clothing brand reflecting his unique style in collaboration with the Brooklyn-based upcycled streetwear label Snow Milk.
5. Jacket-on-hoodie looks
At another Orbs event in October, the tech bull wore a neon printed blazer under a colorful green hoodie. In his signature style, he paired it with multicolored sneakers that almost exactly matched his jacket.
He also wore it with a printed baseball cap and sunglasses. Yes, the event was indoors.
“It’s definitely played a role in the global success, because of the way that I dress,” he told Business Insider in September. “Even people who don’t know my stock calls, they know me as the person who wears the funky shirts on CNBC.”
Read the full article here
