A gap in US accounting rules allows Big Tech companies to conceal tens of billions of dollars of potential liabilities for their AI data centres...

This AMD Ryzen 5 processor we tested bucks the AI trend: The CPU without an NPU Notebookcheck

Gap, Aritzia and Urban Outfitters are among apparel retailers that should see margins expand, with the US' global tariff set at 15% -- vs. an average 20% for the sector -- after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's sweeping levies. Trump revised the blanket rate less than a day after announcing a 10% level, and is expected to pursue higher tariffs on China under Section 301. Bloomberg's Mary Ross Gilbert joins to discuss her research on the retailer sector and how tariffs are effecting certain brands. (Source: Bloomberg)

In the lucrative obesity drug race, there is Eli Lilly — and then there's everybody else. A pair of headlines Monday reinforced Lilly's dominance: Its lone commercial rival, Novo Nordisk , released disappointing trial results comparing its next-generation obesity shot to Lilly's Zepbound. Additionally, Lilly announced a new form of Zepbound in the U.S. that provides a month's supply of the weekly injectable in a single device, rather than the status quo of one dose per device. The head-to-head data is the more significant development because it shows that Lilly remains the leader in weight-loss shot efficacy, a setback in Novo's efforts to follow up its blockbuster Wegovy with a more powerful new drug. Meanwhile, the new device for Zepbound, while likely not an immediate financial needle mover, demonstrates the wide net Lilly is casting to maintain its lead and showcases its supply chain advantages. Lilly is adding convenient options for patients, while Novo is racing to defend its pipeline. "At what point do we just say, 'You know, Lilly's got the better one and just move on?'" Jim Cramer said Monday on CNBC. "I don't see a path to own [Novo's] stock. I just don't," he said. "I still see a path to own Lilly ... I think Lilly may go much higher." Novo Nordisk's New York-listed shares fell more than 15% in Monday's session, reaching levels last seen in 2021. Lilly added more than 4%, putting the stock about 5% below its all-time closing high of roughly $1,110 on Nov. 25. LLY NVO 1Y mountain Lilly's stock performance versus Novo Nordisk over the past 12 months. In a press release Monday, Novo Nordisk said patients on a fixed dose of its experimental drug CagriSema achieved 23% weight loss after 84 weeks. By contrast, people on a fixed dose of Lilly's Zepbound lost 25.5% of their body weight during the head-to-head trial. CagriSema is Novo's lead candidate to succeed Wegovy. It targets two hormones that help regulate appetite and blood sugar: GLP-1 and amylin. Wegovy t...

The board of directors of Abbott today declared a quarterly common dividend of 63 cents per share. This marks the 409th consecutive quarterly dividend to be paid by Abbott since 1924. The cash dividend is payable May 15, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business

A US judge permanently barred the Justice Department on Monday from releasing a prosecutor’s report on the criminal case accusing President Donald Trump of unlawfully retaining classified documents following his first term in office. Florida-based US District Judge Aileen Cannon ‌found that releasing the report would be a “manifest injustice” to the Republican president and two former associates who were charged alongside him because it would detail substantial allegations of criminal wrongdoing...

Bridget Phillipson’s 10-year plan is generous in places, but her party might not be in power long enough to see it through Whether the change is down to the shifting of the Overton window or the demise of basic decency, one awful feature of the current national conversation is becoming clearer by the day: the demonisation of disabled and vulnerable children and young people – and their parents – by voices that seemingly know no shame at all. The crude version of the “ overdiagnosis ” theory – essentially, the idea that such conditions as autism and ADHD are exaggerated and confected – is everywhere. Seemingly by law, every two-bit newspaper columnist must now write an annual piece about how the cutting edge of human psychology and child development is really just a byword for needless expense and sharp-elbowed families milking the state. A Facebook page used to find people to speak to the media recently appealed for a “mum who’s concerned her child’s school budget is being spent on pupils with special educational needs”. Aren’t there, the ad wondered, “more important things you feel the school should be spending money on? For example … computers, sports equipment etc?” The fee offered to anyone willing to stoop that low was £150. Continue reading...

Chile for decades finessed the geopolitical rivalry between China, its top trading partner, and the US, its leading foreign investor. Those days seem to be over. Days ahead of a summit of Latin American leaders in Miami and two weeks before a right-wing government takes over in Santiago, the US imposed visa restrictions on three Chilean officials tied to an undersea digital cable project proposed by Chinese firms, alleging a threat to security. The rare move sent a warning to the region that it must now choose sides as President Donald Trump strives to reassert dominion over the Americas. The US ambassador to Chile, Brandon Judd, told reporters on Monday that the Trump administration warned the government over malign foreign hacking into its telecommunication network, and urged the country to screen investments or it could lose a longstanding visa waiver policy that allows most Chileans to easily travel to the US. “If Chile wants to participate in the visa waiver, they must secure all telecommuications,” Judd said, adding that this is not a threat but a commitment Chile made when it entered the program. Such warnings are prompting calls for soul searching in Santiago. “Chile has to start thinking strategically in a changing scenario of geopolitical confrontation,” said John Griffiths, an analyst at security-focused think tank AthenaLab in Santiago. “Like it or not, the Trump administration is acting in its national interest in a region it sees as its sphere of influence,” said Griffiths, who’s also a former Army general in Chile. The choice the Trump administration is imposing could come at a high price. China buys most of the region’s commodities and has made substantial investments in infrastructure, especially ports. After Panama last year voided a contract with Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd. to operate two ports along its namesake canal, Beijing retaliated by asking its state firms to halt talks over billions of dollars in new projects. It also tight...

9 Stocks Charlie Munger's Money Manager Loves Benzinga

Check out the companies making the biggest moves midday: Financials – The financials sector of the S & P 500 slid more than 3% in midday trading, the worst performer in the broad market. Alternative asset managers KKR and Blackstone slid roughly 9% and 7%, respectively, after activist hedge fund Saba Capital Management and Cox Capital Partners said they plan tender offers to buy stakes in a trio of Blue Owl credit funds. Blue Owl shares were last off more than 5%. American Express dropped more than 7%, and Goldman Sachs fell nearly 4%. Cybersecurity – Anxiety over artificial intelligence shook up cybersecurity stocks, on the heels of Anthropic adding a new security capability to its Claude AI late last week. The Global X Cybersecurity ETF (BUG) tumbled 4%. CrowdStrike and Zscaler fell 10%, Fortinet and Okta dropped more than 5%. International Paper — The packaging and pulp products maker dropped more than 5%. Fastmarkets RISI on Friday said pricing for domestic containerboard declined $20/ton in February, according to a Dow Jones report. Smurfit Westrock and Packaging Corporation of America each fell more than 6%. Docusign — Shares of the agreement management platform tumbled nearly 8% after a downgrade from Jefferies on Monday to a hold from buy. The investment bank wrote that double-digit growth reacceleration won't come soon and it believes Docusign's new AI-powered agreement management platform needs to prove itself. DoorDash - The delivery platform sank 6%. DoorDash had to temporarily suspend operations in several locations, including New York and Philadelphia, due to the blizzard. ImmunityBio — The San Diego-based clinical stage immunotherapy company surged 12%. ImmunityBio reported 700% year-over-year revenue growth , expanded Anktiva approvals for lung cancer, global label expansion plans and global commercial partnerships. Veris Residential — The real estate investment trust, which owns office space and other properties primarily in the Northeast, agreed to...

solarseven/iStock via Getty Images The financial sector entered 2026 with a notable disconnect between strong fundamentals and market performance. The State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLF ) underperformed through January, ranking as one of only two sectors with negative returns despite robust 2025 results that saw all major financial ETFs post double-digit gains. B elow is a list of small-cap U.S. regional banks that carry strong momentum grades (A- to A+) and are ranked by their price-to-book (P/B) multiples. The screen focuses on regional banking institutions that combine favorable momentum signals with relatively elevated book value-based valuations. T he price-to-book (P/B) multiple is a valuation metric that compares a company’s stock price to its book value per share. It’s calculated by dividing a company’s market capitalization by its total book value, or alternatively, by dividing its stock price by its book value per share. T he list is topped by Five Star Bancorp ( FSBC ), which has the highest price-to-book multiple among the screened regional banks while maintaining an A momentum grade. Northeast Bank ( NBN ) and Red River Bancshares ( RRBI ) follow, with Isabella Bank ( ISBA ) and Orange County Bancorp ( OBT ) rounding out the rest of the top five, all combining favorable momentum scores with elevated P/B valuations. Other notable names on the list, such as Amalgamated Financial ( AMAL ) and Southern First Bancshares ( SFST ), also feature competitive P/B multiples alongside A+ momentum grades, keeping them in focus for investors seeking regional bank exposure with strong price performance characteristics. H ere is the list: F ive Star Bancorp ( FSBC ), momentum grade: A, price-to-book (P/B) multiple: 1.95x N ortheast Bank ( NBN ), momentum grade: A, price-to-book (P/B) multiple: 1.86x R ed River Bancshares, Inc. ( RRBI ), momentum grade: A+, price-to-book (P/B) multiple: 1.67x I sabella Bank Corporation ( ISBA ), momentum grade: A+, pric...

A fresh wave of anti-government protests at several Iranian universities that began on Saturday has spread to more campuses.

Palantir Stock Slides Monday: What's Driving The Action? Benzinga

Legendary investor Warren Buffett advises to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which me

Legendary investor Warren Buffett advises to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which me

Legendary investor Warren Buffett advises to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which me

Last week's surprise departure of Phil Spencer from Microsoft led to the promotion of Asha Sharma, who comes to head Microsoft's gaming division after two years as president of the company's CoreAI Product group . Despite that recent history, Sharma says in a new interview that she has "no tolerance for bad AI" in game development. Speaking with Variety , Sharma noted that "AI has long been part of gaming and will continue to be," before adding that "great stories are created by humans." The interview comes after Sharma promised in an introductory memo: "We will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop. Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us." Those statements seem like a clear line in the sand from Sharma against the use of AI tools in Microsoft's first-party game development, at the very least. But what separates "bad AI" and "soulless AI slop" from "innovative technology" that humans can use to create artful games is a matter of some significant debate in the gaming world. Read full article Comments

Nick Reiner, 32, appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom on Monday, after his parents were found dead in their Brentwood home in December.

Palantir Technologies (PLTR) is well positioned to outperform the market, as it exhibits above-average growth in financials.

Is Palantir Technologies (PLTR) a Solid Growth Stock? 3 Reasons to Think "Yes" Yahoo Finance

Judge Says Jack Smith's Final 'Mar-a-Lago Docs' Report On Trump Can Never Be Released Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times, A federal judge on Feb. 23 said that the final report on President Donald Trump compiled by a former special counsel shall not be released. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who is based in Florida (and was appointed by President Trump), said in a 15-page decision that she was granting requests from Trump and his co-defendants to keep part two of the report from former special counsel Jack Smith shielded from the public. Cannon said that Smith wrongly forged ahead with investigating Trump and others for allegedly violating federal law by gathering and retaining sensitive documents even after she ruled his appointment was unconstitutional and threw out the case. “Rather than seek a stay of the Order, or clarification, Special Counsel Smith and his team chose to circumvent it, for months, by taking the discovery generated in this case and compiling it in a final report for transmission to then-Attorney General Garland, to Congress, and then beyond,” Cannon said. “ The Court need not countenance this brazen stratagem or effectively perpetuate the Special Counsel’s breach of this Court’s own order. ” She added later: “While it is true that former special counsels have released final reports at the conclusion of their work, it appears they have done so either after electing not to bring charges at all or after adjudications of guilt by plea or trial. The Court strains to find a situation in which a former special counsel has released a report after initiating criminal charges that did not result in a finding of guilt. ” The Department of Justice (DOJ) had appealed Cannon’s ruling, but dropped the appeal after Trump won a second term in office. The department also released part of Smith’s report just before Trump began his second term. The other part, which has not been made public, was not to be released, according to a January 2025 orde...

Is Palantir Technologies (PLTR) a Solid Growth Stock? 3 Reasons to Think "Yes" Nasdaq

tum3123/iStock via Getty Images The current supportive growth-inflation backdrop is expected to keep emerging markets ( EEM ) and value stocks ( IUSV ) outperforming this year as equity leadership broadens, J.P. Morgan wrote in a note to clients Monday. Analyst Mislav Matejka pointed to positive corporate earnings and upward revisions, as well as improving momentum in national manufacturing activity, with "no material signs of overheating or increasing inflationary pressures," he wrote. "We are staying with the view that inflation is set to be well behaved, on the back of slowing wage growth, reducing services inflation and Brent price which is unlikely to move up much, absent any transitory geopolitical escalation." Even with the recent upside surprises across manufacturing, payrolls and industrial production, long bond yields ( US10Y ) ( US30Y ) have moved lower in the last few weeks, as fed funds futures traders price in nearly as much easing as they did at the start of the year." The 10-year tenor is hovering around its lowest level year-to-date at just over 4%. "In a nutshell, this is the Goldilocks setup we were hoping for," said Matejka. If the above-described backdrop shows continued traction, together with USD ( DXY ) trading on the weaker side, within the market we reiterate our call that there will likely be a broadening in leadership." Within equities, the analyst still prefers value over growth and small caps ( IJR ) over large caps ( SPY ), arguing that the rotation beyong last year's narrow leadership has further room to run. Regionally, he maintained an overweight rating on emerging markets. Meanwhile, two of last year's standout performers — defense and banks — are unlikely to deliver another year of meaningful outperformance in 2026, he added, "despite the still solid fundamentals for both groups." Emerging Market ETFs: ( IEMG ), ( VWO ), ( EEM ), ( SPEM ), ( SCHE ), and ( AVEM ). Value ETFs: ( VTV ), ( VBR ), ( EFV ), ( IWS ), ( AVUV ), ( DFUV ), ...

Shareholders of Academy Sports & Outdoors Inc (Symbol: ASO) looking to boost their income beyond the stock's 0.9% annualized dividend yield can sell the July covered call at the $70 strike and collect the premium based on the $2.55 bid, which annualizes to an additional 11.2

DKosig/iStock via Getty Images The resilience of global markets will be tested anew this week as investors grapple with the implications of three risks that could roil sentiment: slower economic growth, the Supreme Court’s ruling that President Trump’s tariffs are illegal, and the threat of a US strike on Iran. Let’s start with the US economy, which posted sharply slower growth in Friday’s fourth quarter GDP report. Output rose 1.4% — roughly half the pace expected and far behind the much stronger increases of 4.4% and 3.8% in the third and second quarters, respectively. The government shutdown was a key factor that weighed on economic activity and was estimated to have reduced growth by a percentage point. The economy probably cooled even without the shutdown, but the slowdown was exaggerated in the official Q4 numbers. “The core of the economy is resilient,” said Michael Pearce at Oxford Economics. “With tariff pressures fading and tax cuts beginning to fuel an increase in capital spending, the economy will gather momentum in 2026.” The initial nowcast for Q1 GDP points to a robust rebound, according to the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow model , which is projecting a 3.1% increase. Sentiment in betting markets this morning is on board with the outlook: a 60% probability is currently priced in for Q1 growth of 3.0% or higher, according to Polymarket. The economy may be stronger than it appears in the Q4 data, but uncertainty for trade policy spiked on Friday after the Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s import taxes were illegal. The President quickly countered that he would use another provision to impose a 15% tariff on all foreign goods coming into the country. But the whirlwind of trade policy news since Friday raises several questions that will take time to answer. Among the new issues raised: * Trump’s new tariffs draw on authority from Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 , but the provision limits how long tariffs can be imposed by the President — 150 days. Congress can...