Forecasters called travel conditions "extremely treacherous" and "nearly impossible" in areas hit hardest by the storm, and air and train traffic is at a standstill in many parts of the region. (Image credit: Seth Wenig)
Forecasters called travel conditions "extremely treacherous" and "nearly impossible" in areas hit hardest by the storm, and air and train traffic is at a standstill in many parts of the region. (Image credit: Seth Wenig)
Readers respond to articles by Shaun Walker and Simon Tisdall as the Ukraine war enters its fifth year Shaun Walker’s outstanding piece of work on the run-up to the Russian invasion in 2022 ( A war foretold: how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them, 21 February ) is by no means the only example of defence and intelligence analysts foreseeing catastrophic a...
Readers respond to articles by Shaun Walker and Simon Tisdall as the Ukraine war enters its fifth year Shaun Walker’s outstanding piece of work on the run-up to the Russian invasion in 2022 ( A war foretold: how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them, 21 February ) is by no means the only example of defence and intelligence analysts foreseeing catastrophic acts of war. Ironically, one of the classic examples, exhaustively analysed, is the US failure to anticipate the deadly Japanese attack on Hawaii, with all its monstrous consequences, despite a myriad of clear signals. David Kahn, the US historian and author, attributes this fatal myopia to “mirroring”, which made analysts incapable of imagining Japanese tactics. Couple this with Simon Tisdall’s typically forensic article on the diplomatic failure since 2022 ( Ukraine is the biggest and most consequential of all the American betrayals, 21 February ) to demonstrate how out of touch the Nato top brass and their acolytes were recently in frantically calling for massive rearmament. Continue reading...
In ignoring the peace movement, the west facilitated the rise of ‘gangster capitalism’ in Russia, writes Richard Taylor . Plus a letter from Rev Canon John Longuet-Higgins Of all the disappointments, betrayals and incompetence of Keir Starmer’s government, none is greater than the naive sycophancy shown to Donald Trump over Ukraine and much else. So, Simon Tisdall is absolutely correct: it is high...
In ignoring the peace movement, the west facilitated the rise of ‘gangster capitalism’ in Russia, writes Richard Taylor . Plus a letter from Rev Canon John Longuet-Higgins Of all the disappointments, betrayals and incompetence of Keir Starmer’s government, none is greater than the naive sycophancy shown to Donald Trump over Ukraine and much else. So, Simon Tisdall is absolutely correct: it is high time for European nations, especially the UK, to “tell Trump to get lost” and to take far more positive action to support the Ukrainians in their resistance to Russian aggression ( Ukraine is the biggest and most consequential of all the American betrayals, 21 February) . Continue reading...
This US tech giant should not have been given NHS or Ministry of Defence contracts, writes Stephen Saunders . Plus a letter from Jan Savage For 100 years, the UK government has led us through existential threats, including two world wars. But instead of resisting the latest threat to democratic accountability, it has welcomed it with open arms: Palantir Technologies ( NHS deal with AI firm Palanti...
This US tech giant should not have been given NHS or Ministry of Defence contracts, writes Stephen Saunders . Plus a letter from Jan Savage For 100 years, the UK government has led us through existential threats, including two world wars. But instead of resisting the latest threat to democratic accountability, it has welcomed it with open arms: Palantir Technologies ( NHS deal with AI firm Palantir called into question after officials’ concerns revealed, 12 February ). This polarising US surveillance giant provides data-fusion and AI platforms used by by the US for immigration enforcement and by Israel in the Gaza conflict. Its software amplifies state power through militarised analytics and opaque algorithms. Continue reading...
Readers respond to criticism levelled at Jack Thorne’s adaptation of William Golding’s book Darren Chetty suggests that diverse casting in Jack Thorne’s adaptation of Lord of the Flies has failed to respect the themes of racial identity present in William Golding’s original narrative ( The BBC’s Lord of the Flies shows why diverse casting doesn’t always work, 19 February ). He appears to take this...
Readers respond to criticism levelled at Jack Thorne’s adaptation of William Golding’s book Darren Chetty suggests that diverse casting in Jack Thorne’s adaptation of Lord of the Flies has failed to respect the themes of racial identity present in William Golding’s original narrative ( The BBC’s Lord of the Flies shows why diverse casting doesn’t always work, 19 February ). He appears to take this position in order to highlight the lack of direct racism faced by non-white characters in the new TV series. I feel that this is to take a narrow view of how racism operates. Racism isn’t just playground name-calling. More often than not, it covets the power and agency of black people, seeking either to own or destroy it. Although treated with subtlety, race plays a key role in shaping the identities of the characters Ralph and Jack. One character’s sense of righteousness can be traced to his black, ailing mother, while the other is portrayed as a victim of absentee parents. Continue reading...
Calling out racism | Cognitive shuffling | Free art | Party of rejects | Arresting event | Andrew and the media While appreciating Kenneth Williams’ humour, I felt uneasy that your article ( ‘He loved showing his bum. Loved it’: the subversive genius of Kenneth Williams, 20 February ) didn’t simply state he had racist attitudes. Referring to a dislike of Sid James and people of colour seems to wat...
Calling out racism | Cognitive shuffling | Free art | Party of rejects | Arresting event | Andrew and the media While appreciating Kenneth Williams’ humour, I felt uneasy that your article ( ‘He loved showing his bum. Loved it’: the subversive genius of Kenneth Williams, 20 February ) didn’t simply state he had racist attitudes. Referring to a dislike of Sid James and people of colour seems to water down unacceptable views. Catherine Utley London • When I can’t sleep because my brain is too busy, I have my own method of “cognitive shufflng” ( I tried the latest sleep trick – and my husband and I were up all night, 18 February ). I choose a subject and try to think of an example for each letter of the alphabet. I’ve tried flowers, animals, birds and the periodic table. It sometimes works. Melanie White Reading, Berkshire Continue reading...
N-able (NYSE:NABL) executives said the company exited fiscal 2025 with “momentum,” pointing to steady growth, expanding profitability, and progress integrating AI across its cybersecurity platform, according to management’s prepared remarks and Q&A on the company’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings c
N-able (NYSE:NABL) executives said the company exited fiscal 2025 with “momentum,” pointing to steady growth, expanding profitability, and progress integrating AI across its cybersecurity platform, according to management’s prepared remarks and Q&A on the company’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings c
Amazon.com’s fair value estimate has been trimmed slightly from US$285.08 to US$281.46 per share, signaling a modest reset in modeled upside. That shift lines up with recent analyst commentary that balances optimism around AWS and advertising with concerns about margins, capital spending, and where the shares should trade. As you read on, you will see how to track these evolving calls and use them...
Amazon.com’s fair value estimate has been trimmed slightly from US$285.08 to US$281.46 per share, signaling a modest reset in modeled upside. That shift lines up with recent analyst commentary that balances optimism around AWS and advertising with concerns about margins, capital spending, and where the shares should trade. As you read on, you will see how to track these evolving calls and use them to frame your own view on Amazon’s long term story. Analyst Price Targets don't always capture...
Police have arrested Peter Mandelson, a veteran Labour Party politician who served as British ambassador to the U.S., as part of an investigation into his ties with Jeffrey Epstein. (Image credit: Justin Tallis)
Police have arrested Peter Mandelson, a veteran Labour Party politician who served as British ambassador to the U.S., as part of an investigation into his ties with Jeffrey Epstein. (Image credit: Justin Tallis)
andrei11/iStock via Getty Images When we talk about the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF ( MAGS ), we are referring to a solution concentrated on a specific market segment: that of the Magnificent 7. And by now we know very well what this means: a targeted exposure to a group of stocks that over the last five years has managed to gather enormous capitalization, based on distinctive growth expectati...
andrei11/iStock via Getty Images When we talk about the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF ( MAGS ), we are referring to a solution concentrated on a specific market segment: that of the Magnificent 7. And by now we know very well what this means: a targeted exposure to a group of stocks that over the last five years has managed to gather enormous capitalization, based on distinctive growth expectations. Today more than ever there is debate over whether these expectations have been properly weighted or whether the market has exaggerated. And from the study of MAGS, interesting considerations emerge in this regard as well. Here is therefore an overview you need to know. What Is The Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF? It is presented (in the cited communications/factsheets) as an ETF that offers equal-weight exposure to the “Magnificent Seven” (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla) and is promoted with a narrative of “pure exposure” with quarterly rebalancing. However, the structure appears to be actively managed, namely the use of Treasury Bill collateral (in the holdings as of 02-17-2026, a T-Bill represents ~63% of the portfolio) for synthetic exposure through Total Return Swaps (TRS), therefore swap agreements and/or forward contracts. A structure that broadly resembles the form of “Treasury collateral + synthetic exposure overlay.” MAGS - profile (Seeking Alpha) It does so with an expense ratio/management fee of 0.29%, well covered by a 30-Day SEC Yield equal to 1.88% with annual distribution frequency. The fund remains appreciated by the public, considering reported AUM of around $3.966B. What Does MAGS Do? The stated objective of the fund is capital growth through exclusive , concentrated, and “thematic” exposure to the Magnificent Seven. Returns therefore derive predominantly from the capital performance of these companies, while dividends remain a marginal component. MAGS - momentum (Seeking Alpha) Within a portfolio, it represents a specific all...
In an aerial view, two-story single family homes line the streets on Jan. 14, 2026 in Thousand Oaks, California. Kevin Carter | Getty Images A stock market sell-off had investors rushing to the relative safety of the bond market Monday morning, causing yields to drop and mortgage rates to follow. The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 5.99% Monday, according to Mortgage New...
In an aerial view, two-story single family homes line the streets on Jan. 14, 2026 in Thousand Oaks, California. Kevin Carter | Getty Images A stock market sell-off had investors rushing to the relative safety of the bond market Monday morning, causing yields to drop and mortgage rates to follow. The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 5.99% Monday, according to Mortgage News Daily, matching their lowest levels since 2022. Last year at this time the rate was 6.89%. The drop in yields is due to a combination of factors, including new uncertainty over tariffs, cooling inflation and economic weakness shown in a lackluster GDP report Friday. While rates briefly dipped into the 5% range for a few hours in January, they bounced back that same day. That is unlikely this time around, according to Matthew Graham, chief operating officer at Mortgage News Daily. "This visit to the high 5's looks more sustainable on paper," Graham said. "As long as the broader bond market doesn't sell-off in any major way, mortgage rates stand a better chance of remaining closer to present levels than they did last time. And if the broader bond market improves further (i.e. 10yr yields dipping under 4.0%), mortgage rates would likely make incremental gains." The drop in rates will likely incite more refinancing, which has been surging over the last several weeks. Applications to refinance a home loan are about 130% higher than they were a year ago, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Get Property Play directly to your inbox CNBC's Property Play with Diana Olick covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, delivered weekly to your inbox. Subscribe here to get access today . Lower rates are a positive sign heading into the all-important spring housing market. Buyers entering the market today will have more purchasing power than they did last spring. For example, a buyer putting 20% down on the median priced home, about $400,000 according to...
herstockart/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images At the start of this year, I believed that green shoots alone were not enough to generate optimism in the case of Etsy ( ETSY ). Continued declines in engagement and flattish gross merchandise sales indicated a loss of relevance of the platform, as an incoming CEO was all set to change this, with lots of work still to be done. A combination of another...
herstockart/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images At the start of this year, I believed that green shoots alone were not enough to generate optimism in the case of Etsy ( ETSY ). Continued declines in engagement and flattish gross merchandise sales indicated a loss of relevance of the platform, as an incoming CEO was all set to change this, with lots of work still to be done. A combination of another 15% fall in the share price, the divestment of loss-making Depop at acceptable prices, and real signs of improvement of the core platform makes me much more upbeat right now. All in all, I'm contemplating getting involved here. The Starting Point for Something Special Etsy is a creative platform that offers a two-sided e-commerce platform offering special and non-commoditized merchandise. Besides its core and namesake platform, the company acquired fashion resale marketplace Depop in 2021 to get involved in fashion as well. The core marketplace matches some 86 million active buyers with some 5.6 million sellers (who are more often located outside the US). These participants transact in creative goods on the platform, although the reality is that both the number of active buyers and sellers has been coming down from a post-pandemic peak. While the company claims that it has made heavy investments to boost conversion and efficiency, with AI used for the platform and search algorithms. Unfortunately, until today, little avail has been seen from such efforts. Trends Reverse - Relevance On Its Retreat The pandemic obviously provided a massive boost to the business, with revenues more than doubling to $1.7 billion in 2020, as fat GAAP operating profits of $350 million worked down to earnings of $3 per share. Such booming results made shares peak around the $250 mark in 2021. Revenues advanced, but at a slightly slower pace, with revenues reported at $2.3 billion in 2021, $2.5 billion in 2022, $2.7 billion in 2023, and $2.8 billion in 2024. With revenue growth slowing down in an ...
tadamichi/iStock via Getty Images The following segment was excerpted from the First Eagle Global Real Assets Fund Q4 2025 Commentary. Portfolio Review The Global Real Assets Fund A Shares (without sales charge*) posted a return of 2.75% in fourth quarter 2025. Emerging markets and developed Europe were the largest contributors while Japan was the only detractor and developed Asia excluding Japan ...
tadamichi/iStock via Getty Images The following segment was excerpted from the First Eagle Global Real Assets Fund Q4 2025 Commentary. Portfolio Review The Global Real Assets Fund A Shares (without sales charge*) posted a return of 2.75% in fourth quarter 2025. Emerging markets and developed Europe were the largest contributors while Japan was the only detractor and developed Asia excluding Japan lagged. Materials, energy and information technology were the leading contributors among equity sectors, while consumer discretionary, communications services and real estate detracted. The Real Assets Fund outperformed the MSCI World Index in the period. Leading contributors in the First Eagle Global Real Assets Fund this quarter included Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Pfd Non-Voting ( SSNLF ), gold bullion, G Mining Ventures Corp ( GMINF ), HCA Healthcare Inc. ( HCA ) and Grupo Mexico S.A.B. de C.V. Class B ( GMBXF ). Samsung Electronics is a global technology company and major manufacturer of diverse electronic components with a dominant presence in memory semiconductors. Results during the quarter reflect continued strong demand and shortage-induced pricing strength for DRAM chips and persistent demand from hyperscalers driven by AI infrastructure buildouts amid tight supply. As noted in the Market Commentary, gold bullion continued to rally in the quarter on the back of such drivers as geopolitical uncertainty, strong demand from central banks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and a dovish Federal Reserve. G Mining Ventures, listed and headquartered in Canada, acquires, explores and develops precious metal projects in Brazil and Guyana. The company was created in 2020 as an offshoot of G Mining Services, a provider of mining project execution services. The company's flagship Tocantinzinho mine in Brazil declared commercial production in late 2024 and reached nameplate capacity in 2025. Core cash flows continue to ramp as the company develops the Oka West project in Guyan...
slobo/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images By Khaveen Jey, CFA, FMVA, Portfolio Manager @ Khaveen Investments & Nicholas Tan, Investment Research Analyst @ Khaveen Investments. In this analysis, we initiate our coverage of Costco ( COST ), a dominant global membership-only retailer that provides its members with quality products at low prices. Costco's revenue has been growing with an average growth...
slobo/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images By Khaveen Jey, CFA, FMVA, Portfolio Manager @ Khaveen Investments & Nicholas Tan, Investment Research Analyst @ Khaveen Investments. In this analysis, we initiate our coverage of Costco ( COST ), a dominant global membership-only retailer that provides its members with quality products at low prices. Costco's revenue has been growing with an average growth rate of 9.86% over the last 10 years. The company's net margins have also consistently improved, rising from 1.98% in 2016 to 2.96% in TTM. We thus analyze whether the company could continue to maintain its stable and profitable growth. We first evaluate whether it could retain its competitive positioning by examining its market share, its competitiveness, and the cost strategies underpinning its competitive positioning. We then examine whether it can continue growing by analyzing its revenue growth drivers, such as average revenue per member ('ARPM'), members per store, and store numbers. We analyzed ARPM as it would help us understand each consumer's spending amount in store and whether it has been rising, while we examined its members per store because more members per store would directly affect how much sales each store makes. We evaluated store numbers, as more stores would indicate more locations to generate revenue. We further examine whether it could maintain its profit margins by evaluating its historical margins breakdown and its membership net margins. We analyze its membership net margins, as their high margins are used to offset low product prices. Robust Market Share and Competitive Advantage In our first section, we analyze whether the company could maintain its competitive position, as a weakening competitive position could hamper its growth outlook. We thus compile the top US retailers' retail-related revenue within the Consumer Staples Merchandise Retail and Food Retail sub-industry from GICS. We also included Amazon ( AMZN ), as Amazon also operates as ...
Renaissance Technologies trimmed its Alphabet position in Q4 of 2025 by a big margin. The quantitative trading giant, founded by the late mathematician Jim Simons, slashed its Alphabet (GOOGL) stock stake by 88.6% in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to Tikr.com, selling down to just 296,470 ...
Renaissance Technologies trimmed its Alphabet position in Q4 of 2025 by a big margin. The quantitative trading giant, founded by the late mathematician Jim Simons, slashed its Alphabet (GOOGL) stock stake by 88.6% in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to Tikr.com, selling down to just 296,470 ...
On February 17, 2026, Baker Bros. Advisors disclosed a purchase of 455,208 shares of GRAIL (NASDAQ:GRAL) , an estimated $39.33 million trade based on quarterly average pricing. According to a recent SEC filing dated February 17, 2026, Baker Bros. Advisors increased its position in GRAIL by 455,208 shares. The estimated transaction value, based on the average unadjusted closing price during the fou...
On February 17, 2026, Baker Bros. Advisors disclosed a purchase of 455,208 shares of GRAIL (NASDAQ:GRAL) , an estimated $39.33 million trade based on quarterly average pricing. According to a recent SEC filing dated February 17, 2026, Baker Bros. Advisors increased its position in GRAIL by 455,208 shares. The estimated transaction value, based on the average unadjusted closing price during the fourth quarter of 2025, was $39.33 million. The quarter-end value of the position rose by $82.09 million, reflecting the combined impact of additional shares and changes in the stock price. The position represents roughly 1% of assets. GRAIL is a biotechnology company specializing in advanced diagnostics for early cancer detection. The company leverages proprietary technology to address significant unmet needs in oncology screening and diagnosis. With a focus on innovation and clinical utility, GRAIL aims to improve patient outcomes and establish a leadership position in the medical diagnostics market. Continue reading
The second-gen trackers look similar to the originals but come with a few welcome upgrades. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Less than a month after making their debut, Apple’s second-gen AirTags are already receiving their first discount. Right now, Costco members can buy five location trackers for $99.99 ($29 off) either online or in-store, bringing the price of each tracker down to...
The second-gen trackers look similar to the originals but come with a few welcome upgrades. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Less than a month after making their debut, Apple’s second-gen AirTags are already receiving their first discount. Right now, Costco members can buy five location trackers for $99.99 ($29 off) either online or in-store, bringing the price of each tracker down to about $20 a pop. If you don’t already belong to Costco, you can still take advantage of the discount if you’re willing to pay a $5 surcharge or sign up for an annual membership, which currently starts at $65 a year. Apple AirTag (second-gen) Where to Buy: $145 $99.99 at Costco (five-pack) Apple’s original AirTag has been our favorite tracker for iPhone users for years, and the newest version builds upon that excellence with some welcome improvements. What has always set the AirTag apart is Apple’s ultra wideband chip, which allows for an impressive level of precision that competing products like the Tile Pro can’t match. The company’s new, upgraded chip still guides you straight to misplaced items with on-screen arrows, vibrations, and sounds, but now from up to 50 percent farther away. The extended range also makes tracking items in multi-story homes much more reliable, and even makes it faster to connect the AirTag to your phone. The built-in speaker is also 50 percent louder, making it easier to locate the item trackers when they’re hidden from view. The new model also keeps everything we loved in the original AirTag. It still uses a user-replaceable battery, so you don’t need to replace it when it inevitably dies after a year or so. You also get the same IP67 water and dust resistance, extended Bluetooth range, and handy software features that let you share your tracker with up to five people or temporarily share its location with airlines, such as United , Delta , and American Airlines . Read our full AirTag (second-gen) review .
David Petrus Ibars/E+ via Getty Images The Roundhill GLP-1 & Weight Loss ETF ( OZEM ) came into focus on Monday after Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) shares tumbled as the firm's next-generation obesity drug CagriSema delivered less weight loss than Eli Lilly’s ( LLY ) competing treatment in a phase 3 trial. The results raised new concerns about its sales potential. Patients taking a standard dose of CagriSe...
David Petrus Ibars/E+ via Getty Images The Roundhill GLP-1 & Weight Loss ETF ( OZEM ) came into focus on Monday after Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) shares tumbled as the firm's next-generation obesity drug CagriSema delivered less weight loss than Eli Lilly’s ( LLY ) competing treatment in a phase 3 trial. The results raised new concerns about its sales potential. Patients taking a standard dose of CagriSema lost 20.2% of their body weight after 84 weeks, compared with 23.6% for Lilly’s tirzepatide. Here are the top holdings of OZEM and their quant ratings: Novo Nordisk ( NVO ): 2.88, Hold Eli Lilly and Co ( LLY ): 3.45, Hold Structure Therapeutics ( GPCR ): 3.46, Hold Roche ( RHHBY ): 3.21, Hold Pfizer ( PFE ): 3.33, Hold Amgen ( AMGN ): 3.34, Hold More on Roundhill GLP-1 & Weight Loss ETF OZEM Vs. THNR: Which Is The Better ETF In The GLP-1 And Weight Loss Space? OZEM stock: What the Ratings say Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Roundhill GLP-1 & Weight Loss ETF Dividend scorecard for Roundhill GLP-1 & Weight Loss ETF