As artificial intelligence fears spur sell-offs in the market, real estate investment trusts could be poised to shine. The S & P 500 tumbled more than 1% on Monday as concerns over AI disruption dragged down software stocks. The index is slightly negative for the year so far. However, the S & P 500 real estate sector is up more than 8% year to date. .SPLRCR .SPX YTD line The S & P 500 real estate ...
As artificial intelligence fears spur sell-offs in the market, real estate investment trusts could be poised to shine. The S & P 500 tumbled more than 1% on Monday as concerns over AI disruption dragged down software stocks. The index is slightly negative for the year so far. However, the S & P 500 real estate sector is up more than 8% year to date. .SPLRCR .SPX YTD line The S & P 500 real estate sector vs. the S & P 500 year to date. Worries about AI upending a variety of sectors have kept the market under pressure in recent weeks. Even REITs had their turn earlier this month, with SL Green Realty , BXP and Hudson Pacific Properties tanking on fears over disruptions by artificial intelligence in the office space. Commercial real estate brokers like CBRE and Jones Lang LaSalle were also hit. However, the office sector is just a small slice over the overall REIT market, said BMO analyst John Kim. "Interest rates are most likely coming down," Kim told CNBC. "If that happens, that is generally good for REITs in terms of earnings growth. It helps with cap [capitalization rate], which is what we use to value real estate assets. It helps on the attractiveness of dividend yields for REITs." In fact, BMO is predicting 2026 is set up for a rebound for the sector in what it is calling a "REIT Redemption Tour." In addition to any capital appreciation, REITs pay dividends. In January, timberland, diversified, specialty and data centers were the top performers, according to industry group Nareit. Office and residential fared the worst. "We take a look at REIT operations; they've been solid. We take a look at the balance sheets; they've been solid," said Ed Pierzak, senior vice president of research at Nareit. "We've started to see this uptick in REIT transaction activity on the property side and we think that's a huge plus. It's really a potential signal that the broader [real estate] market may be getting into recovery as well." Finding opportunity While REITs' performance is i...
Three of the worst performers among US initial public offerings this year won much-needed support from Wall Street on Monday, with analysts warming to their post-selloff valuations. Technology-driven insurance broker Ethos Technologies Inc. , satellite manufacturer York Space Systems Inc. and Brazilian fintech firm PicS NV , won near-unanimous buy ratings from Wall Street analysts in their initiat...
Three of the worst performers among US initial public offerings this year won much-needed support from Wall Street on Monday, with analysts warming to their post-selloff valuations. Technology-driven insurance broker Ethos Technologies Inc. , satellite manufacturer York Space Systems Inc. and Brazilian fintech firm PicS NV , won near-unanimous buy ratings from Wall Street analysts in their initiations on Monday. Their shares have lost between 17% and 42% of their value since their listings, which raised $1.26 billion in aggregate. The companies’ underperformance stands in contrast to this year’s crop of debuts, which delivered a weighted average increase of about 16%, excluding blank-check firms and other financial vehicles, data compiled by Bloomberg show. By contrast, the benchmark S&P 500 Index is roughly flat this year. Ethos, the worst performer among this year’s debuts, received buy-equivalent ratings from all nine firms tracked by Bloomberg that initiated coverage on Monday. With their average 12-month price target of $19.75 per share — just above the IPO price of $19 each — Wall Street now expects the stock to nearly double from Friday’s close of $10.80. Ethos shares jumped 11% at one point on Monday before paring about half of those gains. As of 3:03 p.m. in New York, it traded at $10.91 per share, still down more than 40% from the IPO price in late January. Ethos is a “unique” technology-forward insurance broker that trades at “a sharp discount to peers,” Barclays Plc analysts including Ross Sandler said in a note. Its software and marketing stack are highly differentiated and would enable high growth rates at attractive margins for the foreseeable future, they added. “We believe the stock is compelling at its current valuation,” William Blair & Co. analysts including Adam Klauber said in a note touting the firm’s platform as transforming the life insurance market. For the latest news on equity capital markets activity in the US, Canada and Latin America, ...
Khamenei Prepares Secretive Succession Plan In Case He's Assassinated As US carriers deploy in the Mideast region and with tense nuclear talks inching forward in Geneva, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is reportedly taking Washington threats of assassination very seriously. According to a Sunday report by The New York Times , Khamenei has quietly established detailed succession plans ...
Khamenei Prepares Secretive Succession Plan In Case He's Assassinated As US carriers deploy in the Mideast region and with tense nuclear talks inching forward in Geneva, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is reportedly taking Washington threats of assassination very seriously. According to a Sunday report by The New York Times , Khamenei has quietly established detailed succession plans and emergency chains of command in the event he - or other top regime figures - are killed in potential US or Israeli strikes. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's grandson, Hassan Khomeini stands next to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/Via Reuters The contingency blueprint, drafted amid escalating threats and last month's nationwide unrest, is said to ensure continuity of power under wartime conditions. Central to that plan is the elevation of longtime insider Ali Larijani . The report says that at the height of the protests and amid mounting US military pressure, Khamenei tapped Larijani - a former Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commander and political heavyweight - to assume a dominant governing role, effectively sidelining President Masoud Pezeshkian and consolidating crisis management under a trusted loyalist . NY Times writes, "Ayatollah Khamenei has instructed Mr. Larijani and a handful of other close political and military associates to ensure that the Islamic Republic survives not only American and Israeli bombs, but also any assassination attempts on its top leadership , including on Ayatollah Khamenei himself, according to the six senior officials and the Guards members." Nasser Imani, a conservative analyst close to the government, told the outlet over the phone: "The supreme leader fully trusts Larijani. He believes Larijani is the man for this sensitive juncture because of his political track record, sharp mind and knowledge." Imani added: "He relies on him for reports on the situation and pragmatic advice. Larijani’s r...
On "Bloomberg ETF IQ", Cinthia Murphy, investment strategist at TMX VettaFi, joins Scarlet Fu and Eric Balchunas to discuss "UFO" ETFs, the space economy and prediction markets. (Source: Bloomberg)
On "Bloomberg ETF IQ", Cinthia Murphy, investment strategist at TMX VettaFi, joins Scarlet Fu and Eric Balchunas to discuss "UFO" ETFs, the space economy and prediction markets. (Source: Bloomberg)
Irenic Capital Management cut its stake in Surgery Partners (NASDAQ:SGRY) by 1,047,583 shares in the fourth quarter, an estimated $19.25 million trade based on quarterly average pricing, according to a February 17, 2026, SEC filing. Irenic Capital Management disclosed in a recent SEC filing that it sold 1,047,583 shares of Surgery Partners during the quarter ended December 31, 2025. The estimated ...
Irenic Capital Management cut its stake in Surgery Partners (NASDAQ:SGRY) by 1,047,583 shares in the fourth quarter, an estimated $19.25 million trade based on quarterly average pricing, according to a February 17, 2026, SEC filing. Irenic Capital Management disclosed in a recent SEC filing that it sold 1,047,583 shares of Surgery Partners during the quarter ended December 31, 2025. The estimated value of shares sold was $19.25 million, based on the quarterly average share price. The fund’s quarter-end position in the company declined to 84,620 shares, with the value shift also reflecting price performance over the period. Surgery Partners, Inc. is a leading operator of surgical facilities in the United States, with a diversified portfolio spanning ambulatory surgery centers and surgical hospitals. The company leverages a scalable model focused on high-demand specialties and ancillary healthcare services, aiming to deliver efficient, cost-effective care outside of traditional hospital settings. Its broad national footprint and integrated service offerings position it to address evolving healthcare delivery trends and patient preferences. Continue reading
Antonio Bordunovi/iStock Editorial via Getty Images It seems so long ago when every press release mentioning AI or ChatGPT pushed Nvidia Corporation's ( NVDA ) stock to new highs, making it the world's most valuable company. In recent months, the AI trade has become more cautious and dispersed, with software stocks plunging and hyperscaler names in significant drawdowns. Amid this volatility and u...
Antonio Bordunovi/iStock Editorial via Getty Images It seems so long ago when every press release mentioning AI or ChatGPT pushed Nvidia Corporation's ( NVDA ) stock to new highs, making it the world's most valuable company. In recent months, the AI trade has become more cautious and dispersed, with software stocks plunging and hyperscaler names in significant drawdowns. Amid this volatility and uncertainty, a giant is hiding in plain sight, and that giant is Nvidia, which I expect to deliver blockbuster earnings this Wednesday . I reiterate a Buy rating ahead of the print, expecting a major injection of confidence to skeptical investors. Nvidia's Stock Barely Responded To Major Escalation In Hyperscaler Capex Spending The fourth quarter earnings season was a capex festival for Nvidia's biggest customers. Virtually all hyperscalers came out with capital spending plans that were much higher than initial estimates. For 2026, Amazon ( AMZN ) is looking at $200 billion, Alphabet ( GOOG ) at $185 billion, Meta Platforms ( META ) at $125 billion, and Microsoft ( MSFT ) is run rating to $150 billion. This doesn't include Oracle ( ORCL ) and the neoclouds, which stand to spend over a hundred billion dollars combined as well. Created by the author based on company disclosures and reports. Since the ChatGPT moment in 2022, every escalation in the capex spending outlook coincided with Nvidia's stock increasing, with the market understanding that Nvidia is going to capture a major portion of it. Data by YCharts This time around, the stock did increase, but to a much lesser extent, and it's still trading far below November's record, despite a huge upside surprise to the spending outlook. In my view, the explanation for this change in market response comes down to investors fearing that Nvidia could lose share of capital spending to rival alternatives, specifically, custom ASICs. Fearing The ASIC Boogeyman One could argue that one of the reasons Nvidia's stock didn't respond as s...
Andrzej Rostek/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Given the names of the funds, those investors who have not previously encountered these assets may assume that they belong to the same family. This is not the case, however, because Virtus InfraCap US Preferred Stock ETF ( PFFA ) and iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF ( PFF ) are two funds from different companies with completely op...
Andrzej Rostek/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Given the names of the funds, those investors who have not previously encountered these assets may assume that they belong to the same family. This is not the case, however, because Virtus InfraCap US Preferred Stock ETF ( PFFA ) and iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF ( PFF ) are two funds from different companies with completely opposite investment strategies and management styles. Taking into account that I expect the S&P 500 to continue its upward trend in 2026, funds that maintain an active management style, balance their use of leverage, are still my priority, and are capable of generating higher returns. PFFA is an example of the successful application of active management when investing in preferred shares, enabling not only high dividend yields for investors but also capital preservation. PFF is a more traditional fund with significantly higher liquidity and is considered something of a "gold standard." But when you look at its historical performance compared to PFFA, the picture is different, since the latter fund has proven to be more effective for income-focused investors. On the other hand, PFF lags significantly in terms of total return and has a problem with capital erosion, failing to recover its lost ground since 2022. Fundamental Similarities Between PFFA and PFF One of the main similarities between PFFA and PFF is their focus on generating high monthly income, making them very popular instruments for investors seeking consistent passive returns. There are a number of other fundamental similarities between these funds: Firstly, they both invest in a basket of US preferred stocks and hybrid securities, combining the characteristics of stocks and bonds. Secondly, their assets are highly sensitive to interest rate changes because preferred stocks have a fixed coupon. Finally, the majority of the funds' distributions are classified as Qualified Dividend Income. Fundamental Differences Bet...
On the eve of the fourth anniversary since Russia invaded Ukraine, Vladyslav Heraskevych has no regrets about sacrificing his Winter Olympic dreams in Milano Cortina It is the image that will forever define the 2026 Winter Olympics: a Ukrainian skeleton racer, stoic and unbowed, holding a helmet bearing the faces of 24 athletes killed by Russia. Behind him, the icy track serves as a reminder of th...
On the eve of the fourth anniversary since Russia invaded Ukraine, Vladyslav Heraskevych has no regrets about sacrificing his Winter Olympic dreams in Milano Cortina It is the image that will forever define the 2026 Winter Olympics: a Ukrainian skeleton racer, stoic and unbowed, holding a helmet bearing the faces of 24 athletes killed by Russia. Behind him, the icy track serves as a reminder of the dreams he sacrificed for a greater purpose. It was an extraordinary act of bravery and defiance, which carried the tremors of Tommie Smith and John Carlos’s civil rights protest in 1968. But in his first in-depth interview since being disqualified from the Milano Cortina Games Vladyslav Heraskevych makes one thing clear. He has unfinished business with the Olympics. Continue reading...
TSM, Micron and Supermicro are outpacing NVDA as AI-driven data center demand, chip shortages and margin gains power bold revenue and earnings forecasts.
TSM, Micron and Supermicro are outpacing NVDA as AI-driven data center demand, chip shortages and margin gains power bold revenue and earnings forecasts.