Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will unveil a plan soon to shore up the country’s oil supply as uncertainties stemming from the conflict in Iran continue, Bernama reported . The plan will focus on making sure there is enough domestic supply to support economic activity, the report said, citing Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir . The war in Iran and the disruption it has caused to ...
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will unveil a plan soon to shore up the country’s oil supply as uncertainties stemming from the conflict in Iran continue, Bernama reported . The plan will focus on making sure there is enough domestic supply to support economic activity, the report said, citing Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir . The war in Iran and the disruption it has caused to the Strait of Hormuz has sparked concerns over a global energy crisis. Malaysia’s government said it expected to spend about 7 billion ringgit ($1.8 billion) on fuel subsidies in April, roughly ten times more than what it was paying before the Iran conflict. The government has previously signaled its current reserves could last until June. State-owned oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Bhd. is in the final stages of securing new suppliers, Akmal was quoted as saying in the report. At the Asean level, there are also discussions on regional reserves though work is still needed on the framework and mechanisms, he said. The Malaysian government is optimistic that the use of B15 biodiesel can begin on June 1 to help extend the country’s diesel supply, the report said.
trekandshoot/iStock via Getty Images Ares Management ( ARES ) is still trading 24% below its year-ago level even as first-quarter assets under management ("AUM") rose to a record high as capital formation ramped up versus its prior year-ago quarter. The big number from the first quarter was 26%, that's how much ARES was able to grow fee-related earnings ("FRE") as this came in at $464.4 million ve...
trekandshoot/iStock via Getty Images Ares Management ( ARES ) is still trading 24% below its year-ago level even as first-quarter assets under management ("AUM") rose to a record high as capital formation ramped up versus its prior year-ago quarter. The big number from the first quarter was 26%, that's how much ARES was able to grow fee-related earnings ("FRE") as this came in at $464.4 million versus $367.27 million in the year-ago comp. Critically, year-over-year FRE growth ramped up by 400 basis points as this figure was 22% in the first quarter of fiscal 2025. ARES last declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.35 per share , kept unchanged from its prior distribution, and $5.40 per share annualized for a 4.4% dividend yield. The yield is at its highest level in over 5-years and is above the trailing twelve-month yield as ARES hiked its dividend by 20% in February. Data by YCharts ARES reported year-over-year AUM growth of 18% to reach $644.3 billion . Fee-paying assets under management ("FPAUM") ended the first quarter at $399.6 billion, up 19% over its year-ago comp. This growth came during a quarter that saw elevated redemption requests from investors in private credit funds. The core of the bearish thesis that drove ARES to a more than 2-year low was centred on AUM formation either slowing materially or, in the worst-case scenario, going into reverse during a quarter that was shaped and moulded by short calls that private credit was on the brink of blowing up. I last covered the ticker with a Buy rating, with the stock up around 25% since then. Seeking Alpha AUM Formation, FRE Expansion, And Valuation Multiple In my view, there is more room for the ongoing rally to run as ARES is currently swapping hands for a yield that's around 1.6x higher than its 5-year average of 2.78% . Critically, the asset manager comfortably covers its dividend and tends to raise it by double-digit percentages after four quarters. The average of the raises over the last 5-years stand...
Susan Vineyard/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis I rate Liberty Energy with a Buy, with an advice to accumulate stocks around the $30-$35 levels. The company is the second biggest player in the frac business in North America, with a good technological moat in its on-field equipment composed by DigiFleet and DigiPrime. The stock has recovered from a 52-week low of $9.90 and it is experienci...
Susan Vineyard/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis I rate Liberty Energy with a Buy, with an advice to accumulate stocks around the $30-$35 levels. The company is the second biggest player in the frac business in North America, with a good technological moat in its on-field equipment composed by DigiFleet and DigiPrime. The stock has recovered from a 52-week low of $9.90 and it is experiencing a great momentum thanks to the expected price inflection in the frac business, announced by the management in the last earnings call, and to the Liberty Power Innovation (LPI) programme, which would position the company in the bigger and growing Power Infrastructure business, serving data-centers and hyperscalers. My blended price target for the stock, derived from a DCF and relative valuation is $42-$44/share, representing a good investment option for those investors who have at least a 12-18 months horizon. Business Overview Liberty Energy, Inc. ( LBRT ), with headquarters in Denver, is an important provider of hydraulic fracturing services and oilfield technologies. It was founded in 2011 by Chris Wright, who is now serving as US Secretary of Energy. In terms of services, the company is focused on the horizontal-well hydraulic fracturing, also known as frac. The whole process consists of providing oil companies with pumps, pipes, fuel systems, softwares and human capital to pump water, sand and chemicals underground at high pressures to materially creates cracks in rocks from which the oil companies can drill well for oil extraction. Liberty designs, performs and monitors the whole process with high horsepower equipment of 65,000-100,000 hp per each fleet. The distinguishing characteristic of the company is its proprietary technology consisting of DigiFleet and DigiPrime, which are platforms fuelled with 100% natural gas operating with variable speed , controlled by a software, in the whole fracturing process. Practically, DigiPrime pumps replace diesel electric equip...
South Indian film star C. Joseph Vijay’s party secured support of smaller parties to reach a majority and form the government in Tamil Nadu, one of India’s most industrialized states and a key hub for automobile and iPhone production. Vijay, along with members of his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar late on Saturday to stake a claim. Support from the Indian Nation...
South Indian film star C. Joseph Vijay’s party secured support of smaller parties to reach a majority and form the government in Tamil Nadu, one of India’s most industrialized states and a key hub for automobile and iPhone production. Vijay, along with members of his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, met Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar late on Saturday to stake a claim. Support from the Indian National Congress, the Left parties and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi helped TVK cross the halfway mark in the 234-member assembly. Tamil Nadu delivered a fractured verdict after the votes were counted, setting the stage for coalition talks. Vijay’s party won 108 seats, ending more than five-decade-long duopoly of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Incumbent DMK led by MK Stalin secured 59 seats, while AIADMK won 47, according to results published on the Election Commission website. The result left investors assessing the impact of political shift. Analysts expect policy continuity as electronics, auto components, textiles and leather are large employment generators. The state is a major base for car and electronics exports, drawing significant foreign investment, including facilities linked to Apple’s iPhone assemblers.
More than 100 people aboard a cruise ship that departed from Fort Lauderdale in Florida last month have fallen ill from norovirus, according to the US Centres for Disease Control. The Caribbean Princess, a Princess Cruises ship, departed from Port Everglades on April 28 for an 11-day voyage, according to Cruise Mapper. But on Thursday, the CDC announced that 102 passengers and 13 crew members were...
More than 100 people aboard a cruise ship that departed from Fort Lauderdale in Florida last month have fallen ill from norovirus, according to the US Centres for Disease Control. The Caribbean Princess, a Princess Cruises ship, departed from Port Everglades on April 28 for an 11-day voyage, according to Cruise Mapper. But on Thursday, the CDC announced that 102 passengers and 13 crew members were sick and had been isolated. There are more than 4,000 people on board, according to the CDC. The...
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) has shed about 48% of its value in just the last six months. The meme coin frenzy that once powered Solana's trading activity has become a reputational liability, and the broader crypto sell-off since October 2025 has compounded the damage substantially. But declaring the blockchain a lost cause as an investment would be hasty. The network's technical roadmap and institutional...
Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) has shed about 48% of its value in just the last six months. The meme coin frenzy that once powered Solana's trading activity has become a reputational liability, and the broader crypto sell-off since October 2025 has compounded the damage substantially. But declaring the blockchain a lost cause as an investment would be hasty. The network's technical roadmap and institutional partnerships tell a more complex story than the price chart suggests. Here's what's dragging the coin down, and what could pull it back up over the next couple of years. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
China’s marriage registrations in the first quarter fell to the lowest level on record for the three-month period, underscoring persistent weakness in the formation of new households — even during the peak wedding season. Data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs show that 1.697 million couples registered to marry in the three months through March, down about 6.2% from a year earlier and below level...
China’s marriage registrations in the first quarter fell to the lowest level on record for the three-month period, underscoring persistent weakness in the formation of new households — even during the peak wedding season. Data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs show that 1.697 million couples registered to marry in the three months through March, down about 6.2% from a year earlier and below levels seen during the pandemic, when first‑quarter registrations exceeded 2 million. China began publishing nationally comparable quarterly matrimony registration data in 2013, when marriages in the first quarter stood at about 4.28 million. The latest figures on divorce registrations were broadly stable at 622,000, little changed from recent years and well below peaks seen before the introduction of the mandatory 30-day “cooling‑off” period in 2021. The divergence has pushed the divorce-to-marriage ratio close to historic highs, underscoring demographic pressures facing the world’s second‑largest economy. With the first quarter typically accounting for nearly a third of annual marriages due to Lunar New Year traditions, the muted outcome points to structural rather than cyclical factors. The trend adds to concern about the aging population and its implications for housing demand, consumer spending and long‑term growth.
Getty Images I have a bullish view on PTC Therapeutics ( PTCT ) because I believe the market is still treating the company as a legacy rare disease business with a few uncertain pipeline shots, while the operating reality has shifted toward a commercially validated phenylketonuria launch, a de-risked Huntington 's disease partnership, and a balance sheet that gives management unusual flexibility f...
Getty Images I have a bullish view on PTC Therapeutics ( PTCT ) because I believe the market is still treating the company as a legacy rare disease business with a few uncertain pipeline shots, while the operating reality has shifted toward a commercially validated phenylketonuria launch, a de-risked Huntington 's disease partnership, and a balance sheet that gives management unusual flexibility for a mid-cap biotech. Sephience has very quickly become large enough to replace the shrinking parts of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) franchise and to fund the next stage of the company without forcing shareholders into the typical biotech financing cycle. PTC is now in a different category. It has a global commercial infrastructure; a growing metabolic disease product with real launch velocity; a partnered late-stage neurology asset where Novartis ( NVS ) is carrying the heavy development burden; and nearly $1.9 billion of cash and marketable securities as of March 31, 2026. This is not a clean story, since Translarna is under regulatory pressure and Emflaza is facing generic erosion, but I think that is exactly why the opportunity exists. The market is still discounting the old revenue base faster than it is capitalizing the new one. Latest Financials The first quarter of 2026 provided the clearest evidence yet that the Sephience launch is not merely an example of pre-launch stockpiling or enthusiastic launch activity. PTC reported first quarter total revenues of $272.6 million, with net product revenues of $225.6 million, representing a 47 percent increase from the first quarter of 2025. Sephience generated $124.6 million in the quarter, with a sequential increase of 36 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2025 Sephience revenue. PTC management indicated that there were 1,244 patients on commercial therapy globally at the end of the quarter. In the U.S., patient start form submissions have averaged approximately 140 per month for the last few months and excee...
Shares of CoreWeave (NASDAQ: CRWV) tumbled more than 11% on Friday, the day after the artificial intelligence (AI) cloud infrastructure specialist released its first-quarter results. The drop came after a torrid run for the stock; heading into earnings, shares had nearly doubled in 2026. What sent the stock lower wasn't the headline numbers, which on the surface looked transformational. Revenue mo...
Shares of CoreWeave (NASDAQ: CRWV) tumbled more than 11% on Friday, the day after the artificial intelligence (AI) cloud infrastructure specialist released its first-quarter results. The drop came after a torrid run for the stock; heading into earnings, shares had nearly doubled in 2026. What sent the stock lower wasn't the headline numbers, which on the surface looked transformational. Revenue more than doubled. The contracted revenue backlog approached $100 billion. New deals with Anthropic, Meta , and other AI heavyweights stacked up. But the market zeroed in on what came alongside the report. Second-quarter guidance came in light, capital spending plans crept higher, and the bottom line continued to deteriorate. With shares still up nearly 60% on the year, even after the slide, the question is whether this pullback is the entry point bulls have been hoping for. Continue reading
How Governments, Corporations, & Technocratic Systems Are Quietly Redefining Ownership In The 21st Century Authored by Milan Adams via PreppGroup, There are periods in history when societies begin to discover that the liberties they believed to be permanent were, in reality, conditional arrangements tolerated only while they remained politically convenient. Across the Western world, governments ar...
How Governments, Corporations, & Technocratic Systems Are Quietly Redefining Ownership In The 21st Century Authored by Milan Adams via PreppGroup, There are periods in history when societies begin to discover that the liberties they believed to be permanent were, in reality, conditional arrangements tolerated only while they remained politically convenient. Across the Western world, governments are quietly expanding the legal and administrative mechanisms through which private land can be reclassified, restricted, absorbed, or transferred in the name of infrastructure, sustainability, industrial security, climate adaptation, and economic modernization. Entire farming regions are now being surveyed for carbon pipelines. Rural communities are facing unprecedented redevelopment pressure linked to energy transitions and semiconductor expansion. Financial institutions are purchasing strategic agricultural land at historic levels while policymakers openly discuss the restructuring of urban life around centralized digital systems. Officially, these transformations are described as progress. Unofficially, an increasing number of citizens have begun to suspect that the modern definition of ownership itself is being rewritten in real time. The New Architecture of Property Seizure The modern citizen has been conditioned to believe that private property represents one of the sacred foundations of liberal democracy. Constitutions defend it, political campaigns celebrate it, and economists routinely describe it as the engine of prosperity and social stability. Yet beneath the ceremonial rhetoric lies a more fragile reality — one in which ownership increasingly resembles a conditional administrative privilege rather than an untouchable natural right. This contradiction becomes impossible to ignore when examining the doctrine of eminent domain, the extraordinary legal authority through which governments may confiscate private property without the owner’s consent. Supporters of emin...