In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, President Trump once again touted new tax benefits for tipped workers, who like many Americans are feeling the pinch of higher prices. (Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein)

The former boss of a U.S. hacking tools maker was jailed for selling highly sensitive software exploits to a Russian broker. This is how we first learned of his arrest, reported the story, and some of the unanswered questions we still have.

Micron vs. Oracle: One AI Stock Is a Clear Buy Right Now Zacks Investment Research

格隆汇2月26日｜乌克兰总统泽连斯基：刚刚和美国总统特朗普通了电话。美国总统特使威特科夫和贾里德·库什纳也参加了通话。我们讨论了双方代表明天在日内瓦双边会晤中将要讨论的问题，以及三月初三方谈判团队全体会议的筹备工作。

During the past year, Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT) stock has gained almost 27%, and is in a separate class from other retail stocks . The company's shares have strongly outperformed other major retailers in the past year, like Costco Wholesale (down 4.8%), Amazon (down 5.8%) and Target (down 8.9%). Walmart is also beating the performance of the State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF , which provides exposure to 73 stocks across the broader retail sector, and is up 14% in the past year. Why is Walmart stock doing so much better than other retailers, and will its momentum keep going? Let's look at a few big reasons why this company's shares are beating the competition in the retail industry. Continue reading

While lifesaving vaccines face a relentless onslaught from the Trump administration—with fervent anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leading the charge—scientific literature is building a wondrous story: A vaccine appears to prevent dementia, including Alzheimer's, and may even slow biological aging. For years, study after study has noted that older adults vaccinated against shingles seemed to have a lower risk of dementia . A study last month suggested the same vaccine appears to slow biological aging, including lowering markers of inflammation. "Our study adds to a growing body of work suggesting that vaccines may play a role in healthy aging strategies beyond solely preventing acute illness," study author Eileen Crimmins, of the University of Southern California, said. Read full article Comments

Earnings Call Insights: APi Group Corporation (APG) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Russell Becker announced the transition of Adam Fee from Investor Relations to a finance leadership role within the elevator business and the appointment of Adam Walters to lead Investor Relations. Becker highlighted APi's recognition as a military-friendly employer for 2026 and reiterated the company's commitment to its workforce. Becker stated, "We grew revenues from $3.9 billion in 2021 to $7.9 billion in 2025." He noted that the percentage of revenue from inspection, service and monitoring increased to 54% in 2025, up from 40% in 2021, and emphasized the acquisition of Elevated as a key entry into the elevator and escalator service market. The company completed 33 bolt-on acquisitions totaling $580 million from 2023 through 2025 and achieved an adjusted EBITDA margin of 13.2%, exceeding its 13% target. Adjusted free cash flow conversion reached 80%. Becker introduced new long-term financial targets: $10 billion in net revenues by 2028, 16%+ adjusted EBITDA margin, 60%+ revenues from inspection, service and monitoring, and $3 billion in cumulative adjusted free cash flow by 2028. Glenn Jackola, Executive VP & CFO, reported, "Net revenues for the 3 months ended December 31 were $2.12 billion, a 13.8% increase compared to $1.86 billion in the prior year period." Jackola also highlighted organic growth of 11.1% and adjusted gross margin of 32.2%, up 110 basis points year-over-year. Jackola added, "Adjusted EBITDA increased by 21.9% for the 3 months ended December 31, with adjusted EBITDA margin coming in at 13.9%, representing a 90 basis point increase compared to the prior year period." Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.44 for the quarter. Outlook Management expects 2026 full-year reported net revenues of $8.4 billion to $8.6 billion, with organic growth of 5% at the midpoint. Full-year adjusted EBITDA is projected at $1.14 billion to $1.20 billion, with a midpoint margin of 13.8%, up 60 basi...

Drew Angerer/Getty Images News Ahead of Apple ( AAPL ) unveiling several new products next month, Samsung ( SSNLF ) took the wrap off its latest offerings itself at an event on Wednesday in San Francisco. Introduced by the South Korean tech giant were smartphones in the Galaxy S26 series, including the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. The phones come in four colors—Cobalt Violet, White, Black, and Sky—though Samsung added that Pink Gold and Silver Shadow are available exclusively on Samsung.com. The 6.3-inch Galaxy S26 starts at $899, while the 6.7-inch S26+ and 6.9-inch S26 Ultra start at $1,099 and $1,299, respectively. Samsung added that pre-orders for the devices start today and will be available on March 11. As has become par for the course in the tech sector, Samsung infused a lot of artificial intelligence into the devices, including Galaxy AI. It uses the company's own AI models, along with those from Google's ( GOOG ) ( GOOGL ) Gemini, to make consumers lives easier, Samsung said. Examples include Galaxy AI removing certain objects from a photo, as well as adding items, Samsung added. The Galaxy S26 Ultra also features a built-in Privacy Display, which Samsung called a “breakthrough” display technology that changes phone privacy. “Designed for everyday situations like transit, cafés and shared environments, Privacy Display goes beyond anything previously available on mobile devices — hardware and software working as one to protect privacy without compromising the viewing experience,” Samsung said on its website. The Galaxy S26 Ultra also features a customized Qualcomm ( QCOM ) processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform for Galaxy. Upgrades were made to the CPU, GPU, and NPU on the chipset, Samsung explained. In addition to the new phones, Samsung took the wraps off its new Galaxy Buds4 product line at the event, unveiling the Buds4 and Buds4 Pro. The Buds4 will be priced at $179, while the Buds4 Pro will set consumers back $249. T...

格隆汇2月26日｜亚特兰大联储主席博斯蒂克周三表示，美联储与白宫之间的裂痕已开始侵蚀公众对央行超然政治地位的信任。这是迄今高级货币政策官员就特朗普对美联储采取强硬立场所带来后果发出的最直接警告之一。博斯蒂克在为其2月底从亚特兰大联储退休前撰写的告别文章中表示，他在联储系统内的同事仍致力于将其工作与政治隔离。“但我在过去几个月的走访清楚表明，围绕央行展开的法律和言辞交锋，已使社会各阶层民众开始质疑美联储的独立性，这令人严重关切。”博斯蒂克并非今年唯一强调央行独立性重要性的美联储官员，但没有人像他周三那样直接警告称，当前一系列争议可能削弱公众对这一机构的信任。

Earnings Call Insights: HNI Corporation (HNI) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Jeffrey Lorenger highlighted that 2025 marked a transformative year for HNI, noting "we reported a fourth straight year of double-digit non-GAAP EPS growth despite persistent soft and uncertain macro conditions." Lorenger stated, "And late in the year, we completed the acquisition of Steelcase. This combination will not only transform our company, but also the Workplace Furnishings industry." He emphasized the ongoing profitability improvement initiatives, expansion of operating margins in Workplace Furnishings, and structural changes in Residential Building Products focused on top-line growth. Lorenger added, "HNI will now have total revenue of more than $5.8 billion, including all synergies, total adjusted EBITDA will be nearly $750 million and annual free cash flow will approximately be $350 million." Lorenger reported, "We also remain confident in our ability to deliver the targeted synergies of $120 million and drive margin expansion at Steelcase." CFO Vincent Berger stated, "Fiscal 2025 non-GAAP diluted earnings per share for our legacy business was $3.74, which increased 22% from 2024 levels." Berger added that total net sales for the year increased 12% overall and 6% organically, with adjusted operating margin expanding 80 basis points to 9.4%. He also detailed that the Steelcase acquisition was consolidated for the final three weeks of December and clarified, "the expected timing and magnitude of our projected $120 million of synergies and $1.20 of accretion are unchanged and unimpacted by the stub period." Outlook HNI expects a fifth year of double-digit non-GAAP EPS growth in 2026 and continued revenue growth, according to Berger. He forecast that network optimization, synergy recognition, and continued investments would yield incremental EPS of $0.25 to $0.30 over the next three years, with approximately $0.10 recognized in 2026. Berger shared, "For the first quarter of 2026, we ex...

A weekly, midday program that delivers high-impact, editorially driven coverage of the most important corporate transactions shaping the global market. Today's guests: Lightspeed Venture Partners Partner, Co-Founder Ravi Mhatre, Partner EQT Partners Jan Vesely, Lead Analyst US Mult-Industry Sector Barclays Julian Mitchell, Brookings Institution Visting Fellow Bill Baer, and Paul Weiss Global Chair of M&A Robert Kindler. (Source: Bloomberg)

Earnings Call Insights: Luxfer Holdings PLC (LXFR) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Andrew William Butcher described 2025 as a year of "successful, disciplined and it's even better than we expected at the outset," highlighting sustained positive earnings growth and the resilience of Luxfer’s operating model. Butcher emphasized, "Adjusted EBITDA totaled $51.9 million, up 4% and adjusted earnings per share was $1.11, up 12% year-over-year, reflecting our ability to drive earnings through consistent execution and portfolio positioning." He credited "sustained momentum in the Elektron business, particularly across defense and aerospace applications" as a key growth catalyst, noting record volume levels in Magtech Solutions despite capacity constraints. In Gas Cylinders, the team is "strengthening the underlying cost structure and improving operational efficiency," with optimization initiatives like the Riverside and Saxonburg Centers of Excellence progressing and expected to provide long-term efficiency gains. Butcher reiterated the ongoing Board evaluation of strategic alternatives, stating, "This evaluation remains ongoing." CFO Stephen M. Webster reported, "Adjusted sales were $90.7 million, down 5.5% year-over-year," for the quarter, but stressed that "adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $13 million, ahead of our expectations with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 14.3%." Webster also highlighted a $9.9 million reduction in net debt to $31.1 million and a year-end leverage of approximately 0.6x. Webster detailed Elektron’s performance, stating "Sales were $46.9 million, down 1.3% year-over-year," for the quarter, while "Gas Cylinders, sales were $43.8 million, down 9.7% year-over-year," but with improved gross margin to 17.4%. Outlook 2026 adjusted sales are projected in the range of $350 million to $370 million. Management expects "adjusted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $1.05 to $1.20, with a midpoint of approximately $1.12." Adjusted EBITDA is foreca...

Earnings Call Insights: UFP Technologies (UFPT) Q4 2025 Management View CEO R. Bailly highlighted the company's full-year sales growth of 19.5%, bringing total revenue to $602.8 million, and noted, "This is a significant revenue milestone and represents nearly a tripling of revenue since 2021." He also pointed out a 435% operating income growth and a 419% EPS increase over the same four-year period. Bailly emphasized progress on strategic initiatives, including contract extensions, facility expansions, and the onboarding of new labor in St. Charles, Illinois, to address E-Verify attrition issues. He stated, "2025 EPS grew 15.4% despite absorbing $6.3 million in labor inefficiencies at our Illinois AJR facility. The AJR E-Verify labor inefficiency was $1.2 million in Q4, less than half of the $3 million Q3 impact, demonstrating the progress that is being made in onboarding and training new direct labor team members." Expansion in the Dominican Republic was underscored, with new program launches and the completion of a fifth building in La Romana. UFP has negotiated a lease for a sixth building to further expand robotic surgery capacity. The CEO also mentioned a contract extension with the largest customer, materially increasing volumes and adding a new program. On acquisitions, Bailly noted the integration of seven acquisitions over two years and ongoing search for additional strategic acquisitions. The CEO transition plan is nearly complete, with Mitch Rock set to succeed Bailly in June. Bailly will remain as Executive Chair for one year. CFO Ronald Lataille addressed the recent cybersecurity breach, stating, "At this point, the incident caused minimal interruptions to our operations, and we believe our primary information systems are being brought back online this week in all material respects. From a financial standpoint, we have cybersecurity insurance and do not expect a material impact to our operations, cash or liquidity." Lataille reported, "Gross profit as a...

Key PointsDavid Tepper's fund, Appaloosa Management, owns Whirlpool Corp, a maker of home appliances.

Rodney Brooks said future “humanoid” robots will have wheels and multiple arms.

格隆汇2月26日｜沙特官员：沙特将提供13亿里亚尔，用于支付也门政府公务员工资及弥补预算赤字。

CME Halts All Metals, NatGas Markets Due To "Technical Issues" At around 1300ET, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) halted trading of all metals and NatGas contracts (futures and options) due to 'technical issues' . Additionally, all day orders and GTDs with today’s date will be cancelled . All GTCs that have been acknowledged will remain working. Since the halt, spot prices for gold have declined... NatGas futures trading has re-opened (lower)... CME says that Globex Metals futures and options markets will Pre-open at 13:31 Central Time and Open at 13:45 Central Time. Developing... Tyler Durden Wed, 02/25/2026 - 14:26

Robert Kindler, Paul Weiss global chair of M&A, explains why he thinks it's too hard to do deals right now. He speaks to Dani Burger on Bloomberg Deals. (Source: Bloomberg)

NVIDIA (NVDA) Set to Report Q4 FY2026 Earnings After Bell on February 25, 2026: Wall Street Eyes AI Demand International Business Times Australia

Market Basket Inc. directors ousted ex-Chief Executive Officer Arthur T. Demoulas as a result of family strife rather than legitimate concerns about his management of the New England-based grocery chain, a lawyer for Demoulas argued at the end of a trial. Demoulas was improperly fired on the whims of his three sisters – who own a controlling stake of Market Basket’s private stock – his lawyers told a Delaware judge Wednesday. The judge, without a jury, will decide whether the executive’s removal violated corporate-governance statutes. The sisters’ representatives on the board jettisoned Demoulas last year . “The board engaged in a textbook case of bad faith” when it showed Demoulas the door, attorney Kevin Shannon told Delaware Chancery Judge Travis Laster in closing arguments. “Proving bad faith is not the easiest thing in the world, but we’ve done it in this case.” Demoulas, known as “Artie T.” around the Boston area, owns 28% of Market Basket and has been widely praised by workers and customers for offering substantial health-care benefits, profit-sharing and employee bonuses. His three sisters — who aren’t on the board but own 60% of the shares — lost faith in his management style and backed directors who eventually fired him and his children. Market Basket was rated the No. 2 grocery chain last month by marketing and customer data company dunnhumby . Only Texas-based H-E-B Supermarkets topped Market Basket, while Costco Wholesale Corp. was fourth and Trader Joe’s Co. was seventh. In September, the board sued in Delaware, where the company is incorporated, claiming Demoulas refused to keep directors informed about key decisions and was attempting to stir up a work stoppage over his firing. In October, Demoulas counter-sued, seeking reinstatement. Lawyers for Market Basket directors who took on Demoulas countered in their closing argument that he has refused for years to work with board members, keeping budgets and real estate deals secret, and pushing his childr...

Committee to Protect Journalists report says Israel also to blame for 81% of ‘intentionally targeted’ journalist killings The deadly toll on journalists in the Gaza war A record 129 journalists and media workers were killed in the course of their work in 2025, two-thirds of them by Israeli forces, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). It was the second consecutive year in which killings of members of the press reached unprecedented levels, and the second year running in which Israel was responsible for roughly two-thirds of the total, the New York-based independent organisation, which documents attacks on journalists worldwide, said in its annual report published on Wednesday. Continue reading...

ithinksky/E+ via Getty Images With Lunar New Year just passed, I thought it apt to look at some investment opportunities in Asia, and that is what this article is focused on. Ten years ago, I saw a research note from Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research, talking about "The Asia 8". The Asia 8 made up 49.7% of the MSCI Asia 50 Index. Today, the concentration has become even more extreme. Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research, 2016 The Asia 4 Today, the iShares Asia 50 ETF ( AIA ), see the iShares page here , which tracks the similar S&P Asia 50 Capped Index, just the top four positions make up 51% of the index. They are Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited ( TSM ), Samsung Electronics, Tencent Holdings Limited ( TCEHY ), and SK Hynix. All are tech companies, although Tencent is technically classified as being within the Communication sector. You might as well just buy Taiwan Semiconductor, which Bay Area Ideas has a Buy rating on. It's worth noting that Samsung and SK Hynix are also important chip makers. The top 8 positions of AIA make up 61.7% of the ETF. Two of the top 8 stocks, Taiwan Semiconductor and Alibaba Group Holding Limited ( BABA ), trade on US exchanges and so are easy for American investors to buy directly. Information Technology makes up 54% of the weight, and in terms of geographic exposure, the fund is centered around Taiwan 33%, China & Hong Kong 34.5%, and South Korea 27%. Singapore and cash round out the rest of the fund. The fund has no exposure to India or South East Asian countries other than Singapore. Like its Asia ex-Japan cousins, there is no exposure to Japan. To own this highly concentrated fund, one must pay a 0.50% expense fee. To make matters worse, the fund has a 3-year Equity Beta vis-a-vis the S&P 500 of 0.87. The only thing this fund has going for it is its momentum, which Seeking Alpha Quant Ratings gives an A+ score. The P/E ratio of the fund is currently 19x. The fund has a semi-annual distribution frequenc...

Source: Bloomberg, 0:44

The new privacy tech uses different types of pixels to let you block certain apps and notifications from being viewed by others.

Ohotnik/iStock via Getty Images February 25th was a really fantastic day for shareholders of Rocky Brands, Inc. ( RCKY ). Shares of the company skyrocketed higher, trading up 31.7% in late morning trading. This move came after management announced financial results for the final quarter of the company's 2025 fiscal year. Revenue and adjusted earnings per share comfortably exceeded analysts’ expectations. And management is pointing toward additional growth throughout 2026. In my last article about the business, published in October of 2025, I upgraded it from a Hold to a Buy. That decision was arrived at after reviewing the strong e-commerce and brand momentum that the company exhibited. Although tariffs remained a problem, the company was aggressively focusing on cost cutting. And on top of this, shares were priced at levels that made sense to me. Since then, the stock is now up 48.1% while the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) is up only 1.4%. And even though the easy money has absolutely been made by now, I would make the case that some further upside is still justified. That's why I believe that reaffirming it as a soft Buy is the right move here. A Great Quarter The final quarter of 2025 was really a great time for shareholders of Rocky Brands. The company reported revenue of $139.7 million. That's an increase of 9.1% compared to the $128.1 million the company reported a year earlier. It also happens to be $5.7 million above what analysts were hoping to see . This is a significant amount of upside in such a short window of time. And according to management, the rise in revenue was driven entirely by the company’s Retail business, with sales soaring 30.7% from $43.6 million to $57 million. Management chalked this expansion on the retail side up to the strength of the e-commerce brand and the strength associated with its B2B operations. Author - SEC EDGAR Data When it comes to specific brands, the true leader of the pack was XTRATUF, which management described as its fastest-grow...

Marquee names have trimmed their stakes in iPhone maker Apple.

PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images Executive Summary Thrivent Income Fund modestly underperformed the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Bond Index by 0.06% during the fourth quarter. The Fund's underperformance was driven largely by a negative contribution from an overweight to high quality U.S. Treasuries. However, duration and curve positioning offset some of this underperformance as both contributed positively during the quarter. An overweight to U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities also contributed positively to performance. We are maintaining an up-in-quality bias due to remaining macroeconomic uncertainty and historically rich valuations in the credit markets. We also continue to maintain larger than normal allocations to higher quality sectors of the bond market, including U.S. Treasuries and high-quality securitized assets. While we do not currently find much value in credit spreads (the difference in yield between a corporate bond and a similar maturity U.S. Treasury bond), we do believe absolute yield levels for investment grade corporate bonds remain very attractive and that high-quality fixed income remains a valuable part of a diversified portfolio, especially in this uncertain environment. Performance factors Thrivent Income Fund underperformed the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Bond Index by 0.06% during the fourth quarter. The Fund's underperformance was driven largely by a negative contribution from an overweight to high quality U.S. Treasuries relative to its benchmark. However, duration and curve positioning helped offset some of this underperformance as both contributed positively during the quarter. An overweight to U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities relative to its benchmark also contributed positively to performance during the quarter. The Fund outperformed the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Bond Index by 0.12% over the 12-month period ended December 31, 2025. The most significant driver of the Fund's outperformance over this period was security select...