James Talarico Says He Supports The Second Amendment - His Record Says Otherwise Authored by Leigh Gibson, Texas State Director - Gun Owners of America , The Second Amendment protects more than the right to own a firearm. It protects the natural right of every law-abiding American to defend themselves and their family. But it also serves a broader purpose: preserving the liberty of a free people b...
James Talarico Says He Supports The Second Amendment - His Record Says Otherwise Authored by Leigh Gibson, Texas State Director - Gun Owners of America , The Second Amendment protects more than the right to own a firearm. It protects the natural right of every law-abiding American to defend themselves and their family. But it also serves a broader purpose: preserving the liberty of a free people by ensuring that ultimate power remains with the citizens rather than the government. The Founders understood that self-defense and liberty are inseparable . Having just fought a war for independence against a government that abused its power, they recognized that a free people must never become entirely dependent on government for either their safety or the preservation of their liberty. That understanding is woven into the Second Amendment. That raises an uncomfortable question: Do the people entrusted with government power truly believe in the Second Amendment as it was written? Or do they believe in it only until it conflicts with the policies they want to impose? Texas Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico provides a timely example. The Second Amendment is only 27 words long, so I'd venture to say most lawmakers have read it. The problem is many lawmakers read limitations into the Second Amendment that simply aren't there. I've spent the past several years at the Texas Capitol as the Texas State Director for Gun Owners of America. My job is to read firearm legislation, testify before committees, work with lawmakers, and hold elected officials accountable for their votes. Before that, my family left California for Texas because we wanted to raise our children in a state that respected constitutional rights. Those experiences have taught me something important. Almost every politician seeking statewide office in Texas says they support the Second Amendment. The important question isn't whether they say they support it. The question is what they believe it protects...
(RTTNews) - The Japanese market is trading sharply higher on Thursday, snapping the three-session losing streak, following the mixed cues from Wall Street overnight. The Nikkei 225 is surging 2.2 percent to well above the 68,250 level, with gains in technology stocks partially of
(RTTNews) - The Japanese market is trading sharply higher on Thursday, snapping the three-session losing streak, following the mixed cues from Wall Street overnight. The Nikkei 225 is surging 2.2 percent to well above the 68,250 level, with gains in technology stocks partially of
fcafotodigital/iStock via Getty Images Overview When I previously covered the Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund ( NRO ), I downgraded my rating to a sell because of the inconsistent dividend coverage and uncertainty around interest rates at the time. Since then, the fund has slightly appreciated, and the total return remains positive. One of the big reasons I initiated a sell was...
fcafotodigital/iStock via Getty Images Overview When I previously covered the Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund ( NRO ), I downgraded my rating to a sell because of the inconsistent dividend coverage and uncertainty around interest rates at the time. Since then, the fund has slightly appreciated, and the total return remains positive. One of the big reasons I initiated a sell was because of the fund's underperformance against more notable peers. However, I wanted to revisit NRO to take a more concentrated look at the fund and its outlook. The fund has released an updated semi-annual report that provides some transparency into its earnings. The last time I covered NRO, the fund traded at a discount to NAV of 6.56%. Since the fund has traded rangebound, NRO trades at a similar discount to NAV of 6.91%. Referring to the red line on the graph below, we can see that NRO now sits somewhere in the middle of its historical price to NAV range. For reference, NRO has traded at an average discount to NAV of 5.18% over the last five-year period. While this can be an opportunity to accumulate shares, I believe that the outlook of NRO is ultimately tied to the direction of interest rates. CEFData.com The fund now offers investors a starting dividend yield of about 12% while issuing those payouts on a monthly basis. The latest reporting indicates that earnings have slightly improved from the prior year. However, I believe the fund needs to make some shifts in its portfolio to better align with growth catalysts. For instance, the AI data center market presents a growth opportunity, and NRO should reposition itself to capitalize. Fund Strategy According to the latest fact sheet , NRO has total managed assets of $365.2M that are spread across a diverse range of real estate-focused securities. The primary objective is to generate a high current income and provide capital appreciation when possible. In order to achieve its goal, the fund takes a blended approach betwe...
Gary Yeowell/DigitalVision via Getty Images We upgrade Full Truck Alliance ( YMM ) to BUY from HOLD with an $11/share to $13/share valuation range based on a 13x–15x forward multiple, implying ~30% to ~50% upside from the current level. Fundamental to our bullish thesis are several underlying factors: First, our prior HOLD rating was largely due to FTA’s stretched valuation, as we see FTA’s domina...
Gary Yeowell/DigitalVision via Getty Images We upgrade Full Truck Alliance ( YMM ) to BUY from HOLD with an $11/share to $13/share valuation range based on a 13x–15x forward multiple, implying ~30% to ~50% upside from the current level. Fundamental to our bullish thesis are several underlying factors: First, our prior HOLD rating was largely due to FTA’s stretched valuation, as we see FTA’s dominant position in China is unlikely to be challenged anytime soon, and that the investment in AI and Plus PRC will likely lead to long-term tech innovation and further strengthen its competitive moat. With valuation trading at a 3-year low on both a forward EV/revenue and P/E basis, coupled with net cash at 27% of the current market cap and a 4% dividend yield, we believe the valuation narrative is beginning to be increasingly compelling, where the thesis is skewed to the upside. Capital IQ Second, there has been a positive shift in FTA’s business model over the past several quarters in which the company has transitioned from aggressive revenue expansion in light of China’s soft macro to a healthier governance phase that is characterized by platform cleanup on misclassified carpooling orders, the elimination of fake/non-compliant accounts, installing real-name verification, and the elimination of freight reselling. All of which points to a healthier and more sustainable business model, which is accretive to FTA’s long-term fundamentals. With the consensus revenue number for 2027E and 2028E already downward-adjusted by 20% to 25%, we believe much of the negative sentiment has already been priced in, which leaves room for upside surprise as FTA continues to execute on its key business segments, as we have seen in Q1. Capital IQ We value FTA at $11/share to $13/share based on 13x to 15x forward P/E, implying 30% to 50% upside from the current level. (See valuation below) Signs of green shoots Following the management’s focus on platform cleanups that resulted in a minor decelerat...
Earnings Call Insights: Levi Strauss & Co. (LEVI) Q2 fiscal 2026 Management View “We’re pleased to report another strong quarter with Q2 exceeding expectations across the top and bottom line,” said (CEO, President & Director Michelle Gass), adding, “as we continue to evolve into a DTC-first lifestyle company, we are driving more consistent and faster growth.” “We delivered solid top line performan...
Earnings Call Insights: Levi Strauss & Co. (LEVI) Q2 fiscal 2026 Management View “We’re pleased to report another strong quarter with Q2 exceeding expectations across the top and bottom line,” said (CEO, President & Director Michelle Gass), adding, “as we continue to evolve into a DTC-first lifestyle company, we are driving more consistent and faster growth.” “We delivered solid top line performance this quarter with organic net revenues up 6%,” (CEO Gass) said, citing “a 12% increase in Asia” and that “the U.S. delivered a 6% increase,” while “our direct-to-consumer business continues to lead our growth with revenue up 8% and comparable sales up 6% in Q2, delivering our 17th consecutive quarter of comp growth.” “Our evolution into a denim lifestyle brand is enabling us to continue to drive outsized performance in women’s, up 11% in the quarter,” (CEO Gass) said, adding, “we further extended our leading market share position in both men’s and women’s.” “We completed the remap of Europe to an omni-channel distribution network at the end of quarter 2,” said (Executive VP & Chief Financial & Growth Officer Harmit Singh), and on the U.S. distribution shift added, “we remain on track to complete the transition of Hebron…to Maersk by the beginning of the fourth quarter,” while noting, “the transition has taken longer than planned.” “In 2026, our capacity to return capital is even stronger supported by Dockers sales proceeds and execution of our ASR,” (Executive VP Singh) said, adding, “we are increasing our quarter 3 quarterly dividend by $0.02 to $0.16 per share.” Outlook “We are passing the entire Q2 beat and raising our full year revenue and EPS outlook for the second consecutive quarter,” (Executive VP Singh) said. “We are raising our revenue outlook and now expect reported net revenues to increase 7% to 7.5% and organic net revenues to be up 5.5% to 6%,” (Executive VP Singh) said, adding, “gross margin is now expected to expand approximately 10 basis points to prior ...