Quisitive, a premier Microsoft Cloud and AI solutions provider, today announced the appointment of Michael Roughsedge as its new CEO, effective today. Michael Roughsedge will succeed Mike Reinhart, who founded the company. Reinhart will retire as CEO and transition to the role of Chairman of the Board. In this role, he will continue to provide advice and counsel as the company enters the next phas...
Quisitive, a premier Microsoft Cloud and AI solutions provider, today announced the appointment of Michael Roughsedge as its new CEO, effective today. Michael Roughsedge will succeed Mike Reinhart, who founded the company. Reinhart will retire as CEO and transition to the role of Chairman of the Board. In this role, he will continue to provide advice and counsel as the company enters the next phase of growth and success.
The Fitbit Air can be preordered today and will be available starting May 26th. | Image: Google It's a Whoop dupe. That was my first thought when I saw the new $99 Google Fitbit Air. You can hardly blame me. The band is screenless with a metallic fabric clasp. My eyes flickered between the Fitbit Air and my wrist, where I'm wearing a Whoop MG. Was I not seeing double? But as my press briefing went...
The Fitbit Air can be preordered today and will be available starting May 26th. | Image: Google It's a Whoop dupe. That was my first thought when I saw the new $99 Google Fitbit Air. You can hardly blame me. The band is screenless with a metallic fabric clasp. My eyes flickered between the Fitbit Air and my wrist, where I'm wearing a Whoop MG. Was I not seeing double? But as my press briefing went on, my opinion started changing. The Air is sort of like the OG Fitbits that Whoop then duped once Fitbit went all in on smartwatches. Think back to 2012, when the Fitbit One could clip to your pants, be turned into a pendant, or dangle from a keychain. That device was mostly a pedometer, whereas the Air is more of a modern, modular sensor t … Read the full story at The Verge.
Hi, it’s Manuel Baigorri in Hong Kong, where I’ve been speaking with a couple of senior bankers at Bank of America about how K-Pop culture is helping to attract global investors to local beauty brands. Also today, UniCredit to take multibillion-euro hit on partial Russia exit. Today’s top stories Angelini Pharma to buy Catalyst Pharmaceuticals for $4.1 billion . Li Ka-shing eyes more telco sales i...
Hi, it’s Manuel Baigorri in Hong Kong, where I’ve been speaking with a couple of senior bankers at Bank of America about how K-Pop culture is helping to attract global investors to local beauty brands. Also today, UniCredit to take multibillion-euro hit on partial Russia exit. Today’s top stories Angelini Pharma to buy Catalyst Pharmaceuticals for $4.1 billion . Li Ka-shing eyes more telco sales in ‘cash is king’ strategy. Western Midstream to pay $1.6 billion for Permian pipelines. GameStop CEO says eBay shut account after funding stunt. UniCredit steps up Russia exit with partial sale to UAE investor. Beauty parade South Korea has traditionally been a draw for bankers doing industrials and tech deals for so-called chaebols like LG, Hyundai and Samsung, but there’s another hugely popular space—the beauty industry. Consumers flock to South Korean shops to snap up cosmetics brands (some gentle advice: unless you’re a fan of crowds and queues, it’s best to avoid the Lotte Duty Free store in Seoul during peak hours). And investors are into them too. Blackstone agreed to partner with haircare business Juno in September, while KKR struck an acquisition of cosmetics packaging firm Samhwa that month too. Goodai is reportedly considering an IPO. The likes of L’Oreal and Estée Lauder have also dived in . Part of the success can be traced to the influence of K-pop culture, with superstars from bands like Blackpink and BTS embracing and endorsing brands such as Hera Beauty, Sulwhasoo and Laneige. The growth made South Korea the top exporter of cosmetics to the US. “Korea has become the epicenter of K-beauty globally, driven by the rapid growth coming from US and European companies and consumers,” said Chan Hee Cho, vice chair of Asia M&A at Bank of America. “That’s in part thanks to a very innovative industry but also the huge success of Korean culture,” he said, adding that consumers want to follow their idols and buy brands they use. Deals are likely to continue in the comin...
The Bean isn’t wireless so you’ll need to pair it with a USB cable. | Image: Ploopy Ploopy has announced another open source mouse alternative that skips touchpads and trackballs . While the new Ploopy Bean looks like a tiny travel-friendly mouse, you don't need to move it around. Instead, surrounded by four buttons is a red pointing stick similar to the TrackPoint that IBM included on its ThinkPa...
The Bean isn’t wireless so you’ll need to pair it with a USB cable. | Image: Ploopy Ploopy has announced another open source mouse alternative that skips touchpads and trackballs . While the new Ploopy Bean looks like a tiny travel-friendly mouse, you don't need to move it around. Instead, surrounded by four buttons is a red pointing stick similar to the TrackPoint that IBM included on its ThinkPad laptops long before Lenovo took over the brand . The Canadian company only shares pricing in its local currency but the Bean is available for preorder now through Ploopy's website for $69.99, or around US $51. Beneath a pre-assembled 3D-printed enclosure that lets you print your own replacement parts is a highly-sensitive Texas In … Read the full story at The Verge.
(RTTNews) - Labor productivity in the U.S. increased by much less than expected in the first quarter of 2026, according to preliminary data released by the Labor Department on Thursday.
(RTTNews) - Labor productivity in the U.S. increased by much less than expected in the first quarter of 2026, according to preliminary data released by the Labor Department on Thursday.
jewhyte/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction There is still a lot of misunderstanding regarding the nature of transformation Microsoft ( MSFT ) is currently undergoing. The company no longer resembles a traditional enterprise software vendor, the revenue and growth drivers of which relied on subscription and cloud adoption cycles. Instead, what Microsoft is becoming looks very structural...
jewhyte/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction There is still a lot of misunderstanding regarding the nature of transformation Microsoft ( MSFT ) is currently undergoing. The company no longer resembles a traditional enterprise software vendor, the revenue and growth drivers of which relied on subscription and cloud adoption cycles. Instead, what Microsoft is becoming looks very structural. Namely, Microsoft evolves into an AI-operating layer consisting of infrastructure, enterprise data, workflow, identity, productivity tools, and intelligence usage. Microsoft's AI Infrastructure Spending Will Be Tested For investors, the upcoming Microsoft earnings report will hinge on just one point, how fast the monetization of AI capabilities will start covering infrastructure spending. The reasoning is simple that Microsoft no longer behaves like just another software company. Instead, the company positions itself as an AI infrastructure player possessing some of the best enterprise-level distribution advantages in the tech space. Of course, the most critical indicator will be Azure growth. Microsoft forecasted 39% to 40% constant-currency Azure growth in Q4. Meanwhile, management kept emphasizing how demand was continuing to exceed available capacity. As long as Azure continues accelerating while new infrastructure capacity arrives sooner than expected, then Microsoft's ~$190 billion annual CapEx cycle will prove increasingly economically sound. Q3 Earnings Also, Copilot adoption is going to play a significant role. Investors will be on the lookout for further signs of engagement intensity instead of just additional Copilot seats added by enterprises. Microsoft is making efforts to move past its legacy subscription model towards a user and usage framework due to Copilot integration with enterprise workflows. In terms of Microsoft's financial metrics, margins and FCF will likely continue suffering due to increased AI-infrastructure spending. However, the stabilization ...
jewhyte/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction There is still a lot of misunderstanding regarding the nature of transformation Microsoft ( MSFT ) is currently undergoing. The company no longer resembles a traditional enterprise software vendor, the revenue and growth drivers of which relied on subscription and cloud adoption cycles. Instead, what Microsoft is becoming looks very structural...
jewhyte/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction There is still a lot of misunderstanding regarding the nature of transformation Microsoft ( MSFT ) is currently undergoing. The company no longer resembles a traditional enterprise software vendor, the revenue and growth drivers of which relied on subscription and cloud adoption cycles. Instead, what Microsoft is becoming looks very structural. Namely, Microsoft evolves into an AI-operating layer consisting of infrastructure, enterprise data, workflow, identity, productivity tools, and intelligence usage. Microsoft's AI Infrastructure Spending Will Be Tested For investors, the upcoming Microsoft earnings report will hinge on just one point, how fast the monetization of AI capabilities will start covering infrastructure spending. The reasoning is simple that Microsoft no longer behaves like just another software company. Instead, the company positions itself as an AI infrastructure player possessing some of the best enterprise-level distribution advantages in the tech space. Of course, the most critical indicator will be Azure growth. Microsoft forecasted 39% to 40% constant-currency Azure growth in Q4. Meanwhile, management kept emphasizing how demand was continuing to exceed available capacity. As long as Azure continues accelerating while new infrastructure capacity arrives sooner than expected, then Microsoft's ~$190 billion annual CapEx cycle will prove increasingly economically sound. Q3 Earnings Also, Copilot adoption is going to play a significant role. Investors will be on the lookout for further signs of engagement intensity instead of just additional Copilot seats added by enterprises. Microsoft is making efforts to move past its legacy subscription model towards a user and usage framework due to Copilot integration with enterprise workflows. In terms of Microsoft's financial metrics, margins and FCF will likely continue suffering due to increased AI-infrastructure spending. However, the stabilization ...
halbergman/E+ via Getty Images The North American Class 8 truck market continued to show improvement in April, although analysts are already flagging seasonal headwinds that could temper momentum in the months ahead. According to ACT Research, preliminary Class 8 net orders for April came in at 24,800 units, a notable 201% increase compared to a year ago. The outsized gain was noted to partly be a...
halbergman/E+ via Getty Images The North American Class 8 truck market continued to show improvement in April, although analysts are already flagging seasonal headwinds that could temper momentum in the months ahead. According to ACT Research, preliminary Class 8 net orders for April came in at 24,800 units, a notable 201% increase compared to a year ago. The outsized gain was noted to partly be a reflection of the unusually depressed “Liberation Day” comparable period from a year ago. Despite the impressive year-over-year figure, the sequential data showed that Class 8 orders fell 24% month-over-month in April on a seasonally adjusted basis. ACT Research analyst Carter Vieth described the decline as unsurprising given the calendar. "With April signifying the beginning of weak order seasonality until 2027 orderboards open in September, it's little surprise that preliminary April Class 8 order activity fell from March levels," noted Vieth. Final North American Class 8 net orders for March totaled 38,050 units, up 131% year-over-year, signaling robust demand that persisted even as macroeconomic pressures mounted. Vieth pointed to a combination of factors driving that strength, such as improving freight rates in both spot and contract markets, a tightening driver supply linked to immigration enforcement and new FMCSA regulations, and fleet operators rushing orders ahead of anticipated regulatory-driven equipment cost increases set to take effect in 2027. Looking ahead, fuel costs are expected to be a concern for the industry, with analysts warning that even a best-case scenario for a deal with Iran leaving fuel prices higher through the summer. Select trucking, freight, and logistics stocks: PACCAR ( PCAR ), Daimler Truck ( DTRUY ), Traton ( TRATF ), Volvo Group ( VLVLY ), Cummins ( CMI ), Knight-Swift Transportation ( KNX ), Marten Transport ( MRTN ), Old Dominion Freight Line ( ODFL ), U-Haul Holding ( UHAL ), Landstar System ( LSTR ), Werner Enterprises ( WERN ), XP...
Himax Technologies ( HIMX ) shares jumped about 42% after the display driver IC maker reported first-quarter results at the high end of guidance and issued a stronger-than-expected outlook for the second quarter. First-quarter revenue came in at $199 million, down 7.5% year-on-year but beating the top end of guidance on a modest sequential decline. Profitability also exceeded expectations, with ea...
Himax Technologies ( HIMX ) shares jumped about 42% after the display driver IC maker reported first-quarter results at the high end of guidance and issued a stronger-than-expected outlook for the second quarter. First-quarter revenue came in at $199 million, down 7.5% year-on-year but beating the top end of guidance on a modest sequential decline. Profitability also exceeded expectations, with earnings of $0.046 per ADS and gross margin holding at 30.4%. The company forecasts second-quarter revenue growth of 10% to 13% quarter-on-quarter, alongside gross margin expansion to around 32%, signaling improving product mix and firmer demand conditions. Himax also declared an annual dividend of $0.252 per ADS for 2025, payable in July, reinforcing shareholder returns alongside the recovery outlook. The results and guidance strengthened investor confidence that the company is entering a cyclical upturn after a prolonged period of weak display semiconductor demand. More on Himax Technologies Himax Technologies: The Best Is Yet To Come Himax Technologies declares $0.252 per ADS dividend Himax Technologies gives Q1 result
Richard Drury/DigitalVision via Getty Images Summary I gave a hold rating to The Vita Coco Company ( COCO ) in March as I thought the valuation was too expensive after the sharp re-rating. After looking at the Q1 2026 numbers, my view has changed. The quarter showed demand that was much stronger than I expected, and it was broad-based across branded, Private Label, and International. More importan...
Richard Drury/DigitalVision via Getty Images Summary I gave a hold rating to The Vita Coco Company ( COCO ) in March as I thought the valuation was too expensive after the sharp re-rating. After looking at the Q1 2026 numbers, my view has changed. The quarter showed demand that was much stronger than I expected, and it was broad-based across branded, Private Label, and International. More importantly, the growth flowed through to profits cleanly. This changed the earnings outlook enough that I now think the stock still has upside from here. Recent earnings review (brief recap) This was a really strong quarter for COCO. Net sales went up whopping 37% y/y, supported by both volume and price/mix, with total shipment volumes up 30% and price/mix up 5.4%. The only thing worth keeping in mind is that part of the quarter was helped by a club promotion that moved into March. But even if you adjust for that, the demand still looks really strong. The segment mix was also much better than what we saw in 4Q 2025. Branded Vita Coco Coconut Water sales grew 42%, with branded volumes up 32%. Americas branded sales grew 29%, while International branded sales grew 45%. Private Label also improved, with total private label sales up 28% and US private label was up 15%. International became a bigger part of the business too, now 18% of sales vs. 14% last year. So this quarter’s growth was really one that is broad-based. The strength flowed through nicely to profits. Gross margin expanded to ~40%, driving gross profit up from $48.1 million to $71.8 million. Consequently, adj. EBITDA grew to $39 million, and diluted went from $0.31 to $0.50. Overall, I really like how much cleaner this Q1 looked vs. Q4 2025. Previously, net sales were up only 0.4%, total company volume was down 3.7%, and Americas Private Label sales had fallen by >50%, even though the core branded business stayed in decent shape. This quarter was different. Revenue growth was much stronger, the mix was broader, and the e...
Petrus Resources press release ( PRQ:CA ): Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of -C$0.10. Production for the first quarter of 2026 averaged 10,054 boe/d, up 13% from 8,929 boe/d in the first quarter of 2025. Generated funds flow of C$13.3 million in the first quarter of 2026, a 7% increase from C$12.5 million reported in the first quarter of 2025. The increase is due to higher oil and NGL production volumes. More on...
Petrus Resources press release ( PRQ:CA ): Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of -C$0.10. Production for the first quarter of 2026 averaged 10,054 boe/d, up 13% from 8,929 boe/d in the first quarter of 2025. Generated funds flow of C$13.3 million in the first quarter of 2026, a 7% increase from C$12.5 million reported in the first quarter of 2025. The increase is due to higher oil and NGL production volumes. More on Petrus Resources Petrus Resources reports Q4 results Dividend scorecard for Petrus Resources Financial information for Petrus Resources
Maks_Lab/iStock via Getty Images April’s PMI surveys produced by S&P Global indicated an upturn in the rate of worldwide economic growth after the pace had slumped in March following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. However, the expansion remained one of the weakest seen over the past year amid a combination of supply chain delays, rising prices and a lack of business confidence stemming fr...
Maks_Lab/iStock via Getty Images April’s PMI surveys produced by S&P Global indicated an upturn in the rate of worldwide economic growth after the pace had slumped in March following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. However, the expansion remained one of the weakest seen over the past year amid a combination of supply chain delays, rising prices and a lack of business confidence stemming from a near-record level of uncertainty. Global PMI rises in April Survey data indicate that the war in the Middle East continued to dampen economic growth in April, albeit with the rate of growth lifting higher from March’s recent low. The J.P. Morgan Global Composite PMI Output Index rose from 51.0 in March to 51.8 in April. The upturn signals an acceleration of economic growth after March had seen the sharpest fall in the PMI since 2008, barring only the pandemic. Despite the rise, the rate of growth remained the second-weakest seen over the past ten months, indicating that the economic expansion has moved down a gear since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February. The PMI readings are broadly indicative of global GDP growth running at an annualized rate of 2.0-2.5% over the past two months, down from around 3% at the start of the year. Services hit hardest by war, but factories benefit from stockpiling Key to the sluggish global expansion was the service sector, where growth edged up only slightly on that seen in March to remain the second-weakest seen over the past year – and one of the weakest seen for the past four years amid near-stalled inflows of new work. Strong healthcare growth was countered by a further contraction of consumer services activity amid ongoing travel disruptions and reduced demand for activities in areas such as tourism & recreation, often linked to high prices and uncertainty emanating from the war. Financial services activity likewise contracted, dropping for the first time since November 2023. In contrast, manufacturing output growt...
tadamichi/iStock via Getty Images Investing Philosophy and Portfolio History Before you read on with this quarterly portfolio update, it is important to know a little about our investing philosophy and 'style', which may affect whether you choose to read the rest of the article and how informative it may be to you as an individual investor. In essence, we draw strong inspiration from investors lik...
tadamichi/iStock via Getty Images Investing Philosophy and Portfolio History Before you read on with this quarterly portfolio update, it is important to know a little about our investing philosophy and 'style', which may affect whether you choose to read the rest of the article and how informative it may be to you as an individual investor. In essence, we draw strong inspiration from investors like Chris Hohn, who focus on running concentrated portfolios made up of companies with wide moats that help them to steadily grow their earnings over time. We tend to avoid cyclical companies or those heavily exposed to fluctuations in commodity prices. We also have a strong preference against excessive debt, typically avoiding companies whose debt exceeds one to two years’ worth of EBITDA. Ultimately, our goal is for the value created by these businesses to flow back to us as shareholders—whether through reinvestment in growth opportunities, strategic acquisitions, or share buybacks that increase our ownership stake—rather than being diverted to banks or bondholders. We try to hold our positions for the longer term, and despite a lot of recent changes, moving from a portfolio with around 25 holdings and several ETFs to the current one with just 10 positions, our weighted average holding time is still over 3 and a half years. For a little snapshot of previous updates, please feel free to browse below: FY 2023 The full-year review of 2023, in which we beat the S&P 500 by almost 10%. FY 2024 The full-year review of 2024, in which we beat each of the 3 major benchmarked indices (S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and the MSCI World). FY 2025 The full-year review of 2025, in which, due to a variety of reasons including large-scale changes and high German taxes on capital gains and some poor buys, we underperformed the major indices for the first time since beginning our portfolio share here on Seeking Alpha. Click to enlarge Portfolio Changes and Rationale Initiated Buys (Price): ( HESAF ) - $...
Oselote/iStock via Getty Images Modine ( MOD ) is quietly having a phenomenal start to the year, with the stock up 89% YTD. Being levered to the right themes like data centers and AI has led to consistent multiple expansion. The results are showing up, too, with the company's data center cooling business growing nearly 78% last quarter, a remarkable feat. As the company looks to spin off its under...
Oselote/iStock via Getty Images Modine ( MOD ) is quietly having a phenomenal start to the year, with the stock up 89% YTD. Being levered to the right themes like data centers and AI has led to consistent multiple expansion. The results are showing up, too, with the company's data center cooling business growing nearly 78% last quarter, a remarkable feat. As the company looks to spin off its underperforming Performance Technologies business soon, it is worth taking a look at MOD and how it should trade post-spin, especially with fiscal Q4 earnings right around the corner. Business Profile Modine is the manufacturer of commercial and industrial HVAC. They have products ranging from data center cooling, heat transfer, HVAC&R, air-cooling, liquid-cooling, and other advanced solutions. With this product set, it should start to be fairly obvious to investors why this stock has worked in the YTD time frame. The insatiable demand for AI and data centers has rendered companies like Modine some of the best financial performers in the market. The company has two segments: Climate Solutions and Performance Technology. Climate Solutions is 55% of sales and sells a majority of the previously listed products across North America, EMEA, and Asia. Performance Technology is the remaining 45% of sales and is responsible for providing products and solutions that enhance performance for customers in their various end-market applications. This specifically designs and manufactures air-cooling and liquid-cooling tech for vehicular, stationary power, and industrial applications. It's important to understand the differences between these two end markets, as the two have had vastly different growth profiles as of late. Climate Solutions primarily serves data centers, which are in high demand. Performance Tech will do much more general industrial end markets that range from on- and off-highway vehicles to commercial vehicles as well as refrigeration and stationary power generation. The lack ...
DOJ, CTFC Investigating $2.6 Billion In Suspicious Iran War Oil Trades U.S. authorities are investigating more than $2.6 billion in oil futures shorts that landed within minutes of major announcements tied to the 2026 U.S.-Iran conflict . The Department of Justice (DOJ) has joined the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in a widening inquiry into potential misuse of material non-public inf...
DOJ, CTFC Investigating $2.6 Billion In Suspicious Iran War Oil Trades U.S. authorities are investigating more than $2.6 billion in oil futures shorts that landed within minutes of major announcements tied to the 2026 U.S.-Iran conflict . The Department of Justice (DOJ) has joined the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in a widening inquiry into potential misuse of material non-public information in one of the most liquid and geopolitically sensitive commodity markets on earth , ABC News reports. The trades in question involved bets that oil prices would fall shortly before major U.S. or Iranian announcements tied to the Iran war. . The Trades Data sourced from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) - which captures exchange-traded futures flow but strips identities - reveals four distinct clusters of aggressive shorting in WTI and Brent crude futures : March 23 : > $500 million in shorts executed in a one-minute burst roughly 15 minutes before President Trump announced a five-day delay on planned strikes against Iran's energy infrastructure. Oil prices subsequently plunged ~15%. April 7 : ~ $960 million short position placed hours before the temporary ceasefire announcement (oil dropped sharply on the news). April 17 : $760 million short bet executed ~20 minutes before Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared the Strait of Hormuz open to commercial traffic. April 21 : $ 430 million additional short layer placed 15 minutes before Trump extended the ceasefire. Total exposure: >$2.65 billion in directional bets that oil's geopolitical risk premium was about to collapse. These were institutional-sized clips that moved the tape. The CTFC began investigating suspicious oil trades last month , which has now expanded under DOJ scrutiny. Oil futures (CL on CME/NYMEX and Brent on ICE) price in both physical supply/demand and a geopolitical risk premium. When headlines shift from "imminent strikes" or "Hormuz closure" to "ceasefire" or "shipping lanes open," ...