Prospective parents can now pick embryos based on risk predictions for thousands of diseases and odds for specific traits. But should they? (Image credit: Kate Medley for NPR)
Prospective parents can now pick embryos based on risk predictions for thousands of diseases and odds for specific traits. But should they? (Image credit: Kate Medley for NPR)
Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ:SMCI) currently trades at $33.28. That is striking for a company that just reported revenue more than doubling year over year. Supermicro builds AI-optimized servers and datacenter infrastructure. It sits between NVIDIA’s chips and the hyperscalers deploying them. Revenue is exploding, margins are recovering, yet the stock is flat over the past ... Super Micro Doubled ...
Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ:SMCI) currently trades at $33.28. That is striking for a company that just reported revenue more than doubling year over year. Supermicro builds AI-optimized servers and datacenter infrastructure. It sits between NVIDIA’s chips and the hyperscalers deploying them. Revenue is exploding, margins are recovering, yet the stock is flat over the past ... Super Micro Doubled Revenue Year Over Year, and the Stock Is Still Flat. That Math Doesn’t Add Up
iQoncept/iStock via Getty Images Foreign consumer discretionary stocks are making a strong showing in Seeking Alpha's Quant Rankings, with all ten names on this list earning Buy or Strong Buy designations, a level of broad-based conviction that points to improving fundamentals across global consumer markets, from Brazilian fuel retail to Chinese education and European travel commerce. The list's g...
iQoncept/iStock via Getty Images Foreign consumer discretionary stocks are making a strong showing in Seeking Alpha's Quant Rankings, with all ten names on this list earning Buy or Strong Buy designations, a level of broad-based conviction that points to improving fundamentals across global consumer markets, from Brazilian fuel retail to Chinese education and European travel commerce. The list's geographic spread is as notable as its uniformity of bullish signals. China accounts for five of the ten names, TAL Education ( TAL ), H World Group ( HTHT ), JD.com ( JD ), Yum China ( YUMC ), and New Oriental Education ( EDU ), reflecting a broad rehabilitation of Chinese consumer stocks on valuation and momentum metrics after years of regulatory pressure weighed on the sector. Brazil's Ultrapar ( UGP ) leads the entire ranking with a 4.84 Quant score, while Switzerland's Avolta ( DUFRY ) and Garrett Motion ( GTX ), the UK's Pearson ( PSO ), and Canada's Restaurant Brands International ( QSR ) round out a list that spans five countries and nearly a dozen distinct sub-sectors, from travel retail and automotive parts to fast food and online commerce. Here is the list: Ultrapar Participações S.A. ( UGP ), Quant Rating: 4.84 TAL Education Group ( TAL ), Quant Rating: 4.69 Avolta AG ( DUFRY ), Quant Rating: 4.56 Garrett Motion Inc. ( GTX ), Quant Rating: 4.49 Pearson plc ( PSO ), Quant Rating: 4.43 H World Group Limited ( HTHT ), Quant Rating: 4.24 JD.com, Inc. ( JD ), Quant Rating: 4.19 Restaurant Brands International Inc. ( QSR ), Quant Rating: 4.17 Yum China Holdings, Inc. ( YUMC ), Quant Rating: 3.77 New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. ( EDU ), Quant Rating: 3.66 More on iShares Global Consumer Discretionary ETF Earnings Scorecard: 12 out of 15 S&P 500 consumer discretionary firms beat EPS estimates this week Navan is best performing consumer discretionary stock in April Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on iShares Global Consumer Discretionary ETF
FilippoBacci Apollo Global Management ( APO ) CEO Marc Rowan said he's readying his firm for a potential market correction, according to CNBC. Rowan estimated the chances of an exogenous shock to the economy at 30% to 35%, which is far higher than the usual risk level. He added that a convergence of factors could destabilize markets, including a "total geopolitical reset," potentially inflationary...
FilippoBacci Apollo Global Management ( APO ) CEO Marc Rowan said he's readying his firm for a potential market correction, according to CNBC. Rowan estimated the chances of an exogenous shock to the economy at 30% to 35%, which is far higher than the usual risk level. He added that a convergence of factors could destabilize markets, including a "total geopolitical reset," potentially inflationary trade and immigration policies, and the impact of AI on the labor market. “Restricting the supply of goods, restricting the supply of labor, and the free movement of goods and labor—maybe for good and valid reasons that need to be done—are all inflationary in the short term, even if we are not seeing signs of it,” Rowan said, according to CNBC . CNBC noted that Apollo has already taken measures to prepare for a potential downturn, including moving up the credit quality of its fixed-income investments, cutting its exposure to sectors such as software, and stockpiling cash in its insurance arm. “We’re investing with an eye toward protecting our capital and making sure that we are here to ride through cycles if there are corrections, which we quite frankly expect,” Rowan said. Rowan also criticized other insurers for engaging in practices that could make balance sheets appear to be stronger than they actually are. “Not everyone in our industry is doing what they should do. Not everyone runs their business the way we have run our business,” Rowan said. “We do worry about contagion.” More on Apollo Global Management Apollo's Private Credit Infrastructure Is Heavily Discounted Apollo Global: I'm Downgrading To Buy Ahead Of A Tougher Q1 Apollo Global Management, Inc. (APO) M&A Call Transcript 'Credit card spending is through the roof' - NEC's Hassett Apollo Global Q1 earnings top earnings on strong fee-related earnings; AUM exceeds $1T
Bargain hunters are wise to pay careful attention to insider buying, because although there are many various reasons for an insider to sell a stock, presumably the only reason they would use their hard-earned dollars to make a purchase, is that they expect to make money. Today
Bargain hunters are wise to pay careful attention to insider buying, because although there are many various reasons for an insider to sell a stock, presumably the only reason they would use their hard-earned dollars to make a purchase, is that they expect to make money. Today
Earnings Call Insights: Hagerty, Inc. (HGTY) Q1 2026 Management View "We are off to an excellent start to 2026." (Chairman & CEO McKeel Hagerty) "Written premiums increased 18% in the first quarter, ahead of our full year expectations." (Chairman & CEO Hagerty) "This marks 13 consecutive quarters of executing on our strategy to deliver compounding top line growth" and "2026 marks the first year in...
Earnings Call Insights: Hagerty, Inc. (HGTY) Q1 2026 Management View "We are off to an excellent start to 2026." (Chairman & CEO McKeel Hagerty) "Written premiums increased 18% in the first quarter, ahead of our full year expectations." (Chairman & CEO Hagerty) "This marks 13 consecutive quarters of executing on our strategy to deliver compounding top line growth" and "2026 marks the first year in our history that we control 100% of the economics on our own U.S. book of business." (Chairman & CEO Hagerty) "The GAAP presentation of revenue down 5% and our net loss of $13 million are temporarily different due to the new Markel Fronting Arrangement." (Chairman & CEO Hagerty) "These deferred acquisition costs were $89 million in Q1 and wind down to 0 by the year-end 2026." (Chairman & CEO Hagerty) "We added a record 112,000 policies" and "PIF growth jumped 15% as our retention rate remained steady at an industry-leading 89%." (Chairman & CEO Hagerty) "Hagerty Re's combined ratio was 87%, and we took down our reserves by $6 million in the first quarter." (Chairman & CEO Hagerty) "State Farm Classic+ is a great example of a tightly integrated partnership where both parties win." (Chairman & CEO Hagerty) "We now have an accelerating growth engine with expectations for their 19,000 agents to be selling new business in 40 states by year-end" and "we remain on pace to convert most of these members to the new Classic+ program by the end of 2027." (Chairman & CEO Hagerty) "The results were historic, $111 million in total sales" at Broad Arrow’s Amelia Car Week auction, with "a 92% sell-through rate." (Chairman & CEO Hagerty) "Our marketplace is not only a rapidly scaling profit center, but it is also a customer acquisition machine." (Chairman & CEO Hagerty) "Adjusted EBITDA jumped 77% to $85 million, including a $6 million reserve reduction due to favorable prior year development." (Chief Financial Officer Patrick McClymont) Outlook "Given the strength in our first quarter resu...
Earnings Call Insights: TIC Solutions, Inc. (TIC) Q1 2026 Management view CEO Benjamin Heraud said the company “started 2026 with healthy momentum across the business,” and framed demand around “aging infrastructure, increasing energy demand, increasing data consumption and the digitization of the physical world,” adding that TIC is positioning itself “as a life cycle partner rather than a point s...
Earnings Call Insights: TIC Solutions, Inc. (TIC) Q1 2026 Management view CEO Benjamin Heraud said the company “started 2026 with healthy momentum across the business,” and framed demand around “aging infrastructure, increasing energy demand, increasing data consumption and the digitization of the physical world,” adding that TIC is positioning itself “as a life cycle partner rather than a point solution provider.” CEO Heraud highlighted segment performance and end-market demand, including that Consulting Engineering had “revenue increasing 9.5% year-over-year,” with “data centers … the largest driver of growth in the first quarter,” while Geospatial “performed well, growing 4.5%.” CEO Heraud described Inspection & Mitigation as under internal expectations, saying it “delivered a steady result with revenue essentially flat year-over-year,” and that “broader market uncertainty is creating more variability in customer decisions around planned outages and scheduled maintenance, including timing, scope and duration.” Quote (Chief Financial Officer Kristin Schultes): “In the first quarter, total revenue was $488 million,” and “adjusted EBITDA was $57.7 million,” while “operating cash flow was $10 million and capital expenditures were $6 million.” Quote (Chief Financial Officer Schultes): “We are ahead of schedule on synergy actions with approximately $17 million of the $25 million cost program now actioned on an annualized run rate basis,” and “we now expect realized savings in 2026 to be roughly $15 million, modestly above the $12.5 million we discussed in previous quarters.” Outlook Quote (Chief Financial Officer Kristin Schultes): “For the second quarter, our guidance reflects revenue of approximately $570 million to $582 million and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $90 million to $96 million.” Quote (Chief Financial Officer Schultes): “We are reaffirming our previously issued full year 2026 guidance of $2.15 billion to $2.25 billion of revenue and $330 million to $35...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images CNA Financial ( CNA ) is a specialty and commercial insurance carrier. The stock is seen by the market as a proxy bond , servicing Loews' cash flow needs. Thanks to that, CNA's minority shareholders have benefited from steady, gradual dividend increases. Although CNA is not a top-tier insurer in terms of underwriting performance, the company has succeede...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images CNA Financial ( CNA ) is a specialty and commercial insurance carrier. The stock is seen by the market as a proxy bond , servicing Loews' cash flow needs. Thanks to that, CNA's minority shareholders have benefited from steady, gradual dividend increases. Although CNA is not a top-tier insurer in terms of underwriting performance, the company has succeeded over the years in generating stable underwriting margins (3% to 5%), or a combined ratio ranging from 95% to 97%. With a lower level of catastrophe losses seen in other peers' P&Ls, I was expecting a boring quarter for CNA. And the company managed to surprise me. The quarterly combined ratio climbed above 100%, while other larger peers, like Chubb ( CB ), Cincinnati Financial ( CINF ), or Travelers ( TRV ), performed pretty well with combined ratios in the low 90s. Hence, I was intrigued by how Loews' cash cow failed in Q1 2026. Q1 2026 Recap: A Quarter To Forget, A Quarter To React Q1 2026 figures were disappointing, at least from an underwriting standpoint. When you are used to seeing the company deliver combined ratios between 95% and 97%, you expect the company to follow the same path. Boringly so, with no surprises. Q1 2026 was a surprising quarter; the specialty lines and the commercial insurance business posted a 100%+ combined ratio, and only the international business managed to be profitable, with a combined ratio of 95.9%. 2026 Q1 2025 Q1 Specialty Lines 102.7 % 95.1 % Commercial Lines 103.5% 101.1% International 95.9% 95.4% Total 102.2% 98.4% Click to enlarge The most surprising part remained the specialty lines, which used to be profitable over the cycle. The specialty lines suffered from reserve strengthening due to a higher claim trend in professional liability coverages. The worrying part is that the underlying loss ratio also increased by circa 2.6% quarter over quarter. This reserve strengthening also resulted from uncertainties in the professional liabi...
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) just posted its best March quarter ever at $111.18 billion, while Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) followed with a sixth consecutive revenue beat. Now Bloomberg reports Apple is in early talks to use Intel and Samsung as U.S. chip suppliers. That single thread reframes both earnings reports. iPhone 17 Carries Apple. Foundry Carries Intel. Apple’s quarter ... Forget Tariffs: An Apple-Intel D...
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) just posted its best March quarter ever at $111.18 billion, while Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) followed with a sixth consecutive revenue beat. Now Bloomberg reports Apple is in early talks to use Intel and Samsung as U.S. chip suppliers. That single thread reframes both earnings reports. iPhone 17 Carries Apple. Foundry Carries Intel. Apple’s quarter ... Forget Tariffs: An Apple-Intel Deal Could Be the Biggest Manufacturing Story of the Trump Era