TexBr/iStock via Getty Images Listen below or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify What’s next for oil and gold after Iran strikes. (0:17) February payrolls seen up 60K. (1:48) Berkshire Hathaway cash pile grows as Buffett exits. (2:50) The U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other leadership figures Iran's Revolutionary ...
TexBr/iStock via Getty Images Listen below or on the go via Apple Podcasts and Spotify What’s next for oil and gold after Iran strikes. (0:17) February payrolls seen up 60K. (1:48) Berkshire Hathaway cash pile grows as Buffett exits. (2:50) The U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other leadership figures Iran's Revolutionary Guard said Sunday "the most-intense offensive operation" ever is coming to target Israel and U.S. Mideast bases. President Donald Trump responded with a warning of overwhelming retaliation if Iran strikes U.S. forces, but also told The Atlantic that he would be talking to Iran’s new leadership . With markets closed over the weekend, Monday is likely to be hectic on Wall Street — and oil is the first place traders will look. Polymarket has a 93% chance of WTI crude ( CL1:COM ) ( USO ) moving higher on Monday and a 77% chance oil will be above $80/barrel at the end of March. That's up 27 percentage points from before the weekend and would be a gain of more than 19% from where it sits now at $67.02. There's also a 50% chance that crude is above $90/barrel on the final trading day of the month. Separately, OPEC+ has agreed to raise output by 206K bpd in April. That’s larger than the 137K monthly boosts announced late last year, but small relative to potential disruptions in the Middle East. Crypto markets also offered a weekend tell: gold-linked tokens implied gold would open higher, with prices up roughly 1%–2% versus Friday’s close. And regional markets reacted quickly. Saudi Arabia dropped 2.2% , its steepest one-day fall since April, wiping out its gains for the year. Losses were tempered by a rise in Saudi Aramco, though. Egypt’s main stock gauge fell 2.5%. Looking to the week ahead, the February jobs report is due Friday. Economists expect nonfarm payrolls rose by about 60K, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.3%. Wells Fargo economists say that while “some sta...
JTKPHOTOz/iStock via Getty Images Strategy overview Total return approach, investing across full spectrum of the fixed income market through a combination of individual investment grade cash bonds and zero management fee completion vehicles representing core and core plus sectors. Key takeaways The fourth quarter of 2025 was defined by policy uncertainty stemming from the government shutdown, with...
JTKPHOTOz/iStock via Getty Images Strategy overview Total return approach, investing across full spectrum of the fixed income market through a combination of individual investment grade cash bonds and zero management fee completion vehicles representing core and core plus sectors. Key takeaways The fourth quarter of 2025 was defined by policy uncertainty stemming from the government shutdown, with additional turbulence sparked bankruptcies and a surge in artificial intelligence ( AI )-driven investment. For the quarter, the SMA outperformed its benchmark, the Bloomberg US Aggregate Bond Index (the Index) on a gross- but underperformed on a net-of-fees basis. Security selection drove outperformance, while sector allocation detracted and duration and yield curve positioning had limited impact. Looking ahead to 2026, growth is expected to accelerate, supported by easier financial conditions and strong investment in AI, but labor market softness and tight spreads will require disciplined risk management and security selection. Portfolio review The final quarter of 2025 opened under the shadow of the government shutdown, which had implications for both financial markets and the broader economy. With key agencies shuttered, official data on labor markets and inflation was delayed, leaving policymakers and investors to rely on secondary indicators. This lack of transparency complicated the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision-making and injected uncertainty into financial markets. While the shutdown's direct economic impact was modest, it weighed on sentiment and marginally dampened activity. Credit markets faced additional turbulence, driven by high-profile bankruptcies and aggressive capital spending trends. Tricolor, a subprime auto lender specializing in loans to undocumented immigrants and borrowers with limited credit history, filed for Chapter 7 in September amid allegations of double-pledging loans in its warehouse lines. Later in the month, First Brands Group—a major a...
India secure a T20 World Cup semi-final showdown with England after a five-wicket victory over West Indies thanks to Sanju Samson's scintillating unbeaten 97.
India secure a T20 World Cup semi-final showdown with England after a five-wicket victory over West Indies thanks to Sanju Samson's scintillating unbeaten 97.
In a statement on X, Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour said his company would pay out positions on " Ali Khamenei out as Supreme Leader? " at the last trading price before his death . Mansour said that Kalshi doesn't "list markets directly tied to death" and that its rules are designed to "prevent people from profiting from death." In addition, Kalshi is refunding fees related to the market and reimbursing...
In a statement on X, Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour said his company would pay out positions on " Ali Khamenei out as Supreme Leader? " at the last trading price before his death . Mansour said that Kalshi doesn't "list markets directly tied to death" and that its rules are designed to "prevent people from profiting from death." In addition, Kalshi is refunding fees related to the market and reimbursing anyone who purchased shares after Khamenei's death. Some users have voiced anger at how the situation was handled, claiming that either Kalshi's rules should have been communicated more clearly , or that its markets should have been more narrowly wor … Read the full story at The Verge.
Hostility to the US is high even among reformists, which may set the surviving leadership on a destructive path Two Irans are in view now. By night, there is the Iran that danced, celebrated and cried tears of joy at the death of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , hoping it marks the end of clerical rule and isolation from the west. By day, there are the mourning crowds gathering in the squares in Tehra...
Hostility to the US is high even among reformists, which may set the surviving leadership on a destructive path Two Irans are in view now. By night, there is the Iran that danced, celebrated and cried tears of joy at the death of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , hoping it marks the end of clerical rule and isolation from the west. By day, there are the mourning crowds gathering in the squares in Tehran and Isfahan demanding retribution and bewailing the loss of their sacred leader. There is no need to guess which force has the greater domestic military power and retains the upper hand, but discerning whether the regime realises that the continued, inflexible pursuit of its current path will probably end in the regime’s chaotic collapse is harder to know. Continue reading...
Mat Ishbia, President and CEO of UWM Holdings Corporation (NYSE:UWMC) , reported the indirect sale of 1,898,622 Class A Common shares via open-market transactions between February 13, 2026 and February 18, 2026, for a total consideration of approximately $9.28 million, as disclosed in the SEC Form 4 filing . Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average purchase price ($4.89); post-transa...
Mat Ishbia, President and CEO of UWM Holdings Corporation (NYSE:UWMC) , reported the indirect sale of 1,898,622 Class A Common shares via open-market transactions between February 13, 2026 and February 18, 2026, for a total consideration of approximately $9.28 million, as disclosed in the SEC Form 4 filing . Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average purchase price ($4.89); post-transaction value reflects holdings after the transaction as of February 18, 2026. Continue reading
One of the country’s bestselling singers is heading to a contest mired in geopolitical controversy – but, she says, ‘I believe in the healing powers and hope of music’ Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email Delta Goodrem will represent Australia at Eurovision in May, the 70th anniversary of the annual song contest. The 41-year-old singer – one of the country’s best-loved and bestselling pop s...
One of the country’s bestselling singers is heading to a contest mired in geopolitical controversy – but, she says, ‘I believe in the healing powers and hope of music’ Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email Delta Goodrem will represent Australia at Eurovision in May, the 70th anniversary of the annual song contest. The 41-year-old singer – one of the country’s best-loved and bestselling pop stars – heralds a shift in Australia’s Eurovision selections, which have been smaller breakout acts and genre pioneers. She is the 11th entrant since Australia joined the competition in 2015 and will represent the country in Vienna, Austria. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Continue reading...
Markets enter March following another losing week that saw airline stocks hammered after President Trump's threats against Iran escalated Middle East tensions, while a surprisingly hot inflation reading dragged equities lower as February trading wrapped up.
Markets enter March following another losing week that saw airline stocks hammered after President Trump's threats against Iran escalated Middle East tensions, while a surprisingly hot inflation reading dragged equities lower as February trading wrapped up.
Next to avoiding legal trouble with the IRS, a tax refund is the best part of filing taxes for most people. The average refund is $2,476, as of Feb. 13, 2026. That kind of money could go pretty far, and you might already have some ideas about how you want to use it. There isn't really a right or wrong answer to what you should do with your tax refund. But some moves can definitely deliver more lon...
Next to avoiding legal trouble with the IRS, a tax refund is the best part of filing taxes for most people. The average refund is $2,476, as of Feb. 13, 2026. That kind of money could go pretty far, and you might already have some ideas about how you want to use it. There isn't really a right or wrong answer to what you should do with your tax refund. But some moves can definitely deliver more long-term value than others. Here are three options you may want to consider. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
Key PointsMat Ishbia sold 1,265,748 shares through indirect ownership for approximately $6.5 million, based on a weighted-average price of $5.13 per share (Feb. 4, 2026).
Key PointsMat Ishbia sold 1,265,748 shares through indirect ownership for approximately $6.5 million, based on a weighted-average price of $5.13 per share (Feb. 4, 2026).
The oil market’s nightmare scenario came true this weekend. Now the race is on to deal with it. After tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint largely came to a halt, the crucial question now is what it will take for the growing flotilla of vessels hovering near the entrance to the waterway to sail again — and how soon? Iran said on Sunday the strait remains open , but it also said i...
The oil market’s nightmare scenario came true this weekend. Now the race is on to deal with it. After tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint largely came to a halt, the crucial question now is what it will take for the growing flotilla of vessels hovering near the entrance to the waterway to sail again — and how soon? Iran said on Sunday the strait remains open , but it also said it attacked three oil tankers over the course of the day. A self-imposed pause is in place from shipowners and traders as the conflict spreads and after the US declared a maritime warning zone. About a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically flows through the Strait of Hormuz every day, and with just a few hours to go until oil markets open, most traders said they expect Brent crude prices to spike from $72.48 a barrel at the close on Friday. Read More: Iran Strikes: What’s at Stake for Oil Markets as War Spreads “How this ends is extremely uncertain at this point,” Barclays analyst Amarpreet Singh said. “But in the meantime oil markets will have to face their worst fears.” Market Buffers The physical market does have some buffers to cushion the disruption. Key Gulf exporters including Saudi Arabia sharply increased their oil loadings in the weeks leading up to the attacks, and the kingdom has storage assets in other parts of the world outside the Persian Gulf and a pipeline to the Red Sea that will allow it to divert some of its exports. Global floating inventories of oil have ballooned over the past year, pointing to an oversupplied market, although much of the excess has been black-market Russian and Iranian oil. OPEC+ announced a modest increase in supplies from key members for April, while many countries, including the US and China — the world’s two largest consumers — have strategic reserves of oil to tap if the need arises. Still, an effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz is as seismic as it gets for the global oil market. Across Asia, refiners...
The diaspora hope the death of Ali Khamenei will bring change – and peace – even as fears remain over Iran’s future On Saturday night, with bombs falling across the Middle East and rumours of the death of Ali Khamenei , the longtime ayatollah of Iran, spreading, the streets of north London resembled a party. Thousands of revellers filled Finchley Road, a part of London often called Little Tehran b...
The diaspora hope the death of Ali Khamenei will bring change – and peace – even as fears remain over Iran’s future On Saturday night, with bombs falling across the Middle East and rumours of the death of Ali Khamenei , the longtime ayatollah of Iran, spreading, the streets of north London resembled a party. Thousands of revellers filled Finchley Road, a part of London often called Little Tehran because of the large Iranian community, waving a sea of flags, many with the Lion and Sun, the flag of the Iranian state before the 1979 Islamic revolution. Continue reading...
solarseven/iStock via Getty Images Fears that artificial intelligence will wipe out white-collar jobs and trigger an economic collapse helped drive an early-week stock market selloff. But economists at Bank of America Securities argue that the dire narrative doesn’t hold up under economic scrutiny. In a Feb. 27 report, Claudio Irigoyen and Antonio Gabriel push back against the idea that productivi...
solarseven/iStock via Getty Images Fears that artificial intelligence will wipe out white-collar jobs and trigger an economic collapse helped drive an early-week stock market selloff. But economists at Bank of America Securities argue that the dire narrative doesn’t hold up under economic scrutiny. In a Feb. 27 report, Claudio Irigoyen and Antonio Gabriel push back against the idea that productivity gains from AI would crush aggregate demand by eliminating the very workers who consume goods and services. “The above narrative doesn't square well with sound economic theory,” they write. Creative destruction, not collapse The bearish case suggests AI-driven labor substitution would hollow out white-collar employment, compress profit margins and ultimately drag the economy into depression. The economists counter that such thinking ignores the historical pattern of technological change. “Most likely the AI shock will be another case of Schumpeterian creative destruction,” they write, referring to the process by which innovation displaces older industries while generating new ones. They argue that if AI delivers a major productivity boost, it would function as a supply shock, lowering costs and prices while raising real incomes. Even if labor’s share of income declines, total output would rise. “It cannot be true that the owners of capital are better off and the entire economy is sinking,” they write. While acknowledging that disruption is inevitable, the authors contend the overall economy would benefit as displaced labor shifts into new roles and previously unviable business opportunities become profitable. Lessons from history The report draws parallels to past technological revolutions, from mechanized agriculture to the internet. In the early 1900s, agriculture accounted for roughly 40% of U.S. employment and 15% of GDP; today, it represents about 1% of each. Yet the economy expanded as new industries emerged. “Despite the short-term disruptions, the economy will cre...
MCCAIG/iStock via Getty Images Market Overview US equities advanced in the fourth quarter, registering a sizable return for 2025. Markets were bolstered by robust corporate earnings, resilient consumer spending, and solid economic growth, although anxiety about lofty valuations in the technology sector and concerns surrounding massive AI spending drove capital toward value/cyclical areas of the ma...
MCCAIG/iStock via Getty Images Market Overview US equities advanced in the fourth quarter, registering a sizable return for 2025. Markets were bolstered by robust corporate earnings, resilient consumer spending, and solid economic growth, although anxiety about lofty valuations in the technology sector and concerns surrounding massive AI spending drove capital toward value/cyclical areas of the market. The cooling labor market and worries about upside inflation risks also kept the markets on edge. GDP surged 4.3% annually, primarily fueled by robust consumer spending but also aided by a rebound in exports, business investment on equipment and AI, and increased government spending on defense. The Russell Midcap Value Index returned 1.42% for the period. Within the Index, six out of 11 sectors rose over the quarter. Healthcare and information technology were the top performing sectors, while real estate and consumer discretionary were the bottom performing sectors for the period. Performance Summary The Hartford MidCap Value Fund (I share) outperformed the Russell MidCap Value Index during the quarter. Security selection was the primary driver of relative outperformance. Strong selection in financials, energy, and industrials was partially offset by selection in information technology and healthcare. Sector allocation, a result of our bottom-up stock selection process, was neutral to returns. Allocation effect was driven by our underweight to information technology and overweight to consumer discretionary but was offset by our overweight to healthcare and underweight to real estate and energy. The top two relative contributors included an overweight position in MKS and an out-of-benchmark position in Freeport-McMoRan, while our top two relative detractors were an out-of-benchmark position in Wix.com and an overweight position in Valvoline. Positioning & Outlook Given the range of economic outcomes and government policy, we continue to emphasize quality across the port...
CNN Forced To Admit Dems Are Tanking On Immigration Despite Anti-ICE Propaganda Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, Fresh analysis lays bare the Democrats’ crumbling position on immigration, with voters trusting Republicans more than ever to handle border security—even as radicals ramp up their attacks on ICE and deportations. CNN data analyst Harry Enten highlighted the stark shift durin...
CNN Forced To Admit Dems Are Tanking On Immigration Despite Anti-ICE Propaganda Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, Fresh analysis lays bare the Democrats’ crumbling position on immigration, with voters trusting Republicans more than ever to handle border security—even as radicals ramp up their attacks on ICE and deportations. CNN data analyst Harry Enten highlighted the stark shift during a recent segment, noting that despite the barrage of anti-ICE rhetoric, Democrats are faring worse now than during Trump’s first term. “Despite EVERYTHING that’s been going on, Democrats in a WORSE position than Trump’s 1st term!” Enten said. ? BREAKING: CNN was just forced to confirm that Democrats are PLUMMETING on the issue of immigration despite the relentless propaganda and smears on ICE WOW, they are down -11 points from Trump's first term! ? "Despite EVERYTHING that's been going on, Democrats in a WORSE… pic.twitter.com/9LV5DY3U4H — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 26, 2026 He pointed to polling data showing voters believe “They think Democrats will do a WORSE JOB on immigration than Republicans.” On border security specifically, Enten added: “Border security? HELLO! 2018, Republicans up 13. The advantage is a little LARGER NOW, up 15 points!” Dismissing any notion that Democrats could capitalize on the issue, he concluded: “The idea Democrats can take the ball and run away on it? Polling says NO, NO, NO.” This comes amid a wider hardening of public attitudes toward immigration enforcement. Republicans now hold a five-point lead on who Americans trust more on immigration—a complete reversal from Democrats’ six-point edge in 2018. The propaganda stemming from places like Minnesota against ICE has clearly failed, as Enten’s breakdown confirms. These developments build on the groundswell of support for deportations. As detailed in our earlier report on overwhelming American demand for deporting illegals and full ICE cooperation, polls from outlets like Cygnal and...
Amid one of the most captivating title fights in the history Scotland's top flight, BBC Scotland looks at the state of play for each of the four clubs involved.
Amid one of the most captivating title fights in the history Scotland's top flight, BBC Scotland looks at the state of play for each of the four clubs involved.