Revelation comes after report commissioned by department released in response to charity’s FoI request The Ministry of Defence has no system for examining whether UK military action has killed or injured civilians in war, a study commissioned by the department has revealed. The MoD also “does not maintain a central register of civilian harm incidents or allegations” and, despite mass casualties caused by other countries, has concluded there is no need to do so because its existing mitigation is considered effective. Continue reading...

Risk assets and momentum plays were shining on Tuesday. Exchange-traded funds focused on momentum, growth, risk, and small-caps were among the top performing strategies, posting gains of 1.6% or more.

Ismed Syahrul/iStock via Getty Images The surge in semiconductor stocks ( SMH ) ( SOX ) may be due for a breather, according to Katie Stockton, founder and managing partner of Fairlead Strategies. Speaking with CNBC on Tuesday, Stockton described the upward move in the VanEck Semiconductor ETF ( SMH ) as “really parabolic” in both absolute and relative terms. While strong positive momentum remains intact, she noted that technical indicators are flashing warning signs of an overextended market. “When we look at the ratios of the SMH to the S&P 500 ( SPY ) and( IGV ), which is a software ETF relative to the S&P 500, they’re now sending countering messages,” Stockton explained. The semiconductor ratio appears overextended on the upside based on DeMark indicators, while software shows oversold conditions. This divergence suggests the popular institutional trade of going long semiconductors ( SMH ) while shorting software ( IGV ) may begin to unwind in the near term. Interestingly, memory names like Micron ( MU ), Western Digital ( WDC ), and Seagate ( STX ) have not triggered the same countertrend sell signals affecting the broader semiconductor space, Stockton said. However, she cautioned that Micron’s series of gap-up moves warrants discipline—traders should watch whether the stock holds recent gaps in the coming days. For those seeking opportunities, Stockton pointed to software ( IGV ), healthcare ( XLV ), and Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) as potentially more attractive areas, noting improved intermediate-term momentum following April’s market strength. Seeking Alpha More on VanEck Semiconductor ETF, iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF A Subtle Change Took Place For The Capex Story Magnificent Earnings May Not Last Big Tech Earnings Preview: The AI Supercycle Meets Reality Chip stocks post best 25-day stretch since 2000, and these 10 names are standing out Palantir stock drops despite strong results—These ETFs have the highest exposure

Avis Budget Group (CAR) reported a first-quarter earnings per share (EPS) loss of $8.01, significantly deeper than the consensus estimate. While the headline loss suggests a business retreat, a singular operational metric of 70% vehicle utilization reveals a fundamental pivot in the company's capital strategy.

The hugely popular prediction market was shut down by U.S. regulators in 2022 and re-opened in Panama, where it has benefited from tax and legal benefits for years. (Image credit: Eliana Morales Gil)

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On May 5, 2026, LeClair Wealth Partners reported selling its entire stake in the First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF (NASDAQ:FIXD) , an estimated $17.64 million transaction based on quarterly average pricing. According to an SEC filing dated May 5, 2026, LeClair Wealth Partners sold its entire holding of 398,454 shares in the First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF (NASDAQ:FIXD) . The estimated value of the trade was $17.64 million, based on the average closing price for the first quarter. This divestment reduced the fund's position value in FIXD to zero at quarter end. The net position change, including price movement, totaled $17.66 million. The First Trust Smith Opportunistic Fixed Income ETF (FIXD) is a large, actively managed ETF with a market capitalization of about $3.40 billion. The fund employs a flexible fixed income approach, targeting a broad spectrum of debt securities to enhance yield and manage risk across market cycles. FIXD's competitive dividend yield and diversified portfolio make it a relevant solution for investors seeking income and total return within a liquid, transparent ETF structure. Continue reading

JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Leidos Holdings ( LDOS ) boosted its full-year 2026 guidance on Tuesday, pointing to sustained demand for its information technology and military intelligence services. The upgrade comes as the Pentagon continues to replenish weapons inventories stretched by prolonged geopolitical tensions, including the Russia-Ukraine war and operations tied to Iran. That backdrop has supported spending on defense systems, software and analytics. Revenue in Leidos’ ( LDOS ) intelligence and digital segment, which includes military software, data analysis and logistics support, climbed 7% to $1.51 billion in the latest quarter. The company recently secured an $869 million U.S. Army contract to develop artificial intelligence-driven tools designed to convert large data sets into operational insights. Peers are seeing similar momentum. L3Harris ( LHX ), for example, said production has ramped up in its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance unit, particularly for classified and international aircraft programs. Leidos ( LDOS ) reported first-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.13 per share, up from $2.97 a year earlier. For 2026, the company now expects adjusted earnings of $12.10 to $12.50 per share, slightly higher than its prior outlook of $12.05 to $12.45. It also raised its revenue forecast to a range of $18.0 billion to $18.4 billion, compared with an earlier projection of $17.5 billion to $17.9 billion. More on Leidos Leidos Holdings, Inc. (LDOS) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Leidos Holdings, Inc. 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Leidos Holdings, Inc. (LDOS) Presents at JPMorgan Industrials Conference 2026 Transcript Leidos raises 2026 revenue outlook to $18B-$18.4B, supported by Entrust integration Leidos beats Q1 street views, raises FY guidance

The rolling 25-day performance for one index of semiconductor stocks has reached its highest level since March 9, 2000 —the day before the dot-com bubble peaked.

Fund Update: New $103.3M $ORCL stock position opened by IMC-Chicago, LLC Quiver Quantitative

AI is rapidly reshaping tax preparation, putting traditional software companies like Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) under pressure while opening doors to higher‑touch, AI‑assisted services and stronger moats around guarantees and data. Watch the video below to see how this disruption could impact investors. *This video was published on April 24, 2026. Continue reading

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Everyone’s Talking About TSMC’s AI Boom. Smart Money Is Watching UMC Instead AOL.com

American Eagle Outfitters and Lands’ End are among the first adopters as Amazon opens its logistics network to all businesses and intensifies competition with FedEx, UPS and DHL.

Agreements with Microsoft, Google DeepMind and xAI focus largely on recognizing cybersecurity, biosecurity and chemical weapons risks The US government has struck deals with Google DeepMind, Microsoft and xAI to review early versions of their new AI models before they are released to the public. The Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), part of the US Department of Commerce, announced the agreements on Tuesday, saying the review process would be key to understanding the capabilities of new and powerful AI models as well as to protecting US national security. These collaborations will help the federal government “scale (its) work in the public interest at a critical moment”, the agency said in a press release. Continue reading...

财联社5月6日讯（编辑 史正丞） 距离2026美加墨世界杯6月11日开赛只剩最后5周时间，该赛事的商业价值仍在印度处于冷静审视中。 本周的最新消息显示， 亚洲首富安巴尼旗下信实集团与迪士尼合资的媒体公司，给国际足联抛出一份2000万美元的转播费报价 。而国际足联最初对印度市场的标价为2026和2030两届世界杯 合计1亿美元 。 作为背景，国际足联已经夸下海口，预计当前世界杯周期（2023-2026）将获得史无前例的130亿美元收益。这不仅意味着赛事票务和服务收入将从卡塔尔世界杯的9.5亿美元飙升至30亿美元， 国际足联也预期转播费收入能高于卡塔尔（34亿美元）和俄罗斯世界杯（31亿美元） 。 疯狂的商业运作（和涨价）也在开赛前引发大量抱怨。在7月19日进行的决赛， 最贵门票售价达到10990美元，几乎是卡塔尔世界杯最贵门票的7倍 。此外，美国交通官员也确认，从纽约曼哈顿通往决赛球场大都会体育场的火车票，也将在世界杯期间 暴涨12倍至150美元 。 与此同时，本届世界杯的赞助商收入预期也将从四年前的18亿美元提升至28亿美元。 2022年卡塔尔世界杯期间，信实集团的媒体部门曾出资6000万美元单独拿下转播权 。该协议在开赛前14个月便官宣，最终那届世界杯在印度市场吸引1.1亿人在线观赛。 据知情人士透露，国际足联已经“大幅下调”对印度市场的要价，但仍不太愿意拿着信实开出的2000万美元走人。而对于信实和迪士尼而言，即便国际足联最终松口，在剩余的时间内销售广告也会是一个挑战。 紧挨着的两届世界杯，却在商业价值上大打折扣，背后的原因正是比赛时间。 在美国、加拿大和墨西哥进行的比赛，大多数情况下处于印度的午夜之后，不仅收视率下降，广告价值也大打折扣。 此外，印度也不是传统足球强国。与该国最具人气的板球运动相比，足球并不具备同样的商业溢价。 同样在印度市场，信实、迪士尼等媒体机构给印度板球超级联赛开出5年62亿美元的转播费，在全球体育赛事版权费用中仅次于美国的NFL，高于英超联赛。 所以归根结底，转播世界杯仍然是一个商业抉择。据悉，同样在印度运营电视和流媒体业务的索尼，直接判断向国际足联购买转播权“在商业上不可行”。

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Several widely followed stocks, including GameStop, ranked among Monday’s largest bearish price surprises by volume. With GameStop pursuing an ambitious acquisition-driven strategy, the key question is whether these declines signal value—or bigger risk.

【有線新聞】西班牙同意接收懷疑爆發漢他病毒的荷蘭郵輪洪迪厄斯號。 郵輪仍在非洲島國佛得角外海等候，西班牙衛生部稱，按照國際法和人道主義原則接收郵輪，先決定哪些乘客需要緊急撤離，其餘的人乘坐郵輪繼續前往加那利群島，預計三至四天內抵達，未確定具體停泊位置。船員和乘客抵達後，將接受檢查和治療，之後可各自回國。船上兩名出現病癥的船員，及與其中一名死者緊密接觸的乘客會送到荷蘭治療。 世衛早前表示獲告知船上無老鼠，懷疑首名患者登船前已染病，之後人傳人。

Earnings Call Insights: Harley-Davidson (HOG) Q1 2026 Management View "Thank you for joining us today for our Q1 2026 financial results as well as an introduction to our new strategic plan, which we're calling Back to the Bricks." (CEO, President & Director Arthur Starrs) "North America delivered a 14% increase versus the prior year, contributing to global retail sales growth of 8% in what remains a challenging consumer environment." (CEO, President & Director Starrs) "During the quarter, we reduced global inventory by 22% year-over-year as we continued to prioritize dealer inventory sell-through and aligning wholesale shipments with retail demand." (CEO, President & Director Starrs) "Consolidated revenue in the first quarter was down 12% and driven primarily by HDFS revenue being down 54% as it moved into a new capital-light model after the closing of the HDFS transaction." (CFO & Chief Commercial Officer Jonathan Root) "In Q1, earnings per share was $0.22" and "HDMC revenue decreased by 2%, coming in at $1.1 billion." (CFO & Chief Commercial Officer Root) "We're really excited to announce that our iconic Harley-Davidson Sportster will be returning in 2027" and "we're excited to bring Sprint to market beginning in the back half of 2026." (CEO, President & Director Starrs) Outlook "While we are not changing our financial guidance, we would note that our optimism on the year has increased." (CFO & Chief Commercial Officer Root) "For the full year 2026, the company reaffirms its guidance and continues to expect at HDMC retail units of 130,000 to 135,000 and wholesale units of 130,000 to 135,000." (CFO & Chief Commercial Officer Root) "At this point in time, we expect the cost of increased tariffs to be in a range of $75 million to $90 million for the full year 2026" and "this is an update to the prior range we provided of $75 million to $105 million." (CFO & Chief Commercial Officer Root) "At HDMC, we expect operating income of positive $10 million to a loss of $40 mi...

Earnings Call Insights: Repligen (RGEN) Q1 2026 Management View "We delivered $194 million of first quarter revenue" with "15% reported revenue growth or 11% organic" and "160 basis points of adjusted operating margin expansion" (President, CEO & Director Olivier Loeillot). "We are reiterating our expectation for 9% to 13% organic growth while updating our reported revenue guidance to reflect the sale of our non-core and low-margin Polymem business" and "we're increasing our adjusted earnings per share guidance for the full year" (CEO Loeillot). "We signed a critical partnership to expand our capabilities and local presence in China" and "local manufacturing beginning in 2027" under an OEM relationship that will be "multi-phase and multi-product" (CEO Loeillot). "We have formed a transformation office" to accelerate "our path to 30% adjusted EBITDA margin by 2030" and management "estimate this efforts should result in at least 1 point of annualized margin benefit by the end of 2027" (CEO Loeillot). "We divested the Polymem operation in France for nominal proceeds" and in 2025 "Polymem generated $7 million of revenue and an adjusted operating loss" (CEO Loeillot). "Adjusted fully diluted earnings per share for the first quarter was $0.48 compared to $0.39" and "our cash and marketable securities position at the end of the first quarter was $785 million" (CFO & Chief Compliance Officer Jason Garland). Outlook "We are now guiding $803 million to $833 million of revenue, or 9% to 13% growth on both a reported and organic basis" (CFO Garland). "We expect adjusted fully diluted earnings per share to be between $1.97 and $2.05" and "we now expect $124 million to $132 million of adjusted operating income" (CFO Garland). "Our update in guidance now reflects only one quarter of revenue from Polymem, which removes approximately $7 million of revenue from the full year previously included in guidance" (CFO Garland). "To assist with the quarterly cadence, we expect Q2 organic re...

Jack Mallers, co-founder and CEO of Twenty One Capital, joins Tim Stenovec on "Bloomberg Crypto." Tether has proposed that Twenty One Capital merge with Strike, a crypto trading and spending platform, and Elektron Energy, a Bitcoin mining firm, at a time when Twenty One Capital’s main business of investing in Bitcoin has fallen out of favor. (Source: Bloomberg)

Earnings Call Insights: Avista Corporation (AVA) Q1 2026 Management View “The year began with real momentum and the pace of activity across our business has only accelerated... we've taken meaningful steps to strengthen reliability and resilience, move forward with our growth opportunities and continue delivering value for our customers and shareholders.” (President, CEO & Director Heather Rosentrater) “Negotiations continue with one of the prospective data center developer customers... with a projected incremental load of up to 500 megawatts... We are currently targeting a signed memorandum of understanding with this new customer by May 31.” (President, CEO & Director Rosentrater) “We also continue to work toward final contracts with the projects selected from our recent request for proposal, including the build transfer for a battery energy storage project included in our base capital plan and targeted to come online in 2028.” (President, CEO & Director Rosentrater) “Based on updates to project costs, we now expect capital expenditures at Avista Utilities of $615 million in 2026. We expect capital expenditures from 2026 through 2030 of $3.4 billion.” (SVP, CFO, Treasurer & Regulatory Affairs Officer Kevin Christie) Outlook “This morning, we are affirming our non-GAAP utility earnings guidance with a range of $2.52 to $2.72 per diluted share for 2026.” (SVP Christie) “Our guidance includes expected negative impact from the energy recovery mechanism or ERM of $0.10 in 90% customer, 10% company sharing band.” (SVP Christie) “Over the long term, we continue to expect that our earnings will grow 4% to 6% from the midpoint of our 2025 earnings guidance.” (SVP Christie) Compared with the prior quarter’s initial 2026 guide, management kept the same range: “We are initiating non-GAAP utility earnings guidance with a range of $2.52 to $2.72 per diluted share for 2026.” (CFO, Treasurer & Senior VP of Regulatory Affairs Christie, Q4 2025) Financial Results $1.11 consolidated ...

Earnings Call Insights: Ocular Therapeutix (OCUL) Q1 2026 Management view Dr. Pravin Dugel said the company’s key development was the SOL-1 Phase III wet AMD result for AXPAXLI, stating: "SOL-1 has fundamentally changed the conversation in wet AMD." He added: "In February, AXPAXLI became the first novel investigational therapy to demonstrate superiority to an approved anti-VEGF agent in a Phase III wet AMD trial." Dr. Dugel emphasized durability and rescue profile from SOL-1, including: "In 2/3 of the patients, just a single AXPAXLI injection maintained vision for an entire year." He also said the trial showed "substantially fewer rescues" and characterized the differentiation as: "That is not incremental progress. That is true differentiation." Dr. Dugel said the company remains on track to file based on SOL-1, stating: "we remain on track to submit our NDA relying on SOL-1 week 52 data, subject to ongoing formal discussions with the FDA." He also said the company "intend[s] to leverage the 505(b)(2) pathway, which may further allow for a shortened review time line" and that it is "accelerating commercial readiness in parallel." Dr. Dugel updated the SOL-R program and timeline, saying: "We completed randomization of 631 subjects in December 2025, exceeding our original 555 subject target" and "we recently accelerated our guidance for SOL-R top line data to the first quarter of 2027." Dr. Dugel announced progress on the long-term extension, stating: "Just last week, we announced the initiation of enrollment in SOL-X" and explained it is designed to extend follow-up: "bringing the total follow-up to 5 years." Dr. Dugel described liquidity and runway, saying: "We ended the first quarter with approximately $667 million in cash, which we expect to provide us runway into 2028." He cautioned: "our cash runway does not include the full expenses we anticipate we will need to support the commercialization of AXPAXLI." No CFO prepared remarks or CFO direct quote were included...

Boarding1Now/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Airbus ( EADSF ) ( EADSY ) is preparing to unveil a sizable aircraft order from AirAsia, with the low-cost carrier expected to commit to roughly 150 A220 jets, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The announcement, anticipated Wednesday, would provide a lift to Airbus’ smallest commercial aircraft after recent competitive pressure from Brazil’s Embraer ( EMBJ ). The A220 program, in which Quebec holds a minority stake, is assembled in Mirabel, near Montreal, and in Mobile, Alabama. Aircraft destined for customers outside the U.S. are produced in Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to attend an event tied to the announcement in the Montreal area, though officials declined to comment and cautioned that plans could still shift. Reports of a potential order surfaced earlier this week in La Presse and Bloomberg, while earlier indications suggested a deal of similar size could be in the works. Program under pressure The prospective agreement would bolster the A220 as Airbus ( EADSF ) ( EADSY ) works to improve the economics of a program it acquired from Bombardier in 2018. The aircraft has faced stiff competition from Embraer’s ( EMBJ ) E2 family, which secured key wins and outpaced A220 sales last year. Airbus ( EADSF ) ( EADSY ) has been increasing output but recently scaled back its production target to about 12 aircraft per month by 2026, citing supply chain constraints and delays tied to upgraded engines. Strategic fit for AirAsia AirAsia, which has played a central role in the rise of budget travel across Asia, already has more than 350 Airbus ( EADSF ) ( EADSY ) A320-family aircraft on order. Adding smaller A220 jets would allow the airline to expand into thinner routes and new destinations, a strategy previously outlined by co-founder Tony Fernandes. The potential deal comes amid broader industry headwinds, including elevated fuel costs linked to geopolitical tensions in the Mi...

Palantir's stock is down after a gangbusters first quarter , and while the earnings report showed one or two tiny blemishes, signs of any real weakness for the company were basically nonexistent, even by the hyperbolic standards of tech-sector performance. The lukewarm investor response more likely signals wariness of soaring valuations and fatigue with idiosyncratic metrics at a moment of genuine uncertainty in big tech and national security, analysts said. Palantir has forward price-to-earnings of roughly 85 times and forward price-to-free-cash-flow of about 66 times, according to FactSet – eye-popping multiples at a time when leaps in artificial intelligence are forcing meetings at the White House and running roughshod over the legacy software business. PLTR 1D mountain Palantir shares in the past day Anthropic said its new Mythos model can reverse engineer hacks on even closed-source software. The company has reportedly been facing pressure from the White House to limit its rollout on security concerns. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai met with senior Trump administration officials last week about boosting AI processing power to make sure the government can "maintain its own defenses," according to The New York Times . The high-stakes confabs follow the software rout labeled "SaaS-maggedon" that's seen valuations within the historically high-margin sector take a dive. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) has fallen more than 16% year to date. Can valuations endure amid breakthroughs? Multiples like Palantir's look increasingly unsubstantiated in such an environment. "Anthropic just raced by them . If [Palantir does] $12 billion next year [in revenue], Anthropic is on a $40 billion run rate. You look at that and say, 'Wait a minute. Why aren't you investing in more salespeople? You're letting your margin go to 60, [arguing that] there's no competition, but someone just passed you on the left side going 100 miles an hour.' I don't understand that," Jeffer...

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Two industrial bellwethers are putting up tech-like returns in 2026, and the catalyst is hiding in plain sight: power for the AI buildout. Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) stock is up 53% year to date through the May 4 close, while GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV) stock has surged 65%, with both sitting near record highs. The two industrials-sector stocks ... Industrial-Strength Rally: Why Caterpillar Is Up 53% and GE Vernova Is Up 65% in 2026