sankai/iStock via Getty Images Fund performance Performance in the final quarter of 2025 was disappointing: while the Fund rose by 1.92%, it underperformed the benchmark by 278 basis points. This was driven mainly by negative stock selection effects in the energy, financials, healthcare and materials sectors. 1 Within energy, Reliance Industries weighed on relative returns. With a 6.8% benchmark w...
sankai/iStock via Getty Images Fund performance Performance in the final quarter of 2025 was disappointing: while the Fund rose by 1.92%, it underperformed the benchmark by 278 basis points. This was driven mainly by negative stock selection effects in the energy, financials, healthcare and materials sectors. 1 Within energy, Reliance Industries weighed on relative returns. With a 6.8% benchmark weight, the index bellwether's strong performance created a drag given that we do not own the stock, or its subsidiaries, due to longstanding concerns around corporate governance and capital allocation. Its size means Reliance can create volatility in our relative performance year-to-year. Our holding in Aegis Logistics in this sector also underperformed despite the company's results beating market expectations. The delay in the commissioning of a major pipeline in India pressured the stock. With Aegis already announcing the bulk of its capex until financial year 2030, execution risk is something we are watching closely. In the financials sectors, the Fund's holding in Aptus Value Housing Finance underperformed despite the company reporting solid profitability for the September quarter. Underlying trends pointed to moderating growth, margin compression and rising credit costs. Fundamentally, Aptus remains stable with continued pricing power. Among our private lenders, shares of Karur Vysya Bank, a relatively new initiation, did well, benefitting from sector-level lending growth momentum and improving asset quality trend. However, ICICI Bank was a detractor amid near-term overhang from potential management transition. Cumulative and annualized total return as of 12/31/25 (%) NAV Market Price MSCI India Index (Net TR) 1 month -1.53 -5.12 -0.49 3 months 1.40 -0.19 4.78 Year to date -6.04 0.85 2.62 1 year -6.04 0.85 2.62 3 years (p.a.) 9.91 10.48 11.30 5 years (p.a.) 5.53 6.84 9.88 10 years (p.a.) 7.84 8.40 9.70 Click to enlarge Past Performance is no guarantee of future results...
tadamichi/iStock via Getty Images Beneath the revenue beat, Circle’s ( CRCL ) reserve-driven earnings remain intact, and USDC scale has proven resilient to crypto price volatility, yet the emerging regulatory risk around reserve income sharing casts new uncertainty over its critical Coinbase ( COIN ) distribution partnership. In Q4 2025, Circle reported total revenue and reserve income of $770 mil...
tadamichi/iStock via Getty Images Beneath the revenue beat, Circle’s ( CRCL ) reserve-driven earnings remain intact, and USDC scale has proven resilient to crypto price volatility, yet the emerging regulatory risk around reserve income sharing casts new uncertainty over its critical Coinbase ( COIN ) distribution partnership. In Q4 2025, Circle reported total revenue and reserve income of $770 million and ended the year with $75.3 billion USDC in circulation, up 72% year over year. With the results beating expectations, the stock reaction was immediate. The deeper investment takeaway sits beneath the headline revenue beat. Circle's earnings model can be framed as "rate + USDC scale + distribution economics" , though the company is trying to reposition itself toward payment infrastructure and application-layer revenue streams. Despite an almost 50% decline in Bitcoin’s price and the broader crypto market weakness, total stablecoin supply remained stable, a dynamic not seen in prior crypto bear markets. Stablecoins have decoupled from crypto market price volatility, making the "scale" component in Circle's business model less of a concern. The real uncertainty now lies in distribution economics. Recent OCC interpretations tied to the GENIUS Act raise questions about whether exchange-based reward structures linked to USDC could be viewed as impermissible yield pass-through. If regulators constrain how reserve income can be shared through distribution partners, the long-standing Circle–Coinbase commercial arrangement may face pressure. Brief Q4 Snapshot & Circle's Earning Model Circle’s Q4 2025 press release reported USDC in circulation of $75.3 billion at year-end and total revenue and reserve income of $770 million. Management also reiterated KPI guidance calling for a multi-year, through-cycle 40% CAGR in USDC in circulation. Two details about Circle's business model stand out. First, Circle's revenue engine remains largely reserve-income driven. The company disclose...
B&G Foods ( BGS ) declares $0.19/share quarterly dividend , in line with previous. Forward yield 14.67% Payable April 30; for shareholders of record March 31; ex-div March 31. The company has now announced a dividend of $0.19 for fourteen consecutive quarters. See BGS Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on B&G Foods Sell B&G Foods Before The Dividend Gets Slashed Small-cap sto...
B&G Foods ( BGS ) declares $0.19/share quarterly dividend , in line with previous. Forward yield 14.67% Payable April 30; for shareholders of record March 31; ex-div March 31. The company has now announced a dividend of $0.19 for fourteen consecutive quarters. See BGS Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on B&G Foods Sell B&G Foods Before The Dividend Gets Slashed Small-cap stocks with highest dividend yield grade B&G Foods picks up broth and stock brands out of Del Monte's bankruptcy Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on B&G Foods Historical earnings data for B&G Foods
Africa’s largest supermarket chain held prices lower in an attempt to win market share. Shoprite Holdings Ltd. ’s first-half gross margin edged lower, reflecting “low selling-price inflation, moving to deflation,” the Cape Town-based retailer said Tuesday. Trading profit at its core South African supermarkets unit rose 7.1% to 7.2 billion rand ($446 million). The push to grow customer numbers and ...
Africa’s largest supermarket chain held prices lower in an attempt to win market share. Shoprite Holdings Ltd. ’s first-half gross margin edged lower, reflecting “low selling-price inflation, moving to deflation,” the Cape Town-based retailer said Tuesday. Trading profit at its core South African supermarkets unit rose 7.1% to 7.2 billion rand ($446 million). The push to grow customer numbers and volumes through price cuts comes as Walmart Inc. renews efforts to crack the South African market with stores under its own brand. Shoprite opened 209 stores in its local supermarkets division and added 53 in new formats including Petshop Science, Uniq Clothing, Checkers Outdoor and Little Me. Its shares fell as much as 4.05% by 10:38 a.m. in Johannesburg, the most in a month. That takes the year-to-date decline to 4.2%, compared with a 5.1% drop in the broader grocery index. Shoprite’s margin slipped to 23.8%, with selling price inflation averaging 0.7% for the half-year. South Africa’s food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation for the period was 4.7%. Low single-digit selling-price inflation is expected to persist in the second half, Shoprite said. The Next Africa newsletter runs every weekday. Sign up here for the newsletter, and subscribe to the Next Africa podcast on Apple , Spotify or anywhere you listen .
Key Points Goods that people purchase over and over again ultimately support reliable dividends. Artificial intelligence isn’t always the threat it seems like it could be to some companies. In fact, sometimes it’s an opportunity. Eventually, dividend growth becomes far more meaningful than a stock’s dividend yield at the time you buy it. 10 stocks we like better than Procter & Gamble › Why do you ...
Key Points Goods that people purchase over and over again ultimately support reliable dividends. Artificial intelligence isn’t always the threat it seems like it could be to some companies. In fact, sometimes it’s an opportunity. Eventually, dividend growth becomes far more meaningful than a stock’s dividend yield at the time you buy it. 10 stocks we like better than Procter & Gamble › Why do you invest? Most people know that the answer should be something like "to make the most risk-adjusted constructive use of my money." If we're being honest, though, many of us find picking stocks and monitoring our portfolios at least a little bit entertaining. That's OK. As a reminder to income-seeking investors, however, the very best dividend stocks are usually relatively boring names that just keep on cranking out cash payments regardless of the economic backdrop. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Here's a look at four boring dividend stocks that make for fantastic long-term income holdings. 1. Procter & Gamble It doesn't get much more mundane than dishwashing detergent, diapers, toothpaste, and laundry supplies. There's a clear upside to being in these businesses, though. These are products that people buy over and over again. The key to sustained success in these markets is often just achieving enough scale and market dominance to keep your per-unit production cost low and your pricing power high. Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) has done exactly that. Its Tide laundry detergent makes up roughly 40% of the U.S. market, while Pampers diapers' control of the domestic market is about half. In fact, most of the products in its portfolio regularly lead their respective categories. Perhaps the unsung hero in P&G's enduring success, however, is its sheer size and what that means in terms of marketing i...
Institutional investors are accumulating shares of Meta Platforms and Rocket Lab even as executives sell stock for personal financial planning reasons.
Institutional investors are accumulating shares of Meta Platforms and Rocket Lab even as executives sell stock for personal financial planning reasons.
Shoppers faced a surprise jump in grocery inflation last month after four successive months of falls, as experts warned there is worse to come if there is prolonged war in the Middle East. In a blow to households struggling with the cost of living, grocery price inflation rose to 4.3% in the four weeks to 22 February, after falling to 4% in January from 4.7% in December, according to the market re...
Shoppers faced a surprise jump in grocery inflation last month after four successive months of falls, as experts warned there is worse to come if there is prolonged war in the Middle East. In a blow to households struggling with the cost of living, grocery price inflation rose to 4.3% in the four weeks to 22 February, after falling to 4% in January from 4.7% in December, according to the market research company Worldpanel by Numerator. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank’s chief economist warned prolonged war in the Middle East could lead to lower oil and gas supplies from the region, causing a “substantial spike” in inflation and a “sharp drop in output” in the eurozone. The crisis has already driven oil and gas sharply higher, threatening to push up prices at the pump for UK drivers and increase household gas and electricity bills. In an interview with the Financial Times, Philip Lane said “directionally, a jump in energy prices puts upward pressure on inflation, especially in the near term”, and that such a development would be “negative” for growth. This would also apply to the UK. Fraser McKevitt, the head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel, said: “Looking ahead to Easter, shoppers will notice that chocolate prices remain high, up 9.3% year on year. “While this is still a significant rise, the pace of inflation in the category is beginning to ease and is now at its lowest level since September 2025.” However, Greggs said “easing inflationary pressures” should boost stronger consumer spending, as it revealed a near-18% drop in pre-tax profits £167.4m in the year to 27 December. The Worldpanel report showed shoppers splashed out on recent celebrations. Pre-made pancake mixes were up 114% from the previous week in the seven days leading up to Shrove Tuesday, while those making their own batter paid 42p or almost 6% more than last year as the cost of key ingredients reached £7.77. Nonetheless, sales of ingredients surged, with flour up 34%, sugar rising ...