Key PointsState Street Advisors expect the S&P Small Cap 600 and the MSCI Emerging Markets indexes to beat the S&P 500 over the next three to five years.
Key PointsState Street Advisors expect the S&P Small Cap 600 and the MSCI Emerging Markets indexes to beat the S&P 500 over the next three to five years.
Poland’s biggest insurance company PZU SA agreed to buy MetLife Inc. ’s Ukrainian unit, marking a significant expansion into the war-torn market as Warsaw seeks a leading role in the country’s reconstruction. The state-controlled insurer has agreed to purchase Ukraine’s top life insurer, which holds a nearly 50% share of the local market, for an undisclosed price, it said in a statement. MetLife U...
Poland’s biggest insurance company PZU SA agreed to buy MetLife Inc. ’s Ukrainian unit, marking a significant expansion into the war-torn market as Warsaw seeks a leading role in the country’s reconstruction. The state-controlled insurer has agreed to purchase Ukraine’s top life insurer, which holds a nearly 50% share of the local market, for an undisclosed price, it said in a statement. MetLife Ukraine, which serves around 900,000 clients posted a profit of 21 million euro ($25 million) last year. “We are investing in a market leader with an experienced team and a resilient business model, which strengthens our presence in Ukraine,” said PZU Chief Executive Officer Bogdan Benczak . “This decision combines strategic ambition with strong business fundamentals.” The takeover aligns with a broader push by the Polish government to anchor its financial institutions in Ukraine ahead of a massive postwar rebuilding effort. PZU, which is also present in the Baltic Sea states, has captured only a modest market share since entering Ukraine in 2005. The acquisition follows the launch of support programs by Poland’s state development lender BGK and export credit insurer KUKE , aimed at encouraging Polish firms to expand eastward. The announcement also comes just weeks before Poland is set to host the Ukraine Recovery Conference in June. Analysts are divided on the deal. Erste Group Bank AG ’s Lukasz Janczak sees the transaction as “slightly positive,” citing MetLife Ukraine’s strong profitability and potential to grow PZU’s market share. By contrast, mBank SA ’s Michal Konarski points to geopolitical risks and low life insurance penetration, noting that such products may remain unaffordable for many Ukrainian consumers. PZU shares rose 0.2% in Warsaw.
It's nearly the end of an era at the nation's central bank. In just 11 days, on May 15, Jerome Powell's second term as Fed chair will come to an end and, presumably, President Donald Trump's nominee to succeed him, Kevin Warsh, will begin his tenure . It'll mark a new day for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) , S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) , and Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) ...
It's nearly the end of an era at the nation's central bank. In just 11 days, on May 15, Jerome Powell's second term as Fed chair will come to an end and, presumably, President Donald Trump's nominee to succeed him, Kevin Warsh, will begin his tenure . It'll mark a new day for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) , S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) , and Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) , as well. It's been apparent for more than a year that Powell wouldn't be back for a third four-year term. Sitting presidents are responsible for nominating the head of the Fed, and Trump and Powell have been publicly bickering about interest rates since the beginning of the president's second, non-consecutive term. Fed Chair Jerome Powell speaking with President Donald Trump. Image source: Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok. Continue reading
Donny DBM/iStock via Getty Images The following segment was excerpted from the Arquitos Capital Q1 2026 Investor Letter. Finch ( FNCHQ ) shares declined from $13.49 at the end of 2025 to $9.64 at the end of the first quarter. They are lower today. Don't let this declining price fool you. As I will explain below, no actual value within the company has declined. Consistent with the liquidating biote...
Donny DBM/iStock via Getty Images The following segment was excerpted from the Arquitos Capital Q1 2026 Investor Letter. Finch ( FNCHQ ) shares declined from $13.49 at the end of 2025 to $9.64 at the end of the first quarter. They are lower today. Don't let this declining price fool you. As I will explain below, no actual value within the company has declined. Consistent with the liquidating biotech and biopharma theme, Finch is one of the rare companies that is doing the economically rational thing. As I have mentioned in previous letters, they won a jury trial in August 2024 against Ferring Pharmaceuticals, with the jury finding that Ferring infringed on three of Finch's patents. The value of that award to Finch is between $25 and $80 per share depending on the post-trial decision from the judge. The judge must determine an ongoing royalty rate and determine whether enhanced damages will be awarded. We have now waited more than 20 months for the judge's decision. No matter the outcome, an appeal is highly likely and will cost money. Finch also had a lease that they needed to get out of. Due to these two items, even when the judge provides a decision, the market will give a substantial discount to its shares compared to the overall award. Because of this, the company decided to move forward with a strategic Chapter 11 filing in order to eliminate the lease obligation and organize an outright sale of the entire company. This sale involves the litigation claim above, 160 issued patents that Finch owns or exclusively licenses, an additional potential case of infringement involving a global corporation, and the corporate shell, which has significant net operating loss carryforwards. The company has disclosed that there has been healthy interest from potential buyers. We should have a resolution in early June. I believe that this process will maximize the value of Finch for shareholders and will monetize the assets more effectively than if Finch remained a publicly trad...
California’s billionaire tax has sparked an exodus of some of the state’s wealthiest residents. But for those who remain, there is one loophole that could help them to save millions.
California’s billionaire tax has sparked an exodus of some of the state’s wealthiest residents. But for those who remain, there is one loophole that could help them to save millions.
Eli Lilly 's (NYSE: LLY) broad range of drugs has helped build its success over time, but in recent years, one particular portfolio has supercharged growth. I'm talking about the company's weight loss drugs. The key product is tirzepatide, sold under the names Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss. They are part of the GLP-1 class of drugs that have taken the world by storm -- ...
Eli Lilly 's (NYSE: LLY) broad range of drugs has helped build its success over time, but in recent years, one particular portfolio has supercharged growth. I'm talking about the company's weight loss drugs. The key product is tirzepatide, sold under the names Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss. They are part of the GLP-1 class of drugs that have taken the world by storm -- demand for these products has been so high at times that it's even created supply shortages. (Supply is fine now, due to Lilly's major investment in manufacturing.) And these products have generated enormous levels of revenue growth for the pharma giant. Of course, Lilly isn't alone in this market -- it shares the space with Novo Nordisk , seller of blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. And Lilly also faces the possibility of more competition down the road as big pharma players and biotech companies -- for example, Pfizer and Viking Therapeutics -- aim to enter the market. Continue reading
Strong US corporate earnings led by a buoyant tech sector are overshadowing fears that the Middle East conflict could weigh on stocks, according to strategists at Morgan Stanley . Earnings revisions for the S&P 500 have moved higher across multiple time horizons over the past month, the team led by Michael Wilson wrote in a note. Second-quarter estimates are up 2% and forecasts for calendar 2026 a...
Strong US corporate earnings led by a buoyant tech sector are overshadowing fears that the Middle East conflict could weigh on stocks, according to strategists at Morgan Stanley . Earnings revisions for the S&P 500 have moved higher across multiple time horizons over the past month, the team led by Michael Wilson wrote in a note. Second-quarter estimates are up 2% and forecasts for calendar 2026 and the next 12 months have risen 3% and 4%, respectively. The first-quarter reporting season has delivered robust results, with the median S&P 500 company posting an earnings-per-share upside surprise of 6%. That’s the strongest in four years, the strategists said. Hyperscalers and semiconductor companies have been been “major contributors to this durability,” Wilson said, as they benefited from accelerating cloud demand and solid order backlogs. “The strength is not limited to these cohorts,” however, as upward revisions have also picked up across financials, industrials and consumer cyclicals, signaling a more durable expansion in profit growth. The impact of the Iran war is expected to remain uneven rather than systemic, with cost pressures affecting companies on a case-by-case basis rather than weighing on entire sectors, Wilson said. Energy companies, meanwhile, are a tailwind for overall earnings as higher oil prices boost their profit growth. Despite resilient earnings and US stocks at all-time highs, concentration risks remain a headache for investors, with seven stocks having generated around 80% of S&P 500 returns since the start of the year. Still, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. strategists led by Ben Snider said the spending boom on AI infrastructure is showing no signs of slowing, with analysts having further ramped up their estimates for hyperscaler spending since the start of earnings season. “The surge in spending estimates is driving a similar rise in earnings estimates for AI infrastructure companies, helping lift the earnings outlook for the broad market and sk...
Reality star Kylie Jenner doesn’t appear too keen to “keep up” the price of her longtime Hidden Hills home—having already slashed a sizable $2.26 million from her asking price.
Reality star Kylie Jenner doesn’t appear too keen to “keep up” the price of her longtime Hidden Hills home—having already slashed a sizable $2.26 million from her asking price.
Samsung Electronics ( SSNLF ) appointed Won-Jin Lee as the new head of its Visual Display Business, which includes television. Lee succeeds Seok Woo Yong, who will now serve as advisor to the Head of Device eXperience, or DX, Division, including AI and robotics. Samsung said that Lee, who previously served as head of the Global Marketing Office, is an expert in content, service, and marketing and ...
Samsung Electronics ( SSNLF ) appointed Won-Jin Lee as the new head of its Visual Display Business, which includes television. Lee succeeds Seok Woo Yong, who will now serve as advisor to the Head of Device eXperience, or DX, Division, including AI and robotics. Samsung said that Lee, who previously served as head of the Global Marketing Office, is an expert in content, service, and marketing and has played a pivotal role in establishing the foundations for the company's TV and mobile service businesses. "Drawing on his track record of business success and market insight, he is expected to spearhead business turnarounds and identify new growth areas, thereby further strengthening the competitiveness of the Visual Display Business," said the South Korean tech giant in a press release on Monday. Samsung's TV business faces tough competition. Last week, it was reported that Samsung is likely to end sales of its TVs and appliances in China amid rising competition in the Asian country. More on Samsung Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (SSNLF) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Samsung: Q1 Profit Guide Well Ahead Of Consensus, Remains A Buy Samsung lags SK Hynix as Citi slashes target price on union strike concerns Samsung Electronics Q1 profit jumps eightfold on AI chip demand
The prime minister is also attempting to join the EU’s €90bn loan for Ukraine, which the Conservatives welcomed More in Common has published its final MRP poll for the Welsh Senedd election. It suggests that Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are on course to come equal first in terms of numbers of seats, and that Labour is doing significantly worse than when More in Common last ran an MRP poll in April. M...
The prime minister is also attempting to join the EU’s €90bn loan for Ukraine, which the Conservatives welcomed More in Common has published its final MRP poll for the Welsh Senedd election. It suggests that Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are on course to come equal first in terms of numbers of seats, and that Labour is doing significantly worse than when More in Common last ran an MRP poll in April. More in Common says: The model suggests Labour could fall into third place with just 14 seats [down from 24, as the last More in Common MRP projected]. In an echo of the Caerphilly byelection it seems that as the election approaches Labour’s voter share is being squeezed, particularly by Plaid, with progressives rallying behind [Rhun] ap Iorwerth’s party as the best vehicle to stop Reform. The Conservatives would end up with 9 seats (their position stabilising since early April), and the Green party would end up with 5 – their first ever seats in the Senedd. To get a majority in the Senedd, you need 49 seats. As you can see [the figures in the chart – see below], under these projections, the path to 49 seats is tricky for any party. Reform and the Tories together have 43 seats, so would be six short of a majority. Given that no other party would work with them, this makes it very hard for them to form the next government. Plaid and Labour combined are actually one seat short of a majority while Plaid and the Greens together are 10 seats short. Continue reading...
当地时间5月4日，伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军当天公布了一份霍尔木兹海峡地区的新地图。伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军表示，由伊朗武装力量控制和管理的霍尔木兹海峡新区域范围为：南界为，连接伊朗穆巴拉克山（Kuh-e Mobarak）与阿联酋富查伊拉（Fujairah）南部的连线；西界为，连接伊朗格什姆岛（Qeshm Island）末端与阿联酋乌姆盖万（Umm Al Quwain）的连线。(央视新闻)
当地时间5月4日，伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军当天公布了一份霍尔木兹海峡地区的新地图。伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军表示，由伊朗武装力量控制和管理的霍尔木兹海峡新区域范围为：南界为，连接伊朗穆巴拉克山（Kuh-e Mobarak）与阿联酋富查伊拉（Fujairah）南部的连线；西界为，连接伊朗格什姆岛（Qeshm Island）末端与阿联酋乌姆盖万（Umm Al Quwain）的连线。(央视新闻)