ismagilov/iStock via Getty Images In early January of this year, I made a rather bold claim that buying Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF ( SCHD ) would be an awful way to start 2026. To be honest with you, that has not aged well. Or at least, it hasn't aged well up to this point. From the time that article was published until the close of day on March 28th, the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) was down 6.9%. By com...
ismagilov/iStock via Getty Images In early January of this year, I made a rather bold claim that buying Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF ( SCHD ) would be an awful way to start 2026. To be honest with you, that has not aged well. Or at least, it hasn't aged well up to this point. From the time that article was published until the close of day on March 28th, the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) was down 6.9%. By comparison, the total return of SCHD was up 10.7%. In the short run, this outperformance has been decisive. However, it does echo a previous article that I had written about the ETF last year. In April of 2025, I warned that SCHD would continue to be a bitter disappointment to investors in all scenarios other than the world falling apart. Fast forward to this year, and that seems to be happening. In the U.S., economic conditions are deteriorating thanks to tariffs and high interest rates. Consumer confidence is near all-time lows. Jobs data is looking worse and worse month after month. And now we have this war with Iran that is creating geopolitical uncertainty and rising oil prices that will further hurt the U.S. This helps to explain why SCHD, which is bolstered by its distributions and the fact that it's overall slate of assets are relatively low risk, outperformed the market leading up to this point. In the near term, this outperformance is likely to continue. I do think that economic conditions are worsening. And as I argued back in August of last year, the U.S. does seem to be nearing a recession. If economic conditions deteriorate, we could see SCHD deliver quite nicely. However, my focus when it comes to investing is not on the short run. Rather, it is the long term outlook. And when you look at the picture through that lens, SCHD still certainly deserves a Sell rating. Checking in on SCHD Author - Data from Charles Schwab At first glance, SCHD might seem to be an attractive opportunity for investors. The current yield that it offers right now stands at 3.45%. That's n...
Oil pushed lower as traders focused on signs President Donald Trump is seeking to end the Iran war that’s roiled markets, while the crucial Strait of Hormuz chokepoint remains largely closed to shipping. West Texas Intermediate fell as much as 1.8% to $98.37 a barrel after shedding 1.2% on Wednesday. Trump is scheduled to deliver a rare prime-time address to the nation at 9 p.m. Eastern time, wher...
Oil pushed lower as traders focused on signs President Donald Trump is seeking to end the Iran war that’s roiled markets, while the crucial Strait of Hormuz chokepoint remains largely closed to shipping. West Texas Intermediate fell as much as 1.8% to $98.37 a barrel after shedding 1.2% on Wednesday. Trump is scheduled to deliver a rare prime-time address to the nation at 9 p.m. Eastern time, where he’s expected to stress operations may came to an end in two to three weeks, a White House official said. The conflict has effectively closed the strait, choking off supplies of crude, gas and products such as diesel to global markets, driving energy prices higher and raising fears of an inflation crisis . While oil futures have dipped in recent days, the US marker is still almost 50% higher than before the war. Even if the conflict ends in Trump’s desired timeframe, it will still take time for normal flows to resume through Hormuz, while some energy infrastructure has been damaged by the war and is facing lengthy repairs. A buildup of US troops in the region is also keeping the market on edge. On Wednesday, Trump posted on his Truth Social network that Tehran had asked for a ceasefire. The Islamic Republic retorted that the Strait of Hormuz won’t be reopened based on the US leader’s “absurd displays” and that the future of the key transit route will be decided by Iran and Oman. “Iran is very unlikely to agree to a temporary ceasefire if it opens the door to future rounds of conflict,” said Will Todman , senior fellow in Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The Iranian regime feels that time is on its side — the longer it blocks the Strait of Hormuz, the more pain it imposes on the global economy,” To get Bloomberg’s Energy Daily newsletter in your inbox, click here . WTI for May delivery was 1.3% lower at $98.79 a barrel at 6:07 a.m. in Singapore. Brent for June settlement fell 2.7% to $101.16 a barrel on Wednesday.
International organizations, government leaders and Wall Street are attempting to divine the endgame of the US-Israel war with Iran amid increasingly chaotic and contradictory statements by President Donald Trump as his administration struggles to find a way out of the month-old conflict . The war has pushed US pump prices above $4 a gallon, threatening political pain for Republicans in a midterm ...
International organizations, government leaders and Wall Street are attempting to divine the endgame of the US-Israel war with Iran amid increasingly chaotic and contradictory statements by President Donald Trump as his administration struggles to find a way out of the month-old conflict . The war has pushed US pump prices above $4 a gallon, threatening political pain for Republicans in a midterm election year. Trump, 79, is said to realize the current situation is untenable, according to persons familiar with the matter. He has scheduled a televised speech about the war this evening . More than 5,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the war so far, almost three-quarters of them in Iran, according to government organizations and the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Just over 1,300 people have been killed in Lebanon, where Israel opened a second front against Iran-allied Hezbollah following attacks by the militant group. A majority of Americans oppose the war , which Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began despite ongoing negotiations with Tehran. Trump cited a shifting set of justifications but no public evidence Iran presented a direct threat to America. Now, with Trump’s near-daily threats, entreaties and all-caps social media posts about the conflict—one in which Iran has managed to punish US allies and energy markets—leaders and investors may be looking elsewhere for clues as to what happens next . Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a letter addressed to Americans on Wednesday, arguing that his country has no enmity with the US and has acted in self-defense. (One of Trump’s initial reasons for attacking was related to Iran’s killing of thousands of protestors in recent uprisings there.) Pezeshkian warned that “continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before” and noted that attacks on infrastructure, which Trump has threatened, directly target the Iranian people. On Tuesday, Pezeshki...
Chinese companies and inventors filed a record 22,031 patent applications at the European Patent Office (EPO) last year, according to the EPO Technology Dashboard 2025 (formerly Patent Index) published today. Patent applications from China increased by 9.7% compared to 2024, the highest growth rate among the top ten filing countries. China now ranks 3rd globally, moving ahead of Japan for the firs...
Chinese companies and inventors filed a record 22,031 patent applications at the European Patent Office (EPO) last year, according to the EPO Technology Dashboard 2025 (formerly Patent Index) published today. Patent applications from China increased by 9.7% compared to 2024, the highest growth rate among the top ten filing countries. China now ranks 3rd globally, moving ahead of Japan for the first time, and accounts for 10.9% of total applications at the EPO. This confirms China's increasing pr
Qualcomm Inc.‘s China Chairman Frank Meng said the auto industry could do for artificial intelligence what smartphones once did for mobile computing, arguing that cars are becoming the next major platform pushing AI into real-world use. Cars Push AI Beyond Chatbot Era In a recent interview with Nio Inc. CEO William Li, Meng said the speed of change in autos is now helping set the pace for AI becau...
Qualcomm Inc.‘s China Chairman Frank Meng said the auto industry could do for artificial intelligence what smartphones once did for mobile computing, arguing that cars are becoming the next major platform pushing AI into real-world use. Cars Push AI Beyond Chatbot Era In a recent interview with Nio Inc. CEO William Li, Meng said the speed of change in autos is now helping set the pace for AI because vehicle users cannot tolerate dropped connections or delays. "Why? Because even though 5G and wir
Major earnings expected before the bell on Thursday include: Acuity ( AYI ) Lindsay Corporation ( LNN ) AngioDynamics ( ANGO ) For Seeking Alpha's full earnings season calendar, click here .
Major earnings expected before the bell on Thursday include: Acuity ( AYI ) Lindsay Corporation ( LNN ) AngioDynamics ( ANGO ) For Seeking Alpha's full earnings season calendar, click here .
Chinese airlines are mulling the introduction of higher fuel surcharges, as authorities strive to balance the impact of surging oil prices with the need to preserve airline margins and at the same time avoid dampening consumer demand. Although a formal announcement from the national regulator is pending, at least two domestic airlines released notices on Wednesday about plans for sixfold surcharge...
Chinese airlines are mulling the introduction of higher fuel surcharges, as authorities strive to balance the impact of surging oil prices with the need to preserve airline margins and at the same time avoid dampening consumer demand. Although a formal announcement from the national regulator is pending, at least two domestic airlines released notices on Wednesday about plans for sixfold surcharge increases, after another airline rescinded a similar notice on Tuesday. According to notices put...
Sumala Chidchoi/iStock via Getty Images Defiance AI & Power Infrastructure ETF ( AIPO ) is a passively managed exchange-traded fund designed to provide investors with a diversified investment approach to allocating to the broader AI value chain, including sectors like energy, information technology, industrials, and utilities. The strategy presents a differentiated thematic model that can be excep...
Sumala Chidchoi/iStock via Getty Images Defiance AI & Power Infrastructure ETF ( AIPO ) is a passively managed exchange-traded fund designed to provide investors with a diversified investment approach to allocating to the broader AI value chain, including sectors like energy, information technology, industrials, and utilities. The strategy presents a differentiated thematic model that can be exceptionally appealing to those that wish to invest in the AI theme while gaining exposure to the various industries that are poised for elevated growth over the coming years. With the market presenting durability across the theme, I am recommending AIPO with a Buy rating. I had previously covered AIPO as an ETF Educational article in October 2025, which can be found here . Investment Thesis AIPO presents an appealing investment outlay across multiple growth vectors, many of which are loosely tied to the AI growth theme, including energy, industrials, utilities, and information technology. What’s most appealing about this ETF is that it considers the entire value chain rather than a single component. For example, the Index that AIPO benchmarks to, the MarketVector US Listed AI and Power Infrastructure Index, includes companies that participate in the construction & engineering of data center facilities and power infrastructure, the companies that manufacture and source products, parts, & components used by the EPC companies to construct these facilities, the utilities that operate the power infrastructure, the AI hardware providers, and the data center operators. The ETF covers the broader spectrum of the AI theme, creating a unique and appealing investment structure that can benefit from the long-term development of these facilities. Engineering, Procurement, & Construction EPC companies are those responsible for providing engineering and construction services in developing the data center facilities and supporting power infrastructure, which may include constructing the power...
China has sought for decades to turn its clout as the world’s largest commodities consumer into pricing power. With iron ore — the most traded raw material after oil, and the backbone of global economic expansion — it is closer than ever to success. The engine behind the current campaign is China Mineral Resources Group Co., an opaque company directly under the country’s central government which h...
China has sought for decades to turn its clout as the world’s largest commodities consumer into pricing power. With iron ore — the most traded raw material after oil, and the backbone of global economic expansion — it is closer than ever to success. The engine behind the current campaign is China Mineral Resources Group Co., an opaque company directly under the country’s central government which has been locked in a confrontation with mining giant BHP Group Ltd. for months. This is already the most significant commercial clash in nearly two decades between the country and one of its top suppliers, and has sent shockwaves through the industry. Those heated negotiations are now reaching a critical juncture. A new chief executive is set to take the helm at BHP, with every incentive to resolve a deepening crisis. For China, meanwhile, a month-long war in the Middle East has only underscored the importance of CMRG’s mission, as the conflict deals another blow to US financial dominance and reinforces the urgency of holding more sway in key commodity markets. “CMRG is not just an economic instrument,” said Marina Zhang of the University of Technology Sydney’s Australia-China Relations Institute, who works on supply chains and global power dynamics. “It is a geopolitical blueprint.” This account of CMRG’s rise is based on interviews with more than 20 industry executives, financiers, traders and others involved working with the institution, all of whom asked not to be named given the sensitivity of the discussions. They reveal the depth of CMRG’s relationships within China’s economic power structure as well as nascent plans to expand its reach beyond iron ore. CMRG and BHP declined to comment. With a vast steel industry that consumes more than 70% of seaborne iron ore, China has consistently pushed for greater influence. Yet even after it overtook Japan as the leading importer in the early 2000s and ultimately forced a dramatic change in pricing — the industry moved toward s...
America's Half-Trillion-Dollar Sewage Problem Authored by Autumn Spredemann via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Beneath city streets and suburban neighborhoods, a vast network of pipes and wastewater treatment systems is reaching the end of its life . This subterranean infrastructure is already suffering tens of thousands of failures per year, while exposing millions of Americans to contamination...
America's Half-Trillion-Dollar Sewage Problem Authored by Autumn Spredemann via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Beneath city streets and suburban neighborhoods, a vast network of pipes and wastewater treatment systems is reaching the end of its life . This subterranean infrastructure is already suffering tens of thousands of failures per year, while exposing millions of Americans to contamination risks. Utilities, plumbing experts, and environmentalists warn that the scope of the problem has expanded rapidly in recent years. As of 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that $630 billion in wastewater infrastructure investment would be needed to repair and replace deteriorating systems. At the same time, extreme weather events and growing populations were putting additional strain on America’s aging pipes. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), in its 2025 report card, gave U.S. wastewater infrastructure a D-plus, which the group largely attributed to a lack of funding to meet the needs of communities with failing systems. Meanwhile, average utility prices for wastewater consumers increased from $35 per month to nearly $65 per month between 2010 and 2020, ASCE researchers found. Even still, they said, rising utility prices aren’t “keeping pace with the growing costs for utilities to provide routine operation and maintenance.” Paradoxically, as household water and sewer bills increased more than 24 percent between 2020 and 2025, wastewater infrastructure renewal and replacement rates for large-scale projects actually decreased over the past decade, from 3 percent to 2 percent, according to the ASCE analysis. The scope of the problem becomes clearer when considering the sheer volume of sanitary sewer overflows . As of April 2025, the EPA estimated there were between 23,000 and 75,000 overflow incidents per year, and that didn’t include sewage that backed up into buildings or residential homes. Some of the reasons for these spills included b...
B2Gold (NYSEMKT:BTG), operates gold mines in Mali, the Philippines, and Namibia. Shares closed at $4.84, up 6.84%, after the company announced a renewed and expanded share buyback program. Investors are watching the pace of future repurchases following Toronto Stock Exchange appr
B2Gold (NYSEMKT:BTG), operates gold mines in Mali, the Philippines, and Namibia. Shares closed at $4.84, up 6.84%, after the company announced a renewed and expanded share buyback program. Investors are watching the pace of future repurchases following Toronto Stock Exchange appr