It isn’t a story of villains and victims, but a housing system under strain, writes Nick Vernoum . Plus a letter from John Farquhar Your article on landlords ( I thought landlords were unchallengeable – until I met one of mine at a party, 22 April ) paints them as shadowy figures wielding quiet power, but the reality is often more ordinary – and more complicated. I’m an “accidental landlord”. In m...
It isn’t a story of villains and victims, but a housing system under strain, writes Nick Vernoum . Plus a letter from John Farquhar Your article on landlords ( I thought landlords were unchallengeable – until I met one of mine at a party, 22 April ) paints them as shadowy figures wielding quiet power, but the reality is often more ordinary – and more complicated. I’m an “accidental landlord”. In my 40s, after working long hours to buy a modest home, I became seriously ill with chronic fatigue and had to move back in with my parents. Letting my house wasn’t about exploitation; it was about survival – covering a mortgage I could no longer sustain through work. Over time, I reinvested carefully, and I now own a small number of properties. The income isn’t lavish; it has supported my parents and given me a chance to rebuild my life. I know my tenants well. They can contact me any time, and I sort problems quickly. Continue reading...
Peter Foreshaw Brookes says economic conditions and smartphone usage (and its effects on coupling) are more likely causes The global drop in fertility has a number of causes, but rising biological infertility (infecundity) is not one ( Toxins plus climate harms likely cause of reduced fertility, study finds, 26 April ). Recent reports of a paper by Shanna Swan, the writer of Spermageddon, and othe...
Peter Foreshaw Brookes says economic conditions and smartphone usage (and its effects on coupling) are more likely causes The global drop in fertility has a number of causes, but rising biological infertility (infecundity) is not one ( Toxins plus climate harms likely cause of reduced fertility, study finds, 26 April ). Recent reports of a paper by Shanna Swan, the writer of Spermageddon, and others have claimed the paper shows that exposure to pollutants has been driving down biological fertility and may be contributing to the downturn of fertility rates in recent years. This is unlikely. A meta-analysis published last year, which controlled for regional variation, found that sperm counts increased in the US in recent years. Although there are other mechanisms by which biological fertility could be affected, time to pregnancy (TTP) directly tracks how quickly couples conceive. TTP increased in Britain in the late 20th century , and has been stable between 2002 and 2017 in the US for women under 30, only increasing by about 4% for women who already had a child. Meanwhile, infertility has been staying around the same or decreasing in developed countries in recent years. Continue reading...
Westminster drinking culture | Cocking things up | Fragile over-60s? | Victory over Trump | Jobs for Neets | Heavy lifting The Labour MP Alex Sobel says he has never “actually seen anyone smell of booze” ( Hannah Spencer riles fellow MPs with attack on parliament’s drinking culture, 27 April ). That’s a relief, otherwise I would have wondered whether we were all living in a strip cartoon in The Da...
Westminster drinking culture | Cocking things up | Fragile over-60s? | Victory over Trump | Jobs for Neets | Heavy lifting The Labour MP Alex Sobel says he has never “actually seen anyone smell of booze” ( Hannah Spencer riles fellow MPs with attack on parliament’s drinking culture, 27 April ). That’s a relief, otherwise I would have wondered whether we were all living in a strip cartoon in The Dandy or Beano. Pete Lavender Woodthorpe, Nottinghamshire • Now we know why they make such a cock-up of everything. Michael Fuller Ampthill, Bedfordshire Continue reading...
Two of the restaurant concepts with the best expansion opportunities right now are Cava Group (NYSE: CAVA) and Dutch Bros (NYSE: BROS) . However, one clearly looks like the better stock to own for the long term. Let's dig into both stocks to see which is the better one to buy. Image source: The Motley Fool. Cava is a fast-growing fast-casual restaurant focused on Mediterranean cuisine. The company...
Two of the restaurant concepts with the best expansion opportunities right now are Cava Group (NYSE: CAVA) and Dutch Bros (NYSE: BROS) . However, one clearly looks like the better stock to own for the long term. Let's dig into both stocks to see which is the better one to buy. Image source: The Motley Fool. Cava is a fast-growing fast-casual restaurant focused on Mediterranean cuisine. The company saw huge same-store sales growth following the introduction of grilled steak in 2024. However, its strong comparable restaurant sales growth came to a screeching halt after it overlapped the introduction of this popular menu item. Those tough comparisons are finally behind the company, and it is forecasting 3% to 5% same-store sales growth this year. Meanwhile, the introduction of salmon could be its next growth driver. Continue reading
In this article PSKY WBD Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT CEO of Paramount Skydance David Ellison speaks on stage during the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 16, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Valerie Macon | AFP | Getty Images Paramount CEO David Ellison is trying to do something that no other studio has done in the modern age of ...
In this article PSKY WBD Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT CEO of Paramount Skydance David Ellison speaks on stage during the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 16, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Valerie Macon | AFP | Getty Images Paramount CEO David Ellison is trying to do something that no other studio has done in the modern age of cinema — release 30 films annually. Ellison once again promised this theatrical feat in front of thousands of exhibitors at CinemaCon earlier this month. Applause erupted from the crowd after he made the pronouncement. But privately, movie theater operators have expressed concerns and skepticism about the proposed future slate of films. While a massive string of releases would help cinemas, companies doubt he will be able to follow through on the promise. His 30-film plan would hinge on Paramount receiving regulatory approval for its proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, which the latter company's shareholders approved last week. Ellison noted that each studio would produce 15 films a year. However, Ellison has not provided many details about those 30 releases, and it's not clear how he would hit the ambitious goal. Representatives for Paramount did not reply to CNBC's request for comment. It's unclear if all of the films would have wide releases (meaning they eventually play in at least 1,500 theaters, though the typical benchmark is 2,000). It's also not certain whether the company will count films it distributes but doesn't produce as part of this figure, or how many of those proposed titles will be considered tentpole blockbusters. Movie theater operators and industry experts are skeptical that Paramount would be able to sustain a 30-film slate after the initial merger. After all, part of the consolidation process is eliminating redundancies, which inevitably leads to layoffs as well as cost-cutting measures that often result in fewer productions. "When it comes ...
Earnings Call Insights: Fiverr International Ltd. (FVRR) Q1 2026 Management View "Q1 was a solid quarter of execution with both revenue and adjusted EBITDA coming in at the high end of our guidance range" (Co-Founder, CEO & Chairman of the Board Micha Kaufman), while he emphasized a multi-year repositioning: "we are in the early stages of a multiyear journey to reposition Fiverr from a transaction...
Earnings Call Insights: Fiverr International Ltd. (FVRR) Q1 2026 Management View "Q1 was a solid quarter of execution with both revenue and adjusted EBITDA coming in at the high end of our guidance range" (Co-Founder, CEO & Chairman of the Board Micha Kaufman), while he emphasized a multi-year repositioning: "we are in the early stages of a multiyear journey to reposition Fiverr from a transaction-oriented marketplace into a trusted work platform for complex high-value outcomes." "Projects over $1,000 continue to grow at a strong double-digit rate with clients completing $1,000-plus projects, up 18% year-over-year" (CEO Kaufman), alongside product and infrastructure work: "we are rebuilding our matching infrastructure from the ground up" and "moving from keyword-based matching to context-aware, outcome-driven matching powered by a knowledge graph." "Recent tests in Fiverr Pro show mismatch rates down nearly 10%" (CEO Kaufman), as Fiverr "shift[ed] ranking from optimizing for conversion to optimizing for expected project success and buyer satisfaction" and described early behavioral signals: "we are consistently seeing higher value engagements, leading to stronger repeat behavior." "We delivered a strong first quarter with both top and bottom lines exceeding the midpoint of our guidance" (Chief Financial Officer Esti Dadon), adding: "Revenue was $105.5 million, down 1.6% year-over-year" and "Adjusted EBITDA was $22.6 million, up 16.3% year-over-year and representing an adjusted EBITDA margin of 21%." Outlook "For the full year 2026, we expect revenue to be in the range of $380 million to $420 million" (CFO Dadon), and "we are raising our full year adjusted EBITDA guidance and now expect it to be in the range of $64 million to $80 million." "For the second quarter of 2026, revenue is expected to be between $95 million to $103 million" (CFO Dadon), and "Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $16 million to $20 million." "Looking ahead, macro conditions remain largel...
Earnings Call Insights: Cognizant (CTSH) Q1 2026 Management view "We delivered a solid first quarter with revenue growth in the upper half of our guidance range, expanded adjusted operating margin and strong bookings growth" (CEO & Director Ravi Kumar S). "Q1 bookings grew 21% year-over-year" and "we signed 7 large deals with TCV of $100 million or greater, including 1 mega deal valued at more tha...
Earnings Call Insights: Cognizant (CTSH) Q1 2026 Management view "We delivered a solid first quarter with revenue growth in the upper half of our guidance range, expanded adjusted operating margin and strong bookings growth" (CEO & Director Ravi Kumar S). "Q1 bookings grew 21% year-over-year" and "we signed 7 large deals with TCV of $100 million or greater, including 1 mega deal valued at more than $500 million" (CEO & Director Ravi Kumar S). "We just announced a definitive agreement to acquire Astreya" and "upon closing, we believe Astreya will add a critical layer to our AI Builder technology stack" (CEO & Director Ravi Kumar S). "Market conditions have become more complex since the start of the year, and we expect the impact from heightened macroeconomic uncertainty to persist in the near term" (CEO & Director Ravi Kumar S). "In Q1, revenues of $5.4 billion, grew 3.9% year-over-year in constant currency" (Chief Financial Officer Jatin Dalal). "First quarter adjusted operating margin of 15.6%" and "first quarter adjusted EPS was $1.40" (Chief Financial Officer Dalal). Outlook "For the second quarter, we expect revenue to grow 3.2% to 4.7% year-over-year in constant currency" and "this includes approximately 150 basis points from our recently completed acquisitions, including a partial quarter contribution from Astreya" (Chief Financial Officer Dalal). "Our full year revenue guidance is unchanged at 4% to 6.5% in constant currency" and "we expect large deal ramps and 2 full quarters of Astreya contribution to be meaningful second half drivers" (Chief Financial Officer Dalal). "The expected savings generated from the program, net of investments are enabling us to raise our 2026 adjusted operating margin guidance range to 16% to 16.2%" (Chief Financial Officer Dalal). "This leads to EPS guidance of $5.63 to $5.77" and "for 2026, we still expect to return approximately $1.6 billion of capital to shareholders" (Chief Financial Officer Dalal). Financial results "On a tr...
Here are the stocks making headlines in midday trading. Regeneron — The biotech stock slid nearly 6% after the company reaffirmed its full-year forecast for adjusted gross margin on net product sales of 83% to 84%. Regeneron also said that its board authorized a new $3 billion share repurchase program. GE HealthCare Technologies — Shares tumbled 12% after the company dialed back its forecast for f...
Here are the stocks making headlines in midday trading. Regeneron — The biotech stock slid nearly 6% after the company reaffirmed its full-year forecast for adjusted gross margin on net product sales of 83% to 84%. Regeneron also said that its board authorized a new $3 billion share repurchase program. GE HealthCare Technologies — Shares tumbled 12% after the company dialed back its forecast for full-year adjusted earnings. GE HealthCare is now calling for a range of $4.80 to $5 a share, compared to its earlier guidance of $4.95 to $5.15 per share. Free cash flow guidance of about $1.6 billion for the full year was also lower than the company's earlier forecast for roughly $1.7 billion. Brinker International — The parent company of Chili's Grill & Bar jumped about 13%. Third-quarter adjusted earnings topped estimates, landing at $2.90 per share versus the FactSet consensus call for $2.86 a share. Brinker raised the lower end of its forecast for full-year earnings, calling for adjusted earnings of $10.60 to $10.85 per share. Seagate Technology — The data storage stock popped 12%. Seagate sees fiscal fourth-quarter revenue coming in at $3.45 billion, plus or minus $100 million, and adjusted earnings of $5 per share, plus or minus 20 cents. That compares to the LSEG estimate of $3.97 per share in earnings and revenue of $3.16 billion. Third-quarter results beat estimates on the top and bottom lines. Memory stocks — Seagate's earnings boosted other names in the memory group too. Western Digital surged more than 9% and Sandisk jumped 7%. Mondelez International — The maker of Oreo cookies and Sour Patch Kids candy added 5% after reporting first-quarter adjusted earnings of 67 cents per share on revenue of $10.08 billion. Analysts polled by FactSet had anticipated earnings of 61 cents per share and $9.75 billion in revenue. Robinhood — The maker of the trading app saw shares tumble nearly 14% after first-quarter results fell short of expectations. Robinhood posted earnings...
9parusnikov/iStock via Getty Images Apple ( AAPL ) plans to add more artificial intelligence features to the iOS 27 operating system, including a Siri mode inside its camera app along with other new AI visual features, according to Bloomberg. The company's Visual Intelligence feature will be located within the camera app, the report said. It will appear as a new toggle option. The updates are part...
9parusnikov/iStock via Getty Images Apple ( AAPL ) plans to add more artificial intelligence features to the iOS 27 operating system, including a Siri mode inside its camera app along with other new AI visual features, according to Bloomberg. The company's Visual Intelligence feature will be located within the camera app, the report said. It will appear as a new toggle option. The updates are part of Apple's broader efforts to incorporate AI and will likely be revealed at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. These updates to Apple's visual AI capabilities will likely play a role in new devices the company is reportedly working on, such as smart glasses and a pendant. They will allow Siri to scan environments and provide details back to the user. Apple is also developing an updated version of its Photos app. These include new AI-powered tools for editing and enhancing images, the report said. These will likely be ready for the release of the iPhone 18 series when it's released in September. More on Apple Apple: Tim Cook Exits At The Top Apple: A New Boss And A New And Higher Dividend (Rating Upgrade) Wall Street Brunch: Five Of The Mag 7 Ride Into Earnings Town Apple’s leadership transition, AI vision under new CEO Ternus to steal spotlight during earnings Apple offers developers new way to make App Store subscriptions more affordable