Companies such as Chaotic Good are confecting social media buzz to promote Geese, Oklou and other indie darlings. Industry insiders reveal how widespread the practice is – even if no-one is sure it actually works Did you get more fomo than usual from last year’s Glastonbury? Did you see a video of Overmono or Lorde or Self Esteem that made you seethe with jealousy? That may have been because more ...
Companies such as Chaotic Good are confecting social media buzz to promote Geese, Oklou and other indie darlings. Industry insiders reveal how widespread the practice is – even if no-one is sure it actually works Did you get more fomo than usual from last year’s Glastonbury? Did you see a video of Overmono or Lorde or Self Esteem that made you seethe with jealousy? That may have been because more of your friends genuinely did attend the festival last year – or it could be because those acts, and 25 others including Fatboy Slim, Charli xcx and Doechii, paid a digital marketing agency that sent influencers and content creators to watch their sets and upload organic-looking clips to social media. Take a quick look at Your Culture’s Instagram page and you’ll find that the boutique UK agency had a hand in disseminating some of 2025’s most viral live music moments: the Last Dinner Party’s raucous “medieval sleaze” album launch party; Chappell Roan’s headline set at Reading festival . If you saw video from Calum Scott’s surprise set at St Pancras International last year, or Alex Warren’s outside Warren Street, it’s likely because of Your Culture. An Instagram post from January boasts that the brand “worked with 55% of the nominees” of the most recent Brit awards. Continue reading...
PetroChina Co. posted its best ever quarterly profit as China’s largest oil and gas producer benefited from rising energy prices due to the war in the Middle East. Net income rose to 48.33 billion yuan ($7 billion) in the first quarter, from 46.8 billion yuan a year earlier, the company said in a Hong Kong exchange filing on Wednesday. The results come as global oil and gas prices remain elevated ...
PetroChina Co. posted its best ever quarterly profit as China’s largest oil and gas producer benefited from rising energy prices due to the war in the Middle East. Net income rose to 48.33 billion yuan ($7 billion) in the first quarter, from 46.8 billion yuan a year earlier, the company said in a Hong Kong exchange filing on Wednesday. The results come as global oil and gas prices remain elevated due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. That’s supporting PetroChina’s upstream expansion and improving the profitability of chemicals, helping to offset pressure on its refining business . China’s massive oil reserves have so far shielded it from the worst impacts of the conflict. Beijing has stepped up efforts to safeguard energy security, asking major suppliers to maintain refining runs and halting fuel exports. PetroChina’s upstream operating profit fell 12% through March even as output rose 0.7% during the period. The firm attributed the drop to lower crude oil sales and prices, which lagged movements in the international market, it said in the filing. Domestic consumption of refined oil products saw a marginal increase in the first quarter, while natural gas demand remained stable, it said. The company has pledged to boost spending and output this year even after its profits were pressured last year by structural oversupply. Its gas sector reported a higher profit at 18.87 billion yuan, compared with 13.5 billion yuan a year ago. The marketing business recorded a 28% increase in operating profit, driven by higher sales volumes and margins in its international trading business. The firm showed greater resilience by sourcing most feedstock from its own upstream operations. The refining, chemicals and new material sector reported a 54% profit jump. PetroChina’s peers, Sinopec and Cnooc Ltd. both reported better-than-expected profits in the first quarter, as they also benefited from rising global oil prices. Sinopec’s First-Quarter Profit Rises Amid Higher O...
MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images I don't take joy in being right at times. There's a lot to like about certain insurance companies. In this case, excellent organic growth history, an excellent "agency" sort of model, and improving business fundamentals could spell a positive picture for this company. However, at the same time, it's very clear that Brown & Brown ( BRO ) has not been ...
MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images I don't take joy in being right at times. There's a lot to like about certain insurance companies. In this case, excellent organic growth history, an excellent "agency" sort of model, and improving business fundamentals could spell a positive picture for this company. However, at the same time, it's very clear that Brown & Brown ( BRO ) has not been in a good position to outperform for some time here, and I don't think the future will provide significant upside here either. It's interesting because many analysts and investors are positive about BRO. Why is that? Seeking Alpha BRO Returns Because of excellent revenue growth, a successful M&A strategy (largely speaking, at the very least), strong underlying operational cash flow and working margins. Many things, if you were to look at the company from a high level, imply that the company is likely to outperform here. If we combine this with proven, high degrees of insider ownership (above 16%), we have a high degree of interest alignment. A complete positive as well, for sure. The ratings and suggestions here look like a traffic light - which might sound like a weird expression - so let me qualify that. Seeking Alpha BRO ratings There you go - the traffic light. From "BUY" to "SELL", the entire spectrum (almost) is represented. Bulls tend to focus on the very good profitability of the company, which is where it wins - while bears, like myself, tend to focus on the overly high valuation for what's on offer (yes, even now), as well as the risk to momentum and growth, among other things- There is definitely a price at which BRO is a buyable company; however, the fact that the quant rating puts this insurance broker nearly at the bottom percentile in the sector, industry, and overall, says at least something. So let me update you on what I personally believe that it says here. As the single analyst on Seeking Alpha who has correctly predicted the declining rates vis-a-vis th...
Gemini is coming to Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC vehicles. | Image: General Motors General Motors is planning to bring Google's Gemini AI assistant to around four million vehicles across the US . Model year 2022 and newer Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC vehicles with Google built-in will be eligible for the AI upgrade, which will be rolled out via over-the-air software updates for GM's ...
Gemini is coming to Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC vehicles. | Image: General Motors General Motors is planning to bring Google's Gemini AI assistant to around four million vehicles across the US . Model year 2022 and newer Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC vehicles with Google built-in will be eligible for the AI upgrade, which will be rolled out via over-the-air software updates for GM's infotainment system "over several months," according to GM's announcement. GM says this update represents "one of the largest deployments of Gemini in the industry," and that "customers will notice an upgrade from the current Google Assistant to a smarter, more intuitive AI assistant that continues to improve over time." The assistant … Read the full story at The Verge.
BYD and Geely Auto, vying to be China’s biggest carmaker, both rose in Hong Kong stock trading as higher exports offset concerns about domestic price competition. Electric-vehicle giant BYD climbed 4.4 per cent on Wednesday even after reporting a 55 per cent drop in first-quarter net income to 4.09 billion yuan (US$590 billion), the lowest quarterly profit in three years. Geely gained 2.6 per cent...
BYD and Geely Auto, vying to be China’s biggest carmaker, both rose in Hong Kong stock trading as higher exports offset concerns about domestic price competition. Electric-vehicle giant BYD climbed 4.4 per cent on Wednesday even after reporting a 55 per cent drop in first-quarter net income to 4.09 billion yuan (US$590 billion), the lowest quarterly profit in three years. Geely gained 2.6 per cent, overcoming a 27 per cent decline in earnings to 4.2 billion yuan. BYD sold 46 per cent of its...
Hong Kong authorities have failed to meet targets on the supply and construction of youth hostels, with the number of flats offered accounting for only 44 per cent of what was intended, an audit report has found. The Audit Commission on Wednesday released its report reviewing the government’s development and management of the facilities under the Youth Hostel Scheme, which covered seven hostels, i...
Hong Kong authorities have failed to meet targets on the supply and construction of youth hostels, with the number of flats offered accounting for only 44 per cent of what was intended, an audit report has found. The Audit Commission on Wednesday released its report reviewing the government’s development and management of the facilities under the Youth Hostel Scheme, which covered seven hostels, including two that had been completed and were in operation. The review found that as of December...
JHVEPhoto Cognizant ( CTSH ) to acquire Astreya, an IT services and technology provider focused on AI infrastructure and data center services, in a transaction valued at about $600M, according to a Reuters report. The deal is expected to close in Q2 2026, subject to regulatory approvals, the report added . "By acquiring Astreya and its proprietary AI tooling and production-grade infrastructure pl...
JHVEPhoto Cognizant ( CTSH ) to acquire Astreya, an IT services and technology provider focused on AI infrastructure and data center services, in a transaction valued at about $600M, according to a Reuters report. The deal is expected to close in Q2 2026, subject to regulatory approvals, the report added . "By acquiring Astreya and its proprietary AI tooling and production-grade infrastructure platform, which is complementary to Cognizant's AI builder stack, we will be even better-positioned to help clients architect their platform-led AI systems and operationalise them at scale," CEO Ravi Kumar S said. The move builds on recent acquisitions including 3Cloud in 2026 and Belcan in 2024 as Cognizant expands in AI and digital engineering. The deal signals Cognizant’s move towards AI infrastructure and deployment capabilities, positioning it to capture rising enterprise demand for scalable AI solutions. More on Cognizant Technology Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) Presents at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2026 Transcript Cognizant: Buying More After The Dip Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (CTSH) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Cognizant Technology Q1 2026 Earnings Preview Semiconductor stocks lift Nasdaq this week as index hits record high