FBI Spooked By 15 Stolen Crop-Spraying Drones In New Jersey What has become extraordinarily clear is that nearly every data center, stadium, government building, power plant, substation, and other critical infrastructure site shares one major vulnerability: the lack of a low-cost, early-warning detection layer against one-way attack drones. Additionally, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) a...
FBI Spooked By 15 Stolen Crop-Spraying Drones In New Jersey What has become extraordinarily clear is that nearly every data center, stadium, government building, power plant, substation, and other critical infrastructure site shares one major vulnerability: the lack of a low-cost, early-warning detection layer against one-way attack drones. Additionally, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) architecture should include a kinetic countermeasure layer designed to defeat threats before impact. Without this layered approach, most critical infrastructure remains highly vulnerable to cheap kamikaze drones. When reports emerge, such as the recent case in New Jersey where 15 crop-spraying drones were reportedly stolen in what investigators described as a sophisticated, coordinated theft, it only reinforces the alarming security concern: these drones, with meaningful payload capacity, can be easily repurposed into weaponized platforms. The national security news outlet The High Side reports that the FBI is worried about the theft of these drones, as experts warn of "ridiculously bad" consequences and "a potential nightmare scenario" if bad actors weaponize these low-cost flying machines. "The bureau is freaked out for a good reason," Steve Lazarus, a retired FBI agent, told the local outlet. Lazarus continued, "These aren't hobby drones with cameras. They're industrial sprayers designed to carry and disperse significant amounts of liquid quickly and with precision. A typical agricultural drone can cover a large area in minutes, following GPS-guided paths — that's exactly what they're built for in farming, but it also means that, in the wrong hands, they're a ready-made delivery system." While The High Side and investigators are "spooked" by the theft and the mounting risk that these drones could be used to "disperse biological agents," the greater threat is actually their payload capacity and the potential for these drones to be weaponized into low-cost, one-way attack d...
rawintanpin/iStock via Getty Images One of the most important weeks for the broad market is on tap. We’ll hear from four of the Magnificent Seven stocks, with an emphasis on the major AI hyperscalers. Key inflation data and the April FOMC meeting are tossed into the mix, while the conflict in Iran presses on. You’d think that implied volatility would be elevated going into such a consequential fin...
rawintanpin/iStock via Getty Images One of the most important weeks for the broad market is on tap. We’ll hear from four of the Magnificent Seven stocks, with an emphasis on the major AI hyperscalers. Key inflation data and the April FOMC meeting are tossed into the mix, while the conflict in Iran presses on. You’d think that implied volatility would be elevated going into such a consequential final week of April. Not so. In fact, the Cboe Volatility Index ( VIX ) is under 20, and well below its March high of 35. That also means there’s not much juice to squeeze out of selling call options on the largest US stocks. That brings us to the YieldMax Magnificent 7 Fund of Option Income ETF ( YMAG ). Holding option-income funds on each of the Mag 7 names, I don’t think now is an opportune time to get long. I reiterate a hold rating. The product has returned almost 30% since my July 2024 analysis , but that merely matches the S&P 500 Index’s advance (including dividends on the SPX, and YMAG lags). Today, I’ll run through the state of the Mag 7, along with a nod to volatility readings, underscoring my neutral stance. Earnings Ahead Wall Street Horizon YMAG Lags MAGS Over the Past 2 Years (Total Returns) Stockcharts.com According to the issuer , YMAG invests its assets in seven YieldMax ETFs. The fund’s name refers to its strategy of gaining exposure to the common stocks of seven companies, collectively known as the “Magnificent Seven”. The portfolio is reallocated monthly so that each of the seven YieldMax ETFs is equally weighted. The fund has a limited operating history, and while the portfolio’s objective is to provide current income, there is no guarantee the ETF will make a distribution. Distributions are likely to vary greatly in amount. YMAG is a small ETF, with total assets under management of just $320 million, though that is more than triple the AUM since my previous assessment. The annual expense ratio is very high at 1.34%, which is a major drag to consider. Whi...
SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images Last week was the fourth week in a row with gains in the indices. It wasn’t a particularly strong week – up just 0.55% - but it did produce two new highs, one on Wednesday and another on Friday. One of the big themes of the last 4 weeks has been the resurgence of the Mag 7 stocks. I’ll talk about that when we get to the Mage 7 part of this report. I will break ...
SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images Last week was the fourth week in a row with gains in the indices. It wasn’t a particularly strong week – up just 0.55% - but it did produce two new highs, one on Wednesday and another on Friday. One of the big themes of the last 4 weeks has been the resurgence of the Mag 7 stocks. I’ll talk about that when we get to the Mage 7 part of this report. I will break down the week’s action into various slices of the market so we can see more clearly where the buying and selling took place. Following the money is always a smart way to tilt your portfolio, as long as you don’t overdo it. S&P 500 Last 4 Weeks Here is a good look at the 4-week rally. You can see that last week didn’t quite have the power of the prior 3 weeks, but a win is a win, as they say. S&P 500 last 4 weeks (ZenInvestor.org) Zoom out to twelve months When we look at the market on a month-by-month basis, we can see how powerful this rally has been. April is now up 9.8%. That’s close to what we expect to see from a whole year of market gains. S&P 500 by month (ZenInvestor.org) S&P 500 drawdowns Drawdowns are gone. We made 2 more new highs – Wednesday and Friday. S&P 500 drawdowns (ZenInvestor.org) A look at the bull run since 2022. We finally cracked the 100% barrier in terms of total gains since 2022 (price only). Bull run since 2022 (ZenInvestor.org) Major index performance last week Nasdaq was the place to be last week. And it looks like investors were taking profits in non-US companies. Index returns last week (ZenInvestor.org) Major asset class performance. Commodities were hot, thanks to the continued rise in the prices of oil and natural gas. Equity sector performance Last week was all about energy and tech. Healthcare has had a rough 2026 so far and so have financial services stocks. Asset class returns (ZenInvestor.org) Sector returns last week (ZenInvestor.org) Factor returns High beta has now been the top performing factor 3 weeks running, as investors go risk...
China said it will take necessary measures after the European Union added Chinese entities to its latest Russia sanctions package, warning that all consequences would be borne by the EU. Beijing said the EU’s move runs counter to the consensus reached by the two sides, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce on Saturday night. China argues the sanctions undermine political commitmen...
China said it will take necessary measures after the European Union added Chinese entities to its latest Russia sanctions package, warning that all consequences would be borne by the EU. Beijing said the EU’s move runs counter to the consensus reached by the two sides, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce on Saturday night. China argues the sanctions undermine political commitments that underpin China‑EU relations. “Despite China’s repeated representations and objections, the EU proceeded to include Chinese companies in its 20th round of sanctions against Russia,” the ministry said. China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to the move, it said. The EU a few days ago released details of its 20th sanctions package related to Russia, which includes new restrictions on a number of Chinese companies. The sanctions target third‑country suppliers of sensitive high‑tech equipment, with Brussels accusing several China‑based firms of providing dual‑use goods to Russia’s military‑industrial sector.