(RTTNews) - The Hong Kong stock market has finished lower in consecutive trading days, dropping more than 575 points or 2.2 percent along the way. The Hang Seng Index now rests just above the 25,915-point plateau and it's got another weak lead for Friday's trade.
(RTTNews) - The Hong Kong stock market has finished lower in consecutive trading days, dropping more than 575 points or 2.2 percent along the way. The Hang Seng Index now rests just above the 25,915-point plateau and it's got another weak lead for Friday's trade.
NataKor/iStock via Getty Images Overview When I previously covered the Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund ( RA ), I downgraded my rating to a sell because of the poor dividend coverage at the time. Despite my pessimism at the time, the fund has remained quite resilient during a period when income funds are declining. RA also released an updated annual report since then, so I wanted to revisit the ...
NataKor/iStock via Getty Images Overview When I previously covered the Brookfield Real Assets Income Fund ( RA ), I downgraded my rating to a sell because of the poor dividend coverage at the time. Despite my pessimism at the time, the fund has remained quite resilient during a period when income funds are declining. RA also released an updated annual report since then, so I wanted to revisit the fund's value proposition, outlook, and earnings. Unfortunately, it appears that some of the same issues remain, and the underlying NAV is at risk of eroding further. Looking at the performance over the last twelve months, we can see that RA's share price has increased by about 2.4%. So during a time when debt markets are facing headwinds related to concerns about defaults, RA has remained quite resilient. When including all distributions paid out to shareholders, the total return jumps up to 14.5% over the same time frame. The fund now offers a starting dividend yield of 10.9% while issuing those payouts on a monthly basis. Although the starting yield is high, it is very difficult to recommend a position in RA for income investors seeking stable dividend income over time. Data by YCharts I believe that the fund would benefit from another sizable cut to its distribution. The fund's current distribution rate is a bit too generous since it seems to be directly impacting the NAV growth. As the fund continues to pay out more than it earns, the share price will continue to decline. While interest rates also play a part in RA's overall growth potential, I believe the structural flaw of its dividend policy is the primary issue for the fund. So until earnings are improved or the dividend is cut, I think that the discount to NAV valuation can grow. Fund Strategy According to the latest fact sheet , RA has total net assets of $804.7M that are spread across 534 different holdings. Unlike traditional equity-focused funds, RA focuses on a portfolio of credit investments, aiming to dynami...
Tesla and GM stock may be on investors' radars as potential buy-the-dip targets as the Q1 earnings season heats up, but which is the better investment?
Tesla and GM stock may be on investors' radars as potential buy-the-dip targets as the Q1 earnings season heats up, but which is the better investment?
Tesla and GM stock may be on investors' radars as potential buy-the-dip targets as the Q1 earnings season heats up, but which is the better investment?
Tesla and GM stock may be on investors' radars as potential buy-the-dip targets as the Q1 earnings season heats up, but which is the better investment?
Microsoft, ticker NasdaqGS:MSFT, has announced an $18b investment in Australia to expand Azure AI and cloud infrastructure. The plan includes funding for cybersecurity initiatives to support national defenses. Microsoft also aims to provide AI-related skills training to 3 million Australians by 2028. This is Microsoft’s largest committed investment in Australia to date. For investors watching Nasd...
Microsoft, ticker NasdaqGS:MSFT, has announced an $18b investment in Australia to expand Azure AI and cloud infrastructure. The plan includes funding for cybersecurity initiatives to support national defenses. Microsoft also aims to provide AI-related skills training to 3 million Australians by 2028. This is Microsoft’s largest committed investment in Australia to date. For investors watching NasdaqGS:MSFT, this move adds fresh context to a company that has seen a 39.6% return over 3 years...
sankai/iStock via Getty Images By Michiel Tukke r, Senior UK & Eurozone Rates Strategist and Padhraic Garvey, CFA , Regional Head of Research, Americas Something must give. Perhaps President Trump's barometer of success? President Trump's barometer of approval – the stock market – has been flashing 'nothing negative to see here' for the past few weeks. We can't say for sure, but it is quite likely...
sankai/iStock via Getty Images By Michiel Tukke r, Senior UK & Eurozone Rates Strategist and Padhraic Garvey, CFA , Regional Head of Research, Americas Something must give. Perhaps President Trump's barometer of success? President Trump's barometer of approval – the stock market – has been flashing 'nothing negative to see here' for the past few weeks. We can't say for sure, but it is quite likely that it has been a factor supporting the US stance to play hardball. The US may have done that anyway, but risk asset comfort together with a mostly sub-$100/bbl oil price has absolutely helped. President Trump noted flippantly on CNBC earlier this week that he was surprised that equity markets had not collapsed by 20% or worse, and that the oil price had not hit $200/bbl (painting $90/bbl as a win). Understood that this is just talk, but still. Ahead, a big risk is that something gives, and we go risk-off. Every day that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed heightens that risk. So far, we've had a mild dip from the highs in risk assets. But a large swoosh lower is the type of outcome that would get the President's attention. And if equities are indeed falling, bond yields are likely to rise, on a theory that inflation expectations come under renewed rising pressure. Beyond oil prices and energy prices generally, don't forget food prices (driven by higher fertiliser prices). Higher bond yields would certainly get the attention of the whisperer, Treasury Secretary Bessent. Something has to give. Either we have a solution of sorts that reopens the Strait, or the markets force an agreement to reopen. The latter clearly presents the more uncomfortable path. Watch oil creeping higher because rates are still following closely Oil prices continue to creep higher alongside global shorter-dated rates. The moves have become less pronounced, but markets are clearly adding a premium to oil prices every day the Strait of Hormuz stays closed. At some point, financial markets will not let...
DOJ Settles Surveillance Abuse Lawsuit With Former Trump Campaign Adviser Carter Page Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times, The Department of Justice told the U.S. Supreme Court on April 22 that it has settled a lawsuit filed by former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page over alleged surveillance abuses. Page had served as a foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign ...
DOJ Settles Surveillance Abuse Lawsuit With Former Trump Campaign Adviser Carter Page Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times, The Department of Justice told the U.S. Supreme Court on April 22 that it has settled a lawsuit filed by former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page over alleged surveillance abuses. Page had served as a foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign . He sued several top federal law enforcement officials, alleging his constitutional rights were violated through illegal surveillance carried out under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as part of an investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. The settlement moots, or makes legally irrelevant, Page’s lawsuit against the federal government, U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer said in a new brief filed with the nation’s highest court. Page had filed a petition with the Supreme Court in December 2025 to appeal a U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruling that affirmed dismissal of the lawsuit by a lower court. The appeals court ruled that he had waited too long to initiate his lawsuit. Page is a longtime contributor to the United States’ national security efforts as an “operational contact” of the Central Intelligence Agency. Despite his years of service, he was a target in the FBI’s investigation known as Operation Crossfire Hurricane that probed suspected Russian influence on Trump’s 2016 campaign. He has denied having any improper ties to Russia and was not charged with wrongdoing, according to the petition. “Through deliberate lies and incomplete factual assertions, the FBI convinced the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) that there was probable cause to believe that Dr. Page was an intermediary between Russia and Paul Manafort, the Trump campaign’s chair,” he said in the petition. The FBI filed for four Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrants to surveil Page and the court granted all four. Befor...