Jean-Luc Ichard/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Following Allianz's ( ALIZF ) ( ALIZY ) Q4 and Fiscal Year 2025 results, we are back to comment on the company's results. Since our last update , Allianz's share price has been flat (Fig. 1). As a reminder, our neutral rating was mainly driven by a fair valuation. In Q3, the company delivered solid Q3 results with record EBIT, supportive EPS growth...
Jean-Luc Ichard/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Following Allianz's ( ALIZF ) ( ALIZY ) Q4 and Fiscal Year 2025 results, we are back to comment on the company's results. Since our last update , Allianz's share price has been flat (Fig. 1). As a reminder, our neutral rating was mainly driven by a fair valuation. In Q3, the company delivered solid Q3 results with record EBIT, supportive EPS growth, and an upgraded 2025 operating profit guidance. Before moving on to our forward-thinking view on Allianz, we have also reviewed Zurich Insurance Group and AXA SA's latest numbers. We report that all insurers have strong capital positions (with high Solvency II ratio capital requirements) and resilient earnings across life, non-life, and reinsurance lines. In our coverage, all companies maintain stable credit ratings and outlooks. Looking at the segment, insurers benefited from a prolonged higher-interest-rate environment that boosted investment income (thanks to higher yields) and eased pressure on life insurance guarantees. Additionally, the Property & Casualty segment has performed well, driven by higher pricing and better cost management, resulting in a pickup in profitability. Mare Evidence Lab Rating Update Fig 1 Allianz Results and Our Positive View Allianz's 2025 results were impressive. Starting with the annual reporting , the company's business volume increased by 8.11% to €186.9 billion (Fig. 2). All divisions contributed to the solid results. Allianz's core operating profit increased by 8.4%, the highest in its history. Looking at the P&L, the company reported a net profit of €11.1 billion, with EPS up 12.5% to €28.61. In our last update, we were estimating a 2026 EPS of €30. This upside relative to our previous assessment could represent a key catalyst for a potential change in our rating. However, before moving forward with our positive view, we also report key numbers from Allianz's Q4 results. Group operating profit reached €4.29 billion (Fig. 3), in line w...
The UK government must double down on its clean energy drive to protect bill payers from increasingly volatile fossil fuel markets in the wake of the US-Israel war on Iran, climate groups, academics and energy experts have warned. Research published on Thursday shows that the last fossil fuel energy crisis, caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, cost the EU and the UK $1.8tn between 2022 and 2...
The UK government must double down on its clean energy drive to protect bill payers from increasingly volatile fossil fuel markets in the wake of the US-Israel war on Iran, climate groups, academics and energy experts have warned. Research published on Thursday shows that the last fossil fuel energy crisis, caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, cost the EU and the UK $1.8tn between 2022 and 2025, driving up bills and fuelling a devastating cost of living crisis. The US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which started at the weekend, have resulted in fossil fuel prices surging again. Experts say it underscores the need for the UK to end its dependance on such an unstable energy source. Bob Ward, from the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, warned the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and subsequent surge in oil and gas prices “could translate into significantly higher energy bills for British households and consumers”. “The UK is vulnerable to the volatility of international fossil fuel markets, and the only way to protect ourselves from these price increases is by speeding up the transition to domestic supplies of clean energy, namely renewables and nuclear power.” View image in fullscreen Ed Miliband says the latest conflict in the Middle East is ‘another reminder that the only route to energy security and sovereignty for the UK is to get off our dependence on fossil fuel markets’. Photograph: Adriano Machado/Reuters The UN’s climate chief, Simon Stiell, said the latest upheaval in the Middle East “shows yet again that fossil fuel dependence leaves economies, businesses, markets and people at the mercy of each new conflict or trade policy lurch.”. He added: “There is a clear solution to this fossil fuel cost chaos – renewables are now cheaper, safer and faster-to-market, making them the obvious pathway to energy security and sovereignty.” Research published on Thursday by the Transition Security Project showed that the 2022 energy shock had ...
Valeria Blanc/E+ via Getty Images Performance assessment Pfizer ( PFE ) has outperformed the S&P 500 broader market index since my last update on the stock: Performance since Author's Last Article on PFE (Seeking Alpha, Author's Last Article on PFE) Thesis I'm still not very impressed by Pfizer: Pfizer's big bet on obesity drugs shows underwhelming progress Volatile public health policies are a dr...
Valeria Blanc/E+ via Getty Images Performance assessment Pfizer ( PFE ) has outperformed the S&P 500 broader market index since my last update on the stock: Performance since Author's Last Article on PFE (Seeking Alpha, Author's Last Article on PFE) Thesis I'm still not very impressed by Pfizer: Pfizer's big bet on obesity drugs shows underwhelming progress Volatile public health policies are a drag on Pfizer's vaccine portfolio The yields of investment increases in R&D are a key monitorable Low valuations are a risk to a bearish view After a brief rally up, PFE looks vulnerable to underperformance again Pfizer's big bet on obesity drugs shows underwhelming progress To replace revenues lost from loss-of-exclusivity [LOE] patent expirations, Pfizer has resorted to acquisitions such as Metsera and Seagen. I have had a rather skeptical view of the latter acquisition, believing Pfizer overpaid . And now there are some signs that the company's bet on acquired obesity drug pipelines may be underperforming peers. For example, although evaluation of a mid-stage monthly maintenance dosing trial for a Metsera pipeline's obesity drug (called PF'3944 ) resulted in 12% weight loss among study participants, the efficacy level lagged that of obesity drugs from Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) and Eli Lilly ( LLY ). And more worryingly, the safety profile of this drug raised some questions since 10 patients discontinued the ongoing trial due to adverse events. Overall, I expect these hiccups to incrementally endanger Pfizer's ability to meet its revenue targets, such as $61.5 billion , despite management reaffirming that guidance for now. Volatile public health policies are a drag on Pfizer's vaccine portfolio Under Health and Human Services [HHS] Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [ CDC ] is introducing changes to various public health policies, particularly on the childhood vaccine schedule front: Earlier this year, the CDC recommended unprecedent...
Sashkinw Short sellers are heavily targeting several mid-to-large-cap stocks above the $2B market cap threshold, led by Hims & Hers Health ( HIMS ) with 36.9% short interest, while names such as The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited ( NTB ) and Eli Lilly and Company ( LLY ) remain among the least shorted, with short interest below 1%. Here’s a list of the top 10 most shorted mid- to mega-cap ...
Sashkinw Short sellers are heavily targeting several mid-to-large-cap stocks above the $2B market cap threshold, led by Hims & Hers Health ( HIMS ) with 36.9% short interest, while names such as The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited ( NTB ) and Eli Lilly and Company ( LLY ) remain among the least shorted, with short interest below 1%. Here’s a list of the top 10 most shorted mid- to mega-cap stocks (as a % of shares outstanding): Hims & Hers Health ( HIMS ) – 36.90% Acadia Healthcare Company ( ACHC ) – 35.19% SoundHound AI ( SOUN ) – 34.57% CleanSpark ( CLSK ) – 33.42% Ondas ( ONDS ) – 33.23% MARA Holdings ( MARA ) – 29.19% Applied Digital ( APLD ) – 28.73% NETSTREIT ( NTST ) – 28.63% Sphere Entertainment ( SPHR ) – 26.14% Eos Energy Enterprises ( EOSE ) – 26.14% Here’s a list of the 10 least shorted mid-to-mega cap stocks (short interest 0.5% and above): The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son ( NTB ) – 0.58% Grupo Aeroméxico, S.A.B. de C.V. ( AERO ) – 0.60% HEICO ( HEI.A ) – 0.63% Ardagh Metal Packaging ( AMBP ) – 0.63% CNA Financial ( CNA ) – 0.64% Twenty One Capital ( XXI ) – 0.64% EverCommerce ( EVCM ) – 0.65% MINISO Group Holding ( MNSO ) – 0.71% SOLV Energy ( MWH ) – 0.71% Eli Lilly ( LLY ) – 0.71% Broad-market ETFs such as ( SPY ), ( QQQ ), and ( IWM ) track some of these names. Related stories Surviving 'Epic Fury' And The Asian Stock Market Crash AI Buildout Will Keep The Broad Bull Market Intact U.S. Economy: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly U.S. Senate votes to back Trump on Iran strikes SA analysts weigh market impacts from the U.S.-Iran conflict
As the United States grapples with mounting debt , China is doubling down on efforts to clean up its own balance sheet, vowing to tackle risks with “iron discipline”. The pledge came as the world’s second-largest economy weathers a years-long real estate slump and cooling domestic demand. Beijing faces growing pressure to balance short-term growth targets with longer-term deleveraging, as it seeks...
As the United States grapples with mounting debt , China is doubling down on efforts to clean up its own balance sheet, vowing to tackle risks with “iron discipline”. The pledge came as the world’s second-largest economy weathers a years-long real estate slump and cooling domestic demand. Beijing faces growing pressure to balance short-term growth targets with longer-term deleveraging, as it seeks to transition to a more sustainable economy. In the government work report delivered on Thursday to Beijing’s annual parliamentary session, Premier Li Qiang said “curbing the growth of non-compliant hidden debt must be enforced with ‘iron discipline’.” Advertisement Li urged local authorities to proactively defuse debt risks and strictly guard against “fake debt reduction”. China and the US accounted for a large share of the global increase in debt last year, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) reported last week. Global debt climbed to a record high, rising at its fastest annual pace since the pandemic. Advertisement Data from the Washington-based institution showed that China’s government debt rose to 96.8 per cent of gross domestic product by the end of 2025, up from 88.4 per cent a year earlier.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stirred unexpected debate in Taiwan after invoking the phrase “unleash Chiang” while warning that Washington would intensify its strikes against Iran Speaking to reporters on Tuesday about the escalating Middle East conflict , Rubio said the world would soon see a change in the scope and intensity of the attacks. “We’re going to unleash Chiang on these people ...
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stirred unexpected debate in Taiwan after invoking the phrase “unleash Chiang” while warning that Washington would intensify its strikes against Iran Speaking to reporters on Tuesday about the escalating Middle East conflict , Rubio said the world would soon see a change in the scope and intensity of the attacks. “We’re going to unleash Chiang on these people in the next few hours and days,” he said. Advertisement The remark, made in the context of US efforts to dismantle Iran’s missile systems and military capabilities, quickly drew attention in Taiwan because the phrase refers to the late Republic of China leader Chiang Kai-shek The expression dates back to the early Cold War. After the Korean war broke out on June 25, 1950, then US president Harry Truman ordered the Seventh Fleet to protect Taiwan and prevent an attack by Chinese Communist forces. Advertisement
World Book Day dawns once more, with its morning chorus of swearing and sticky tape. This year, it falls shortly before we’re throwing a Harry Potter birthday party, so the living room has already surrendered to chocolate frogs and wand clay and preparations for the Dobby Sock Toss. Good timing, then. If you’ve already made a Nagini piñata, what’s one more hippogriff for the list? Is competitive c...
World Book Day dawns once more, with its morning chorus of swearing and sticky tape. This year, it falls shortly before we’re throwing a Harry Potter birthday party, so the living room has already surrendered to chocolate frogs and wand clay and preparations for the Dobby Sock Toss. Good timing, then. If you’ve already made a Nagini piñata, what’s one more hippogriff for the list? Is competitive cosplay the best way to foster a love of literature in young people? That’s for finer minds than mine to debate, but with books like these, I’m surprised it’s required. What a time to have recently mastered phonics. What reluctant reader could fail to laugh at Mr Gum, or indeed anything by Andy Stanton? Who wouldn’t be thrilled by Louis Sachar or Lottie Brooks or Malorie Blackman? My son is now on his 10th listen of the Potter audiobooks (the Stephen Fry ones). Those stories are – I’m sorry and elated and braced for impact to say – much better than those I was reading when I was eight. By which I mean Enid Blyton, but also perhaps Judy Blume and Anthony “Jennings” Buckeridge, and including – yikes – some of Roald Dahl and – double yikes – a lot of CS Lewis, even those Narnia cassettes read by Michael Hordern. The characterisation in Potter! The world-building! The ethical complexity! The switchback storytelling when they visit the psychiatric ward at St Mungo’s and see first vain penseur Gilderoy Lockhart, now amnesiac but still rabbiting about autographs, then Alice Longbottom, a victim of the Cruciatus curse, shuffling along with a sweet wrapper for her son. It’s the best depiction of anguished dementia I’ve ever read. And it’s not just books. Children’s culture more broadly seems a step above what it was 35 years ago, but also much of what is aimed at adults today. Don’t believe me? Binge-watch All Hail King Julien: Exiled, a spin-off of a spin-off from the Madagascar franchise – and a razor-sharp study of royal overreach. It’s up there with Wolf Hall. Plus: lemur burping...
Restored documentary records a historic independence day show in Accra, with electrifying performances from Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett and more This exuberant, distinctively high-minded documentary, now restored, comes from the Oscar-winning though now somewhat overlooked film-maker Denis Sanders , made just one year after his renowned 1970 film Elvis: That’s the Way It Is, about Elvis Presley in...
Restored documentary records a historic independence day show in Accra, with electrifying performances from Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett and more This exuberant, distinctively high-minded documentary, now restored, comes from the Oscar-winning though now somewhat overlooked film-maker Denis Sanders , made just one year after his renowned 1970 film Elvis: That’s the Way It Is, about Elvis Presley in Las Vegas . Soul to Soul is a record of an epic independence day concert in Accra, Ghana, in 1971, given by American and Ghanaian musicians. Ghana was chosen as it was the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence from Britain. Among the US contingent were Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett, Santana, the Staple Singers and the Voices of East Harlem. The concert and film can be seen now as part of the American Black consciousness debate of the time, which specifically prized the concept of the African motherland and the spiritual importance of returning to the wellspring of Black American inspiration. With its shots of the musicians aboard the plane to Ghana, and the rich and teeming ambient material showing Accra’s street life, you might find yourself reminded of Leon Gast’s When We Were Kings, about the Ali/Foreman fight in what was then Zaire, although without the talking-head perspective. There are richly enjoyable performances, and the extreme closeup shots of Tina Turner are where its energy is at its most visceral. Continue reading...
The Trump administration’s attempt to sink a UN resolution demanding countries act on the climate crisis has caused cuts to the proposal but hasn’t entirely killed it, according to the tiny Pacific island country spearheading the effort. The US has demanded that Vanuatu, an archipelago in the south Pacific, drop its UN draft resolution that calls on the world to implement a landmark international ...
The Trump administration’s attempt to sink a UN resolution demanding countries act on the climate crisis has caused cuts to the proposal but hasn’t entirely killed it, according to the tiny Pacific island country spearheading the effort. The US has demanded that Vanuatu, an archipelago in the south Pacific, drop its UN draft resolution that calls on the world to implement a landmark international court of justice (ICJ) ruling from last year that countries could face paying reparations if they fail to stem the climate crisis. Vanuatu, one of several Pacific island countries that consider themselves existentially threatened by the climate crisis despite doing little to cause it, said it had to remove sections of its proposed resolution in the hope that a reduced version could be adopted at the UN in a vote later this month. “Having the Trump administration actively intervening in the market to stop the phase-out of fossil fuels is very frustrating, it’s beyond what you’d expect a government to do,” Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s minister for climate change adaption, said. “It’s going to have a huge harmful effect on the world and future generations.” The resolution to fulfill the opinion issued by the ICJ is non-binding but “could pose a major threat to US industry”, the Trump administration said in guidance to American embassies and consulates last month. “President Trump has delivered a very clear message: that the UN and many nations of the world have gone wildly off track, exaggerating climate change into the world’s greatest threat,” the US state department cable added. This opposition, alongside those of other major fossil fuel producers such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, has resulted in the proposed UN resolution being watered down. The resolution previously called for countries to submit a registry of the “loss and damage” they suffer from the impacts of an overheating world, such as storms, floods and droughts. This accounting of damages was strenuously opposed by ...
Audrey Crowley, Alpine skiing (standing) The first-time Paralympian only turned 19 at the start of March, but she has been in the news for her skiing prowess since she was a second-grader. She’s also going to Italy on a roll, having reached the podium in two World Cup downhill races in early February. In the 2024-25 season, she had two World Cup podium finishes in giant slalom, and she took bronze...
Audrey Crowley, Alpine skiing (standing) The first-time Paralympian only turned 19 at the start of March, but she has been in the news for her skiing prowess since she was a second-grader. She’s also going to Italy on a roll, having reached the podium in two World Cup downhill races in early February. In the 2024-25 season, she had two World Cup podium finishes in giant slalom, and she took bronze in giant slalom and fifth in slalom at the world championships, where the other three events were canceled. Though she was born without her lower right arm, she was still an honorable mention All-State softball player in Colorado. Jake Adicoff, biathlon/cross-country skiing (visually impaired) In 2018, Adicoff graduated from Bowdoin, where he competed alongside able-bodied athletes on the cross-country ski team, and won silver at the Paralympics in the same year. Then he retired. Three years later, he reconsidered and was back in time to compete in 2022, where he took two more silvers and earned a relay gold with a dramatic anchor leg to rally the team from fourth place to first. The 2024 World Cup overall champion has an uncanny world championship record – nine individual races, nine medals (four gold), including two wins in last year’s events. Oksana Masters, biathlon/cross-country skiing (sitting) A fixture in both summer and winter Paralympics for 14 years, Masters is looking for her 20th Paralympic medal and 10th gold. In the summer editions, the Ukraine-born athlete has four cycling golds and one rowing bronze. The rest of her medals have come in winter sports – three gold in cross-county, two in biathlon. The 2020 Laureus World Sports Award winner for disability sports missed the 2024-25 season while dealing with a bone infection in her leg but returned to World Cup competition this season and dominated, finishing no lower than second in any individual cross-country event and winning five of her last seven biathlon World Cup races. Masters currently has all the Para...
In this article LLY Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The Eli Lilly logo appears on the company’s office in San Diego, California, U.S., Nov. 21, 2025. Mike Blake | Reuters Eli Lilly on Thursday launched a new program designed to help more employers cover obesity drugs in the U.S., targeting a major barrier to access for patients. Lilly and its chief rival, Novo Nordisk , have moved ...
In this article LLY Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The Eli Lilly logo appears on the company’s office in San Diego, California, U.S., Nov. 21, 2025. Mike Blake | Reuters Eli Lilly on Thursday launched a new program designed to help more employers cover obesity drugs in the U.S., targeting a major barrier to access for patients. Lilly and its chief rival, Novo Nordisk , have moved to slash the cash prices of their popular obesity injections for those who want to pay entirely out-of-pocket. But employer coverage of obesity drugs remains uneven due to high costs, leaving roughly half of people with commercial insurance unable to start or stay on treatment, Lilly said in a release. List prices for Lilly's weight loss and diabetes treatments, Zepbound and Mounjaro, top $1,000 per month. Nearly one-fifth of firms with over 200 workers, including 43% with 5,000 or more workers, said they cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss as of October, according to a survey by the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. "I think we'll learn in the coming months ahead, if this is a solution that maybe enables some employers who have been sitting on the sidelines to opt into obesity coverage for their employees," Kevin Hern, senior vice president of Lilly Employer, said in an interview. He added that some employers could opt to add coverage in the upcoming months, while others could wait until 2027. Eli Lilly's new "Employer Connect" platform gives employers more flexibility in how they cover obesity treatments, aiming to broaden employee access to the drugs at low out-of-pocket costs, while also limiting expenses for companies. Hern said the program addresses some of the "core tensions" for employers when considering coverage of obesity drugs, including transparency around drug prices, flexibility in benefits design and the ability to choose among independent administrators. Through the program, employers can pay a net discounted price of $449 per month for a new multi-dose for...
Planes are always urgently sought out when a crisis strikes somewhere in the world. Since the US-Israel war against Iran started on Saturday, demand has outstripped supply with thousands of people stranded in the Middle East frantically searching for an exit route. While many are reliant on governments to dispatch aircraft to evacuate them, those with the financial means can look at a more expensi...
Planes are always urgently sought out when a crisis strikes somewhere in the world. Since the US-Israel war against Iran started on Saturday, demand has outstripped supply with thousands of people stranded in the Middle East frantically searching for an exit route. While many are reliant on governments to dispatch aircraft to evacuate them, those with the financial means can look at a more expensive and much speedier option – a private jet. Matt Purton, the director of aviation services at UK-based global company Air Charter Service, is the man some of them have on speed dial. Purton not only organises for the rich and the famous to be ferried around the world, he also assists governments, fielding requests from everyone from the UK Home Office to the US government seeking planes to deport migrants or carry out evacuations from collapsed countries such as Libya. While his company does not accept all requests for private planes from anyone who can pay, he admits that the latest Middle East war has not been bad for business. “Requests for planes are probably up 200-300% on what’s usual for this time of year,” he says. “We’re going gangbusters.” While the company does not automatically inflate prices at times like this, the fact that demand outstrips supply means that its prices are aligned with the current market rate. Most government work is done for a pre-agreed fixed fee. He is cautious about how the war is going to unfold irrespective of any impact on his company. “The air corridors are quite narrow as it is,” Purton said. “If any more get closed down it will make getting planes in and out of the region much more difficult. The only constant in this situation at the moment is the fluidity of the whole thing. It feels like turning up after an earthquake with a dustpan and brush. “We’re getting calls from absolutely everyone – from stranded honeymooners in Dubai and holidaymakers who want to club together to hire a plane to get home, to corporates and wealthy indivi...
Victoria Hiegel, personal assistant to a celebrity client she cannot name because of a nondisclosure agreement, spent 13 February ferrying Valentine’s Day cookies across Manhattan. Her boss “doesn’t love chocolate,” so Hiegel had to hunt for a bakery that could swap the batch’s chocolate chunks for sour hearts. She posted part of her search to TikTok, where she received thousands of views from peo...
Victoria Hiegel, personal assistant to a celebrity client she cannot name because of a nondisclosure agreement, spent 13 February ferrying Valentine’s Day cookies across Manhattan. Her boss “doesn’t love chocolate,” so Hiegel had to hunt for a bakery that could swap the batch’s chocolate chunks for sour hearts. She posted part of her search to TikTok, where she received thousands of views from people keen to watch her cater to the whims of the rich and famous. Hiegel, 26, is a microcelebrity in her own right. Wearing her blond hair in carefully styled waves and speaking with a practised ease, she has obvious star appeal. But it is her career that fascinates her 1m followers. “I was initially really scared about posting,” said Hiegel who started working for her current employer four years ago, citing the NDA. They’ve since compromised: “I never film around her apartment, and I can never say what she does for a living. That would be really bad. It would be even worse if people knew who her husband was,” she said, teasing. While commenters are sure it’s Anna Wintour she works for, Hiegel said she will never tell. “I can’t even walk with [my employer] in public any more, because then people will know.” View image in fullscreen Victoria Hiegel. Photograph: Courtesy of Victoria Hiegel Hiegel is among the most prominent figures in an emerging class of service workers – including private chefs, assistants and stylists, most of them women – who are monetizing the backstage maintenance of celebrity by documenting their work across TikTok and Instagram. They have influencerized tasks once defined by discretion: mixing a “six-step drink regimen” for the “funniest movie star in Hollywood”; pocketing a $1,000 tip from rapper Big Boogie; eating Popeyes with Ray J; and even degreasing Meghan Trainor’s camera lens. Other parts of the job remain invisible by necessity, as in the case of Hiegel’s mystery employer – although ultimately, all of the conjecture only helps her engagement. ...
In this article Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump's pick to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve, at the Sohn Investment Conference in New York, May 8, 2017. Brendan McDermid | Reuters The war in Iran has caused oil prices to spike, prompting concerns about a resurgence of inflation . That has led Federal Reserve officials to raise the possi...
In this article Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump's pick to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve, at the Sohn Investment Conference in New York, May 8, 2017. Brendan McDermid | Reuters The war in Iran has caused oil prices to spike, prompting concerns about a resurgence of inflation . That has led Federal Reserve officials to raise the possibility that they may pause the Fed's recent efforts to lower interest rates, or potentially even raise rates. But that is the Fed as it's now known. The central bank is likely to soon have a new leader who sees inflation very differently. Kevin Warsh , if confirmed by the Senate , would almost certainly be comfortable lowering rates despite a spike in oil prices. Warsh is President Donald Trump 's nominee for the next chair of the Federal Reserve. He would replace Jerome Powell, whose term expires May 15. Trump officially sent Warsh's nomination to the Senate on Wednesday. Warsh said in the run-up to his selection that he believed interest rates should be lower than the current federal funds rate of 3.5% to 3.75%, and Trump has made clear he chose Warsh because they share a desire for lower rates. A surge in inflation could be a difficult challenge for a nominee who needs to thread the needle of Senate confirmation while retaining the president's support. Read more CNBC politics coverage Iran war live updates: U.S. closes embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait Five races to watch on the day the 2026 midterm elections kick off ‘Mistakes were made,’ Grassley tells Noem about Trump’s immigration crackdown A barrel of Brent crude sold for about $72.50 on Friday, before the U.S.-Israeli military campaign unfolded. By Wednesday evening, it was trading for more than $82. Gas prices have risen, raising the specter of higher prices across the economy as Republicans look to hammer an affordability message in the midterm elections. A lasting $10-a-barrel increase in the price of oil could ...
Municipality Finance Plc Stock exchange release 5 March 2026 at 1:00 pm (EET) Municipality Finance Group’s Annual Report for 2025 published Municipality Finance Group’s Annual Report and Corporate Governance Statement for the year 2025 have been published in English and Finnish. MuniFin Group’s Annual Report fulfils the reporting requirements of European Single Electronic Format (ESEF). In accorda...
Municipality Finance Plc Stock exchange release 5 March 2026 at 1:00 pm (EET) Municipality Finance Group’s Annual Report for 2025 published Municipality Finance Group’s Annual Report and Corporate Governance Statement for the year 2025 have been published in English and Finnish. MuniFin Group’s Annual Report fulfils the reporting requirements of European Single Electronic Format (ESEF). In accordance with these requirements, Report of the Board of Directors and the Consolidated Financial Statements are published not only in the Annual Report file but additionally in a separate zip file in which Report of the Board and the Financial Statements are marked up with XBRL tags. These ESEF Financial Statements have been subject to an independent auditor’s assurance. MuniFin Group has also published Pillar 3 Disclosure document in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 575/2013 and Directive 2013/36/EU. The document is available in English. The remuneration aspects of Pillar 3 reporting are also available separately in Finnish in MuniFin Group’s Remuneration Report 2025. All of the above-mentioned reports are available on MuniFin’s website at www.munifin.fi. MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC Further information: Esa Kallio President and CEO tel. +358 50 3377 953 MuniFin (Municipality Finance Plc) is one of Finland’s largest credit institutions. The owners of the company include Finnish municipalities, the public sector pension fund Keva and the State of Finland. The Group’s balance sheet totals over EUR 55 billion. MuniFin’s customers include municipalities, joint municipal authorities, wellbeing services counties, corporate entities under their control, and non-profit social housing organisations. Lending is used for environmentally and socially responsible investment targets such as public transportation, sustainable buildings, hospitals and healthcare centres, schools and day care centres, and homes for people with special needs. MuniFin’s customers are domestic, but the company oper...
— Geographic expansion driving ex-China sales growth; indication expansions driving China sales growth — — $457 million net income, driven by profitable core operations and non-core disposal — — Rapidly progressing groundbreaking ATTC technology, a source of novel drug candidates with broad therapeutic potential — — Pursuing potential opportunities for partnering ATTC candidates with multinational...
— Geographic expansion driving ex-China sales growth; indication expansions driving China sales growth — — $457 million net income, driven by profitable core operations and non-core disposal — — Rapidly progressing groundbreaking ATTC technology, a source of novel drug candidates with broad therapeutic potential — — Pursuing potential opportunities for partnering ATTC candidates with multinational pharmaceutical companies — HONG KONG and SHANGHAI and FLORHAM PARK, N.J. , March 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HUTCHMED (China) Limited (“HUTCHMED”, the “Company” or “we”) (Nasdaq/AIM:HCM; HKEX:13) today reports its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2025 and provides updates on key clinical and commercial developments. HUTCHMED to host results webcasts at 8:00 a.m. EST / 1:00 p.m. GMT / 9:00 p.m. HKT in English on Thursday, March 5, 2026, and tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. HKT in Chinese (Putonghua) on Friday, March 6, 2026. After registration, investors may access the live webcast at www.hutch-med.com/event. All amounts are expressed in US dollars unless otherwise stated. A glossary of abbreviations is on page 29. Global commercial progress, delivery of sustainable growth and robust balance sheet FRUZAQLA ® (fruquintinib ex-China) in-market sales by Takeda were up 26% to $366.2 million (2024: $290.6m), propelled by successful launches, and additional reimbursement coverage, driven by need for novel non-chemotherapy treatments in CRC and ongoing positive experiences of oncologists in 3L+. (2024: $290.6m), propelled by successful launches, and additional reimbursement coverage, driven by need for novel non-chemotherapy treatments in CRC and ongoing positive experiences of oncologists in 3L+. ELUNATE ® (fruquintinib in China) in-market sales were $100.1 million (2024: $115.0m), with strong growth in H2 (H2 up 33% vs. H1). (2024: $115.0m), with strong growth in H2 (H2 up 33% vs. H1). ORPATHYS ® (savolitinib) triggered an $11.0 million milestone payment from AstraZenec...
Municipality Finance PlcStock exchange release 27 February 2026 at 10:00 am (EET) The notes redeemed by Municipality Finance have been removed from trading at Nasdaq Helsinki On 12 February 2026...
Municipality Finance PlcStock exchange release 27 February 2026 at 10:00 am (EET) The notes redeemed by Municipality Finance have been removed from trading at Nasdaq Helsinki On 12 February 2026...
In lawsuit, Minnesota accuses Trump administration of 'weaponizing' Medicaid funding toggle caption Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images Minnesota filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration this week, saying the federal government has "weaponized Medicaid against Minnesota as political punishment." At issue is approximately $250 million that the state spent on Medicaid last s...
In lawsuit, Minnesota accuses Trump administration of 'weaponizing' Medicaid funding toggle caption Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images Minnesota filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration this week, saying the federal government has "weaponized Medicaid against Minnesota as political punishment." At issue is approximately $250 million that the state spent on Medicaid last summer. The administration said it is holding off on matching that money amid allegations of fraud. Medicaid is the public health insurance program for low-income people. It's a state and federal partnership, and for every dollar spent in Medicaid by a state, the federal government matches that money. Last week, the day after President Trump announced a "war on fraud" headed by Vice President JD Vance, he and administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet Oz addressed Minnesota's Medicaid funds at a press conference. Sponsor Message "We have decided to temporarily halt certain amounts of Medicaid funding that are going to the state of Minnesota in order to ensure that the state of Minnesota takes its obligations seriously to be good stewards of the American people's tax money," Vance explained. Minnesota's Deputy Health Commissioner John Connolly said he was stunned by that announcement. "Minnesota has been acting aggressively to combat fraud," he told reporters in a press briefing this week. "The narrative that additional punitive funding deferrals are necessary to ensure that we are serious about this work does not reflect what we have done." Connolly said that, in fact, the state submitted a corrective action plan to the federal government and have been anxiously awaiting feedback on it for weeks. "We are adhering to the timelines, the milestones, the deliverables and we are on schedule with those," he said. Last year, federal prosecutors charged several people in Minnesota with Medicaid fraud, and suggested fraudulent charges in Minnesota may ...
The bombs fell in our name before any of us knew. Then the president saw fit to inform us. Legal scholars and politicians alike began debating whether they were constitutional. Markets responded within hours. Cities across the United States moved to heightened alert amid fears of retaliation. The sequence matters. In a constitutional system built on checks and balances, that system is supposed to ...
The bombs fell in our name before any of us knew. Then the president saw fit to inform us. Legal scholars and politicians alike began debating whether they were constitutional. Markets responded within hours. Cities across the United States moved to heightened alert amid fears of retaliation. The sequence matters. In a constitutional system built on checks and balances, that system is supposed to constrain the use of military force before it unfolds. Instead, constraint is arriving afterward – if at all. Lawmakers in the US are now invoking the war powers resolution. Constitutional scholars argue the strikes stretch or violate its limits. In private briefings, Pentagon officials reportedly told members of Congress there was no intelligence showing Iran was about to attack US forces first. That directly contradicts the urgency Donald Trump offered the public as justification. When Congress and the rest of us dispute the justification for emergency action, the system should slow down. Instead, the president, in tandem with Israel, deployed force and the debate followed. This is not only a question about Iran. The regression there is obvious: from a historic nuclear agreement reached under Barack Obama to acts of war (and possible war crimes). We must also consider whether the guardrails around presidential power still function as anything more than decoration. In theory, they do. Congress declares war. The war powers resolution attempts to limit unilateral hostilities. Impeachment exists as a check against abuse. And even the possibility of criminal liability for egregious official acts has historically operated as a distant but real constraint. These mechanisms are designed to prevent escalation, not merely to criticize it after the fact. Those guardrails have weakened in practice, however. We see war powers invoked reactively. Impeachment has become structurally partisan; it is now more admonishment than accountability. The US supreme court’s absurd decision to expa...
All Earth Eco-Tours - A local social enterprise promoting outdoor recreation. Funding will support environmental education and ecotourism to support community wellbeing and economic development, while cultivating a deeper connection to Garrett County's natural landscapes. Student Scholarships for Garrett College Wind Turbine Technician Program - A community college expanding pathways into the rene...
All Earth Eco-Tours - A local social enterprise promoting outdoor recreation. Funding will support environmental education and ecotourism to support community wellbeing and economic development, while cultivating a deeper connection to Garrett County's natural landscapes. Student Scholarships for Garrett College Wind Turbine Technician Program - A community college expanding pathways into the renewable energy workforce through a wind turbine technician training program. Funding for local student scholarships will support this workforce development program and open doors to family-sustaining careers while supporting the region's renewable energy future. Garrett Soil Conservation District - A municipal program dedicated to strengthening community resilience. Funding will support the district to implement localized flood-mitigation projects, provide land-stewardship resources, and engage residents in practical conservation strategies that protect homes, farms, and waterways. Garrett County Community Action Committee - A nonprofit organization supporting working families through home electrification and weatherization upgrades. Funding will support its work to improve energy efficiency, reduce household energy burdens, and help create safer, healthier living conditions for residents across the county. The first round of grants, totaling $400,000, was released to the following local community non-profits and local social enterprises in Garrett County, MD: This collaboration is supported through Pivot's five-year framework agreement with Microsoft to develop up to 500 megawatts (MW) of impactful community-scale solar projects across the U.S. between 2025 and 2029. The agreement represents Pivot's largest REC agreement and most significant community impact collaboration. The agreement also marks Microsoft's first major distributed generation framework and, by matching customer electricity usage with new renewable electricity generation, supports the company's goal of reduc...
Semtech LoRa Technology Helps Power Amazon Sidewalk's Global Expansion LoRa modulation becomes core connectivity standard for world’s largest license-free IoT network, expanding internationally in 2026 CAMARILLO, Calif., March 05, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Semtech Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTC), a leading provider of high-performance semiconductor, Internet of Things (IoT) systems and cloud connectivity ...
Semtech LoRa Technology Helps Power Amazon Sidewalk's Global Expansion LoRa modulation becomes core connectivity standard for world’s largest license-free IoT network, expanding internationally in 2026 CAMARILLO, Calif., March 05, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Semtech Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTC), a leading provider of high-performance semiconductor, Internet of Things (IoT) systems and cloud connectivity service solutions, today announced that LoRa® technology will continue to serve as the core radio modulation for Amazon Sidewalk across all markets in this year’s Sidewalk international expansion. Amazon Sidewalk, a wireless community network operated at no charge to customers that helps devices work better and stay connected beyond home Wi-Fi range, currently covers approximately 95% of the U.S. population1. The expanded collaboration comes as Ring plans to launch its Amazon Sidewalk network globally in 2026. The rollout begins in Canada and Mexico later this month and expands to other regions later this year. Since 2023, Amazon has chosen LoRa as the long-range connectivity solution for Amazon Sidewalk, enabling IoT sensors to operate beyond individual residences and to connect both stationary and mobile devices throughout neighborhoods. This technology transforms Amazon Sidewalk from a Local Area Network into a Wide Area Network, enhances network coverage and plays a key role in enabling the multi-continent expansion. Amazon Sidewalk represents one of the largest consumer-facing LoRa deployments globally, joining the extensive industrial and enterprise LoRaWAN® networks that have established LoRa as the market leader in low-power wide-area connectivity. The LoRaWAN IoT connectivity market is experiencing explosive growth, with industry analysts projecting the market will grow from $10.7 billion in 2025 to $44.8 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 33.1%. The LoRa Alliance® recently announced LoRaWAN deployments have surpassed 125 million devices...
New Jersey : Awarded a contract with Signal Control Products from the New Jersey Department of Transportation to deploy Ouster BlueCity at more than 40 highway sites and ramps to improve congestion management and city planning ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Tennessee : Awarded a multi-million-dollar contract by the City of Nashville, in partnership with Southern Lighting & Traffic Systems, to deploy...
New Jersey : Awarded a contract with Signal Control Products from the New Jersey Department of Transportation to deploy Ouster BlueCity at more than 40 highway sites and ramps to improve congestion management and city planning ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Tennessee : Awarded a multi-million-dollar contract by the City of Nashville, in partnership with Southern Lighting & Traffic Systems, to deploy Ouster BlueCity at more than 100 intersections for intelligent traffic signal actuation. Earlier in 2025, Ouster secured a contract to power the largest lidar-enabled smart traffic network in the United States in Chattanooga, expanding Ouster BlueCity to more than 120 intersections. "In 2025, we doubled software-attached bookings, expanded deployments to more than 1,200 sites globally, and enhanced our AI capabilities," said Ouster CEO Angus Pacala. "These achievements reflect growing demand for Physical AI at enterprise scale and position Ouster for continued software growth within the smart infrastructure vertical." Ouster doubled software-attached bookings in 2025, reflecting accelerated commercial adoption of its lidar-powered Physical AI solutions. The Company expanded contracted deployments for Ouster Gemini and Ouster BlueCity to more than 1,200 sites worldwide, collectively spanning over 65 million square feet of roadways, critical infrastructure, and commercial facilities. Ouster Gemini , its 3D digital lidar perception platform for transportation, logistics, security, and crowd analytics, will be deployed at over 550 sites around the world, while Ouster BlueCity , its turnkey traffic management solution, will be deployed at nearly 700 sites. SAN FRANCISCO, March 05, 2026 --( BUSINESS WIRE )-- Ouster, Inc. (Nasdaq: OUST) ("Ouster" or the "Company"), a leader in sensing and perception for Physical AI, today announced significant commercial momentum for its software offerings, driven by growing global demand for its Ouster Gemini and Ouster BlueCity solutions. Story...
According to CoinGecko, there are more than 17,600 different cryptocurrencies in circulation, with a combined value of $2.4 trillion. The world's largest cryptocurrency is Bitcoin (BTC +2.41%), and it accounts for a whopping $1.5 trillion of that. Crypto markets are currently in the throes of a sharp sell-off, which has sent Bitcoin plummeting by more than 40% from last October's all-time high. In...
According to CoinGecko, there are more than 17,600 different cryptocurrencies in circulation, with a combined value of $2.4 trillion. The world's largest cryptocurrency is Bitcoin (BTC +2.41%), and it accounts for a whopping $1.5 trillion of that. Crypto markets are currently in the throes of a sharp sell-off, which has sent Bitcoin plummeting by more than 40% from last October's all-time high. Investors are trimming their exposure to highly speculative assets amid rising political and economic upheaval, which could lead to further downside in the crypto market. However, one of the world's biggest bulls isn't flinching. Michael Saylor just bought another $204 million worth of Bitcoin through his treasury company, Strategy (MSTR +10.27%), which now owns roughly 3.6% of all supply outstanding. Should investors also buy the dip, or is more pain on the way? Bitcoin failed a key test last year People buy Bitcoin for many different reasons. Some are holding out hope it will become a widely used currency, despite a stark lack of adoption so far. Others, like Saylor, believe it will become the reserve currency for tokenized assets, transforming the global financial system in the process. A growing number of investors also think Bitcoin is a legitimate store of value, to the point that it's sometime referred to as a digital version of gold. Expand CRYPTO : BTC Bitcoin Today's Change ( 2.41 %) $ 1723.62 Current Price $ 73159.00 Key Data Points Market Cap $1.5T Day's Range $ 70707.00 - $ 73953.00 52wk Range $ 60255.56 - $ 126079.89 Volume 72B Bitcoin had an opportunity to prove its worth as a store of value last year. The U.S. government ran a $1.8 trillion budget deficit in fiscal 2025 (ended Sept. 30), which catapulted the national debt to a record $38.5 trillion and stoked fears of a sharp increase in the money supply. The Trump administration also injected turmoil into the global economy with its erratic use of tariffs. This confluence of issues drove a whopping 64% surge ...
In this video, I will explain why the recent tech sell-off is a massive opportunity for investors to buy great companies at attractive prices. Watch the short video to learn more, consider subscribing, and click the special offer link below. *Stock prices used were from the trading day of March. 3, 2026. The video was published on March. 4, 2026. Continue reading
In this video, I will explain why the recent tech sell-off is a massive opportunity for investors to buy great companies at attractive prices. Watch the short video to learn more, consider subscribing, and click the special offer link below. *Stock prices used were from the trading day of March. 3, 2026. The video was published on March. 4, 2026. Continue reading
A new worry is rippling across the stock market lately: entire businesses, not just their employees, may be thrown out of work. While most economists say fears of an AI job apocalypse are overblown, seismic shifts have happened in the past after big tech breakthroughs. The IT revolution of the 1990s led to a surge in productivity that sped up the US economy for several years. It also rendered comp...
A new worry is rippling across the stock market lately: entire businesses, not just their employees, may be thrown out of work. While most economists say fears of an AI job apocalypse are overblown, seismic shifts have happened in the past after big tech breakthroughs. The IT revolution of the 1990s led to a surge in productivity that sped up the US economy for several years. It also rendered companies or even industries largely redundant — from travel agents and stockbrokers to classified advertising and newspapers, or video rental stores. Economists expect artificial intelligence will deliver higher productivity, which is key to raising growth rates in the long run. But investors are growing nervous about what damage might be done on the way, in capital markets as well as labor markets – especially because AI threatens disruptions on a broader scale than the internet boom. “Is this time bigger? Yes,” says Anton Korinek , an AI expert at the University of Virginia – perhaps by a factor of 10. “The key difference from the 1990s is that the internet only disrupted information distribution,” says Korinek. “AI disrupts cognitive production at large. That’s a much bigger economic surface area.” Ultimate Promise To be sure, all of this is early-days speculation over a fast-changing and largely untested technology, whose ultimate promise is to make workers more productive. Productivity is essentially a measure of how much output workers can deliver with the available tools, so it tends to surge upward when someone invents important new ones like the internet or AI. Data for the last three months of 2025 is due out later Thursday. Economists typically don’t read too much into one quarter, since the numbers tend to jump around. Still, the trend has been ticking up. After big swings in the pandemic period, productivity has grown at an average pace of 2.6% since the start of 2023. That’s more than double the average for the decade through 2019. There’s intense debate over how...
Social media giant Meta is pouring money into Illinois’ Democratic statehouse primary races as the company behind Facebook and Instagram faces a wave of state-level proposals that could likely affect its bottom line. After putting $45 million into a super PAC last year to influence state elections in favor of tech-friendly candidates nationwide, the company has begun spending specifically on state...
Social media giant Meta is pouring money into Illinois’ Democratic statehouse primary races as the company behind Facebook and Instagram faces a wave of state-level proposals that could likely affect its bottom line. After putting $45 million into a super PAC last year to influence state elections in favor of tech-friendly candidates nationwide, the company has begun spending specifically on state races supporting Republicans in Texas and Democrats in Illinois. In Illinois, Meta is bankrolling $750,000 for a new super PAC, Making Our Tomorrow, according to state campaign disclosure reports. In less than two weeks, the super PAC has spent nearly $340,000 on mailers and digital advertising to support four Democratic state House primary candidates — Paul Kendrick in the Lincoln Park-area’s 12th District, Adam Braun in the Uptown neighborhood’s 13th District, Aja Kearney in the South Side and south suburban’s 34th District and Rep. Jaime Andrade in the Northwest Side’s 40th District. Andrade’s race is the only one involving an incumbent as he faces an upstart progressive challenger backed by the Chicago Teachers Union. Opponents of the candidates being backed by Making Our Tomorrow, some of whom have enthusiastically supported legislation that could raise digital ad taxes or efforts to stymie the proliferation of data centers in Illinois, said they are worried the Meta-backed candidates will go along with the company’s interests if elected, a charge those reached by the Tribune denied. Braun, a former Illinois deputy attorney general, said he doesn’t know why Meta is supporting his candidacy. But he said the company’s backing, which has totaled more than $106,000 in campaign expenses through Tuesday, won’t influence his beliefs. He said he supports strong AI regulations and that he previously worked with Attorney General Kwame Raoul to sue Meta for targeting children in its business model. “If they think that they can use this IE (independent expenditure) committee to c...