Sarah Mason/DigitalVision via Getty Images It’s been a while since I’ve updated my thoughts on leading elevator manufacturer Otis Worldwide ( OTIS ). Since late 2022, the company has struggled to make sustained progress in two of its key drivers—service attach rates and overall margins—and the result has been a rather lackluster share price performance. Since that last article , Otis shares are up...
Sarah Mason/DigitalVision via Getty Images It’s been a while since I’ve updated my thoughts on leading elevator manufacturer Otis Worldwide ( OTIS ). Since late 2022, the company has struggled to make sustained progress in two of its key drivers—service attach rates and overall margins—and the result has been a rather lackluster share price performance. Since that last article , Otis shares are up less than 10%, trailing the broader industrial sector by a wide margin, not to mention direct rivals like KONE ( KNYJY ) and Schindler ( SHNDY ) and peers with broadly similar end-market exposures and drivers (service attach, renovation/modernization, et al.) like Allegion ( ALLE ) and Johnson Controls ( JCI ). At this point I’m not really any more bullish on Otis. The potential to do better is certainly there, but potential only gets you so far. Installations should continue to recover in 2026/2027, and I’m still bullish on the opportunity in services, but I need to see better sustained execution to get substantially more bullish on what has historically been a more defensive late-cycle name. A First Quarter Miss-And-Cut, But Not A Major Miss It’s still early in the reporting cycle, but I think it’s more likely than not that Otis’s first-quarter results will have them on the wrong side of average for industrials this quarter. As a company that has historically been a late-cycle defensive industrial, that’s not a huge surprise. Organic revenue growth was only 1%, order growth has slowed, and margins contracted at both the segment and corporate levels, and management nudged earnings guidance a bit lower for the remainder of the year, but with embedded expected improvements in 2H’26 that could be tough to achieve. Revenue rose 1% this quarter, with new equipment sales down 5% in organic terms and service revenue up 5%. Within new equipment, the EMEA region was the only one to show growth (up low single-digits), with the Americas down low single-digits, China down more than 2...
Karsten Leineke/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Siemens Energy ( SMEGF ) ( SMERY ) raised guidance for FY 2026 after posting preliminary figures for FQ2 showing big gains in net profit. The German maker of energy equipment said Thursday it now expects comparable revenue growth of 14%-16% for the fiscal year ending September 30, up from previous guidance of 11%-13% growth, and sees free cash flow...
Karsten Leineke/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Siemens Energy ( SMEGF ) ( SMERY ) raised guidance for FY 2026 after posting preliminary figures for FQ2 showing big gains in net profit. The German maker of energy equipment said Thursday it now expects comparable revenue growth of 14%-16% for the fiscal year ending September 30, up from previous guidance of 11%-13% growth, and sees free cash flow before tax rising to ~€8B ($9.4B), up from as much as €5B under prior guidance. FY 2026 net income should come in at ~€4B, up from a previous expectation of €3B-€4B, with profit margin before special items in the 10%-12% range, compared to a prior estimate of 9%-11%. The changes are largely driven by higher expectations for the grid sector, where Siemens Energy ( SMEGF ) ( SMERY ) forecasts comparable revenue growth of 25%-27%, and the wind unit is also showing early positive signs, with expected growth of as much as 5% in 2026. The upgraded guidance comes after Siemens Energy ( SMEGF ) ( SMERY ) posted preliminary figures for FQ2, including net profit of €1.11B, up from €615M in the year-earlier quarter. FQ2 revenues rose to €10.29B from €9.96B a year ago, but was below a FactSet consensus estimate of €10.8B. More on Siemens Energy Siemens Energy Discusses Middle East Operational Impacts, Market Trends and Q2 Pre-Close Updates Prepared Remarks Transcript Siemens Energy: Charged Up, But Valuation Shocks - Sell Siemens Energy Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Alexander Sikov Intel ( INTC ) shares had perked up 4% by early afternoon trading on Thursday as the market awaits the first-quarter 2026 results of the Lip-Bu Tan-led company. The semiconductor sector as a whole was mostly in the green, evidenced by the nearly 3% jump in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index ( SOX ). The software sector was having an opposite reaction following earnings results fr...
Alexander Sikov Intel ( INTC ) shares had perked up 4% by early afternoon trading on Thursday as the market awaits the first-quarter 2026 results of the Lip-Bu Tan-led company. The semiconductor sector as a whole was mostly in the green, evidenced by the nearly 3% jump in the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index ( SOX ). The software sector was having an opposite reaction following earnings results from stalwarts such as ServiceNow ( NOW ) and IBM ( IBM ). Texas Instruments ( TXN ) was leading the semiconductor charge as it had rocketed by nearly 20% after posting impressive first-quarter results and outlook. STMicroelectronics ( STM ) had surged 14% after reporting its first-quarter financial results . Infineon ( IFNNY ) shares had jumped 7% on its results as well. The seemingly ever-rising demand related to data center infrastructure has helped elevate the semiconductor industry. Other analog semiconductor stocks were climbing as well. Analog Devices ( ADI ) had increased 6%, and Microchip Technology ( MCHP ) had surged 10%. Onsemi ( ON ) had made an 11% gain after the investment firm B. Riley upgraded the semiconductor company to Buy from Neutral and upped its price target. Marvell ( MRVL ) also continued its rally, climbing by 5%. The stock has now catapulted more than 80% over the past month. On Wednesday, the company said it had acquired Polariton Technologies , a developer of plasmonics-based silicon photonics devices, to enhance its optical technology portfolio. AMD ( AMD ) had inched up 1%, while Nvidia ( NVDA ) had inched down by 1%. More on Intel and Texas Instruments Intel: We Were Wrong - Upgrading Into The Q1 Print Texas Instruments Q1 Review: Strong Start To The Year Intel: Overstretched Rally, Corrective Decline Looms Below 72.54/75.76 Within Major Uptrend (Technical Analysis) STMicroelectronics surge puts spotlight on ETFs with biggest exposure to the stock STMicroelectronics surges after Q1 revenue soars, Q2 sales outlook beats estimates
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell in New York, on April 20, 2026. Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images Retail traders are diving back into some of the market's most speculative corners, with a regulatory shift removing barriers to rapid-fire trading and helping revive the kind of meme-stock frenzy that has historically delivered sharp gains, and e...
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell in New York, on April 20, 2026. Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images Retail traders are diving back into some of the market's most speculative corners, with a regulatory shift removing barriers to rapid-fire trading and helping revive the kind of meme-stock frenzy that has historically delivered sharp gains, and even sharper reversals. April's rally in risk assets, fueled in part by an Iran ceasefire, has emboldened individual investors to pile back into volatile trades. In one of the more striking examples, retail traders stampeded into Allbirds after the troubled shoemaker slapped an artificial intelligence label on its business. Shares surged to as high as $24 from roughly $2.50 after the company outlined plans to rebrand as NewBird AI and pivot toward compute infrastructure. Much of that advance has already unraveled, with the stock recently changing hands near $8 — a sharp reversal that underscores the volatility of such trades. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Allbirds year to date A similarly dramatic move led by smaller traders played out in Avis Budget Group . Shares of the company, ticker "CAR," soared from under $100 last month to a record high near $850 in early trading Wednesday, before staging a sharp intraday U-turn lower, serving as another reminder of how quickly momentum-driven rallies can unwind. Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Avis year to date Analysts at JPMorgan said crowding in so-called meme stocks has surged, approaching levels just shy of the extremes seen during the post-Liberation Day risk chase. The Wall Street firm noted that a key catalyst may be a recent rule change by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Earlier this month, the regulator approved a proposal by FINRA to eliminate the so-called pattern day trader rule. Under the rule, traders who executed four or more day trades within five business days had to maintain a minimum equity of ...
In The Secret War Against Hate , Stephen J. Ross details the racist, anti-Semitic groups that sprang up in the latter half of the 20th century — and the spy network that worked to bring them to justice.
In The Secret War Against Hate , Stephen J. Ross details the racist, anti-Semitic groups that sprang up in the latter half of the 20th century — and the spy network that worked to bring them to justice.
It's been tough being an income investor of late. All the excitement seems to be on growth's side of the fence. Indeed, after an alarming pullback in February and March, the S&P 500 Growth index is up nearly 13% just since the end of last month. That seems to have come at the expense of value stocks , and at the expense of dividend stocks in particular. If income is your investing priority, though...
It's been tough being an income investor of late. All the excitement seems to be on growth's side of the fence. Indeed, after an alarming pullback in February and March, the S&P 500 Growth index is up nearly 13% just since the end of last month. That seems to have come at the expense of value stocks , and at the expense of dividend stocks in particular. If income is your investing priority, though, this recent movement doesn't change anything -- other than perhaps reopening the door to an entry opportunity you might have missed. With that as the backdrop, here's a rundown of four of the market's top dividend-paying prospects right now. Even if you're already holding one or more of them, don't rule out the idea of adding to an existing position. Continue reading
Straight Path Wealth Management increased its holding in Dimensional ETF Trust - Dimensional Global Core Plus Fixed Income ETF (NASDAQ:DFGP) , according to an April 22, 2026, SEC filing . Dimensional Global Core Plus Fixed Income ETF offers investors access to a globally diversified portfolio of fixed income securities, managed with a systematic approach to credit and duration. The fund seeks enha...
Straight Path Wealth Management increased its holding in Dimensional ETF Trust - Dimensional Global Core Plus Fixed Income ETF (NASDAQ:DFGP) , according to an April 22, 2026, SEC filing . Dimensional Global Core Plus Fixed Income ETF offers investors access to a globally diversified portfolio of fixed income securities, managed with a systematic approach to credit and duration. The fund seeks enhanced risk-adjusted returns while maintaining broad exposure across sectors and geographies. Straight Path Wealth Management nudged up its holding in Dimensional Global Core Plus Fixed Income ETF during the first quarter. Already a major holding, it represented 7.1% of the firm’s reported $374.4 million in AUM as of March 31. The ETF is the fourth-largest among 129 holdings. Continue reading
koto_feja The White House on Thursday accused China of running “industrial-scale” campaigns to steal AI technology from U.S. companies, signaling a potential escalation in the ongoing tech war. The claims reportedly come just weeks before a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping—raising the stakes ahead of the summit. According to a memo shared by Michael Kratsios , Director of the Of...
koto_feja The White House on Thursday accused China of running “industrial-scale” campaigns to steal AI technology from U.S. companies, signaling a potential escalation in the ongoing tech war. The claims reportedly come just weeks before a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping—raising the stakes ahead of the summit. According to a memo shared by Michael Kratsios , Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. has evidence that foreign entities—mainly based in China—are using “tens of thousands of proxy accounts” and jailbreaking techniques to systematically extract American breakthroughs. The official memo says that while AI “distillation” is a legitimate technique to build smaller models, these alleged campaigns are misusing it—copying performance at a much lower cost and possibly removing important safety and security layers, as reported by the Financial Times. The issue gained traction recently after allegations around China’s DeepSeek using similar methods. Now, the US-China AI war just got intensified. Here’s what the White House memo under the Trump administration plans to do to tackle this threat: Share intelligence with U.S. AI companies about how foreign actors are trying to extract data. Help private companies coordinate better to defend against such attacks. Work with industry to create best practices to detect and stop these activities. Build stronger systems to prevent large-scale AI data extraction. Explore actions to hold foreign players accountable for these campaigns. More on White House & Technology Theft Kinder Morgan: The Case To $40 Is Here (Rating Upgrade) PENN Entertainment, Inc. (PENN) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (HBAN) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Huntington targets 18%-19% ROTCE in 2027 and reiterates $1.90-$1.93 EPS path while lifting fee growth outlook to 31%-33% Chevron resumes full production at Wheatstone LNG after cyclone damage shutdown
Check out the companies making the biggest moves midday: Texas Instruments — The semiconductor stock soared 19% after it forecast that its current-quarter earnings would come in the range of $1.77 to $2.05 per share, versus the $1.57 consensus, according to LSEG. Similarly, it sees its revenue coming in between $5 billion to $5.4 billion, while analysts were anticipating $4.86 billion. Texas Instr...
Check out the companies making the biggest moves midday: Texas Instruments — The semiconductor stock soared 19% after it forecast that its current-quarter earnings would come in the range of $1.77 to $2.05 per share, versus the $1.57 consensus, according to LSEG. Similarly, it sees its revenue coming in between $5 billion to $5.4 billion, while analysts were anticipating $4.86 billion. Texas Instruments also posted a beat on both the top and bottom lines for its first quarter. American Airlines — The airline rose more than 4% after its first-quarter figures came in above expectations. To be sure, American did cut its full-year earnings outlook, citing higher fuel costs . Penn Entertainment — The gaming stock rallied 15% after its first-quarter results beat expectations, fueled by strength from the company's regional casinos and interactive segments. Wex — Shares tumbled 17% after the company, which processes payments for commercial and government fleets, urged shareholders to vote only for Wex nominees to its board. Investor Lauren Taylor Wolfe's Impactive Capital is looking to replace one-third of Wex board members. United Rentals — Shares jumped more than 23% after the equipment rental company boosted its full-year sales forecast to a range of $16.9 billion to $17.4 billion. The company said it sees momentum heading into its busiest season. Honeywell — The industrial giant shed 2.6% after it reported mixed first-quarter results and issued lackluster second-quarter guidance. In Q1, adjusted earnings of $2.45 per share beat an LSEG estimate of $2.32 per share, though revenue of $9.1 billion was below consensus. For Q2, the company sees EPS between $2.35 and $2.45, below a FactSet forecast of $2.56. Lululemon — The athleisure company fell more than 11% after it announced Heidi O'Neill as the new CEO. O'Neill will take over on Sept. 8. She previously has worked at Nike, Levi Strauss, Hyatt Hotels and Spotify. Nokia — Shares popped 11% after the company posted a slight...
Janice Chen/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Spirit Airlines ( FLYYQ ) is in "very advanced discussions" with the US government for a financing package to help the distressed carrier. Spirit's lawyer Marshall Huebner declined to discuss the terms in New York bankruptcy court on Thursday, according to a Bloomberg account of the court proceeding. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that the discount ai...
Janice Chen/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Spirit Airlines ( FLYYQ ) is in "very advanced discussions" with the US government for a financing package to help the distressed carrier. Spirit's lawyer Marshall Huebner declined to discuss the terms in New York bankruptcy court on Thursday, according to a Bloomberg account of the court proceeding. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that the discount airline was in talks for $500 million of financing in exchange for warrants that could give the the US government the option to own as much as a 90% stake in Spirit (FLYQQ). The talks come after President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would like to see a buyer for the distressed airline and said he may be open to the government helping out the discount carrier. Shares of Spirit fell 19% on Thursday. More on Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc. Wall Street Lunch: Spirit Airlines Surges As Trump Adminstration Nears Rescue Deal Spirit Airlines soars as prediction markets bet on a Washington rescue deal Trump administration nears $500M rescue deal for Spirit Airlines - reports (update) Financial information for Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc.
Earnings Call Insights: Lockheed Martin (LMT) Q1 2026 Management view James Taiclet (Chairman, President & CEO) highlighted a new Aeronautics win: "Lockheed Martin signed a $1.5 billion contract with the Peruvian Air Force for 12 Block 70 F-16 fighters with an opportunity for a second squadron of an additional 12 aircraft." Taiclet tied recent operational use to demand acceleration and production ...
Earnings Call Insights: Lockheed Martin (LMT) Q1 2026 Management view James Taiclet (Chairman, President & CEO) highlighted a new Aeronautics win: "Lockheed Martin signed a $1.5 billion contract with the Peruvian Air Force for 12 Block 70 F-16 fighters with an opportunity for a second squadron of an additional 12 aircraft." Taiclet tied recent operational use to demand acceleration and production actions: "In the weeks following PrSM's first use in active operations, we announced plans to quadruple production to meet accelerated demand" and said the company is "in the process of construction and/or modernization of more than 20 facilities" to support higher munitions rates. Taiclet emphasized capital deployment into venture-backed technology and counter-UAS: "we are expanding the fund's capacity to $1 billion" and said Lockheed made "a further strategic investment in Fortem Technologies" to deliver "a fully integrated end-to-end turnkey counter-UAS solution." Evan Scott (Senior VP & CFO) summarized quarter performance and key drivers: "First quarter sales were $18 billion, in line with the first quarter of 2025" and "Earnings per share of $6.44 decreased 12%, primarily driven by lower profit and mark-to-market losses." Outlook Scott reaffirmed full-year 2026 guidance: "Our 2026 financial outlook remains consistent with the expectations we shared in January, including mid-single-digit sales growth, profit of $8.4 billion to $8.7 billion and free cash flow range of $6.5 billion to $6.8 billion." Scott framed margin cadence: "we expect margins to improve over the course of the year with gains anticipated in the second half of 2026, as production milestones are achieved and risks are retired." Compared with the prior quarter’s call, management again described the same sales, profit, and free cash flow ranges as unchanged, while Q1 added new execution commentary around "unfavorable performance adjustments at Aeronautics" and the timing of expected margin improvement. Fin...
Readers respond to Alan Milburn’s finding that exam-focused schools are failing to prepare pupils for the real world Alan Milburn is right to warn that an “exam-obsessed” school system is failing to prepare young people for adult life ( ‘Exam-obsessed’ schools leave pupils unready for work, Alan Milburn says, 20 April ). The pendulum has swung too far from personal development towards a narrow fix...
Readers respond to Alan Milburn’s finding that exam-focused schools are failing to prepare pupils for the real world Alan Milburn is right to warn that an “exam-obsessed” school system is failing to prepare young people for adult life ( ‘Exam-obsessed’ schools leave pupils unready for work, Alan Milburn says, 20 April ). The pendulum has swung too far from personal development towards a narrow fixation on measurable attainment. A broad educational purpose has been reduced to the accumulation of grades. This is not a failure of schools, but the product of an accountability system that overvalues what is easily measured. Attainment data is prioritised, while resilience, communication, collaboration and character are sidelined. The result is a generation leaving education well qualified on paper but less able to apply those qualifications beyond school. This reflects decades of policymaking that has undervalued personal development, including the steady erosion of arts subjects that foster creativity and confidence. Young people have far more to offer than their exam certificates; policymakers’ fixation with the easily measurable is constraining schools from developing the interpersonal skills that matter most in an increasingly complex world. Pete Crockett Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire Continue reading...
John Podmore calls for consistent leadership, clear accountability and purposeful regimes, while Enver Solomon says drugs flourish in conditions shaped by staff shortages and a lack of meaningful activity Your leader on drugs in prisons ( 16 April ) is right about the scale of the crisis, but wrong to suggest the chief inspector has only recently found his voice. Charlie Taylor has been consistent...
John Podmore calls for consistent leadership, clear accountability and purposeful regimes, while Enver Solomon says drugs flourish in conditions shaped by staff shortages and a lack of meaningful activity Your leader on drugs in prisons ( 16 April ) is right about the scale of the crisis, but wrong to suggest the chief inspector has only recently found his voice. Charlie Taylor has been consistent throughout: the prison system is failing by almost every meaningful measure. This is not just about money or overcrowding. It is about leadership, culture and accountability. A system under pressure can still be well led; too often ours is not. The churn of secretaries of state has compounded this, while within the service “lacklustre” performance is too often absorbed rather than challenged – and, in some cases, still rewarded. Continue reading...
We should demand more public toilet facilities – and be sympathetic when we see someone of any gender or age ‘doing a Mandelson’, writes Doug Maughan Let me reassure Melanie Jones ( Letters, 21 April ) that my sympathy for Peter Mandelson’s plight, when he was caught short late one evening, would extend to women in the same circumstance. If you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. The serious side to t...
We should demand more public toilet facilities – and be sympathetic when we see someone of any gender or age ‘doing a Mandelson’, writes Doug Maughan Let me reassure Melanie Jones ( Letters, 21 April ) that my sympathy for Peter Mandelson’s plight, when he was caught short late one evening, would extend to women in the same circumstance. If you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. The serious side to this is that there are people who rarely venture from home owing to bladder problems. So, instead of criticising or sniggering, perhaps we should demand that basic toilet facilities are provided on more of our streets. And we should avoid having a fit of the vapours if, on rare occasions, we see someone (of any gender or age) going to the edge of the pavement and “doing a Mandelson” into a drain. Doug Maughan Dunblane, Stirling • Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section. Continue reading...