400tmax/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Elastic ( ESTC ) is partnering with Google ( GOOG )( GOOGL ) to embed its agentic security operations platform into Google Distributed Cloud. The Netherlands-based company platform provides security analytics, automation, and extended detection and response with agentic AI embedded across prevention, detection, and response. "Google Distributed Cloud air-...
400tmax/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Elastic ( ESTC ) is partnering with Google ( GOOG )( GOOGL ) to embed its agentic security operations platform into Google Distributed Cloud. The Netherlands-based company platform provides security analytics, automation, and extended detection and response with agentic AI embedded across prevention, detection, and response. "Google Distributed Cloud air-gapped is a fully managed solution that empowers organizations to innovate securely while addressing their most stringent sovereignty and regulatory requirements," said Google Distributed Cloud's director of product, Rohan Grover. "For organizations requiring an additional layer of security, Elastic's agentic security operations platform brings enhanced data security and data sovereignty capabilities to customers, helping them to combat modern, AI-driven cyber threats." The solution helps organizations meet strict regulatory requirements and maintain data sovereignty. "Security teams in highly regulated, air-gapped environments face growing challenges detecting and responding to AI-driven threats while maintaining strict data sovereignty and compliance requirements," said Mike Nichols , general manager of security at Elastic. "This integration brings a unified, agentic security operations platform designed to meet those demands." Air-gapped environments are disconnected systems with no access to the public internet. These are typically found in the public sector and in other industries such as financial, medical, and research. This often limits what products and services they can use as more and more applications are hosted exclusively in the cloud. More on Elastic and Alphabet Alphabet Advances In AI, Positioned To Gain Leadership (Earnings Preview) Google Pushes Agentic AI Toward The Enterprise Mainstream Alphabet: Insane Performance, With Future Strength Japan weighs age-based social media restrictions amid global push to protect minors Meta tracking employee keystrokes ...
Maria Vonotna/iStock via Getty Images The AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF ( MSOS ) soared on news that the federal government may soon reschedule cannabis. It has rallied 66% from its 2026 low set in March, but it is down 29.5% from its peak in December. What Just Happened During trading on Wednesday, Axios published a news story about Trump being set to reclassify marijuana soon . The Washingt...
Maria Vonotna/iStock via Getty Images The AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF ( MSOS ) soared on news that the federal government may soon reschedule cannabis. It has rallied 66% from its 2026 low set in March, but it is down 29.5% from its peak in December. What Just Happened During trading on Wednesday, Axios published a news story about Trump being set to reclassify marijuana soon . The Washington Post followed it up with a story that some anonymous sources suggested no plans were final but that an announcement could come this week. Readers may recall that President Trump issued an Executive Order in December to move towards rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. The previous Administration also moved to do this, but the DOJ hearings collapsed. Rescheduling from Schedule I to Schedule III would wipe out 280E taxation , which is a law from the 1980s that requires cannabis companies to pay taxes on gross profits rather than net income, removing the ability to deduct business expenses. It would also make it easier to do research. How This Could Play Out There have been no updates provided by Trump or his Administration yet. It is not a done deal, and this process, which really started in August of 2023, could take longer to finalize. The Washington Post article suggested that the Drug Enforcement Administration would be holding a hearing, though perhaps Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche would just announce the rescheduling. An immediate rescheduling would be very helpful to American cannabis operators, as they would move from 280E taxation to normal taxation. This would boost their cash flow and profitability. Of course, it would have no impact on EBITDA. A long drawn-out hearing could end poorly, and it would delay the change in taxes. Cannabis investors need to understand that these companies have quit paying 280E taxes but have large liabilities on their balance sheets. Rescheduling wipes out 280E taxation for the future, but the government coul...
The surge in foreign inflows into Brazilian equities is set to extend for the rest of the year amid revived risk appetite across global markets, according to top banking executives. Overseas investors have poured nearly 65 billion reais ($13.1 billion) into Brazilian stocks as of April 20, already exceeding the combined total for 2024 and 2025. The surge in external flows has helped the nation’s b...
The surge in foreign inflows into Brazilian equities is set to extend for the rest of the year amid revived risk appetite across global markets, according to top banking executives. Overseas investors have poured nearly 65 billion reais ($13.1 billion) into Brazilian stocks as of April 20, already exceeding the combined total for 2024 and 2025. The surge in external flows has helped the nation’s benchmark Ibovespa index hit successive record highs, outperforming both the MSCI Emerging Market equities gauge and the S&P 500 by wide margins. “The trend points to a continued significant inflow of foreign capital into the Brazilian stock market,” said Guilherme Silveira , head of equities at Banco Santander’s unit in the country. “Emerging markets remain on investors’ radar, and Brazil stands out as a key beneficiary of these flows.” The first quarter marked the strongest start to a year for foreign inflows since 2022 as investors diversify away from US assets into developing markets. Brazil’s high liquidity, expectations of falling interest rates and hopes for market-friendly policies after October’s presidential election — as well as its distance from the Middle East conflict and its position as a net energy exporter — have made it a top choice. Read More: BlackRock Brazil ETF Lures Most Cash Since 2011 on Rate Bets Local investors, meanwhile, have remained on the sidelines. Stung by double-digit rates that have fueled persistent outflows into fixed income products, domestic institutional and retail investors cut their equity allocations to historic lows, according to data compiled by exchange operator B3 SA . The share of foreign investors in the Brazilian stock market has climbed to a record 62%, the data show. The central bank’s monetary easing cycle could start to drive locals back into stocks. Policymakers lowered the benchmark Selic rate by 25 basis points last month. “History tells you that when rates start coming down, then the flows reverse,” said Ben Laidler ...
9th Circuit Kills California's ICE Unmasking Law The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals handed the Trump administration a significant legal victory Wednesday, issuing a formal injunction blocking California's No Vigilantes Act from being enforced against federal law enforcement officers. The court ruled that the state law - which required non-uniformed federal agents to visibly display identification wh...
9th Circuit Kills California's ICE Unmasking Law The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals handed the Trump administration a significant legal victory Wednesday, issuing a formal injunction blocking California's No Vigilantes Act from being enforced against federal law enforcement officers. The court ruled that the state law - which required non-uniformed federal agents to visibly display identification while performing their duties - likely violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images The No Vigilantes Act, part of a two-bill package signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, was California's legislative response to immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles. The Trump administration had filed suit in November, contending the law created real and immediate dangers for ICE officers already facing what it described as harassment, doxing, and threats of physical violence. The Department of Justice argued that federal agents must retain discretion over their own safety protocols. "Denying federal agencies and officers that choice would chill federal law enforcement and deter applicants for law enforcement positions," the Justice Department wrote in its lawsuit. The law's companion piece, the No Secret Police Act, had previously been blocked by a federal district court in February on the grounds that it discriminated against federal interests by applying the mask ban exclusively to federal officers. "The No Vigilantes Act responds to troubling immigration enforcement activities in which masked agents have seized people off the street without showing an agency name, personal identification, or badge number, alongside a rise in law enforcement impersonation cases and efforts in other states to recruit bounty hunters for immigration enforcement," State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena), who authored the legislation said back in September, adding that the measure would "help rebuild the community's trust." The court...
Jean-Luc Ichard/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction The last time I covered Orange S.A. ( ORANY ), I highlighted the accretive effects of the MásMóvil merger in Spain, rating them a Buy thanks to the stock still being undervalued despite being up 55% YTD at the time. Despite being up another ~36.5% since the previous article was published, Orange is reiterated as a Buy, offering an attr...
Jean-Luc Ichard/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction The last time I covered Orange S.A. ( ORANY ), I highlighted the accretive effects of the MásMóvil merger in Spain, rating them a Buy thanks to the stock still being undervalued despite being up 55% YTD at the time. Despite being up another ~36.5% since the previous article was published, Orange is reiterated as a Buy, offering an attractive dividend, strong fundamentals and solid potential to continue growing thanks to their ambitious plans. Long-Term Plans Advancing Well Orange S.A. IR Orange reported a good Q1 report, with a 6.6% increase in EBITDAaL and 3.5% growth in revenue thanks to double-digit growth in Africa and the Middle East (12.7%) and expectable performance in Europe (2.2%), while wholesale revenue grew by 6.1% thanks to fiber co-financing received in France. Meanwhile, the accumulated MasOrange synergies are now expected to reach over €430 million, showing how there’s still significant potential even in Europe’s well-established telecom market alongside their high-growth regions. Orange S.A. IR As part of their long-term plan, Orange continues advancing on positioning itself as a trusted AI provider (expecting +€600 million in additional value generated from AI in 2028 vs. >€300 million in 2025), building their next-generations networks, resilience and efficiency and solidifying its presence through the previously announced MasOrange acquisition and similar moves. This position is further reinforced by the recently announced being in exclusive negotiations (together with Bouygues Telecom and the Free–iliad Group) with Altice France Group for the acquisition of SFR, adding potential to see even more synergies, reflecting a total EV of €20.35 billion, with Orange taking a 27% stake under the proposal. In line with the company’s strategic long-term plan, we saw Nokia ( NOK ) and Orange partner on AI-RAN using Nokia’s anyRAN 5G software and Nvidia ( NVDA ) AI infrastructure, exploring the po...
zorazhuang/iStock via Getty Images Apollo ( APO ) said Thursday it agreed to acquire a 40% stake in Pembina Gas Infrastructure, one of the largest independent gas processing platforms in W estern Canada , from funds managed by KKR; financial terms were not disclosed. Pembina Pipeline ( PBA ), which operates and manages PGI's facilities, will maintain its 60% stake in the company, and the existing ...
zorazhuang/iStock via Getty Images Apollo ( APO ) said Thursday it agreed to acquire a 40% stake in Pembina Gas Infrastructure, one of the largest independent gas processing platforms in W estern Canada , from funds managed by KKR; financial terms were not disclosed. Pembina Pipeline ( PBA ), which operates and manages PGI's facilities, will maintain its 60% stake in the company, and the existing governance structure will remain unchanged. PGI operates 23 gas processing plants, ~3,900 km of gathering pipelines, and 330K bbl/day of natural gas liquids extraction capacity. With connectivity to major gas transmission networks in the region, PGI is strategically positioned to serve its customer base throughout the Montney and Duvernay trends, from central Alberta to northeast British Columbia, Apollo ( APO ) said. Welcoming Apollo ( APO ) as a new partner, Pembina Pipeline ( PBA ) President and CEO Scott Burrow called PGI "a cornerstone of Pembina's integrated midstream platform and a critical piece of Western Canadian energy infrastructure... Pembina remains fully committed to the operational leadership and strategic direction of PGI." More on Pembina Pipeline Pembina Pipeline Discusses Strategic Outlook and Value Creation Initiatives in Energy Infrastructure - Slideshow Pembina Pipeline Discusses Strategic Outlook and Value Creation Initiatives in Energy Infrastructure Transcript Pembina Pipeline: Why High Single Digit Upside Still Works For Income Investors
For the first time, all eight Hong Kong public universities have been ranked among the top 100 in a widely watched Asian league table, with the city’s two oldest tertiary institutions ranking among the region’s top 10. Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer of Times Higher Education (THE), also highlighted Hong Kong’s role as a world-leading education hub, noting it remained the only metropolis w...
For the first time, all eight Hong Kong public universities have been ranked among the top 100 in a widely watched Asian league table, with the city’s two oldest tertiary institutions ranking among the region’s top 10. Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer of Times Higher Education (THE), also highlighted Hong Kong’s role as a world-leading education hub, noting it remained the only metropolis with as many as five universities listed in the global top 100 since 2024, an achievement he said no...