Christian Menefee and Al Green. Al Drago | Sergio Flores | Reuters The first round of primary elections is showing how this year's midterms will be taking place on shifting political ground for incumbents. That was particularly true in Texas — the first state to redraw its congressional districts last year — where incumbent members of Congress have been pushed to runoffs and another has been scuttled from the House altogether. Former Rep. Colin Allred, who abandoned his initial U.S. Senate run to pursue Texas' 33rd Congressional District, is headed to a runoff with Rep. Julie Johnson, who holds the U.S. House seat that used to be his. Democratic Rep. Al Green, an outspoken liberal who has twice been ejected from President Donald Trump's State of the Union addresses for protesting, and newly elected Rep. Christian Menefee will compete in the May 26 runoff for a Houston-area district. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican and former Navy SEAL with an independent streak, faced attacks from the party's hard right that he was not in lockstep with Trump, and was the state's only House Republican not to win the president's endorsement. He lost to Steve Toth, a Republican state lawmaker who received late backing from Sen. Ted Cruz. An incumbent is also in a close race in North Carolina that was too early to call early Wednesday. A look at where things stand after Tuesday's primaries: Foushee and Allam locked in tight contest In a North Carolina primary rematch from four years ago, two-term U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee is angling to hold off a primary challenge from county official Nida Allam in a race testing the heft of Democrats' progressive and establishment wings. Foushee, a former local elected official and state legislator, represents the 4th Congressional District, which includes liberal strongholds of Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrboro, as well as about half of Cary. In the primary, she boasts backing from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, his predecessor and current U.S. Senate nom...

Palantir (PLTR +4.40%) stock is heading higher in Wednesday's trading. The company's share price was up 4.3% as of 1:10 p.m. ET amid bullish momentum for the broader market. The S&P 500 was up 0.9%, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 1.4%. Despite bearish trading across the broader market yesterday due to war-related concerns, Palantir stock wound up closing out the daily session in the green. Investors are buying back into tech stock today, and the software stock is getting a lift from the rally. Palantir stock is rising as investors reassess war risks Early this morning, The New York Times published a report stating that Iran's Ministry of Intelligence had indicated to the CIA that it was amenable to negotiations that could end the conflict with the U.S. and Israel. Major indexes saw big level pullbacks yesterday as investors focused on the possibility that the war could further destabilize the Middle East and lead to sustained pricing increases for oil and inflationary impacts across other areas of the global economy. With concerns about the war seemingly easing at a rapid pace today, stocks are soaring. Even though Palantir has seen valuation gains in conjunction with the conflict, it's also participating in the rally. Expand NASDAQ : PLTR Palantir Technologies Today's Change ( 4.40 %) $ 6.48 Current Price $ 153.70 Key Data Points Market Cap $352B Day's Range $ 148.06 - $ 154.42 52wk Range $ 66.12 - $ 207.52 Volume 1.8M Avg Vol 47M Gross Margin 82.37 % Will Anthropic's loss be Palantir's gain? Palantir has been posting big artificial intelligence (AI) wins among commercial and government customers, and recent political developments in the tech space could wind up helping the company accelerate public-sector contract growth. President Donald Trump's administration recently ordered government agencies to stop using services from Anthropic in response to the company's objections to removing safeguards preventing its software from being used for domestic surveillance a...

After sell-offs yesterday, Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR) stock is rising in Tuesday's trading. The software specialist's share price was up 3.6% as of 10:15 a.m. ET amid the backdrop of a 1.9% gain for the S&P 500 and a 2.1% gain for the Nasdaq Composite. The stock had been up as much as 6.1% earlier in the session. The stock market is rebounding after sell-offs yesterday as investors hope that there could soon be some positive developments on the tariff and trade war fronts. According to a report published by Bloomberg today, a key Trump administration official recently signaled that the trade situation between the U.S. and China could de-escalate in the near future. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Stocks rise on hopes that trade war tensions could ease At an investor summit today, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly told attendees that the trade war with China was not sustainable, and that he anticipates that the tariff situation will de-escalate. On the heels of gloom driven by the uncertain macroeconomic outlook and deteriorating U.S.-China relations, investors are having a strong bullish reaction to the possibility that some aspects could see a meaningful improvements in the near term. Palantir is benefiting from the broader market momentum, and its stock is now up 23% in 2025. What's next for Palantir? Palantir is scheduled to publish its first-quarter earnings results after the market closes on May 5. With its last update, Palantir said that it expected sales to come in between $858 million and $862 million for the period -- representing growth of 35.6% at the midpoint of the guidance range. The company also said it expected non-GAAP (adjusted) operating income to be between $354 million and $358 million -- good for year-over-year growth 57.5% at the midpoint of the target range. Given Palantir's history of performance beats and recent contract moment...

兩會｜政府工作報告：堅定不移貫徹一國兩制、港人治港、高度自治方針 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】政府工作報告港澳部分，指要堅定不移貫徹一國兩制、港人治港、高度自治方針。 總理李強：「我們要堅定不移，貫徹一國兩制、港人治港、澳人治澳、高度自治方針，落實愛國者治港、愛國者治澳原則，支持港澳更好融入和服務國家發展大局，促進香港澳門長期繁榮穩定。」

There is truth to Donald Trump’s declaration earlier this week that the UK-US relationship is “not what it was”, although there is no indication that he understands the reasons for the change. The US president is “very disappointed” that Sir Keir Starmer has been “uncooperative” in the war against Iran, offering only limited logistical support to American forces. The prime minister’s concession that RAF resources can be involved in defensive operations does not compensate for the prior refusal to put Britain’s military assets at American disposal. It came too late for Mr Trump, whose irritation turned to culture-war jibes about “windmills” ruining British landscapes and a false claim about the prevalence of sharia courts. Sir Keir is not the only European leader guilty of lèse-majesté. Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, has been forthright in opposition to the Iran war. In response, Mr Trump threatened to cut off all trade, saying he no longer wanted “anything to do with Spain”. Sir Keir is right to keep his distance from a military operation with no justification in law and incoherent objectives. But judicious caution doesn’t protect the UK from repercussions if Mr Trump’s irritation should mutate into a longer grudge. There are important differences between the Spanish and British situations. As an EU member, Spain trades with the US as part of the European single market. Disagreements over Iran will further complicate relations between Washington and Brussels, but Mr Trump will not sever economic ties with the bloc just to spite Mr Sánchez. Post-Brexit Britain is more exposed to vindictive unilateral action. The president’s power to impose tariffs on a whim has been curtailed but certainly not ended by a recent supreme court judgment. Meanwhile, there are other areas of UK-US commerce – a multibillion-pound “tech prosperity deal” currently under negotiation, for example – where a souring of diplomatic relations could have swift economic consequences. Then...

mohd izzuan Shares of Rigel Pharmaceuticals ( RIGL ) reached a four-month low on Wednesday after the company, with its Q4 2025 results, projected a revenue decline for 2026 driven by a sharp fall in its contract revenue. While the South San Francisco, California-based biotech reaffirmed its full-year outlook issued in January, its topline projection of about $275M - $290M indicated a ~4% YoY drop at the midpoint compared to the $294.3M in total revenue it recorded last year. While the company expects its net product sales to reach roughly $255M - $265M with an ~11% YoY rise at the midpoint, its projection for contract revenue at $20M - $25M implies a ~64% YoY decline at the midpoint. In 2025, Rigel ( RIGL ) added $62.3M in contract revenues from collaborations, primarily due to a $40.0M non-cash revenue attributed to the cost share liability from Lilly ( LLY ) related to the development and commercialization of rheumatoid arthritis therapy, ocadusertib. However, RIGL’s Q4 2025 results of $13.54 of GAAP earnings per share on $69.8M of revenue exceeded Street forecasts by $12.31 and $1.1M, respectively, as the company recorded $245.9M of non-cash deferred income tax benefit during the quarter. More on Rigel Pharmaceuticals Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RIGL) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Rigel Pharmaceuticals: Continued Financial Performance, Catalysts In 2026 Rigel Pharmaceuticals Q4 2025 Earnings Preview Top Quant rated bullish small cap stocks among companies with high short interest

Investors said on CNBC Wednesday that "Magnificent Seven" titan Microsoft looks cheap at current prices. Microsoft, down 15% this year, is the largest stock swept up in the broader sell-off plaguing the software sector. Wall Street has grown increasingly fearful that artificial intelligence could disrupt these companies. MSFT YTD mountain MSFT YTD chart But investors who participated in CNBC's " Halftime Report " on Wednesday challenged this view. Both Steve Weiss, chief investment officer of Short Hills Capital Partners, and Bill Baruch, founder and chief investment officer of Blue Line Capital, added to their positions in Microsoft. "In terms of Microsoft, they've been in front of this," Weiss said of any potential change in its business from AI. "They were early investors in OpenAI. Could you see some damage? Yes, but I backtrack from them being the biggest beneficiary of AI to them being neutral to slightly positive. And that means the stock is extraordinarily cheap at these levels." The investor shared that this latest move has taken Microsoft from a small core position to a full-size core position in his portfolio. Baruch added that Microsoft is currently trading two standard deviations below its long-run price-to-earnings ratio, which he sees as a big support level. The recent slide "is going to prove to be a long-term buying opportunity … I think it's time to start thinking about getting Microsoft to weight or near weight in your portfolio," he said. "The flows that are coming out of software now have to come back in." Joe Terranova, senior managing director for Virtus Investment Partners, also advocated for CEO Satya Nadella's company. "It's a proxy for OpenAI, just like Softbank is. If you believe there's stability in the software names, this is the safest play," he said. "If software is going to have a recovery rebound, Microsoft is going higher." Terranova added that while some investors are concerned about the sustainability of growth at Microsoft's Azu...

Investors are trading Alphabet Inc (GOOGL) call options in heavy volume today, showing, for the most part, they are very bullish on Alphabet. GOOGL is down over 11.5% from its pre-earnings release peak, a great opportunity for value investors. GOOGL is at $303.78 in morning trading on Wednesday, March 4. That's down from a Feb. 2 peak of $343.69, just before its Feb. 4 earnings release. Free Cash Flow Results I discussed Alphabet's strong free cash flow (FCF) in a Feb. 8 Barchart article, “Why Alphabet's Free Cash Flow Could Survive, Despite the Market's Fears - How to Play GOOGL.” For example, its FCF rose to $73.2 billion in 2025, a 18.2% FCF margin. This FCF was up almost 1% from a year earlier, despite a 74% increase in capex spending relating to AI investments. This was because the operating cash flow margin rose to 40.9%, up from 35.8% in the prior year. Using management's guidance on capex, showing it could double, Alphabet could still generate a positive free cash flow of $55 billion in 2026. It could rise to $72 billion by 2027. That means that the drop in Alphabet stock may have been overdone. Price Targets for GOOGL Stock For example, using a 1.50% FCF yield, GOOGL stock could be worth $3.67 trillion (i.e., $55b/0.015). That's about equal to today's valuation of $3.87 trillion. And next year, if FCF rises to $72 billion, Alphabet's valuation could rise to $4.80 trillion (i.e., $72/0.015), i.e., up +24%. That puts the next 12 months (NTM), GOOGL could rise to $376.69 per share (+24%). Analysts tend to agree. For example, Yahoo! Finance reports 68 analysts have an average price target (PT) of $359.24 per share. Similarly, Barchart's mean analyst survey PT is $379.11, and AnaChart's survey of 35 analysts is $339.86. In other words, the decline in GOOGL stock may have been overdone. That could be why investors are piling into GOOGL call options today. Unusual Volume in GOOGL Calls This can be seen in today's Barchart Unusual Stock Options Activity Report. It ...

Tesla has made autonomous vehicles a priority, investing heavily in robotaxis and driving-assistance software.

Key Points Coca-Cola’s capital-light business model is a cash-generating machine. S&P Global will thrive in both bull and bear markets. 10 stocks we like better than Coca-Cola › Dividend Kings, the companies that have raised their dividends annually for at least 50 consecutive years, are often considered stable long-term investments. It's tough to maintain that streak through recessions, wars, interest rate spikes, and other macro headwinds, so the companies that join that elite list are usually well-oiled, cash-generating machines. When interest rates rose in 2022 and 2023, many Dividend Kings lost their luster as investors pivoted toward safer fixed-income investments. Still, a lot of them bounced back over the following three years as the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rates again. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Two of those Kings are Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) and S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which have both rallied about 30% over the past three years. Let's see why they're both still great stocks to buy this month, even if the S&P 500 seems historically expensive at 29 times earnings. Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, the world's top beverage company, might seem like a risky investment as soda consumption declines worldwide. But to offset that pressure, it diversified its portfolio over the past several decades to include bottled water, fruit juices, teas, sports drinks, energy drinks, coffee, and other non-carbonated drinks. It also refreshed its flagship sodas with smaller serving sizes, new flavors, and healthier versions. Coca-Cola only sells the concentrates and syrups for those drinks, while its independent bottling partners actually produce and sell the finished drinks. That streamlined, capital-light business model enables it to generate plenty of cash to fund its dividends -- which it's...

格隆汇3月5日｜以色列国防军：战斗机目前正前往打击伊朗目标。

blackred/E+ via Getty Images U.S. private sector hiring showed a modest but better-than-expected pickup in February, offering a mixed backdrop for cyclical names like manufacturers. Private employers added 63K jobs, the strongest gain since last summer and ahead of forecasts, but the details of the ADP report pointed to uneven momentum, with education, health services and construction driving growth while manufacturing actually shed 5K positions. Wage gains for workers who stayed in their jobs held at a solid 4.5% year-over-year, yet ADP’s Nela Richardson and NerdWallet’s Elizabeth Renter both cautioned that the concentration of hiring in just a few sectors does not signal a broadly strong labor market. Against this backdrop of selective growth and pressure on factory payrolls, investors looking at U.S. manufacturing equities are paying close attention to fundamental strength and stock selection. Below is a list of the top 10 U.S. manufacturing stocks ranked by Seeking Alpha’s Quant Ratings, highlighting names in electronic manufacturing services and autos that score well on factors like valuation, growth, momentum and profitability despite the sector’s hiring headwinds. TTM Technologies ( TTMI ) leads the list with a near-perfect Quant Rating of 4.97, earning a Strong Buy designation. General Motors ( GM ) and IPG Photonics ( IPGP ) follow closely behind, both also receiving Strong Buy ratings with scores of 4.85 and 4.72, respectively. Sanmina Corporation ( SANM ) rounds out the Strong Buy tier with a rating of 4.57, while Winnebago Industries ( WGO ) and THOR Industries ( THO ) hold Buy ratings. Major industry names like Ford Motor Company ( F ), Plexus Corp. ( PLXS ), Benchmark Electronics ( BHE ), and Flex Ltd. ( FLEX ) complete the top ten, each with Hold ratings hovering around 3.40 to 3.45. Seeking Alpha’s Quant system ranks stocks based on their performance on critical quantitative measures, including valuation, growth, stock momentum, and profitability. Ea...

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country will consider ending most sales of natural gas to Europe in favor of more promising alternative markets. The European Union plans a gradual ban on imports of both Russian pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas by late 2027. In this light, the Russian leader said he would instruct his government to assess redirecting supplies away from the bloc so that officials could work on the issue with companies. “Other markets are opening now,” Putin said on state television on Wednesday. “Maybe it’s better for us to end supplies to the European market right now? To go to those markets that are opening now and get a foothold there.” European gas prices spiked to a three-year high this week amid the widening conflict in the Middle East, though they pared some losses today after the US said it plans to protect navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. By diverting most of its gas away from Europe and toward alternative markets, Russia would only be following example of some other suppliers, Putin said. “Some clients emerged that are ready to buy that same natural gas at higher prices,” diverting volumes away from Europe, he said. “American companies, of course, will go somewhere where they are better paid.” While flows of Russian fuel to Europe have dropped since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia continues to supply pipeline gas to a few European markets, including Serbia, Hungary and Slovakia. The country also delivers some fuel from the Novatek-led Yamal LNG plant. Russian gas still accounted for an estimated 13% of EU imports in 2025, worth over €15 billion ($17.4 billion) annually, according to the Council of the EU. The Russian leader, who met with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto in the Kremlin Wednesday, stressed that his country still wanted to deliver energy to what he called reliable partners such as Slovakia and Hungary.

Guido Mieth/DigitalVision via Getty Images Performance Recap The Fund outperformed the Russell 1000 Value Index during the period. Stock selection within the consumer discretionary, health care, and consumer staples sectors added the most value during the quarter. Security selection within the information technology and energy sectors detracted the most from relative results during the period. Notable contributors included Alphabet ( GOOG ), General Motors ( GM ), Eli Lilly ( LLY ), Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ), and Parker-Hannifin ( PH ). Key detractors included Qnity Electronics ( Q ), United Rentals ( URI ), Linde Plc ( LIN ), Cheniere Energy ( LNG ), and Oracle Corporation ( ORCL ). Positioning & Outlook While it's customary to offer informed predictions as we look ahead to a new year, 2025 was a year that seemed to be more unpredictable than many in recent memory, especially from a U.S. policy and political standpoint. With the anticipation of consequential events in 2026, that unpredictability is not likely to diminish. The consumer is still facing lingering inflation and health insurance cost increases, which may at least partially be offset by tax cuts. In addition, the expected Supreme Court ruling on the Trump Administration's tariffs, change of leadership at the Fed, re-negotiation of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and mid-term elections in November are just a few among many factors that could also drive the US economy and markets in 2026. Importantly, corporate earnings remained strong this past year. The potential risks posed to revenue and earnings growth from fiscal policies did not materialize, and both the consumer and broader economy continued to be resilient. Whether that continues and if the market shrugs off the unknowns again in 2026 are open questions. During the quarter we modestly repositioned the Fund, trimming strong performers who experienced significant multiple expansion and adding to a combination of new and existing ho...

Supertankers have begun to abandon planned voyages into the Persian Gulf and seek safer destinations amid the turmoil at the strategic Strait of Hormuz. At least three very large crude carriers that sailed from Asia with plans to load in the Gulf have diverted toward the Atlantic Basin, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The Plata Glory is now bound for the Cape of Good Hope, and the G. Hope has set course for the US, after both initially signaled Middle Eastern ports before the outbreak of hostilities between the US, Israel and Iran. A third vessel, the Amantea , is also heading south toward the Cape but has yet to update its destination after previously signaling Fujairah on the UAE coast just outside the strait. And the Karan , which was heading toward Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura terminal in the Gulf, has diverted to its Yanbu facility on the Red Sea, as state producer Saudi Aramco redirects crude supplies there in a move to bypass the Gulf. The move will mean fewer tankers are in place to lift oil from key Middle East producers as and when conditions normalize. The region’s producers are filling up their storage because there aren’t enough oil carriers entering the Persian Gulf to collect cargoes. The diverted tankers are avoiding the growing flotilla of vessels backed up in a queue that extends thousands of miles to south of India. More than 60 empty VLCCs are holding position or reducing speed as the crisis in the Middle East deepens, according to Kpler and vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. That paralysis has sparked an intensifying scramble for available tonnage, as traders seek out non-Middle Eastern crude to keep global refineries humming, as well as catapulting tanker rates to historic highs. And faced with the possibility of a prolonged regional blockade and the sudden withdrawal of war risk insurance , some shipowners now appear to be shifting toward collecting safer Atlantic Basin cargoes.

格隆汇3月5日｜白宫新闻秘书莱维特：美国总统特朗普将出席在伊朗袭击中丧生的美军官兵的隆重葬礼。

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News Several major investors in Anthropic ( ANTHRO ) are working to resolve the artificial intelligence startup's recent fallout with the Pentagon by appealing to company executives and through contacts in the White House, according to Reuters. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has discussed the matter with Amazon ( AMZN ) CEO Andy Jassy, one of the startup's biggest backers, the report said. Anthropic executives have been contacted by venture capital firms Lightspeed and Iconiq as well. What's more, some investors have reached out to contacts in the Trump Administration in an attempt to cool the fires. The investors are concerned that the labeling of Anthropic as a "supply-chain risk" could affect the company's potential revenue well beyond federal government contracts. U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have called for all government agencies to phase out the use of Anthropic within the next six months. They have also instructed all companies that contract with the military to cease any commercial interactions with Anthropic. The situation has placed Amodei in a precarious predicament. On the one hand, some investors are proud Amodei took a stand against the Pentagon and refused to let its AI models run autonomous weapons systems or engage in widespread domestic surveillance, the report said. However, others worry the "supply-chain risk" label could severely impact revenue potential. Anthropic's rival OpenAI ( OPENAI ) was swift to swoop in and sign an agreement with the Pentagon to deploy its models within a classified government network after the fallout. Still, Anthropic remains popular with users. Claude climbed to the top spot in Apple's ( AAPL ) ranking of free apps over the weekend, even as the company faces the ire of the Trump administration over its safety terms. Anthropic has also argued that Hegseth does not have the statutory authority to restrict anyone who does business with the military from do...

The Justice Department has been investigating whether several leading producers of commercial fertilizers colluded to raise prices, according to people familiar with the matter. The companies whose conduct is under scrutiny include phosphate and potash suppliers Nutrien Ltd. and Mosaic Co. , as well as CF Industries Holdings Inc. , Koch Inc. and Norway’s Yara International ASA , said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing a confidential investigation. CF Industries, Koch, Yara and Nutrien control most of the nitrogen-based fertilizer sold in the US. The probe is examining companies’ pricing practices for possible civil and criminal antitrust violations, the people said. The investigation is in the early stages and is being run out of the DOJ antitrust division’s Chicago office, they said. Only a handful of companies control the supply of most fertilizer in the US, which has raised concern among farmers and government officials. The Biden administration also expressed concerns about high fertilizer prices due to market concentration and the impact of the war in Ukraine. The companies haven’t been accused of wrongdoing by antitrust officials, and investigations don’t necessarily lead to charges or lawsuits. Nutrien didn’t have an immediate comment. The other companies and the Justice Department didn’t respond to requests for comment. A US Department of Agriculture spokesperson referred to DOJ for comment. Key Priority The investigation reflects a key priority of both political parties to police conduct that increases costs for farmers and consumers. Addressing high food costs has been a goal of the Trump administration’s response to Americans’ growing dissatisfaction on the rising cost of living, which propelled Democrats to victories over Republicans in several key elections in November. Potash and phosphate fertilizer prices have eased since last fall after spiking as a result of President Donald Trump ’s trade war. Still, prices remain historically e...

Fears of cyberattacks on Western companies and infrastructure remain high even as no major attacks have yet to be reported. Sanaz Yashar, co-founder and CEO of cybersecurity startup Zafran and a former member of Israel's military spy unit, speaks about the risks with Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow on “Bloomberg Tech.” (Source: Bloomberg)

Ofcom, the government and the police are all to blame for allowing online sex advertising to run out of control The latest report from the UK anti-slavery commissioner, Eleanor Lyons, is a call to action on websites used to advertise sex workers – some of whom are victims of trafficking and exploitation . Researchers studied 12 adult service sites (ASWs), which between them had 63,000 listings in January, and attracted 41.7m visits. When analysed with a tool, known as the Sexual Trafficking Identification Matrix, which is also used by police, just 8% of listings showed no warning signs. These include the same phone number appearing across multiple ads, and phrases such as “new to the area”. The watchdog has identified alarming gaps in the law, in the approach taken by Ofcom, and in policing. The commissioner’s recommendations demand a response. The sharp recent rise in referrals of potential victims of sexual exploitation makes the issue all the more pressing. Between 2020 and 2025, they increased by 78% – from 1,618 to 2,887 women and girls a year (men and boys are more commonly referred for labour or criminal exploitation, including “county lines”). Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here . Continue reading...

Key Points The private credit market is experiencing some turmoil. Main Street Capital isn't seeing an increase in defaults. The BDC expects to continue paying its dual dividends. 10 stocks we like better than Main Street Capital › Shares of Main Street Capital (NYSE: MAIN) declined by 11% in February. The business development company (BDC) was under pressure due to growing concerns about the private credit market. It also reported its fourth-quarter financial results last month. Here's a look back at what transpired in February and whether investors should buy the BDC stock following its recent slump. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Concerns grow in the private credit market Banks have pulled back on lending over the years due to consolidation, growing regulations, and a rising aversion to risk. That has opened the door for investment firms to step in and fill gaps by providing loans to private companies. BDCs and private credit funds have expanded significantly over the past several years by growing their loan portfolios. However, several private capital borrowers have recently defaulted on these riskier loans. Those high-profile defaults have raised concerns that more borrowers could default. These worries have weighed on providers of private credit this year, including BDCs such as Main Street Capital. Strong execution While there are some issues in the private credit market, they're not affecting Main Street Capital. The BDC reported strong fourth-quarter results last month. It delivered $1.09 per share of distributable net investment income (DNII), a 5% increase from the prior year's level. That capped a solid year as its DNII rose to $4.21 per share, up from $4.16 per share in 2024, while its net asset value per share increased 5.3%, driven by higher valuations of its equity...

格隆汇3月5日｜白宫新闻秘书莱维特：预计很快将完全控制伊朗空域。

AI disruption will challenge lending decisions in coming years, Goldman exec says Reuters

格隆汇3月5日｜白宫新闻秘书莱维特：美国军队已在伊朗打击超过2000个目标。