Motortion/iStock via Getty Images Retail sales shot up in March as tax refunds boosted consumer spending, with an easy comparison to a year ago when tariff concerns weighed. While the March increase in retail sales was led by a record jump in spending on gas, almost every category notched an increase. Retail sales climbed 1.7% M/M to $752.1B in March, topping the +1.4% consensus and accelerating f...
Motortion/iStock via Getty Images Retail sales shot up in March as tax refunds boosted consumer spending, with an easy comparison to a year ago when tariff concerns weighed. While the March increase in retail sales was led by a record jump in spending on gas, almost every category notched an increase. Retail sales climbed 1.7% M/M to $752.1B in March, topping the +1.4% consensus and accelerating from the +0.7% pace in February, according to advance data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday. Better yet, the February increase in retail sales was revised up from the +0.6% rate initially reported. The electronics & appliance stores category (+0.9% M/M, +5.2% Y/Y) had a strong month, which bodes well for both Best Buy ( BBY ) and GameStop ( GME ). The nonstore retailers category (+1.0% M/M, +10.1% Y/Y) shined once again. Amazon ( AMZN ) is the most important name in the category, although the strong showing could also be a positive for Bath & Body Works ( BBWI ), Etsy ( ETSY ), and Wayfair ( W ). The building material and garden equipment category (+0.7% M/M, +2.6% Y/Y) also had a strong month in a read that is usually positive for Home Depot ( HD ), Lowe's ( LOW ), Tractor Supply ( TSCO ), Floor & Decor ( FND ), and Fastenal ( FAST ). "Higher gasoline prices amid the Iran war drove the headline gains in March retail sales. Even with consumers forced to allocate more of their budgets to energy, overall demand held up better than expected, likely reflecting larger tax refunds and continued resilience among higher-income households. The picture is less sanguine once we account for inflation, however," updated the Bloomberg economics team. "Higher gas prices are taking a bite, but the damage is limited. While these numbers are good news for the economy overall, they don’t necessarily support rate cuts by the Federal Reserve," updated David Russell, global head of market strategy at TradeStation. More on the retail sector 3 Market Segments I'm Targeting When Iran Wa...
Jeremy Cloyd/iStock via Getty Images Intel's ( INTC ) former CEO Pat Gelsinger is joining the board of directors for Syenta, an Australia-based semiconductor company focused on building advanced packaging technology for artificial intelligence systems. Syenta recently completed a Series A funding round of $26M. The round was led by Playground Global, where Gelsinger serves as a general partner. Au...
Jeremy Cloyd/iStock via Getty Images Intel's ( INTC ) former CEO Pat Gelsinger is joining the board of directors for Syenta, an Australia-based semiconductor company focused on building advanced packaging technology for artificial intelligence systems. Syenta recently completed a Series A funding round of $26M. The round was led by Playground Global, where Gelsinger serves as a general partner. Australia's National Reconstruction Fund co-led with participation from Investible, Salus Ventures, Jelix Ventures, and Wollemi Capital. The funds are intended to help Syenta move towards commercialization. The company, headquartered in Sydney, has developed a technology called Localized Electrochemical Manufacturing, which enables high-density chip-to-chip interconnects within existing semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure. This is supposed to shorten the advanced packaging process for AI systems and help alleviate supply chain constraints across the industry. The technology is also intended to improve the efficiency of how chips connect and communicate. Syenta said it can lead to a 40% reduction in process steps, requires no redesign for existing fabrication infrastructure, and improves the bandwidth between chips. "This is a new way of building high-performance systems at unprecedented scale and power, particularly as AI workloads continue to grow," Gelsinger said. " AI's next scaling challenge isn’t just compute—it's how chips connect. Syenta is addressing a fundamental constraint in advanced packaging, and that has the potential to reshape how future systems are built and scaled." As part of its commercialization strategy, Syenta is establishing an office in Arizona, located near facilities operated by Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( TSM ). "There's this connected part between cheap chiplets that currently are not keeping up with the demand in AI compute," said Syenta co-founder and CEO Jeka Viktorova in an interview last year with Forbes Australia . ...
Jeremy Cloyd/iStock via Getty Images Intel's ( INTC ) former CEO Pat Gelsinger is joining the board of directors for Syenta, an Australia-based semiconductor company focused on building advanced packaging technology for artificial intelligence systems. Syenta recently completed a Series A funding round of $26M. The round was led by Playground Global, where Gelsinger serves as a general partner. Au...
Jeremy Cloyd/iStock via Getty Images Intel's ( INTC ) former CEO Pat Gelsinger is joining the board of directors for Syenta, an Australia-based semiconductor company focused on building advanced packaging technology for artificial intelligence systems. Syenta recently completed a Series A funding round of $26M. The round was led by Playground Global, where Gelsinger serves as a general partner. Australia's National Reconstruction Fund co-led with participation from Investible, Salus Ventures, Jelix Ventures, and Wollemi Capital. The funds are intended to help Syenta move towards commercialization. The company, headquartered in Sydney, has developed a technology called Localized Electrochemical Manufacturing, which enables high-density chip-to-chip interconnects within existing semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure. This is supposed to shorten the advanced packaging process for AI systems and help alleviate supply chain constraints across the industry. The technology is also intended to improve the efficiency of how chips connect and communicate. Syenta said it can lead to a 40% reduction in process steps, requires no redesign for existing fabrication infrastructure, and improves the bandwidth between chips. "This is a new way of building high-performance systems at unprecedented scale and power, particularly as AI workloads continue to grow," Gelsinger said. " AI's next scaling challenge isn’t just compute—it's how chips connect. Syenta is addressing a fundamental constraint in advanced packaging, and that has the potential to reshape how future systems are built and scaled." As part of its commercialization strategy, Syenta is establishing an office in Arizona, located near facilities operated by Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( TSM ). "There's this connected part between cheap chiplets that currently are not keeping up with the demand in AI compute," said Syenta co-founder and CEO Jeka Viktorova in an interview last year with Forbes Australia . ...
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) had some big news to announce on April 20: CEO Tim Cook is stepping down. This is a big deal because Cook took over the CEO role in 2011, and Apple's performance during his leadership was nothing short of impressive. Cook assumed the CEO position on Aug. 24, 2011. Since then, the stock has risen nearly 2,000%. There's not an investor out there who wouldn't be satisfied with th...
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) had some big news to announce on April 20: CEO Tim Cook is stepping down. This is a big deal because Cook took over the CEO role in 2011, and Apple's performance during his leadership was nothing short of impressive. Cook assumed the CEO position on Aug. 24, 2011. Since then, the stock has risen nearly 2,000%. There's not an investor out there who wouldn't be satisfied with those returns, and Cook will be revered for his leadership. On Sept. 1, Apple will get its new CEO. But is the stock worth holding onto after Cook leaves the corner office? Image source: The Motley Fool. Continue reading
Oil prices could soar to $130 a barrel by the end of June if flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain disrupted, as Citi analysts outlined a number of possible scenarios facing oil markets. An oil market recovery hinges upon the full reopening of the strait, according to Citi analysts, ahead of Tuesday's deadline for the end of the two-week ceasefire. Friday saw the brief reopening of the key shi...
Oil prices could soar to $130 a barrel by the end of June if flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain disrupted, as Citi analysts outlined a number of possible scenarios facing oil markets. An oil market recovery hinges upon the full reopening of the strait, according to Citi analysts, ahead of Tuesday's deadline for the end of the two-week ceasefire. Friday saw the brief reopening of the key shipping route in response to the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon, before Iran swiftly closed the strait again after President Donald Trump refused to lift the blockade of the country's ports. West Texas Intermediate futures for May delivery hovered around $89.40 per barrel on Tuesday, while international benchmark Brent crude futures for June delivery traded at $95.36 per barrel. WTI and Brent had settled 7% and 5% higher on Monday as uncertainty surrounding peace talks remained. Three possible outcomes on the Strait of Hormuz The best-case scenario for energy markets, the Citi analysts said in a Tuesday note, is if a ceasefire extension is signed this week and flows through the Strait gradually resume through May to reach pre-disruption levels by the end of June. In this scenario, Citi estimates global crude and product held in inventories would decline by roughly 900 million barrels . This would be consistent with international benchmark Brent oil prices averaging $95 a barrel in the second quarter, before falling to $80 and $75 in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, the analysts said. "Each day that passes we literally burn through around 13 million barrels of crude and oil products," wrote global head of commodities research Max Layton. Citi wrote that global crude and product inventories are set to reach their lowest levels in eight years by the end of June, even if the conflict were to end this week. But Citi warned that, if flows through the Strait of Hormuz stay disrupted for an additional month, while maintaining diversions through Bab al Mandeb and Fujai...
Zerbor/iStock via Getty Images Shares of Quest Diagnostics ( DGX ) rose on Tuesday after the New Jersey-based provider of diagnostic testing and services reported better-than-expected financials for Q1 2026 and raised its full-year outlook to a level above consensus. As for Q1 results, the company reported $2.9B in revenue with ~9% YoY growth, exceeding the consensus by $60M, as revenue from its d...
Zerbor/iStock via Getty Images Shares of Quest Diagnostics ( DGX ) rose on Tuesday after the New Jersey-based provider of diagnostic testing and services reported better-than-expected financials for Q1 2026 and raised its full-year outlook to a level above consensus. As for Q1 results, the company reported $2.9B in revenue with ~9% YoY growth, exceeding the consensus by $60M, as revenue from its diagnostic information services surged ~9% YoY to $2.8B. Quest’s ( DGX ) adjusted diluted EPS for the quarter improved ~13% YoY to $2.52, beating the estimates by $0.13 as adj. operating income margin improved by 10 bps from the prior year period to 15.4%. Citing strong Q1 results, the company lifted its full-year outlook for revenue and adjusted diluted EPS to $11.78B - $11.90B and $10.63 - $10.83, respectively, exceeding $11.76B and $10.63 in the consensus at the midpoint. In February, with its Q1 results, which also beat estimates, Quest ( DGX ) projected $11.70B - $11.82B in revenue and $10.50 - $10.70 in adj. diluted EPS for 2026. More on Quest Diagnostics Quest Diagnostics Incorporated 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX) Presents at Leerink Global Healthcare Conference 2026 Transcript Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Quest Diagnostics Non-GAAP EPS of $2.50 beats by $0.13, revenue of $2.89B beats by $60M Quest Diagnostics Q1 2026 Earnings Preview
Soybeans are trading with Tuesday AM 3 to 6 cent gains Futures slipped lower in the front months into the Monday close, down ¾ to 1 ½ and ½ to 2 ¼ cents higher in the deferreds. Open interest was down 5,075 contracts on Monday. The cmdtyView national average Cash...
Soybeans are trading with Tuesday AM 3 to 6 cent gains Futures slipped lower in the front months into the Monday close, down ¾ to 1 ½ and ½ to 2 ¼ cents higher in the deferreds. Open interest was down 5,075 contracts on Monday. The cmdtyView national average Cash...
(RTTNews) - Pending home sales in the U.S. increased by much more than expected in the month of March, according to a report released by the National Association of Realtors on Tuesday.
(RTTNews) - Pending home sales in the U.S. increased by much more than expected in the month of March, according to a report released by the National Association of Realtors on Tuesday.
THEGIFT777/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Agnico Eagle Mines Limited ( AEM ) has current cash flow strength, low geopolitical risk and visible internal growth pipeline. And this is why I am rating the company a Strong Buy. I mean the company sits in a sweet spot that most gold miners never quite reach. As I said, it generates great FCFs at scale, operates in lower risk jurisdiction and ...
THEGIFT777/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis Agnico Eagle Mines Limited ( AEM ) has current cash flow strength, low geopolitical risk and visible internal growth pipeline. And this is why I am rating the company a Strong Buy. I mean the company sits in a sweet spot that most gold miners never quite reach. As I said, it generates great FCFs at scale, operates in lower risk jurisdiction and has a genuine internal pipeline. I believe this pipeline can add value well beyond what spot gold alone explains. I am saying this because in 4Q 2025 AEM produced 3.45 Moz, delivered record operating cash flows of $6.82Bn and FCFs of $4.4Bn. I also note that the company's management raised the dividend by 12.5% and ended the year at a net cash position of $2.67Bn. The theme that I want to focus on is that AEM is evolving from a high quality gold producer into a long duration Canadian growth platform. And this is important because the market often values miners on near term ounces and spot commodity moves, while underpricing de-risked future production. The company believes that it can lift annual production by 20% to 30% over the next 10 years with the potential to exceed 4 Moz in the early 2030s. I believe that is quite a big statement. Though, more importantly it is increasingly backed by real Canadian assets. I do think that Canadian Malartic, Detour Lake, Upper Beaver and Hope Bay are moving through real developments milestone. And I believe that gives my thesis more weight. The CEO, Ammar Al-Joundi put it correctly when he said that AEM is in the "strongest financial position in our company's history, and we believe we are exceptionally well positioned in the current gold price environment." He also mentioned that the company's project pipeline can drive strong production growth over the next decade. I believe this quote captures why AEM is positioned for the future and not based on the near-term oz that it produces. It is not trying to win the chessboard with one flas...
vadishzainer/iStock via Getty Images The Thesis: Slight Downgrade to a Buy In recent months, the financial media has often talked about asset managers and banks exposed to private markets /private equity, and so for this article I wanted to dive deeper into one of those, Patria Investments ( PAX ), who serves investors focusing on the firm's portfolio across private equity, credit, real estate fun...
vadishzainer/iStock via Getty Images The Thesis: Slight Downgrade to a Buy In recent months, the financial media has often talked about asset managers and banks exposed to private markets /private equity, and so for this article I wanted to dive deeper into one of those, Patria Investments ( PAX ), who serves investors focusing on the firm's portfolio across private equity, credit, real estate funds, and global exposure. Since I called it a strong buy in March 2025 , the stock is up around +13.3% as of this writing, confirming my prior thesis, where I argued that key upside could come from its new client money inflows and favorable Latin America forecasts. For my 1-year anniversary followup today, I considered the latest data on Patria and where it could be headed ahead of its May 5th earnings call in a few weeks. Pax - rating worksheet (author) My updated thesis pulls back slightly from my strong buy a year ago but remains a buy on this stock. The updated view is driven by favorable macro trends in the alternative/private markets segment, company growth, impressive margins, low leverage, and an undervaluation opportunity along with ample upside being forecasted. Macroeconomic Factors Pax - macro factors (author) To kick off today's discussion, I'm starting out with key macroeconomic factors that could impact this sector. For one thing, there is data pointing to a trend of growing demand for alternative investments, and the trend may continue. Morgan Stanley wrote the following in February: A recent report projects that alternatives AUM will rise to $32.0T by 2030, having more than doubled since 2021. As alternative asset investing continues to see robust growth, the investor base is inevitably broadening out as fund providers innovate to meet a more diversified set of investor needs. Further, this niche plays a key role in providing capital where it otherwise may not flow so readily. Consider what CNBC pointed out back in January: Though underwriting standards have...