SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images U.S. gasoline futures ( XB1:COM ) jumped as much as 9% Monday, and a verage U.S. retail gasoline prices crossed $3/gal for the first time since November, as the conflict in the Middle East worsened, with the flow of tankers carrying crude and fuel through the Strait of Hormuz effectively halted. Diesel prices ( HO1:COM ) also rose sharply, with ULSD futures up...
SlavkoSereda/iStock via Getty Images U.S. gasoline futures ( XB1:COM ) jumped as much as 9% Monday, and a verage U.S. retail gasoline prices crossed $3/gal for the first time since November, as the conflict in the Middle East worsened, with the flow of tankers carrying crude and fuel through the Strait of Hormuz effectively halted. Diesel prices ( HO1:COM ) also rose sharply, with ULSD futures up as much as 17% before closing nearly 12% higher, and retail prices topped $3.75/gal, the highest in more than three months. U.S. crude surged more than 6% to more than $71/bbl, and fuel prices moved up alongside the feedstock costs. Analysts expect every $10/bbl increase in crude oil prices to result in a $0.25/gal rise at the gasoline pump, and refinery snags could lead to bigger jumps in fuel prices, Siebert Financial's Mark Malek said in a note. U.S. gasoline prices had gained for four straight weeks before the attacks on Iran, according to GasBuddy, as refiners began the transition to summer-grade motor fuel, which is mandated by environmental regulations and costlier to make. "In the week ahead, gasoline prices are likely to face heightened upward pressure as seasonal trends continue and markets navigate this evolving geopolitical landscape," GasBuddy's Patrick De Haan wrote. J.P. Morgan analysts warned that Brent crude could surpass $100/bbl if vessel passage through the Strait of Hormuz is restricted for 3-4 weeks; ~20% of global oil flows transit the waterway. Crude oil futures finished up sharply but well off earlier gainsof more than 12%. "Apparently, the market feels the end game is sooner rather than later, with WTI threatening to trade to levels below $70, and Brent down over $5 since posting the one-year plus high of $82.37 on the open on Sunday night," Mizuho analyst Robert Yawger said in a note, but added "the longer the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed to shipping, the more likely oil prices will tick higher." Citi sees Brent trading in an $80...
Chinese military academics have stepped up calls to overhaul defence language training, arguing that linguistic proficiency has become as critical as firepower in modern warfare – a lesson starkly underscored by the Ukraine war. Among them is Lu Danyun, a professor at the military-affiliated National University of Defence Technology and a representative on China’s top lawmaking body, the National ...
Chinese military academics have stepped up calls to overhaul defence language training, arguing that linguistic proficiency has become as critical as firepower in modern warfare – a lesson starkly underscored by the Ukraine war. Among them is Lu Danyun, a professor at the military-affiliated National University of Defence Technology and a representative on China’s top lawmaking body, the National People’s Congress. In a report published in the official People’s Liberation Army (PLA) newspaper,...
A man’s journey across China’s congested highways to propose marriage has captured the internet’s attention after he posted a simple red banner in the back window of his car urging fellow drivers to give way. In February, many netizens shared a heartwarming scene they witnessed while driving. Videos posted online showed the banner which read: “Brothers, let me go first. I am heading to Guizhou to ...
A man’s journey across China’s congested highways to propose marriage has captured the internet’s attention after he posted a simple red banner in the back window of his car urging fellow drivers to give way. In February, many netizens shared a heartwarming scene they witnessed while driving. Videos posted online showed the banner which read: “Brothers, let me go first. I am heading to Guizhou to propose to the love of my life.” The vehicle’s owner, surnamed Tan, 26, from Jiangxi province in...
Richard Drury/DigitalVision via Getty Images Shares of Solventum ( SOLV ) have been trading sideways for a while now as investors keep assessing the impact of the full separation from its former parent. Stranded parent costs have caused some surprises (both up and down) since the separation, which was effective from the spring of 2024. In the fall the company made some forward-looking moves, inclu...
Richard Drury/DigitalVision via Getty Images Shares of Solventum ( SOLV ) have been trading sideways for a while now as investors keep assessing the impact of the full separation from its former parent. Stranded parent costs have caused some surprises (both up and down) since the separation, which was effective from the spring of 2024. In the fall the company made some forward-looking moves, including capital allocation moves and some M&A on the buy side. This had the potential to create the narrative of growth, but so far all of this has not yet been reflected in the share price. In fact, shares have been trading sluggishly, despite all the good intentions. After a non-convincing 2026 outlook and setback in the share price, now is a very opportune time to revisit the thesis here. On Solventum - Diversified Healthcare Solventum is the former healthcare business of 3M ( MMM ), which spun off the business early in 2024, as the healthcare business has been struggling under the ownership of the conglomerate. At the time, Solventum was an $8 billion diversified business, employing some 20,000 workers who served about 100,000 clients with various healthcare products and solutions. Diversification is wide, including wound care, surgical solutions, infection prevention, dental solutions, and health information systems, as well as purification & filtration solutions, the latter business being sold in 2025. Between the time of the split and today (nearly two years later), shares have traded in a $40-$80 range ever since. Trading action towards the low end was induced by concerns about debt and uncertainty on pro forma earnings, and the recovery was driven by clarity on these items and debt being tackled. The debt load was tackled a year ago as the company announced a $4.1 billion divestment of the purification & filtration business, with net proceeds reported at $3.4 billion, seen cutting net debt in half to about $4 billion. That deal looked pretty solid, with the company fe...
Shares of the memory-chip manufacturer Sandisk have nearly tripled, meanwhile, while Texas Pacific Land, a real-estate company that has become a data-center play, is up 85%. Cox’s income-oriented, dividend-focused holdings have had a strong year.
Shares of the memory-chip manufacturer Sandisk have nearly tripled, meanwhile, while Texas Pacific Land, a real-estate company that has become a data-center play, is up 85%. Cox’s income-oriented, dividend-focused holdings have had a strong year.
Tech giant Microsoft (MSFT +0.34%) has been an excellent stock to own over the years. In the past decade, it has risen by around 660%, which translates into a compounded annual growth rate of more than 22% -- that's more than double the S&P 500's long-run average of 10%. That's what makes the stock's struggles this year all the more noticeable. Since the beginning of the year, Microsoft's stock ha...
Tech giant Microsoft (MSFT +0.34%) has been an excellent stock to own over the years. In the past decade, it has risen by around 660%, which translates into a compounded annual growth rate of more than 22% -- that's more than double the S&P 500's long-run average of 10%. That's what makes the stock's struggles this year all the more noticeable. Since the beginning of the year, Microsoft's stock has fallen by 18%. That's a big sell-off for what's traditionally been a safe tech stock to own. What's behind this decline, and could it be the start of an even bigger crash ahead for Microsoft, or could this be a great time to add it to your portfolio? Is artificial intelligence (AI) to blame? Microsoft is down big this year, even in relation to other tech giants. The Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF has declined at a more modest rate of 7%. The market as a whole has been bearish on tech stocks of late, with heavy AI spending a big reason for that. But in Microsoft's case, the sell-off goes deeper than that. It may be a combination of multiple factors that are responsible, including the stock trading at a high valuation, and the company's Copilot AI simply not appearing to be that impressive in relation to other popular chatbots. As a result, Microsoft's stock may have been overdue for a decline. Expand NASDAQ : MSFT Microsoft Today's Change ( 0.34 %) $ 1.37 Current Price $ 405.30 Key Data Points Market Cap $3.0T Day's Range $ 400.33 - $ 411.03 52wk Range $ 344.79 - $ 555.45 Volume 1.9M Avg Vol 33M Gross Margin 68.59 % Dividend Yield 0.86 % Why Microsoft still makes for a solid long-term buy Entering this year, Microsoft's stock was trading at around 34 times its trailing earnings (it's now around 25), which is a high valuation unless you expected robust AI-related growth. While AI has given it a bit of a boost, its growth rate for the December quarter was 17%, and that falls to 15% when factoring out foreign exchange. It's solid, but not overly impressive or much higher tha...
(RTTNews) - The Australian stock market is trading notably lower on Tuesday, snapping a four-session winning streak, following the mixed cues from Wall Street overnight. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 is falling below the 9,150 level, with weakness in mining and energy stocks partiall
(RTTNews) - The Australian stock market is trading notably lower on Tuesday, snapping a four-session winning streak, following the mixed cues from Wall Street overnight. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 is falling below the 9,150 level, with weakness in mining and energy stocks partiall
Goldman Sachs' Timothy Moe says a spike in oil prices due to the Iran conflict could impact corporate earnings in Asia. He also tells Bloomberg Television why there are opportunities in the Asian defense sector. (Source: Bloomberg)
Goldman Sachs' Timothy Moe says a spike in oil prices due to the Iran conflict could impact corporate earnings in Asia. He also tells Bloomberg Television why there are opportunities in the Asian defense sector. (Source: Bloomberg)
Pakistani authorities deployed troops and imposed a three-day curfew before dawn on Monday in the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu after several people died and tens were injured in violent protests following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes, officials said. Thousands of Shiite demonstrators on Sunday attacked the offices of the UN Military Obse...
Pakistani authorities deployed troops and imposed a three-day curfew before dawn on Monday in the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu after several people died and tens were injured in violent protests following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes, officials said. Thousands of Shiite demonstrators on Sunday attacked the offices of the UN Military Observer Group, which monitors the ceasefire along the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, and the UN...