A shortage of memory chips has become an issue across tech this earnings season, with hardware makers citing the shortage for all kinds of shortfalls, from sales to profit margins. But during Nvidia's fourth-quarter earnings call tonight, CEO Jensen Huang hinted that the skyrocketing price of memory wouldn't affect the company's profitability.
A shortage of memory chips has become an issue across tech this earnings season, with hardware makers citing the shortage for all kinds of shortfalls, from sales to profit margins. But during Nvidia's fourth-quarter earnings call tonight, CEO Jensen Huang hinted that the skyrocketing price of memory wouldn't affect the company's profitability.
Zack Kass, global AI adviser and former head of Go-to-Market at OpenAI, says software stocks instead of AI might have been in a bubble. Speaking on "Bloomberg The Close," Kass also addresses the optimism expressed by Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang regarding the rapid growth of agentic AI applications. (Source: Bloomberg)
Zack Kass, global AI adviser and former head of Go-to-Market at OpenAI, says software stocks instead of AI might have been in a bubble. Speaking on "Bloomberg The Close," Kass also addresses the optimism expressed by Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang regarding the rapid growth of agentic AI applications. (Source: Bloomberg)
Last week was all about how advances in artificial intelligence appear to be methodically undercutting the future of a growing number of industries, companies, products and jobs. This week it seems Wall Street’s fearful gaze has turned to the potential calamities AI might wreak upon private credit. Yesterday, Saba Capital’s Boaz Weinstein sounded the alarm about private credit. Now it’s UBS Group....
Last week was all about how advances in artificial intelligence appear to be methodically undercutting the future of a growing number of industries, companies, products and jobs. This week it seems Wall Street’s fearful gaze has turned to the potential calamities AI might wreak upon private credit. Yesterday, Saba Capital’s Boaz Weinstein sounded the alarm about private credit. Now it’s UBS Group. A few weeks ago, analysts at the bank laid out a worst-case scenario for defaults in the private credit sector. Their outlook just became more grim . UBS strategists said private credit could see default rates surge as high as 15%—two percentage points more than the firm forecast less than a month ago—if AI triggers an “aggressive” disruption among corporate borrowers. Direct lenders that took a lead role in financing software companies in recent years now look dangerously exposed to AI’s impact, stirring comparisons to the 2008 financial crisis. “What is new: a clearer catalyst,” the UBS strategists said. “Rapid, severe AI disruption.” What You Need to Know Today AI star Anthropic has been behind many of the so-called AI scare trades that have upended Wall Street in recent weeks. Now it’s had some bad news of its own. A hacker exploited Anthropic’s AI chatbot to carry out a series of attacks against Mexican government agencies, resulting in the theft of a huge trove of sensitive tax and voter information . The hacker allegedly breached Mexico’s federal tax authority and the national electoral institute. State governments in Mexico, Jalisco, Michoacán and Tamaulipas as well as Mexico City’s civil registry and Monterrey’s water utility were also compromised. AI has become a key enabler of digital crimes, with hackers using the tools to augment their efforts. Last week, researchers at Amazon said a small group of hackers broke into more than 600 firewall devices across dozens of countries with the help of widely available AI tools. Wall Street May Soon Use AI to Sniff Out Tr...
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) , which develops and markets diabetes and obesity treatments, closed Wednesday at $38.16, down 1.11%. The stock slipped as investors weighed a large Vivtex partnership while watching how competition and margins shape Novo’s obesity and diabetes franchise. Trading volume reached 54.7 million shares, about 141% above its three-month average of 22.7 million shares. Novo Nordis...
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) , which develops and markets diabetes and obesity treatments, closed Wednesday at $38.16, down 1.11%. The stock slipped as investors weighed a large Vivtex partnership while watching how competition and margins shape Novo’s obesity and diabetes franchise. Trading volume reached 54.7 million shares, about 141% above its three-month average of 22.7 million shares. Novo Nordisk IPO'd in 1981 and has grown 23,750% since going public. The S&P 500 added 0.82% to finish Wednesday at 6,947, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 1.26% to close at 23,152. Within pharmaceuticals, industry peers showed mixed action as Eli Lilly closed at $1,028.83, down 1.28%, while Novartis ended at $166.85, off 0.16%. It has been a rough week for Novo Nordisk as its shares have dropped 20% over the last five business days. On Monday, the stock declined roughly 15% after its next-gen obesity medicine CagriSema reported less weight loss than Eli Lilly’s new drug in a similar Phase 3 trial, tempering sales expectations. Then on Tuesday, Novo Nordisk announced it would cut prices for Wegovy and Ozempic by 35% to 50% in the U.S. on Jan. 1, 2027. Continue reading
Weee, an online grocer specialising in Asian and Latino goods, is betting that America’s appetite for ethnic food and grocery delivery will outlast a sharp drop in immigration, with its founder forecasting years of double-digit growth even as the Trump administration tightens border controls. The San Francisco-based company has seen its annual revenue grow at about 30 to 40 per cent from 2023 to 2...
Weee, an online grocer specialising in Asian and Latino goods, is betting that America’s appetite for ethnic food and grocery delivery will outlast a sharp drop in immigration, with its founder forecasting years of double-digit growth even as the Trump administration tightens border controls. The San Francisco-based company has seen its annual revenue grow at about 30 to 40 per cent from 2023 to 2025, and is expecting to expand at the same pace in the next five to 10 years, founder and CEO Larry...
Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. reported a surge in profit for the six months to the end of December, on the back of stronger production and improved prices for its main product, but fell short of analyst expectations heightened by the global focus on metal supply chains. The miner reported net profit of A$80.2 million ($57.1 million) for the period, up from A$5.9 million a year earlier. This missed a cons...
Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. reported a surge in profit for the six months to the end of December, on the back of stronger production and improved prices for its main product, but fell short of analyst expectations heightened by the global focus on metal supply chains. The miner reported net profit of A$80.2 million ($57.1 million) for the period, up from A$5.9 million a year earlier. This missed a consensus analyst forecast of just above A$112 million. Lynas said the average China domestic price of neodymium-praseodymium, used in motors and turbines, rose to $74 per kilogram in December 2025, from $56 at the end of 2024, resulting in a higher realized price. Still, the group faced higher costs and the financial impact of power outages and maintenance. “The market is moving quickly,” Lynas Chief Executive Officer Amanda Lacaze said in a statement. “We have the assets and capabilities to immediately benefit from the improved market conditions.”
scalatore1959/iStock via Getty Images While I mostly like to write about income investments now that I am now retired, I sometimes like to revisit under-covered growth stocks that I highlighted in the past. I recognized a trend starting in 2023 that was based on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, aka Industry 4.0 , which essentially has turned into an AI revolution, but also includes developments i...
scalatore1959/iStock via Getty Images While I mostly like to write about income investments now that I am now retired, I sometimes like to revisit under-covered growth stocks that I highlighted in the past. I recognized a trend starting in 2023 that was based on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, aka Industry 4.0 , which essentially has turned into an AI revolution, but also includes developments in quantum computing (QTUM), robotics, and the electrification of everything . For example, I first covered Powell Industries ( POWL ) in March 2023 when I suggested it was a growth stock for the 4 th Industrial Revolution. That stock has delivered a total return of more than 1,200% since that article was published. I have also covered Sterling Infrastructure ( STRL ) several times, initiating a Buy rating on that stock in January 2023. It has also returned over 1,200% since then. One of the growth stocks that I wrote about back in 2022, before I made the connection with the coming Industry 4.0 impact on the industrial market, is an environmental compliance company that was started in 1966 and literally transformed itself into a powerhouse for industrial and environmental process solutions. That company is CECO Environmental Corp. ( CECO ), and I first reviewed the stock in November 2022, when I wrote this paragraph in the introduction. CECO Environmental Corp was incorporated in 1966 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Although the company has been around for many years, they struggled to maintain the growth and profitability that shareholders demanded until they hired the current CEO , Todd Gleason, in July 2020. In the past two years the company has performed a major turnaround in its business strategy and operational performance, resulting in double digit growth this year that is expected to continue into 2023. I rated the stock a Strong Buy based on my analysis and the market trends at the time that suggested significant upside potential. Today, after reporting Q4 20...
EnCap Flatrock Midstream is considering a sale of gas pipeline company Momentum Midstream for over $5 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The private equity firm is working with financial advisers to seek a buyer for Momentum, which could attract interest from competitors, as well as private equity firms, the people said. Deliberations are in the early stages and EnCap Flatrock ...
EnCap Flatrock Midstream is considering a sale of gas pipeline company Momentum Midstream for over $5 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The private equity firm is working with financial advisers to seek a buyer for Momentum, which could attract interest from competitors, as well as private equity firms, the people said. Deliberations are in the early stages and EnCap Flatrock Midstream could still decide to hold onto the asset, the people added, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Representatives for EnCap Flatrock Midstream, which is backed by Flatrock Energy Advisors and EnCap Investments , and Momentum declined to comment. If a deal is struck, it would be among the largest in the midstream sector since Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP agreed to acquire Colonial Enterprises Inc. for $9 billion last year. Momentum’s management team has established a track record of setting up and selling several companies. It has built up Momentum with a pair of acquisitions in East Texas and Louisiana in a gas-rich region known as the Haynesville Shale. The company operates 4,000 miles (6,440 kilometers) of pipeline. It serves 10 LNG facilities and 26 power plants, according to its website .
Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 4:45 p.m. ET Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email pr@fool.com Continue reading
Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 4:45 p.m. ET Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email pr@fool.com Continue reading
Volt Carbon Technologies ( VCT:CA ) ( OTCQB: TORVF ) said on Wednesday it plans to complete a non-brokered private placement of up to 10 million units at C$0.025 per unit for gross proceeds of up to C$250,000. Each unit will consist of one common share and one warrant exercisable at C$0.05 per share for 24 months from issuance. The company said no finder’s fees or commissions are anticipated. Volt...
Volt Carbon Technologies ( VCT:CA ) ( OTCQB: TORVF ) said on Wednesday it plans to complete a non-brokered private placement of up to 10 million units at C$0.025 per unit for gross proceeds of up to C$250,000. Each unit will consist of one common share and one warrant exercisable at C$0.05 per share for 24 months from issuance. The company said no finder’s fees or commissions are anticipated. Volt Carbon said it intends to use the proceeds to support intellectual property development, advance battery and mobile mineral separation technologies, and for general working capital. Closing of the offering is subject to customary conditions, including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Separately, the company said it will hold its annual general meeting on June 19, 2026, at the Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, British Columbia. TMXXF closed +1.17% at $34.46. Source: Press Release More on TMX Group Limited, Volt Carbon Technologies Inc. TMX Group Limited (X:CA) Presents at Bank of America Financial Services Conference 2026 Transcript TMX Group Limited (X:CA) Presents at UBS Financial Services Conference 2026 Transcript TMX Group Limited (X:CA) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Canadian Goldfields announces new U.S. stock symbol Parvis to acquire Richmond Global Wealth in an all share deal
monsitj/iStock via Getty Images Gold and silver futures finished sharply higher Wednesday, as uncertainty over U.S. trade policy and geopolitical risks in the Middle East continued to support safe-haven demand. The Trump administration implemented a temporary 10% global tariff, with discussions reportedly under way to raise the rate to 15%, which has revived fears of a renewed trade confrontation ...
monsitj/iStock via Getty Images Gold and silver futures finished sharply higher Wednesday, as uncertainty over U.S. trade policy and geopolitical risks in the Middle East continued to support safe-haven demand. The Trump administration implemented a temporary 10% global tariff, with discussions reportedly under way to raise the rate to 15%, which has revived fears of a renewed trade confrontation and sparked flows into safe-haven assets. A third round of U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations is scheduled to start Thursday in Geneva, but President Trump laid out his case for a possible attack on Iran in his State of the Union speech, calling Iran "by far" the world's biggest sponsor of terror and saying that he would not allow the country to possess a nuclear weapon. Strong and sustained demand from both central banks and investors through 2026 will ultimately push gold prices to $6,300/oz by year-end, J.P. Morgan analysts said in a note published Wednesday. Silver soared 4% for its sixth straight daily gain, rising 24% during the period, and cartel turmoil in Mexico following the killing of drug kingpin El Mencho last weekend has helped bolster silver since the country is a major silver supplier, Louis Navellier of Navellier & Associates said in a note. Front-month Comex gold ( XAUUSD:CUR ) for February delivery closed +1% to $5,206.40/oz, the metal's third-highest settlement in history, and front-month February silver ( XAGUSD:CUR ) finished +4% to $90.939/oz; it was the best closing value for both metals since January 29. ETFs: ( GLD ), ( GDX ), ( GDXJ ), ( IAU ), ( NUGT ), ( PHYS ), ( GLDM ), ( AAAU ), ( SGOL ), ( RING ), ( BAR ), ( OUNZ ), ( SLV ), ( PSLV ), ( SIVR ), ( SIL ), ( SILJ ) More on gold and silver Filtering Out The Noise About Gold SPX Skew Steepens To 1Y High As Tariff Uncertainty Rises Gold And Its Miners: The Structural Bull Market Isn't Over
Watch: Congressional Testimony Abruptly Cut Off After Covert Iran Ops Revealed Via TheGrayZone Damon Wilson, the head of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), was interrupted by a member of Congress during a House oversight hearing on Tuesday after revealing that his agency "began supporting the deployment [and] operation of about 200 Starlinks early on" amid the violence which swept through...
Watch: Congressional Testimony Abruptly Cut Off After Covert Iran Ops Revealed Via TheGrayZone Damon Wilson, the head of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), was interrupted by a member of Congress during a House oversight hearing on Tuesday after revealing that his agency "began supporting the deployment [and] operation of about 200 Starlinks early on" amid the violence which swept through Iran last month. Before he could finish the sentence, he was cut off by the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Rep. Lois Frankel, who told Wilson: "You know what, I’m going to interrupt you – we’d better not talk about it." Wilson’s comments had been prompted by a question from Frankel, who requested details of what appears to be a new and apparently secret initiative by the State Department to provide Starlink terminals to Iranians. Wilson appeared to take credit for both the recent unrest and Iran and subsequent media framing of the chaos. " What we're seeing today, the Endowment has been making investments over years that have ensured that there have been secure communications, including Starlinks… that allowed information to go both in and out of the country," he stated. According to the New York Times , the Elon Musk-produced internet systems had been smuggled into the country by a "ragtag network of activists, developers and engineers [who] pierced Iran’s digital barricades." It is clear now that the NED was at least partly responsible for funding and coordinating that network. With Starlink emerging as a key weapon in the information war waged against Iran, it’s unclear how anti-government actors have managed to smuggle the devices into the country. But a recent incident in which a senior Dutch diplomat was caught trying to sneak multiple Starlink units and satellite phones through security at Iran's Imam Khomeini Airport gives a hint. The National Endowment for Democracy was founded in 1982 under the auspice...
Xcel Energy ( XEL ) declares $0.5925/share quarterly dividend , 3.9% increase from prior dividend of $0.5700. Forward yield 2.85% Payable April 20; for shareholders of record March 13; ex-div March 13. See XEL Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on Xcel Energy Xcel Energy Q4: Plenty Of Medium-Term Tailwinds Due To Data Centers Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Trans...
Xcel Energy ( XEL ) declares $0.5925/share quarterly dividend , 3.9% increase from prior dividend of $0.5700. Forward yield 2.85% Payable April 20; for shareholders of record March 13; ex-div March 13. See XEL Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on Xcel Energy Xcel Energy Q4: Plenty Of Medium-Term Tailwinds Due To Data Centers Xcel Energy Inc. (XEL) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Xcel Energy Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Xcel Energy to power new Google data center in Minnesota Xcel Energy ordered to take action to protect against potential wildfires, Texas AG says
Protagonist press release ( PTGX ): Q4 GAAP EPS of -$0.69 misses by $0.20 . Revenue of $7.44M. Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of December 31, 2025, were $646.0 million as compared to $559.2 million in the previous year. More on Protagonist Protagonist Therapeutics: Assessing The 2026 Upside For Icotrokinra And Rusfertide Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (PTGX) Presents at 44th ...
Protagonist press release ( PTGX ): Q4 GAAP EPS of -$0.69 misses by $0.20 . Revenue of $7.44M. Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of December 31, 2025, were $646.0 million as compared to $559.2 million in the previous year. More on Protagonist Protagonist Therapeutics: Assessing The 2026 Upside For Icotrokinra And Rusfertide Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. (PTGX) Presents at 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Transcript ClearBridge Small-Cap Growth trims Duolingo, Biohaven, QLYS; Adds PTGX, SSD, BETA, DYN in Q4 Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Protagonist Historical earnings data for Protagonist
MicroStockHub/iStock via Getty Images Written by Nick Ackerman, co-produced by Stanford Chemist Since our last update for BlackRock Enhanced Large Cap Core Fund ( CII ), we've seen some very strong total returns. This was aided by the fund going from a discount to a premium. The fund also paid out a substantial year-end payout since our last write-up as well. The fund has moved to a more elevated ...
MicroStockHub/iStock via Getty Images Written by Nick Ackerman, co-produced by Stanford Chemist Since our last update for BlackRock Enhanced Large Cap Core Fund ( CII ), we've seen some very strong total returns. This was aided by the fund going from a discount to a premium. The fund also paid out a substantial year-end payout since our last write-up as well. The fund has moved to a more elevated level, which would cause us to continue to be cautious here with a 'Hold' rating rather than wanting to add too aggressively. In fact, some investors may consider selling out of the fund and looking for an alternative for now to be more tactical. CII Performance Since Prior Update (Seeking Alpha) CII Basics 1-Year Z-score: 1.46 Discount/Premium: 1.94% Distribution Yield: 7.32% Expense Ratio: 0.93% Leverage: N/A Managed Assets: $990 million Structure: Perpetual CII's investment objective is "to provide current income and capital appreciation." To achieve that objective, the fund will "invest in a portfolio of equity securities of U.S. and foreign issuers. The Trust may invest directly in such securities or synthetically through the use of derivatives. The Trust also seeks to achieve its investment objective by employing a strategy of writing (selling) call and put options." The fund writes options on individual positions within its portfolio, and the fund isn't entirely overwritten. With a partial overwrite strategy, which allows some of the funds to remain uncapped in terms of the upside that the underlying holdings can participate in. That is a common drawback of call writing funds, which is giving up potential upside during a strong bull market run. As of the last reporting at the end of January 2026, ~55% of the fund was overwritten. Performance - Rich Valuation, But There Are Some Alternatives Since CII is looking a bit richly valued these days, looking for alternatives could be a worthwhile endeavor. The overall S&P 500 Index-like exposure, along with a call writing st...