Alphabet Inc. ’s Google released a standalone Gemini app for macOS, giving owners of Apple Inc. ’s Mac computers an easier way of accessing the artificial intelligence assistant. Gemini is available as a free download, the company said in a blog post published Wednesday. Once installed, it can be accessed with an Option-Space keyboard shortcut. Aside from its usual capabilities — such as writing e...
Alphabet Inc. ’s Google released a standalone Gemini app for macOS, giving owners of Apple Inc. ’s Mac computers an easier way of accessing the artificial intelligence assistant. Gemini is available as a free download, the company said in a blog post published Wednesday. Once installed, it can be accessed with an Option-Space keyboard shortcut. Aside from its usual capabilities — such as writing emails, drafting reports and planning vacations — the assistant can analyze what the user is looking at on their Mac screen, including files and other applications that might be open. Google has been enjoying a swell of momentum around its AI efforts since it released its Gemini 3 model last fall to broadly positive reviews. The company ended 2025 with more than 750 million monthly active users, pointing to wider adoption of its AI assistant among the masses. Still, Google is late to launching desktop apps — another avenue for driving engagement. Earlier this week, the company unveiled a standalone program for Windows that is similar to the Mac version. Meanwhile, both OpenAI and Anthropic PBC already offer apps for Windows and macOS. The Gemini Mac app also offers a convenient way for users to generate images or videos with Google’s Nano Banana and Veo tools, the search giant said. “This first release is just the beginning,” Google’s Michael Friedman, group product manager for the Gemini app, wrote in the blog post. “We’re building the foundation for a truly personal, proactive and powerful desktop assistant, with more news to share in the coming months.” The new Gemini software supports versions of macOS starting with version 15, known as macOS Sequoia.
International investors are boosting their hedges against dollar declines as the US-Iran ceasefire erodes the haven demand that had bolstered the greenback while the fighting raged on. Global investors’ hedging ratio on the US currency rose to 63% as of April 10, the highest since the same month in 2024, according to Lee Ferridge , a strategist at State Street, one of the world’s largest custodian...
International investors are boosting their hedges against dollar declines as the US-Iran ceasefire erodes the haven demand that had bolstered the greenback while the fighting raged on. Global investors’ hedging ratio on the US currency rose to 63% as of April 10, the highest since the same month in 2024, according to Lee Ferridge , a strategist at State Street, one of the world’s largest custodian banks. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed Wednesday, after sliding the past seven days. It’s now nearly back to where it stood on Feb. 27, the day before the war began. The dollar, a traditional haven currency during times of turmoil, was a primary beneficiary during the conflict, and in March saw its biggest monthly jump since July. But as the ceasefire talk picked up, the hedging activity intensified, the bank’s data show, signaling that investors were shifting back to the bearish view toward the greenback that prevailed before the war. “Those who missed the opportunity to hedge the dollar in 2025 don’t want to miss out again,” Ferridge said. “These are good levels to start establishing medium-term dollar shorts.” The theme of seeking protection against dollar losses came to the forefront in 2025, when President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs spooked investors and helped drive the currency to its worst annual performance in eight years. While investors refrained from shifting significantly out of US assets, they turned to derivatives that protect against declines in the dollar. The war in the Middle East caught the market wrong-footed as many traders were betting on greenback weakness to start the year. Now strategists are starting to look at the risks ahead for the currency, such as the prospect for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates this year while the market expects other central banks to increase rates. “The pieces are falling into place to go short the dollar again,” George Saravelos , Deutsche Bank AG’s global head of FX strategy, wrote in...
Weirdly, Keir and Kemi looked more secure in their jobs as a modicum of coherence entered their exchanges Credit where credit is due. The last few prime minister’s questions have been an exercise in nihilism. The embodiment of existential futility. Questions asked by Kemi Badenoch but not even a pretence by Keir Starmer of answering them. It was like the worst days of Boris Johnson’s time in No 10...
Weirdly, Keir and Kemi looked more secure in their jobs as a modicum of coherence entered their exchanges Credit where credit is due. The last few prime minister’s questions have been an exercise in nihilism. The embodiment of existential futility. Questions asked by Kemi Badenoch but not even a pretence by Keir Starmer of answering them. It was like the worst days of Boris Johnson’s time in No 10. We’d have learned more if both leaders had chosen to read out some names from an old 1980s phonebook. But to everyone’s surprise – not least Starmer’s – this week Keir did make a reasonable fist of listening to Kemi’s questions and giving a reply that was more or less coherent. Well, up to a point. Obviously he didn’t answer the one question that really counted. The one about when the defence investment plan would be published. But you can’t have everything. And, to be fair, it is a tricky one. Both sides of the house know that the UK needs to spend more on defence. Especially now the US seems to have become the enemy. But no one can agree on how to pay for it. Continue reading...
Monty Rakusen/DigitalVision via Getty Images Allison Transmission ( ALSN ) is a manufacturer of automatic transmission systems for both commercial and defense end markets. In plainer terms, it makes the gear systems and other components that move power from one part of the engine block to the wheels. It is what separates a vehicle from having to be driven manually. While the stock doesn't get a lo...
Monty Rakusen/DigitalVision via Getty Images Allison Transmission ( ALSN ) is a manufacturer of automatic transmission systems for both commercial and defense end markets. In plainer terms, it makes the gear systems and other components that move power from one part of the engine block to the wheels. It is what separates a vehicle from having to be driven manually. While the stock doesn't get a lot of coverage, it screens as a compelling buy opportunity for short- and long-term investors, with key drivers being supportive PMIs, undemanding valuation, strong North American transmission growth, and heavy free cash flow generation. The Business at Large This industrials company has important key end markets prospective investors should be aware of. Every industrials company is different, and the exposures matter for how the stock will perform, especially as PMIs turned late last year. The company has a 51% exposure to on-highway in North America (which means passenger vehicles), a 21% exposure to parts and support equipment, a 17% international on-highway exposure, a 9% defense exposure, and other. So, this is a company that is highly leveraged to the global automotive cycle with a bit of a defense kicker given the smaller exposure. The more cars that are produced, the better this performs, as the vast majority of revenues (68% globally) come from on-highway exposure. Now , what's unique about Allison is that they're not reliant on the Honda Accord or Toyota Prius 4-door sedan type of markets in order to grow - they're more subject to school buses, motor homes, class 6-7 vehicles (think tractor trailers and LTL-type vehicles), as well as Class 8 Straight (dump trucks). In these types of markets - particularly school bus, class 6/7, and class 8—they have market shares of 82%, 75%, and 80%—a virtual monopoly. This means two things for investors at home: pricing power and consistency of business. That latter attribute is strengthened by the fact that 30-40% of the company...
A consortium led by Bouygues Telecom is moving closer to a provisional agreement to acquire the French business of billionaire Patrick Drahi ’s telecom company Altice , people with knowledge of the matter said. The investor group, which also includes Iliad SA and Orange SA , is in advanced negotiations on terms of a potential deal for SFR and an announcement could be made as soon as the coming day...
A consortium led by Bouygues Telecom is moving closer to a provisional agreement to acquire the French business of billionaire Patrick Drahi ’s telecom company Altice , people with knowledge of the matter said. The investor group, which also includes Iliad SA and Orange SA , is in advanced negotiations on terms of a potential deal for SFR and an announcement could be made as soon as the coming days if talks go well, according to the people. Drahi has been seeking a valuation of more than €20 billion ($23.6 billion) for SFR, some of the people said. The Bouygues consortium entered due diligence with Altice in January for a possible new bid for SFR, after an initial €17 billion offer was turned down in October. Deliberations are ongoing and talks could still drag on longer or fall apart, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. A successful takeover would be the biggest deal targeting a French company since Holcim AG’s purchase of Lafarge SA in 2015, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It would also test regulators’ appetite for telecom consolidation in Europe, where operators are looking to scale up to stay competitive. In Italy, Poste Italiane SpA offered to take full ownership of Telecom Italia SpA in a €10.8 billion deal. Representatives for Bouygues, Altice, Iliad and Orange declined to comment. French online publication L’Informé reported earlier that the Bouygues-led consortium was finalizing discussions on a higher bid, citing unidentified people. In the initial proposed offer , Bouygues would acquire about 43% of SFR assets, while Iliad would get 30% and Orange with 27%, respectively. Drahi has been exploring a number of options for the future of his business empire, which he built up through a frenzy of debt-fueled acquisitions. Bidders were shortlisted recently for a controlling stake in XpFibre, a French fiber optic company that the telecom tycoon controls through Altice.
Academics from the University of Sheffield hope to create a ‘vivid, honest record’ of swearwords and other slights to stop them dying out An idiot wandering the British Isles is sure to be greeted with a colourful volley of insults, each a signifier of the place in which he finds himself: “divvy” in Merseyside, “pillock” in Leeds or “dinlo” in Portsmouth. But with parochial phrases increasingly be...
Academics from the University of Sheffield hope to create a ‘vivid, honest record’ of swearwords and other slights to stop them dying out An idiot wandering the British Isles is sure to be greeted with a colourful volley of insults, each a signifier of the place in which he finds himself: “divvy” in Merseyside, “pillock” in Leeds or “dinlo” in Portsmouth. But with parochial phrases increasingly being lost to the homogenisation of the English language, experts are worried that soon, the wandering idiot may just be called an “idiot” wherever he goes. Continue reading...
Pla2na/iStock via Getty Images Top contributors Glencore ( GLCNF ) CNH Industrial ( CNH ) Samsung Electronics Pfd Top detractors Dassault Systèmes ( DASTY ) LVMH ( LVMHF ) Adidas ( ADDYY ) New purchases Compass Group Coupang Haleon ADR London Stock Exchange SAP Unicharm Final sales Ahold Delhaize Eurofins Scientific Fresenius Medical Care Mitsubishi Estate Rentokil Initial Sanofi TKMS Volvo CI B T...
Pla2na/iStock via Getty Images Top contributors Glencore ( GLCNF ) CNH Industrial ( CNH ) Samsung Electronics Pfd Top detractors Dassault Systèmes ( DASTY ) LVMH ( LVMHF ) Adidas ( ADDYY ) New purchases Compass Group Coupang Haleon ADR London Stock Exchange SAP Unicharm Final sales Ahold Delhaize Eurofins Scientific Fresenius Medical Care Mitsubishi Estate Rentokil Initial Sanofi TKMS Volvo CI B The Fund (Investor Class)( OAKIX ) underperformed the benchmark, the MSCI World ex USA Index, for the quarter, but outperformed since inception. At the sector level, industrials and materials were the largest contributors to performance, while consumer discretionary and information technology were the largest detractors from performance. Geographically, the top three regional allocations are 63.7% in Europe ex U.K., 15.4% in the U.K. and 8.8% in Asia ex Japan. For the quarter, South Korea, Switzerland and Mexico were top contributors to performance. France, Germany and the U.K. were top detractors from performance. Emerging markets accounted for 10.4% of the portfolio. Amid heightened volatility, geopolitical headlines, and extreme stock dispersion, we believe equity markets are increasingly driven by short-term noise and crowd behavior rather than underlying business value. Accordingly, portfolios are positioned with patience and discipline, emphasizing companies trading at meaningful discounts to our estimate of intrinsic value, where long-term fundamentals—not headlines—drive expected returns. Top Contributor | Detractor Top contributor Glencore was the top contributor during the quarter. The Switzerland-headquartered minerals and mining company's stock price rose early in the quarter amidst preliminary discussions for a possible merger with Rio Tinto, a strong Q4 production report for its copper business, and supportive commodity price trends. Reported earnings were broadly in line with market expectations, but the company positively surprised the market with a higher th...
MBOT moves to full U.S. launch of its LIBERTY robotic system after strong hospital adoption, boosting momentum for faster market uptake and sales growth.
MBOT moves to full U.S. launch of its LIBERTY robotic system after strong hospital adoption, boosting momentum for faster market uptake and sales growth.
Physicians issue reminder to public after TV doctor and CMS chief relays president’s claim on Don Jr podcast Donald Trump defended his consumption of diet soda by suggesting it might help prevent cancer, according to recent comments shared by Mehmet Oz in an interview with Donald Trump Jr. The remarks have even prompted some doctors to remind the public that, no, diet soda will not do anything to ...
Physicians issue reminder to public after TV doctor and CMS chief relays president’s claim on Don Jr podcast Donald Trump defended his consumption of diet soda by suggesting it might help prevent cancer, according to recent comments shared by Mehmet Oz in an interview with Donald Trump Jr. The remarks have even prompted some doctors to remind the public that, no, diet soda will not do anything to prevent cancer. Continue reading...
If you've ever justified a big purchase by calling it an “investment,” you're not alone. But personal finance expert Ramit Sethi says that mindset can blur the line between smart financial decisions and simple lifestyle upgrades. In a recent post...
If you've ever justified a big purchase by calling it an “investment,” you're not alone. But personal finance expert Ramit Sethi says that mindset can blur the line between smart financial decisions and simple lifestyle upgrades. In a recent post...