U.S. stock-market futures were little changed on Sunday, as investors grappled with the implications of Friday’s Supreme Court ruling that overturned most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
U.S. stock-market futures were little changed on Sunday, as investors grappled with the implications of Friday’s Supreme Court ruling that overturned most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
New Zealand retail sales increased more than economists expected in the fourth quarter, suggesting the economic recovery maintained its momentum in the final months of 2025. Sales adjusted for inflation rose 0.9% from the prior three months, when they surged 1.9%, Statistics New Zealand said Monday in Wellington. Economists estimated the gauge — a measure of sales volumes — would rise 0.6%. On a p...
New Zealand retail sales increased more than economists expected in the fourth quarter, suggesting the economic recovery maintained its momentum in the final months of 2025. Sales adjusted for inflation rose 0.9% from the prior three months, when they surged 1.9%, Statistics New Zealand said Monday in Wellington. Economists estimated the gauge — a measure of sales volumes — would rise 0.6%. On a per-capita basis, sales are the highest since the second quarter of 2023. The fifth straight gain in household spending comes after gross domestic product rose 1.1% in the third quarter last year amid aggressive monetary policy easing. While the Reserve Bank last week signaled it has finished cutting interest rates, it said it doesn’t expect to tighten until late this year at the earliest, which is expected to encourage more consumption growth. Today’s report showed the biggest lifts in spending in the quarter were for electrical goods, hardware and building supplies, and accommodation. “Looking under the surface, the increase in spending has been centered on discretionary spending areas, which tend to be more sensitive to interest rates,” said Satish Ranchhod , senior economist at Westpac in Auckland. There were also signs of increased hospitality spending which may be linked to the summer vacation period and increased numbers of tourists, he said. The RBNZ cut the OCR by 325 basis points between August 2024 and November last year, providing stimulus to an economy that had struggled to emerge from a 2024 recession. Policymakers expect homeowners will roll over onto lower home-loan interest rates, which will support consumption, although that will be offset by caution as the labor market lags the overall recovery. The jobless rate unexpectedly rose to a 10-year high in the fourth quarter, which is expected to limit wage increases. The RBNZ also said it is wary that house prices are languishing, which deprives households of the wealth effect many need to kick start spending. ...
Hiroshi Watanabe Concerns about rising defaults in the leveraged loan market are spilling into retail funds that own the riskiest slices of collateralized loan obligations, or CLOs. These equity tranches, often marketed for their double-digit yields, sit first in line to absorb losses if underlying loans sour. Tom Graff, chief investment officer at Facet, said this is one corner of credit markets ...
Hiroshi Watanabe Concerns about rising defaults in the leveraged loan market are spilling into retail funds that own the riskiest slices of collateralized loan obligations, or CLOs. These equity tranches, often marketed for their double-digit yields, sit first in line to absorb losses if underlying loans sour. Tom Graff, chief investment officer at Facet, said this is one corner of credit markets where caution is justified. “Now here is a place where it is rational to be worried,” Graff wrote on X in reaction to an article by Bloomberg News. “They are called first loss for a reason. Functionally CLO equity is ~8-12x levered position in bank loans. If expected defaults goes from 2-4% to 4-6%, that's a big difference.” In other words, modest increases in default expectations can translate into outsized hits for CLO equity investors because of embedded leverage. Dividends cut, shares hit lows Several closed-end funds focused on CLO equity and junior tranches have reduced monthly distributions in recent weeks as loan yields compress and volatility climbs. Funds affiliated with Eagle Point, Oxford Lane and Sound Point Meridian have trimmed payouts, while others are under pressure to defend theirs. Share prices have slumped to record or multi-year lows, reflecting investor unease about both income sustainability and net asset values. Although publicly traded CLO equity funds represent only a small portion of the $1.3 trillion CLO universe, they offer a visible stress point, particularly because many are held by retail income investors. AI anxiety meets loan market strain Roughly 13% of leveraged loans are tied to software companies, long considered durable due to subscription-based revenue. But enthusiasm around generative AI has sparked fears that custom-built tools could displace traditional enterprise software vendors, raising questions about future cash flows, Bloomberg News reported. That shift comes on top of structural headwinds. A slowdown in mergers and acquisiti...
Hiroshi Watanabe Concerns about rising defaults in the leveraged loan market are spilling into retail funds that own the riskiest slices of collateralized loan obligations, or CLOs. These equity tranches, often marketed for their double-digit yields, sit first in line to absorb losses if underlying loans sour. Tom Graff, chief investment officer at Facet, said this is one corner of credit markets ...
Hiroshi Watanabe Concerns about rising defaults in the leveraged loan market are spilling into retail funds that own the riskiest slices of collateralized loan obligations, or CLOs. These equity tranches, often marketed for their double-digit yields, sit first in line to absorb losses if underlying loans sour. Tom Graff, chief investment officer at Facet, said this is one corner of credit markets where caution is justified. “Now here is a place where it is rational to be worried,” Graff wrote on X in reaction to an article by Bloomberg News. “They are called first loss for a reason. Functionally CLO equity is ~8-12x levered position in bank loans. If expected defaults goes from 2-4% to 4-6%, that's a big difference.” In other words, modest increases in default expectations can translate into outsized hits for CLO equity investors because of embedded leverage. Dividends cut, shares hit lows Several closed-end funds focused on CLO equity and junior tranches have reduced monthly distributions in recent weeks as loan yields compress and volatility climbs. Funds affiliated with Eagle Point, Oxford Lane and Sound Point Meridian have trimmed payouts, while others are under pressure to defend theirs. Share prices have slumped to record or multi-year lows, reflecting investor unease about both income sustainability and net asset values. Although publicly traded CLO equity funds represent only a small portion of the $1.3 trillion CLO universe, they offer a visible stress point, particularly because many are held by retail income investors. AI anxiety meets loan market strain Roughly 13% of leveraged loans are tied to software companies, long considered durable due to subscription-based revenue. But enthusiasm around generative AI has sparked fears that custom-built tools could displace traditional enterprise software vendors, raising questions about future cash flows, Bloomberg News reported. That shift comes on top of structural headwinds. A slowdown in mergers and acquisiti...
With the Hong Kong government budget coming shortly after Lunar New Year this year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po needs no reminder that people’s hopes – as numerous as the wishes hanging on the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree – are riding on his annual plan. Equally important is the goal to help Hong Kong weather challenges and achieve robust growth in the Year of the Horse. How to capitalise on the...
With the Hong Kong government budget coming shortly after Lunar New Year this year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po needs no reminder that people’s hopes – as numerous as the wishes hanging on the Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree – are riding on his annual plan. Equally important is the goal to help Hong Kong weather challenges and achieve robust growth in the Year of the Horse. How to capitalise on the opportunities ahead and enable more people to enjoy the fruits of economic success is the test...
Multiple securities fraud class action lawsuits have been filed against Oracle, alleging misleading statements about AI infrastructure capital spending and related financial risks. The cases focus on disclosures around major data center investments, debt exposure, and expected revenue tied to Oracle's AI infrastructure plans. At the same time, Oracle has continued to win large US government cloud ...
Multiple securities fraud class action lawsuits have been filed against Oracle, alleging misleading statements about AI infrastructure capital spending and related financial risks. The cases focus on disclosures around major data center investments, debt exposure, and expected revenue tied to Oracle's AI infrastructure plans. At the same time, Oracle has continued to win large US government cloud contracts, including deals with the US Air Force and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...
Andrew R. Harrison, EVP and CCO at Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) , reported the sale of 5,500 shares of Common Stock in an open-market transaction on Feb. 18, 2026, according to a SEC Form 4 filing . Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average purchase price ($56.63); post-transaction value based on Feb. 18, 2026 market close ($56.63). Continue reading
Andrew R. Harrison, EVP and CCO at Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK) , reported the sale of 5,500 shares of Common Stock in an open-market transaction on Feb. 18, 2026, according to a SEC Form 4 filing . Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average purchase price ($56.63); post-transaction value based on Feb. 18, 2026 market close ($56.63). Continue reading
If you are wondering whether Alibaba Group Holding is still offering value at its recent price, this article will walk through what the current numbers suggest about where the stock stands today. The shares recently closed at US$154.45, with a 0.8% decline over 7 days, a 10.8% decline over 30 days, a 0.8% decline year to date, a 9.2% gain over 1 year, an 82.6% gain over 3 years and a 31.6% decline...
If you are wondering whether Alibaba Group Holding is still offering value at its recent price, this article will walk through what the current numbers suggest about where the stock stands today. The shares recently closed at US$154.45, with a 0.8% decline over 7 days, a 10.8% decline over 30 days, a 0.8% decline year to date, a 9.2% gain over 1 year, an 82.6% gain over 3 years and a 31.6% decline over 5 years. This mix of returns hints that the market has been reassessing both its potential...
Artificial intelligence (AI) stocks helped the S&P 500 soar in the double digits over each of the past three years. Investors were eager to pile into companies active in this new, high-potential area -- and in many cases, their portfolios benefited from the decision right away. Many companies saw their shares soar in the double and triple digits in this early stage of the AI boom. In recent times,...
Artificial intelligence (AI) stocks helped the S&P 500 soar in the double digits over each of the past three years. Investors were eager to pile into companies active in this new, high-potential area -- and in many cases, their portfolios benefited from the decision right away. Many companies saw their shares soar in the double and triple digits in this early stage of the AI boom. In recent times, though, investors have become more cautious about AI investing as they worry that the pace of AI spending may slow at some point -- and send high-flying stocks crashing down. So, investors have been particularly tuned in to what messages industry leaders are delivering, with keen attention directed at levels of demand and AI spending. Against this backdrop, Feb. 26 could be a huge day for the stock market, with one key message driving big gains or declines. Let's take a closer look and find out how you can prepare. Continue reading