The military approach has backfired, with Iran’s position only strengthened. But the door is still open to a deal Donald Trump was quick to declare victory over Iran, but this weekend’s negotiations suggest that Tehran has the upper hand. His war of choice has backfired. His military solution has emboldened rather than weakened Iran. Diplomacy is his only reasonable option. Trump may have hoped th...
The military approach has backfired, with Iran’s position only strengthened. But the door is still open to a deal Donald Trump was quick to declare victory over Iran, but this weekend’s negotiations suggest that Tehran has the upper hand. His war of choice has backfired. His military solution has emboldened rather than weakened Iran. Diplomacy is his only reasonable option. Trump may have hoped that the marathon 16 -hour talks in Pakistan would extract him from his self-created quagmire, but the issues that have long divided Washington and Tehran are complex. When it turned out that Iran wanted to negotiate rather than capitulate , JD Vance, who led the US diplomatic team, packed his bags and went home. Kenneth Roth is a Guardian US columnist, visiting professor at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, and former executive director of Human Rights Watch. He is the author of Righting Wrongs: Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments Continue reading...
Farage and sidekick are still sore about how the Tories handled Brexit, although new mates Braverman and Jenrick are forgiven The Reform UK press conference began a little behind schedule. Time in which Nigel Farage had gathered Zia Yusuf and a few others into a circle for a two-minute silence. A moment to reflect on the sad news from Hungary that Viktor Orbán’s 16 years as prime minister had come...
Farage and sidekick are still sore about how the Tories handled Brexit, although new mates Braverman and Jenrick are forgiven The Reform UK press conference began a little behind schedule. Time in which Nigel Farage had gathered Zia Yusuf and a few others into a circle for a two-minute silence. A moment to reflect on the sad news from Hungary that Viktor Orbán’s 16 years as prime minister had come to a premature end. Orbán had had so much more to give the world. There would be no one left in the EU to block the €90bn loan to Ukraine. Will there be no one to think of Russia’s brave struggles against the west? It was a tragedy. The end of an era. Nige would now have to go it alone. There’s a law of diminishing returns to these Reform press conferences. We now get two or three of them a week, each one promising to be of national importance. The reality is that they are no more than a chance for Farage to indulge his narcissism and get himself on camera once more. It’s the only time he feels truly alive. But the audiences are dwindling. They are no longer “must-screen” events for the main news channels. Reform’s idea of importance is the broadcasters’ idea of eminently missable. You can see the desperation in Nige’s eyes. He is in danger of becoming last year’s news. Continue reading...
Oil prices don’t yet reflect the severity of the unprecedented supply crisis caused by the Iran war, but they soon will, the head of the International Energy Agency said. About 13 million barrels a day of oil supply have been shuttered by the conflict and the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council. More than 80 energ...
Oil prices don’t yet reflect the severity of the unprecedented supply crisis caused by the Iran war, but they soon will, the head of the International Energy Agency said. About 13 million barrels a day of oil supply have been shuttered by the conflict and the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council. More than 80 energy facilities have been damaged during the hostilities, and a recovery could take as long as two years, he warned. The Paris-based agency has already described the current supply disruption as the biggest in history . “Prices are already high, but they are not reflecting the severity of the problem — I agree there is a disconnect,” Birol said. “But I think soon we will see they will converge, which is an extremely sensitive issue for the global economy.” Oil futures are trading near $100 a barrel in London, which marks a rally of roughly 64% since the start of the year but is still considerably below the levels reached after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, or the records set in 2008. Last month, IEA members such as the US, Japan and Germany agreed an unprecedented release of emergency oil stockpiles to help calm markets.
Intel's Nova Lake CPUs gear up to seize AMD’s 3D V-Cache gaming throne — early leak points to up to 52 cores, blazing DDR5-8000 support, and massive 175W TDP Tom's Hardware
Intel's Nova Lake CPUs gear up to seize AMD’s 3D V-Cache gaming throne — early leak points to up to 52 cores, blazing DDR5-8000 support, and massive 175W TDP Tom's Hardware
kodda/iStock via Getty Images ONEOK ( OKE ) said late Friday it is currently shipping fuel from Oklahoma to Texas via a segment of its Magellan pipeline, reversing flows that typically carry product northbound to Oklahoma from Texas. The move comes as the U.S. Gulf Coast has seen fuel inventories dwindle amid a surge in export demand to offset global shortages from the Middle East war. Jet fuel ex...
kodda/iStock via Getty Images ONEOK ( OKE ) said late Friday it is currently shipping fuel from Oklahoma to Texas via a segment of its Magellan pipeline, reversing flows that typically carry product northbound to Oklahoma from Texas. The move comes as the U.S. Gulf Coast has seen fuel inventories dwindle amid a surge in export demand to offset global shortages from the Middle East war. Jet fuel exports were higher for a fifth straight week, reaching 442K bbl/day, the highest number on record, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's latest weekly report. "We work closely with our customers to transport supply to key markets, including the Gulf Coast, while monitoring market developments and making adjustments as needed," a ONEOK ( OKE ) spokesperson said. More on ONEOK ONEOK: This Dip Looks Like A Buying Opportunity ONEOK: Bullish Setup Remains Despite Slower Near-Term Growth ONEOK: Easy Money Made, Still A Long-Term Buy Now
After a social media pressure campaign and over a million kilometers of safe driving on European roads, Tesla FSD (Supervised) finally has its foot in the door in the EU, with the Netherlands approving its use on highways and city streets. The approval paves the way for Tesla's ultimate goal of ...
After a social media pressure campaign and over a million kilometers of safe driving on European roads, Tesla FSD (Supervised) finally has its foot in the door in the EU, with the Netherlands approving its use on highways and city streets. The approval paves the way for Tesla's ultimate goal of ...
SaaSpocalypse. Credit defaults. The war in Iran. A lot of worries are hitting the $1.8 trillion private credit market at the same time, setting off a scramble by some investors to withdraw money from the industry’s giants. In recent weeks, funds managed by firms such as Apollo Global Management Inc. , BlackRock Inc. and Ares Management Corp. have faced unprecedented requests for redemptions — and,...
SaaSpocalypse. Credit defaults. The war in Iran. A lot of worries are hitting the $1.8 trillion private credit market at the same time, setting off a scramble by some investors to withdraw money from the industry’s giants. In recent weeks, funds managed by firms such as Apollo Global Management Inc. , BlackRock Inc. and Ares Management Corp. have faced unprecedented requests for redemptions — and, in many cases, have exercised their right to block investors from getting all their money out. Here’s a guide to what’s happening in the private credit market and why it’s rattling nerves on Wall Street. What is private credit? “Private credit” doesn’t have one set definition. It’s an umbrella term referring to a handful of debt investment strategies. It’s “private” because unlike traded forms of debt, where banks are typically involved in arranging the transactions, the details are often invisible to anyone not connected to the deals. Most of the funds facing redemption requests are actually in a subset of private credit known as direct lending, where investment firms lend money to riskier, typically privately owned companies. Investors are attracted to these deals because they offer high yields, in exchange for taking on more risk. Why are we hearing so much lately about private credit? Jitters first began in the latter half of 2025. Big blowups at privately owned companies First Brands Group and Tricolor Holdings , while only tangentially related to private credit, spooked investors in general about the credit sector and what other problems could be lurking beneath the surface. Read more: A Guide to the Fault Lines in the Credit Market Meanwhile private credit’s outsize exposure to software companies, which up until recently had been considered a relatively safe and lucrative bet, also began to cause concern. Investors are worried that these businesses will lose revenue as customers turn to cheaper AI-based services. While there is little sign of that happening so far, ...
In this article .SPX Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT A sign is posted on the exterior of a BlackRock office on Jan. 15, 2026 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Asset management giant BlackRock raised its outlook for U.S. stocks, reasoning that contained impacts from the Iran war and strong corporate earnings will create a favorable backdrop for domestic eq...
In this article .SPX Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT A sign is posted on the exterior of a BlackRock office on Jan. 15, 2026 in San Francisco, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Asset management giant BlackRock raised its outlook for U.S. stocks, reasoning that contained impacts from the Iran war and strong corporate earnings will create a favorable backdrop for domestic equities. The firm, which manages $14 trillion for clients, said in its weekly market note that it raised the rating a notch to overweight from neutral. Developments in the war had made BlackRock cautious on domestic stocks. But it said prospects for a lasting ceasefire now have strategists believing that the impacts won't be major. "We saw two signposts that would lead us to re-up risk after reducing it a few weeks ago. First, tangible evidence of actions that would reopen flows through the Strait of Hormuz. And second, visibility on the lingering macro impact being contained," the firm said. "This comes as expectations for corporate earnings have climbed for both the U.S. and [emerging markets] for 2026 – even since the conflict began on Feb. 28." Moreover, the strategists said "the threshold for the U.S. and Iran to go back to war is high," further limiting potential damage. At the same time, prospects for corporate profits appear bright. With earnings season just getting underway, S&P 500 companies are expected to post a collective 12.6% profit increase in the first quarter, according to FactSet. If historical beat rates hold, that would rise to 19%, the forecasting firm said. Moreover, technology profits are expected to grow 45% this year, yet the sector has seen only a marginal gain this year. BlackRock said that has put valuation of information technology against the other 10 sectors at its lowest since mid-2020. "We re-up risk in the U.S. and EM due to strong corporate earnings expectations and limited accrued damage to global growth," the strategists said. "We focus ...
Editor's note: Seeking Alpha is proud to welcome Shailja Sharma as a new contributing analyst. You can become one too! Share your best investment idea by submitting your article for review to our editors. Get published, earn money, and unlock exclusive SA Premium access. Click here to find out more » jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction The wall street currently viewing Croc...
Editor's note: Seeking Alpha is proud to welcome Shailja Sharma as a new contributing analyst. You can become one too! Share your best investment idea by submitting your article for review to our editors. Get published, earn money, and unlock exclusive SA Premium access. Click here to find out more » jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction The wall street currently viewing Crocs, Inc. ( CROX ) like a failing business. Investors castigate the stock heavily because sales at HeyDude keep dropping. However, focusing only on weak spot misses the bigger picture and highly profitable reality that Crocs is a cash making machine trading at a high discount. My Strong buy thesis is straightforward: The main driver for the stock over the next 12-24 months would not be explosive revenue growth but a rapid debt reduction. Based on a forward Free Cash Flow (FCF) yield of over 12%, management is rapidly paying back their $1.23 billion in net debt . They plan on a 1.0x net debt to EBITDA ratio by the end of 2026. As the debt lower, hundreds of millions of dollars are redirected into buying back up to $750 million of their stock. When you combine this aggressive buyback potential with projected positive 23% operating margins, CROX's current valuation of just 5.7x EV/EBITDA is fundamentally mispriced compared to peers like Deckers and Nike. To truly understand the Crocs discount, we must look at the competitive scene. The market is pricing Crocs as a "here today, gone tomorrow," while giving high end valuations to its competitors like Deckers (parent of HOKA and UGG). Deckers commands a 20x Forward P/E because it is viewed as a high-growth, premium athletic brand. Crocs is viewed as a periodic trend. However, a qualitative look at Crocs' growth drivers deconstruct this "short lived trend" narrative. First, Crocs has successfully monetized personalization through its "Jibbitz". These small accessories cost cents to make but sell for dollars which means high margins,...
Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) shares are spiking 11% higher on Monday, moving from $138.09 to $153 in heavy trading. The move comes after a brutal stretch for ORCL stock, which entered today down 28% year to date, making the size of Monday’s gain all the more striking. The rally reflects a market that’s been waiting for a ... Oracle Rockets 11% Higher as AI Utility Tools and Technical Buying Collide in Heavy...
Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) shares are spiking 11% higher on Monday, moving from $138.09 to $153 in heavy trading. The move comes after a brutal stretch for ORCL stock, which entered today down 28% year to date, making the size of Monday’s gain all the more striking. The rally reflects a market that’s been waiting for a ... Oracle Rockets 11% Higher as AI Utility Tools and Technical Buying Collide in Heavy Trading
A growing number of developers and AI power users are taking to social media to accuse Anthropic of degrading the performance of Claude Opus 4.6 and Claude Code — intentionally or as an outcome of compute limits — arguing that the company’s flagship coding model feels less capable, less reliable and more wasteful with tokens than it did just weeks ago. The complaints have spread quickly on Github ...
A growing number of developers and AI power users are taking to social media to accuse Anthropic of degrading the performance of Claude Opus 4.6 and Claude Code — intentionally or as an outcome of compute limits — arguing that the company’s flagship coding model feels less capable, less reliable and more wasteful with tokens than it did just weeks ago. The complaints have spread quickly on Github , X and Reddit over the past several weeks, with several high-reach posts alleging that Claude has become worse at sustained reasoning, more likely to abandon tasks midway through, and more prone to hallucinations or contradictions. Some users have framed the issue as “AI shrinkflation” — the idea that customers are paying the same price for a weaker product. Others have gone further, suggesting Anthropic may be throttling or otherwise tuning Claude downward during periods of heavy demand. Those claims remain unproven, and Anthropic employees have publicly denied that the company degrades models to manage capacity. At the same time, Anthropic has acknowledged real changes to usage limits and reasoning defaults in recent weeks, which has made the broader debate more combustible. VentureBeat has reached out to Anthropic for further clarification on the recent accusations, including whether any recent changes to reasoning defaults, context handling, throttling behavior, inference parameters or benchmark methodology could help explain the spike in complaints. We have also asked how Anthropic explains the recent benchmark-related claims and whether it plans to publish additional data that could reassure customers. As of publication time, we are awaiting a response. Viral user complaints, including from an AMD Senior Director, argue Claude has become less capable One of the most detailed public complaints originated as a GitHub issue filed by Stella Laurenzo on April 2, 2026, whose LinkedIn profile identifies her as Senior Director in AMD’s AI group. In that post, Laurenzo wrote ...