The US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz may give it a strategic advantage over Iran, but analysts warned that the increased pressure on Iran may call the ceasefire into question and deepen the energy crisis. US Central Command said a blockade on ships “entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas” would take effect at 10am US eastern time (3pm GMT) on Monday along the Persian Gulf and Gul...
The US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz may give it a strategic advantage over Iran, but analysts warned that the increased pressure on Iran may call the ceasefire into question and deepen the energy crisis. US Central Command said a blockade on ships “entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas” would take effect at 10am US eastern time (3pm GMT) on Monday along the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. It also said it would not impede vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz to and from...
Olga Kostrova /iStock via Getty Images Introduction The last time I covered B2Gold ( BTG ), I highlighted the company's distressed valuation and significant growth potential while the market continued to price in significant levels of risk due to Mali, despite the company's expansion in Canada through the ramp-up of their Goose mine. With the valuation still accounting for significant levels of ri...
Olga Kostrova /iStock via Getty Images Introduction The last time I covered B2Gold ( BTG ), I highlighted the company's distressed valuation and significant growth potential while the market continued to price in significant levels of risk due to Mali, despite the company's expansion in Canada through the ramp-up of their Goose mine. With the valuation still accounting for significant levels of risk despite their geographic diversification, B2G remains a Strong Buy, with significant potential for a re-rating as they continue to use the profits from Mali to develop a global portfolio. Expansion Advances, Fundamentals Still Strong B2Gold IR B2Gold reported a solid year overall thanks to the major jump in the commodity, with Q4's EPS beating the market's estimates despite a miss on revenue , being marked by the significant effects of a shipment delay at Fekola (~20,000 oz), the arctic freeze at Goose, which went through an extremely cold season from the start, as well as an increase in royalties that's explained by the jump in gold prices, which doesn't indicate a jump in operational expenses, falling in case of a drop in the commodity. B2Gold announced that their CEO is also retiring - which is a trend seen quite a bit over the past few months [e.g. Barrick ( B ) and Newmont ( NEM ), to name a few] - after serving the role for nearly 20 years, being succeeded by the company's CFO (while the other two named their COOs). We saw how much a CEO change has done for Barrick and even Newmont recently, and this can also be an interesting move for BTG, as it can open the path for a renewed approach in the wake of what I believe can be a fundamental, long-term repricing for gold. Other than that, Fekola Regional is still not permitted, which caused no mining activity there last year, adding further uncertainty and stoking the market's fear, although we should keep in mind that the agreement is technically set since back in late July 2025. Still, this delay certainly doesn't hel...
AndreyPopov/iStock via Getty Images Investing Through Uncertainty By late February, resilient equity performance was suggesting Q1 would mark the fourth consecutive quarter of positive returns. Inflation was trending toward target, interest rates were expected to ease further, and corporate earnings were healthy and growing. This tranquil state, however, was disrupted on February 28th as U.S. and ...
AndreyPopov/iStock via Getty Images Investing Through Uncertainty By late February, resilient equity performance was suggesting Q1 would mark the fourth consecutive quarter of positive returns. Inflation was trending toward target, interest rates were expected to ease further, and corporate earnings were healthy and growing. This tranquil state, however, was disrupted on February 28th as U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran sent ripples across financial markets, reminding investors that markets rarely move in a straight line. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key narrow waterway that carries about one-fifth of global crude oil supply, led to sharp price spikes in global energy markets, with the price per barrel of Brent crude oil climbing from $72 pre-conflict to $104 by the end of March. This historically rare price shock is not just isolated to crude alone, but to fertilizer, helium and other commodities that are needed globally and are key inputs to critical industries. This raised inflationary concerns and stagflationary risks, particularly for energy importing nations in Asia and Europe. The loss of life throughout this conflict has been tragic. As investors, however, we also recognize that such disruptive events create winners and losers not only across countries but also across businesses and households that may already be struggling with elevated living costs. Without clear evidence of decelerating growth or accelerating inflation above target just yet, the Bank of Canada and U.S. Federal Reserve are exercising patience and maintaining policy rates at current levels. Growing inflation and budgetary concerns from the U.S. military campaign weighed on bond yields as they repriced higher in March. As a result, bonds did not provide their traditional safe haven status in this environment, as the FTSE Canadian Universe Bond Index slid -2.0% in March but held in at 0.2% for Q1. Precious metals also declined in the month, with gold and silver slumping -1...
The skyline in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. Abu Dhabi has for years been trying to establish itself as an attractive alternative to neighboring Dubai. Photographer: Vidhyaa Chandramohan/Bloomberg
The skyline in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. Abu Dhabi has for years been trying to establish itself as an attractive alternative to neighboring Dubai. Photographer: Vidhyaa Chandramohan/Bloomberg
Don't look now, but one of the hottest companies on the U.S. stock market is also one of its oldest. Glass products specialist Corning (NYSE: GLW) is that company, and its shares have risen a hard-to-believe 311% over the past year compared to the 29% rise of the benchmark S&P 500 index it's a component of. All stocks ultimately obey the law of gravity, however, so is 175-year-old Corning at the p...
Don't look now, but one of the hottest companies on the U.S. stock market is also one of its oldest. Glass products specialist Corning (NYSE: GLW) is that company, and its shares have risen a hard-to-believe 311% over the past year compared to the 29% rise of the benchmark S&P 500 index it's a component of. All stocks ultimately obey the law of gravity, however, so is 175-year-old Corning at the peak of its gains, or is there much more upside to come? Corning has done well for more than that single year. If it's known for anything by the general public, it's for being the developer and manufacturer of Gorilla Glass. You probably use this product yourself, as it's chemically treated glass that serves as the display in smartphones and similar wares (like Apple 's iDevices) and is used in many computer monitors. Continue reading
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sparked a diplomatic row with Israel and criticism at home after comparing Israeli military actions against Palestinians to the Holocaust in a post on social media platform X. The controversy began on Friday after Lee said “wartime killings” by the Israel Defence Forces were “no different from the Jewish massacre” by the Nazis in World War II and reposted ...
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sparked a diplomatic row with Israel and criticism at home after comparing Israeli military actions against Palestinians to the Holocaust in a post on social media platform X. The controversy began on Friday after Lee said “wartime killings” by the Israel Defence Forces were “no different from the Jewish massacre” by the Nazis in World War II and reposted footage with a caption that said it showed Israeli troops had tortured and thrown a Palestinian from...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images 3M Company ( MMM ) has rebounded more than 50% from its 2023 lows, but it's still nowhere near its 2021 or 2018 levels. MMM has been plagued with litigation, from the PFAS lawsuits to the earplug settlements. Then adding in the Solventum ( SOLV ) spinoff, which caused some investors to question what type of company MMM was anymore, caused MMM to remain a...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images 3M Company ( MMM ) has rebounded more than 50% from its 2023 lows, but it's still nowhere near its 2021 or 2018 levels. MMM has been plagued with litigation, from the PFAS lawsuits to the earplug settlements. Then adding in the Solventum ( SOLV ) spinoff, which caused some investors to question what type of company MMM was anymore, caused MMM to remain an underperformer. Every time it looked like the bottom was in, another headline would drag the stock lower and remind everyone why many investors had moved on. I am taking a contrarian approach, as I believe something is shifting and not enough people are paying attention to it. MMM just capped off a full year where adjusted operating margins expanded by 200 basis points to 23.4% and their EPS grew 10% to $8.06. Yes, PFAS is still a real thing, and there are roughly 15,000 personal injury lawsuits still pending and bellwether trials expected later this year, but the largest liabilities are resolved, structured, and being paid out over 13 years. The market is pricing in high single-digit forward growth on EPS over the next several years, and the average analyst price target is $173.67. At a time when SaaS is imploding and the A.I. revolution is being punished due to CapEx allocations, MMM is starting to look more enticing as the litigations are being put behind them. Seeking Alpha Following up on my previous article about MMM Back in May of 2025, I had written an article about MMM ( can be read here ), and even though MMM had rebounded by over 40% off the lows, I was still bullish. Management was focused on innovation and operational efficiency after a strong Q1, and I believed that the litigation risks overcompensated the progress MMM had made. MMM's strategy revolved around accelerating product innovation, improving margins, and disciplined capital allocation by rewarding shareholders through buybacks and dividends. I am following up with a new article to discuss how the 2...
Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Monday: Wells Fargo reiterates Tesla as underweight The firm says it's sticking with its underweight rating on Tesla ahead of earnings next week. "With limited Robotaxi & Optimus progress, we see pivot to Semi, Roadster, solar & semi fab. We stay UW." KeyBanc reiterates Nvidia as overweight KeyBanc says it's bullish on the stock ahead of earnings later ...
Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Monday: Wells Fargo reiterates Tesla as underweight The firm says it's sticking with its underweight rating on Tesla ahead of earnings next week. "With limited Robotaxi & Optimus progress, we see pivot to Semi, Roadster, solar & semi fab. We stay UW." KeyBanc reiterates Nvidia as overweight KeyBanc says it's bullish on the stock ahead of earnings later this quarter. "We expect NVDA to deliver higher results and higher guidance, driven by accelerating AI demand while incremental supply commitments support LT growth." Jefferies upgrades Starbucks to hold from sell Jefferies says the U.S. is stabilizing. "While SBUX continues to trade at a large premium valuation we find unwarranted, we upgrade our rating from Underperform to Hold with expectations/ests finally closer to realistic levels." Bank of America upgrades On Semi to buy from neutral The firm says its upgrade is "early" but that the stock is too attractive to ignore. "Upgrade ON to Buy; raise estimates/PO to $85. The slow auto/EV environment makes our ON upgrade potentially a tad early, but we like the company's 1) pipeline (rising AI power, Treo products), 2) solid FCF generation (~6% FCF yield)..." Oppenheimer upgrades Blackstone to outperform from perform Oppenheimer says the stock is "very attractive." "We are upgrading BX to Outperform (from Perform) with a target of $154 because even on the lowered target multiple, the stock is now very attractive." Goldman Sachs upgrades Williams-Sonoma to buy from neutral Goldman says it sees a compelling entry point. "We have been waiting for some time for a better entry point for Williams-Sonoma, and we think this is the right level with the stock ~14% off its recent highs in February ." Morgan Stanley upgrades Bilibili to overweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley says it sees "AI tailwinds." "We see emerging value in Bilibili stock with better game pipeline visibility, sustained AI adoption tailwinds and a stronger valua...