US equity futures climb as markets await the December PCE inflation data. President Trump urges Iran to reach a deal over its nuclear program in 15 days, while the US carries out the biggest military buildup in the Middle East since 2003. Blue Owl is said to have found four buyers for a $1.4 billion portfolio of loans to help pay out investors. Cayla Seder of State Street discusses the risks in pr...
US equity futures climb as markets await the December PCE inflation data. President Trump urges Iran to reach a deal over its nuclear program in 15 days, while the US carries out the biggest military buildup in the Middle East since 2003. Blue Owl is said to have found four buyers for a $1.4 billion portfolio of loans to help pay out investors. Cayla Seder of State Street discusses the risks in private credit. (Source: Bloomberg)
LyondellBasell ( LYB ) declares $0.69/share quarterly dividend , -49.6% decrease from prior dividend of $1.37. Forward yield 4.99% Payable March 9; for shareholders of record March 2; ex-div March 2. “Despite one of the longest downturns in our industry, LYB was able to return approximately $2 billion to our shareholders from existing cash and operations in 2025. With markets expected to remain ch...
LyondellBasell ( LYB ) declares $0.69/share quarterly dividend , -49.6% decrease from prior dividend of $1.37. Forward yield 4.99% Payable March 9; for shareholders of record March 2; ex-div March 2. “Despite one of the longest downturns in our industry, LYB was able to return approximately $2 billion to our shareholders from existing cash and operations in 2025. With markets expected to remain challenged, we have made the decision to recalibrate the dividend to better position the company to thrive once markets recover,” said LYB CEO Peter Vanacker. “In 2026, we are prioritizing safety and reliability while driving additional cost reductions and finding new opportunities to enhance profitability. We remain committed to our target of returning 70% of free cash flow to shareholders through the cycle.” See LYB Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on LyondellBasell Dow Vs. LyondellBasell: Which Is Best Positioned For An Industry Rebound? LyondellBasell: I'm Turning Bearish Again After Q4 Earnings LyondellBasell's Crucial Moment: Will The Board Protect The Dividend? 5 out of 9 S&P 500 materials stocks beat EPS estimates this week: Earnings Scorecard LyondellBasell aims for $1.5B recurring EBITDA by 2028 as market rationalization accelerates
HSBC believes that softer guidance and reduced momentum limit upside for Walmart . The bank downgraded the big box retailer to a hold rating from buy. Analyst Joe Thomas raised his price target to $131 from $122, though that only implies upside of 5% from here. The downgrade comes after Walmart reported a fourth-quarter earnings and revenue beat . However, its current-quarter earnings outlook fell...
HSBC believes that softer guidance and reduced momentum limit upside for Walmart . The bank downgraded the big box retailer to a hold rating from buy. Analyst Joe Thomas raised his price target to $131 from $122, though that only implies upside of 5% from here. The downgrade comes after Walmart reported a fourth-quarter earnings and revenue beat . However, its current-quarter earnings outlook fell short of Wall Street's expectations. Thomas acknowledged Walmart's "solid" results, applauding its strong e-commerce performance and growing volume. The analyst wrote that "there weren't too many weak spots in Q4 results." WMT 1Y mountain WMT 1Y chart Another bright spot Thomas applauded on the report was excitement on e-commerce, which grow 24% globally for Walmart. However, he finds the company's 2026 outlook "surprisingly weak, given solid trends." "Despite solid results all around, guidance was weak, and we have trimmed our forecasts as a result," he added, although he caveated that this might also reflect a degree of conservatism from Walmart's new management team. Thomas cited a lack of immediate momentum as the reason for the rating downgrade, as well as the company's recent run-up in price. "The company is doing a lot right and the shares have been good performers. However, the valuation discount versus Costco has now largely been eliminated, despite slightly slower forecast consensus EPS growth. The slightly weaker-than-expected guidance for 2027 also suggests that near-term momentum for our forecasts may be limited," he wrote. Shares of Walmart have surged 28% over the past 12 months and have popped 12% this year.
watch now VIDEO 4:48 04:48 Oil market is waiting for military conflict with Iran, says S&P Global's Dan Yergin The Exchange A full-blown war between the United States and Iran could, in a worst-case scenario, send oil prices soaring and cause an economic downturn. With a massive U.S. military buildup underway in the Middle East, President Donald Trump signaled Thursday that he will decide in the n...
watch now VIDEO 4:48 04:48 Oil market is waiting for military conflict with Iran, says S&P Global's Dan Yergin The Exchange A full-blown war between the United States and Iran could, in a worst-case scenario, send oil prices soaring and cause an economic downturn. With a massive U.S. military buildup underway in the Middle East, President Donald Trump signaled Thursday that he will decide in the next 10 days whether to launch strikes against Iran. "This Iranian situation just scares the daylights out of this market consistently," John Kilduff, founder of Again Capital, told CNBC. "There will be some mischief made by Iran and that's what the market is pricing in." Trump has warned Iran that an attack would be "far worse" than the limited U.S. airstrikes that targeted its nuclear facilities last June, but has also left open the possibility that negotiations could still hammer out a deal governing Iran's nuclear program. Pricing risk Oil prices have risen nearly 6% this week as traders price in the growing risk of military action. The market's biggest fear is that war would disrupt oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a vital chokepoint for the global oil trade. More than 14 million barrels per day of oil and condensates passed through the narrow waterway on average in 2025, according to data from consulting firm Kpler, which says that accounts for a third of total worldwide seaborne oil exports. About three-quarters of the oil that passes through the strait goes to China, India, Japan and South Korea, according to Kpler. Iran's Revolutionary Guard on Tuesday partially closed the strait for several hours to conduct military exercises. The Guard is prepared to shut down the strait if ordered by Iran's leaders, according to the semiofficial Tasnim news agency, citing Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri. "Iran could disrupt Hormuz for a lot longer [than] many market participants think," said Bob McNally, founder of Rapidan Energy. Worst-case scenar...
Eurobond issuance from sub-Saharan African countries is off to the strongest start to a year in more than a decade, as nations take advantage of lower borrowing costs and demand from investors diversifying out of US assets. Dollar-denominated sovereign bond sales across the region reached $5.95 billion so far this year, the most since 2013. In the same period last year issuance stood at $1.8 billi...
Eurobond issuance from sub-Saharan African countries is off to the strongest start to a year in more than a decade, as nations take advantage of lower borrowing costs and demand from investors diversifying out of US assets. Dollar-denominated sovereign bond sales across the region reached $5.95 billion so far this year, the most since 2013. In the same period last year issuance stood at $1.8 billion. Kenya sold $2.25 billion of seven- and 12-year debt on Thursday, the biggest deal so far in 2026. Ivory Coast , Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Benin have also tapped the market as “a window of opportunity” stays open for African countries to borrow at relatively low interest rates, according to David Austerweil , deputy portfolio manager at Van Eck Global. Read: African Nations Rush to Sell Dollar Bonds as Costs Drop The average risk premium for African sovereign dollar bonds over US Treasuries has narrowed to 329 basis points, the lowest level in eight years, according to a JPMorgan Chase & Co. index. Senegal remains the sole distressed issuer on the continent, as nations take advantage of International Monetary Fund programs and improved credit ratings to push for better deals. That’s enabled some, like Kenya and Congo, to use the proceeds of new issuance to buy back higher-interest debt, lowering overall borrowing costs. Citigroup Inc. has arranged a quarter of all deals in the region so far this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. More issuance is in the pipeline. The Democratic Republic of Congo is expected to go to market for a maiden $750 million bond sale. Authorities from the continent’s biggest copper producer were in a non deal investor roadshow in London this month. “There is definitely room for more issuance,” said Austerweil. “Deals still come with a premium and trade well in the secondary market. Right now, issuers and investors are both winning.” Sign up here for the twice-weekly Next Africa newsletter, and subscribe to the Next Africa podcas...
NOW press release ( DNOW ): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.15 in-line. Revenue of $959M (+68.0% Y/Y) misses by $10.5M . Adjusted EBITDA was $61 million, or 6.4% of revenue Cash provided by operating activities was $83 million More on NOW Undervalued And Expanding: The Case For DNOW After Bagging MRC DNOW: Improving Fundamentals Turn This Cheap Stock Into A Buy (Rating Upgrade) NOW Q4 2025 Earnings Preview ...
NOW press release ( DNOW ): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.15 in-line. Revenue of $959M (+68.0% Y/Y) misses by $10.5M . Adjusted EBITDA was $61 million, or 6.4% of revenue Cash provided by operating activities was $83 million More on NOW Undervalued And Expanding: The Case For DNOW After Bagging MRC DNOW: Improving Fundamentals Turn This Cheap Stock Into A Buy (Rating Upgrade) NOW Q4 2025 Earnings Preview Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on NOW Historical earnings data for NOW
BackyardProduction/iStock via Getty Images I have written about numerous small regional banks that operate out of the spotlight of the broader market on this website, but CF Bankshares ( CFBK ) may be one of the most obscure. The company released its Q4 2025 financial results on February 5 , but it had yet to post the news of the results to its own investor relations website as of February 18 . CF...
BackyardProduction/iStock via Getty Images I have written about numerous small regional banks that operate out of the spotlight of the broader market on this website, but CF Bankshares ( CFBK ) may be one of the most obscure. The company released its Q4 2025 financial results on February 5 , but it had yet to post the news of the results to its own investor relations website as of February 18 . CF Bankshares has not been written about on Seeking Alpha since 2022, yet its stock has risen over 65% in the last five years, not including the additions of dividends. CFBK caught my attention with its gain of over 25% in the first six weeks of this year. The stock's price increase has been rather gradual, not the result of any one significant announcement. The only real meaningful news available for the company in 2026 was an announcement about a $0.01 dividend increase that went into effect at the end of January. There is a lot to like from the recent quarterly results from the company as well as the totals for FY 2025. However, there are just enough concerns with the bank’s loan portfolio that keep me from considering the stock to be a buy. The move made by CFBK earlier this year has been justified as the stock ended last year trading at a discount to peers from its sector, but the best opportunities for price appreciation at the start of 2026, based on the company’s recent results, may have been already realized. Company Overview CF Bankshares operates as the holding company for CFBank, N.A. The company provides traditional retail and commercial banking services in four metropolitan areas in Ohio—Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus. The bank also has one additional branch in Indianapolis, Indiana. CFBank describes itself as a “ boutique bank ” that focuses on the needs of closely held businesses and entrepreneurs as well as retail clients with at least $25,000 in account relationships. It also operates with a branch-lite model that has only eight branches in total...
At 7pm on Thursday, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was snapped in the back of a car by Phil Noble for Reuters, and the photo is now the defining image of the former prince's arrest. Guardian Australia's picture editor Carly Earl explains why the 'viral' photo of Mountbatten-Windsor is a masterclass in news photography, and why getting this kind of picture is notoriously difficult Continue reading...
At 7pm on Thursday, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was snapped in the back of a car by Phil Noble for Reuters, and the photo is now the defining image of the former prince's arrest. Guardian Australia's picture editor Carly Earl explains why the 'viral' photo of Mountbatten-Windsor is a masterclass in news photography, and why getting this kind of picture is notoriously difficult Continue reading...
The US has amassed an arsenal of military assets in the Middle East that would allow it to launch an aerial bombing campaign against Iran Experts say there are already sufficient US military assets in the Middle East to begin an aerial bombing campaign against Iran , potentially in conjunction with Israel, though it is less clear what this would achieve. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier an...
The US has amassed an arsenal of military assets in the Middle East that would allow it to launch an aerial bombing campaign against Iran Experts say there are already sufficient US military assets in the Middle East to begin an aerial bombing campaign against Iran , potentially in conjunction with Israel, though it is less clear what this would achieve. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and other warships in a strike group have been in the Arabian Sea for nearly a month, with nine squadrons of aircraft including F-35 Lightning IIs and F/A-18 Super Hornets. Continue reading...
AngloGold Ashanti ( AU ) declares $1.73/share interim dividend . Forward yield 6.43% Payable March 27; for shareholders of record March 13; ex-div March 13. See AU Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on AngloGold Ashanti AngloGold Ashanti: 'Gold Is The Money Of Kings,' Be A King Still Ascending Is AngloGold Ashanti AngloGold Ashanti reports mixed Q4 results; updates FY26 outlo...
AngloGold Ashanti ( AU ) declares $1.73/share interim dividend . Forward yield 6.43% Payable March 27; for shareholders of record March 13; ex-div March 13. See AU Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on AngloGold Ashanti AngloGold Ashanti: 'Gold Is The Money Of Kings,' Be A King Still Ascending Is AngloGold Ashanti AngloGold Ashanti reports mixed Q4 results; updates FY26 outlook AngloGold Ashanti Q3 2025 Earnings Preview Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on AngloGold Ashanti