"The Plan Was To Kill Off Gold As Money..." Authored by Alasdair Macleod via VonGreyerz.gold, For years, bulls of gold and silver have complained about how derivatives have been used to suppress their prices. Their dreams of the practice ending could be coming true... Introduction If you think about it, there is a simple reason that derivatives for speculating or hedging gold is fatally flawed. It...
"The Plan Was To Kill Off Gold As Money..." Authored by Alasdair Macleod via VonGreyerz.gold, For years, bulls of gold and silver have complained about how derivatives have been used to suppress their prices. Their dreams of the practice ending could be coming true... Introduction If you think about it, there is a simple reason that derivatives for speculating or hedging gold is fatally flawed. It is because in nearly every nation’s common law, gold is money, and currencies are inferior credit, which is where payment risk actually lies. That the Western financial establishment is ignorant of this fact does not change the facts. There is a good reason why this matters. Gold has lasted as legal money, and credit has been separately acknowledged to be deferred payment in money since Roman law. Since then, there have been many instances of governments denying these facts and promoting their currencies in the place of gold, which have always ended in their collapse. In any price relationship involving a medium of exchange, there is an objective value and a subjective one. The objective value is always in the medium of exchange, and the subjective value is in the goods or services being exchanged. Put another way, the buyer and seller will both value money or its substitute the same, but the buyer values the goods or services more highly than the seller: otherwise, the exchange won’t take place. But if gold is the money, where does that leave a fiat currency? Clearly, if the currency is not a credible gold substitute, then it should bear the subjective value relative to gold. That it is not regarded this way is partly due to government anti-gold propaganda, but mainly due to accounting in the government’s currency for tax purposes. Furthermore, while a gold standard is always defined as a currency being exchangeable for a given weight of gold, for convenience it is referred to as so many currency units per gramme or ounce. This gives the erroneous impression that gold is ...
Carriers could accept expired passport ‘at their own discretion’, Home Office says, as new rules imminent UK politics live – latest updates British dual nationals may be able to use expired UK passports to prove to airlines they are British when controversial new immigration rules come into force, the Home Office has said. New rules, coming into force on Wednesday , require anyone who is coming in...
Carriers could accept expired passport ‘at their own discretion’, Home Office says, as new rules imminent UK politics live – latest updates British dual nationals may be able to use expired UK passports to prove to airlines they are British when controversial new immigration rules come into force, the Home Office has said. New rules, coming into force on Wednesday , require anyone who is coming into the UK with British dual nationality to present a British passport when boarding a plane, ferry or train or buy a “certificate of entitlement” costing £589 to attach to their foreign passport. Continue reading...
Medical Properties Trust press release ( MPT ): Q4 FFO of $0.18 beats by $0.03 . Revenue of $270.34M (+16.6% Y/Y) beats by $25.68M . More on Medical Properties Trust Medical Properties Trust: Why Short Interest Eased Substantially Before Q4 Earnings From Optionality To Certainty: Why Omega Healthcare Beats Medical Properties Today Medical Properties Trust: Lumpy Recovery & Rich Dividend Yields Sti...
Medical Properties Trust press release ( MPT ): Q4 FFO of $0.18 beats by $0.03 . Revenue of $270.34M (+16.6% Y/Y) beats by $25.68M . More on Medical Properties Trust Medical Properties Trust: Why Short Interest Eased Substantially Before Q4 Earnings From Optionality To Certainty: Why Omega Healthcare Beats Medical Properties Today Medical Properties Trust: Lumpy Recovery & Rich Dividend Yields Still Compelling - Risks Remain Medical Properties Q4 earnings preview: Stabilizing revenue can lift investor sentiment Medical Properties Trust to change ticker symbol to MPT from MPW
Bill Gates speaks during the Gates Foundation's first global Goalkeepers event in the Nordics, which is being held in Stockholm, Sweden, Jan. 22, 2026. TT News Agency | Stefan Jerrevang | Via Reuters Bill Gates has become a source of controversy at this week's high-profile India AI Impact Summit, as speculation around his planned keynote address ultimately ended with his withdrawal at the last min...
Bill Gates speaks during the Gates Foundation's first global Goalkeepers event in the Nordics, which is being held in Stockholm, Sweden, Jan. 22, 2026. TT News Agency | Stefan Jerrevang | Via Reuters Bill Gates has become a source of controversy at this week's high-profile India AI Impact Summit, as speculation around his planned keynote address ultimately ended with his withdrawal at the last minute. The drama comes as the Microsoft co-founder receives public backlash for his past relationship with deceased financier and sex predator Jeffrey Epstein — with more details on the two men's years of communications revealed in the Department of Justice's file drop last month. The Gates Foundation India on Thursday said the billionaire would skip the address "[a]fter careful consideration, and to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities," adding that he would be replaced by another foundation representative. The official announcement capped a back-and-forth saga that began earlier this week when local Indian media pointed out that Gates' name had been removed from some of the summit's public-facing materials. Government sources later briefed the media that Gates was not expected to attend the event. However, the Gates Foundation issued a conflicting message on Wednesday, insisting that he was participating "as planned" before the recent reversal. Asked about the controversy on Tuesday, India's IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters that Gates' attendance would come down to "personal choices," adding he "need not comment." The summit organizers and the foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comments on Gates' absence. The American tech leader turned philanthropist has been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks following the release of millions of documents related to financier Jeffrey Epstein under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The files included a draft email written to himself in which Epstein suggests that he had helped fac...
(RTTNews) - American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) will host a conference call at 9:00 AM ET on February 19, 2026, to discuss Q4 25 earnings results.
(RTTNews) - American Water Works Company, Inc. (AWK) will host a conference call at 9:00 AM ET on February 19, 2026, to discuss Q4 25 earnings results.
Walmart Inc. flagged the unpredictable state of trade and labor market conditions as it issued a forecast for full-year earnings that missed higher expectations. Poonam Goyal of Bloomberg Intelligence has more on Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)
Walmart Inc. flagged the unpredictable state of trade and labor market conditions as it issued a forecast for full-year earnings that missed higher expectations. Poonam Goyal of Bloomberg Intelligence has more on Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)
Dilok Klaisataporn/iStock via Getty Images The North American market took the dollar ( DXY ) lower on Tuesday, and there was little follow-through selling. Yesterday, the dollar was bid in North America, and rather than resist, European more than Asia-Pacific operators have extended the greenback’s gains. The somewhat more hawkish FOMC minutes saw the US two-year yield recover to session highs yes...
Dilok Klaisataporn/iStock via Getty Images The North American market took the dollar ( DXY ) lower on Tuesday, and there was little follow-through selling. Yesterday, the dollar was bid in North America, and rather than resist, European more than Asia-Pacific operators have extended the greenback’s gains. The somewhat more hawkish FOMC minutes saw the US two-year yield recover to session highs yesterday and a little bit more today. However, near 4.47%, the yield remains below last week’s high (~4.51%) ahead of today’s data. There are two other large considerations. First, despite the talks, the market is on edge about a possible US strike on Iran. March WTI is up 1.7% today after yesterday’s 4.6% advance. It is near last month’s high (~$66.50). Second, tomorrow is a decision day for the US Supreme Court. It does not pre-announce which cases have been decided, but there is a chance of a verdict on the president’s use of emergency powers to tariff. Prices G10 • Yesterday, the euro traded marginally on both sides of Tuesday’s trading range and settled below its low. The bearish outside down day saw the euro fall to almost $1.1780 yesterday. It was unable to resurface above $1.1810 and slipped to nearly $1.1775 in late European morning turnover. The low set earlier this month was around $1.1765, and a break could spur another cent decline. • The dollar rose almost 1% against the yen yesterday, which is its biggest advance of the month. Recall that it fell every day last week, defying expectations for a weaker yen coming out of the stunning LDP victory and subsequent rally in JGBs. The JPY154.90 area was approached in North America. The gains were extended to almost JPY155.35 before sellers emerged and took the greenback to almost JPY154.60 in the European morning. The intraday momentum indicators are overextended, suggesting limited downside in early North American activity. • Sterling traded mostly inside Tuesday’s 1 1/3-cent range yesterday, but it traded heavily. It ...
quantic69 Dell Technologies ( DELL ) was in focus on Thursday as investment firm Evercore added the technology giant to its Tactical Outperform list ahead of its next quarterly results, set to be released on Feb. 26. Shares rose 1.2% in premarket trading. "We expect DELL to print upside to current rev/EPS expectations of $31.4B/3.52 given strong [near-term] demand trends across traditional hardwar...
quantic69 Dell Technologies ( DELL ) was in focus on Thursday as investment firm Evercore added the technology giant to its Tactical Outperform list ahead of its next quarterly results, set to be released on Feb. 26. Shares rose 1.2% in premarket trading. "We expect DELL to print upside to current rev/EPS expectations of $31.4B/3.52 given strong [near-term] demand trends across traditional hardware (PCs/servers) and AI compute," analyst Amit Daryanani wrote in a note to clients. "With concerns around memory inflation, expect DELL to have benefited from a demand pull-in across PCs and traditional servers as customers will have looked to get ahead of ASP increases. In ISG, AI server momentum will continue to drive growth, with DELL exiting FQ3 with AI orders of $12.3B and backlog of $18.4B, while also guiding FY26 AI server revs of $25B—implying a step up to $9B+ in the Jan-qtr AI revenues. In CSG, early IDC data suggests Dell gained ~100bps of share in Q4, marking its first share gain in over three years." Daryanani, who maintained his Outperform rating on Dell, lowered his price target to $160 from $180, due in part to the recent multiple compression in tech stocks. Delving deeper, the analyst said he expects some gross margin pressure as Dell works through pricing issues, though that should rebound in short order. "While DELL will work to mitigate memory headwinds through internal levers (LTAs, reconfigurations), some of the cost will inevitably be passed onto end-customers," Daryanani explained. All told, he expects Dell to leave the quarter with momentum from PCs and servers, especially AI servers. "The debate will then shift to margin durability and EPS growth in FY27, though we see multiple ways for DELL to reach double-digit EPS growth, including accelerated share repurchases + upside to AI server revenues, which’ll become a meaningful part of total [revenues]," the analyst added. A consensus of analysts expects Dell to earn an adjusted $3.52 per share on $31....
Scandals, geopolitical tensions, wild weather swings, and worries that artificial intelligence is coming for us all. Enter Ulta. The moves have paid off as the stock rallied 30% over the past six months.
Scandals, geopolitical tensions, wild weather swings, and worries that artificial intelligence is coming for us all. Enter Ulta. The moves have paid off as the stock rallied 30% over the past six months.
India’s Adani Group said on Tuesday it will invest $100 billion in the development of renewable energy-powered, AI-ready data centers by 2035. Adani's $250 Billion AI Data Center Vision The investment is part of a broader plan to build the world's largest integrated data center platform. Chairman Gautam Adani estimated the investment to generate an additional $150 billion by 2035 across server man...
India’s Adani Group said on Tuesday it will invest $100 billion in the development of renewable energy-powered, AI-ready data centers by 2035. Adani's $250 Billion AI Data Center Vision The investment is part of a broader plan to build the world's largest integrated data center platform. Chairman Gautam Adani estimated the investment to generate an additional $150 billion by 2035 across server manufacturing, advanced infrastructure, cloud platforms, and related industries, creating a $250 billio
New technology has workers spooked, but experts say it’s creating an opening for a resurgence in worker power In 2026, it’s a scary time to work for a living. Gone are the days of quiet quitting, the Great Resignation, and the highly visible union-organizing battles that began the decade and signaled that perhaps worker power was on the rise again in the US. Instead, much of that momentum is being...
New technology has workers spooked, but experts say it’s creating an opening for a resurgence in worker power In 2026, it’s a scary time to work for a living. Gone are the days of quiet quitting, the Great Resignation, and the highly visible union-organizing battles that began the decade and signaled that perhaps worker power was on the rise again in the US. Instead, much of that momentum is being crowded out of our minds by anxieties: a worsening affordability crisis, geopolitical instability, and the specter of artificial intelligence looming over the workplace. Continue reading...
Byrne delivers a barnstorming performance as a shrink – counselled by an impatient Conan O’Brien – being pushed to the edge by stress of parenting Here is a psychological horror-comedy of postnatal depression and lonely parental stress, like a flip-side to Eraserhead or Rosemary’s Baby; it’s a scary movie with a heroine shot almost solely in looming closeup – but instead of supernatural apparition...
Byrne delivers a barnstorming performance as a shrink – counselled by an impatient Conan O’Brien – being pushed to the edge by stress of parenting Here is a psychological horror-comedy of postnatal depression and lonely parental stress, like a flip-side to Eraserhead or Rosemary’s Baby; it’s a scary movie with a heroine shot almost solely in looming closeup – but instead of supernatural apparitions, there are simply the banal problems of childcare and no time to deal with them. It’s also a film about therapy and transference when there’s nothing left to transfer. Mary Bronstein is its writer-director, and her film-maker husband Ronald Bronstein serves as producer – as does Josh Safdie, whose influence, through movies such as Uncut Gems and Marty Supreme, can perhaps be detected in the sprint towards a nervous breakdown. Rose Byrne delivers a barnstormer as Linda, a psychotherapist whose husband is away, leaving her to deal with a sick infant daughter whose face is not shown until the very end, indicating perhaps the way in which the little girl’s identity is simply that of a gigantically blank all-pervasive problem to be managed. The girl is intubated via a feeding machine that must be carted around with her, especially to the day-care hospital whose brusque doctor in charge (played by Mary Bronstein in cameo) supervises group therapy sessions that blandly reassure the parents present that all this is not their fault, while curtly reprimanding Linda for her failure to turn up to appointments and to discuss her daughter’s failure to gain the weight necessary for the tube to be removed. Continue reading...
The homeland security department is reportedly seeking information on critical social media accounts. Look no further The New York Times reports that the Department of Homeland Security has sent Google, Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram) and other media corporations subpoenas for the names on accounts that criticize ICE enforcement. The department wants to identify Americans who oppose what it...
The homeland security department is reportedly seeking information on critical social media accounts. Look no further The New York Times reports that the Department of Homeland Security has sent Google, Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram) and other media corporations subpoenas for the names on accounts that criticize ICE enforcement. The department wants to identify Americans who oppose what it’s doing. I’ll save them time. Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, is a professor of public policy emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Guardian US columnist and his newsletter is at robertreich.substack.com . His new book, Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America, is out now Continue reading...
US stocks (^DJI, ^IXIC, ^GSPC) closed Wednesday's session in positive territory — the Nasdaq Composite leading the way in gains — as investors ease up around AI worries tied to last week's sell-off in the software sector. Hennion & Walsh CIO Kevin Mahn sits down with the Market Domination Overtime team for an extensive conversation about the US market's divergence from European and global counterp...
US stocks (^DJI, ^IXIC, ^GSPC) closed Wednesday's session in positive territory — the Nasdaq Composite leading the way in gains — as investors ease up around AI worries tied to last week's sell-off in the software sector. Hennion & Walsh CIO Kevin Mahn sits down with the Market Domination Overtime team for an extensive conversation about the US market's divergence from European and global counterparts, predictions around where the S&P 500 could close 2026's first quarter, the sectors that investors can find safety and reassurance from AI shockwaves, and the companies benefitting and getting hurt from the latest stage of the AI Revolution. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Market Domination Overtime.
Dubbed ‘the holiest of holies’, produce from this former Soviet republic today boasts a variety and deftness that’s sending sales surging France, Italy and Spain purport to be the best-loved classical wine regions, but if you’re in the market for the real old-world deal, look no further than Georgia, which has more than 8,000 years of winemaking prowess. There’s something about this place on the l...
Dubbed ‘the holiest of holies’, produce from this former Soviet republic today boasts a variety and deftness that’s sending sales surging France, Italy and Spain purport to be the best-loved classical wine regions, but if you’re in the market for the real old-world deal, look no further than Georgia, which has more than 8,000 years of winemaking prowess. There’s something about this place on the lush intersection of the silk roads between Europe and Asia that gets under the skin. Perhaps it’s the combination of unpolished authenticity paired with profound generosity (guests are considered a gift from God and fed accordingly), all while being gently rocked in a cradle of civilisation, that make Georgian wine so beguiling. (My first visit in August 2023 – a khachapuri-fuelled reconnaissance for my book, Drinking the World: A Wine Odyssey – lingered in my mind long after my flight touched back down on British tarmac. What I find most refreshing is that the country, and its wine, is completely itself, despite being hemmed in by empires with a proclivity for invasion (Persians, Turks, Mongols et al), as well as the decades spent under USSR rule, which between 1922 and 1991 switched the grape-growing focus to yield over quality. Today, you really feel the Georgian delight at flipping that old Soviet diktat on its head. Victoria Brzezinski is co-author of Drinking the World: A Wine Odyssey, published by Pavilion Books/HarperCollins at £22. To order a copy for £19.80 go to guardianbookshop.com Continue reading...
China’s “big tech” giants – including Alibaba Group Holding, ByteDance and Tencent Holdings – released preliminary figures showing impressive gains for their new flagship artificial intelligence offerings during this year’s Spring Festival Gala marketing blitz. While red packet giveaways and extensive advertising campaigns have been a fixture of past Lunar New Year holidays, this year’s multi-bill...
China’s “big tech” giants – including Alibaba Group Holding, ByteDance and Tencent Holdings – released preliminary figures showing impressive gains for their new flagship artificial intelligence offerings during this year’s Spring Festival Gala marketing blitz. While red packet giveaways and extensive advertising campaigns have been a fixture of past Lunar New Year holidays, this year’s multi-billion-yuan competition surrounding a crop of new artificial intelligence products was so intense that...
Cristiano Ronaldo is putting a small part of his personal fortune into health and wellness technology by investing in a digital platform owned by Herbalife . The 41-year-old Portuguese footballer, who has played in Saudi Arabia since 2023, spent $7.5 million on a 10% stake in HBL Pro2col Software LLC, Herbalife said alongside fourth-quarter results. “Investing in Pro2col felt like a natural evolut...
Cristiano Ronaldo is putting a small part of his personal fortune into health and wellness technology by investing in a digital platform owned by Herbalife . The 41-year-old Portuguese footballer, who has played in Saudi Arabia since 2023, spent $7.5 million on a 10% stake in HBL Pro2col Software LLC, Herbalife said alongside fourth-quarter results. “Investing in Pro2col felt like a natural evolution — in addition to representing Herbalife, this is about helping shape and grow a platform that can truly change how people engage with their health and wellness,” Ronaldo said, according to a statement from Herbalife. Bloomberg News has reached out to Ronaldo for further comment. Pro2Col’s platform uses an individual’s unique data to build a wellness plan specific to them, with daily habits and smart nutrition tracking, the company says. Ronaldo — who became the first footballer to join the Bloomberg Billionaire’s Index in 2025, with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion — has been a paid endorser of Herbalife since 2013. Herbalife surged 15% in premarket trading. Mizuho Securities analyst John Baumgartner sees the Ronaldo news as “enhancing brand potential.” On the results, Baumgartner said the firm has seen a further revenue recovery, ahead of consensus. The rally follows long-term underperformance for the shares. Over the past five years, the stock has declined by about two thirds. Back in 2012, billionaire investor Bill Ackman placed a $1 billion bet against the company, triggering a high-profile battle with Carl Icahn , who took a large long position. In 2016, the Federal Trade Commission required Herbalife to pay $200 million and restructure its business to settle US claims that it deceived customers. Ackman exited his position in 2018, though he claimed vindication when the shares plunged 43% to a 14-year low in February 2024. Produced with the assistance of AI.
Thanks for reading Hyperdrive , Bloomberg’s newsletter on the future of the auto world. Sales Suspension Averted It’s pretty rare for Tesla to give in to regulatory pressure. But to avoid a sales ban in California, it’s done just that. After the state accused Tesla of exaggerating the capabilities of its driver-assistance system Autopilot and threatened to revoke its sales license , the automaker ...
Thanks for reading Hyperdrive , Bloomberg’s newsletter on the future of the auto world. Sales Suspension Averted It’s pretty rare for Tesla to give in to regulatory pressure. But to avoid a sales ban in California, it’s done just that. After the state accused Tesla of exaggerating the capabilities of its driver-assistance system Autopilot and threatened to revoke its sales license , the automaker did some initial grumbling before discontinuing the product. Tesla also adjusted marketing language used for the set of features it calls Full Self-Driving to clarify that driver supervision is required at all times. In response to the changes, California’s Department of Motor Vehicles said Tesla will be allowed to continue selling its EVs without interruption. The DMV’s decision is good news for Tesla, which is working to reverse a multiyear sales slump at a moment when the loss of US incentives is weighing on EV demand. California is the biggest US auto market and the leading state for electric vehicle adoption, which would have made any disruption there costly. Cynics may argue that, in ditching Autopilot, which has been standard fare on Teslas, the company is merely trying to convince more customers to buy FSD subscriptions at a cost of $99 a month — incidentally, a key metric in CEO Elon Musk’s compensation package . More adoption could also help boost the company’s recurring revenue as vehicle sales continue to struggle . But the move also benefits consumers, who now may be less likely to be fooled into thinking their car can drive itself. And it’s a rare win for regulators that have had little success over the years with efforts to rein in Musk’s worst impulses. Tesla is increasingly messaging about autonomy and robotics in the midst of its sales slump. It’s been working to get a robotaxi network off the ground using an unsupervised version of FSD, which otherwise still relies on human safety monitoring. But building a functioning autonomous taxi service is costly an...
In this article RH WSM W Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT watch now VIDEO 2:52 02:52 How tariffs are pushing America's furniture industry to the brink CNBC Digital Original Video President Donald Trump's so-called "reciprocal tariffs" could be struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as this week. Regardless of the ruling, there's little comfort to be found for the furniture in...
In this article RH WSM W Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT watch now VIDEO 2:52 02:52 How tariffs are pushing America's furniture industry to the brink CNBC Digital Original Video President Donald Trump's so-called "reciprocal tariffs" could be struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as this week. Regardless of the ruling, there's little comfort to be found for the furniture industry. Furniture importers are facing steep, and in some cases stacking, import duties after the industry was hit with higher tariffs on items such as couches, kitchen cabinets and vanities last fall under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. While Trump's country-specific "liberation day" tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and announced in April are under review by the nation's highest court, the duties specific to furniture importers , of around 25%, are not. Compounding the issue is a constant thread of uncertainty plaguing the industry, said Peter Theran, CEO of the Home Furnishings Association, the trade group representing furniture retailers. The 25% duty on certain furniture imports was supposed to rise to 50% in January, but at the end of December, that plan was pushed back to 2027. Its also become common over the past year for Trump to threaten new tariffs on various imports that never end up getting enacted . "This is a very, very difficult time to manage your business," said Theran. "The No. 1 driver of the difficulty of managing your business is unpredictability and an inability to make alternative plans and invest in those plans, because you don't know what tomorrow will be." Rising distress Tariffs and the uncertainty they've brought are the latest blow to the furniture industry, which has been struggling for the past four years and was under pressure well before Trump's trade war. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when people were stuck at home and flush with cash, many Americans took the opportunity to refresh their spaces ...