When we hear about consumer discretionary, we typically think of the biggest names — Amazon and Tesla , which of course dominate the State Street Cons Disc Sel Sect SPDR Income ETF (XLY) and account for nearly 40% of the sector. But overall, it has more than 70 components, some of which have been doing well and are showing attractive patterns. One of them is Carnival (CCL) . The stock ripped highe...
When we hear about consumer discretionary, we typically think of the biggest names — Amazon and Tesla , which of course dominate the State Street Cons Disc Sel Sect SPDR Income ETF (XLY) and account for nearly 40% of the sector. But overall, it has more than 70 components, some of which have been doing well and are showing attractive patterns. One of them is Carnival (CCL) . The stock ripped higher from April 2025 through August 2025, gaining nearly 120% over that stretch. Since then, it has been net flat, though that came after enduring a 25% drawdown into the November low. After snapping back once more, CCL now has formed a large potential cup-and-handle pattern, displayed here on its weekly chart. This formation is taking shape above its rising 40-week moving average, which roughly lines up with the 200-day line. A move through the 33-breakout zone would create an upside measured-move target near 41. From a shorter-term perspective, a recommended stop loss would sit near the handle of the pattern, which comes into play around 27.5. Seeing a bullish pattern form over multiple months is nothing new for CCL, going back to early 2022. In fact, there have been three prior setups, each followed by strong breakouts, upside follow-through, and eventual achievement of their measured-move targets. From this perspective, simply following the same blueprint that has worked during the stock's comeback over the last few years could yield a similar result. Of course, every time is different. But as we often say, stocks have personalities. When we identify behavior that consistently rewards breakout momentum and provides solid upside follow-through, it's something investors should take seriously. CCL has clearly been one of those stocks, and thus this current bullish formation could represent the fourth major bullish pattern breakout over the last three-plus years. Zooming even further back, we'll recall that CCL had been a leader through early 2018, when it reached its last all...
Super Micro Computer's AI-driven revenue surge, rack-scale expansion and lower valuation stack up against Dell's margin pressures in the AI server race.
Super Micro Computer's AI-driven revenue surge, rack-scale expansion and lower valuation stack up against Dell's margin pressures in the AI server race.
Magnificent Seven stocks gave Wednesday’s broad market rally a big tech boost. Amazon.com was up 2.4%, while Nvidia was up 2.1%. Tesla and Microsoft were both rallying 1.1%. Alphabet and Apple were up about 0.
Magnificent Seven stocks gave Wednesday’s broad market rally a big tech boost. Amazon.com was up 2.4%, while Nvidia was up 2.1%. Tesla and Microsoft were both rallying 1.1%. Alphabet and Apple were up about 0.
Nestlé SA is considering further reducing its footprint in the ice cream business, as new Chief Executive Officer Philipp Navratil reviews the company’s sprawling operations, people with knowledge of the matter said. The Swiss food giant has been studying possibilities including cutting its stake in Froneri, an ice cream joint venture with private equity firm PAI Partners which includes brands lik...
Nestlé SA is considering further reducing its footprint in the ice cream business, as new Chief Executive Officer Philipp Navratil reviews the company’s sprawling operations, people with knowledge of the matter said. The Swiss food giant has been studying possibilities including cutting its stake in Froneri, an ice cream joint venture with private equity firm PAI Partners which includes brands like Häagen-Dazs and Mövenpick, according to the people. It could also consider selling some of its remaining fully-owned ice cream operations to the Froneri venture, one of the people said. Deliberations are ongoing and there’s no certainty a deal will eventually materialize. PAI could opt to increase its stake in Froneri if Nestlé decides to cut its holding, or the Swiss group could sell part of its Froneri stake to another investor like the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority , according to some of the people. Representatives for Nestlé and ADIA declined to comment, while a spokesperson for PAI didn’t respond to queries. Nestlé had long been known as one of the world’s largest ice cream makers until Froneri took over most of the business. The Swiss food company still sells ice cream in some local markets that are not part of Froneri. PAI raised billions last year to be able to hold on to Froneri for longer. ADIA came in as a new minority investor at the time, in a deal that valued the firm at about €15 billion ($17.7 billion) including debt. Shares of Nestlé are close to their lowest level in eight years and before Wednesday had dropped about 40% from a peak in 2022. By contrast, main competitors Danone SA and Unilever Plc have gained more than 20% over the same time period. Nestlé is grappling with an infant formula contamination crisis , alongside Danone and Groupe Lactalis . It’s expected to report results later this week, and analysts have forecast lackluster earnings, though investors are likely to focus on its plans for the path ahead and details on divestments. Read More:...
Jordan Siemens Better than expected results for the final quarter of the year, a new share repurchase agreement, and increased dividend launched shares of Travel + Leisure ( TNL ) to a record high on Wednesday with a gain of as much as 11%. “Travel + Leisure’s 2025 results demonstrate the consistency and resilience of our performance, led by sustained momentum in our core Vacation Ownership busine...
Jordan Siemens Better than expected results for the final quarter of the year, a new share repurchase agreement, and increased dividend launched shares of Travel + Leisure ( TNL ) to a record high on Wednesday with a gain of as much as 11%. “Travel + Leisure’s 2025 results demonstrate the consistency and resilience of our performance, led by sustained momentum in our core Vacation Ownership business...and as we begin 2026, leisure travel demand remains strong, reinforcing our confidence in the durability of our business,” said CEO Michael D. Brown. An 8% increase in vacation ownership revenue helped offset declining sales in its travel and membership segment, resulting in net revenue of $1.03B, a 5.7% increase from a year ago and $30M better than expected. The travel company’s profitability also improved, with a key operating income metric increasing 8% to $272M and adjusted EPS up 6% to $1.83, beating estimates by a penny. For the current quarter, Travel+Leisure ( TNL ) sees adjusted EBITDA to be between $210M and $220M, an increase of 6% at the midpoint over last year. Gross vacation ownership interest (VOI) sales are expected to be between $520M and $540M, while volume per guest (VPG) is expected to be between $3,200 and $3,250. For the full year, adjusted EBITDA is forecasted to increase to $1.03B and $1.055B from $990M in FY25. In addition to upbeat quarterly results, Travel+Leisure ( TNL ) recommended a 7% increase to its quarterly dividend to $0.60 per share and approved a new $750M share repurchase plan. More on Travel+Leisure Travel + Leisure Co. (TNL) Travel + Leisure Co. Presents at Barclays 11th Annual Eat, Sleep, Play, Shop Conference 2025 Transcript Travel + Leisure Co. (TNL) Travel + Leisure Co. Presents at Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference 2025 Transcript Travel+Leisure Non-GAAP EPS of $1.83 beats by $0.01, revenue of $1.03B beats by $30M Travel+Leisure Q4 2025 Earnings Preview Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Travel+Leisure
imaginima/E+ via Getty Images As we move into the second half of the quarter, b elow is a list of large cap energy stocks ranked based on their RSI, from lowest to highest. The list is topped by Venture Global ( VG ) and Antero Resources ( AR ), both sharing the lowest RSI of 48. Halliburton ( HAL ) and Occidental Petroleum ( OXY ) follow, with RSIs of 54 and 56 respectively. Valero Energy ( VLO )...
imaginima/E+ via Getty Images As we move into the second half of the quarter, b elow is a list of large cap energy stocks ranked based on their RSI, from lowest to highest. The list is topped by Venture Global ( VG ) and Antero Resources ( AR ), both sharing the lowest RSI of 48. Halliburton ( HAL ) and Occidental Petroleum ( OXY ) follow, with RSIs of 54 and 56 respectively. Valero Energy ( VLO ), EQT Corporation ( EQT ), and SLB N.V. ( SLB ) round out the top seven, each maintaining an RSI of 58. All stocks on this list have RSI readings below 60. The Relative Strength Index ( RSI ) is a momentum oscillator that measures the velocity and magnitude of price changes, plotting them on a scale from 0 to 100. RSI compares the magnitude of recent gains to recent losses over a chosen lookback period, typically 14 days. RSI readings of 70 or above are generally considered a signal that a stock may be overbought and potentially poised for a pullback. Here is the list: Venture Global, Inc. ( VG ), RSI: 48 Antero Resources Corporation ( AR ), RSI: 48 Halliburton Company ( HAL ), RSI: 54 Occidental Petroleum Corporation ( OXY ), RSI: 56 Valero Energy Corporation ( VLO ), RSI: 58 EQT Corporation ( EQT ), RSI: 58 SLB N.V. ( SLB ), RSI: 58 Energy ETFs : ( XLE ), ( AMLP ), ( VDE ), ( XOP ), ( OIH ), and ( IXC ) More on energy stocks AMLP: Attractive 8% Dividend Yield But With Limited Price Appreciation The Great Commoditization: How To Invest In A Post-AI World IXC: Hold As Energy Breadth Peaks Top 10 mid-cap energy stocks ranked based on their lowest RSI Crude oil and precious metals jump as U.S.-Iran tensions rise, Russia-Ukraine talks break down
Without AI you will be a ‘weaker and poorer nation’, warns former UK chancellor two months into job at US firm The former chancellor George Osborne has warned that countries that do not embrace the kind of powerful AI systems made by his new employer, OpenAI, risked “Fomo” and could be left weaker and poorer. Osborne, who is two months into a job as head of the $500bn San Francisco AI company’s “f...
Without AI you will be a ‘weaker and poorer nation’, warns former UK chancellor two months into job at US firm The former chancellor George Osborne has warned that countries that do not embrace the kind of powerful AI systems made by his new employer, OpenAI, risked “Fomo” and could be left weaker and poorer. Osborne, who is two months into a job as head of the $500bn San Francisco AI company’s “for countries” programme, told leaders gathered for the AI Impact summit in Delhi: “Don’t be left behind.” He warned that without AI rollouts they could end up with a workforce “less willing to stay put” because they might want to seek AI-enabled fortunes elsewhere. Continue reading...
iQoncept/iStock via Getty Images This monthly article series offers a top-down analysis of the GICS Industrials sector based on value, quality, and momentum metrics. It may also help to analyze sector ETFs such as the Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLI ), whose largest holdings are used to calculate these metrics. This article focuses on an alternative with international diversification: iSha...
iQoncept/iStock via Getty Images This monthly article series offers a top-down analysis of the GICS Industrials sector based on value, quality, and momentum metrics. It may also help to analyze sector ETFs such as the Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLI ), whose largest holdings are used to calculate these metrics. This article focuses on an alternative with international diversification: iShares Global Industrials ETF ( EXI ). Shortcut The next two paragraphs in italics describe the dashboard methodology. They are necessary for new readers to understand the metrics. If you are used to this series or if you are short of time, you can skip them and go to the charts. Base Metrics I calculate the median value of five fundamental ratios for each subsector : Earnings Yield ("EY"), Sales Yield ("SY"), Free Cash Flow Yield ("FY"), Return on Equity ("ROE"), and Gross Margin ("GM"). The reference universe includes large companies in the U.S. stock market. The five base metrics are calculated on the trailing 12 months. For all of them, higher is better. EY, SY, and FY are medians of the inverse of Price/Earnings, Price/Sales and Price/Free Cash Flow. They are better for statistical studies than price-to-something ratios, which are unusable or non-available when the "something" is close to zero or negative (for example, companies with negative earnings). I also look at two momentum metrics for each group: the median monthly return (RetM) and the median annual return (RetY). I prefer medians to averages because a median splits a set into a good half and a bad half. A capital-weighted average is skewed by extreme values and the largest companies. My metrics are designed for stock-picking rather than index investing. Value and Quality Scores I calculate historical baselines for all metrics. They are noted respectively as EYh, SYh, FYh, ROEh, and GMh, and they are calculated as the averages on a look-back period of 11 years. For example, the value of EYh for transportation in ...
Earnings Call Insights: TPG RE Finance Trust (TRTX) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Doug Bouquard reported, "2025 was an important turning point for TRTX. We closed $1.9 billion of new investments, drove 25% year-over-year growth in earning assets and generated distributable earnings of $0.97 per share, which outearned our dividend for the year." He noted, "we were able to achieve this while maintaini...
Earnings Call Insights: TPG RE Finance Trust (TRTX) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Doug Bouquard reported, "2025 was an important turning point for TRTX. We closed $1.9 billion of new investments, drove 25% year-over-year growth in earning assets and generated distributable earnings of $0.97 per share, which outearned our dividend for the year." He noted, "we were able to achieve this while maintaining stable risk ratings, further diversifying our liability structure and ending the year with a 100% performing loan portfolio." Bouquard highlighted a significant portfolio shift: "at the beginning of 2022, 30% of our balance sheet was exposed to multifamily and industrial collateral, whereas today, we have increased our combined exposure to those sectors to over 72%." He cited the closing of $927 million of new loans in Q4, with 62% multifamily and 38% industrial collateral, and emphasized, "over 90% of our new originations were with repeat borrowers." The CEO outlined ongoing strategies: "we plan to continue to pull the many levers for growth at our disposal, which include continued net asset growth through prudent investment and risk management, increasing our leverage ratio towards our target of full investment and utilizing untapped liquidity." Brandon Fox, Chief Accounting Officer & Interim CFO, stated, "For the fourth quarter of 2025, TRTX reported GAAP net income of $0.2 million. Distributable earnings for the quarter was $18.5 million or $0.24 per common share." He added, "Book value per common share decreased quarter-over-quarter to $11.07 from $11.25." Outlook Bouquard expressed a positive near-term view: "the combination of increased dry powder, a 10-year treasury hovering just above 4% and favorable real estate fundamentals should be drivers of continued growth and investment activity for TRTX." He commented on origination trends: "our pipeline is incredibly robust. We are seeing a lot of activity really across all property types, all regions, a number of our ...
Earnings Call Insights: Constellium SE (CSTM) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Ingrid Joerg highlighted an 11% increase in shipments to 365,000 tons and a 28% rise in revenue to $2.2 billion for the quarter, citing "higher shipments in each of our operating segments" and improved revenue per ton, including higher metal prices. Joerg underscored a net income of $113 million for the quarter, a turnaround...
Earnings Call Insights: Constellium SE (CSTM) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Ingrid Joerg highlighted an 11% increase in shipments to 365,000 tons and a 28% rise in revenue to $2.2 billion for the quarter, citing "higher shipments in each of our operating segments" and improved revenue per ton, including higher metal prices. Joerg underscored a net income of $113 million for the quarter, a turnaround from a net loss of $47 million in the previous year, attributing this to "higher gross profit in the quarter versus last year." Adjusted EBITDA climbed to $280 million, including a noncash metal price lag benefit of $67 million. Excluding this, adjusted EBITDA reached $213 million, described as "a new fourth quarter record for us and is up 113% versus the $100 million in the fourth quarter last year." Free cash flow was reported at $110 million for the quarter, with $40 million returned to shareholders through share repurchases. For the full year, shipments increased 4% to 1.5 million tons, revenue grew 15% to $8.4 billion, and net income reached $275 million. The company repurchased 8.9 million shares for $115 million and reduced leverage to 2.5x by year-end. Joerg stated, "We delivered strong execution and demonstrated our ability to control costs throughout the year in 2025, and we believe we are well positioned heading into 2026 to capitalize on market opportunities as they arise." CFO Jack Guo reported that the A&T segment saw adjusted EBITDA rise to $83 million, up 43% year-over-year, driven by "higher TID shipments," which increased 41%. The PARP segment achieved a quarterly record with adjusted EBITDA of $136 million (up 143%), led by 15% growth in packaging shipments. AS&I segment adjusted EBITDA reached $5 million, up $1 million, with industrial shipments rising 33% but automotive shipments declining 10%. Guo added, "We are pleased today to announce our next group-wide excellence program, which we're calling Vision 2028. This program will target both operational ...
Earnings Call Insights: Bausch + Lomb Corporation (BLCO) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Brenton L. Saunders highlighted record performance in Q4, stating, "In the fourth quarter, we didn't just grow. We grew smarter and faster than the market. When you see 7% constant currency revenue growth and 27% adjusted EBITDA growth, that's real operating leverage and a clear sign of our commitment to financial...
Earnings Call Insights: Bausch + Lomb Corporation (BLCO) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Brenton L. Saunders highlighted record performance in Q4, stating, "In the fourth quarter, we didn't just grow. We grew smarter and faster than the market. When you see 7% constant currency revenue growth and 27% adjusted EBITDA growth, that's real operating leverage and a clear sign of our commitment to financial excellence." Saunders emphasized operational discipline, improved cost structure, and execution across business lines, noting, "$1.4 billion in revenue and $330 million adjusted EBITDA are a high watermark for our company." He pointed to the dry eye portfolio expansion as a key driver, with Miebo generating $112 million in Q4 revenue and showing a turn toward profitability as it exits the launch phase. Saunders confirmed continued focus on margin improvement and highlighted pipeline progress: "PreserVision AREDS3 started to ship on February 2, and Blink Triple Care preservative-free is expected to ship on March 1. CE mark submission for seeLYRA, our next-generation femtosecond laser is expected to take place next week." CFO Osama Eldessouky stated, "We delivered the highest revenue and the highest adjusted EBITDA in the history of Bausch + Lomb. We also delivered an adjusted EBITDA margin of 23.5%, which is the highest level we have achieved as a stand-alone company since our IPO." President of Global Pharmaceuticals & International Consumer Andrew Stewart reported, "Miebo performance in 2025 was exceptional, with 113% year-over-year prescription growth that generated $316 million in revenue. We hit a significant milestone on January 2, crossing the 2 million prescription mark." Outlook Management set 2026 full year revenue guidance in the range of $5.375 billion to $5.475 billion, representing constant currency growth of 5% to 7%. Adjusted EBITDA guidance was set at $1 billion to $1.050 billion, reflecting a margin of approximately 19% at the midpoint and adjusted EBITDA ...
Earnings Call Insights: Moody's Corporation (MCO) Q4 2025 Management View Robert Fauber, President and CEO, highlighted "2025 was a record year for Moody's" with total revenue exceeding $7.7 billion, up 9% year-over-year. He noted the company achieved an adjusted operating margin of 51.1%, expanding by 300 basis points, and reported adjusted diluted EPS of $14.94, up 20% year-over-year. Fauber sta...
Earnings Call Insights: Moody's Corporation (MCO) Q4 2025 Management View Robert Fauber, President and CEO, highlighted "2025 was a record year for Moody's" with total revenue exceeding $7.7 billion, up 9% year-over-year. He noted the company achieved an adjusted operating margin of 51.1%, expanding by 300 basis points, and reported adjusted diluted EPS of $14.94, up 20% year-over-year. Fauber stated, "We finished the year with strong fourth quarter performance across both Ratings and Analytics and delivered robust growth and meaningful capital returns to shareholders." Fauber emphasized Moody's positioning in AI, stating, "We're scaling decision-grade contextual intelligence embedded directly into customer workflows across our platforms, third-party systems and AI-enabled interfaces." He added that private credit revenue in MIS grew nearly 60% in 2025 and the company rated $6.6 trillion of debt, an all-time high. On Moody's Analytics, Fauber noted, "Our strongest growth came from our largest strategic customers," which contributed over 30% of total MA net growth in Q4 and grew at twice the rate of the rest of the MA customer base. Recurring revenue grew 11% and represented 97% of fourth quarter revenue. Fauber detailed AI integration, with customers purchasing or upgrading to Gen AI or agentic solutions retained at a 97% rate and growing at twice the rate of the rest of the customer base. He described partnerships that embed Moody's solutions into platforms like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Databricks. Noemie Heuland, Senior VP & CFO, stated, "The fourth quarter capped off an outstanding year across the board." She highlighted Moody's Analytics 9% revenue growth for 2025, with adjusted operating margin at 33.1%. She reported ARR reached $3.5 billion, up 8%, and described double-digit ARR growth in Decision Solutions and KYC, with 15% ARR growth at year-end. Outlook Heuland provided 2026 guidance: "Our 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance is $16.40 to $17, implying app...
Earnings Call Insights: JELD-WEN Holding, Inc. (JELD) Q4 2025 Management View CEO William Christensen began by acknowledging sustained challenges in the fourth quarter, emphasizing that "the macro environment remained very soft during the fourth quarter, consistent with what we expected coming into the period." He highlighted that JELD-WEN delivered results at the high end of expectations through ...
Earnings Call Insights: JELD-WEN Holding, Inc. (JELD) Q4 2025 Management View CEO William Christensen began by acknowledging sustained challenges in the fourth quarter, emphasizing that "the macro environment remained very soft during the fourth quarter, consistent with what we expected coming into the period." He highlighted that JELD-WEN delivered results at the high end of expectations through "disciplined execution and sustained effort across the organization to manage through a difficult environment." Christensen stated that sales and adjusted EBITDA landed at the high end of guidance, driven by "top line performance and cost actions." He noted the reduction of full-time positions by approximately 14% or about 2,300 people in 2025 to structurally align with market realities. He also mentioned the completion of a sale-leaseback of the Coral Springs facility, yielding about $38 million in net proceeds to boost liquidity. Management remains focused on execution, cost discipline, and aligning the business with current market realities while improving service levels and rolling out a common manufacturing operating system across North America. CFO Samantha Stoddard reported, "Fourth quarter net revenue was $802 million, down 10% year-over-year from $896 million in the prior year. Core revenue declined 8%, driven primarily by lower volume. Mix was stable year-over-year following the shift towards lower-cost products we saw in 2024, and pricing was a slight positive." Outlook Christensen provided 2026 guidance, stating, "For the year, we expect net revenue in the range of $2.95 billion to $3.1 billion. Core revenue is expected to decline between 5% and 10%." Adjusted EBITDA is forecasted in the range of $100 million to $150 million, driven primarily by ongoing volume uncertainty. Operating cash flow is projected at approximately $40 million, with capital expenditures of about $100 million, resulting in a free cash flow use of approximately $60 million. The company does...
Earnings Call Insights: Dana Incorporated (DAN) Q4 2025 Management View R. McDonald, CEO, President & Chairman, announced, "Our final results for the fourth quarter came in higher than our preliminary estimates. So you can see here for the fourth quarter, our margins at 11.% were $10 million -- 40 basis points higher, $10 million higher than the announced -- preannouncement numbers." He emphasized...
Earnings Call Insights: Dana Incorporated (DAN) Q4 2025 Management View R. McDonald, CEO, President & Chairman, announced, "Our final results for the fourth quarter came in higher than our preliminary estimates. So you can see here for the fourth quarter, our margins at 11.% were $10 million -- 40 basis points higher, $10 million higher than the announced -- preannouncement numbers." He emphasized, "We completed the sale of the Off-Highway business on January 1 and used the most of the proceeds to repay down debt." The CEO stated, "We had originally committed to a $200 million run rate. We upped that to $300 million, and we delivered $248 million in the year and a run rate of $325 million going into 2026." He confirmed a new capital return plan, stating, "We upped to $2 billion of share repurchase through 2030" and highlighted a 20% dividend increase to $0.12 per quarter. Byron Foster, Senior VP and incoming CEO, outlined market trends: "On the light truck side, we continue to see the light truck market holding steady, and our plan is built around really kind of flat volume year-over-year from 2025 levels." Foster added, "You can see a really dramatic increase in business pursuit activity...dominated by increasing EV activity. And then you can see here more recently how that trend has really pivoted and reversed itself from kind of 80% EV level activity to now really heavy mix towards our more traditional or ICE powertrain types of vehicles." Timothy Kraus, CFO, stated, "Sales were $1.867 billion, an increase of $93 million compared with last year." He noted, "Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $208 million, resulting in an 11.1% margin. That's a 640 basis points improvement over the prior year's fourth quarter." Kraus remarked, "We closed the Off-Highway divestiture on January 1 and began our delevering program in 2026. So this is not yet reflected in our 2025 results." Outlook Management guided, "We expect 2026 revenue to be approximately $7.5 billion, consistent...
Earnings Call Insights: USANA Health Sciences (USNA) Q4 2025 Management View Kevin Guest, CEO & Executive Chairman, announced his return to the CEO role, emphasizing, "As we sharpen our strategic focus and position the company for renewed and sustainable growth, I'm honored to return as Chief Executive Officer while continuing to serve as Chairman of the Board." Guest highlighted USANA's legacy st...
Earnings Call Insights: USANA Health Sciences (USNA) Q4 2025 Management View Kevin Guest, CEO & Executive Chairman, announced his return to the CEO role, emphasizing, "As we sharpen our strategic focus and position the company for renewed and sustainable growth, I'm honored to return as Chief Executive Officer while continuing to serve as Chairman of the Board." Guest highlighted USANA's legacy strengths, stating, "Our core business has faced year-over-year sales declines, but we are seeing encouraging signs of stabilization as we take the right steps to return the business to growth." Guest detailed six strategic priorities: strengthening global brand positioning, enhancing customer and partner experience, reinvigorating sales momentum, advancing product innovation, improving operational efficiencies, and executing with accountability throughout the business. The CEO laid out the fiscal 2026 operating strategy, including expansion of omnichannel reach, product launches, technology modernization, Hiya's direct-to-consumer and retail growth, and scaling Rise Wellness performance, particularly with Protein Pop's distribution at major retailers. Guest noted, "Our consolidated net sales outlook for fiscal 2026 is for growth of 4% at the midpoint, reflecting confidence in our strategy and our ability to execute." CFO G. Hekking stated, "We're expecting net sales growth at the midpoint of about 4%. The sales growth is being driven by our venture companies, Rise Wellness and Hiya." Hekking also explained inventory growth, saying, "Inventories increased $35 million or 48% to $107 million at the end of fiscal '25. Approximately 80% of the year-over-year increase was driven by initiatives to support the significant growth opportunities at Rise Wellness and Hiya." Hekking provided tax guidance, stating, "Our effective tax rate guidance for fiscal 2026 is expected to range between 55% and 60%. The primary challenge we continue to face is a geographic misalignment between revenu...
Earnings Call Insights: Element Solutions Inc (ESI) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Benjamin Gliklich reported, “Element Solutions had another record year in 2025. We executed our model, marrying operational excellence and prudent capital allocation to deliver record results while accelerating investment in future growth.” He highlighted 10% organic revenue growth in the Electronics business, driven b...
Earnings Call Insights: Element Solutions Inc (ESI) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Benjamin Gliklich reported, “Element Solutions had another record year in 2025. We executed our model, marrying operational excellence and prudent capital allocation to deliver record results while accelerating investment in future growth.” He highlighted 10% organic revenue growth in the Electronics business, driven by demand from data center and high-performance computing markets, and noted the divestiture of the Graphics business in the first quarter. Gliklich emphasized the company’s acquisitions: “We announced the acquisitions of both Micromax and EFC Gases & Advanced Materials in the fourth quarter and closed them both in early 2026.” Gliklich described Micromax as “a global leader in advanced electronics inks and pastes as well as low-temperature ceramic materials essential for the most demanding electronics applications.” He stated EFC “provides high-purity specialty gases and advanced materials that are essential for certain high-value, high cost of failure applications requiring stringent purity and performance standards.” CFO Carey Dorman stated, “Net sales increased 10% organically, led by high-end electronics growth, primarily from AI and data center investments. Electronics segment organic growth was 13% with all 3 business verticals growing in the double digits.” Dorman also noted, “Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $136 million, up 8% year-over-year on a constant currency basis when excluding the impact of divestitures.” Outlook Gliklich shared, “Looking ahead to 2026, we expect market conditions to largely resemble late 2025 with continued strength in high-performance computing and leading-edge electronics and slower industrial markets.” He projected 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance of $650 million to $670 million, “inclusive of the expected contributions from the EFC and Micromax acquisitions and assuming current FX rates and metal prices.” Management expects “adjusted E...
Robert Way Nvidia's ( NVDA ) multi-year deal with Meta Platforms ( META ) - announced on Tuesday—is being considered a “positive catalyst” for the chip giant and could get the stock moving higher, Needham said. "While specifics of the deal are still unknown (value, power, etc.), we view this announcement as another positive catalyst for NVDA into 2026 and beyond, reaffirming that hyperscaler prope...
Robert Way Nvidia's ( NVDA ) multi-year deal with Meta Platforms ( META ) - announced on Tuesday—is being considered a “positive catalyst” for the chip giant and could get the stock moving higher, Needham said. "While specifics of the deal are still unknown (value, power, etc.), we view this announcement as another positive catalyst for NVDA into 2026 and beyond, reaffirming that hyperscaler propensity to spend on AI infrastructure remains strong and NVIDIA will be a primary beneficiary," Needham analyst N. Quinn Bolton wrote in a note to clients. Bolton has a Buy rating and $240 price target on Nvidia shares. Delving deeper, Bolton said Nvidia is likely to remain the biggest growth engine of the data center market, given the explosion in hyperscaler spending needs. "We expect the competitive dynamics in the data center market can exert pressure on the company's long- term positioning; however, we believe several industries will transition to AI-based systems faster than before," Bolton added. As part of the deal, Meta said it will increase its usage of Nvidia's Grace CPUs in its data centers. The collaboration represents the first large-scale NVIDIA Grace-only deployment, Nvidia added. The two tech giants are also working on the eventual deployment of Nvidia's upcoming Vera CPUs, which may be deployed at scale next year. Meta will use Nvidia's GB300 systems in its data centers and use Nvidia's cloud partner deployments to simplify its operations. The Facebook parent also will use more of Nvidia's Spectrum-X Ethernet to boost network efficiency and throughput. Lastly, Meta has adopted Nvidia's Confidential Computing for WhatsApp, which allows for increased AI capabilities while protecting user privacy at the same time. More on Nvidia and Meta Nvidia Q4: Why Even A Record 'Beat' Could Sink The Stock Meta Platforms: Why Strong Money Loves It Nvidia And The Architecture Of The Technological Dollar BofA breaks down performance metrics for top social media platforms Tudo...
After 32 years of working in the UK, Prof Carine Ronsmans will now be required to pay £589 to return there after visiting her native Belgium. Plus letters from Michael Bulley , Reini Schühle, Dr Michael Paraskos and Dr Peter R King The new border controls being introduced for dual nationals create anomalies that will surprise no one who has followed recent Home Office policy changes ( Dual nationa...
After 32 years of working in the UK, Prof Carine Ronsmans will now be required to pay £589 to return there after visiting her native Belgium. Plus letters from Michael Bulley , Reini Schühle, Dr Michael Paraskos and Dr Peter R King The new border controls being introduced for dual nationals create anomalies that will surprise no one who has followed recent Home Office policy changes ( Dual nationals to be denied entry to UK from 25 February unless they have British passport, 13 February ). At worst they are cruel; at best they are exploitative money-making exercises, unthought out, or the bureaucratic consequence of the introduction of digitisation. I, a Belgian citizen, have worked in the UK for 32 years. My “settled status” now allows me to travel freely between the UK and Belgium using my EU passport. A few years ago, I applied for British citizenship because I was uncertain whether my “entitlement” to live and work in the UK would be maintained after Brexit, and because I wanted to vote in the UK. I have not yet applied for a British passport because I would have to submit my Belgian one for an unknown length of time, which might prevent me from visiting my ailing 96-year-old father in Brussels. Continue reading...
Prof Eric Jauniaux explains the causes of placenta previa and placenta accreta spectrum I am the lead developer of the Royal College of Gynaecologists’ Green-top guidelines on placenta previa and placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), referenced in your article ( Campaign urges NHS to improve diagnosis of potentially life-threatening childbirth condition, 18 February ). I also have personal experience o...
Prof Eric Jauniaux explains the causes of placenta previa and placenta accreta spectrum I am the lead developer of the Royal College of Gynaecologists’ Green-top guidelines on placenta previa and placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), referenced in your article ( Campaign urges NHS to improve diagnosis of potentially life-threatening childbirth condition, 18 February ). I also have personal experience of placental delivery complications, as when my son was born, his placenta got stuck inside the womb of his mother after his birth (placental retention). Placental retention is due to the premature closure of the cervix after the birth of the baby, and is a leading cause of uterine atony and postpartum haemorrhage, affecting around one in 100 births. Continue reading...
The government’s curriculum review needs to be bold and cut what’s not working for young people, says Myles McGinley . Plus a letter from Prof Michael Bassey The emerging evidence on exams and mental health is alarming ( More exam stress at 15 linked to higher risk of depression as young adult – study, 12 February ). Exams are the fairest and most reliable way to assess what students know and can ...
The government’s curriculum review needs to be bold and cut what’s not working for young people, says Myles McGinley . Plus a letter from Prof Michael Bassey The emerging evidence on exams and mental health is alarming ( More exam stress at 15 linked to higher risk of depression as young adult – study, 12 February ). Exams are the fairest and most reliable way to assess what students know and can do. They provide a sense of achievement and can help to build resilience. But something is out of sync. Young people face too many GCSE exams over too short a period. As the Cambridge OCR exam board has shown , England’s 16-year-olds spend longer in exam halls than almost any of their international peers. Last year, the government committed to a 10% reduction in exam time. It’s a step in the right direction, when we need a leap. Continue reading...