Alexander Sikov/iStock via Getty Images This monthly article series offers a top-down analysis of the information technology sector based on value, quality, and momentum metrics. It may also help analyze sector ETFs such as the Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF ( XLK ) and Vanguard Information Technology ETF ( VGT ). This month I introduce a new actively managed ETF: Baron Technology ETF ( BCTK ). 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 industry: 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 unavailable 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, GMh, and they are calculated as the averages over a look-back period of 11 years. For example, the value of EYh for hardware in the table below is the 11-year average of the ...

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is among the 14 Best Cloud Computing Stocks to Buy Right Now. On February 5, Monness analyst Brian White maintained a “Neutral” stance on the company’s stock, giving a “Hold” rating. The analyst’s rating is backed by a combination of factors, which are associated with Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s strengths as well as risks. […]

美国高级官员：与伊朗的第二轮会谈已经结束。（新浪财经）

Energy Transfer press release ( ET ): Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.25 misses by $0.11 . Revenue of $25.32B (+29.6% Y/Y) beats by $1.28B . Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2025 was $4.18 billion compared to $3.88 billion for the same period last year, an increase of 8%. Distributable Cash Flow attributable to partners, as adjusted, for the three months ended December 31, 2025 was $2.04 billion compared to $1.98 billion for the same period last year. Growth capital expenditures in the fourth quarter of 2025 were $1.40 billion; maintenance capital expenditures were $355 million. More on Energy Transfer Energy Transfer: Pause Before Earnings (Rating Downgrade) Energy Transfer Is Undervalued Heading Into Q4, With A Growing Distribution Energy Transfer's Most Important Earnings Report In Years Energy Transfer Q4 2025 Earnings Preview Energy Transfer snaps consecutive sessions of gain

Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is among the 14 Best Cloud Computing Stocks to Buy Right Now. On February 12, the United States Department of the Air Force (DAF) awarded the company an $88 million firm-fixed price task order. The order focuses on offering Oracle Cloud Infrastructure services for the Air Force Cloud One program, continuing Oracle Corporation […]

The United States Department of the Air Force Awards Oracle Corporation (ORCL) $88 Million Firm-fixed Price Task Order Yahoo Finance

暂停铀浓缩、与美国达成商业协议均在提议之列，但仍未满足美方核心要求 伊朗官员在核谈判中提议 暂停铀浓缩 、将部分核库存转移至境外，并与美国签订商业协议，以期推动谈判、避免美国发动军事打击。但由于伊朗并未承诺 彻底停止铀浓缩 ，问题在于这些让步是否足以让特朗普总统满意。 特朗普一方面在伊朗近海集结大规模军事力量，一方面多次表示，他想要的是一份 彻底消除伊朗核计划 的协议。 “我认为他们不想承担不达成协议的后果。” 他周一晚些时候对记者表示，自己将间接参与周二在日内瓦举行的会谈。“他们想达成协议。” 伊朗提出的一系列方案虽触及核心问题，但并未给出特朗普要求的 彻底终止核活动 的承诺。 据美国、伊朗及地区外交官透露，伊朗表示愿意将部分 高浓缩铀 库存 —— 制造核武器的关键燃料 —— 移交俄罗斯等第三方，这将解决美方的一项重要关切。目前，伊朗大部分核库存据信掩埋在今年 6 月遭美国和以色列打击后的核设施废墟下。 尽管伊朗称其铀浓缩仅用于和平目的，但它是 唯一无核国家 生产过浓度 60% 的浓缩铀，这一纯度已接近制造核弹所需的 90%。 外交官称，伊朗官员在与地区外交官的沟通中还暗示，可能提议 暂停铀浓缩最长三年 。但这一承诺实际意义有限 —— 外界认为，在 6 月美国打击摧毁其主要核设施后，伊朗已基本停止铀浓缩 —— 且远未达到美方要求的 全面停止浓缩 。 外交官还表示，在 2 月初的首轮会谈中，伊朗还提议成立一个地区财团，用浓缩铀生产燃料板供伊朗使用。但伊朗坚持生产流程必须在境内完成，美方认为这 完全不可接受 。 部分地区外交官则设想了更宏大的方案：一份包含 互不侵犯承诺、商业协议 等多项内容的一揽子计划。 此举意在效仿特朗普特使促成加沙停火的高调方案，吸引美国总统的注意。 伊朗副外长哈米德・甘巴里称，若制裁解除，伊朗愿意与美国开展商业往来。 “在伊美当前谈判中，油气、矿业投资乃至飞机采购等领域的共同利益都被纳入谈判框架。” 甘巴里周日对半官方的法尔斯通讯社表示。“要让协议可持续，美国也必须在高回报、快见效的经济领域获益。” 目前尚不清楚这些提议中有多少会进入实质性讨论，也不确定是否有任何方案能说服美国：谈判已能实现其 彻底剥夺伊朗核武器能力 的目标。 “我带着切实方案来到日内瓦，旨在达成公正、平等的协议。” 伊朗外长阿巴斯・阿拉格齐周一在社交媒体上表示。“ 绝不会在威...

Mesh Optical Technologies, a startup working on hardware used to move data at high speeds within data centers, raised a $50 million funding round led by Joshua Kushner ’s Thrive Capital to scale manufacturing of the technology in the US. Other investors backing Los Angeles-based Mesh, which came out of stealth this week, include Also Capital and Banner VC, the company told Bloomberg. The firm’s valuation was not disclosed. Mesh develops optical transceivers, small devices that send and receive data using light, allowing machines to communicate at very high speeds. These devices are crucial for data centers, where training and running artificial intelligence models requires moving massive amounts of data between servers quickly and efficiently. To handle this demand, data centers use fiber-optic components that link servers with storage and networking systems. Nvidia Corp. , a leader in the chips and computers that power AI workloads, is also active in developing this networking technology, underscoring how faster connectivity is becoming just as critical as raw processing power in the race to develop the most advanced AI models. Read More: Josh Kushner’s Thrive Capital Raises $10 Billion in New Funding Mesh says its first product, a small device called Alpha C1, is faster, more power efficient and lower latency than existing optical transceivers. The company also hopes to deploy its technology in space in the future. “Our in-space infrastructure will be connected by lasers,” Mesh said in a statement. “And deep space probes will beam photons home from the cosmos, billions of miles away.” The supply chains for these technologies sit largely outside of the US and are dominated by China. Mesh plans to use the capital raised to build and operate the “largest optical manufacturing footprint outside of Asia” by 2027, the company said in the statement. The company was founded last year by alumni of Elon Musk ’s SpaceX . Travis Brashears, Mesh’s chief executive officer, spen...

Other investors backing Los Angeles-based Mesh, which came out of stealth this week, include Also Capital and Banner VC, the company told Bloomberg. Mesh develops optical transceivers, small devices that send and receive data using light, allowing machines to communicate at very high speeds.

Memory has become vital to the AI boom, sending shares of Sandisk, Seagate and Western Digital soaring in 2026 after sprinting in 2025.

Just_Super/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis MicroStrategy ( MSTR ) is doubling down on its approach to accumulating more Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ) by utilizing structured digital credit to increase its amount of Bitcoin per share. The approach relies on controlled issuance of capital and an expectation that appreciation of Bitcoin will outpace costs of funding. In the near term, MSTR continues to be challenged by falling another 14% following a decline in Bitcoin. The main driver of MSTR’s direction remains appreciation of Bitcoin. Data by YCharts MSTR Targets 5%–14% Annual Bitcoin Yield via $6–10 Billion Digital Credit Issuance I see Strategy holds a capacity to derive accretive value through the issuance of digital credit instruments, mainly like the Stretch ( STRC ) product. This operational function works by raising capital at a fixed cost and deploying the proceeds into Bitcoin, thereby increasing the Bitcoin/share metric. MSTR raised over $25 billion in total capital during FY25. This capital inflow funded the acquisition of ~225,000 Bitcoin in FY25. The main metric tracking the efficacy of this operation is Bitcoin Yield that has hit 22.8% for FY25. This means that the holdings of Bitcoin per outstanding share increased by that percentage. It is outpacing the dilution caused by issuing new equity/credit instruments. Q4 Earnings In my view, the Stretch product is the engine for this accretion. MSTR issues these preferred equity securities with a target dividend yield of 11.25% and a target price of $100. By paying a fixed 11.25% cost of capital whereas the underlying asset (Bitcoin) historically appreciates/is acquired at a rate that increases the per-share holding, MSTR captures the spread. Bitcoin is a 43% ARR asset in Strategy's view and the cost of the credit instrument is fixed. This simple arbitrage permits MSTR to accumulate Bitcoin faster than it dilutes stockholding. The presence of $6.9 billion in preferred equity on the balance sheet marks a shif...

Welcome to Next Africa, a twice-weekly newsletter on where the continent stands now — and where it’s headed. Sign up here to have it delivered to your email. Russia is resorting to soft power to win influence in Africa. The Russian Orthodox Church has been rapidly expanding across the continent, establishing a presence in more than 30 countries and opening hundreds of parishes since a dispute with the Greek branch of the religion over the recognition of Ukraine’s church ruptured relations in 2021. Those outlets have been used to mirror the messages of the Russian state, to which the church has been closely tied for most of the last millennium. They have found fertile ground in Africa where conservative values and a distrust of the US and Europe are pervasive. At the same time, Russia has been opening up cultural and language centers and offering thousands of scholarships to Africans at its universities. On the surface, Moscow is lavishing attention on a continent — which it had close ties to during Africa’s independence struggles — at a time when the US has been pulling away. Yet there’s increasing disquiet about Russian recruitment of Africans for its war on Ukraine, with a recent report saying about 300 have been killed. Many of those who ended up fighting thought they were signing up for jobs as security guards or drivers, but instead were compelled to sign contracts with the army and sent to the frontline with little military training. Russia has also been sourcing labor for a drone-making complex by promising young African women employment in hospitality and education. Africa is finding out that when it comes to Russia and its desperate need to feed its war machine, largesse comes at a price. Key stories and opinion: Lacking Money, Russia Turns to God in Push for African Influence Russia Diverted Diplomats to Africa From Europe, Lavrov Says Russia’s Losses Boost Reliance on Foreign Fighters, UK Says Kenya Seals Russia War Recruits Return as South Africans Wait ...

Xtract One Announces Fiscal 2026 Second Quarter Conference Call

Boosts Annual Dividend 10% to $13.20 Per Share

Hillman Reports Fourth Quarter and Record Full Year 2025 Results; Provides 2026 Guidance. Full Year 2025 Net Sales increased 5.4% to a record $1.55 billion

Alexander Sikov/iStock via Getty Images Zebra Technologies Corporation ( ZBRA ) may be facing a challenging market environment in eFY26 as memory chip pricing pressures gross margins along with growing challenges in the retail environment. Despite the potential near-term headwinds, Zebra is positioning its portfolio for deeper vertical integration while simplifying operations by exiting the robotics market. With the expectation of new memory capacity coming online later in 2026 and further into 2027, Zebra may realize improved economics that can drive margin-accretive growth. Given the long-term outlook, I am recommending ZBRA shares with a Buy rating with a price target of $350/share at 13.72x eFY27 EV/aEBITDA. Zebra Technologies Corporation Operations Corporate Filings Zebra is going through a major organizational shift in order to focus on its core, vertically integrated technology stack. Accordingly, Zebra announced the intention to exit the robotics automation solutions business on December 9, 2025 , taking on an $80b impairment charge with the expectation of $20mm in annualized pre-tax cost savings. The strategic shift aligns with the previously announced acquisitions of Elo Touch and Photoneo in FY25, expanding on Zebra’s front-line and machine vision capabilities. Thematically, this may be an appealing strategy for Zebra, given that the industrial robotics market may be shifting over the coming years as more advanced and versatile humanoid robots enter the market, particularly the Tesla ( TSLA ) Optimus humanoid robots . Though the market may not yet be defined for humanoid robots given their differentiated features, I believe there may be a shift given that the design framework goes beyond a robotic arm or mobile platform. As for the remaining business, Zebra’s interactive displays, mobile computing technologies, barcode scanners, and RFID paired with its frontline software, AI agents, and machine vision can become a major growth market, particularly if mor...

zm_photo/iStock via Getty Images Introduction I have been active in the market since 2011. Although I have to admit that I was 15 when I started, which means I had no idea what I was doing, I have literally followed the market every single day since then. Over the past 15-ish years, a lot has happened: We have been through various economic cycles. The U.S. had four major general elections, three of which involved the current president. In 2020/2021, we went through a pandemic. Inflation almost reached double digits after the pandemic. The Mag-7/FANG+ (or whatever you want to call them) became one of the biggest wealth generators in modern history. We have been through multiple aggressive QE programs and one of the steepest tightening cycles in the Fed’s history when inflation became an issue. Tom Brady won four Super Bowls. That’s unrelated, but it’s an impressive fact. Now, in February 2026, I have to say that we’re dealing with a massive convergence of data, policy, and technology, which makes this an incredibly tricky market environment, as I have often written. However, I am not at all kidding when I say that this is my favorite market environment since I started investing. Yes, really. I’m not just saying this to sound cool (nobody would buy that anyway), but because I have never seen a market like this, as ridiculous as that may sound coming from a 30-year-old. In recent years, we had massive AI hype, recession fears, actual rolling recessions in areas like transportation and housing, and a K-shaped recovery that benefited investors with assets, while a large part of the consumer base struggled tremendously (see below). University of Michigan Now, it’s improving, as we have been discussing in quite a few articles this month. We are seeing a very powerful convergence that I would call the start of a full-blown industrial cycle recovery, an AI cycle that is maturing, and a macro environment where growth is suddenly “everywhere.” In this article, I’ll show you a ...

India's government launched a Vibrant Villages Programme almost four years ago. But as China steadily builds up its side, Indian residents wonder what's taking so long. (Image credit: Omkar Khandekar)

MARION, NORTH CAROLINA / ACCESS Newswire / February 17, 2026 / Greene Concepts, Inc. (OTCID:INKW), owner and operator of a 60,000-square-foot bottling facility in Marion, North Carolina, and producer of the premium artesian spring water brand Be Water™, ...

DALLAS, February 17, 2026--Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) ("Energy Transfer" or the "Partnership") today reported financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2025.

Shares of DTE Energy jumped Tuesday after the Michigan-based energy company won an agreement to power Oracle’s data center in Saline Township, Mich. DTE, which provides electricity and natural gas to millions of customers across Michigan, will provide 1.4 gigawatts of power for Oracle’s facility after getting approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission. The deal is DTE’s first with a hyperscale data center, the company said.

Lufax Holding ( LU ) Tuesday said that Yong Suk Cho will step down as CEO and resign from his position as executive director of the Board upon the expiration of his contract on March 31, 2026, due to family and personal considerations. The Board has appointed Xiang Ji , currently the co-CEO of the company, as CEO and as an executive director of the Board, effective April 1, 2026. Cho will support Ji in ensuring a smooth transition and handover. Additionally, the Board has appointed Fangfang Cai and Peifeng Li as new non-executive directors, effective February 18, 2026. More on Lufax Holding Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Lufax Holding Historical earnings data for Lufax Holding Financial information for Lufax Holding

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is among the 14 Best Cloud Computing Stocks to Buy Right Now. On February 12, UBS lifted its price target on Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO)’s stock to $95 from $90, while keeping a “Buy” rating. The analyst highlighted that the company’s AI order momentum ramped up during the quarter, fueling FY […]