China’s credit expansion picked up more than expected from a year ago in January, as financing activities benefited from seasonal factors. Aggregate financing , a broad measure of credit, increased 7.2 trillion yuan ($1 trillion), according to data released by the People’s Bank of China on Friday. That compares with a median forecast of 7.1 trillion yuan by economists in a Bloomberg survey Financi...
China’s credit expansion picked up more than expected from a year ago in January, as financing activities benefited from seasonal factors. Aggregate financing , a broad measure of credit, increased 7.2 trillion yuan ($1 trillion), according to data released by the People’s Bank of China on Friday. That compares with a median forecast of 7.1 trillion yuan by economists in a Bloomberg survey Financial institutions offered 4.7 trillion yuan of new loans in the month, falling short of the median forecast of 5 trillion yuan Credit activity tends to be strongest in January, when banks hasten to make use of newly allocated loan quotas. But while new loans reached a record in January 2025, that didn’t prevent the full-year total from falling to the lowest level since 2018. Strong sales of government bonds in the month also boosted the numbers, as the government seeks to ramp up spending early to ensure economic growth is off to a good start in 2026. Net financing of government bonds likely reached 1.1 trillion yuan in January, surpassing their level of around 900 billion yuan a year ago, Citigroup Inc. economists said in a report before the data release. The PBOC has maintained its drip-feed approach to revitalizing a fragile economy. It’s refrained from cutting the policy interest rate since a reduction in May, opting instead to lower the costs of a number of policy loans to banks to help ease pressures on their net interest margins.
Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR) is expanding in Southeast Asia through the acquisition of CSF Advisers, which owns the TelcoHub 1 data center in Malaysia. The company has also reached a key milestone in Japan, with its NRT14 facility in Greater Tokyo becoming one of the first DGX-Ready Data Centers powered by NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs for AI workloads. For you as an investor, these moves sit at the in...
Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR) is expanding in Southeast Asia through the acquisition of CSF Advisers, which owns the TelcoHub 1 data center in Malaysia. The company has also reached a key milestone in Japan, with its NRT14 facility in Greater Tokyo becoming one of the first DGX-Ready Data Centers powered by NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs for AI workloads. For you as an investor, these moves sit at the intersection of two big themes: global data center build out and rising demand for AI...
Federal REIT ( FRT ) declares $1.13/share quarterly dividend , in line with previous. Forward yield 4.32% Payable April 15; for shareholders of record April 1; ex-div April 1. See FRT Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on Federal REIT Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Federal Realty Investment Trust: Where Dividend Discipline Meets Total R...
Federal REIT ( FRT ) declares $1.13/share quarterly dividend , in line with previous. Forward yield 4.32% Payable April 15; for shareholders of record April 1; ex-div April 1. See FRT Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on Federal REIT Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Federal Realty Investment Trust: Where Dividend Discipline Meets Total Return Why We Argue With Moody's Rating: Our View On Federal Realty Investment Trust Federal Realty signals near 6% Core FFO growth target for 2026 while advancing residential development pipeline Federal Realty Trust Q4 earnings just miss as comp POI growth slows
Big-name value investors are few and far between today, but Bill Ackman , founder of hedge fund Pershing Square Holdings (OTC: PSHZF) , remains near the top of the list. As such, those who practice the art and science of value investing would do well to pay attention to his big portfolio moves. After all, Ackman tends to take large, concentrated positions, indicating a high level of conviction. At...
Big-name value investors are few and far between today, but Bill Ackman , founder of hedge fund Pershing Square Holdings (OTC: PSHZF) , remains near the top of the list. As such, those who practice the art and science of value investing would do well to pay attention to his big portfolio moves. After all, Ackman tends to take large, concentrated positions, indicating a high level of conviction. At its recent investor presentation, Ackman revealed Pershing had exited its longtime position in Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) , using those proceeds to allocate roughly 10% of its portfolio to this brand-name AI stock. On Wednesday, during Pershing's annual investor presentation, Ackman revealed a roughly $2 billion stake in Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) , taken last quarter, amounting to nearly 10% of Pershing's Fund. Continue reading
The US Federal Trade Commission has questioned the political neutrality of Apple News, sending a letter to Apple that raises concerns about potential bias in its curation. Apple has delayed major AI driven upgrades to Siri, citing technical issues affecting the rollout timeline. Ticker: NasdaqGS:AAPL. For you as an investor looking at NasdaqGS:AAPL, this combines two sensitive areas for the compan...
The US Federal Trade Commission has questioned the political neutrality of Apple News, sending a letter to Apple that raises concerns about potential bias in its curation. Apple has delayed major AI driven upgrades to Siri, citing technical issues affecting the rollout timeline. Ticker: NasdaqGS:AAPL. For you as an investor looking at NasdaqGS:AAPL, this combines two sensitive areas for the company: regulation around content and progress in AI. Apple News sits inside the broader services...
Ares Management Corp. is leading a private credit financing of about €1.4 billion ($1.7 billion) for Scandinavian software business EG A/S , people with knowledge of the matter said. The private credit heavyweight is partnering with other lenders including Park Square Capital and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. to provide the debt package, which includes a line of credit for future acquisitions, sai...
Ares Management Corp. is leading a private credit financing of about €1.4 billion ($1.7 billion) for Scandinavian software business EG A/S , people with knowledge of the matter said. The private credit heavyweight is partnering with other lenders including Park Square Capital and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. to provide the debt package, which includes a line of credit for future acquisitions, said the people, who requested anonymity when discussing private matters. Representatives for Ares, Park Square and SMBC declined to comment. Founded in 1977, EG delivers software-as-a-service products to public and private sector clients. Since being acquired by private equity firm Francisco Partners in 2019, the company has completed over 40 acquisitions. EG generates annual pro forma Ebitda of more than €163 million. A representative for Francisco Partners declined to comment, while EG did not respond to a request for comment. Ares is among the largest direct-lending firms in Europe. The company amassed a €30 billion pool of capital for its latest fund vintage.
mustafaU/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis I last reviewed the Federated Hermes U.S. Strategic Dividend ETF ( FDV ) on July 7, 2024, when I rated it a "sell" due to management's preference for low-growth, high-dividend stocks, a strategy with which I disagreed at the time. While several of the comparator ETFs assessed that day have outperformed since that article was published, FDV's manag...
mustafaU/iStock via Getty Images Investment Thesis I last reviewed the Federated Hermes U.S. Strategic Dividend ETF ( FDV ) on July 7, 2024, when I rated it a "sell" due to management's preference for low-growth, high-dividend stocks, a strategy with which I disagreed at the time. While several of the comparator ETFs assessed that day have outperformed since that article was published, FDV's managers have made some important portfolio changes over the last 18 months that warrant a rating upgrade, even though its estimated dividend yield has declined to a moderate 2.98%. While I still believe better options exist, FDV's increased portfolio-level earnings growth rate is a big win for this new ETF that struggled out of the gate, so I've decided to upgrade it to a "hold," and I look forward to explaining why in further detail below. I hope you enjoy the read. FDV Overview FDV's website describes it as a fund that "seeks income and long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in high dividend-paying U.S. stocks with dividend growth potential." Having launched on November 15, 2022, FDV is actively managed by four experienced investment professionals, each with long tenures at Federated Hermes, as follows: Federated Hermes Much of the literature on FDV's website focuses on the long-term success of dividend growth stocks. For example, this market insights document from June 2025 highlights how dividend payers have outperformed with lower volatility over the past 50 years, as demonstrated in the following chart on the left. In addition, high-dividend-payers have outperformed during periods of elevated market volatility, and as I'll highlight shortly, this view is clearly reflected in FDV's current portfolio. Federated Hermes My only caution on relying on charts like these is that a 50-year period likely isn't very relevant anymore. Importantly, this period covers the dot-com bubble crash in the early 2000s, and having independently evaluated many portfolios posted a...
imaginima/iStock via Getty Images As we move through the first quarter of 2026, I am optimistic about Neurocrine Biosciences ( NBIX ) because they have been able to demonstrate the success of their business development strategy in 2025. They were able to transition from being a one-product company to being a multiple-franchise commercial entity in a relatively short period of time based on the rap...
imaginima/iStock via Getty Images As we move through the first quarter of 2026, I am optimistic about Neurocrine Biosciences ( NBIX ) because they have been able to demonstrate the success of their business development strategy in 2025. They were able to transition from being a one-product company to being a multiple-franchise commercial entity in a relatively short period of time based on the rapid adoption of Crenessity. Additionally, the risk-adjusted valuation of the late-stage neuropsychiatry pipeline, including the muscarinic agonist programs and the novel glutamate modulator programs, appears to be significantly underappreciated in the marketplace. Although the company issued conservative guidance regarding the sale of Ingrezza in 2026, indicating a level of maturity of this particular revenue stream, the growing cash position of the company and its entry into the field of metabolic psychiatry provide a longer-term growth profile than previously anticipated, extending well into the late 2030s. Latest Financials Financial performance during the fourth quarter and full year of 2025 provides insight into how well Neurocrine balances the desire to maximize the value of commercialized products and invest in future opportunities. Total net product sales for the year 2025 reached $2.83 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 22%. Net sales in the fourth quarter of 2025 totaled $798.3 million, which represents a 29% year-over-year increase. The nature of the increases in sales during the year is especially instructive as they relate to the growth of individual products. Ingrezza, long considered the primary driver of sales, achieved net sales of $2.51 billion during the year 2025, which represented a 9% year-over-year increase. Although this growth rate is positive, the single digit percent growth rate for Ingrezza relative to the double-digit growth in prescriptions indicates a divergence that needs to be examined closely by investors. According to manage...
Franklin BSP Realty Trust ( FBRT ) declares $0.20/share quarterly dividend , -43.7% decrease from prior dividend of $0.355. Forward yield 9.42% Payable April 15; for shareholders of record March 31; ex-div March 31. See FBRT Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on Franklin BSP Realty Trust Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Franklin B...
Franklin BSP Realty Trust ( FBRT ) declares $0.20/share quarterly dividend , -43.7% decrease from prior dividend of $0.355. Forward yield 9.42% Payable April 15; for shareholders of record March 31; ex-div March 31. See FBRT Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on Franklin BSP Realty Trust Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (FBRT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript FBRT outlines $4.8B–$5B core book target and dividend reset as company shifts toward stable earnings Franklin BSP Realty Trust Q4 2025 Earnings Preview Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Franklin BSP Realty Trust
Norsk Hydro ( NHYDY ) has decided to propose to the general meeting a dividend of NOK 3.00/share dividend . Payable May 19; for shareholders of record May 11; ex-div May 11. See NHYDY Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on Norsk Hydro Norsk Hydro: Holding Onto And Adding More To This Winner Norsk Hydro ASA ADR (NHYDY) Analyst/Investor Day - Slideshow Norsk Hydro ASA ADR (NHYDY...
Norsk Hydro ( NHYDY ) has decided to propose to the general meeting a dividend of NOK 3.00/share dividend . Payable May 19; for shareholders of record May 11; ex-div May 11. See NHYDY Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on Norsk Hydro Norsk Hydro: Holding Onto And Adding More To This Winner Norsk Hydro ASA ADR (NHYDY) Analyst/Investor Day - Slideshow Norsk Hydro ASA ADR (NHYDY) Analyst/Investor Day Transcript Norsk Hydro Non-GAAP EPS of NOK 0.70, revenue of NOK 47.22B Norsk Hydro plans to close five European extrusion plants
US trade policies are creating a “new world order” as investors swap the dollar and American equities for international assets, according to Bank of America Corp.’s Michael Hartnett . The Trump administration’s “run it hot policy means new ‘anything but dollar’ trades” where US exceptionalism is turning into global rebalancing, the strategist wrote in a note. Hartnett said that will boost internat...
US trade policies are creating a “new world order” as investors swap the dollar and American equities for international assets, according to Bank of America Corp.’s Michael Hartnett . The Trump administration’s “run it hot policy means new ‘anything but dollar’ trades” where US exceptionalism is turning into global rebalancing, the strategist wrote in a note. Hartnett said that will boost international stocks, with commodity producers in emerging markets poised to benefit from higher demand for artificial intelligence. Investors are also underexposed to China and India, he noted. Money flows are backing up Hartnett’s views. Stock funds in Europe, Japan and other international developed markets have drawn a combined $104 billion this year, dwarfing the $25 billion that’s flowed into US funds, according to the BofA note citing EPFR Global. US assets have been roiled since President Donald Trump ’s historic tariffs announcement in April, which raised worries about the end of America’s dominance in global economic and financial markets. While Trump has since rolled back many of the levies, the S&P 500 Index remains a laggard compared with international peers, while a gauge of the dollar has dropped 10% since yearend 2024. Hartnett has maintained a preference for international equities since late 2024, a call that proved prescient as the S&P 500’s 15% gain over that time has trailed a 39% surge in the MSCI ACWI ex-US Index .
Public anger in the Philippines over the multibillion-peso flood-control scandal has reopened a debate that has simmered for years: will this finally force politicians to tackle a tax system many Filipinos see as unfair, inefficient and tilted against them? A Senate inquiry late last year heard that politicians and local officials had worked with contractors to siphon off at least 200 billion peso...
Public anger in the Philippines over the multibillion-peso flood-control scandal has reopened a debate that has simmered for years: will this finally force politicians to tackle a tax system many Filipinos see as unfair, inefficient and tilted against them? A Senate inquiry late last year heard that politicians and local officials had worked with contractors to siphon off at least 200 billion pesos (US$3.5 billion) earmarked for flood-control projects across the country, with some structures...