China may surpass the US as the world’s biggest economy in a decade, and it could attempt to take Taiwan by force even though the US is likely to remain the strongest military power, a Washington-based think tank found in a survey with hundreds of geopolitical forecasters. 58 per cent of surveyed experts believed that China will be the world’s top economic power by 2036, while 33 per cent expected...
China may surpass the US as the world’s biggest economy in a decade, and it could attempt to take Taiwan by force even though the US is likely to remain the strongest military power, a Washington-based think tank found in a survey with hundreds of geopolitical forecasters. 58 per cent of surveyed experts believed that China will be the world’s top economic power by 2036, while 33 per cent expected the US to maintain its economic dominance, according to a report published on Tuesday by the Atlantic Council. Experts are split on whether the US or China will lead in technological innovation and diplomatic influence, indicating that they could be “peer competitors” in these areas, according to the report. Advertisement The US held a narrow lead in both domains with 47 per cent believing it will be the largest technological power in 2036, with China trailing at 44 per cent. 38 per cent and 33 per cent of experts respectively expected the US and China to have a lead in diplomatic influence. “I think we underestimate China’s strengths and ambitions at our peril,” Melanie Hart, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, said at an event in Washington on Tuesday. “I would say that across the board we are still ahead, but we have almost zero margin for error.” Did Jimmy Lai get a fair trial? Hong Kong legal experts rebut criticism from the West Did Jimmy Lai get a fair trial? Hong Kong legal experts rebut criticism from the West Surveyed analysts, however, overwhelmingly expected the US to remain as the dominant military power, with nearly 73 per cent of them perceiving so and only 24 per cent expecting the same for China.
The People’s Bank of China. Photo: VCG China’s central bank has laid out a detailed framework for coordinating with fiscal authorities to channel liquidity into the real economy, signaling a unified push in Beijing’s effort to stabilize growth through synchronized bond support, subsidized lending and shared risk. The People’s Bank of China detailed the mechanisms in its fourth-quarter monetary pol...
The People’s Bank of China. Photo: VCG China’s central bank has laid out a detailed framework for coordinating with fiscal authorities to channel liquidity into the real economy, signaling a unified push in Beijing’s effort to stabilize growth through synchronized bond support, subsidized lending and shared risk. The People’s Bank of China detailed the mechanisms in its fourth-quarter monetary policy report released Tuesday, following a January directive from Premier Li Qiang to align fiscal and financial tools to lift domestic demand. The central bank outlined three main channels of cooperation: managing liquidity to support government bond issuance; pairing central-bank relending with fiscal interest subsidies ; and sharing risk to encourage lending to private companies.
A newly slimmed-down DuPont reported strong quarterly results on Tuesday, sending its stock to a new all-time high. Our long-running thesis is paying off as predicted. Revenue in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 was about flat versus 2025 at $1.693 billion; however, it outpaced the $1.688 billion expected by LSEG. Earnings per share (EPS) jumped 18% year over year to 46 cents, outpacing estimates ...
A newly slimmed-down DuPont reported strong quarterly results on Tuesday, sending its stock to a new all-time high. Our long-running thesis is paying off as predicted. Revenue in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 was about flat versus 2025 at $1.693 billion; however, it outpaced the $1.688 billion expected by LSEG. Earnings per share (EPS) jumped 18% year over year to 46 cents, outpacing estimates of 43 cents, according to LSEG. DD 1Y mountain DuPont 1-year return Bottom line A solid first outing for the new DuPont, which on Nov. 1 spun off its electronics business into a new, independent public company called Qnity Electronics . The remaining DuPont is two units: health care and water, and diversified industrials. Our primary reason for starting a position in DuPont was that its breakup, announced in March 2024, would unlock value by allowing each company to operate more efficiently to meet demand in its respective end markets. Our bull thesis was based on the stock's price-to-earnings multiple re-rating higher from a depressed valuation after the spin. This has played out perfectly: Since the close on Nov. 3, the day of the split, shares of the new DuPont have rallied 40%, far exceeding the S & P 500 ′s return of less than 1%. Qnity, meanwhile, increased 13% over the same stretch and also hit a record high Tuesday. Investors have been rewarded for their patience on DuPont — for those of us who held onto Qnity shares, the future looks bright there, too. Qnity is scheduled to report earnings Feb. 26. Some of the price action in DuPont is the recent market rotation out of technology and high-growth stocks and into more value-oriented stocks. However, DuPont's results have not disappointed. Sales came in ahead of expectations, thanks to strength in its healthcare and water business, which more than offset a small miss in the diversified industrials unit. On the other hand, strong earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) margin expansion ...
Children are being “bombarded” with harmful products online, including weight-loss drugs, steroids and skin-whitening chemicals, a study has found. Research conducted for the children’s commissioner for England found that teenagers were routinely exposed to harmful products on social media, video games and apps. Among 13 to 17-year-olds, 41% said they had seen prescription-only weight-loss drugs, ...
Children are being “bombarded” with harmful products online, including weight-loss drugs, steroids and skin-whitening chemicals, a study has found. Research conducted for the children’s commissioner for England found that teenagers were routinely exposed to harmful products on social media, video games and apps. Among 13 to 17-year-olds, 41% said they had seen prescription-only weight-loss drugs, 27% had seen potentially toxic skin-whitening creams and 24% had seen steroids and other drugs claiming to build muscle mass. Young people reported seeing these harmful products in lifestyle influencer content on social media, in advertising from small-scale content creators and in gaming, despite many of these being banned for under-18s. The report comes as the government consults on a potential social media ban for under-16s. But the children’s commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, said such a ban would not provide an “immediate guarantee” that children would be safer online. She said: “Extreme and potentially dangerous appearance-changing products are being normalised to children through advertising, influencer culture and online posts, despite many of these products being unsafe, illegal or strictly age-restricted. “For their developing and fragile sense of self-esteem, this is immensely damaging. “Any ban must respond to what children think and how they behave online, with a clear plan of how it will be enforced so that it does not drive children to other, darker parts of the internet. “Urgent action is needed to create an online world that is truly safer by design. We cannot continue to accept an online world that profits from children’s insecurities and constantly tells them they need to change or must be better.” More than half of children said they had seen ads for food and drinks claiming to aid weight loss, and similar numbers had seen exercise and diet plans. One in five had bought or tried weight-loss foodstuffs, while 8% had bought or tried non-prescription weig...
Blackstone Inc. is increasing its investment in artificial intelligence firm Anthropic PBC , elevating its stake to roughly $1 billion at the startup’s current valuation, according to people familiar with the matter. The world’s largest alternative asset manager is investing $200 million at a $350 billion valuation as part of the Anthropic’s ongoing funding round, according to the people, who aske...
Blackstone Inc. is increasing its investment in artificial intelligence firm Anthropic PBC , elevating its stake to roughly $1 billion at the startup’s current valuation, according to people familiar with the matter. The world’s largest alternative asset manager is investing $200 million at a $350 billion valuation as part of the Anthropic’s ongoing funding round, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Anthropic, maker of the Claude AI models, has already more than doubled its initial $10 billion fundraising target amid excess investor demand. Representatives for Blackstone and Anthropic declined to comment. The funding round hasn’t officially closed and timing or specific terms may change. Blackstone’s investment comes less than a year since the asset manager participated in Anthropic’s last round, when the OpenAI rival raised $13 billion at a $183 billion valuation. In the current fundraising effort, Anthropic has lined up at least $1 billion each from Coatue Management , Singapore’s GIC Pte and Iconiq Capital , in addition to as much as $15 billion from strategic investors Nvidia Corp. and Microsoft Corp. , Bloomberg News has previously reported. Abu Dhabi’s MGX is nearing a deal to join the funding round, Bloomberg reported earlier Tuesday. Read More: Anthropic to Close Over $20 Billion Funding as Soon as Next Week Blackstone’s fresh commitment is again being primarily earmarked from the firm’s retail-focused Blackstone Private Equity Strategies Fund (BXPE), said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Also a backer of OpenAI, Blackstone’s investment puts it among Anthropic’s biggest non-venture or sovereign investors. OpenAI has concurrently been in talks to raise as much as $100 billion in another record-breaking AI funding round, with both companies also taking steps toward an initial public offering.
Bloomberg Blackstone Inc. is increasing its investment in artificial intelligence firm Anthropic PBC, elevating its stake to roughly $1 billion at the startup’s current valuation, according to people familiar with the matter. The world’s largest alternative asset manager is investing $200 million at a $350 billion valuation as part of the Anthropic’s ongoing funding round, according to the people,...
PhonlamaiPhoto/iStock via Getty Images By Bob Iaccino Copper entered 2026 as one of the best-performing industrial assets. After a 41% rally in 2025 that saw CME Group Copper futures settle at $5.6820 a pound, the red metal has pushed above $6.00 in January as a "triple threat" of AI data centers, electric vehicle scaling, and grid modernization collides with a decade of mining underinvestment. Wh...
PhonlamaiPhoto/iStock via Getty Images By Bob Iaccino Copper entered 2026 as one of the best-performing industrial assets. After a 41% rally in 2025 that saw CME Group Copper futures settle at $5.6820 a pound, the red metal has pushed above $6.00 in January as a "triple threat" of AI data centers, electric vehicle scaling, and grid modernization collides with a decade of mining underinvestment. While the long-term bull case is firming, traders are navigating a volatile short-term landscape defined by U.S. tariff policy and thinning global inventories. The question for 2026 isn't whether copper faces headwinds, but whether structural demand can override policy volatility and mine constraints. Electrification Drives Structural Deficit The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) as a primary copper consumer has fundamentally altered the market's demand profile. S&P Global forecasts copper demand swelling to 42 million metric tons by 2040 - a 50% jump from current levels - driven by a near-50% rise in electricity needs. The key drivers include AI data centers, which consume 40,000-50,000 tons per major facility, electric vehicles (EVs) that use three to four times more copper than conventional cars and renewable energy grids. China, which absorbs about 60% of global refined copper, remains the epicenter, with power infrastructure accounting for over 60% of demand growth through 2030. Defense spending and urbanization in emerging markets add further upside to the equation. This structural shift matters because it creates inelastic demand across multiple sectors simultaneously – data centers, EVs and renewable grids – leaving little room for substitution. Chinese manufacturing data and U.S. hyperscaler buildouts now function as leading indicators for price direction. Supply Crunch Deepens Compounding those demand pressures, supply-side bottlenecks represent a critical factor to monitor, with forecasts pointing to a deepening deficit. J.P. Morgan projects a 330,000-ton r...
With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), NVIDIA Corporation NVDA has delivered impressive returns, soaring more than 1,000% over the past five years. Yet, in the past year, Micron Technology, Inc.’s MU shares outpaced NVIDIA’s (+307% vs +43.1%). Let’s see why Micron is emerging as the new go-to AI investment, even amid NVIDIA’s strong bullish momentum. NVIDIA’s Strong Demand and Growth Outlo...
With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), NVIDIA Corporation NVDA has delivered impressive returns, soaring more than 1,000% over the past five years. Yet, in the past year, Micron Technology, Inc.’s MU shares outpaced NVIDIA’s (+307% vs +43.1%). Let’s see why Micron is emerging as the new go-to AI investment, even amid NVIDIA’s strong bullish momentum. NVIDIA’s Strong Demand and Growth Outlook Keep Investors Bullish NVIDIA remains the center of attraction among investors, and for good reasons. Consistently, NVIDIA delivered encouraging quarterly results that exceeded Wall Street expectations even in the face of several geopolitical hurdles. This is because demand for its next-generation Blackwell chips and cloud graphics processing units (GPUs) remains strong. Somewhat easing of the U.S.-China trade tensions and incessant increase in data center spending, in all likelihood, could boost NVIDIA’s sales. NVIDIA remains optimistic about its future growth and expects revenues for the fiscal fourth quarter of 2026 to hit nearly $65 billion, plus or minus 2%, according to investor.nvidia.com. This would be more than the company’s fiscal third-quarter 2026 revenues of $57 billion, and if achieved, it will surely raise the stock further (read more: NVIDIA vs. Palantir: One AI Stock is a Clear Buy Right Now). Micron Emerges as a Key AI Beneficiary on Strong HBM Demand While NVIDIA continues to command the spotlight, another chipmaker, Micron, has steadily gained investors’ attention, driven by strong demand for its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips amid the rapid expansion of AI. The demand for Micron’s HBM chips has surged as data center operators and hyperscalers ramp up AI infrastructure investments. At the same time, constrained HBM supply amid high demand is likely to enhance Micron’s profit margin and support its growth trajectory. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra also added that tight HBM supply is expected to persist as demand remains strong, creating a demand-supply ...
With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), NVIDIA Corporation NVDA has delivered impressive returns, soaring more than 1,000% over the past five years. Yet, in the past year, Micron Technology, Inc.’s MU shares outpaced NVIDIA’s (+307% vs +43.1%). Let’s see why Micron is emerging as the new go-to AI investment, even amid NVIDIA’s strong bullish momentum. NVIDIA’s Strong Demand and Growth Outlo...
With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), NVIDIA Corporation NVDA has delivered impressive returns, soaring more than 1,000% over the past five years. Yet, in the past year, Micron Technology, Inc.’s MU shares outpaced NVIDIA’s (+307% vs +43.1%). Let’s see why Micron is emerging as the new go-to AI investment, even amid NVIDIA’s strong bullish momentum. NVIDIA’s Strong Demand and Growth Outlook Keep Investors Bullish NVIDIA remains the center of attraction among investors, and for good reasons. Consistently, NVIDIA delivered encouraging quarterly results that exceeded Wall Street expectations even in the face of several geopolitical hurdles. This is because demand for its next-generation Blackwell chips and cloud graphics processing units (GPUs) remains strong. Somewhat easing of the U.S.-China trade tensions and incessant increase in data center spending, in all likelihood, could boost NVIDIA’s sales. NVIDIA remains optimistic about its future growth and expects revenues for the fiscal fourth quarter of 2026 to hit nearly $65 billion, plus or minus 2%, according to investor.nvidia.com. This would be more than the company’s fiscal third-quarter 2026 revenues of $57 billion, and if achieved, it will surely raise the stock further (read more: NVIDIA vs. Palantir: One AI Stock is a Clear Buy Right Now). Micron Emerges as a Key AI Beneficiary on Strong HBM Demand While NVIDIA continues to command the spotlight, another chipmaker, Micron, has steadily gained investors’ attention, driven by strong demand for its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips amid the rapid expansion of AI. The demand for Micron’s HBM chips has surged as data center operators and hyperscalers ramp up AI infrastructure investments. At the same time, constrained HBM supply amid high demand is likely to enhance Micron’s profit margin and support its growth trajectory. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra also added that tight HBM supply is expected to persist as demand remains strong, creating a demand-supply ...
watch now VIDEO 2:33 02:33 'People are looking for one thing to blame for the current retracement in bitcoin. But there is not any one thing to blame,' says Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan ETF Edge A multibillion-dollar crypto asset manager cites several reasons for the bitcoin plunge, but he's listing "the four-year cycle" as the No. 1 downward catalyst. According to Matt Hougan, chief investment officer...
watch now VIDEO 2:33 02:33 'People are looking for one thing to blame for the current retracement in bitcoin. But there is not any one thing to blame,' says Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan ETF Edge A multibillion-dollar crypto asset manager cites several reasons for the bitcoin plunge, but he's listing "the four-year cycle" as the No. 1 downward catalyst. According to Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise Asset Management, it's a phenomenon that's happened three other times in the crypto market. "People are looking for one thing to blame for the current retracement in bitcoin . But there is not any one thing to blame," he told " ETF Edge " on Monday. Hougan contends investors have been favoring other hot investments including gold and artificial intelligence stocks over cryptocurrencies, too. "There is some quantum risk . There is fear of [Fed nominee] Kevin Warsh," he said. "In bear markets, all these things are amplified." When he was on "ETF Edge" last November , bitcoin had fallen below the $90,000 mark for the first time since April. Its record high of $126,279 was hit in October. Crypto ETF disruption? But bitcoin weakness shouldn't ultimately disrupt the rise of exchange-traded funds specializing in crypto, according to Hougan — who thinks a "self-fulfilling prophecy" is dominating the crypto market right now. "There is good news underneath the surface. It's just slow to materialize. So, I don't think this sort of financialization of bitcoin fundamentally changes the scarcity argument," Hougan said. "It may change some intraday movements or short-term trading dynamics, but it doesn't change the sort of fundamental fact there are only 21 million bitcoin. All that derivative demand has to pass through eventually to the spot market." His firm, which has more than $15 billion in assets under management, is heavily involved in crypto ETFs . It launched the Bitwise Solana Staking ETF, which tracks the price of cryptocurrency solana , on Oct. 28. The fund is down...
US stocks drifted lower on Tuesday, though the Dow built on its latest record close, as a slowdown in retail sales figures led out a flood of crucial data highlighted by the looming release of the monthly jobs report. The blue chip-heavy Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) held on to gains, rising 0.2%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) lost about 0.1%. The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) fell 0.2% as Big Tech t...
US stocks drifted lower on Tuesday, though the Dow built on its latest record close, as a slowdown in retail sales figures led out a flood of crucial data highlighted by the looming release of the monthly jobs report. The blue chip-heavy Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) held on to gains, rising 0.2%, while the S&P 500 (^GSPC) lost about 0.1%. The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) fell 0.2% as Big Tech titans Nvidia (NVDA) and Alphabet (GOOG) fluctuated. December's retail sales data led the way into a deluge of economic data to come this week with a downtrodden read on the economy, as retail spending on the month remained "virtually unchanged" from the month prior. The flatlining sales data signals a slowdown in spending through the end of the holiday season from November's month-on-month growth of 0.6%, and it fell well below economist expectations. The weak number appeared to lead to an increase in bets on interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. While most traders still expect the Fed to hold steady next month and April, those majorities are shrinking. Meanwhile, over 75% of traders now expect rates to be lower by June. The consumer data lays the ground for Wednesday's all-important January jobs report, in high focus following last week's signs of softening in the labor market. The latest Consumer Price Index reading is then due on Friday to give a look at inflation pressures, as the Fed continues to balance both sides of its dual mandate In the corporate world, investors combed through the latest batch of quarterly earnings, Coca-Cola (KO) and CVS Health (CVS) among them. Ford (F) is a highlight on Tuesday's docket after the market close. Gold (GC=F) and bitcoin (BTC-USD) are still on investors’ radar, as the assets try to stabilize after last week’s sharp pullback. After rallying above $5,000 to start the week, gold slipped back slightly early Tuesday, though strategists remain bullish on its prospects this year. But a risk-off mood weighed on bitcoin, which resum...
Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid reflects on his decision to confess on live television to having cheated on his girlfriend, moments after winning bronze in the Winter Olympics. READ MORE: Laegreid wins bronze then confesses to affair on TV Available to UK users only.
Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Laegreid reflects on his decision to confess on live television to having cheated on his girlfriend, moments after winning bronze in the Winter Olympics. READ MORE: Laegreid wins bronze then confesses to affair on TV Available to UK users only.
MarketAxess operates a leading electronic platform for institutional bond trading, serving asset managers and broker-dealers worldwide. What happened According to an SEC filing dated Feb. 10, 2026, Robertson Opportunity Capital, LLC disclosed a new stake in MarketAxess (MKTX +3.04%), reporting the purchase of 28,830 shares. The estimated transaction value was approximately $5.23 million, calculate...
MarketAxess operates a leading electronic platform for institutional bond trading, serving asset managers and broker-dealers worldwide. What happened According to an SEC filing dated Feb. 10, 2026, Robertson Opportunity Capital, LLC disclosed a new stake in MarketAxess (MKTX +3.04%), reporting the purchase of 28,830 shares. The estimated transaction value was approximately $5.23 million, calculated using the average quarterly closing price. The quarter-end value of the position increased by $5.23 million, reflecting the new purchase. What else to know This was a new position, representing 1.9% of the fund’s 13F reportable assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2025. Top holdings after the filing: Somnigroup International : $39.27 million (14.3% of AUM) The Williams Companies: $26.04 million (9.5% of AUM) Alphabet : $23.74 million (8.6% of AUM) Arch Capital Group : $19.39 million (7.0% of AUM) Copart : $13.17 million (4.8% of AUM) As of Feb. 9, 2026, shares of MarketAxess were priced at $171.23, down 13.7% over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500 by 28 percentage points. Company overview Metric Value Revenue (TTM) $851.21 million Net income (TTM) $246.91 million Dividend yield 1.75% Price (as of market close 2/9/26) $171.23 Company snapshot MarketAxess: Offers an electronic trading platform for institutional investors and broker-dealers, facilitating trading in U.S. investment-grade and high-yield bonds, Treasuries, municipal bonds, emerging market debt, and Eurobonds. Generates revenue primarily through transaction fees on bond trades, as well as from market data products, execution services, and technology solutions that support fixed income trading workflows. Serves institutional clients, including asset managers, hedge funds, and broker-dealer firms, seeking efficient, anonymous, and liquid access to global fixed-income markets. MarketAxess operates at scale as a leading electronic platform for fixed income trading, leveraging proprietary technology and...
Key Points Roberston bought 28,830 shares of MKTX; estimated trade size: ~$5.23 million based on the quarterly average price. Quarter-end position value rose by $5.23 million, reflecting the new purchase. The transaction represented a 1.9% change in 13F reportable assets under management. Post-trade stake: 28,830 shares valued at $5.23 million at quarter-end. The new position accounts for 1.9% of ...
Key Points Roberston bought 28,830 shares of MKTX; estimated trade size: ~$5.23 million based on the quarterly average price. Quarter-end position value rose by $5.23 million, reflecting the new purchase. The transaction represented a 1.9% change in 13F reportable assets under management. Post-trade stake: 28,830 shares valued at $5.23 million at quarter-end. The new position accounts for 1.9% of fund AUM, which places it outside the fund's top five holdings. 10 stocks we like better than MarketAxess › What happened According to an SEC filing dated Feb. 10, 2026, Robertson Opportunity Capital, LLC disclosed a new stake in MarketAxess (NASDAQ:MKTX), reporting the purchase of 28,830 shares. The estimated transaction value was approximately $5.23 million, calculated using the average quarterly closing price. The quarter-end value of the position increased by $5.23 million, reflecting the new purchase. What else to know This was a new position, representing 1.9% of the fund’s 13F reportable assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2025. Top holdings after the filing: Somnigroup International : $39.27 million (14.3% of AUM) The Williams Companies: $26.04 million (9.5% of AUM) Alphabet : $23.74 million (8.6% of AUM) Arch Capital Group : $19.39 million (7.0% of AUM) Copart : $13.17 million (4.8% of AUM) As of Feb. 9, 2026, shares of MarketAxess were priced at $171.23, down 13.7% over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500 by 28 percentage points. Company overview Metric Value Revenue (TTM) $851.21 million Net income (TTM) $246.91 million Dividend yield 1.75% Price (as of market close 2/9/26) $171.23 Company snapshot MarketAxess: Offers an electronic trading platform for institutional investors and broker-dealers, facilitating trading in U.S. investment-grade and high-yield bonds, Treasuries, municipal bonds, emerging market debt, and Eurobonds. Generates revenue primarily through transaction fees on bond trades, as well as from market data products, execution services...
AUO press release ( AUOTY ): Q4 GAAP EPS of NT$0.38. Revenue of NT$70.14B. More on AUO AUO Corporation 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on AUO Historical earnings data for AUO Dividend scorecard for AUO Financial information for AUO
AUO press release ( AUOTY ): Q4 GAAP EPS of NT$0.38. Revenue of NT$70.14B. More on AUO AUO Corporation 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on AUO Historical earnings data for AUO Dividend scorecard for AUO Financial information for AUO
He is the ex-special forces colonel talked of by some in Labour as the dark horse answer to the party’s leadership angst, even if Alistair Carns might not welcome all of the endorsements coming his way. “He’s one of the most capable individuals on the Labour benches and would be an absolute nightmare to face,” said one Conservative MP familiar with the abilities of the veterans minister, who was c...
He is the ex-special forces colonel talked of by some in Labour as the dark horse answer to the party’s leadership angst, even if Alistair Carns might not welcome all of the endorsements coming his way. “He’s one of the most capable individuals on the Labour benches and would be an absolute nightmare to face,” said one Conservative MP familiar with the abilities of the veterans minister, who was cast at the weekend in reports as a “decisive man of action”. Carns is a former Royal Marine commando and was later military adviser to three defence secretaries at the Ministry of Defence. He was tipped as a future chief of the defence staff prospect, and there was surprise when the Scot suddenly resigned to run as a Labour candidate, winning the safe seat of Birmingham Selly Oak in 2024. He was appointed minister for the armed forces in September 2025 and has earned praise for quiet stewardship of a portfolio also encompassing issues ranging from homeland defence to support for Ukraine. Supporters present him as a man with credentials to take the fight to Reform UK in Labour heartlands. Yet the emergence of Carns as a whispered-of leadership contender – albeit a major outside bet in the shadow of big beasts such as Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner – also reflects not just the febrile atmosphere gripping the party, but the growing impatience and appetite for change among its 2024 intake. Many of the newly elected cohort who were once derided as “Starmtroopers” expected to toe the line are less than impressed with the notion of more senior party figures having a free pass. If Labour skips a generation opting for a fresh face such as Carns, it will be largely because of the 200-plus new MPs elected along with him last July. “We’re not a monolithic group. The Scottish Labour MPs are very much their own group for example and while a lot us worked in politics before some haven’t and those of us who were originally the long shots to win their seats are probably the most unpredicta...
Key Points Small-cap value stocks are knocking the cover off the ball this year. It's an investing combination that rewards over the long term. This ETF offers investors some interesting advantages. 10 stocks we like better than Dimensional ETF Trust - Dimensional Us Small Cap Value ETF › Thanks to inflation, $100 doesn't sound like much these days, but there's another way for investors to look at...
Key Points Small-cap value stocks are knocking the cover off the ball this year. It's an investing combination that rewards over the long term. This ETF offers investors some interesting advantages. 10 stocks we like better than Dimensional ETF Trust - Dimensional Us Small Cap Value ETF › Thanks to inflation, $100 doesn't sound like much these days, but there's another way for investors to look at that amount. Consider it as a seed to be planted and, when tended to, one that will grow and bear fruit. Here's how to put $100 to work right now. A fine idea is small-cap value stocks, particularly when considering the Russell 2000 and the S&P SmallCap 600 indexes are both sporting double-digit year-to-date percentage gains. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » For investors who don't want to pick individual stocks in the small-cap value arena, the good news is that this asset class is accessible via a slew of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), including the Dimensional US Small Cap Value ETF (NYSEMKT: DFSV). With this ETF, DNA matters This $7 billion small-cap value ETF turns four years old later this month, and while that's young compared to plenty of the legacy funds in the category, the Dimensional fund is off to an impressive start, soundly outpacing some of the most well-known ETFs tracking the aforementioned small-cap value benchmarks. The Dimensional fund is proof positive that active stock-picking can serve investors well in the small-cap value space. In fact, this factor combination arguably lends itself to active management because the universe of smaller equities is, in the eyes of some experts, littered with pricing inefficiencies, and these stocks often lack sell-side analyst coverage comparable to larger peers. Another perk offered by this ETF's management style is that it puts inve...
Black_Kira/iStock via Getty Images Fluence Energy ( FLNC ) +1.3% in Tuesday's trading as Jefferies upgraded the energy storage company to Buy from Hold with a $24 price target, saying that despite a premium valuation, strong prospective EBITDA growth through FY 2028 and beyond and utility‑scale storage leadership justify the upside. Last Thursday's 30%-plus selloff on a softer-than-expected data c...
Black_Kira/iStock via Getty Images Fluence Energy ( FLNC ) +1.3% in Tuesday's trading as Jefferies upgraded the energy storage company to Buy from Hold with a $24 price target, saying that despite a premium valuation, strong prospective EBITDA growth through FY 2028 and beyond and utility‑scale storage leadership justify the upside. Last Thursday's 30%-plus selloff on a softer-than-expected data center pipeline was disappointing but disproportionate, analyst Julien Dumoulin-Smith said, adding that FQ1 results were not exceptional but included several positive developments - full revenue coverage in the backlog for the first time, strengthening U.S. demand reflected in new orders, and traction in BTM applications. As such, the analyst expects Fluence ( FLNC ) shares to recover partially in the near term and sees the company's ongoing recovery driving gains over the next 6-9 months. With macro headwinds easing and demand surging from grid reliability and data centers, Fluence's ( FLNC ) U.S.-first strategy positions the company as one of the few players able to deliver compliant solutions at scale, Dumoulin-Smith said, and while near-term hurdles such as FEOC qualification remain, a resolution could unlock significant upside as U.S. demand rebounds and global orders stay strong. Data centers add another powerful growth catalyst for Fluence's ( FLNC ) Smartstack systems, although the opportunity likely is farther out on the horizon, the analyst added. More on Fluence Energy Fluence Energy Q1 2026 Earnings Call Presentation Fluence Energy: The Scalable Solution Powering AI-Driven Data Centers Fluence Energy: Strong Pipeline Could Limit AI Fallout
Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVN) is included in our list of the 14 oversold value stocks to invest in right now. Five9 (FIVN) Experiences Weak Share Price Momentum Amid Broader SaaS Sector Headwinds On February 3, 2026, Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVN)’s shares reached their 52-week low of $16.10, marking a sharp decline from its 52-week high of $49.90. This follows a challenging year for the company, during wh...
Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVN) is included in our list of the 14 oversold value stocks to invest in right now. Five9 (FIVN) Experiences Weak Share Price Momentum Amid Broader SaaS Sector Headwinds On February 3, 2026, Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVN)’s shares reached their 52-week low of $16.10, marking a sharp decline from its 52-week high of $49.90. This follows a challenging year for the company, during which its stock fell by over 60% amid broader SaaS sector headwinds. Among recent company developments is Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVN)’s January 12 announcement of an expanded partnership with Google Cloud. A joint Enterprise CX AI solution was unveiled that integrates Five9’s AI-Infused Intelligent CX Platform with Google’s Gemini Enterprise and Vertex AI. The platform not only allows enterprises to deliver seamless, personalized, AI-driven customer experiences but also improves operational agility. At the same time, it supports end-to-end workflows for agents, supervisors, and administrators. Three days earlier, Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVN) saw Morgan Stanley reduce its price target from $30 to $26, while reiterating an ‘Equal Weight’ rating. While the firm cited the SaaS sector’s underperformance, it expects AI-related risks to be lower in 2026. Morgan Stanley advises investors to remain selective within the sector amid limited broad corporate spending revisions. Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ:FIVN), a San Ramon-based cloud software provider, specializes in AI-driven contact center solutions, including routing, analytics, workforce management, and reporting for enterprises. While we acknowledge the potential of FIVN as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: What Are the Best Stocks to Buy Right Now? and 10 Stocks Under...
Dave Inc. (NASDAQ:DAVE) is included in our list of the 14 oversold value stocks to invest in right now. Analyst Sentiment on Dave (DAVE) Remains Strong Despite Mixed Share Price Momentum Investor sentiment in the stock has been mixed in the past year, with the stock declining ~35% over six months and gaining over 50% in the last year. As of February 5, 2026, the stock enjoys the confidence of 100%...
Dave Inc. (NASDAQ:DAVE) is included in our list of the 14 oversold value stocks to invest in right now. Analyst Sentiment on Dave (DAVE) Remains Strong Despite Mixed Share Price Momentum Investor sentiment in the stock has been mixed in the past year, with the stock declining ~35% over six months and gaining over 50% in the last year. As of February 5, 2026, the stock enjoys the confidence of 100% of analysts covering it, with a consensus price target of $302.50. On January 20, 2026, Dave Inc. (NASDAQ:DAVE) made key changes to its Board of Directors. Firstly, the company appointed Nima Khajehnouri, an AI and data engineering leader. He brings 20 years of experience, having worked at organizations such as Meta, Google, and Snap. By joining the company’s Board and Audit Committee, he will help scale the company’s innovation capabilities as it continues deploying AI-driven solutions for millions of Americans. Further Board changes included the appointment of Mike Pope as Lead Independent Director and Andrea Mitchell as Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. With these changes, the company aims to advance its governance evolution and technical oversight strategy. Dave Inc. (NASDAQ:DAVE), a Los Angeles-based digital banking service, offers budgeting tools, cash advances, side hustles, and modern checking accounts. While we acknowledge the potential of DAVE as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: What Are the Best Stocks to Buy Right Now? and 10 Stocks Under $1 That Will Explode. Disclosure: None.
Pakistan-Afghanistan border closures paralyze trade along a key route toggle caption ABDUL MAJEED/AFP via Getty Images PESHAWAR, Pakistan — For more than three months, Afghan truck driver Anwar Zadran has been parked in Pakistan with a truck full of cement he was supposed to transport from a factory in Nowshera district to Afghanistan's capital, Kabul. The task became impossible starting in mid-Oc...
Pakistan-Afghanistan border closures paralyze trade along a key route toggle caption ABDUL MAJEED/AFP via Getty Images PESHAWAR, Pakistan — For more than three months, Afghan truck driver Anwar Zadran has been parked in Pakistan with a truck full of cement he was supposed to transport from a factory in Nowshera district to Afghanistan's capital, Kabul. The task became impossible starting in mid-October, when Pakistan and Afghanistan shut their borders in response to fighting between the two countries, stranding Zadran mid-route near the Torkham border crossing. He now spends his daylight hours huddled at roadside tea stalls with other stranded drivers, waiting for a sign that restrictions at Torkham will loosen. Every day, Zadran puts on the same thin clothes he arrived in months ago, when the weather was warm — retreating to his truck to sleep in the evenings when the air turns icy cold. "The people are destroyed and the goods are damaged as well," he says. "I wish the border would open soon so that we can get some relief." Sponsor Message Zadran, who is from Afghanistan's Nangahar province, and his fellow drivers are used to intermittent closures along this border, which snakes more than 1,600 miles through the rugged mountains and deserts that separate Pakistan and Afghanistan. Normally hundreds of trucks pass through daily. In the past, border disruptions usually were resolved within days or weeks, but this one has stretched beyond 100 days — the longest closure in recent decades, with no clear end in sight. It has brought trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan to a halt and paralyzed a key transit route that extends across Central Asia. The closure of five active trade borders is part of a larger dispute between Afghanistan and Pakistan over how to handle a deadly surge in militancy, mostly along the border belt, but also including a suicide attack last week claimed by ISIS at a mosque in Islamabad that killed dozens. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan...