His killer, who was 14 at the time, pleaded guilty to murder last month at Birmingham Crown Court as well as admitting several other offences after he attacked three elderly women in the days leading up to the killing.
His killer, who was 14 at the time, pleaded guilty to murder last month at Birmingham Crown Court as well as admitting several other offences after he attacked three elderly women in the days leading up to the killing.
Earnings Call Insights: Medpace Holdings, Inc. (MEDP) Q4 2025 Management View CEO August Troendle stated, "Cancellations were elevated again in Q4. Backlog cancellations in absolute and percent terms were the highest they've been in over a year. This resulted in a lower than anticipated net book-to-bill ratio of 1.04." Troendle commented on the business environment, describing it as "adequate and ...
Earnings Call Insights: Medpace Holdings, Inc. (MEDP) Q4 2025 Management View CEO August Troendle stated, "Cancellations were elevated again in Q4. Backlog cancellations in absolute and percent terms were the highest they've been in over a year. This resulted in a lower than anticipated net book-to-bill ratio of 1.04." Troendle commented on the business environment, describing it as "adequate and headed in the right direction" and noted, "I see no reason to expect the higher level of cancellations to continue, but did not anticipate the spike in Q4. Only time will tell." President Jesse Geiger reported, "Revenue in the fourth quarter of 2025 was $708.5 million, which represents a year-over-year increase of 32% and full year 2025 revenue was $2.53 billion, a 20% increase from 2024." Geiger highlighted net new business awards for Q4 at $736.6 million and ending backlog as of December 31, 2025, at approximately $3 billion. He projected $1.9 billion of backlog to convert to revenue in the next 12 months. CFO Kevin Brady said, "EBITDA of $160.2 million increased 20% compared to $133.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. Full year EBITDA was $557.7 million and increased 16.1% from the comparable prior year period." Brady added, "EBITDA margin for the fourth quarter was 22.6% compared to 24.9% in the prior year period. Full year EBITDA margin was 22% compared to 22.8% in the prior year." Outlook Full year 2026 total revenue is expected in the range of $2.755 billion to $2.855 billion, representing growth of 8.9% to 12.8% over 2025. EBITDA is forecasted in the range of $605 million to $635 million, or growth of 8.5% to 13.9%. Net income is projected between $487 million and $511 million. Earnings per diluted share for 2026 is expected to be $16.68 to $17.50. Brady stated, "This guidance assumes a full year 2026 effective tax rate of 18.5% to 19.5%, interest income of $24.3 million and 29.2 million in diluted weighted average shares outstanding for 2026." Brady addressed ...
Earnings Call Insights: Lee Enterprises (LEE) Q1 2026 Management View Interim CEO Nathan Bekke reported a strong start to fiscal 2026, highlighting "significant first quarter adjusted EBITDA growth and a transformational improvement to our capital structure." Bekke noted that adjusted EBITDA grew 61% year-over-year to $12 million, citing "consistent execution across the core business and disciplin...
Earnings Call Insights: Lee Enterprises (LEE) Q1 2026 Management View Interim CEO Nathan Bekke reported a strong start to fiscal 2026, highlighting "significant first quarter adjusted EBITDA growth and a transformational improvement to our capital structure." Bekke noted that adjusted EBITDA grew 61% year-over-year to $12 million, citing "consistent execution across the core business and disciplined cost management." Bekke also announced the completion of a $50 million equity investment that he said "materially strengthens our balance sheet and significantly improves our liquidity." Bekke emphasized the company's "Three Pillar Digital Growth Strategy" and described Lee's transformation into a "digital-first company," stating, "Digital is no longer an emerging segment inside the legacy business, but the primary economic engine of the company." The company set a goal to reach $450 million in digital revenue by 2030, with nearly $300 million in digital revenue over the last 12 months, according to Bekke. He described the $50 million private placement as a move that "shores up our balance sheet in both the near and long term and will lead to future deleveraging." Bekke announced a reduction in the interest rate on $455 million in debt to 5% from 9% for five years, with expected annual interest savings of $18 million or up to $90 million over five years. He stated, "That significant cash flow improvement over the 5-year horizon will allow us the flexibility to invest in our core business and drive digital growth." Interim CFO Josh Rinehults stated, "Q1 adjusted EBITDA increased by a significant 61% or $5 million over the prior year, reflecting improved operating efficiency and tighter expense control." Outlook Bekke reaffirmed the outlook for fiscal 2026 of adjusted EBITDA growth in the mid-single digits. He expressed increased confidence in the company's position, stating, "The transaction and interest reduction give us increased confidence in not only fiscal 2026, but ...
Shokz OpenFit Air earbuds are $40 off in all colorways. | Image: The Verge If you like to take your workouts outside, open-ear earbuds are helpful for staying aware of surroundings, but that extra peace of mind often comes at the expense of bass. The Shokz OpenFit Air Earbuds actually try to address that problem, though, and they’re currently $79.95 ($40 off) at Amazon , Target , and directly from...
Shokz OpenFit Air earbuds are $40 off in all colorways. | Image: The Verge If you like to take your workouts outside, open-ear earbuds are helpful for staying aware of surroundings, but that extra peace of mind often comes at the expense of bass. The Shokz OpenFit Air Earbuds actually try to address that problem, though, and they’re currently $79.95 ($40 off) at Amazon , Target , and directly from Shokz — which is their best price to date. Shokz OpenFit Air Where to Buy: $119.95 $79.95 at Amazon $119.95 $79.99 at Best Buy Unlike many of Shokz’ other models, the OpenFit Air uses traditional air conduction — similar to a pair of wireless earbuds — instead of bone conduction tech, which results in noticeably decent bass performance. Granted, they still can’t match traditional in-ear wireless earbuds, but they at least sound less muddy than a lot of bone conduction alternatives. Ear hooks also keep the OpenFit Air in place, and for the most part they’re comfortable (though they can feel less stable when you’re donning glasses, as our wearables reviewer found out in her testing ). They’ve also got decent battery life that lasts six hours on a single charge which is fine for most workouts. Plus, they carry an IP55 rating for sweat and water resistance, so they can withstand sweaty workouts and light rain. Read our Shokz OpenFit Air review. Some more ways to save: The Kobo Clara Colour is on sale for $139.99 ($20 off) at Amazon , directly from Rakuten Kobo , and Best Buy , which matches its best price to date. The e-reader is a budget alternative to the $209.99 ($20 off) Kobo Libra Colour , our favorite non-Amazon e-reader , offering a color screen that’s sharp and snappy. It also boasts an IPX8 waterproof design, though it’s smaller at six-inches and lacks the Libra Colour’s physical page-turning buttons as well as stylus compatibility. You can buy a four-pack of Samsung’s SmartTag 2 item trackers from Woot for $44.99 ($45 off), which is a new low that brings the cost dow...
vizinspiration/iStock via Getty Images The VanEck Steel ETF ( SLX ) is a passively managed exchange-traded fund designed to track the performance of the global steel industry, providing investors with broad, sector-focused industry and geographic diversification. The steel industry can be valued based on multiple factors, given that steel is produced regionally and is traded globally and is genera...
vizinspiration/iStock via Getty Images The VanEck Steel ETF ( SLX ) is a passively managed exchange-traded fund designed to track the performance of the global steel industry, providing investors with broad, sector-focused industry and geographic diversification. The steel industry can be valued based on multiple factors, given that steel is produced regionally and is traded globally and is generally valued based on the global benchmark for steel prices, adding certain macroeconomic intricacies that may influence the performance of individual steel companies. Given the general risks associated with stock selection, SLX may be ideal for investors seeking exposure to the global steel industry. About the VanEck Steel ETF SLX was launched by VanEck on October 10, 2006, on the NYSE Arca Exchange. The ETF has a net expense ratio of 56bps, 50bps of which is the management fee. SLX exhibits moderate liquidity with $202mm in net assets with an average of $4.36mm in share value changing hands on a daily basis. SLX pays out an annual distribution, which has historically derived from net investment income. Corporate Filings Despite paying out an annual distribution, the payout may not be consistent year-to-year; the most recent payout was $1.32/share with a yield of 1.34%. Seeking Alpha SLX was designed to track the MarketVector Global Steel Index , which tracks the stocks of companies that primarily operate in the steel industry. The Index includes companies whose market capitalizations are at a minimum of $150mm with an average daily trading volume of $1mm in share value. Constituents must generate at least 50% of revenue from steel in order to be included in the Index. The Index uses a market capitalization-based weighting approach and provides exposure across small-to-large-cap companies. Individual constituents are capped at 8% of the total Index weight. The Index is made up of 38 components, with the largest constituents including Rio Tinto ( RIO ) at 8.39%, BHP Group ( B...
We're making two trades Tuesday. We're selling 100 shares of Cisco Systems at roughly $87 each, decreasing its weighting in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust to about 2% from about 2.18%, and decreasing our portfolio share count of CSCO to 900. We're also buying 30 shares of Alphabet at roughly $318 each, increasing its weighting in the Trust to 1.2% from about 0.95% and increasing our share count of ...
We're making two trades Tuesday. We're selling 100 shares of Cisco Systems at roughly $87 each, decreasing its weighting in Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust to about 2% from about 2.18%, and decreasing our portfolio share count of CSCO to 900. We're also buying 30 shares of Alphabet at roughly $318 each, increasing its weighting in the Trust to 1.2% from about 0.95% and increasing our share count of GOOGL to 150. Shares of networking equipment company Cisco have rallied about 18% since reporting its latest quarter in mid-November, greatly exceeding the S & P 500 gain of about 2% over the same time period. The recent gains have pushed its forward price-to-earnings multiple to about 20 times. CSCO .SPX mountain 2025-11-12 Cisco Systems vs. S & P 500 since Nov. 12, 2025 We've been calling for a re-rating in Cisco since we started buying the stock last July. It's earned this re-evaluation through its accelerating orders from hyperscale customers and campus refreshes from enterprise customers. But with earnings approaching Wednesday evening and the stock sitting at record highs and at a premium to its historical mid-teens valuation, we are taking profits because we think there is little room for error here. We think Cisco's AI thesis is sound, but we're taking some precautions around earnings just in case rising memory prices eat into the company's gross margins. Also, Cisco's Security business has underwhelmed in the past few quarters, and we're not anticipating a quick rebound. Management was able to raise its full-year outlook last quarter despite the security unit's weakness, but the stock may face greater scrutiny this time around since it's trading at all-time highs. From this sale, we will realize a solid gain of about 28% on Cisco shares purchased in July 2025. GOOGL mountain 2026-02-04 Alphabet since Feb. 4, 2026 We're taking the proceeds from the Cisco sale to buy small in Alphabet into its recent weakness. Shares of this tech giant have pulled back about 4% since...
Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack said on Tuesday that she expects the U.S. economy to strengthen this year, and with it, expects stronger labor market demand and easing inflationary pressures from fading effects of tariffs. "Businesses tell us they are expecting some firming in activity, and bankers in our district say projects that were on hold last year are starting to move forward," Hammack...
Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack said on Tuesday that she expects the U.S. economy to strengthen this year, and with it, expects stronger labor market demand and easing inflationary pressures from fading effects of tariffs. "Businesses tell us they are expecting some firming in activity, and bankers in our district say projects that were on hold last year are starting to move forward," Hammack said. Still, there are “considerable uncertainties” around her outlook, she added. "Ultimately, I want to see evidence that inflation is, indeed, coming down" before she would support any further rate cuts. " I believe we are in a good position to keep the funds rate at this level and see how things play out," she said in prepared text for a speech at the Ohio Bankers League’s 2026 Economic Summit. Hammack, who's a voting member on the Federal Open Market Committee this year, supported holding the federal fund rate target range at 3.50%-3.75% at the Fed's January meeting. "If we see progress on both sides of our mandate, that tells me that our policy rate is already at the right setting and that we should hold it there," she explained. Rather than try to fine-tune the federal funds rate, the Fed should "err on the side of patience," she said, citing the need to assess the impact of recent rate cuts and to monitor how the economy unfolds. "Based on my forecast, we could be on hold for quite some time," she said. Furthermore, Hammack isn't committed to which direction the next rate action should take. "Right now, I see the risks of a higher or lower path for the funds rate as about balanced," Hammack said. The Cleveland Fed president also underscored the importance of an independent central bank. Inflation was much higher in the 1970s when political pressure on U.S. monetary policy was more intense. "International evidence shows that countries with less independent central banks usually face higher inflation," she said . In addition, Hammack emphasized that effective supervi...
In trading on Tuesday, metals & mining shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 1.6%. Helping drag down the group were shares of U S GoldMining, down about 6.9% and shares of Santacruz Silver Mining down about 4.5% on the day. Also lagging the market Tuesday are defense shares, down on the day by about 1.2% as a group, led down by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, trading lower b...
In trading on Tuesday, metals & mining shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 1.6%. Helping drag down the group were shares of U S GoldMining, down about 6.9% and shares of Santacruz Silver Mining down about 4.5% on the day. Also lagging the market Tuesday are defense shares, down on the day by about 1.2% as a group, led down by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, trading lower by about 3% and Huntington Ingalls Industries, trading lower by about 2.4%. VIDEO: Tuesday Sector Laggards: Metals & Mining, Defense Stocks The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
In trading on Tuesday, advertising shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 3%. Leading the group were shares of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, up about 8% and shares of Magnite up about 6.6% on the day. Also showing relative strength are consumer services shares, up on the day by about 2.9% as a group, led by Vestis, trading higher by about 19.5% and Ziff Davis, trading higher by abo...
In trading on Tuesday, advertising shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 3%. Leading the group were shares of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, up about 8% and shares of Magnite up about 6.6% on the day. Also showing relative strength are consumer services shares, up on the day by about 2.9% as a group, led by Vestis, trading higher by about 19.5% and Ziff Davis, trading higher by about 3.2% on Tuesday. VIDEO: Tuesday Sector Leaders: Advertising, Consumer Services The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Realty Income is a more sensible income investment. Ares Capital (ARCC +2.05%), the world's largest business development corporation (BDC), attracts many income investors with its forward dividend yield of 9.9%. However, it's becoming harder to sustain that massive yield as interest rates decline. As a BDC, Ares finances "middle market" companies, which often struggle to secure loans from conventi...
Realty Income is a more sensible income investment. Ares Capital (ARCC +2.05%), the world's largest business development corporation (BDC), attracts many income investors with its forward dividend yield of 9.9%. However, it's becoming harder to sustain that massive yield as interest rates decline. As a BDC, Ares finances "middle market" companies, which often struggle to secure loans from conventional banks because they're classified as higher-risk clients. It currently invests in 603 companies across its $29.5 billion portfolio. To reduce its credit risk, it allocates 60.5% of its portfolio to first-lien secured loans and 5% to second-lien secured loans. Ares' business is well diversified, but its floating-rate loans track the Fed's benchmark rate. To generate consistent profits, those rates must stay in a "Goldilocks" zone. Higher interest rates boost Ares' net income, but they also create macro headwinds for its portfolio companies and make its dividend-paying shares less attractive than fixed-income investments. After raising its benchmark rate 11 consecutive times in 2022 and 2023, the Fed reduced it 6 straight times in 2024 and 2025. That pressure reduced Ares' EPS from $2.68 in 2023 to $1.86 in 2025 -- which falls short of its forward dividend rate of $1.92 per share. Expand NASDAQ : ARCC Ares Capital Today's Change ( 2.05 %) $ 0.40 Current Price $ 19.88 Key Data Points Market Cap $14B Day's Range $ 19.48 - $ 19.92 52wk Range $ 18.26 - $ 23.63 Volume 109K Avg Vol 5.2M Gross Margin 75.68 % Dividend Yield 9.86 % Ares' stock looks cheap at 10 times forward earnings, but other dividend-paying blue chip stocks look more attractive right now. One of those stocks is Realty Income (O +0.84%). Why is Realty Income a better buy? Realty Income, which owns more than 15,500 commercial properties in the U.S. and Europe, is one of the world's largest real estate investment trusts (REITs). REITs simply buy a lot of properties, rent them out, and split that income with their ...