Thieves made off with three paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth millions of euros from a museum near the city of Parma in northern Italy. (Image credit: Domenico Stinellis)
Thieves made off with three paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth millions of euros from a museum near the city of Parma in northern Italy. (Image credit: Domenico Stinellis)
Practice of using apartments to store relatives’ ashes has risen as rapid urbanisation and aging population increases competition for cemetery plots China is introducing a law to stop people storing the ashes of their dead relatives in empty high-rise flats rather than paying steep costs for increasingly scarce cemetery plots. China’s new funeral management legislation will prohibit the use of “re...
Practice of using apartments to store relatives’ ashes has risen as rapid urbanisation and aging population increases competition for cemetery plots China is introducing a law to stop people storing the ashes of their dead relatives in empty high-rise flats rather than paying steep costs for increasingly scarce cemetery plots. China’s new funeral management legislation will prohibit the use of “residential housing specifically for the purpose of storing cremated remains” and the burial of corpses or construction of tombs in “areas other than public cemeteries”. Continue reading...
primeimages/iStock via Getty Images Willdan Group ( WLDN ) valuations have reset meaningfully toward historical highs seen pre-rally (levels seen last in 2023-24). The concerns that have led to this valuation reset are primarily a risk-off sentiment across the board in growth and high-valuation stocks and Willdan's own near-term growth normalization outlook. The near-term growth normalization is o...
primeimages/iStock via Getty Images Willdan Group ( WLDN ) valuations have reset meaningfully toward historical highs seen pre-rally (levels seen last in 2023-24). The concerns that have led to this valuation reset are primarily a risk-off sentiment across the board in growth and high-valuation stocks and Willdan's own near-term growth normalization outlook. The near-term growth normalization is off a high base, though, and is also driven by timing effects more than by any structural weakness. In fact, the secular tailwinds from electricity demand grid modernization, especially in an era of data center-driven demand, are very much intact. Late-cycle sentiments applicable to semis and other AI infrastructure plays are less applicable here as energy needs are a long lead item and look at long-term needs rather than cyclical troughs. Overall, earnings growth prospects are still strong in my view, and this is additionally supported by earnings quality improvements (supported by margin expansion, operating leverage, and a mix shift toward higher-value energy services). Even if there is moderate multiple compression from here, the earnings growth should be able to generate decent returns for fresh entries. Valuations Have Reset Meaningfully The forward EV to EBITDA ratio has reset significantly from well above 20x levels to ~13.5x levels now. The prices still look elevated, as the 3-year chart below shows, but that has more to do with earnings catch-up than multiple expansion. The forward EV to EBITDA ratio was previously seen in the low double digits before the recent run-up in 2025 - around ~13x in late 2024 and ~11x in late 2023. So, from a valuation perspective, Willdan is no longer pricing in hypergrowth or any narrative excess - unless markets see late-cycle characteristics in the stock (which could push the ratio toward mid- to high-single-digits too, going by historical levels in the past 2-3 years). Data by YCharts Data by YCharts I see fewer concerns around stag...
John B. Sanfilippo & Son ( JBSS ) declares $1.50/share special dividend . Payable May 21; for shareholders of record April 27; ex-div April 27. See JBSS Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on John B. Sanfilippo & Son John B. Sanfilippo & Son Is A Buy After The Rally John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (JBSS) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript JBSS outlines July 2026 bar production la...
John B. Sanfilippo & Son ( JBSS ) declares $1.50/share special dividend . Payable May 21; for shareholders of record April 27; ex-div April 27. See JBSS Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on John B. Sanfilippo & Son John B. Sanfilippo & Son Is A Buy After The Rally John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc. (JBSS) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript JBSS outlines July 2026 bar production launch while expanding margin initiatives and capex investments Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on John B. Sanfilippo & Son Historical earnings data for John B. Sanfilippo & Son
HOT TOPICS China targets excessive competition in tech and green sectors The State Administration for Market Regulation issued a notice aimed at preventing excessive competition in key sectors and fields, including the platform economy, solar power, lithium batteries, and new-energy vehicles. The regulator will strictly identify and penalize platform companies that use search rankings and algorith...
HOT TOPICS China targets excessive competition in tech and green sectors The State Administration for Market Regulation issued a notice aimed at preventing excessive competition in key sectors and fields, including the platform economy, solar power, lithium batteries, and new-energy vehicles. The regulator will strictly identify and penalize platform companies that use search rankings and algorithmic controls to force or covertly force merchants on their platforms to sell goods below cost.
Former US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal joins Former Permanent Representative of India to the UN Syed Akbaruddin for a panel on how South Asia is affected by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz. (Source: Bloomberg)
Former US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal joins Former Permanent Representative of India to the UN Syed Akbaruddin for a panel on how South Asia is affected by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz. (Source: Bloomberg)
Allbirds ( BIRD ), a sustainable footwear company, signed an asset purchase agreement with American Exchange Group under which the latter will acquire Allbirds' ( BIRD ) intellectual property and select assets/liabilities for about $39M. The transaction, unanimously approved by Allbirds’ ( BIRD ) board, is subject to shareholder approval, with a proxy filing expected by April 24, 2026. The deal is...
Allbirds ( BIRD ), a sustainable footwear company, signed an asset purchase agreement with American Exchange Group under which the latter will acquire Allbirds' ( BIRD ) intellectual property and select assets/liabilities for about $39M. The transaction, unanimously approved by Allbirds’ ( BIRD ) board, is subject to shareholder approval, with a proxy filing expected by April 24, 2026. The deal is anticipated to close in Q2, followed by a distribution after wind-down costs. The agreement includes the transfer of core intellectual property and operational assets, effectively handing control of the brand to American Exchange Group, which is seeking to expand its footprint in footwear and lifestyle categories. BIRD ( BIRD ) stock price jumped 30% on Monday during after-market hours of trading. More on Allbirds Allbirds to close remaining full-price U.S. stores Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Allbirds Historical earnings data for Allbirds Financial information for Allbirds
Australia will likely gain an unexpected multi-billion dollar windfall from the Iran war, as higher coal and gas export prices boost revenues over the five years to 2030, according to Westpac Banking Corp. The national budget will get about A$20 billion ($14 billion) more revenue over that period, senior economist Pat Bustamante wrote in a report Tuesday. And the jump in gold prices since 2024 is ...
Australia will likely gain an unexpected multi-billion dollar windfall from the Iran war, as higher coal and gas export prices boost revenues over the five years to 2030, according to Westpac Banking Corp. The national budget will get about A$20 billion ($14 billion) more revenue over that period, senior economist Pat Bustamante wrote in a report Tuesday. And the jump in gold prices since 2024 is estimated to add another A$19 billion to the government’s coffers over the next five years. “Higher commodity prices and elevated inflation are lifting Treasury tax collections,” Bustamante wrote. “Because the tax system operates in the nominal world, tax receipts can continue to rise even as real economic activity slows over the coming years, as we expect.” The national budget is due in May and the government’s updated commodity assumptions and revenue forecasts will be closely watched, as that will affect Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ’s attempts to reduce the deficit. Using spot prices and its commodity forecasts, Westpac’s Bustamante estimated that the higher-than-assumed prices will deliver a windfall of almost A$60 billion over the five years to fiscal 2030, with about a third of that directly tied to the current conflict. The gains are expected to more than offset the estimated A$2.6 billion cost of a temporary cut to a fuel tax which was announced this week, leaving a net improvement in the budget position in the near term, he wrote. The windfall comes after Australia’s 2025 trade surplus shrank to the lowest since 2018 due to a decline in shipments to China, its largest trading partner. Australia’s broader economy is also on shaky footing, with UBS AG predicting a period of “ stagflation ” led by higher borrowing costs and renewed inflationary pressures. “Gold is also delivering an underappreciated windfall,” Bustamante wrote, noting the yellow metal is poised to become Australia’s second‑largest export by value in the fiscal year ending in June, overtaking lique...