Gamer Backlash Hits Sony After PlayStation Price Hike: "Older Stuff Should Get Cheaper, Not Expensive" Gamers, already upset over rising memory , CPU, and GPU prices, woke up to more bad news this morning. This time, Sony posted a new entry on the PlayStation Blog announcing price hikes for the PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal, blaming “continued pressures in the global economic landscape.” "W...
Gamer Backlash Hits Sony After PlayStation Price Hike: "Older Stuff Should Get Cheaper, Not Expensive" Gamers, already upset over rising memory , CPU, and GPU prices, woke up to more bad news this morning. This time, Sony posted a new entry on the PlayStation Blog announcing price hikes for the PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal, blaming “continued pressures in the global economic landscape.” "We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide,” Isabelle Tomatis, Vice President of Global Marketing at Sony Interactive Entertainment, said in the blog post . In the U.S., that means the base PlayStation 5 (disc version) will see its recommended retail price rise from around $499 to $649, an increase of about $150. What Sony meant by “continued pressures in the global economic landscape” to justify the console price hike was not defined. There was also no mention of whether the memory shortage influenced the price increase. Backlash on X was instant: Hot take but I think things should get cheaper the more old that they are, crazy idea! — Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) March 27, 2026 My PS5 is now worth $200 more than when I bought it. That's nuts. — Wesley ✨ (@wesleytypes) March 27, 2026 Wow… at this point it’s easier to just build a full PC than buy this piece of hardware. pic.twitter.com/e9DBAGWnaP — Mike (@mikeindiee) March 27, 2026 Not fucking really pic.twitter.com/1PUNlEiwOz — Gavin Roberts (@GavinLee5001) March 27, 2026 We told readers in late January : "If you want to buy any consumer goods, PCs, or smartphones ... do it now, as it is for sure all the prices will be increased. Take an average PC, for example. The ratio of memory chips in the BoM [bill of materials] cost has increased from some 15% to almost 40%." * * * Now with cheaper 2-day shipping! Tyler Durden Sun, 03/29/2026 - 14:35
Ratana21/iStock via Getty Images Commentary as of 12/31/25 The fund posted returns of 2.53% (Institutional shares) and 2.47% (Investor A shares, without sales charge) for the fourth quarter of 2025. The largest contributors to relative performance were security selection in the consumer discretionary and consumer staples sectors, and sector allocation among funds. The largest detractor was stock s...
Ratana21/iStock via Getty Images Commentary as of 12/31/25 The fund posted returns of 2.53% (Institutional shares) and 2.47% (Investor A shares, without sales charge) for the fourth quarter of 2025. The largest contributors to relative performance were security selection in the consumer discretionary and consumer staples sectors, and sector allocation among funds. The largest detractor was stock selection in the information technology, communication services, and health care sectors. The largest exposures were in the industrials, financials, and health care sectors. During the quarter, the fund increased its allocations to the industrials and materials sectors, and reduced its exposures to the consumer discretionary and communication services sectors. Contributors Stock selection in the consumer discretionary sector, particularly in the automobiles industry, was the largest contributor to relative performance. Selection decisions in the consumer staples sector, notably in the consumer staples distribution & retail industry, added value. Allocation decisions in the fund sector, especially in the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF, were also a tailwind for performance. Detractors The largest detractor was investment decisions in the health care sector, particularly in the health care equipment & supplies industry. Security selection in the financials sector, especially in the financial services industry, proved to be a headwind for performance. Stock selection in the communication services sector, notably in the media industry, also had a negative impact. Further insight After a standout year for U.S. equities in 2025, we enter 2026 constructive but more cautious. Exuberance driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and narrow leadership raises questions about durability, and we think market enthusiasm may be overlooking attractive opportunities beyond AI. At the same time, we see upside risks to inflation from sticky services, tight labor markets, potential energy and commodity volat...
Relegation playoff against a WSL2 side beckons if Rick Passmoor’s team cannot end seven-game losing streak The sight of two unwaveringly optimistic young girls staunchly waving their “Foxes never quit” flags proudly in the air – despite the swirling rain at the King Power Stadium – summed up the never-say-die attitude required for a relegation battle that Leicester are going to need now more than ...
Relegation playoff against a WSL2 side beckons if Rick Passmoor’s team cannot end seven-game losing streak The sight of two unwaveringly optimistic young girls staunchly waving their “Foxes never quit” flags proudly in the air – despite the swirling rain at the King Power Stadium – summed up the never-say-die attitude required for a relegation battle that Leicester are going to need now more than ever, after their chances of staying up decreased significantly with Sunday’s defeat. Even before losing against Brighton, Leicester’s hopes had suffered a big blow with the sight of Oona Siren hitting a superb, looping volley into the net to earn 11th-placed West Ham a valuable point in a lunchtime kick-off. The 1-1 draw at home against London City Lionesses edged West Ham further away from the bottom side Leicester, who would go on to be deservedly beaten 1-0 by Brighton and find themselves four points adrift with four games remaining. Continue reading...
Fresh Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping would be devastating – but the Iranian proxy has reasons to be cautious The true significance of the long-awaited entry of Yemen’s Houthis into the Iran war depends on whether the Tehran-backed proxy group is intending to send a few missiles and drones from a distance towards Israel or will instead capitalise on its proximity to the narrow Bab al-Mandab str...
Fresh Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping would be devastating – but the Iranian proxy has reasons to be cautious The true significance of the long-awaited entry of Yemen’s Houthis into the Iran war depends on whether the Tehran-backed proxy group is intending to send a few missiles and drones from a distance towards Israel or will instead capitalise on its proximity to the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait to effectively close off the Red Sea to shipping, just as Iran has effectively shut the strait of Hormuz. The combined effect of both waterways being shut to commercial traffic from countries that neither the Iranians nor Houthis favour would be devastating. Napoleon Bonaparte’s remark that “the policy of a state lies in its geography” has never seemed more apt. Continue reading...
https://www.fotogestoeber.de/iStock via Getty Images Key takeaways 1 The fund had a positive return and outperformed its benchmark Outperformance was mainly driven by overweight positions in copper and aluminum, which benefited from strong demand and supply constraints. 2 Precious metals were the largest contributor to absolute return Gold and silver rallied, supported by central bank buying, inte...
https://www.fotogestoeber.de/iStock via Getty Images Key takeaways 1 The fund had a positive return and outperformed its benchmark Outperformance was mainly driven by overweight positions in copper and aluminum, which benefited from strong demand and supply constraints. 2 Precious metals were the largest contributor to absolute return Gold and silver rallied, supported by central bank buying, interest rate cuts and robust industrial demand. Silver outperformed gold due to persistent supply shortages. 3 Tactical positioning added to absolute and relative returns The fund's tactical positioning contributed to results, with gains from positioning in industrial and precious metals, while an underweight in natural gas offset energy losses. Investment objective The fund seeks to provide total return. Fund facts Fund AUM ($M) 1,008.96 Click to enlarge Portfolio managers Christopher Devine, John Burrello, Scott Hixon, Scott Wolle Manager perspective and outlook The Bloomberg Commodity Index produced a positive return for the fourth quarter, with three of the four primary sub-complexes providing gains. Precious metals led sub-complex performance, with silver outperforming gold. Gold prices advanced in the fourth quarter, supported by US Federal Reserve interest rate cuts that reduced the opportunity cost of holding the non-income producing metal. Additional tailwinds included a weaker US dollar, sustained central bank purchases and record inflows into gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Silver's strong gains were driven by robust industrial demand alongside persistent supply shortages. Industrial metals also delivered gains and were led by copper, which benefited from tightening supply and strong demand from electrification, grid upgrades and construction of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. Agriculture provided positive returns due to gains in corn, soybeans, soymeal and Kansas City wheat against declines in livestock and tropical soft commodities, including cotton ...
Brookfield Corporation (NYSE: BN) has an over 125 year history of investing its own money and investing on behalf of others. While it may not be a business that many investors know about today, like Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA) (NYSE: BRKB) , it is one that you will want to get to know. Here's what I'm watching at Brookfield Corporation to see if it beats the market. Brookfield Corporation isn'...
Brookfield Corporation (NYSE: BN) has an over 125 year history of investing its own money and investing on behalf of others. While it may not be a business that many investors know about today, like Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA) (NYSE: BRKB) , it is one that you will want to get to know. Here's what I'm watching at Brookfield Corporation to see if it beats the market. Brookfield Corporation isn't hiding its aspirations. It wants to operate more like Berkshire Hathaway and Berkshire clone Markel (NYSE: MKL) . Both of those businesses are insurance companies, but they have a unique focus on investing. Effectively, Berkshire and Markel use the premiums they collect to fund their investments. It has been a highly successful business model for both companies, with each of them handily outpacing the S&P 500 index over the long term. That's why Brookfield wants to travel down this path, too. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
syahrir maulana/iStock via Getty Images At a glance Performance The Fund returned 2.93% and the Russell 2000® Value Index returned 3.26%. Contributors/detractors An underweight and stock selection in the healthcare sector hindered relative performance. Stock selection in the information technology sector contributed. Outlook We remain confident in our disciplined value investment approach even as ...
syahrir maulana/iStock via Getty Images At a glance Performance The Fund returned 2.93% and the Russell 2000® Value Index returned 3.26%. Contributors/detractors An underweight and stock selection in the healthcare sector hindered relative performance. Stock selection in the information technology sector contributed. Outlook We remain confident in our disciplined value investment approach even as we see potential sources of market volatility. Portfolio management Justin Tugman, CFA Craig Kempler, CFA Investment environment Small-cap stocks rose on positive earnings news, attractive relative valuations, and Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts. The Fed followed up a September rate cut with two 25 basis-point (BP) cuts, in October and December, respectively. Given the protracted government shutdown, economic data was sparse except for company commentary and private investment surveys, which pointed to a slowly improving economic environment. Investors paid more attention to fundamentals and valuations within certain sectors. However, we continued to see speculative investor behavior that favored lower-quality, lower-return-on-equity, and money-losing stocks that drove returns for some sectors within the Russell 2000 Value Index. Portfolio review Global financials company WisdomTree was a relative detractor, after delivering strong performance since our initial investment. The company reported better-than-expected third-quarter results, solid fund flows, and improved margins. However, the stock declined on investor concerns over the cost of recent acquisitions and uncertainty around the company's cryptocurrency exposure. We believe WisdomTree's core business remains strong, and we remain invested in the company. Within the industrial and real estate investment trust (REIT) sectors, continued weakness in home sales and housing turnover dampened demand for self-storage space. Against this backdrop, relative detractors included Janus International Group, a manufacturer of indu...
The Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (NASDAQ:VCSH) and VanEck Short Muni ETF (NYSEMKT:SMB) differ most in yield, portfolio focus, and fund size, with VCSH delivering higher income, and SMB targeting tax-exempt municipal bonds in a smaller, more diversified package. Both VCSH and SMB aim for steady income with limited price swings, but their approaches diverge: VCSH sticks to high-grade, shor...
The Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF (NASDAQ:VCSH) and VanEck Short Muni ETF (NYSEMKT:SMB) differ most in yield, portfolio focus, and fund size, with VCSH delivering higher income, and SMB targeting tax-exempt municipal bonds in a smaller, more diversified package. Both VCSH and SMB aim for steady income with limited price swings, but their approaches diverge: VCSH sticks to high-grade, short-term corporate bonds, while SMB tracks short-duration municipal bonds exempt from federal taxes. This comparison unpacks their key differences to help investors weigh cost, income, risk, and portfolio makeup. Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Continue reading
Officers fired pepper balls and teargas into group of about 150 on Saturday night, arresting those who did not disperse Third No Kings protest draws 8 million worldwide to push back on Trump administration Police arrested dozens of protesters and shot teargas into a crowd on Saturday night at a No Kings protest in Los Angeles . The conflict is the latest of many that have taken place outside the M...
Officers fired pepper balls and teargas into group of about 150 on Saturday night, arresting those who did not disperse Third No Kings protest draws 8 million worldwide to push back on Trump administration Police arrested dozens of protesters and shot teargas into a crowd on Saturday night at a No Kings protest in Los Angeles . The conflict is the latest of many that have taken place outside the Metropolitan detention center, which has become a focal point of protests since the Trump administration launched an immigration offense on Los Angeles last year. Continue reading...
From Market Economist To Military Strategist By Peter Tchir of Academy Securities Technically I’m not an economist, I just play one on TV ( CNBC and Bloomberg TV from last Monday). While I am not a military strategist, everyone in the market and corporate America is being forced to be one, to some extent. Academy is in a unique position to offer unbiased, nonpolitical assessments of the conflict w...
From Market Economist To Military Strategist By Peter Tchir of Academy Securities Technically I’m not an economist, I just play one on TV ( CNBC and Bloomberg TV from last Monday). While I am not a military strategist, everyone in the market and corporate America is being forced to be one, to some extent. Academy is in a unique position to offer unbiased, nonpolitical assessments of the conflict with our Geopolitical Intelligence Group (“GIG”). I’ve lost track of how many conversations I’ve had with our retired Generals, Admirals, and Intelligence officers this past week, let alone since the start of the conflict. We cover a lot of topics during our conversations with clients, with Iran being at the forefront. Today I will do my best to provide an assessment of the most pressing concerns. The Geopolitical Intelligence Group has a range of opinions, but I think this is a fair assessment of the current consensus view. It is an honor and a privilege to work with the GIG (as well as a competitive advantage in this environment) and all our veterans. Any mistakes or misrepresentations are my own. That is the same set of conditions that applied to Ceasefire ?, which we published earlier this week. That piece remains a useful framework for examining the conditions likely required to reach a deal. However, it was interesting that the President started trying to frame something along the lines of “the regime has changed so much, that it is like regime change.” After a “manic” week like this week, it is sometimes difficult to go back and review what we published last weekend – Another Manic Monday , but that too is worth re-reading. Finally, before jumping into today’s report, Academy’s Around the World Report and Around the World Podcast (with General (ret.) Evans and Admiral (ret.) Buss) were both released this week. Normalizing Tanker Traffic Through the Strait of Hormuz We will try not to use the words “closed” or “open” in this report, because that doesn’t reflect the rea...
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Israel will widen its invasion of southern Lebanon. Netanyahu said Israel would expand what he called the “existing security strip” in Lebanon as Israeli forces continue to target the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. “We are determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north,” he said on a visit to northern Israel, addin...
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Israel will widen its invasion of southern Lebanon. Netanyahu said Israel would expand what he called the “existing security strip” in Lebanon as Israeli forces continue to target the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group. “We are determined to fundamentally change the situation in the north,” he said on a visit to northern Israel, adding that “Hezbollah still has residual capability to fire rockets at us”. There were no immediate...