A durable wave of hyperscale data center buildout should keep high‑end GPUs like AMD’s Instinct line and dense interconnection platforms such as American Tower’s CoreSite campuses in high demand.
A durable wave of hyperscale data center buildout should keep high‑end GPUs like AMD’s Instinct line and dense interconnection platforms such as American Tower’s CoreSite campuses in high demand.
Markets and Geopolitics: Guidelines for Volatile Times Markets and politics often intersect, and they crossed paths big time in March with the Iran conflict. We want to remind analysts of our guidelines and how to approach geopolitical topics in a challenging environment: Make sure to focus on how a political development may impact the macro picture, the stock market, or a specific investment idea...
Markets and Geopolitics: Guidelines for Volatile Times Markets and politics often intersect, and they crossed paths big time in March with the Iran conflict. We want to remind analysts of our guidelines and how to approach geopolitical topics in a challenging environment: Make sure to focus on how a political development may impact the macro picture, the stock market, or a specific investment idea. Make sure any investment or macro takeaway is actionable. Make sure to provide support and sourcing from credible sources (and consider using Seeking Alpha’s news coverage as a source; see details on sourcing below). Most importantly, make sure any political commentary does not distract or overwhelm your macro or investment-specific assessment. What we avoid: Articles should not take a position on the merits of a policy or politician. And we won’t present articles that contain an attack on a politician, a policy, or other analysts. We’ll pass on articles that focus on a political topic without a direct connection to an investment or a clearly defined macro theme. We won’t present content that contains unsupported speculation or allegations regarding intent. And we don't present politically based acronyms within analysis articles. That includes "TACO," "BigMAC" and "TUNA." Once an article is posted, make sure to remain respectful of opposing viewpoints. We rely on analysts to ensure that article comments remain polite and useful for all readers. Our guidelines on politics and the markets can be found here . Secondary Tickers: Details Matter Adding in secondary tickers to an article puts more eyeballs on the content. Articles with secondary tickers will appear in the "Related Analysis" section of that ticker’s profile page. And users who have that ticker in a portfolio will see the article appear on their "My Portfolio" page. Our guidelines for secondary tickers: Articles should present a decent amount of detail on any company with a secondary ticker designation. Just a sin...
In the coming years, HBO wants its new Harry Potter series to become " the streaming event of the decade " as it adapts each of the franchise's seven original books . The show could very well become a hit that captures the imaginations of a new generation of fans who weren't there for the first wave of Pottermania that intensified with the releases of each book and Warner Bros.' subsequent film ad...
In the coming years, HBO wants its new Harry Potter series to become " the streaming event of the decade " as it adapts each of the franchise's seven original books . The show could very well become a hit that captures the imaginations of a new generation of fans who weren't there for the first wave of Pottermania that intensified with the releases of each book and Warner Bros.' subsequent film adaptations. And if this Harry Potter is a success, it could give author J.K. Rowling a reason to consider writing more stories set in the magical world that turned her into a billionaire. But all of that hinges on whether people will actually watch HBO … Read the full story at The Verge.
NASA pulled off the moon landing in 1969 with a clear goal from the outset: to be the first nation to put boots on the lunar surface. The US was locked in a space race with the Soviet Union, and the Apollo 11 landing helped cement America’s lead in the competition to be the reigning geopolitical superpower in the depths of the Cold War. Now, NASA is heading back with its Artemis program. As early ...
NASA pulled off the moon landing in 1969 with a clear goal from the outset: to be the first nation to put boots on the lunar surface. The US was locked in a space race with the Soviet Union, and the Apollo 11 landing helped cement America’s lead in the competition to be the reigning geopolitical superpower in the depths of the Cold War. Now, NASA is heading back with its Artemis program. As early as April 1, the agency will send a crew of four around the moon as a precursor for a landing this decade. But why spend nearly $100 billion to repeat a journey NASA has already made? The goal of Artemis is less obvious than that of Apollo — so much so that the justification for NASA’s lunar return largely depends on who is answering the question. It could be about outracing its current rival, China. It might be sustainability — setting up a lunar base to make further exploration easier. Or it could be much simpler: NASA is returning to the moon because it wants destinations for its astronauts, and the lunar surface is the next logical place to showcase its technological prowess. “Human spaceflight is at the core of the institution of NASA going back to Apollo, and the self identity of a large swath of the agency,” said Casey Dreier , chief of space policy at the Planetary Society, a space advocacy group. The Apollo program set a precedent that NASA should strive to have a flagship human spaceflight initiative that drives US space exploration forward. After Apollo, NASA’s crewed efforts rallied around the Space Shuttle and then the International Space Station. both in low-Earth orbit rather than farther out in space. With the Shuttle retired and the ISS set to end this decade, NASA sees a future where humans can travel deeper into the solar system. “Now that, in a sense, NASA has done low-Earth orbit and done the reusable Shuttle, it’s now the moon,” Dreier said. There has been tension for decades, however, about where the next cosmic destination should be: back to the moon ...
EyeEm Mobile GmbH/iStock via Getty Images The market isn’t focused on jobs anymore; it's now focused on oil and inflation. That is a major shift ahead of March’s non-farm payroll report, which is expected to show improvement following February’s weak print. But even if the labor data rebounds, it may actually make things worse, not better. A Big Improvement Is Expected For March, analysts expect n...
EyeEm Mobile GmbH/iStock via Getty Images The market isn’t focused on jobs anymore; it's now focused on oil and inflation. That is a major shift ahead of March’s non-farm payroll report, which is expected to show improvement following February’s weak print. But even if the labor data rebounds, it may actually make things worse, not better. A Big Improvement Is Expected For March, analysts expect non-farm payrolls to rise by 55,000, versus a decline of 92,000 in February. The unemployment rate is expected to remain unchanged at 4.4%, while average hourly earnings rise by just 0.3% m/m, down from 0.4%. If the February data were a fluke and March comes in as expected or better, it will likely take pressure off the employment side of the Fed's mandate and shift back to inflation, which, given oil's sudden rise, is quickly becoming a more pressing issue in the months ahead. Inflation Expectations Inflation expectations have surged, with year-over-year inflation rates expected to rise dramatically to around 3.4% in March, then climb to almost 3.9% by May before easing. However, that is assuming the worst of the oil impacts are behind us. If oil prices continue to rise, the CPI swap market is likely to adjust to higher levels over time. Values For Aug Through Nov Are Estimated (Mott Capital, Data From LSEG) From Rate Cuts To Rate Hikes? What this has done is lead the market to exclude rate cuts from its 2026 equation. Currently, Fed Fund Futures for December 2026 are trading at 3.7%, very close to the upper end of the Fed Fund target range, which is between 3.5% and 3.75%. At least at this point, the market sees no rate cuts from the Fed in 2026. TradingView Other measures for the path of monetary policy also suggest that not only will there be no rate cuts in 2026, but there is the potential for rate hikes. The 3-month Treasury 12-month forward rate is currently trading at a 24-basis-point premium over the 3-month Treasury bill. That is the widest the spread has been sinc...
Map Shows Homebuilders Pulling Back Nationwide "Given Limited Visibility To Demand" Even as homebuilders offer mortgage-rate buydowns, closing-cost incentives, and upgraded amenities to attract buyers on the sidelines, clouds of uncertainty continue to build over the housing market. New U.S. single-family permit activity fell again in January, highlighting yet more caution among builders ahead of ...
Map Shows Homebuilders Pulling Back Nationwide "Given Limited Visibility To Demand" Even as homebuilders offer mortgage-rate buydowns, closing-cost incentives, and upgraded amenities to attract buyers on the sidelines, clouds of uncertainty continue to build over the housing market. New U.S. single-family permit activity fell again in January, highlighting yet more caution among builders ahead of the spring selling season as they respond to softer demand . Goldman analysts, led by Susan Maklari, provided clients on Friday with a snapshot of homebuilders across America and a housing heat map suggesting continued sluggishness across the industry. On a trailing 12-month basis, single-family permits fell 8% in January, versus 7% in the previous month, and were up 6% in December 2025. Maklari said, "Ongoing moderation comes as builders look to limit unsold inventory given limited visibility to demand." Some of the January weakness stemmed from severe winter weather and dangerously cold temperatures, which delayed permits and construction in parts of the eastern U.S., including major homebuilding markets such as Texas, Florida, and the Southeast. However, the snow and sub-zero temperatures are only one part of the slowdown story. The analyst added that builders are dealing with a challenging macroeconomic environment for buyers, noting that sales traffic improved earlier in the year but vanished in March, according to the latest industry checks, as consumers "react to the effects of the Middle East conflict." At the same time, mortgage rates have jumped about 40 basis points over the last month, making monthly payments even less affordable as the housing market is stuck in the worst affordability crisis in a generation, a leftover gift from the Biden-Harris era. The slowdown is most visible in some of the biggest new-home states: Single-family permits for the 3-months ended January fell 11% YOY, compared to -9% in December, and -1% a year ago. That said, they were up 7% v...
watch now VIDEO 2:33 02:33 The employee benefit trending in a fully back-to-office world CNBC Changemakers Pets are part of the caregiving process and employers are taking notice. As companies expand benefits to cover a wide variety of employee caregiving needs, back-up care for pets is becoming a more popular work perk along with back-up care for children and aging parents. Back-up care is short-...
watch now VIDEO 2:33 02:33 The employee benefit trending in a fully back-to-office world CNBC Changemakers Pets are part of the caregiving process and employers are taking notice. As companies expand benefits to cover a wide variety of employee caregiving needs, back-up care for pets is becoming a more popular work perk along with back-up care for children and aging parents. Back-up care is short-term, often employer-subsidized support that is used when regular arrangements fall through. It's highly in need across the U.S., especially as more companies are mandating workers fully back to offices. A new report from the AARP Public Policy Institute finds that roughly 59 million Americans provided care for family, neighbors or friends in 2024, adding up to 49.5 billion hours of care and an estimated $1 trillion worth of work. At the same time, a growing body of data shows why pet care also matters to the workplace. A survey of more than 1,000 full-time employees who own pets found that 75% have missed at least a day of work in the past year due to pet-care issues, according to pet health-care company Wagmo, with 26% saying they missed six days or more. Caregiving company Wellthy, which offers back-up care across millions of employees and families nationally, and for clients including Best Buy, Merck and Harvard University, first added pets in 2024. "Where we're seeing the biggest growth area of our business is definitely on the back-up care side," Lindsay Jurist-Rosner, CEO and co-founder of Wellthy , told CNBC's Julia Boorstin in the latest episode of the "CNBC Changemakers and Power Players " podcast. "Companies will cover the cost for an employee to find a babysitter or a center for kiddos ... but also for seniors and actually pets, too," she said. Jurist-Rosner was named to the 2026 CNBC Changemakers List . Wellthy expanded its pet back-up care offerings with " Pet Care Concierge ," launched in summer 2025, which can help navigate pet insurance, source therapy anim...
The stock market enters the week ahead battered and bruised by the war in Iran. In the coming days, weary investors will also need to contend with a fresh batch of jobs data and a few stragglers on the earnings front, including Club name Nike . The conflict in the Middle East will remain the dominant driver of market action. Let's dig in and take a closer look at the other important events on our ...
The stock market enters the week ahead battered and bruised by the war in Iran. In the coming days, weary investors will also need to contend with a fresh batch of jobs data and a few stragglers on the earnings front, including Club name Nike . The conflict in the Middle East will remain the dominant driver of market action. Let's dig in and take a closer look at the other important events on our radar. 1. Jobs, jobs, jobs: We could be in for a volatile week. Investors will key off every Iran headline as they sit on the edge of their seats, waiting for the nonfarm payrolls report to drop before the bell Friday. The question everyone is trying to answer: Was the loss of 92,000 jobs in February simply a blip or the start of something far more troubling, like a bout of stagflation? Stagflation is the term to describe an environment of rising inflation alongside rising unemployment. The dynamic is a real problem for the Federal Reserve's dual mandate of price stability and full employment. A pickup in inflation means the central bank should be raising rates. But a pickup in job losses means it should cut rates to stimulate growth. Nothing is as inflationary as oil because it represents a large, unavoidable input cost. As long as the war in Iran remains ongoing and the Strait of Hormuz stays effectively closed, we're unlikely to see a meaningful retreat in oil prices. That means the inflation risks are real, as are the broader risks to economic growth. Not a great combo for stocks. Another overhang on the market besides the war: disruptions from artificial intelligence adoption. As Friday's software sell-off on reports of Anthropic's new Mythos model showed, investors are still jittery about AI's potential negative side effects. As investors sift through the jobs data in the week ahead, the goal is to gain at least some additional clarity on the economy's trajectory and the Fed's next moves. The labor market updates start Tuesday, with the release of the Job Openings and...
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Eli Lilly ( LLY ) struck a new agreement with Insilico Medicine ( ISLMF ) that could be worth as much as $2.75 billion, deepening its investment in artificial intelligence for drug development. Under the deal announced Sunday, Insilico ( ISLMF ) will receive an initial payment with the potential for additional milestone payouts and royalties tied to f...
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Eli Lilly ( LLY ) struck a new agreement with Insilico Medicine ( ISLMF ) that could be worth as much as $2.75 billion, deepening its investment in artificial intelligence for drug development. Under the deal announced Sunday, Insilico ( ISLMF ) will receive an initial payment with the potential for additional milestone payouts and royalties tied to future medicines. In return, Lilly gains exclusive global rights to develop and sell any resulting treatments. The partnership builds on collaboration between the companies that began in 2023. Insilico ( ISLMF ) is known for using AI across the full drug discovery process, from identifying targets to designing compounds. Lilly ( LLY ) plans to use Insilico’s technology to support multiple research programs, though specific disease areas have not been disclosed. The agreement reflects Lilly’s ( LLY ) broader push to accelerate drug development using AI. Flush with revenue from its obesity treatments, the company is investing heavily in new tools and infrastructure, including advanced computing systems and a planned research hub in San Francisco. Executives have indicated the goal is to use AI to uncover new biological targets faster and sustain growth beyond its current blockbuster medicines. More on Eli Lilly, InSilico Medicine Cayman TopCo Novo Nordisk Vs. Eli Lilly: Cheap Vs. Expensive, But No Clear Opportunity Why Eli Lilly Remains My Top Obesity Bet Roche Vs. Eli Lilly: Nvidia Deals, Obesity Battles Stoke Rivalry (I'd Buy Both) Lilly says once-monthly eczema injectable delivered durable disease control Boomer economy: The wealthiest generation and when that could change