Philippines Declares State Of Emergency As Energy Crisis Looms As we outlined in our recent analysis on Australia's dangerous vulnerability to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, most of Asia is heavily exposed and faces an unprecedented energy crisis should the war in Iran continue to prevent safe passage of oil and natural gas from the Gulf. As Australia debates the potential for a national eme...
Philippines Declares State Of Emergency As Energy Crisis Looms As we outlined in our recent analysis on Australia's dangerous vulnerability to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, most of Asia is heavily exposed and faces an unprecedented energy crisis should the war in Iran continue to prevent safe passage of oil and natural gas from the Gulf. As Australia debates the potential for a national emergency, the Philippines has already declared one. This week, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 110, declaring a state of national emergency as a targeted measure focused on the energy sector in response to disruptions from the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran. Approximately 98% of all oil bound for the Philippines passes through the Strait of Hormuz. The emergency declaration allows the Philippine government to exert control over fuel prices and fast-track imports from alternative suppliers, such as Russia. Philippine authorities say they have enough fuel to last about 45 days at typical consumption levels. Energy rationing programs are being instituted across Asia and questions are rising about a possible domino effect on global markets. The Philippines announcement comes a day after South Korea launched a nationwide energy-saving campaign, calling on people to ride bicycles for short trips and reduce the length of showers. Japan, meanwhile, said Wednesday that it would soon begin releasing oil from its emergency reserve, equivalent to a 30-day supply. Thailand and Vietnam have also asked citizens to take steps to curtail energy use. China's exposure to Iran and the Hormuz situation could be detrimental. Over 35% of their energy supplies pass through the Strait and 15% of their oil comes directly from Iranian wells. That said, China also has a large oil buffer, with enough emergency supply to last around four months. The emergency declaration in the Philippines is initially set to last one year and serves as a tool to provide the governmen...
In the face of global market volatility and geopolitical tensions, Asian markets have shown resilience amid rising energy prices and economic uncertainties. With central banks signaling caution due to inflation risks, investors are increasingly turning their attention to growth companies with high insider ownership, which can often indicate strong confidence in a company's potential amidst challen...
In the face of global market volatility and geopolitical tensions, Asian markets have shown resilience amid rising energy prices and economic uncertainties. With central banks signaling caution due to inflation risks, investors are increasingly turning their attention to growth companies with high insider ownership, which can often indicate strong confidence in a company's potential amidst challenging conditions.
In today's article, I pick a REIT out of my hat full of REIT stocks, and the lucky one this time is Netstreit Corp. ( NTST ). This is a retail REIT for which Mizuho raised its price target this month, keeping its outperform view, while Raymond James also raised its price target to $22 despite a slight downgrade on the stock. Since I first recommended holding on to this stock in my May 2025 article...
In today's article, I pick a REIT out of my hat full of REIT stocks, and the lucky one this time is Netstreit Corp. ( NTST ). This is a retail REIT for which Mizuho raised its price target this month, keeping its outperform view, while Raymond James also raised its price target to $22 despite a slight downgrade on the stock. Since I first recommended holding on to this stock in my May 2025 article , it is up around +14%, and also up since my subsequent Buy ratings in Sep. 2025 and Jan. 2026 , proving that my view about future growth in this stock would materialize. Key points driving my confidence so far were portfolio expansion in the U.S. Sunbelt, as well as low over-concentration in a single tenant. My follow-up today will make use of the latest data from its early February earnings results as part of my 8-point holistic rating review. Thesis Summary After my follow-up research on Netstreit, I am reaffirming my prior Buy rating. The worksheet below shows how the positive strengths and upside clearly overwhelm a few areas of concern: NTST - rating worksheet (author) Today's article will showcase how, despite some market turbulence and shocks lately, there is reason to keep believing in this type of retail REIT but also to be confident in its portfolio expansion, net-lease business model, impressive margins, proven dividend growth, and investment-grade rating from Fitch. At the same time, what kept it from being a strong buy was a lower price forecast and technical patterns hurting that type of thesis at this time. Macro & Sector Outlook In this section, I gave this stock a buy due to several favorable factors. When considering the macroeconomic factors that could impact this sector, I considered both the possible trajectory that could impact this REIT's retail tenants and also population/demographic trends and the supply/demand picture for retail REITs. Consider that a positive tone was struck by industry association National Retail Federation , whose forecast thi...
Other winners include Raye for video of the year, Central Cee for best hip-hop act and Ezra Collective in jazz category British golden girl Olivia Dean was the biggest winner at the 2026 Mobo awards, scooping best female act, album of the year and song of the year for the No 1 hit Man I Need. Other big winners at the ceremony honouring the best of black music included Raye, whose song Where Is My ...
Other winners include Raye for video of the year, Central Cee for best hip-hop act and Ezra Collective in jazz category British golden girl Olivia Dean was the biggest winner at the 2026 Mobo awards, scooping best female act, album of the year and song of the year for the No 1 hit Man I Need. Other big winners at the ceremony honouring the best of black music included Raye, whose song Where Is My Husband won video of the year; Central Cee, who was awarded best hip-hop act, and Ezra Collective in the jazz category. Best male act – Jim Legxacy Best female act – Olivia Dean Album of the year – Olivia Dean, The Art of Loving Song of the year – Olivia Dean, Man I Need Best newcomer – DC3 Video of the year – Raye , Where Is My Husband! (directed by The Reids) Best R&B/soul act – Flo Best alternative music act – Nova Twins Best grime act – Chip Best hip-hop act – Central Cee Best drill act – Twin S Best international act – Ayra Starr Best media personality – Niko Omilana Best performance in a TV show/film – Stephen Graham, Adolescence Best African music act – Wizkid Best Caribbean music act – Vybz Kartel Best jazz act – Ezra Collective Best electronic/dance act – Sherelle Best gospel act – DC3 Best producer – P2J Mobo global songwriter award – Pharrell Williams Mobo lifetime achievement award – Slick Rick Continue reading...
Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) , manufactures DRAM, flash memory, and SSDs, closed Thursday at $355.46, down 6.97%. The stock fell after analyst downgrades, AI compression-technology worries, and concerns about earnings quality, while investors are watching AI-memory demand, margins, and capital-spending plans. The company’s trading volume reached 52.5 million shares, which is about 41% above compa...
Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) , manufactures DRAM, flash memory, and SSDs, closed Thursday at $355.46, down 6.97%. The stock fell after analyst downgrades, AI compression-technology worries, and concerns about earnings quality, while investors are watching AI-memory demand, margins, and capital-spending plans. The company’s trading volume reached 52.5 million shares, which is about 41% above compared with its three-month average of 37.4 million shares. Micron Technology went pulic in 1984 and has grown 25121% since its IPO. S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) fell 1.74% to 6,477.16, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) declined 2.38% to 21,408. Within semiconductors, industry peers Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) closed at $273.35 (-7.70%) and Seagate Technology Plc (NASDAQ:STX) finished at $378.79 (-8.33%) as investors rotated away from memory-focused chipmakers. Continue reading
Russian court alleges film promotes ‘negative attitudes’ about the Russian government and the war in Ukraine A Russian court banned the Oscar-winning documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin from several streaming platforms on Thursday, alleging it promoted “negative attitudes” about the Russian government and the war in Ukraine. The film documents pro-war propaganda lessons delivered at a school in Ru...
Russian court alleges film promotes ‘negative attitudes’ about the Russian government and the war in Ukraine A Russian court banned the Oscar-winning documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin from several streaming platforms on Thursday, alleging it promoted “negative attitudes” about the Russian government and the war in Ukraine. The film documents pro-war propaganda lessons delivered at a school in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region, using two years of footage secretly filmed and smuggled out of the country by the school’s videographer, Pavel Talankin. Continue reading...
A good robovac can save you a surprising amount of time. Luckily, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale is a great time to pick one up, as you can currently find deals on everything from basic, budget-friendly robovacs to high-end models that can mop or pick up objects . Whether you’re looking for a completely hands-free experience or just a little help keeping your floors clean, there are plenty of great opti...
A good robovac can save you a surprising amount of time. Luckily, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale is a great time to pick one up, as you can currently find deals on everything from basic, budget-friendly robovacs to high-end models that can mop or pick up objects . Whether you’re looking for a completely hands-free experience or just a little help keeping your floors clean, there are plenty of great options on sale right now, some of which have even dropped to their best price to date. To make finding the right vacuum a little easier, we’ve rounded up the best deals from brands like Eufy and Roborock below, as well as excellent alternatives from Narwal, Dreame, and Ecovacs. And if you’re curious what else is on sale, our larger roundup for the best deals from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale has you covered with discounts on earbuds, smart lighting, and plenty of other Verge -approved tech. Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow Roborock’s first roller-mop robot vacuum, the Curv 2 Flow, is our overall favorite mopping robot vacuum. It features flagship specs at a mid-range price. Including excellent mopping, a retractable mop cover, 20,000Pa suction, AI-powered obstacle avoidance, and a compact design. Where to Buy: $999.99 $849.99 at Roborock $999.99 $849.99 at Amazon $999.99 $849.99 at Best Buy The last-gen Dreame X40 Ultra is also on sale for $539.99 ($660 off) at Amazon and Dreame’s online storefront , which is one of its better prices to date. The robovac / mop hybrid delivers 12,000Pa of suction power and comes with an extendable side brush and self-cleaning mop pads, making it great for cleaning under furniture and tackling baseboards. What’s more, the X40 Ultra boasts a dirt-detection system capable of identifying and focusing on cleaning up particularly messy spills. The newer Dreame X50 Ultra , our favorite mopping bot for hardwood floors and carpets , is also available from Amazon and Dreame for $849.99 — $50 shy of its all-time low. In addition to offering a higher 20,000Pa of suc...
Anduril Industries and Palantir Technologies are reportedly collaborating on software for Donald Trump's ambitious $185 billion Golden Dome missile defense initiative. Software Firms Step Into Expanding Defense Project The companies have been interested in the program since its early stages, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a source familiar with the matter. Anduril and Palantir did not immedia...
Anduril Industries and Palantir Technologies are reportedly collaborating on software for Donald Trump's ambitious $185 billion Golden Dome missile defense initiative. Software Firms Step Into Expanding Defense Project The companies have been interested in the program since its early stages, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a source familiar with the matter. Anduril and Palantir did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments. Don't Miss: Fast Company Calls It a ‘Groundbreaking