Acemagic has had a busy start to the year. After showcasing the Retro X5 on January 2, the company then brought unreleased AMD Gorgon Point and Intel Panther Lake mini-PCs to CES 2026 in Las Vegas. Now, the company has launched the Retro X3. As such, the Retro X3 features 8 CPU cores, 16 threads and a Radeon 780M iGPU but no NPU whatsoever. Additionally, Acemagic's new mini-PC packs dual M.2 2280 ...
Acemagic has had a busy start to the year. After showcasing the Retro X5 on January 2, the company then brought unreleased AMD Gorgon Point and Intel Panther Lake mini-PCs to CES 2026 in Las Vegas. Now, the company has launched the Retro X3. As such, the Retro X3 features 8 CPU cores, 16 threads and a Radeon 780M iGPU but no NPU whatsoever. Additionally, Acemagic's new mini-PC packs dual M.2 2280 and SODIMM slots for PCIe 4.0 SSDs and DDR5-5600 RAM within its 128 x 128 x 44 mm housing. Moreover, the Retro X3 contains 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, USB4 and six USB Type-A ports. Acemagic has priced the Retro X3 at CNY 1,899 (~$275) as a barebones unit. There is no word on global pricing or availability yet, though.
A bear market is characterized by a sustained period during which the equity markets are down 20% or more from their recent peaks. In addition to widespread price drops, market sentiment sours, and investors begin panic selling. While not all bear markets lead to recession, it is a risk as unemployment rates rise and corporate confidence falls. Sounds like a terrible time to retire, right? That ma...
A bear market is characterized by a sustained period during which the equity markets are down 20% or more from their recent peaks. In addition to widespread price drops, market sentiment sours, and investors begin panic selling. While not all bear markets lead to recession, it is a risk as unemployment rates rise and corporate confidence falls. Sounds like a terrible time to retire, right? That may not be the case, especially if you're prepared. You can begin preparing by asking yourself these three questions. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » 1. What's my current financial situation? Take a look at your present situation. Have you saved as much for retirement as you would like? Would you be better off postponing retirement until the bear market passes? If not, is there a way to minimize the amount of money you need to withdraw from your retirement account while waiting for the bear market to end? Finally, can you make relatively pain-free, short-term cuts to your monthly budget? For example, if you currently budget $100 to dine out each week, could you trim it to $50? If you regularly meet friends at a local bar to watch games and enjoy each other's company, could you invite them for at-home game nights instead? After all, you're all living through the same bear market. 2. What short-term goals can I put off (if necessary)? Your goal during a bear market is to preserve as much cash as possible. The more you save, the longer your retirement account will last. The average bear market lasts around 11 months. Ask yourself what you have planned for the upcoming year and determine whether any of it can be postponed. For example, if you're planning to spend several weeks traveling or expect to purchase a new vehicle, consider where the money is coming from first. If the plan is to take it from your retirement account, you may want to rethink that strategy. Here's why. One ...
The commodity chemical industry enters year five of a brutal downturn. 2025 was a year to forget for chemical giants Dow (DOW +1.44%) and LyondellBasell Industries (LYB 1.90%). Both stocks plummeted to multiyear lows. Coincidentally, they both fell by exactly 41.7%. 2026 is already looking a lot better for materials sector investors. Materials and energy are the best-performing stock market sector...
The commodity chemical industry enters year five of a brutal downturn. 2025 was a year to forget for chemical giants Dow (DOW +1.44%) and LyondellBasell Industries (LYB 1.90%). Both stocks plummeted to multiyear lows. Coincidentally, they both fell by exactly 41.7%. 2026 is already looking a lot better for materials sector investors. Materials and energy are the best-performing stock market sectors in 2026. And Dow and LyondellBasell are both up over 15% year to date at the time of this writing. On top of that, Dow yields 5%, and LyondellBasell yields a staggering 10.9%. Here's why both chemical giants are excellent turnaround stocks to buy for passive income in 2026. The downturn drags on with more pain ahead Dow and LyondellBasell produce commodity chemicals used in packaging, industrial applications, consumer goods, additives, sealants, fluids, and lubricants. Key products such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyurethane are the building blocks of global manufacturing. The challenge is that supply has been outpacing demand due to intense competition from countries like China, as well as overcapacity and slowdowns in key end markets like consumer goods, automotive, and construction. As you can see in the following chart, these headwinds have taken a toll on Dow and LyondellBasell's earnings and margins, which are at multiyear lows. On its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call from Jan. 29, Dow provided some useful insights into what to expect in the year ahead. Although the downturn is likely to drag on, Dow did cite a variety of positive factors, such as lower interest rates improving the housing market and higher margins in packaging and specialty plastics, but a weak year for U.S. auto sales. For what it can control, Dow is slashing costs -- expecting to deliver the remaining $500 million in cost savings by the end of the year, which is the second half of its $1 billion program. On its January earnings call, Dow also announced the reduction of 4,500 roles glob...
Oil Prices Tumble 5% Amid Signs Of US-Iran De-escalation Authored by Tsvetana Paraskova via OilPrice.com, Oil prices dropped by more than 5% on hopes that U.S.–Iran tensions may be easing. President Trump suggested Iran is engaged in serious talks, dampening fears of military escalation. Analysts said broader market weakness and election-year politics added to the downward pressure on crude. Oil p...
Oil Prices Tumble 5% Amid Signs Of US-Iran De-escalation Authored by Tsvetana Paraskova via OilPrice.com, Oil prices dropped by more than 5% on hopes that U.S.–Iran tensions may be easing. President Trump suggested Iran is engaged in serious talks, dampening fears of military escalation. Analysts said broader market weakness and election-year politics added to the downward pressure on crude. Oil prices slumped by 5% early on Monday from a five-month high at the end of last week, after the most recent tensions between the United States and Iran appeared to have eased. This morning, the Brent Crude international benchmark was back to $65 per barrel, down from $70 it hit last week when U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran that a “massive armada” of U.S. Navy ships is headed to the Persian Gulf. Brent Crude prices had slipped by 4.83% to $65.99 on Monday morning, while the U.S. benchmark, WTI Crude , was trading down by 5.11% at $61.92. Last week, markets reacted to the renewed tension in the world’s most important oil-producing and exporting region, and oil prices soared. However, this weekend, President Trump said that he believes Iran is “seriously” talking with the U.S., adding he hopes that negotiations could lead to an “acceptable” deal. President Trump told a reporter aboard Air Force One that he certainly can’t tell them if a military strike is still an option. “But we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction,” President Trump said, but added, “I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable.” “They should do that, but I don't know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us,” the president said, referring to Iran. Trump says he has quietly imposed a deadline on diplomacy with Iran - just as Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt scramble to keep talks alive. When pressed by reporters, he refused to answer any specifics in terms of planning. When Israel, followed by the US, attacked Iran last June in the 12-day war, it too was ap...
U.S. Physical Therapy ( USPH ) on Monday said it has entered into a 10-year strategic alliance between its subsidiary partner, Metro Physical & Aquatic Therapy, and NYU Langone Health to expand outpatient physical therapy services in Long Island and the New York metropolitan area. Under the agreement, Metro Physical Therapy’s 60 existing outpatient clinics will become part of NYU Langone’s clinica...
U.S. Physical Therapy ( USPH ) on Monday said it has entered into a 10-year strategic alliance between its subsidiary partner, Metro Physical & Aquatic Therapy, and NYU Langone Health to expand outpatient physical therapy services in Long Island and the New York metropolitan area. Under the agreement, Metro Physical Therapy’s 60 existing outpatient clinics will become part of NYU Langone’s clinical services network. The alliance is expected to become operational within the next few months. U.S. Physical Therapy said it will discuss the financial impact of the arrangement in its year-end earnings release and conference call scheduled for late February. USPH closed +1.83% at $83.87. Source: Press Release More on U.S. Physical Therapy U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (USPH) Q3 2025 Earnings Call Transcript U.S. Physical Therapy signals 200-facility AI-driven front desk rollout by year-end while reaffirming $93M–$97M adjusted EBITDA guidance Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on U.S. Physical Therapy Historical earnings data for U.S. Physical Therapy Dividend scorecard for U.S. Physical Therapy
kynny/iStock via Getty Images Veeco Instruments ( VECO ) and Axcelis Technologies' ( ACLS ) $4.4B merger deal received clearance from the U.K.'s regulator. Veeco said that on Jan. 22, the U.K. Investment Security Unit issued a no further action letter regarding the merger. In addition, Axcelis and Veeco determined that filings are not required under the Investment Screening Law of Sweden. In Octob...
kynny/iStock via Getty Images Veeco Instruments ( VECO ) and Axcelis Technologies' ( ACLS ) $4.4B merger deal received clearance from the U.K.'s regulator. Veeco said that on Jan. 22, the U.K. Investment Security Unit issued a no further action letter regarding the merger. In addition, Axcelis and Veeco determined that filings are not required under the Investment Screening Law of Sweden. In October 2025, Veeco and Axcelis said they would merge in a $4.4B all-stock deal to create a high-end semiconductor equipment company. The companies noted that they continue to cooperate with China's State Administration for Market Regulation regarding the final pending regulatory approval for the merger. Separately, Veeco said that before Dec. 31, 2025, it shipped Laser Annealing systems to two separate customers, representing about $15M in revenue. The products are currently awaiting export from the Port of San Francisco pending review and processing by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, and the Bureau of Industry and Security, or BIS, before delivery to customers in China. Veeco noted that it has not sought payment for these shipments while the products are held by CBP and may not seek collection if products are ultimately not cleared for export. The company said that currently, given the uncertainty, it has not recognized this related revenue. Veeco added that if the uncertainty is not resolved before the issuance of the financial statements for the year ended Dec. 31, 2025, it may not be able to recognize the revenue for these two shipments for the year ended Dec. 31, 2025. "Failure to recognize the approximately $15 million of revenue associated with these shipments would cause Veeco’s revenue to fall below its previously communicated revenue and earnings per share guidance ranges for the quarter ended December 31, 2025," said the company in a regulatory filing. Veeco said it is working with BIS and the customers' freight brokers, who are in contact with CBP, to re...
Hess Midstream Partners press release ( HESM ): Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.72 beats by $0.06 . Revenue of $404.2M (+2.1% Y/Y) misses by $12.24M . Increased quarterly cash distribution to $0.7641 per Class A share for the fourth quarter of 2025, an increase of $0.0093 per Class A share for the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with the third quarter of 2025. More on Hess Midstream Partners Hess Midstream: Sol...
Hess Midstream Partners press release ( HESM ): Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.72 beats by $0.06 . Revenue of $404.2M (+2.1% Y/Y) misses by $12.24M . Increased quarterly cash distribution to $0.7641 per Class A share for the fourth quarter of 2025, an increase of $0.0093 per Class A share for the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with the third quarter of 2025. More on Hess Midstream Partners Hess Midstream: Solid Fundamentals And Low Valuation May Fuel Upside Hess Midstream: K-1-Free 8.8% Dividend Is Hard To Ignore, Yet Watch The Risks Hess Midstream: No Adjusted EBITDA Growth Hess Midstream Partners Q4 2025 Earnings Preview Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Hess Midstream Partners
The AI chip race isn't just a one-horse sprint led by Nvidia (NVDA). As hyperscalers like Google (GOOG, GOOGL), Meta (META), and Microsoft (MSFT) race to lower the eye-watering costs of running massive AI models, a second front is opening in the custom silicon wars, with Broadcom (AVGO) as its primary architect. "Broadcom is projected to retain its leadership as the premier AI Server Compute ASIC ...
The AI chip race isn't just a one-horse sprint led by Nvidia (NVDA). As hyperscalers like Google (GOOG, GOOGL), Meta (META), and Microsoft (MSFT) race to lower the eye-watering costs of running massive AI models, a second front is opening in the custom silicon wars, with Broadcom (AVGO) as its primary architect. "Broadcom is projected to retain its leadership as the premier AI Server Compute ASIC design partner with a 60% market share in 2027," according to a recent report from Counterpoint Research. This dominance is underpinned by a symbiotic relationship with the world's most advanced foundry, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM), which remains the "dominant foundry choice ... with close to 99% wafer fabrication share for the top 10 players' AI Server Compute and ASIC shipments." This shift signals the industry is moving beyond Nvidia's pricey, all-purpose GPUs. While Nvidia provides a powerful all-purpose AI tool, tech giants are increasingly designing their own Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICS) tailored to their unique workloads. Broadcom thrives here by acting as the bridge, turning these internal corporate blueprints into functional hardware. By hitching its wagon to the internal capital expenditures of the world's wealthiest companies, Broadcom has seen its stock climb roughly 55% over the last year. The cost-saving incentive for these giants is massive. Goldman Sachs analyst James Schneider noted that the Google-Broadcom TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) is rapidly closing the performance gap with Nvidia, estimating a staggering 70% reduction in "cost-per-token" as the technology evolves from the TPU v6 to the v7. In a world where AI inference costs can severely impact a balance sheet, that efficiency is a powerful gravitational pull toward custom silicon. Google famously trained its Gemini 3 entirely on its TPUs. However, the custom chip boom is not a rising tide that lifts all boats equally. Marvell Technology (MRVL), often cited as ...
Oracle Corp. has kicked off a US dollar bond offering as the company looks to raise $45 billion to $50 billion this year through a combination of debt and equity sales to build additional cloud infrastructure capacity. The company is selling debt in as many as eight parts with maturities ranging from 3 to 40 years, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Initial price discussions for t...
Oracle Corp. has kicked off a US dollar bond offering as the company looks to raise $45 billion to $50 billion this year through a combination of debt and equity sales to build additional cloud infrastructure capacity. The company is selling debt in as many as eight parts with maturities ranging from 3 to 40 years, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Initial price discussions for the longest portion of the deal — a 40-year bond — are for a premium of about 2.25 percentage point above Treasuries, the person said, asking not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak publicly. Oracle last tapped the US bond market in September, raising $18 billion in one of the biggest offerings of the year. That deal has weakened in secondary trading amid concerns about Oracle’s rising debt load, which has driven up the cost of insuring its debt against default. Read More: AI Hyperscalers Piling Into One of Busiest Bond Markets Ever