Cuba Shutters Beach Resorts As Fuel Crisis Spreads Economy-Wide President Trump's pressure campaign on Cuba is gaining serious momentum as the Caribbean island's energy crisis deepens, unleashing rampant fuel shortages and prolonged power blackouts. The government rolled out new conservation measures late Friday to preserve energy, but large parts of the economy are already imploding. Bloomberg re...
Cuba Shutters Beach Resorts As Fuel Crisis Spreads Economy-Wide President Trump's pressure campaign on Cuba is gaining serious momentum as the Caribbean island's energy crisis deepens, unleashing rampant fuel shortages and prolonged power blackouts. The government rolled out new conservation measures late Friday to preserve energy, but large parts of the economy are already imploding. Bloomberg reports that Trump's move to curb fuel shipments to Cuba is spilling over into the tourism sector , with energy shortages forcing two large beach resorts to shut down as early as this weekend. Here's more from the outlet: At least two large beach resorts on Cayo Coco , on the northern coast of the Caribbean nation, will be closing as soon as this weekend due to gasoline shortages, employees reported Friday. A worker at Mojito Cayo Coco said the resort was shutting down because there wasn't enough fuel for employees to get to work. Instead, about 200 guests will be transferred to Sol Cayo Coco about 30 miles away. The worker, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, blamed Trump's sanctions and said many of his colleagues were losing their jobs. In more than two decades at the hotel, he said he'd seen temporary shutdowns for multiple hurricanes but never for non-weather-related disasters . On Friday night, Cuba's government warned that its entire tourism sector was under a "consolidation plan" amid fuel supply disruptions that are rocking the island's economy. "Cuban authorities have unilaterally decided to regroup certain travelers in hotels with higher occupancy levels to help ensure service continuity and overall service quality," Canadian airline and vacation provider Transat AT wrote in a statement. "They have confirmed that these properties remain operational and continue to meet their usual standards." Canada recently updated its travel guidance on Cuba to " exercise a high degree of caution," warning, "The situation is unpredictable and could deteriorate...
Because this smaller rival is less than 10% as valuable as Starbucks, it might fly under the radar. With a $110 billion market cap, revenue of $9.9 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 (ended Dec. 28, 2025), and more than 41,000 stores worldwide, Starbucks (SBUX +3.54%) is the king of the retail coffee market. But the consumer favorite hasn't been operating at full strength. And CEO Brian N...
Because this smaller rival is less than 10% as valuable as Starbucks, it might fly under the radar. With a $110 billion market cap, revenue of $9.9 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 (ended Dec. 28, 2025), and more than 41,000 stores worldwide, Starbucks (SBUX +3.54%) is the king of the retail coffee market. But the consumer favorite hasn't been operating at full strength. And CEO Brian Niccol is trying to turn things around, as shares trade 23% below their peak (as of Feb. 4). Investors can find a more exciting opportunity elsewhere in the industry. There's a little-known coffee stock that's running laps around Starbucks. Here are three things to know. Winning the rest of the day Dutch Bros (BROS +8.89%) generates almost 75% of its revenue after 10 a.m. This contrasts with the leading chains, which get half of their sales after 10 a.m. The advantage for Dutch Bros is that its demand is more spread out throughout the day. This can make it easier for store management teams to staff their locations and handle customer traffic. And its steady sales support the company's goal of $1.8 million in average annual unit volumes. What's more, Dutch Bros is probably attracting a different kind of customer than the person commuting to work in the morning. Meanwhile, Dutch Bros sees opportunity and is using food to target a bigger audience. "As we expand the food program throughout 2026, we're aiming to be a one-stop shop during the morning daypart," CEO Christine Barone said on the Q3 2025 earnings call. Healthy same-store sales growth Before reporting same-store sales growth in Q4 2025, Starbucks posted six straight quarters of declines. This metric indicates the performance of existing locations on a year-over-year basis, and growth indicates operational health. At the same time, Dutch Bros registered same-store sales increases in 12 straight quarters, a streak that's still active. It's standing out in the industry. Starbucks' guidance calls for same-store sales to ri...
is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. It’s a complete coincidence that I installed Linux around the same time as my colleagues Nathan Edwards and Stevie Bonifield. A few months ago, I decided to breathe new life into a 2019 Dell XPS...
is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. It’s a complete coincidence that I installed Linux around the same time as my colleagues Nathan Edwards and Stevie Bonifield. A few months ago, I decided to breathe new life into a 2019 Dell XPS 15 that had been collecting dust for a couple of years. Despite its (at the time) high-end Core i7 CPU and 32GB of RAM, Windows was frustratingly slow on it. The fan was constantly at full throttle even when the machine was idle, and it regularly failed to install updates. So in early 2024, I gave up and switched to an M1 MacBook Pro. But I wanted to give my oldest child something to practice typing on. Plus, I’d been trying to find a suitable distraction-free writing solution. (Spoiler: this laptop was not the solution I was looking for.) So I installed Ubuntu. Again. See, before the MacBook and before the Dell XPS, I was a Linux user. I first installed Ubuntu in 2006 on a ThinkPad X40. And it remained my primary OS across three different laptops and 13 years. My Ubuntu desktop in 2007. Despite some... let’s call them quirks (Wi-Fi didn’t work out of the box on that X40), I was happy with Linux for a long time. I dual-booted Windows out of necessity, and often had a work-issued MacBook on hand. But those were for testing apps or specific tasks, like editing video. 99 percent of my life was spent in Ubuntu. That is, until about 2017. As I got older, tinkering with my laptop changed from a hobby to something that got in the way of me pursuing my other hobbies. I had rediscovered my love of making music, and, try as it might, Ubuntu Studio just wasn’t cutting it. I was spending more time in Ableton Live, which meant more time in Windows, until in 2019, I bought the aforementioned XPS and switched over completely. A lot has changed in the 20 years since I first installed Linu...
Key Points SLVP has delivered a much higher one-year return but with far greater volatility and drawdown risk than GLD GLD offers vastly superior liquidity and a much larger asset base, appealing to institutional and high-volume traders Both ETFs carry similar expense ratios, but their risk and sector exposures differ dramatically 10 stocks we like better than SPDR Gold Shares › The iShares MSCI G...
Key Points SLVP has delivered a much higher one-year return but with far greater volatility and drawdown risk than GLD GLD offers vastly superior liquidity and a much larger asset base, appealing to institutional and high-volume traders Both ETFs carry similar expense ratios, but their risk and sector exposures differ dramatically 10 stocks we like better than SPDR Gold Shares › The iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF (NYSEMKT:SLVP) and SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEMKT:GLD) differ sharply in risk profile, assets under management (AUM), and performance history, with SLVP targeting volatile silver miners and GLD tracking the price of physical gold bullion. SLVP and GLD both offer exposure to precious metals, but they approach this theme from different angles: SLVP invests in global silver and metals mining companies, while GLD provides direct access to the price of gold. This comparison looks at cost, returns, risk, portfolio makeup, and liquidity to help clarify which ETF may appeal depending on an investor’s priorities. Snapshot (Cost & Size) Metric SLVP GLD Issuer IShares SPDR Expense ratio 0.39% 0.40% 1-yr return (as of 2026-01-30) 187.2% 72.4% Dividend yield 1.6% n/a Beta 0.73 0.09 AUM $1.4 billion $188.9 billion Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. SLVP and GLD carry nearly identical expense ratios, so neither has a clear cost advantage. Yield may factor in for income-focused investors, as only SLVP pays a dividend. Performance & Risk Comparison Metric SLVP GLD Max drawdown (5 y) -55.56% -21.03% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $2,112 $2,554 What's Inside GLD is designed to track the price of physical gold, offering investors a straightforward way to gain exposure to gold bullion without the need to buy, store, or insure the metal directly. The fund is over 21 years old and, with $188 billion in assets under management (AUM...
Key Points Bitcoin is probably a bit too cumbersome for AI agents to use as a currency. But, it could still have utility as a store of value. Don't hold your breath for the coin to capture major upside here. 10 stocks we like better than Bitcoin › Artificial intelligence is starting to do things that were formerly the exclusive domain of humans, including tasks like holding and moving money. If th...
Key Points Bitcoin is probably a bit too cumbersome for AI agents to use as a currency. But, it could still have utility as a store of value. Don't hold your breath for the coin to capture major upside here. 10 stocks we like better than Bitcoin › Artificial intelligence is starting to do things that were formerly the exclusive domain of humans, including tasks like holding and moving money. If the "agentic AI" trend sticks, it's thus reasonable to assume that more financial activity will be initiated by software, and, perhaps even for the benefit of that software rather than for the benefit of humans. That brings up a fun, slightly unsettling question for investors: Could Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) benefit by becoming a preferred store of value for AI agents? Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » What AI agents will actually optimize for In practice, the AI agents of today don't have any need for money in the sense that a human might. They're machines designed to identify market patterns, assist with payment routing, manage liquidity in key accounts, and monitor fraud risk. That set of jobs implies handling a very particular kind of money. In short, for an AI agent to excel at those tasks, it needs to operate within a system with low, stable costs and clear integration points for basic functionalities like identity verification and trade authorization. If those requirements aren't met, the agent can't do much of anything because the company or individual running it will be loath to eat the operational costs and regulatory risks associated with letting it continue, even if it's possible to do so. So even if AI agents become a real theme in the world of managing investments and making trades -- and they probably will -- the initial wave of agent activity will probably concentrate in quite narrow and controlled workflows rather than a sudden, ...
Hims & Hers Health Inc. said it will stop selling its knockoff weight-loss pill just days after initially offering it, following an announcement by federal regulators that they were launching an investigation into the telehealth company. After having conversations with stakeholders in the industry, “we have decided to stop offering access to this treatment,” the company said in a post on X Saturda...
Hims & Hers Health Inc. said it will stop selling its knockoff weight-loss pill just days after initially offering it, following an announcement by federal regulators that they were launching an investigation into the telehealth company. After having conversations with stakeholders in the industry, “we have decided to stop offering access to this treatment,” the company said in a post on X Saturday. On Feb. 6, the Food and Drug Administration said it would crack down on copycat weight-loss drugs, like those marketed by Hims. The company had said Thursday it would sell a cheaper version of Novo Nordisk A/S ’s new Wegovy weight-loss pill. Read More: FDA Targets Copycat Weight Loss Drugs in Blow to Hims & Hers
"I actually had to come around to it," she admits now. After pushing to be given freedom in how it was rolled out, she was persuaded. And her role has been central in shaping which companies will be included and how they must comply.
"I actually had to come around to it," she admits now. After pushing to be given freedom in how it was rolled out, she was persuaded. And her role has been central in shaping which companies will be included and how they must comply.
Micron Technology (MU) is the definition of a “crowded winner.” This kind of bullishness is rare. Targets cannot keep up. Instead, it looks like even bullish price targets cannot keep up; they’re chasing the tape. Shares were recently changing hands for $382.89 (Feb. 6, 2026), off their $455.50 ...
Micron Technology (MU) is the definition of a “crowded winner.” This kind of bullishness is rare. Targets cannot keep up. Instead, it looks like even bullish price targets cannot keep up; they’re chasing the tape. Shares were recently changing hands for $382.89 (Feb. 6, 2026), off their $455.50 ...
Veteran analysts drop shock call on Micron stock after historic run Yahoo Finance Better Tech Stock: Micron vs. Broadcom Nasdaq Is Micron Technology a Millionaire Maker? The Motley Fool Micron Stock To $700? Forbes Micron: This Week's Dip Is A Gift (NASDAQ:MU) Seeking Alpha Micron Rallies 315% in a Year: Is the Stock Still Worth Buying? Zacks Investment Research UBS raises Micron Technology (MU) p...
Veteran analysts drop shock call on Micron stock after historic run Yahoo Finance Better Tech Stock: Micron vs. Broadcom Nasdaq Is Micron Technology a Millionaire Maker? The Motley Fool Micron Stock To $700? Forbes Micron: This Week's Dip Is A Gift (NASDAQ:MU) Seeking Alpha Micron Rallies 315% in a Year: Is the Stock Still Worth Buying? Zacks Investment Research UBS raises Micron Technology (MU) price target to $450 MSN Micron Stock Slips as Analyst Predicts Zero Nvidia Orders for HBM4 Chips TradingView Where Could Micron Technology Stock Be in 1 Year? The Motley Fool
Two French adventurers reached the end of an epic walk from their hometown to Shanghai on Saturday, after nearly a year and a half crossing 16 countries almost entirely on foot. Tired but delighted, Loic Voisot and Benjamin Humblot embraced as they stood by the river on the Bund promenade, the Chinese financial hub’s distinctive skyline glittering in the background. Voisot, 26, and Humblot, 27, se...
Two French adventurers reached the end of an epic walk from their hometown to Shanghai on Saturday, after nearly a year and a half crossing 16 countries almost entirely on foot. Tired but delighted, Loic Voisot and Benjamin Humblot embraced as they stood by the river on the Bund promenade, the Chinese financial hub’s distinctive skyline glittering in the background. Voisot, 26, and Humblot, 27, set off from Annecy in southeastern France in September 2024. Advertisement Yearning for a “great adventure”, they wanted to visit China but without flying, to avoid contributing to the harmful environmental impact of the aviation industry. “We’re having a hard time believing it’s real, that we’ve done all that on foot, that we’re finally here, after having thought of Shanghai for so long,” a weather-beaten Voisot said. France’s Loic Voisot points at his backpack, which features both French and Chinese flags along with the words “Mode Avion, Walk to China” in Shanghai on Saturday. Photo: AFP “I think first and foremost we’re proud, especially of having dared to do this … We weren’t sure we’d make it, but we told ourselves we’d try it out.”
Alphabet is already one of the most valuable companies in the world, but it's betting big on being the biggest artificial intelligence (AI) company as well. This isn't likely to be a particularly controversial take, but right now it looks like Alphabet (GOOG 2.42%) (GOOGL 2.53%), Google's parent company, is looking like it will emerge as the artificial intelligence (AI) leader over the next couple...
Alphabet is already one of the most valuable companies in the world, but it's betting big on being the biggest artificial intelligence (AI) company as well. This isn't likely to be a particularly controversial take, but right now it looks like Alphabet (GOOG 2.42%) (GOOGL 2.53%), Google's parent company, is looking like it will emerge as the artificial intelligence (AI) leader over the next couple of years. The reasons why are pretty straightforward. First, Google Gemini is gobbling up market share and is likely to overtake ChatGPT soon. Second, Alphabet is working to separate itself from Nvidia for its hardware needs with its Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) chip. Third, per its latest results, Alphabet is leveraging its considerably greater resources than the competition. Let's discuss all three to illustrate why Alphabet is positioning itself to become the AI kingpin by the end of 2027. Gemini, Google that for me When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022, it quickly became the leader in the generative AI space simply for lack of competition. By 2023, competitors like Alphabet, Anthropic, and Meta Platforms had brought their competitors to market, but ChatGPT still held 50% market share in the enterprise large language model (LLM) space. As reported by Menlo Ventures, in the two years since, ChatGPT fell to 27% market share, Anthropic grew from 12% to 40% market share, and Google's Gemini grew from 7% to 21%. It's on a trajectory to overtake ChatGPT this year if current trends continue, and then it will be a race to the top between Google and Anthropic. Even then, Google wins. Not a one-trick pony In addition to Gemini, Alphabet has its own proprietary AI hardware, the TPU, developed in partnership with Broadcom. I won't get into the weeds technically here, but suffice it to say Alphabet's TPU offers a hardware alternative to Nvidia's GPU. And Anthropic is expanding its use of Alphabet's hardware to the tune of 1 million TPUs. So, Google even wins from Gemini's main compet...
Key Points Alphabet's Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) is eating up market share from ChatGPT. The company's TPU offers a hardware competitor to Nvidia's GPUs. Alphabet generated $400 billion in revenue last year and is doubling its capital expenditures to expand its AI capabilities. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › This isn't likely to be a particularly controversial take, but right no...
Key Points Alphabet's Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) is eating up market share from ChatGPT. The company's TPU offers a hardware competitor to Nvidia's GPUs. Alphabet generated $400 billion in revenue last year and is doubling its capital expenditures to expand its AI capabilities. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › This isn't likely to be a particularly controversial take, but right now it looks like Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL), Google's parent company, is looking like it will emerge as the artificial intelligence (AI) leader over the next couple of years. The reasons why are pretty straightforward. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » First, Google Gemini is gobbling up market share and is likely to overtake ChatGPT soon. Second, Alphabet is working to separate itself from Nvidia for its hardware needs with its Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) chip. Third, per its latest results, Alphabet is leveraging its considerably greater resources than the competition. Let's discuss all three to illustrate why Alphabet is positioning itself to become the AI kingpin by the end of 2027. Gemini, Google that for me When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022, it quickly became the leader in the generative AI space simply for lack of competition. By 2023, competitors like Alphabet, Anthropic, and Meta Platforms had brought their competitors to market, but ChatGPT still held 50% market share in the enterprise large language model (LLM) space. As reported by Menlo Ventures, in the two years since, ChatGPT fell to 27% market share, Anthropic grew from 12% to 40% market share, and Google's Gemini grew from 7% to 21%. It's on a trajectory to overtake ChatGPT this year if current trends continue, and then it will be a race to the top between Google and Anthropic. Even then, Google wins. Not a o...
The British skeleton team - among Team GB's best hopes for medals at the Winter Olympics - will not be able to wear their new helmets because they do not comply with the sport's rules around shape. The British team had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) on Thursday to overturn the decision by the sport's governing body - the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF)....
The British skeleton team - among Team GB's best hopes for medals at the Winter Olympics - will not be able to wear their new helmets because they do not comply with the sport's rules around shape. The British team had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) on Thursday to overturn the decision by the sport's governing body - the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF). But Cas say the helmet is a departure from the standard helmet shape and has clearly been designed to specifically enhance aerodynamic performance because the back of the helmet protrudes. The British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association (BBSA) stressed that the helmet was designed with safety in mind and to comply with new safety regulations due to be introduced by the IBSF at the start of the 2026-27 season. Those rules are not in place at the Olympics but British skeleton have essentially tried to get ahead of the curve by designing and using their new helmet in Italy. Instead they will wear the ones they wore during the last World Cup season. A picture seen by BBC Sport shows that the helmet is pointed at the back - similar in appearance to a track cycling helmet. Natalie Dunman, executive performance director at the BBSA, said: "Based on the strength of the case we put forward, naturally we are disappointed in [the] decision. "However, this does not affect our final preparations and nor has the discourse affected the athletes' focus or optimism going into the Games. "Our athletes have been winning medals all season, and throughout the Olympic cycle, in their current helmets and we remain in a strong position to continue that trend." When asked about the helmet prior to the verdict, Team GB's skeleton racers said they had no preference on which helmet they used at the Olympics. They arrive at the Games as heavy favourites to win medals with world champion and overall World Cup winner Matt Weston leading the charge for gold while compatriot Marcus Wyatt is also fancied to...
Explore how these two precious metals ETFs differ in risk, liquidity, and portfolio makeup—key factors for investors weighing their options. The iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF (SLVP +7.56%) and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD +3.07%) differ sharply in risk profile, assets under management (AUM), and performance history, with SLVP targeting volatile silver miners and GLD tracking the price ...
Explore how these two precious metals ETFs differ in risk, liquidity, and portfolio makeup—key factors for investors weighing their options. The iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF (SLVP +7.56%) and SPDR Gold Shares (GLD +3.07%) differ sharply in risk profile, assets under management (AUM), and performance history, with SLVP targeting volatile silver miners and GLD tracking the price of physical gold bullion. SLVP and GLD both offer exposure to precious metals, but they approach this theme from different angles: SLVP invests in global silver and metals mining companies, while GLD provides direct access to the price of gold. This comparison looks at cost, returns, risk, portfolio makeup, and liquidity to help clarify which ETF may appeal depending on an investor’s priorities. Snapshot (Cost & Size) Metric SLVP GLD Issuer IShares SPDR Expense ratio 0.39% 0.40% 1-yr return (as of 2026-01-30) 187.2% 72.4% Dividend yield 1.6% n/a Beta 0.73 0.09 AUM $1.4 billion $188.9 billion Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. SLVP and GLD carry nearly identical expense ratios, so neither has a clear cost advantage. Yield may factor in for income-focused investors, as only SLVP pays a dividend. Performance & Risk Comparison Metric SLVP GLD Max drawdown (5 y) -55.56% -21.03% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $2,112 $2,554 What's Inside GLD is designed to track the price of physical gold, offering investors a straightforward way to gain exposure to gold bullion without the need to buy, store, or insure the metal directly. The fund is over 21 years old and, with $188 billion in assets under management (AUM), is one of the largest and most liquid ETFs in the world. Unlike many ETFs, it does not hold individual securities or companies; its value moves with the price of gold. SLVP, in contrast, invests exclusively in mining companies within the ba...
AT&T has an attractive 4% dividend yield and plans to return more than just cash to investors in 2026. AT&T (T 0.68%) cut its dividend by nearly 50% in 2022. That move followed the spinoff of WarnerMedia, undoing what, in hindsight, proved to be a disastrous acquisition. Those two decisions set AT&T up to potentially return $45 billion in cash to investors between 2026 and 2028. Here's what you ne...
AT&T has an attractive 4% dividend yield and plans to return more than just cash to investors in 2026. AT&T (T 0.68%) cut its dividend by nearly 50% in 2022. That move followed the spinoff of WarnerMedia, undoing what, in hindsight, proved to be a disastrous acquisition. Those two decisions set AT&T up to potentially return $45 billion in cash to investors between 2026 and 2028. Here's what you need to know if you are thinking about buying AT&T stock today. AT&T made the best of a bad situation After the WarnerMedia spinoff, AT&T was saddled with a very heavy debt load. The dividend cut that accompanied the spinoff was intended to allow AT&T to focus on strengthening its balance sheet. Roughly four years after the spinoff, the telecommunications giant's total debt is lower, and its leverage has declined. That frees the company up to return more money to shareholders. In 2025, the company returned $12 billion through dividends and stock buybacks. The plan for the next three years is to return $45 billion. At this point in time, the board of directors isn't intending to increase the dividend, so the big story is going to be more stock buybacks. Is the stock worth buying in 2026? After reporting full-year 2025 earnings and announcing its intention to return $45 billion to shareholders, AT&T's stock price rocketed higher, rising 15% in just five days. That's a sizable move, and it might change the equation for a lot of investors. For example, the stock's price-to-sales and price-to-book-value ratios are both above their five-year averages. Losses over that span don't allow for a five-year average price-to-earnings (P/E) stat, but AT&T's price-to-forward P/E is also above its five-year average. In other words, the stock looks a little expensive right now. Value investors probably won't be interested. Expand NYSE : T AT&T Today's Change ( -0.68 %) $ -0.18 Current Price $ 27.13 Key Data Points Market Cap $192B Day's Range $ 26.93 - $ 27.38 52wk Range $ 22.95 - $ 29.79 Volu...
Key Points AT&T is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States. The company has an attractive 4% dividend yield backed by recurring cash flows. Management plans to return $45 billion to shareholders in dividends and stock buybacks over the next three years. 10 stocks we like better than AT&T › AT&T (NYSE: T) cut its dividend by nearly 50% in 2022. That move followed the sp...
Key Points AT&T is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States. The company has an attractive 4% dividend yield backed by recurring cash flows. Management plans to return $45 billion to shareholders in dividends and stock buybacks over the next three years. 10 stocks we like better than AT&T › AT&T (NYSE: T) cut its dividend by nearly 50% in 2022. That move followed the spinoff of WarnerMedia, undoing what, in hindsight, proved to be a disastrous acquisition. Those two decisions set AT&T up to potentially return $45 billion in cash to investors between 2026 and 2028. Here's what you need to know if you are thinking about buying AT&T stock today. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » AT&T made the best of a bad situation After the WarnerMedia spinoff, AT&T was saddled with a very heavy debt load. The dividend cut that accompanied the spinoff was intended to allow AT&T to focus on strengthening its balance sheet. Roughly four years after the spinoff, the telecommunications giant's total debt is lower, and its leverage has declined. That frees the company up to return more money to shareholders. In 2025, the company returned $12 billion through dividends and stock buybacks. The plan for the next three years is to return $45 billion. At this point in time, the board of directors isn't intending to increase the dividend, so the big story is going to be more stock buybacks. Is the stock worth buying in 2026? After reporting full-year 2025 earnings and announcing its intention to return $45 billion to shareholders, AT&T's stock price rocketed higher, rising 15% in just five days. That's a sizable move, and it might change the equation for a lot of investors. For example, the stock's price-to-sales and price-to-book-value ratios are both above their five-year averages. Losses over that span don't allow for a five-year a...
It's possible, but it won't happen tomorrow. Artificial intelligence is starting to do things that were formerly the exclusive domain of humans, including tasks like holding and moving money. If the "agentic AI" trend sticks, it's thus reasonable to assume that more financial activity will be initiated by software, and, perhaps even for the benefit of that software rather than for the benefit of h...
It's possible, but it won't happen tomorrow. Artificial intelligence is starting to do things that were formerly the exclusive domain of humans, including tasks like holding and moving money. If the "agentic AI" trend sticks, it's thus reasonable to assume that more financial activity will be initiated by software, and, perhaps even for the benefit of that software rather than for the benefit of humans. That brings up a fun, slightly unsettling question for investors: Could Bitcoin (BTC 0.73%) benefit by becoming a preferred store of value for AI agents? What AI agents will actually optimize for In practice, the AI agents of today don't have any need for money in the sense that a human might. They're machines designed to identify market patterns, assist with payment routing, manage liquidity in key accounts, and monitor fraud risk. That set of jobs implies handling a very particular kind of money. In short, for an AI agent to excel at those tasks, it needs to operate within a system with low, stable costs and clear integration points for basic functionalities like identity verification and trade authorization. If those requirements aren't met, the agent can't do much of anything because the company or individual running it will be loath to eat the operational costs and regulatory risks associated with letting it continue, even if it's possible to do so. Expand CRYPTO : BTC Bitcoin Today's Change ( -0.73 %) $ -507.01 Current Price $ 69333.00 Key Data Points Market Cap $1.4T Day's Range $ 67656.00 - $ 71604.00 52wk Range $ 60255.56 - $ 126079.89 Volume 79B So even if AI agents become a real theme in the world of managing investments and making trades -- and they probably will -- the initial wave of agent activity will probably concentrate in quite narrow and controlled workflows rather than a sudden, industrywide automation of everything. And there simply aren't many ways for AI to change or improve upon the Bitcoin mining process either. Therefore, we should not expe...
For Townsend's team, in far too many games, there's uncertainty about when the damage will be done - the start or the end - but there is a near certainty that at some point it will indeed be done. It's the rhythm of life under Townsend. In Rome, it was at the start. There was talk from within the Scotland camp that they needed to execute better when entering an opponent's 22. There were good reaso...
For Townsend's team, in far too many games, there's uncertainty about when the damage will be done - the start or the end - but there is a near certainty that at some point it will indeed be done. It's the rhythm of life under Townsend. In Rome, it was at the start. There was talk from within the Scotland camp that they needed to execute better when entering an opponent's 22. There were good reasons for that chat. In last season's Six Nations, they ranked second of six in terms of visits to a rival's 22 and yet sixth of six in terms of points gained from those visits. Profligacy, as well as mental fragility, was a work-on, as they say. A few minutes into the game, Scotland had an attacking line-out in Italy's 22. A time for deeds now, not words. Clinical rugby, remember. Lessons learned. Progress. Their ball was stolen at the front and Italy escaped. It was the beginning of an utter calamity out of touch for Ewan Ashman, in particular, and his successor, George Turner. The conditions? Yes, abject, but Scotland's error count across the board was higher than Italy's. At times, when throws were pilfered or just launched over the back with no jumper and seemingly no communication, it was an unholy mess. You wouldn't have predicted a Scotland defeat that early, but you get to understand the triggers in this team and the omens weren't encouraging. Especially so within a few minutes because Italy scored. Winning the air, as they so often did, they showed the kind of precision that Scotland only talked about. Ignacio Brex grubbered for Louis Lynagh and Italy had landed the first blow. Becoming hard to score against was another of those non-negotiables that the Scotland boys mentioned. Up in smoke already. Scotland had another attacking line-out inside Italy's 22 soon after. Stolen again. A dozen minutes had been played and now, truly, you were hearing the music from Jaws ringing in the ears. For a time, the conditions looked like they were impacting just one team out there....
The biggest tech companies are gearing up to spend even more on artificial intelligence than investors had anticipated, and money managers increasingly fear that whatever happens, credit markets will get hit. Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp. and other “hyperscalers” are in an arms race to invest in AI and beat competitors in a technology that could change vast parts of the economy. Google parent Alph...
The biggest tech companies are gearing up to spend even more on artificial intelligence than investors had anticipated, and money managers increasingly fear that whatever happens, credit markets will get hit. Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp. and other “hyperscalers” are in an arms race to invest in AI and beat competitors in a technology that could change vast parts of the economy. Google parent Alphabet Inc. said it’s poised to spend as much as $185 billion on data centers this year, more than it has invested in the past three years combined. Amazon.com Inc. promised an even bigger outlay: $200 billion. A chunk of those investments will come from the high-grade corporate bond market, potentially resulting in more debt sales this year than investors had expected. But the more tech companies borrow, the greater the potential pressure on bond valuations. The securities are already expensive by historical standards, trading at close to their tightest spreads since the late 1990s. “The AI spending bonanza is finding buyers today but leaves little upside and even less room for error,” said Alexander Morris , chief executive officer and co-founder of F/m Investments. “There is no asset class that can’t and won’t spoil.” Those fears weighed on tech companies’ notes this week, which broadly weakened relative to Treasuries, including most of the $25 billion of debt that Oracle sold on Monday. In the broader market, high-grade corporate bond yield spreads edged about 0.02 percentage point wider this week. Beyond supply and demand, intensifying worries around AI’s power to disrupt have sparked tremors in the market. As companies like Anthropic PBC release a steady stream of tools targeting professional services from finance to software development, investors are starting to price in the threat AI poses to entire businesses. Software companies have seen their leveraged loan prices drop about 4% this year through Thursday, according to Bloomberg index data, amid fears that AI will ...
Bloomberg The biggest tech companies are gearing up to spend even more on artificial intelligence than investors had anticipated, and money managers increasingly fear that whatever happens, credit markets will get hit. Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp. and other “hyperscalers” are in an arms race to invest in AI and beat competitors in a technology that could change vast parts of the economy. Google p...
Bloomberg The biggest tech companies are gearing up to spend even more on artificial intelligence than investors had anticipated, and money managers increasingly fear that whatever happens, credit markets will get hit. Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp. and other “hyperscalers” are in an arms race to invest in AI and beat competitors in a technology that could change vast parts of the economy. Google parent Alphabet Inc. said it’s poised to spend as much as $185 billion on data centers this year, more than it has invested in the past three years combined. Amazon.com Inc. promised an even bigger outlay: $200 billion. Most Read from Bloomberg A chunk of those investments will come from the high-grade corporate bond market, potentially resulting in more debt sales this year than investors had expected. But the more tech companies borrow, the greater the potential pressure on bond valuations. The securities are already expensive by historical standards, trading at close to their tightest spreads since the late 1990s. “The AI spending bonanza is finding buyers today but leaves little upside and even less room for error,” said Alexander Morris, chief executive officer and co-founder of F/m Investments. “There is no asset class that can’t and won’t spoil.” Those fears weighed on tech companies’ notes this week, which broadly weakened relative to Treasuries, including most of the $25 billion of debt that Oracle sold on Monday. In the broader market, high-grade corporate bond yield spreads edged about 0.02 percentage point wider this week. Beyond supply and demand, intensifying worries around AI’s power to disrupt have sparked tremors in the market. As companies like Anthropic PBC release a steady stream of tools targeting professional services from finance to software development, investors are starting to price in the threat AI poses to entire businesses. Software companies have seen their leveraged loan prices drop about 4% this year through Thursday, according to Bloomberg in...
The biggest tech companies are gearing up to spend even more on artificial intelligence than investors had anticipated, and money managers increasingly fear that whatever happens, credit markets will get hit. Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp. and other “hyperscalers” are in an arms race to invest in AI and beat competitors in a technology that could change vast parts of the economy. Google parent Alph...
The biggest tech companies are gearing up to spend even more on artificial intelligence than investors had anticipated, and money managers increasingly fear that whatever happens, credit markets will get hit. Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp. and other “hyperscalers” are in an arms race to invest in AI and beat competitors in a technology that could change vast parts of the economy. Google parent Alphabet Inc. said it’s poised to spend as much as $185 billion on data centers this year, more than it has invested in the past three years combined. Amazon.com Inc. promised an even bigger outlay: $200 billion. A chunk of those investments will come from the high-grade corporate bond market, potentially resulting in more debt sales this year than investors had expected. But the more tech companies borrow, the greater the potential pressure on bond valuations. The securities are already expensive by historical standards, trading at close to their tightest spreads since the late 1990s. “The AI spending bonanza is finding buyers today but leaves little upside and even less room for error,” said Alexander Morris , chief executive officer and co-founder of F/m Investments. “There is no asset class that can’t and won’t spoil.” Those fears weighed on tech companies’ notes this week, which broadly weakened relative to Treasuries, including most of the $25 billion of debt that Oracle sold on Monday. In the broader market, high-grade corporate bond yield spreads edged about 0.02 percentage point wider this week. Beyond supply and demand, intensifying worries around AI’s power to disrupt have sparked tremors in the market. As companies like Anthropic PBC release a steady stream of tools targeting professional services from finance to software development, investors are starting to price in the threat AI poses to entire businesses. Software companies have seen their leveraged loan prices drop about 4% this year through Thursday, according to Bloomberg index data, amid fears that AI will ...