Budgets have been slashed, morale is through the floor and the company has been forced to find a second base in Manchester. But the new musical director is up for a challenge. We meet the man with the hardest job in music André de Ridder is either brave or stupid. He has accepted the role as the music director of English National Opera – its chief conductor and keeper of its musical flame. He will...
Budgets have been slashed, morale is through the floor and the company has been forced to find a second base in Manchester. But the new musical director is up for a challenge. We meet the man with the hardest job in music André de Ridder is either brave or stupid. He has accepted the role as the music director of English National Opera – its chief conductor and keeper of its musical flame. He will take up the role formally in 2027. The post has been empty for several anguished years, sparked by Arts Council England’s 2022 announcement that the company would lose all its funding unless it moved out of London. Amid a fightback that, to cut a long story short, resulted in the company retaining a foothold in the London Coliseum, but partially moving to Manchester, De Ridder’s predecessor, Martyn Brabbins, abruptly quit in 2023, saying that the company was heading into “ managed decline ”. Brabbins’s predecessor, Mark Wigglesworth, had also resigned suddenly in 2016, saying ENO was evolving into “ something I do not recognise ”. It was beginning to sound like an opera plot. Bluebeard’s Castle , maybe. A murdered conductor behind every door in the mansion. And yet: De Ridder’s enthusiasm is irrepressible. For some, it would be daunting to come into a company whose world-class orchestra and chorus have had their full-time contracts slashed to seven months of the year; from which the chief executive has just resigned; where morale (insiders tell me) is rock bottom. But the Berlin-raised 54-year-old sees only the opportunities. From his perspective, the shake-ups are in the past. Continue reading...
Luis Alvarez AppLovin ( APP ) shares surged more than 13% on Monday after short-seller CapitalWatch apologized, and said its allegations about the mobile advertising company were "inaccurate." "Capitalwatch hereby announces significant revisions to the investigative report published on January 20, 2026, titled The Southeast Asian Money Laundering Syndicate's NASDAQ "Laundromat," the company wrote ...
Luis Alvarez AppLovin ( APP ) shares surged more than 13% on Monday after short-seller CapitalWatch apologized, and said its allegations about the mobile advertising company were "inaccurate." "Capitalwatch hereby announces significant revisions to the investigative report published on January 20, 2026, titled The Southeast Asian Money Laundering Syndicate's NASDAQ "Laundromat," the company wrote on X. "We are formally retracting specific characterizations and allegations contained therein regarding Mr. Tang Hao. Upholding the highest standards of journalistic integrity, we conducted a rigorous internal review of the report. We have determined that due to an insufficient independent verification process regarding a judgment from the Court of Bordeaux (France), we erroneously associated that judicial document with Mr. Tang." CapitalWatch continued: "Furthermore, descriptions asserting direct connections between Mr. Tang and Chen Zhi, Prince Group, Jin Bei Group, Tang Jun, and Yang Zhihui were inaccurate and failed to meet our publication standards, which require cross-verification via multiple non-anonymous sources. In light of these factual discrepancies—and to prevent the spread of misinformation and protect the legal rights of the parties involved—we have decided to remove and retract the passages relevant to Mr. Tang personally. Capitalwatch extends its sincere apologies to Mr. Tang for the distress caused and the potential impact on his personal reputation. We recognize the gravity of personal reputation and believe that any unfounded associations must be promptly corrected." More on AppLovin AppLovin's 50% Drop Isn't A Dip - It's A Warning Why I'm Moving To A Sell On AppLovin Following The CloudX Launch (Rating Downgrade) AppLovin: Be Greedy When Others Are Fearful Earnings week ahead: F, KO, CSCO, SHOP, MCD, BP, AMAT, COIN, MRNA, ROKU, and more AppLovin, Unity's structural moats are 'intact,' despite CloudX launch: Wedbush
In trading on Monday, shares of CAVA Group Inc (Symbol: CAVA) crossed above their 200 day moving average of $70.41, changing hands as high as $71.47 per share. CAVA Group Inc shares are currently trading up about 2.1% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of CAVA shares, versus its 200 day moving average: Looking at the chart above, CAVA's low point in its 52 week range is $43...
In trading on Monday, shares of CAVA Group Inc (Symbol: CAVA) crossed above their 200 day moving average of $70.41, changing hands as high as $71.47 per share. CAVA Group Inc shares are currently trading up about 2.1% on the day. The chart below shows the one year performance of CAVA shares, versus its 200 day moving average: Looking at the chart above, CAVA's low point in its 52 week range is $43.41 per share, with $141.75 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $71.33. Click here to find out which 9 other stocks recently crossed above their 200 day moving average » Also see: The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images I raised my target price in my last article on Loews Corporation ( L ) - and while the raise evidently wasn't sufficient to reflect what the market believes the company is capable of, I will argue in this article that we may be looking at a bit of an overvaluation here. Loews' unique business model comes at a risk. In this article, I will make the argume...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images I raised my target price in my last article on Loews Corporation ( L ) - and while the raise evidently wasn't sufficient to reflect what the market believes the company is capable of, I will argue in this article that we may be looking at a bit of an overvaluation here. Loews' unique business model comes at a risk. In this article, I will make the argument, and in detail, that the company's major portfolio asset, CNA Financial ( CNA ), represents a significant risk in insurance and for the company as a whole that is being misrepresented or incorrectly valued due to a current and present trend in insurance. I have covered this general tendency in some of the insurance updates I have been doing as of late, including updates on large insurers and reinsurers, such as Allianz ( ALIZY ), often referring to SCOR ( SCRYY ) as an alternative to these legacy insurers. Today's update isn't going to be just about CNA , but given CNA's position, performance, and future for Loews, it's going to be quite a bit about that part of the business. The ratings for Loews are mixed. Recent Seeking Alpha coverage has mostly been neutral for Q3 '25 and forward, with Q3 '25 coming out in November. SA Analysts' averages are also at Hold, and neither Wall Street nor the Quant model covers the stock or its potential to any degree. This is my first update for Loews for over a year, given that my last article, found here , was back in 2024. Let's see what we have going for us here. Loews: Upside From Energy And Insurance In A World Where These Are Volatile In 2026E So, the results from today (Q4 '25), fresh off the presses, show why the company could be a good investment at the right price. Please note, however, that despite a 20%+ RoR since my latest article, and despite this beating the market average handily, most of my sold investments for 2024-2025 have been sold with a higher RoR. This does not invalidate the thesis or the returns you've made by i...
Whether it's truly better to be lucky than good, it's undeniably best to be both whenever possible. The S & P 500's bumpy path to a 1.3% gain in the year's first five weeks surely shows impressive resilience among risk-seeking capital staying engaged in the equity market — while also reflecting plenty of good fortune. A bit lucky that the collective mini-panic over the downside of AI-driven disrup...
Whether it's truly better to be lucky than good, it's undeniably best to be both whenever possible. The S & P 500's bumpy path to a 1.3% gain in the year's first five weeks surely shows impressive resilience among risk-seeking capital staying engaged in the equity market — while also reflecting plenty of good fortune. A bit lucky that the collective mini-panic over the downside of AI-driven disruption has struck in one of the seasonally strongest parts of the year with unusually massive net investor inflows, following three strong annual gains. It's likewise fortunate that the fiscal taps are wide open everywhere, supporting high nominal global growth, while in the U.S. last year's tax revamp should goose real GDP by almost a percentage point. And is it also a convenient break – for the markets, not for workers – that while most economic indicators have begun heating up, the labor market alone appears stalled, leaving the Federal Reserve more dovish than it otherwise would be given the overall pace of growth? This entire blend of fitness and fortune has propelled an aggressive, high-velocity rotation within the market that has (so far) successfully broadened the leadership and awakened long-dormant sectors, while leaving the headline S & P 500 supported but stuck just under the 7000 threshold since late October. The catchphrase of this rotation has been "out with the new, in with the old." The year-to-date performance in the major indexes runs in chronological order of their invention: The Dow Jones Industrial Average up 4.3%, the S & P 500 up 1.3% and the Nasdaq Composite down 0.9%. Investors are selling 21st century "innovators" to buy 19th century businesses. They're rushing away from technology, where a company's entire competitive advantage is lines of code that could fit on a thumb drive and embracing asset-heavy producers of scarce physical necessities. Caterpillar over Microsoft The Dow's path to its first close above 50,000 on Friday illustrates this story ...
Anas Sarwar has shown he has a ruthless streak. Once one of Keir Starmer’s staunchest cheerleaders and allies, the Scottish Labour leader is now the most senior party figure to call for him to quit. Despite anger among his colleagues and criticism that his decision to demand Starmer stands down was “idiotic, immature and self-defeating”, Sarwar’s political calculation is blunt and uncompromising. ...
Anas Sarwar has shown he has a ruthless streak. Once one of Keir Starmer’s staunchest cheerleaders and allies, the Scottish Labour leader is now the most senior party figure to call for him to quit. Despite anger among his colleagues and criticism that his decision to demand Starmer stands down was “idiotic, immature and self-defeating”, Sarwar’s political calculation is blunt and uncompromising. Sarwar and his advisers, having watched Scottish Labour’s polling figures plummet as the disarray inside the UK government deepened into chaos and then crisis, believe the risk of calling on Starmer to quit is justified. Sarwar, by delivering Labour’s best national-level result in the 2024 general election – winning 35.3% of the vote, compared with Labour’s 33.7% at the UK-wide level – managed to double his party’s support levels in a matter of months. That has now evaporated. Scottish Labour sits at 18% in the polls. Scottish Labour’s leadership have been in crisis talks since the issue of Peter Mandelson’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein grew into a fully fledged scandal last week. But Sarwar’s call for Starmer to quit is freighted with risks. If Starmer limps on in the lead-up to Scottish elections in May or Labour descends into civil war, Sarwar’s failure to deliver the coup de grace will be used by his opponents in a campaign to claim he is weak or, worse, ignored. 1:11 Scottish Labour leader calls for Keir Starmer to resign as PM – video A successful outcome for Sarwar, such as it is, relies on Starmer quitting now. He needs Starmer to resign gracefully and with humility. And it would matter too who stands to replace him. Sarwar’s allies may be gambling that a leadership contest will produce candidates that can rouse voters who have fled to Reform or the Greens to reconsider Labour, or at the very least, lance the boil they feel Starmer’s premiership has become. However, that strategy is full of what-ifs. As Sarwar made clear, any decision about the future of the UK party lea...
A hacktivist has scraped more than half-a-million payment records from a provider of consumer-grade “stalkerware” phone surveillance apps, exposing the email addresses and partial payment information of customers who paid to spy on others. The transactions contain records of payments for phone tracking services like Geofinder and uMobix, as well as services like Peekviewer (formerly Glassagram), w...
A hacktivist has scraped more than half-a-million payment records from a provider of consumer-grade “stalkerware” phone surveillance apps, exposing the email addresses and partial payment information of customers who paid to spy on others. The transactions contain records of payments for phone tracking services like Geofinder and uMobix, as well as services like Peekviewer (formerly Glassagram), which purport to allow access to private Instagram accounts, among several other monitoring and tracking apps provided by the same vendor, a Ukrainian company called Struktura. The customer data also includes transaction records from Xnspy, a known phone surveillance app, which in 2022 spilled the private data from tens of thousands of unsuspecting people’s Android devices and iPhones. This is the latest example of a surveillance vendor exposing the information of its customers due to security flaws. Over the past few years, dozens of stalkerware apps have been hacked, or have managed to lose, spill, or expose people’s private data — often the victims themselves — thanks to shoddy cybersecurity by the stalkerware operators. Contact Us To contact Zack Whittaker securely, reach out via Signal username zackwhittaker.1337. Contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram, Keybase and Wire @lorenzofb, or To contact Zack Whittaker securely, reach out via Signal username zackwhittaker.1337. Contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram, Keybase and Wire @lorenzofb, or email Stalkerware apps like uMobix and Xnspy, once planted on someone’s phone, upload the victim’s private data, including their call records, text messages, photos, browsing history, and precise location data, which is then shared with the person who planted the app. Apps like UMobix and Xnspy have explicitly marketed their services for people to spy on their spouses and domestic partners, which is illegal. The data, seen by Te...
Ilia Malinin's Olympic backflip made history. But he's not the first to do it toggle caption Andreas Rentz/Getty Images Europe Want more Olympics updates? Subscribe here to get our newsletter, Rachel Goes to the Games, delivered to your inbox for a behind-the-scenes look at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. MILAN, Italy - Ilia Malinin's skyward jumps have earned him the nickname the "Quad Go...
Ilia Malinin's Olympic backflip made history. But he's not the first to do it toggle caption Andreas Rentz/Getty Images Europe Want more Olympics updates? Subscribe here to get our newsletter, Rachel Goes to the Games, delivered to your inbox for a behind-the-scenes look at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. MILAN, Italy - Ilia Malinin's skyward jumps have earned him the nickname the "Quad God," but it's his backflip that everyone seems to be talking about. The U.S. figure skater performed the move in his first two programs on Olympic ice, landing the latter on a single blade and sending the arena into a frenzy. "It's honestly such an incredible roar-feeling in the environment — once I do that backflip everyone is like screaming for joy and they're just out of control," Malinin said. "The backflip is something that I'm sure a lot of people know the basics of … so I think just having that really can bring in the non-figure skating crowd as well." Sponsor Message Malinin, who trained in gymnastics when he was younger, first debuted his backflip in competition in 2024 — the year the sport's governing body lifted its ban on the move. His moves in Milan aren't just awe-inspiring, but historic: Malinin is the first person to legally land a backflip at the Olympics in five decades. It was controversial from the start Terry Kubicka, also an American, became the first skater to land a backflip in international competition at the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics. "There was a lot of controversy leading up to the Olympics, because I did it for the first time a month before at the U.S. Championships," Kubicka told U.S. Figure Skating decades later. "At the time, there was no ruling on as how it would be [scored] and the feedback that I got was that judges did not really see it as a pro or con because they didn't know how to judge it." The International Skating Union, the sport's governing body, banned the backflip the following year, in part because of the level of danger and in pa...
primeimages/E+ via Getty Images Dear Baron FinTech Fund Shareholder, In the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Baron Financials ETF® ( BCFN )(the Fund) fell 2.22% (NAV) compared with a 7.19% decline for the FactSet Global FinTech Index (the FinTech Index) and a 2.07% gain for the MSCI USA Financials Index (the Financials Index). Since inception, the Fund has risen at a 10.21% annualized rate compare...
primeimages/E+ via Getty Images Dear Baron FinTech Fund Shareholder, In the quarter ended December 31, 2025, Baron Financials ETF® ( BCFN )(the Fund) fell 2.22% (NAV) compared with a 7.19% decline for the FactSet Global FinTech Index (the FinTech Index) and a 2.07% gain for the MSCI USA Financials Index (the Financials Index). Since inception, the Fund has risen at a 10.21% annualized rate compared with 2.55% for the FinTech Index and 11.97% for the Financials Index. Annualized performance (%) for period ended December 31, 2025† ETF 1,2 MSCI USA Financials Index 1,2 S&P 500Index 1 MSCI ACWI Index 1 FactSet Global FinTech Index 1 QTD 3 (2.22) 2.07 2.66 3.29 (7.19) 1 Year 0.91 15.23 17.88 22.34 (4.16) 3 Years 16.52 19.82 23.01 20.65 10.55 5 Years 4.01 15.17 14.42 11.19 (2.90) Since Inception(12/31/2019) 10.21 11.97 15.08 12.02 2.55 Click to enlarge Performance listed in the above table is net of annual operating expenses. The total annual fund operating expense ratio as of December 5, 2025 was 0.80%. The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate; an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Total returns assume the reinvestment of all distributions and the deduction of all fund expenses. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. For performance information current to the most recent month end, visit BaronCapitalGroup.com or call 1-800-99-BARON. NAV and Market Price returns include returns of the Institutional Shares of the predecessor mutual fund prior to the ETF’s commencement of operations. Prior to the ETFs listing on 12/15/2025 the NAV returns of the Institutional Shares of the predecessor mutual fund are used as proxy market price returns. If the predecessor mutual fund had been structured as an ETF, its performance may have differed. On December 15, ...
Key Points The price of gold is soaring amid growing macroeconomic uncertainties. Gold is considered a store of value during periods of perceived risk. The rally could continue given the uncertainties around monetary policy. 10 stocks we like better than SPDR Gold Shares › During the final stretch of 2025, investors gradually began to rotate capital out of volatile growth stocks and seek more dura...
Key Points The price of gold is soaring amid growing macroeconomic uncertainties. Gold is considered a store of value during periods of perceived risk. The rally could continue given the uncertainties around monetary policy. 10 stocks we like better than SPDR Gold Shares › During the final stretch of 2025, investors gradually began to rotate capital out of volatile growth stocks and seek more durable safe havens. Specifically, the spot price of gold soared 26% during the fourth quarter, and rose 65% during the entire year. Even though we're only a little over a month into 2026, the momentum behind gold's rally doesn't appear to be fading. With the commodity currently hovering just below $5,000 per ounce, smart investors are surely wondering how much higher the precious metal can soar. 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 » Let's dig into the tailwinds fueling a rising appetite for gold and assess if now is a good time to buy. Why is the price of gold going up? Broadly speaking, gold prices move in cycles and are highly correlated with macroeconomic factors. In particular, uncertainties around the Federal Reserve's monetary policy outlook, as well as lingering inflation levels, have driven newfound interest in gold. When interest rates are low or are expected to be reduced, investors may choose to allocate some capital toward gold, given the declining opportunity cost of holding on to a store of value asset. Right now, some economists anticipate that the Fed may continue reducing interest rates at some point this year. Moreover, inflation's connection with the U.S. budget deficit has strengthened gold's role as a safeguard against eroding purchasing power and currency debasement. Will gold continue rising throughout 2026? One reason gold may continue to rise throughout 2026 revolves around sovereign demand. Given the amount of geopolitica...
Ford ( F ) is set to post quarterly results on Tuesday, after markets close. Investors would keep an eye on profitability, especially after Ford lowered FY25 profit guidance in October following a devastating fire at the Novelis plant—a key aluminum supplier. Wall Street expects the automaker to post EPS of $0.19 on revenue of $41.78 billion, implying a fall of over 13% during the quarter. Seeking...
Ford ( F ) is set to post quarterly results on Tuesday, after markets close. Investors would keep an eye on profitability, especially after Ford lowered FY25 profit guidance in October following a devastating fire at the Novelis plant—a key aluminum supplier. Wall Street expects the automaker to post EPS of $0.19 on revenue of $41.78 billion, implying a fall of over 13% during the quarter. Seeking Alpha analyst, Wall Street, as well as Seeking Alpha’s Quant ratings, are all cautious and rated the stock a Hold. Seeking Alpha analyst Joseph Parrish said Ford's revenue and margins remain pressured, with limited growth and declining market share. Another Seeking Alpha analyst, Daniel Jones, also said that fourth quarter results are expected to show revenue and profit contraction due to special charges and a weakening auto market. “While I firmly believe that the long-run picture for the company will probably be fine, I am a bit discouraged by a couple of developments. On top of this, the economy seems to be worsening, and there is a real risk that sales will weaken this year compared to last year,” Jones said. Ford’s vehicle sales in January were down 5.3% from January 2025, led by a 69.2% decline in EV sales. Over the last two years, Ford has beaten both EPS and revenue estimates 88% of the time. Over the last three months, EPS estimates have seen 10 upward revisions , compared to three downward revisions. Revenue estimates have seen three upward revisions and four downward moves. The stock has gained over 3% so far this year, compared to the 1.3% rise in the broader S&P 500 Index. More on Ford Ford Q4 Earnings Preview: Focus On Long-Term And Cycles Ford's Change In EV Strategy Is Cause For Concern (Rating Downgrade) Ford Dominates Emerging Market For Compact Pickups, A Positive For Shell-Shocked Investors Earnings week ahead: F, KO, CSCO, SHOP, MCD, BP, AMAT, COIN, MRNA, ROKU, and more Dividend Roundup: Apple, Ford, 3M, IBM, and more
By Jonathan Stempel Feb 9 (Reuters) - Google has been sued by Autodesk for allegedly infringing its "Flow" trademark to market competing AI-enabled software used to make movies, TV shows and video games. In a complaint filed on Friday in San Francisco federal court, Autodesk said it began using Flow in September 2022 for visual effects, production management and other products, and was surprise...
By Jonathan Stempel Feb 9 (Reuters) - Google has been sued by Autodesk for allegedly infringing its "Flow" trademark to market competing AI-enabled software used to make movies, TV shows and video games. In a complaint filed on Friday in San Francisco federal court, Autodesk said it began using Flow in September 2022 for visual effects, production management and other products, and was surprised when Google launched Flow software in May 2025 aimed at the same customers. Autodesk said Google assured it would not commercialize Flow, yet applied that month to trademark the term in the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific, where applications are not generally available to the public. The complaint said Google used the Tonga application to seek similar trademark protection for Flow in the U.S., and has marketed Flow at industry events including the Sundance Film Festival. "Google’s false representation that it would always use a combination of its house mark and Flow was intended to buy time to allow it to swamp Autodesk’s place in the market," the complaint said. "Despite the success of Autodesk’s Flow products, the much larger Google will likely overwhelm the Autodesk Flow products and Flow marks." The market value of San Francisco-based Autodesk was about $51 billion on Friday, while the market value of Mountain View, California-based Google's parent Alphabet was about $3.9 trillion. Google had no immediate comment on Monday. Autodesk is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for the consumer confusion and alleged irreparable harm Google caused. "We remain committed to protecting our innovations and ensuring fair competition in the global marketplace," Autodesk said in a statement. Last month, Autodesk said it would cut about 1,000 jobs, or 7% of its workforce, as it shifts spending to its cloud platform and artificial intelligence. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Mark Porter)
Of the many cultural flashpoints in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time performance on Sunday, one that few observers saw coming was his decision to wear two outfits by the Spanish high street brand Zara. As the most-watched event on US television, the Super Bowl half-time show is a marketing moment as much as a musical one. From Rihanna’s pregnancy reveal to Kendrick Lamar’s show-stealing jeans, the...
Of the many cultural flashpoints in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time performance on Sunday, one that few observers saw coming was his decision to wear two outfits by the Spanish high street brand Zara. As the most-watched event on US television, the Super Bowl half-time show is a marketing moment as much as a musical one. From Rihanna’s pregnancy reveal to Kendrick Lamar’s show-stealing jeans, the 13-minute showcase has long doubled as a luxury fashion parade. View image in fullscreen Bad Bunny and his dancers brought Puerto Rican imagery to the Super Bowl stage. Photograph: Kindell Buchanan/PA And few musicians are as plugged into that world as the Puerto Rican megastar. Bad Bunny has fronted underwear campaigns for Calvin Klein and Jacquemus, and on 1 February he attended the Grammys in a black velvet Schiaparelli suit sculpted into an hourglass with gold corsetry laced down the back. View image in fullscreen Bad Bunny in Schiaparelli at the Grammys. Photograph: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Recording Academy As Spotify’s most-streamed artist of 2025, Bad Bunny is about as famous as a musician can be. But he is also one of the most visually astute performers. Just as this all-Spanish lyrics underlined the fact that English is no longer pop music’s lingua franca, his decision to wear high street at television’s most-watched event suggests couture is no longer pop’s default uniform either. With its affordable interpretations of catwalk trends, Zara remains the emblem of budget-friendly – albeit unsustainable – chic, sitting at the centre of the runway-to-high street pipeline. Almost anyone can wear Zara. Bad Bunny’s first look comprised a collared shirt and tie, cropped off-white trousers, Adidas Resilience trainers and a cropped padded American football jersey with the word Ocasio – part of his full name, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – across the back. View image in fullscreen The rapper and singer redefined Super Bowl style in a bespoke off-white Zara ensemb...
e-crow As real interest rates ( TIP ) surged during the Federal Reserve's 2022-2023 tightening cycle, gold ( XAUUSD:CUR ) prices stopped responding in the way prior cycles would have implied. Pre-2022, gold ( XAUUSD:CUR ) typically moved inversely with real rates. But, as the Fed started tightening, that relationship weakened, with persistently high inflation and macroeconomic uncertainty leading ...
e-crow As real interest rates ( TIP ) surged during the Federal Reserve's 2022-2023 tightening cycle, gold ( XAUUSD:CUR ) prices stopped responding in the way prior cycles would have implied. Pre-2022, gold ( XAUUSD:CUR ) typically moved inversely with real rates. But, as the Fed started tightening, that relationship weakened, with persistently high inflation and macroeconomic uncertainty leading investors to value gold for reasons beyond real rates alone. For markets, this current broken dynamic suggests that " when inflation and rates are high, investors begin to take other factors into consideration when they price future outcomes, and this has been particularly pronounced for the price of gold," Apollo Chief Economist Torsten Slock wrote in a note. The precious metal has returned an impressive 160% since the Fed's rate hikes four years ago. At the same time, inflation-adjusted rates ( TIP ) rose markedly and remain elevated as consumer price growth continues to hover above the U.S. central bank's 2% target. In addition to inflation risk premia, concerns about the U.S.'s longstanding fiscal expansion are keeping nominal yields ( US10Y ) ( US2Y ) ( US30Y ) higher. "In other words, quant models work best when inflation is stable at 2%, but this has not been the case since early 2021," he wrote . "The bottom line is that new risks emerge when inflation is persistently above the Fed’s 2% target, which is where we continue to be today." Inflation Protection ETFs: ( VTIP ), ( TIP ), ( SCHP ), ( STIP ), ( TIPX ), ( SPIP ), ( WIP ), ( GTIP ), ( LQDI ), and ( RINF ). Gold and Gold Miner ETFs: ( GLD ), ( IAU ), ( SGOL ), ( OUNZ ), ( BAR ), ( GDX ), ( GDXJ ), ( NUGT ), ( RING ), and ( DUST ). Gold vs real rates (Apollo Chief Economist Torsten Slok) More on Gold Spot Price, iShares TIPS Bond ETF The Gold Dip: Macro Vs. Shorts And Retail Gold ETF Flows: January 2026 Gold Market Commentary: Bonds A No Go China Treasury fears resurface, but the data shows its grip on U.S. debt ...
Earnings Call Insights: Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (AVXL) Q1 2026 Management View CEO Christopher Missling emphasized continued progress in the clinical pipeline with a "particular focus on our lead candidate, oral blarcamesine in early Alzheimer's disease" while highlighting excitement about its therapeutic potential and ongoing work with regulatory agencies in Europe and the U.S. Missling announ...
Earnings Call Insights: Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (AVXL) Q1 2026 Management View CEO Christopher Missling emphasized continued progress in the clinical pipeline with a "particular focus on our lead candidate, oral blarcamesine in early Alzheimer's disease" while highlighting excitement about its therapeutic potential and ongoing work with regulatory agencies in Europe and the U.S. Missling announced Anavex's role as a key industry partner in ACCESS-AD, a major European initiative aiming to accelerate innovative diagnostics and therapies for Alzheimer's in real-world settings, which will include a clinical prediction study of blarcamesine. The CEO provided an update on the regulatory pathway, stating "in January, we announced feedback from an FDA Type C meeting in which the FDA shared their feedback to Anavex' development plans," with plans to submit existing Phase IIb/III data to the FDA. Regarding Europe, Missling noted "in December, as expected, the CHMP adopted a negative opinion on the marketing authorization application for blarcamesine. Subsequently, on December 18, Anavex announced it had requested the EMA to reexamine its opinion," and the process is now being led by a different rapporteur and co-rapporteur. Missling referenced upcoming scientific presentations and publications, including new findings on biomarker correlation and efficacy, as well as future clinical trial designs in Parkinson's disease, Fragile X syndrome, and schizophrenia-related disorders. Principal Financial Officer Sandra Boenisch stated, "Our cash position at December 31 was $131.7 million with no debt. During the quarter, we utilized cash and cash equivalents of $7.1 million in operating activities after taking into account changes in noncash working capital accounts. As of today, we anticipate that at the current cash utilization rate, our cash runway is more than 3 years. Our research and development expenses for the quarter were $4.7 million as compared to $10.4 million for the co...
Earnings Call Insights: Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. (KD) Q3 2026 Management View Martin Schroeter, Chairman & CEO, announced leadership changes, with Harsh Chugh appointed as interim CFO. Schroeter stated, “We delivered margin expansion, higher earnings and positive free cash flow. Our 3% top line growth was unchanged in constant currency.” He highlighted $3.9 billion in signings, including 11 contract...
Earnings Call Insights: Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. (KD) Q3 2026 Management View Martin Schroeter, Chairman & CEO, announced leadership changes, with Harsh Chugh appointed as interim CFO. Schroeter stated, “We delivered margin expansion, higher earnings and positive free cash flow. Our 3% top line growth was unchanged in constant currency.” He highlighted $3.9 billion in signings, including 11 contracts exceeding $50 million each, and emphasized that the trailing 12-month revenue book-to-bill ratio remains above 1.0. Schroeter explained that “long-term agreements have become more complex, and therefore, sales cycles are taking longer,” driven by new AI capabilities and regulatory uncertainties around data sovereignty. He also noted, “the way we collaborate with IBM, one of our key alliance partners is continuing to evolve,” impacting revenue size and timing but with limited earnings impact. Schroeter highlighted that hyperscaler-related revenue is now on track to reach nearly $2 billion by the end of fiscal '26, up from virtually zero at spin-off. “The transformation... going from essentially 0 in hyperscaler-related revenue to nearly $2 billion and growing, is profound.” Investment in Kyndryl Consult will continue, as it remains a key growth driver despite third quarter performance coming in below expectations. Schroeter also outlined ongoing expansion in private cloud and further investment in AI innovation, stating, “We're consistently expanding our capabilities with a focus on AI, and our Agentic AI Framework is resonating powerfully with our customers.” Harsh Chugh, interim CFO, stated, “In the quarter, revenue totaled $3.9 billion, up 3% from the prior year quarter on a reported basis and unchanged in constant currency.” He said, “Kyndryl Consult now represents 25% of our total revenue in the quarter.” Chugh emphasized the company’s progress in margin expansion through its three-A’s initiatives and noted free cash flow of $217 million for the quarter. Outlook Chugh...
Lando Norris' confidence is "even higher" for the 2026 Formula 1 season after he won his first drivers' title last year, McLaren Racing chief executive officer Zak Brown says. As McLaren launched their car for the new season, two days before the start of the second pre-season test in Bahrain, Brown said Norris wanted to become a multiple title winner. He predicted the British driver's team-mate Os...
Lando Norris' confidence is "even higher" for the 2026 Formula 1 season after he won his first drivers' title last year, McLaren Racing chief executive officer Zak Brown says. As McLaren launched their car for the new season, two days before the start of the second pre-season test in Bahrain, Brown said Norris wanted to become a multiple title winner. He predicted the British driver's team-mate Oscar Piastri would again pose a strong challenge, having led the championship for much of last season only to fade in the final part of the year. He said: "There are some drivers that say, 'I've done it, now I'm done.' "And then you have drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher who go, I've done it once, now I want to do it twice and three and four times. "Lando's confidence is very high. He's highly motivated. It's our job to give he and Oscar equipment again to be able to let him fight it out for the championship. But if we can do that, I would think Oscar and Lando will both be in with a shout." Brown said that, as last year, the team would allow their drivers to race each other for the title. "They continue to be free to race. Again, we will be strategic and intelligent when situations arise. There won't be much change because they were free to race last year," he said. Brown is optimistic McLaren, who also won their second consecutive constructors' title last year, will be "strong" when the new season starts with the Australian Grand Prix from 6-8 March. Brown said the evidence of the first 'shakedown' test in Spain last month was that they, Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull "all seemed competitive". Brown said: "Very risky to judge. Spain, what I would say is we feel like we'll be competitive. "Very early days, but indications that we will be strong. But it would be premature to make any predictions beyond that."
Earnings Call Insights: Outdoor Holding Company (POWW) Q3 2026 Management View CEO Steven Urvan opened the call highlighting operational and financial strength for fiscal Q3 2026, noting, "Net sales were $13.4 million, an increase of 7% or about $900,000, outperforming broader trends in our strained consumer spending environment." He attributed performance to a streamlined, pure-play e-commerce ma...
Earnings Call Insights: Outdoor Holding Company (POWW) Q3 2026 Management View CEO Steven Urvan opened the call highlighting operational and financial strength for fiscal Q3 2026, noting, "Net sales were $13.4 million, an increase of 7% or about $900,000, outperforming broader trends in our strained consumer spending environment." He attributed performance to a streamlined, pure-play e-commerce marketplace model, cost reductions, and improved gross merchandise value, which reached nearly $216 million. Urvan emphasized, "We continue to execute our strategy to operate as a streamlined pure-play and e-commerce marketplace." The CEO detailed operating expense reductions, stating, "Excluding depreciation and amortization, operating expenses declined significantly year-over-year, down about $22 million... recurring ordinary course corporate operating expenses declined by approximately $1.4 million, driven primarily by reductions in corporate headcount, legal spend and facilities cost." Urvan underscored the company’s focus on efficiency, mentioning, "GunBroker.com can be operated effectively with a smaller, more streamlined organization by reducing redundancies and rightsizing our personnel to match the scope of our operations." CFO Paul Kasowski reported, "Outdoor Holding Company reported net income for a second consecutive quarter at just under $1.5 million in Q3. Third quarter adjusted EBITDA was $6.5 million, a robust 49% of net sales." He also noted a cash position increase to $69.9 million and a plan to deploy cash through the share repurchase program. Kasowski addressed product category performance: "Firearm unit sales were up over 8% from last quarter, while adjusted mix decreased by 3.7%, resulting in an increased share of adjusted mix by 56 basis points. The significant increase in firearm GMV was partially offset by a decline in the non-firearms category." A strategic partnership with Master FFL was announced to improve the transfer process for regulated produc...
wildpixel/iStock via Getty Images Thesis overview Century Therapeutics ( IPSC ) is developing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived therapies for the treatment of type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM), autoimmune diseases and oncology indications. Their iPSC platform allows scalable and homogeneous production of cell therapies and is combined with "Allo-Evasion" technology which allows cell thera...
wildpixel/iStock via Getty Images Thesis overview Century Therapeutics ( IPSC ) is developing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived therapies for the treatment of type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM), autoimmune diseases and oncology indications. Their iPSC platform allows scalable and homogeneous production of cell therapies and is combined with "Allo-Evasion" technology which allows cell therapies to evade the recipient's immune system (a major hurdle in allogeneic approaches). Until recently, lead indications focused on CD19-targeted iNK/ CAR-T cell therapies for B-cell-mediated autoimmune indications and lymphomas. A large number of companies are working on the same indications with similar approaches. Hence, there was not much interest in IPSC until the recent pivot to T1DM. While I believe their iPSC know-how combined with Allo-Evasion technology has considerable potential in autoimmune/oncology indications, I will focus this article on CNTY-813, an iPSC-derived hypoimmune β-cell therapy aiming to provide an once-and-done cure for T1DM. With millions of people diagnosed with T1DM, this represents a large target market that could justify a large upside potential for IPSC investors. Other companies are also working on similar approaches (including SANA, VRTX, and CRSP), but I believe IPSC's hypoimmune platform may have better chances for long-term survival of engrafted islet cells. Overview of IPSC's pipeline. Note that "CNTY-813IND submission planned for 2026 with initial clinical data expected 2027". Furthermore, "CNTY-308 T cell program expected to enter the clinic in 2026" and "CNTY-101 preliminary clinical data from Phase 1/2 CARAMEL IST expected in 2026". (Company presentation) Overview of therapeutic approaches for the cure of T1DM Current management of T1DM relies on lifelong insulin therapy. Advances in the technology and devices have significantly improved the management of T1DM but still the burden to patients remains high. For this reason, numerous...
Gary Yeowell/DigitalVision via Getty Images When we are dealing with trading positions in Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ), price history can be a bit of a double-edged sword. Over the last year, I have been both bullish and bearish during various timeframes. Key examples here include my prior bullish trading call, which projected a move above $117,000 the last time crypto valuations were trading below $70,000...
Gary Yeowell/DigitalVision via Getty Images When we are dealing with trading positions in Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ), price history can be a bit of a double-edged sword. Over the last year, I have been both bullish and bearish during various timeframes. Key examples here include my prior bullish trading call, which projected a move above $117,000 the last time crypto valuations were trading below $70,000 per coin. Of course, BTC-USD managed to move several handles higher than this (culminating with the milestone all-time high of $126,272.76 reached on October 6th, 2025). But it should also be remembered that a lot of this exuberant enthusiasm was propelled by comments from U.S. President Donald Trump claiming that 2025 marked the entrance of the country’s “ first cryptocurrency administration .” Whether or not this actually turned out to be the case remains a matter of heated debate, and my most recent Bitcoin analysis centered more heavily around the potential Bitcoin weaknesses that have started to develop over the last few months. Now that we have seen a clear and substantive break in bullish sentiment, I think it is time for investors to ask themselves some serious questions and decide if it actually makes sense for the market to place so much of its focus on a single asset (at the potential expense of many other viable alternatives in this sector). In this article, I will explain why I believe BTC-USD prices are likely to fall far below the critical psychological $50,000 mark and possibly signal an end to Bitcoin’s dominant status as the world’s King Cryptocurrency. BTC-USD: Critical Support Breaks (Income Generator via TradingView ) First, I should mention the critical price event that led to the acceleration in bearish momentum that we are seeing right now. Specifically, I am referring to the clear break of $74,461 (which marked the April 2025 Bitcoin lows). This price level was significant for a couple of different reasons. Not only did this area define a prior res...
The move may have also confirmed a double bottom near the round $80 level, first tested last April. Last week brought notable earnings reactions across the semiconductor industry. The stock has posted just 11 weekly declines since April, while climbing an impressive 362%.
The move may have also confirmed a double bottom near the round $80 level, first tested last April. Last week brought notable earnings reactions across the semiconductor industry. The stock has posted just 11 weekly declines since April, while climbing an impressive 362%.