Key Points Investors will be pleased if the share price gains 49% in the next two to three years. Despite Meta’s AI-fueled spending spree, it remains extremely profitable. The social media stock’s valuation looks cheap compared to its impressive growth. 10 stocks we like better than Meta Platforms › Investors might think that we're in unprecedented times. The world's most valuable cryptocurrency i...
Key Points Investors will be pleased if the share price gains 49% in the next two to three years. Despite Meta’s AI-fueled spending spree, it remains extremely profitable. The social media stock’s valuation looks cheap compared to its impressive growth. 10 stocks we like better than Meta Platforms › Investors might think that we're in unprecedented times. The world's most valuable cryptocurrency is plunging. A safe haven like gold has been extremely volatile. And software stocks have gotten pummeled. Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) hasn't been immune from this turbulent market environment; the social media stock is 15% off its peak (as of Feb. 5). But are the company's shares going to $1,000? 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 » Meta is on a stunning run First, it's important to place a time horizon on the $1,000 price target. This represents a hypothetical 49% gain. That's much higher than the S&P 500 index's long-term 10% annualized average. Will Meta reach this in 2026? It's possible. In the past three years, the stock has climbed at a compound yearly rate of 53%. It's been on an incredible run on its way to a $1.7 trillion market cap. Based on this past performance, it wouldn't be surprising to see the momentum continue. However, investors are better off tempering expectations. I think a more rational perspective is to see the share price rise 49% to $1,000 by the end of 2028. It helps that the current valuation isn't demanding. The stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 22.3. Don't buy the stock with a short-term outlook It can be easy to get caught up with random price targets. They can drive excitement for investors looking to score quick gains. Avoid fixating on the short term, though. If you're going to buy Meta shares, do it with a five- or 10-year perspective. Ado...
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Quick Summary Meta shares have entered a high-momentum phase driven by ad recovery and AI efficiency gains, creating opportunity for traders but elevated risk for long-term investors. Long-term investors can build Meta exposure through SoFi and receive up to $1,000 in free stock for new users. Acti...
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Quick Summary Meta shares have entered a high-momentum phase driven by ad recovery and AI efficiency gains, creating opportunity for traders but elevated risk for long-term investors. Long-term investors can build Meta exposure through SoFi and receive up to $1,000 in free stock for new users. Active traders can use Apex Trader Funding to access trading accounts of up to $300,000 after a single evaluation, allowing them to trade equity index futures tied to Meta's performance. Shares of Meta Platforms have been riding a momentum wave over the past several months. After a difficult stretch marked by ad weakness and heavy metaverse spending, Meta has staged a recovery as digital advertising rebounded and management tightened costs. At the same time, the company's AI-driven ad tools have begun translating into higher engagement and improved pricing power. The result has been a sustained rally punctuated by brief pullbacks and fast recoveries. For investors, that creates upside potential. For traders, it creates opportunity. If you are watching Meta right now, you are trying to figure out how long this run is going to last. To explore that, we ran Meta through an AI price-prediction agent powered by OpenAI's GPT and outlined ways to position around that forecast, either through leveraged futures via Apex Trader Funding or through investing platforms like SoFi for those who prefer a simpler route. What the AI Model Is Predicting for Meta The AI agent was fed recent price action, trend indicators, volatility data, and earnings momentum inputs to generate a 60-day outlook. At the time of the run, Meta was trading at $716.50. For the period through late April, the model produced the following baseline forecast: Average predicted price: $750.50 Implied move: roughly +4.75% The model is projecting a controlled grind higher from current levels into spring, and long-term investo...
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Quick Summary Meta shares have entered a high-momentum phase driven by ad recovery and AI efficiency gains, creating opportunity for traders but elevated risk for long-term investors. Long-term investors can build Meta exposure through SoFi and receive up to $1,000 in free stock for new users. Acti...
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Quick Summary Meta shares have entered a high-momentum phase driven by ad recovery and AI efficiency gains, creating opportunity for traders but elevated risk for long-term investors. Long-term investors can build Meta exposure through SoFi and receive up to $1,000 in free stock for new users. Active traders can use Apex Trader Funding to access trading accounts of up to $300,000 after a single evaluation, allowing them to trade equity index futures tied to Meta's performance. Shares of Meta Platforms have been riding a momentum wave over the past several months. After a difficult stretch marked by ad weakness and heavy metaverse spending, Meta has staged a recovery as digital advertising rebounded and management tightened costs. At the same time, the company's AI-driven ad tools have begun translating into higher engagement and improved pricing power. The result has been a sustained rally punctuated by brief pullbacks and fast recoveries. For investors, that creates upside potential. For traders, it creates opportunity. If you are watching Meta right now, you are trying to figure out how long this run is going to last. To explore that, we ran Meta through an AI price-prediction agent powered by OpenAI's GPT and outlined ways to position around that forecast, either through leveraged futures via Apex Trader Funding or through investing platforms like SoFi for those who prefer a simpler route. What the AI Model Is Predicting for Meta The AI agent was fed recent price action, trend indicators, volatility data, and earnings momentum inputs to generate a 60-day outlook. At the time of the run, Meta was trading at $716.50. For the period through late April, the model produced the following baseline forecast: Average predicted price: $750.50 Implied move: roughly +4.75% The model is projecting a controlled grind higher from current levels into spring, and long-term investo...
Brazil’s government is preparing rules banning youth access to gambling, pornography and similar content online, moving ahead with new restrictions approved in 2025 as nations across the world weigh stricter limits on social media for children and teens. The rules would require app stores and platforms to implement age-verification measures to block minors from accessing inappropriate content onli...
Brazil’s government is preparing rules banning youth access to gambling, pornography and similar content online, moving ahead with new restrictions approved in 2025 as nations across the world weigh stricter limits on social media for children and teens. The rules would require app stores and platforms to implement age-verification measures to block minors from accessing inappropriate content online, according to a draft decree seen by Bloomberg News. Websites that include advertising for such content — including betting, pornography, escort services, alcohol, dating apps and weapons — would also be required to verify the ages of users. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ’s government plans to issue the decree by the end of February, according to an official familiar with the situation, who cautioned that the text isn’t yet final and that internal discussions are ongoing. A spokesperson for Lula’s administration didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The decree is part of the process of implementing a new law set to take effect in March that seeks to protect Brazilian minors by requiring companies and platforms to restrict youth access to content that is illegal or considered harmful. The law doesn’t go as far as a similar initiative in Australia, which last year began barring young teenagers from social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Still, it mandates that social media profiles for children under 16 are registered to a legal guardian, and will make Brazil the latest nation to take significant measures meant to address concerns about toxic content, exploitation and other harms. More countries could soon follow. Spain recently proposed a social media ban for teenagers, and at least 10 other European nations, along with the European Union itself, are currently weighing new limits on social media for young internet users. Brazil’s draft decree wouldn’t allow platforms to rely solely on self-declared ages, and includes plans for the...
(RTTNews) - ON Semiconductor Corp (ON) will host a conference call at 5:00 PM ET on February 9, 2026, to discuss Q4 25 earnings results. To access the live webcast, log on to https://investor.onsemi.com/events/event-details/onsemi-fourth-quarter-2025-earnings-conference-call The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nas...
(RTTNews) - ON Semiconductor Corp (ON) will host a conference call at 5:00 PM ET on February 9, 2026, to discuss Q4 25 earnings results. To access the live webcast, log on to https://investor.onsemi.com/events/event-details/onsemi-fourth-quarter-2025-earnings-conference-call The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
(RTTNews) - Simpson Manufacturing (SSD) will host a conference call at 5:00 PM ET on February 9, 2026, to discuss Q4 25 earnings results. To access the live webcast, log on to https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1748976&tp_key=941acbc869 To listen to the call, dial (877) 407-0792 (US) or (201) 689-8263 (International), Conference ID 13758070. For a replay call, dial (844) 512-2921(US) or ...
(RTTNews) - Simpson Manufacturing (SSD) will host a conference call at 5:00 PM ET on February 9, 2026, to discuss Q4 25 earnings results. To access the live webcast, log on to https://viavid.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1748976&tp_key=941acbc869 To listen to the call, dial (877) 407-0792 (US) or (201) 689-8263 (International), Conference ID 13758070. For a replay call, dial (844) 512-2921(US) or (412) 317-6671(International). Conference ID 13758070. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
(RTTNews) - Universal Corp (UVV) will host a conference call at 5:00 PM ET on February 9, 2026, to discuss Q3 26 earnings results. To access the live webcast, log on to https://investor.universalcorp.com/events-and-presentations/default.aspx For a replay call, dial (800) 770-2030 (US), Playback ID: 5786366#. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do no...
(RTTNews) - Universal Corp (UVV) will host a conference call at 5:00 PM ET on February 9, 2026, to discuss Q3 26 earnings results. To access the live webcast, log on to https://investor.universalcorp.com/events-and-presentations/default.aspx For a replay call, dial (800) 770-2030 (US), Playback ID: 5786366#. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Emerald Fennell’s take on Emily Brontë is an emotionally hollow, bodice-ripping misfire that misuses Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi but makes the most of Martin Clunes Emerald Fennell cranks up the campery as she reinvents Emily Brontë’s tale of Cathy and Heathcliff on the windswept Yorkshire moor as a 20-page fashion shoot of relentless silliness, with bodices ripped to shreds and a saucy slap of...
Emerald Fennell’s take on Emily Brontë is an emotionally hollow, bodice-ripping misfire that misuses Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi but makes the most of Martin Clunes Emerald Fennell cranks up the campery as she reinvents Emily Brontë’s tale of Cathy and Heathcliff on the windswept Yorkshire moor as a 20-page fashion shoot of relentless silliness, with bodices ripped to shreds and a saucy slap of BDSM. Margot Robbie ’s Cathy at one stage secretly heads off to the moor for a hilarious bit of self-pleasuring – although, sadly, there are no audaciously intercut scenes of thirst-trap Heathcliff, played by Jacob Elordi , simultaneously doing the same thing in the stable, while muttering gruffly in that Yerrrrrkshire accent of his. This then is Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, or rather “Wuthering Heights”; the title archly appears in inverted commas, although the postmodern irony seems pointless. Cathy is a primped belle quivering in the presence of Heathcliff, who himself is a moody, long-haired, bearded outsider, as if Scarlett O’Hara were going to melt into the arms of Charles Manson. However, he does get substantially Darcyfied up later on, rocking a shorter and more winsome hairstyle, his gossamer-thin shirt never dry. Continue reading...
The Trump administration is trying to make it more difficult for fired federal employees to contest their dismissal, according to a government plan released on Monday, by limiting their right to appeal their dismissal to an independent board. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the federal government’s human resources office, proposed ending the right of fired federal employees to dispute ...
The Trump administration is trying to make it more difficult for fired federal employees to contest their dismissal, according to a government plan released on Monday, by limiting their right to appeal their dismissal to an independent board. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the federal government’s human resources office, proposed ending the right of fired federal employees to dispute dismissals before the independent Merit Systems Protection Board, according to the plan. Instead, fired workers would need to appeal to OPM, an office whose director reports to US President Donald Trump . If the proposal is implemented, it would build on Trump’s earlier efforts to shrink the size of the federal government. Advertisement Trump has made mass sackings of government employees a centrepiece of his second term. At the same time, he has undermined avenues for those same workers to dispute their dismissals, including by firing members of government offices that enforce job protections for federal employees. The Merit Systems Protection Board, the organisation listed in Monday’s proposal, mediates disputes between federal workers and their employers. The board saw a spike in new cases after Trump took office for the second time. Advertisement The board’s caseload jumped 266 per cent from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, according to government records, compared with the same period the year before.
Cast, Doncaster A visually arresting adaptation trades Martian menace for Enoch Powell-era paranoia – technically dazzling, politically pointed, yet also confusing ‘National emergency to repel invaders,” is the fictional Daily Mail headline as London becomes a smouldering wasteland. There are crumbling buildings, food shortages and corpses. But the invaders on the newspaper’s mind might not be fro...
Cast, Doncaster A visually arresting adaptation trades Martian menace for Enoch Powell-era paranoia – technically dazzling, politically pointed, yet also confusing ‘National emergency to repel invaders,” is the fictional Daily Mail headline as London becomes a smouldering wasteland. There are crumbling buildings, food shortages and corpses. But the invaders on the newspaper’s mind might not be from Mars: images of an Enoch Powell rally suggest fears about a different kind of alien. There is talk of rivers of blood. With this heavy-handed metaphor, the Lancaster-based Imitating the Dog shoves HG Wells into a time when the threat of annihilation comes from within: from lack of trust, suspicion of foreigners and selfish lust for survival. Yes, there is the occasional glimpse of an extraterrestrial tripod and some squid-like tentacles, but this War of the Worlds is so unconcerned about that, you wonder what attracted the creators to the book in the first place. Touring until 2 May Continue reading...
Investor Jay Woods is eyeing three earnings reports from the software sector this week to possibly trigger a bounce in the beaten-down space. But he cautions this is for swing traders and those with the risk tolerance. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) is experiencing an epic drawdown because of fears of AI disruption, even as the rest of the bull market marches on. The IGV is do...
Investor Jay Woods is eyeing three earnings reports from the software sector this week to possibly trigger a bounce in the beaten-down space. But he cautions this is for swing traders and those with the risk tolerance. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) is experiencing an epic drawdown because of fears of AI disruption, even as the rest of the bull market marches on. The IGV is down nearly 30% from its all-time high late last year, but has seen some ever-so-slight buying in recent days. Woods flagged this could happen on Thursday and said the results for Applovin , Datadog and Unity Software could be a positive catalyst for the bounce to continue. Datadog reports Tuesday before the bell. Applovin and Unity report after the bell Wednesday. IGV 1Y mountain iShares Expanded Tech-Software ETF (IGV) The chief market strategist at Freedom Capital Markets said: "It looks like a good opportunity to nibble for that swing trader. If it gets below $80-$77, [there's] major support going back years. Let's see if that can hold. That's where I would buy another tranche of stock in the IGV." Elsewhere, Cisco earnings are Wednesday after the bell. CSCO 1Y mountain Cisco, 1 year Woods said If Cisco can break the $85 mark, it may mark another breakout for the stock that traders can ride. In the Pro exclusive video above, Woods also touches on: The Dow 50,000 "hangover" How to trade Robinhood ahead of its earnings Tuesday after the bell. Jobs data out on Wednesday CPI data out on Friday.
“Leave the football before the football leaves you.” The meme-baiting quote from Jamie Carragher hung heavy over Casemiro for a long while, but it is testament to the Brazilian’s character and durability that he will leave Manchester United this year on his own terms, two years after those infamous words from the former Liverpool player. In fairness to Carragher, context at the time was key. After...
“Leave the football before the football leaves you.” The meme-baiting quote from Jamie Carragher hung heavy over Casemiro for a long while, but it is testament to the Brazilian’s character and durability that he will leave Manchester United this year on his own terms, two years after those infamous words from the former Liverpool player. In fairness to Carragher, context at the time was key. After United were hammered 4-0 by Crystal Palace in May 2024, Casemiro looked spent at the elite level, bypassed too easily in increasingly fast‑tempo matches and left for dead by Erik ten Hag’s high-risk tactics. Casemiro could have taken the easy route out to the Saudi Pro League – it was hardly like he had anything to prove given his impressive medal collection. Back then it seemed United would do almost anything to offload him; now it is clear that replacing him will be the club’s trickiest summer task, another challenge for Jason Wilcox and company. Late-era Casemiro – he turns 34 this month – added discipline to his game and became wary of his weaknesses when exposed against runners through the middle. He was happy to sit deep and use his remarkable ability to read the play, ready to time those trademark tackles and release more energetic midfield partners. Aerially, he remained a colossus in both penalty boxes. United managers did not always get the midfield structure right around him – not least Ten Hag – but the former Real Madrid linchpin got on with his job without making a fuss. Filling the Casemiro void will be expensive for United, even if removing his significant wages offers financial relief. The club have made clear that overhauling their midfield is a top transfer priority, after 2025 was spent restructuring the attack with about £200m splashed on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. Of the current crop of midfielders, only Kobbie Mainoo appears locked in for next season. Bruno Fernandes is still coveted by clubs in Saudi Arabia, and Manuel Ugarte’s ...
As Keir Starmer fights for his political life, the contest to replace him has already begun. The prime minister was already under pressure when the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, called for on Monday a change of prime minister. Sarwar’s comments followed the resignations from Downing Street of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff, and Tim Allan, his communications director. Now the rev...
As Keir Starmer fights for his political life, the contest to replace him has already begun. The prime minister was already under pressure when the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, called for on Monday a change of prime minister. Sarwar’s comments followed the resignations from Downing Street of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff, and Tim Allan, his communications director. Now the revelation that a website claiming to launch a leadership campaign for Angela Rayner was briefly published last month has added to speculation about when the prime minister could go and who may replace him. As the phoney war has gathered pace in recent weeks, allies of Rayner and the health secretary, Wes Streeting, have been taking aim at each other. View image in fullscreen Allies of Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting have been taking aim at each other as the speculation over Keir Starmer’s future has intensified. Composite: Getty and PA “Anyone that has any association with Peter Mandelson should be nowhere near government,” Steve Wright, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, told the BBC on Sunday, in an apparent swipe at Streeting, who has long been close to the former Labour politician and diplomat. Rosena Allin-Khan, the Labour MP for Tooting, told the same programme: “Of course, there are people in cabinet who need to question their own positions, because they were very close to people like Peter Mandelson. They may have known what was going on, who knows. But there are a couple in cabinet … and they know who they are.” Allies of Streeting have hit back, accusing Rayner’s friends of trying to distract from her own political difficulties given tax officials are yet to decide whether the former deputy prime minister underpaid stamp duty when purchasing a flat in Hove last year. “The truth is Wes wasn’t very close to Mandelson, their relationship has been wildly overwritten. It’s not like Wes was invited to his wedding,” one of the health secretary’s allies said....
Custom AI chips are proliferating in cloud data centers. Shares of Amazon (AMZN 0.68%) plunged on Friday after the company disclosed it would ramp up capital expenditures to $200 billion this year. Amazon is betting big on AI infrastructure: "...we are monetizing capacity as fast as we can install it," said Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy in the fourth-quarter earnings call. While the jury is still out on...
Custom AI chips are proliferating in cloud data centers. Shares of Amazon (AMZN 0.68%) plunged on Friday after the company disclosed it would ramp up capital expenditures to $200 billion this year. Amazon is betting big on AI infrastructure: "...we are monetizing capacity as fast as we can install it," said Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy in the fourth-quarter earnings call. While the jury is still out on whether Amazon's prolific AI spending will pay off in the long run, some of that spending will go toward a business that isn't getting much attention from investors. Amazon has installed 1.4 million of its Tranium2 AI chips in its data centers, and the results have been spectacular. Revenue from Amazon's custom chips, which include Tranium and Graviton CPUs, has reached an annual run rate of $10 billion and is growing by more than 100% annually. Amazon is still a prolific buyer of Nvidia's (NVDA +2.41%) GPUs, but the success of Tranium puts a crack in Nvidia's long-term growth story. Lowering costs for AWS customers Nvidia dominates the AI accelerator market, and its chips are wildly expensive. Many AI infrastructure providers have little choice but to pay up for Nvidia's chips. For AI companies training advanced AI models, the high initial cost and high operating costs of Nvidia's GPUs for AI infrastructure providers translate into higher training costs. Amazon claims that its Tranium chips offer 30% to 40% improved performance-per-dollar than comparable GPUs. The proof is in the pudding. AI start-up Anthropic, which recently made headlines with its groundbreaking Cowork product that sent software stocks tumbling, is using Amazon's Tranium2 chips to train its next-generation AI models. AWS's Project Rainier, which currently features 500,000 Tranium2 chips and will eventually scale to 1 million chips, is used by Anthropic to both train and run its Claude family of AI models. Amazon's next-gen Tranium3 will be deployed soon, offering a 40% improvement in performance-per-dol...
4kodiak/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Heading into Q4 earnings, I downgraded my rating on Amazon.com Inc. ( AMZN) , as I was increasingly concerned that the market is no longer willing to reward a CapEx hike without seeing an improvement in the cloud segment. AWS revenue came in above expectations, and the company disclosed a $200B CapEx guidance for 2026 (vs. $128.3B in 2025). That said, the...
4kodiak/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Heading into Q4 earnings, I downgraded my rating on Amazon.com Inc. ( AMZN) , as I was increasingly concerned that the market is no longer willing to reward a CapEx hike without seeing an improvement in the cloud segment. AWS revenue came in above expectations, and the company disclosed a $200B CapEx guidance for 2026 (vs. $128.3B in 2025). That said, the stock sold off by double digits at its lowest point last Friday. In this piece, I discuss my view on the factors that drove the selloff. That said, I advance in this intro that, unlike major media outlets, I strongly believe the selloff was not driven by the $200B CapEx figure. In fact, I see a dislocation between Amazon's price action and its growth story. I therefore reiterate my Buy rating on this stock, considering a timeframe of 12-18 months. The reason I am not upgrading back to a Strong Buy is due to the broader pessimism around the AI trade. I believe this pessimism could pressure shares down to $180 in the near term, although I am seeing some signs of stabilization last week. At that price point, I may go long with OTM LEAPS. Why the Stock Sold Off Many media outlets linked Amazon’s drop last Friday to the $200B CapEx guided for 2026. I think this view is missing the bigger picture. Let me explain why. After Meta Platforms ( META ) and Microsoft ( MSFT ) reported results two weeks ago, I was certain of one thing: if AWS printed anything below the Street's expectation of $35B, the stock would experience a Microsoft-style rerating after earnings. This is year 4 of the AI supercycle, and I see clear signs that investors demand a return on the CapEx spending. Based on the divergence below between Meta (which proved that growth is possible) and Microsoft (which projected a sequential 1 ppt decline in Azure growth), I figured that investors would be willing to accept a CapEx hike as long as AWS revenue growth shows no signs of slowing down. Seeking Alpha Well, consideri...
A beloved Los Angeles taqueria made its primetime debut during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX half-time show, delighting and surprising its legion of faithful patrons. Bad Bunny’s 13-minute performance was a love letter to the culture, history and legacy of Puerto Rico, with sets depicting sugarcane fields, a house party and even a wedding ceremony, complete with Lady Gaga performing a salsa rendition ...
A beloved Los Angeles taqueria made its primetime debut during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX half-time show, delighting and surprising its legion of faithful patrons. Bad Bunny’s 13-minute performance was a love letter to the culture, history and legacy of Puerto Rico, with sets depicting sugarcane fields, a house party and even a wedding ceremony, complete with Lady Gaga performing a salsa rendition of her hit “Die With a Smile.” But in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, Highland Park-based taqueria Villa’s Tacos made a surprise appearance. The Grammy-award winning rapper stopped at various vendors, including a coco frio stand, a nail tech and a piragua stand before making his way to a Villa’s Tacos stand. Victor Villas, the store’s owner, is a first-generation Mexican-American immigrant who first started selling tacos from his grandmother’s front yard eight years ago. Today, the store has three locations in the city, including one in Los Angeles’s historic Grand Central Market. In an Instagram post, Villas thanked Bad Bunny, whose full name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, for “hand selecting me and giving me an opportunity to represent my people, my culture, my family, and my business”. He also acknowledged the significance of Bad Bunny’s historic performance during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdowns: “I couldn’t have sold that first taco if my parents didn’t make the difficult decision to leave their homeland for a better life and immigrate to the U.S.,” he wrote. “This one is for all the immigrants who paved the way before us to make this moment possible.” As for how the performance came to be, Villas told a local ABC affiliate that Bad Bunny was just a fan of the restaurant, loves their tacos and asked the business to join him for the Super Bowl. Karen Bass, LA’s mayor, also took to Instagram to applaud Bad Bunny’s performance and the inclusion of Villa’s Tacos. “We are a city of immigrants. Seeing @villastacoslosangeles on the Super Bowl stage wa...
Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images The aggregate value and total number of North American insurance deals in 2025 fell short of 2024 levels, despite a surge in deal values in the fourth quarter. Insurance underwriters and brokers were involved in 166 deals totaling $18.88 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared to 194 deals totaling $5.60 billion in the third quarter; 153 transac...
Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images The aggregate value and total number of North American insurance deals in 2025 fell short of 2024 levels, despite a surge in deal values in the fourth quarter. Insurance underwriters and brokers were involved in 166 deals totaling $18.88 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared to 194 deals totaling $5.60 billion in the third quarter; 153 transactions totaling $9.97 billion in the second quarter; and 139 transactions totaling $6.68 billion in the first quarter, according to an analysis by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Despite a notable rise in aggregate deal value for the quarter, the total remained below the fourth quarter of 2024 and 2023, which were $21.70 billion and $23.48 billion, respectively. In 2025, both the total number of deals and aggregate transaction value were lower than in 2024. There were 652 deals totaling $41.17 billion in 2025, compared to 674 deals totaling $59.32 billion in 2024. Insurance M&A trends largely mirrored broader North American M&A markets, which saw a surge in total valuation in the fourth quarter of 2025, but a decline in deal volume. Underwriter deals A notable fourth-quarter deal involving underwriters was the joint acquisition of Convex Group Ltd. by American International Group Inc. ( AIG ) and Onex Corp. ( ONEXF ), valued at $7 billion. Under the terms of the deal, Onex will acquire a 63% equity stake in Convex for approximately $3.8 billion, while AIG will acquire a 35% equity stake in Convex for approximately $2.1 billion. Onex intends to roll over its existing $0.7 billion interest in Convex. The remainder will be financed through $1.5 billion in cash from Onex's balance sheet and pending asset sales, $1 billion in debt financing secured on existing private equity and credit assets, and $0.6 billion in equity financing proceeds from the AIG subscription. "Since its founding, Convex has rapidly grown into a major specialty property and casualty (re)insurer with up to $6...