Apple's most legendary computer has two legacies: there's the computer itself, and there's the commercial. That commercial. Only a couple of days before Steve Jobs debuted the computer that would both help cement his legacy and contribute to his unceremonious exile from Apple, the company dropped a Super Bowl ad that is still one of the most iconic commercials of all time. It raised both the hype ...
Apple's most legendary computer has two legacies: there's the computer itself, and there's the commercial. That commercial. Only a couple of days before Steve Jobs debuted the computer that would both help cement his legacy and contribute to his unceremonious exile from Apple, the company dropped a Super Bowl ad that is still one of the most iconic commercials of all time. It raised both the hype and the stakes for the Macintosh in a big way. The Macintosh wasn't a great computer, at least at first. It didn't have enough memory; there wasn't enough software that supported it; it wasn't customizable in the ways PC users needed at the time. I … Read the full story at The Verge.
The European Union (EU) is a bystander in the Iran war, but it might end up sustaining significant collateral damage. On one hand, public opinion across Europe is opposed to a conflict that circumvents the core principles of international law. On the other, the continent remains deeply reliant on the United States for its energy and security needs. A definitive anti-war stance risks alienating Pre...
The European Union (EU) is a bystander in the Iran war, but it might end up sustaining significant collateral damage. On one hand, public opinion across Europe is opposed to a conflict that circumvents the core principles of international law. On the other, the continent remains deeply reliant on the United States for its energy and security needs. A definitive anti-war stance risks alienating President Donald Trump, leaving Europe strategically exposed. Talk about being caught between a rock...
There are better ways to raise money than jeopardising a model that draws visitors to Britain and has huge benefits for the wider economy Twenty-five years ago, the UK made the bold and generous gesture of making its national museums free to all. Suddenly, anyone from anywhere in the world could gaze at iconic works of art by the greatest artists in history without having to pay a penny. Many incr...
There are better ways to raise money than jeopardising a model that draws visitors to Britain and has huge benefits for the wider economy Twenty-five years ago, the UK made the bold and generous gesture of making its national museums free to all. Suddenly, anyone from anywhere in the world could gaze at iconic works of art by the greatest artists in history without having to pay a penny. Many incredible artworks were suddenly accessible to everyone: Hepworth, Turner and Hockney at Tate Britain , and Bonnard, Picasso and Bourgeois at Tate Modern (which had both always been free) were now joined by Raphael at the V&A and Kapoor at the Walker Art Gallery, dramatic seascapes at the National Maritime Museum and bustling cityscapes at the Museum of London. And maybe afterwards they would reward the gallery by buying a slice of cake in the cafe or a print of their favourite work in the gift shop. In the years that followed, this policy proved to be a huge success. It led to a dramatic and sustained increase in audiences. Within the first decade, visits to museums which used to charge rose by 151% – the uplift was 180% at the Natural History Museum and V&A, and 269% at National Museums Liverpool. Is now really the moment to reverse direction by charging international tourists to access our museums and galleries, as ministers are proposing? Karin Hindsbo is interim director of Tate, and former director of Tate Modern, London and the National Museum, Oslo Continue reading...
Sundry Photography/iStock Editorial via Getty Images I last covered Unity Software (NYSE: U ) in October, moving from a prior "strong buy" back to a "buy" rating. At the time, I wrote that : "I'm still bullish on Unity, but the higher valuation and underwhelming Q2 results reduce my enthusiasm a bit." With the benefit of hindsight, I should have sold my position entirely at that point. Because, in...
Sundry Photography/iStock Editorial via Getty Images I last covered Unity Software (NYSE: U ) in October, moving from a prior "strong buy" back to a "buy" rating. At the time, I wrote that : "I'm still bullish on Unity, but the higher valuation and underwhelming Q2 results reduce my enthusiasm a bit." With the benefit of hindsight, I should have sold my position entirely at that point. Because, in this market, any software companies that deliver less than exemplary results have been decimated. While Unity has continued to show operational improvement, it hasn't been enough to offset the terrible sentiment that has afflicted the overall software industry. As a result, Unity has given back its gains from the past year and finds itself once again near its multi-year lows. This improved a bit with Friday's 13% rally, but shares are still at the lower end of the trading range: Data by YCharts The stock appeared to be breaking out to new highs as recently as December. After getting cut in half year-to-date, where does that leave the investment case for Unity Software going forward? An Excellent Earnings Pre-Announcement Unity Software appeared to be on course toward another dour week, with shares down about 10% heading into Friday's session. Understandable, given the difficult backdrop the market has been facing with the Iran War concerns along with the sell-off we've been seeing in many leading software and technology companies. However, Unity was able to snap its losing streak on Friday after pre-announcing its Q1 results : Data by YCharts The following table with Unity's preliminary Q1 numbers should give a sense of why sentiment turned on Friday: Unity Preliminary Q1 Results (Corporate Press Release) As this shows, Unity now anticipates announcing roughly $506 million of revenues, which is substantially above its prior $485 million mid-point guide. This preliminary figure would represent 17% year-over-year growth. It gets better when you dig into the details. Look at ...
With emerging markets on the brink of their worst month since 2022, TT International and AllianceBernstein are making a bold wager that this is a good time to buy. They’re betting on beaten-down securities, like emerging-market bonds, on the view on that central banks, rather than raise interest rates, will instead have to cut them to stave off a growth shock. It’s a contrarian view that was pushe...
With emerging markets on the brink of their worst month since 2022, TT International and AllianceBernstein are making a bold wager that this is a good time to buy. They’re betting on beaten-down securities, like emerging-market bonds, on the view on that central banks, rather than raise interest rates, will instead have to cut them to stave off a growth shock. It’s a contrarian view that was pushed into the spotlight this week after Pacific Investment Management Co. touted “opportunities to invest against the prevailing narrative.” “The market has priced the wrong risk,” said Jean-Charles Sambor , head of emerging-market debt at TT International Asset Management. “We’ve started to buy emerging-market credit and local bonds.” He said he recently added Polish and Czech local-currency bonds, as well as dollar-denominated Venezuelan and Lebanese securities. Dip-buying investors are in the minority after a bruising selloff across emerging markets. Emerging stocks have fallen about 10% this month, while average yields on local-currency bonds have risen to the highest in almost two years. Energy importing nations have seen even bigger selloffs, with bond yields jumping by 50-100 basis points in Poland, South Africa and Thailand. Some currencies have slid more than 5%. Other investors have made similar calls, and money markets that had almost fully priced a Federal Reserve rate increase earlier in the week, have since trimmed those wagers. By Friday, they saw a less than 50% chance that a hike will materialize this year. The Fed “is biased towards offsetting recession risk and would likely tilt dovish if the oil price shock intensified,” JPMorgan Chase & Co. strategists said in a March 20 report. Christian DiClementi , director of emerging debt at AllianceBernstein LP, said he sees buying opportunities in markets with the steepest declines. He declined to disclose specific trades. “Initially the shock is inflationary, but the longer it drags on, the higher the probability t...
Richard Drury/DigitalVision via Getty Images The BlackRock Science and Technology Trust ( BST ) is a hold in my view - more so in a regime of flat markets that I expect for the next few quarters. BST shows some structural drawbacks that require specific market conditions to work. Over the past 5 years, performance (in terms of total returns) has not been great. The gap is large enough to make othe...
Richard Drury/DigitalVision via Getty Images The BlackRock Science and Technology Trust ( BST ) is a hold in my view - more so in a regime of flat markets that I expect for the next few quarters. BST shows some structural drawbacks that require specific market conditions to work. Over the past 5 years, performance (in terms of total returns) has not been great. The gap is large enough to make other alternatives a better buy both from an income and total return perspective. Portfolio Structure and Income The portfolio emphasis on semis and equipment is evident with around 25% allocation to the theme in the top 4 holdings themselves. The overall semis exposure is ~38%. That places BST somewhere leaning more toward QQQ (~15-20% semis exposure) than SOXX (full semis exposure) - but both remain relevant benchmarks. In terms of mega cap platforms, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet together account for ~14% of the BST portfolio (within the top 10 holdings alone). QQQ appears to be a little more heavily tilted to big tech, even within the top 10 holdings alone. Top 10 Holdings - BST (BST Website) Sector Allocations - BST (BST Website) The key differentiator for BST is the exposure to a private AI layer. We have Databricks, Anthropic, and Anduril, together accounting for ~13%, and this is just the data we have in the top 10 holdings. That differentiator is what could tilt a buy in BST in itself if we are in a regime where the AI trade is going strong. But on the other hand, it introduces valuation opacity and long-duration growth risks that may not do well in adverse conditions. Overall, from the portfolio construction, BST is around 55-60% QQQ, 25-30% SOXX and 10-20% private venture layer, as far as I see it (quant style attribution to broadly help map the positioning mentally). The strategy used to implement a covered call writing mechanism in the past. I found a dated semiannual report (mid-2024) that mentions around 32% covered call writing activity. This was mentioned in m...
In this article DRI FANG DRI Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The New York Stock Exchange welcomes directors, executives and guests of Crescent Energy Company (NYSE: CRGY), on Mon. Dec. 13th, in celebration of its listing on the NYSE. To honor the occasion, David Rockecharlie, Chief Executive Officer, joined by Chris Taylor, NYSE Vice President and Head of Listings and Services, rin...
In this article DRI FANG DRI Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The New York Stock Exchange welcomes directors, executives and guests of Crescent Energy Company (NYSE: CRGY), on Mon. Dec. 13th, in celebration of its listing on the NYSE. To honor the occasion, David Rockecharlie, Chief Executive Officer, joined by Chris Taylor, NYSE Vice President and Head of Listings and Services, rings The Opening Bell®. NYSE The U.S. stock market continues to be volatile due to tensions in the Middle East. Investors seeking some portfolio stability can opt for dividend-paying stocks with attractive upside potential. Recommendations from top Wall Street analysts can help investors turn up stocks that pay dividends consistently and have the ability to generate long-term capital appreciation. Insight from these experts informs investors on their search as their ratings are backed by an in-depth analysis of macro and micro factors. Here are three dividend-paying stocks that are highlighted by Wall Street's top pros, as tracked by TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance. Diamondback Energy Independent oil and natural gas company Diamondback Energy ( FANG ) is this week's first dividend pick. The company is focused on the exploration of unconventional, onshore oil and natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin in West Texas. It recently paid a base cash dividend of $1.05 per share. FANG offers a dividend yield of about 2%. Recently, Goldman Sachs analyst Neil Mehta discussed the impact of ongoing commodity volatility on exploration and production companies. Assuming Brent and WTI at $75 and $70 per barrel, respectively, and Henry Hub natural gas at $3.75/MMBtu as his 2027-2030 normalized price average, the analyst is bullish on the prospects of Ovintiv (OVV), Permian Resources (PR), Diamondback, and FANG's subsidiary Viper Energy (VNOM). He expects these stocks to generate an average total return of 22%. Specifically, Mehta reiterated a buy r...
Aluminium Bahrain, which runs one of the world’s largest smelters, said on Sunday it was assessing the damage following Iranian strikes on the facility and another major aluminium producer in the United Arab Emirates. Two employees at Aluminium Bahrain were hurt in Saturday’s attack, the state-controlled company said, while regional peer Emirates Global Aluminium’s site sustained significant dama...
Aluminium Bahrain, which runs one of the world’s largest smelters, said on Sunday it was assessing the damage following Iranian strikes on the facility and another major aluminium producer in the United Arab Emirates. Two employees at Aluminium Bahrain were hurt in Saturday’s attack, the state-controlled company said, while regional peer Emirates Global Aluminium’s site sustained significant damage from missile and drone strikes the same day. Most Gulf aluminium producers, which account for...
Chinese jewelry company Laopu Gold still has significant upside, despite recent volatility in prices of the precious metal, analysts said. In the last two years, Hong Kong-listed Laopu has become an upstart in China's luxury scene , drawing local crowds — and reportedly LVMH Chair Bernard Arnault — for its artisanal take on gold jewelry. Laopu's popularity surged last year, with the stock posting ...
Chinese jewelry company Laopu Gold still has significant upside, despite recent volatility in prices of the precious metal, analysts said. In the last two years, Hong Kong-listed Laopu has become an upstart in China's luxury scene , drawing local crowds — and reportedly LVMH Chair Bernard Arnault — for its artisanal take on gold jewelry. Laopu's popularity surged last year, with the stock posting a total return of more than 160%, as gold prices soared. But the precious metal has tumbled about 20% from a high in January, to hit a four-month low of $4,097.99 on March 23 . The jewelry company's stock is only 0.16% lower year to date, after Laopu disclosed on March 23 that first-quarter net profit was at least 3.6 billion yuan (roughly $520.8 million). "Laopu is our top pick in the China consumer sector," JPMorgan analysts said in a report Wednesday, noting the company's "strategic resilience amid current gold market volatility." "We see Laopu as best positioned to benefit from experience-led growth with a systematic approach (disciplined store count, a direct to consumer [DTC] model and differentiated service quality upheld by a highly selective/trained team)," the analysts added. They also noted Laopu's 17 years of experience in pricing products, even when gold is in a downturn, although both the jeweler and JPMorgan expect gold prices will remain elevated this year. JPMorgan rates the stock overweight, with a price target of 1,296 Hong Kong dollars (about $165.63). That's more than two times Laopu's close Friday of 617 HKD. Building a following The Beijing-based Chinese jewelry company has built a following not just with its unique, locally inspired designs, but also with regular product price hikes and limited discounts, reinforcing a concept of investment pieces. Laopu also typically only opens stores in the highest-end malls in China. "While gold prices retracted from its peak of USD5,500/oz on 29 Jan 2026 to USD4,500/oz on 23 March, Laopu conducted a price hike o...
As fuel prices continue to rise, companies indexed to higher-income customers may be best positioned to weather the elements, according to Deutsche Bank. The ongoing Middle East conflict has shocked global energy supply chains in recent weeks, spiking Brent crude futures back above the $110 per barrel level on Friday. Deutsche Bank analysts pointed out in a Friday note that diesel is now above $5 ...
As fuel prices continue to rise, companies indexed to higher-income customers may be best positioned to weather the elements, according to Deutsche Bank. The ongoing Middle East conflict has shocked global energy supply chains in recent weeks, spiking Brent crude futures back above the $110 per barrel level on Friday. Deutsche Bank analysts pointed out in a Friday note that diesel is now above $5 per gallon for the first time since 2022, which could have secondary effects on the U.S. retail sector. @LCO.1 1M mountain Brent crude futures in the past month "We recognize the significant uncertainty surrounding the duration and impact from the ongoing Middle East conflict," analyst Krisztina Katai said. "Middle East revenue exposure across our coverage is limited; the bigger issue is the risk of cost pressures from higher diesel and input costs, which could add a meaningful burden to U.S. household budgets, and intensify stresses already visible across U.S. customer cohorts." To find the companies whose top lines are least affected by rising oil prices, Katai compared the correlation of quarter same-store sales and share prices to moves in prices at the pump over the past five years. "Retailers and brands whose customer bases skew higher income have historically showcased a positive relationship between oil/fuel prices and [same-store sales]," she wrote. This cohort includes Ulta Beauty , Costco Wholesale and Casey's General Stores . On the other hand, dollar stores such as BJ's Wholesale Club and Burlington Stores show a negative correlation to gas prices, Katai said. The finding confirmed suspicions that as gas prices increase, lower income customers reduce their purchases, the analyst noted. She added that Sprouts Farmers Market also shows an inverse relationship to changes in gas prices, which the analyst attributed to its nature as a secondary destination. In an environment of higher gas prices, consumers are more likely to consolidate trips and stay closer to home...
North Sea Oil Fight Escalates As Starmer Cites Legal Limits Authored by Mauricio Alencar via City A.M., Sir Keir Starmer has said he doesn’t hold legal powers to approve fresh exploration of North Sea oil and gas fields, with the decision falling in the hands of net zero secretary Ed Miliband. Starmer said current legislation determined that a quasi-judicial decision relating to cases for more gas...
North Sea Oil Fight Escalates As Starmer Cites Legal Limits Authored by Mauricio Alencar via City A.M., Sir Keir Starmer has said he doesn’t hold legal powers to approve fresh exploration of North Sea oil and gas fields, with the decision falling in the hands of net zero secretary Ed Miliband. Starmer said current legislation determined that a quasi-judicial decision relating to cases for more gas extraction at Shell’s Jackdaw site and Equinor’s Rosebank oil field was left to Miliband . The Prime Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to expanding renewable energy. He said the introduction of fresh legislation would “slow the process down” and accused the leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, of failing to know about the law before raising questions in Parliament. “Its absolutely clear that the quasi judicial [process] lies with secretary of state,” Starmer said. “In the last four weeks, because we are on a fossil fuel rollercoaster , everyone is being held to ransom." He added: “The most important thing to get energy security is to make sure we de-escalate the war.” Starmer backed by Davey Scottish courts ruled government approvals for more extraction at each field as unlawful on environmental grounds. The power now falls on the energy secretary to make a decision while considering economic and environmental reasons for projects. Badenoch accused Starmer of “hiding behind legal process every time” though Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, who served as the energy secretary in the coalition government, said he agreed with the Prime Minister. The Tory leader heckled Davey to “stop sucking up”. She also shouted out “you can change the law” and repeated the word “weak” several times. Starmer is facing growing pressure to remove restrictions on North Sea oil and gas projects from officials working across clean energy. Jurgen Maier, who oversees Great British Energy, the publicly owned investment company, said in a post on LinkedIn that more drilling in the re...
Deutsche Bank believes AtaiBeckley is well-positioned to be a winner in the "Psychedelic Renaissance." The bank initiated coverage on the drug developer with a buy rating and a $12 price target, which indicates a more than 250% gain from Friday's close. Psychedelic therapies have grown in popularity in recent years, particularly as a mental health treatment. Drugs like MDMA , ketamine and psilocyb...
Deutsche Bank believes AtaiBeckley is well-positioned to be a winner in the "Psychedelic Renaissance." The bank initiated coverage on the drug developer with a buy rating and a $12 price target, which indicates a more than 250% gain from Friday's close. Psychedelic therapies have grown in popularity in recent years, particularly as a mental health treatment. Drugs like MDMA , ketamine and psilocybin have been in clinical trials to see if they can be used to address mental health conditions that are resistant to other treatments. "Several psychedelic companies have emerged as bona fide drug developers, attracting attention from healthcare/biotech investors who usually invest in conventional therapeutics," wrote Deutsche Bank analyst David Hoang in a Thursday note. "We count ATAI among these trailblazers, and believe it will become a leader in the nascent field of psychedelic medicine for mental health conditions." ATAI YTD mountain ATAI year-to-date chart. AtaiBeckley has two key drugs it's developing for treatment-resistant depression: BPL-003, an intranasal tryptamine derivative, and VLS-01, a buccal tryptamine derivative. Hoang models the potential sales of these drugs by using Johnson & Johnson's Spravato, an intranasal ketamine derivative first approved to address treatment-resistant depression in 2019 , as a case study. The drug is now bringing in around $2 billion in annualized sales, and Hoang noted that consensus estimates suggest peak sales will be around $4 billion. Using that example, Hoang thinks BLP-003 U.S. sales could peak at $4 billion and VLS-01 at $2 billion. He added another drug by the company — EMP-01, an oral MDMA derivative used to treat seasonal affective disorder — could have peak sales of $1 billion. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may have been skeptical of psychedelic therapies in the past, Hoang said that friction has eased. "Upon FDA approval, a psychedelic drug is expected to undergo [Drug Enforcement Administration] (feder...
Olivier Le Moal/iStock via Getty Images Introduction: Since Nov. 2025, the market has been mostly trading in a tight range between S&P 500 ( SPX ) levels 6600 and 6950. However, everything changed recently with the start of the full-blown Iran war. This has moved the market closer to SPX6500 rather than 7000. The prices of oil and gas have shot up and have been very volatile. Needless to say, ther...
Olivier Le Moal/iStock via Getty Images Introduction: Since Nov. 2025, the market has been mostly trading in a tight range between S&P 500 ( SPX ) levels 6600 and 6950. However, everything changed recently with the start of the full-blown Iran war. This has moved the market closer to SPX6500 rather than 7000. The prices of oil and gas have shot up and have been very volatile. Needless to say, there is a lot of uncertainty in the market, despite some indications of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. It is too early to say how long the hostilities will last. The longer it drags, the more pain is expected for the energy prices, inflation, and the world economy. So, right now, nothing else seems to matter to the stock market. Higher energy prices will also likely tie the hands of the Fed, and any further interest-rate cuts may be off the table for now. All other worries of the market have been put on the back burner for now, but surely they will come back as soon as the dust from the war settles. You can see the current odds of the Fed's next rate cut here on the CME FedWatchTool website. All that being said, it is always hard to find anything that has both the quality and the low valuation, so buying the best of the income investments regularly in small quantities is the key. As always, investors have to tread carefully amid all the uncertainties. Why CEFs? The broader market, as represented by the S&P500, provides a dismal level of yield of less than 1.10%. Income investors and retirees can't survive on that level of income unless they have a very large pool of capital. Also, the method of raising income by selling shares is generally very stressful and full of pitfalls, and that's why it is not recommended. Alternatively, one can find solid blue-chip individual dividend stocks that pay much higher dividends than the S&P 500. They can also provide market-matching growth on a longer-term basis. To identify such stocks, we also publish a monthly article on the '5 B...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Shares of Entergy ( ETR ) have been an excellent performer over the past year, gaining over 30%. The market environment has been generally favorable for utilities as investors have grown excited about potential demand from data centers, leading to a meaningful cap-ex cycle. Entergy is a clear beneficiary of this, given construction plans in its territory...
JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Shares of Entergy ( ETR ) have been an excellent performer over the past year, gaining over 30%. The market environment has been generally favorable for utilities as investors have grown excited about potential demand from data centers, leading to a meaningful cap-ex cycle. Entergy is a clear beneficiary of this, given construction plans in its territory, as well as benefiting from demand associated with US energy exports. These factors led to my upgrading of shares to a “buy” in December . This call has played out well, with the stock up 19% since then. With updated financials and a new data center announcement, now is a good time to revisit shares to see if investors should take profits or continue to buy here. Seeking Alpha Meta Deal Reduces Risk Associated With Growth Plans Entergy shares soared 7% on Friday to reach $110 after Meta ( META ) announced a deal to pay for seven new natural gas plants to provide 5.2 gigawatts (“GW”) to provide power to its massive data center in Louisiana. With this rally, shares are ~$110; when I upgraded them to a buy, I was targeting $112 by 2028, so this news has pulled forward much of the upside I was anticipating. When I last covered Entergy, I highlighted the Meta data center as one of the key growth drivers for the company. Under the terms of this deal, Meta is underwriting the costs to provide power to its facility. Beyond this, Meta is making $260 million of contributions to other Entergy programs that aim to provide power and improve efficiency for its most vulnerable customers. It is also providing support for incremental solar capacity as well as agreeing to consider potential development of nuclear power. This framework was enabled by the state’s updated regulatory framework, which aims to support large-scale projects. This provides several key positives for Entergy. First, one risk of building out infrastructure for anticipated demand is that the demand may not materialize. ...