The war in Iran gives Argentina an opportunity to present itself as a safe source of energy to the world, Pampa Energia Chair Marcelo Mindlin says on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily. Mindlin also says the acquisition of InterCement was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." (Source: Bloomberg)
The war in Iran gives Argentina an opportunity to present itself as a safe source of energy to the world, Pampa Energia Chair Marcelo Mindlin says on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily. Mindlin also says the acquisition of InterCement was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." (Source: Bloomberg)
If the Iran war drags on longer than expected, investors may want to consider defensive stocks that pay dividends, according to Jefferies. The market has seesawed and oil prices have jumped since the conflict started on Feb. 28. Stocks moved slightly higher on Monday as investors hoped for a potential ceasefire. All three indexes snapped five-week losing streaks last week. Meanwhile, oil remains a...
If the Iran war drags on longer than expected, investors may want to consider defensive stocks that pay dividends, according to Jefferies. The market has seesawed and oil prices have jumped since the conflict started on Feb. 28. Stocks moved slightly higher on Monday as investors hoped for a potential ceasefire. All three indexes snapped five-week losing streaks last week. Meanwhile, oil remains at over $100 per barrel, with U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures last above $112 per barrel and Brent hovering below $110. While Jefferies' base case is that the Iran war should end in the next few weeks, with oil averaging around $100 the rest of the year, its bear case assumes a longer conflict that sees oil at an average $120 per barrel. "With oil prices rising sharply due to the US-Iran conflict, the risk of stagflation is emerging," Desh Peramunetilleke, head of the firm's quantitative strategy, said in a note Wednesday. He sees that as a low probability right now, but warned "a sustained oil shock could cause demand destruction, pushing costs higher and fueling inflation." If that occurs, Peramunetilleke estimates S & P 500 top-line growth falls by 4.3 percentage points, margins compress by 0.8 percentage points and earnings-per-share growth drops from 18.3% to 8.5%. Given the earnings uncertainty, defensive yield stocks should do well, he said. So, he came up with a list of bond-proxy stocks that are defensive, high-yield, low-growth companies. They also exhibit the lowest beta among dividend strategies, which means they are less volatile and less risky. Peramunetilleke focused on U.S. defensive companies with a market capitalization over $10 billion, a dividend yield above 3% and an EPS compound annual growth rate for 2026 to 2027 between 0% and 10%. In addition, the names have a high earnings certainty and a good track record of dividends, with a cut of less than once every four years. They also have positive free cash flow. Here are some of the stocks that made t...
Aj_OP/iStock via Getty Images ASEAN debt markets have moved to the front line of the latest energy shock. As geopolitical tensions push oil prices higher, the impact is feeding quickly into currencies, inflation expectations, and rate paths across the region. But country-level differentiation is emerging, so for investors, we believe the focus should be on ASEAN countries where energy sensitivity,...
Aj_OP/iStock via Getty Images ASEAN debt markets have moved to the front line of the latest energy shock. As geopolitical tensions push oil prices higher, the impact is feeding quickly into currencies, inflation expectations, and rate paths across the region. But country-level differentiation is emerging, so for investors, we believe the focus should be on ASEAN countries where energy sensitivity, policy credibility, and external resilience have the potential to drive positive outcomes. Energy Price Effects Ripple Through EM Debt Markets Emerging market (EM) bonds have sold off in the broad-based risk-off environment, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions following the prolonged conflict with Iran. The market response reflects concerns that a longer-than-expected conflict could sustain elevated energy prices, which would eventually drive higher food prices, renewed inflationary pressures, and slower global growth. This has revived fears of a stagflationary backdrop, weighing disproportionately on EM assets. While markets appear broadly justified in pricing in weaker growth and tighter financial conditions, the outlook for energy prices is less straightforward. Futures markets suggest oil prices could normalize if hostilities ease, but damage to energy infrastructure may constrain supply for longer than expected. Even in a faster de-escalation scenario, inflation expectations may remain somewhat elevated, limiting the scope for a full reversal in yields. More broadly, heightened uncertainty regarding the evolving conflict - amplified by real-time information flow - has contributed to sharper market swings. While the growth repricing appears directionally correct, the path and persistence of energy-driven inflation remain less certain, suggesting the risk of both an overshooting and a reversal of near-term market moves. Market participants are also weighing the possibility of a near-term de-escalation in the conflict. Even if tensions were to ease quickly and ene...
The e-commerce giant, under a new plan, will cut back the packages it ships through USPS by 20%, less than the proposal the sides had discussed earlier.
The e-commerce giant, under a new plan, will cut back the packages it ships through USPS by 20%, less than the proposal the sides had discussed earlier.
Ceri Breeze/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Amazon ( AMZN ) reached a new agreement with the U.S. Postal Service on package deliveries. The e-commerce giant will retain about 80% of its existing deliveries with USPS, which means it will still handle about one billion packages per year. The development was anticipated, with negotiations over the last year indicating that Amazon ( AMZN ) wanted...
Ceri Breeze/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Amazon ( AMZN ) reached a new agreement with the U.S. Postal Service on package deliveries. The e-commerce giant will retain about 80% of its existing deliveries with USPS, which means it will still handle about one billion packages per year. The development was anticipated, with negotiations over the last year indicating that Amazon ( AMZN ) wanted to cut back on using USPS. Amazon ( AMZN ) is the USPS' largest customer and generated about $6 billion in revenue for the agency. "We're pleased to have reached a new agreement with USPS that furthers our longstanding partnership and will let us continue supporting our customers and communities together," read a statement from Amazon ( AMZN ). UPS ( UPS ) and FedEx ( FDX ) turned slightly lower after the development. More on Amazon Amazon Vs. Starlink: The $9 Billion Globalstar Deal That Could Change Everything Amazon: This Is Worse Than You Think Amazon: Short-Term Pressure, Long-Term Opportunity Intel in talks with Amazon, Google for packaging services: report If Amazon buys Globalstar, what does it mean for Apple?
Kittisak Kaewchalun /iStock via Getty Images Olin ( OLN ) up 2.8% in Monday's trading as Wells Fargo upgraded the manufacturer of ammunition, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide to Overweight from Equal Weight with a $35 price target, raised from $22, citing anticipated supply constraints caused by the Middle East war. Wells Fargo analyst Michael Sison raised his FY 2026 EBITDA estimate to $650M from h...
Kittisak Kaewchalun /iStock via Getty Images Olin ( OLN ) up 2.8% in Monday's trading as Wells Fargo upgraded the manufacturer of ammunition, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide to Overweight from Equal Weight with a $35 price target, raised from $22, citing anticipated supply constraints caused by the Middle East war. Wells Fargo analyst Michael Sison raised his FY 2026 EBITDA estimate to $650M from his previous estimate of $500M as ECU margins rise significantly during Q2 and potentially into Q3 to the low- to mid-$300/st range compared to just below $200/st in this year's Q1 because of anticipated supply constraints caused by the conflict in Iran. Sison also said he expects caustic prices to improve by at least $50/st, providing a boost for Olin's ( OLN ) manufacture of chlor-alkali products and Winchester ammunition. More on Olin Olin: Results May Be Bottoming Olin: Shares Brush Off A Negative Preannouncement Olin Presents at Gabelli Funds Annual Specialty Chemicals Symposium - Slideshow
Bitcoin climbed above $70,000 on Monday for the first time since March, as traders rushed to pull back bearish positions despite the lack of clarity on ceasefire negotiations in the Middle East. The original cryptocurrency advanced more than 4%, surpassing $70,300 before paring some of the gain. Smaller tokens including Ether and Solana also rose. The surge comes as Tehran rejected a proposed ceas...
Bitcoin climbed above $70,000 on Monday for the first time since March, as traders rushed to pull back bearish positions despite the lack of clarity on ceasefire negotiations in the Middle East. The original cryptocurrency advanced more than 4%, surpassing $70,300 before paring some of the gain. Smaller tokens including Ether and Solana also rose. The surge comes as Tehran rejected a proposed ceasefire and demanded a permanent end to the war. Trump escalated pressure on Iran over the weekend and continued his threats Monday, but he also said that talks are moving ahead. “Heading into the weekend, sentiment was heavily skewed bearish and short interest had built up across the market,” said Diana Pires, chief business officer of sFOX. “Once ceasefire headlines hit, that positioning had to unwind, and that’s what drove the move higher.” More than $145 million in short positions had been liquidated in the past day, according to CoinGlass data, which added that more short positions were liquidated as Bitcoin’s price moved higher. “When markets opened today, the switching of shorts into equity futures and the covering of some positions caused a squeeze higher in illiquid conditions,” said Damien Loh, chief investment officer at Ericsenz Capital. Bitcoin has been stuck in a range between roughly $60,000 and $75,000 since the conflict in Iran began in late February, at one point jumping to a high of nearly $76,000 before tumbling. For much of the past two weeks, the token traded below $70,000. “Every approach to the $70,000 to $80,000 band meets thin liquidity and profit-taking pressure, capping the bounce,” according to a report from blockchain data firm Glassnode . Options markets are also shifting toward a more defensive posture, the report said. The highest open interest is concentrated in $60,000 puts, according to data compiled by Coinbase Inc. ’s Deribit. Traders often use puts, which give the holder the right to sell the underlying asset at a specific price, to hedg...
Venezuela’s government and its political opposition are seeking to coordinate their legal defence of the oil-rich country’s United States assets, after Washington’s official recognition of interim president Delcy Rodriguez raised questions about who could represent the country in US courts. Lawyers for Rodriguez’s government and the opposition asked Manhattan-based US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netbu...
Venezuela’s government and its political opposition are seeking to coordinate their legal defence of the oil-rich country’s United States assets, after Washington’s official recognition of interim president Delcy Rodriguez raised questions about who could represent the country in US courts. Lawyers for Rodriguez’s government and the opposition asked Manhattan-based US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn on Monday to pause for 45 days a case in which creditors are seeking to seize funds linked to...
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 6, 2026) - Oracle Commodity Holding Corp. (TSXV: ORCL) (OTCQB: ORLCF) ("Oracle" or the "Company") announces that, further to its news releases dated March 12, 2026, March 13, 2026 and March 25, 2026, it has closed the second and final tranche of its non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"). The Company raised $164,000 through the...
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 6, 2026) - Oracle Commodity Holding Corp. (TSXV: ORCL) (OTCQB: ORLCF) ("Oracle" or the "Company") announces that, further to its news releases dated March 12, 2026, March 13, 2026 and March 25, 2026, it has closed the second and final tranche of its non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"). The Company raised $164,000 through the sale of 3,280,000 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.05 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one...
SiyueSteuber/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Adobe: One Way Street (Downwards) ADBE price chart (long term, monthly) (TradingView) The mood among Adobe Inc. ( ADBE ) investors right now must be highly depressing. When we consider the long-term chart showing the "one-way street" in its price action, I don't think any of us would disagree. What worries me more is that the decline happened since Q3...
SiyueSteuber/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Adobe: One Way Street (Downwards) ADBE price chart (long term, monthly) (TradingView) The mood among Adobe Inc. ( ADBE ) investors right now must be highly depressing. When we consider the long-term chart showing the "one-way street" in its price action, I don't think any of us would disagree. What worries me more is that the decline happened since Q3 of 2024, suggesting a multi-year digestion of its premium multiple hasn't been adequately addressed. For now, a near-term bottom appears to be more likely than not. But should investors contemplate returning right now? Adobe: Big AI Spenders Are Looking Elsewhere Winners and losers among AI Spenders (a16z) More intense competitive challenges have already worried Adobe investors. We already know that Figma ( FIG ) and Canva are proving to be more than capable rivals. Right now, they are clearly also attracting higher AI spending among larger enterprise customers at the expense of Adobe. From the above table, we can see why, as ADBE notched a -15% YoY change metric. Of course, there's no need to freak out all of a sudden right now. But these are justified concerns and something that we cannot simply dismiss (no longer). Still, it's helpful to note that Adobe also posted more than $26 billion in ARR recently. So, while the forthcoming threats are real, they don't pose an imminent disruption yet. Figma and Canva threat (The Information) Moreover, while the active user base for Adobe’s smaller peers is growing quickly, Canva ($4B annualized revenue as of the end of 2025) and Figma (>$1 billion for FY2025), this revenue is nowhere close to threatening it yet, right? Hence, even as the market assumes higher implied growth multiples for Canva and Figma, we also have to recognize that all of them face similar disruption risks from pure-play AI LLMs. But for us to suggest that Adobe is surely doomed is too big a call to make, because I haven’t seen that thesis playing out in its cor...
UBS: Trump's Historic Military Budget Request Could Boost Beaten-Down Defense Stocks U.S. defense stocks showed signs of stabilizing in April after tumbling since Operation Epic Fury began in late February and sustaining a Mach bloodbath. The improvement followed Friday's White House proposal to lift military spending sharply, to roughly $1.5 trillion in 2027. UBS analyst Allyson Gordon said Monda...
UBS: Trump's Historic Military Budget Request Could Boost Beaten-Down Defense Stocks U.S. defense stocks showed signs of stabilizing in April after tumbling since Operation Epic Fury began in late February and sustaining a Mach bloodbath. The improvement followed Friday's White House proposal to lift military spending sharply, to roughly $1.5 trillion in 2027. UBS analyst Allyson Gordon said Monday morning that the White House budget request "should help sentiment," which has deteriorated since the U.S.-Iran conflict began. Last week, Gordon asked, " Why is U.S. defense performance lackluster ?" Earlier, the analyst said: Defense stocks are in focus after Trump requested a $1.5 trn FY2027 defense budget on Friday. The headline is positive for the group, though market reaction remains to be determined. On the supportive side, defense stocks have underperformed expectations since the Iran conflict began for several reasons, and the size of the budget request should help sentiment. However, investors remain skeptical that Congress will ultimately pass a $1.5 trn budget, raising the question of whether this is "as good as it gets." Analyst Gavin Parsons outlined the key elements of the proposal and the relative winners and losers. Missiles appear to be a major beneficiary, reinforcing the bullish narrative for RTX. Shipbuilding also stands out as a positive (GD, HII), while the proposed B‑21 reduction was a surprise negative for NOC. That said, investor positioning is likely to reflect continued uncertainty around what ultimately makes it through Congress. From here, the proposal moves to Congress, which must pass a budget by September 30 to avoid a shutdown or continuing resolution at the start of FY2027 (October 1). The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF, or ITA, a basket of major U.S. defense firms, initially ramped in the early days of the U.S.-Iran conflict but then dumped into a deep 16% correction from the early March high. By the end of the month, and into lat...