Torsten Asmus/iStock via Getty Images In an environment shaped by elevated interest rates and uneven equity performance, income-oriented investors often face a difficult choice. Dividend-paying stocks can provide growth potential but expose portfolios to market volatility, while bonds tend to offer stability at the expense of income. Preferred stocks occupy a less-discussed middle ground, combinin...
Torsten Asmus/iStock via Getty Images In an environment shaped by elevated interest rates and uneven equity performance, income-oriented investors often face a difficult choice. Dividend-paying stocks can provide growth potential but expose portfolios to market volatility, while bonds tend to offer stability at the expense of income. Preferred stocks occupy a less-discussed middle ground, combining elements of both asset classes in a structure designed to prioritize cash flow.¹ Preferred securities generally pay fixed dividends and rank senior to common equity in the corporate capital structure. Dividends must be paid to preferred shareholders before any distributions are made to common stockholders, and preferred holders also rank ahead of common equity in liquidation.² These features of preferred stocks often result in higher and more predictable income than common stocks, though with less upside participation.³ As a result, preferred stocks tend to appeal to investors focused on income stability rather than capital appreciation. Following the U.S. Federal Reserve’s aggressive tightening cycle from March 2022 to July 2023, preferred shares were pushed to levels rarely seen over the past decade.¹ This shift renewed interest in preferred stock ETFs, particularly as many now offer yields that exceed those available from traditional equity income strategies. At the same time, preferred stocks carry distinct risks, including interest-rate sensitivity, call provisions that can cap returns, and heavy concentration in financial issuers.⁴ These characteristics make portfolio construction and security selection especially important in this segment of the market. Preferred Stocks: Structure, Benefits, and Risks Preferred shares are often described as hybrid securities because they blend equity ownership with bond-like cash flows.³ While they typically lack voting rights, their fixed dividend payments and seniority provide a measure of income stability that common stocks cann...
If the British reviews are anything to go by, my rainy London tour bus ride was more stirring It’s here, at last, the moment we’ve been waiting for: Wuthering Heights discourse! Officially released in the UK this Friday, Emerald Fennell’s movie adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel features the biggest female star in the world (Margot Robbie), the second-biggest male star (I’m putting Timothée Chalam...
If the British reviews are anything to go by, my rainy London tour bus ride was more stirring It’s here, at last, the moment we’ve been waiting for: Wuthering Heights discourse! Officially released in the UK this Friday, Emerald Fennell’s movie adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel features the biggest female star in the world (Margot Robbie), the second-biggest male star (I’m putting Timothée Chalamet ahead of Jacob Elordi, don’t fight me), and Fennell’s unique writing and directing style that gave us so many memorable moments in Saltburn. On Monday the flag goes up and we’re off! Continue reading...
laddawan punna/iStock via Getty Images Barbara Reinhard , CFA Portfolio Manager Lanyon Blair , CFA, CAIA Portfolio Manager Strategy overview The Voya Target Solution Trust Series is designed to specifically balance the evolving risk-return profiles of participants as they age to maximize the probability of a successful retirement. Key takeaways Global markets ended the year strong despite volatili...
laddawan punna/iStock via Getty Images Barbara Reinhard , CFA Portfolio Manager Lanyon Blair , CFA, CAIA Portfolio Manager Strategy overview The Voya Target Solution Trust Series is designed to specifically balance the evolving risk-return profiles of participants as they age to maximize the probability of a successful retirement. Key takeaways Global markets ended the year strong despite volatility from the U.S. government shutdown, softening job growth, and elevated valuation concerns. Foreign equities outperformed, while fixed income delivered positive but muted returns. Equity fundamental factors remain supported by steady economic growth, easing inflation, and ongoing investment in productivity-enhancing technologies, while solid corporate balance sheets and gradually improving financial conditions create a constructive backdrop for earnings and risk assets. The Trusts posted positive absolute and mixed relative returns for the period versus their strategic allocation benchmarks on gross- and net-of-fees basis. Market review Global markets ended the year on a strong note despite notable disruptions. A record breaking U.S. federal government shutdown weighed on sentiment and delayed key economic data, contributing to volatility alongside softening job growth and concerns over elevated artificial intelligence (AI) related valuations. Supportive earnings and central bank accommodation sustained risk appetite. The U.S. Federal Reserve continued easing, cutting rates 25 basis points (bp) in October and December, while expectations for further cuts fluctuated as investors weighed labor market cooling against uneven inflation. U.S. equities posted modest gains, though leadership shifted. Large cap value outperformed growth, reflecting rotation away from concentrated technology exposures, while defensive sectors such as health care led amid valuation concerns. Small cap stocks also rose but lagged large caps. International equities outperformed, supported by stronger e...
(RTTNews) - Radware Ltd. (RDWR), a cybersecurity and application delivery solutions company, on Friday said its board has authorized a new share repurchase plan of up to $80 million of its issued and outstanding ordinary shares.
(RTTNews) - Radware Ltd. (RDWR), a cybersecurity and application delivery solutions company, on Friday said its board has authorized a new share repurchase plan of up to $80 million of its issued and outstanding ordinary shares.
A lot of people are familiar with Medicare's annual fall open enrollment period, which starts in mid-October and runs until early December each year. But if you're on a Medicare Advantage plan , there's another open enrollment period you should know about. Medicare Advantage has its own open enrollment period, and it's currently underway. Between now and March 31, Medicare Advantage enrollees can ...
A lot of people are familiar with Medicare's annual fall open enrollment period, which starts in mid-October and runs until early December each year. But if you're on a Medicare Advantage plan , there's another open enrollment period you should know about. Medicare Advantage has its own open enrollment period, and it's currently underway. Between now and March 31, Medicare Advantage enrollees can make a single change to their coverage. Image source: Getty Images. Continue reading
As athletes we try to focus on our event and the task at hand, but our lives do not take place in a vacuum I’m deeply saddened by the IOC banning skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Olympics. His helmet depicting images of athletes and children who died in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some who he knew personally, was a human display of remembrance. The IOC’s response was not an...
As athletes we try to focus on our event and the task at hand, but our lives do not take place in a vacuum I’m deeply saddened by the IOC banning skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Olympics. His helmet depicting images of athletes and children who died in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, some who he knew personally, was a human display of remembrance. The IOC’s response was not an appropriate one. One only needed to look at the image of Heraskevych’s father when he was told the news of his son’s disqualification – doubled over with his head in his hands – to know the emotional toll. I cannot imagine what they are experiencing but, as both a former athlete and a just a fan watching on, I also feel emotional about it and cried when both Vlad and his dad messaged me on social media to say thank you for my messages of support. Continue reading...
Tarique Rahman is Bangladesh’s presumptive next leader after his party swept Thursday’s general election, easily overcoming an alliance of Islamist parties and student leaders. The decisive win for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party paves the way for Rahman to become the South Asian country’s first democratically elected leader since a youth-led uprising in 2024 ousted longtime leader Sheikh Hasina ...
Tarique Rahman is Bangladesh’s presumptive next leader after his party swept Thursday’s general election, easily overcoming an alliance of Islamist parties and student leaders. The decisive win for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party paves the way for Rahman to become the South Asian country’s first democratically elected leader since a youth-led uprising in 2024 ousted longtime leader Sheikh Hasina . It also marks a return to power for the BNP, a mainstream party that advocates social welfare and Islamic values, but whose previous rule in Bangladesh before Hasina’s regime was marked by allegations of political violence. The 60-year-old BNP chairman is set to inherit a country grappling with high inflation, a weakening currency and youth unemployment running at a staggering 14%. Banks riddled with bad loans and declining foreign reserves have deepened the crisis, while the garment industry – the nation’s economic backbone — has been slammed by supply-chain upheavals . Who is Rahman? Rahman is the scion of one of Bangladesh’s most prominent political families. His mother, Khaleda Zia , was a two-time prime minister who died last year. His father, Ziaur Rahman, was a military officer who served as president of Bangladesh. Rahman returned to Dhaka in December after a 17-year exile in London, citing political persecution while battling allegations of excesses during his mother’s mid-2000s tenure. Five days after his return to Bangladesh, his mother died — a personal loss that stirred public sympathy and galvanized support on the campaign trail. In speeches he has pledged to dismantle “the very monarchical” executive power on which his family once thrived, until Hasina of the Awami League — herself a scion of another political dynasty — entrenched her rule after her 2008 election victory. Though his years abroad were marked by legal battles against money-laundering charges, he continued guiding the party from afar as Hasina ruled the country with an iron fist. Charges again...
Fears around AI disruption have created a dramatic divide in the travel and leisure sector, with the stocks of online-booking platforms collapsing while traditional hotel operators have rallied. The price action has been stark: TripAdvisor Inc. has plunged 29% this year, sinking to an all-time low this week after its earnings disappointed. Booking Holdings Inc. and Amadeus IT Group SA have each lo...
Fears around AI disruption have created a dramatic divide in the travel and leisure sector, with the stocks of online-booking platforms collapsing while traditional hotel operators have rallied. The price action has been stark: TripAdvisor Inc. has plunged 29% this year, sinking to an all-time low this week after its earnings disappointed. Booking Holdings Inc. and Amadeus IT Group SA have each lost 22% this year. The latter was downgraded by Citi analysts , who said they don’t expect much “near-term payback” from the European travel tech provider due to increased AI-disruption risks. By contrast, Marriott International Inc. has surged 14% and Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has gained 12%, with analysts raising price targets on Hilton following its Feb. 11 earnings report, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The selloff in some travel names accelerated in early February, as investors fled firms perceived as vulnerable to AI upheaval. The selling spree — which was initially sparked last week by new tools from Anthropic PBC — has spread to impact IT services, wealth management, real estate platforms and logistics stocks.
ByteDance ( BDNCE ) is in advanced discussions to sell Shanghai Moonton Technology to Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group in a deal valued between $6B and $7B, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The deal for Moonton — which is behind the popular mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang — could be finalized as soon as this quarter. The two companies have reached an initial agreemen...
ByteDance ( BDNCE ) is in advanced discussions to sell Shanghai Moonton Technology to Saudi Arabia's Savvy Games Group in a deal valued between $6B and $7B, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The deal for Moonton — which is behind the popular mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang — could be finalized as soon as this quarter. The two companies have reached an initial agreement on broad terms of the deal, the report added . ByteDance and Savvy Games did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha. The sale would mark ByteDance's major retreat from online games. In November 2023, it was reported that TikTok parent ByteDance was planning to wind down its gaming brand Nuverse and move away from mainstream video games. Around the same time, there were reports that ByteDance was in talks to sell Moonton, which was acquired through its gaming unit Nuverse in 2021 in a deal valued at about $4B. Savvy Games, which is owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, is a global games and e-sports company that aims to drive long-term growth and innovation through strategic acquisitions, investments, and commercial ventures, according to PIF's website. Moonton, which was established in 2014, operates offices in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Latin America, and China, as per its website. More on ByteDance ByteDance says AI chip development report is ‘inaccurate’ (update) Czech prime minister backs social media ban for kids under 15 Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on ByteDance Financial information for ByteDance