Pakistan helped avert a major escalation in the Iran conflict. Dan Strumpf explains how PM Shehbaz Sharif used global ties to broker a ceasefire and buy time for talks. (Source: Bloomberg)
Pakistan helped avert a major escalation in the Iran conflict. Dan Strumpf explains how PM Shehbaz Sharif used global ties to broker a ceasefire and buy time for talks. (Source: Bloomberg)
President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday welcomed two French nationals who returned to Paris after spending almost four years detained in Iran on espionage charges, with the French leader hailing “the end of a terrible ordeal”. Cecile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72, arrived on a commercial flight, landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris shortly before 9am. They were met on the tarmac by for...
President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday welcomed two French nationals who returned to Paris after spending almost four years detained in Iran on espionage charges, with the French leader hailing “the end of a terrible ordeal”. Cecile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72, arrived on a commercial flight, landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris shortly before 9am. They were met on the tarmac by foreign ministry officials. Macron greeted the pair in the gardens of the Elysee Palace. They appeared...
Expert stresses importance of keeping routers updated and checking for unusual activity, as hackers could ‘take you to fake sites’ Russian hackers are exploiting commonly sold internet routers to harvest information for espionage purposes, the UK’s cybersecurity agency has said. The hack could allow attackers to obtain users’ credentials, redirect them to fake sites, and potentially access other d...
Expert stresses importance of keeping routers updated and checking for unusual activity, as hackers could ‘take you to fake sites’ Russian hackers are exploiting commonly sold internet routers to harvest information for espionage purposes, the UK’s cybersecurity agency has said. The hack could allow attackers to obtain users’ credentials, redirect them to fake sites, and potentially access other devices on their home network such as phones and PCs, said Alan Woodward, a professor at the University of Surrey. Continue reading...
JHVEPhoto Telecom equipment company Lumentum ( LITE ) said in a securities filing on Wednesday that it has entered into exchange agreements with some holders of its outstanding convertible senior notes for shares. The notes include its outstanding 0.50% convertible senior notes due in 2026 and its 1.5% convertible senior notes due in 2029, totaling approximately $474.6M ($264.8M for the 2026 notes...
JHVEPhoto Telecom equipment company Lumentum ( LITE ) said in a securities filing on Wednesday that it has entered into exchange agreements with some holders of its outstanding convertible senior notes for shares. The notes include its outstanding 0.50% convertible senior notes due in 2026 and its 1.5% convertible senior notes due in 2029, totaling approximately $474.6M ($264.8M for the 2026 notes and $209.8M for the 2029 notes). In exchange, Lumentum will provide the holders with roughly 5.7M shares of common stock. Lumentum will not receive any proceeds from the exchange, but upon receipt, the notes will be canceled. Lumentum shares rose more than 5% in premarket trading. More on Lumentum Micron, Credo, Lumentum: 3 AI Strong Buys Lumentum: The Nvidia Moment Lumentum: The AI Optics Catalyst Is Just Getting Started Sandisk gains most among S&P500 tech stocks in Q1; AppLovin biggest loser Memory, storage and optical stock declines drag down chip sector
Tomas Ragina The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire just hours before Donald Trump’s deadline for escalation, with Tehran agreeing to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Israel also agreed to the ceasefire, the White House said. Meanwhile, Tehran presented a 10-point proposal now emerging as the central framework for negotiations. Trump described the plan as a “workable basis,” but ...
Tomas Ragina The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire just hours before Donald Trump’s deadline for escalation, with Tehran agreeing to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Israel also agreed to the ceasefire, the White House said. Meanwhile, Tehran presented a 10-point proposal now emerging as the central framework for negotiations. Trump described the plan as a “workable basis,” but the substance of the proposal underscores just how far apart the two sides remain. What’s in Iran’s 10-point plan While the full document has not been officially released, Al Jazeera reporting indicates it includes: Fundamental commitment to non-aggression from the US. Controlled passage through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the Iranian armed forces, which in effect would mean that Iran retains its leverage over the waterway. An acceptance of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. The lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions and resolutions against Iran. End of all resolutions against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency. End of all resolutions against Iran the United Nations Security Council. The withdrawal of US combat forces from all bases in the region. Full compensation for damages suffered by Iran during the war — to be secured through payments to Iran by ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The release of all Iranian assets and properties frozen abroad. The ratification of all these matters in a binding UNSC resolution. However, in comments to the AFP news agency, Trump insisted that Iran’s nuclear stockpile would be “ taken care of ” in any peace deal. “That will be perfectly taken care of, or I wouldn ’ t have settled, ” Trump told AFP. Iran insists it is not seeking to build nuclear weapons, but says it is willing to negotiate limits on its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief. Later, in an interview with Sky News , Trump seemed to suggest that the 10-point plan that Iranian officials have formally leaked are di...
Bet_Noire/iStock via Getty Images Introduction It’s been over two years since the first time I covered Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. ( AIT ), so I thought I’d go through its performance over the last year because the company recently released its full-year 2025 numbers, too. The company has been chugging along as expected, but unfortunately, the growth and margin expansion are not good eno...
Bet_Noire/iStock via Getty Images Introduction It’s been over two years since the first time I covered Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. ( AIT ), so I thought I’d go through its performance over the last year because the company recently released its full-year 2025 numbers, too. The company has been chugging along as expected, but unfortunately, the growth and margin expansion are not good enough to warrant a buy right now. Performance Starting from the top, AIT’s revenues showed a decent uptrend over the last year. It may not have been particularly rapid growth, but it is better than a downtrend. Looking at the segments in more detail, AIT’s Service Center-Based distribution segment was slightly pressured due to softer industrial activity, with organic growth coming in around 3% in the latest quarter. It is a growth, but it is quite weak indeed. Regarding its other revenue segment, the Engineered Solutions, this segment saw growth of around 19%, but most of that was due to the acquisition impact. Orders were up around 10% in the segment, which tells me there is demand. So, most of the total growth did come from the acquisitions, which kept AIT’s top-line performance intact, but I would prefer to see some decent organic growth. Seeking Alpha On to the company’s profitability and efficiency, we can see a mixed bag of results over 2025. Gross margins remained steady, but the EBIT and the bottom line are down slightly in the second half of 2025. The company saw higher LIFO expenses during the period, which brought down its profitability slightly, as well as softer December sales. Q2 ’26 GAAP EPS came in at $2.51, which was a beat of 2 cents. Seeking Alpha Looking at other important metrics in efficiency and profitability, the management is doing a good job of utilizing the company’s assets and shareholder equity quite efficiently, thus creating value. Additionally, it appears that the company also has a decent moat and pricing power since its return on total cost i...
Shares Of Infrastructure Developer Erupt On Gulf Energy Reconstruction Prospects The two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire looks more like a pause in the six-week conflict than a long-lasting agreement, with language so broad and vague that it remains unclear who conceded what. The one clear point is that Iran's reported willingness to allow vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz was enough to send c...
Shares Of Infrastructure Developer Erupt On Gulf Energy Reconstruction Prospects The two-week U.S.-Iran ceasefire looks more like a pause in the six-week conflict than a long-lasting agreement, with language so broad and vague that it remains unclear who conceded what. The one clear point is that Iran's reported willingness to allow vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz was enough to send crude prices tumbling from triple-digit territory and spark a global relief rally across equities and bonds. Everyone is breathing a sigh of relief on Wednesday morning, and traders are already identifying the companies best positioned to reap massive rewards from rebuilding damaged oil and gas infrastructure across the Gulf. Shares of Chiyoda Corporation in Tokyo jumped 15.5% as traders assessed that the developer and builder of large-scale industrial infrastructure might be one of the major players in rebuilding damaged Gulf energy assets. Chiyoda is a project developer and builder of industrial infrastructure, including: LNG and natural gas processing plants, one of its flagship niches Oil refining and petrochemical facilities Energy infrastructure and environmental systems "Fundamentally, if the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, the next step is reconstruction demand for petrochemical plants, desalination plants, and other facilities," Kazuhiro Sasaki, head of research at Phillip Securities, wrote in a note. On Tuesday, International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol told French newspaper Le Figaro that more than 75 energy sites across the Gulf region have been attacked, with about a third severely damaged, suggesting tens of billions of dollars in repairs. Neil Newman, head of strategy at Astris Advisory Japan, wrote in a note, "It is relatively straightforward to identify the countries where reconstruction will be needed, determine the types of projects required, and match these directly to relevant Japanese companies." A Chiyoda spokesperson was quoted by Bloom...
Is the AI Gold Rush Over? Costco and Walmart Just Delivered a Sobering $163 Billion Warning to Shareholders of Nvidia, Palantir, and Other Red-Hot AI Stocks. fool.com
Is the AI Gold Rush Over? Costco and Walmart Just Delivered a Sobering $163 Billion Warning to Shareholders of Nvidia, Palantir, and Other Red-Hot AI Stocks. fool.com
Standard Chartered Plc is seeking to fully merge parts of majority-owned Zodia Custody Ltd. with one of its digital-asset operations, people with knowledge of the matter said. The lender plans to integrate Zodia’s crypto custody business into the division inside its corporate and investment bank that provides similar services, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing private negotiati...
Standard Chartered Plc is seeking to fully merge parts of majority-owned Zodia Custody Ltd. with one of its digital-asset operations, people with knowledge of the matter said. The lender plans to integrate Zodia’s crypto custody business into the division inside its corporate and investment bank that provides similar services, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing private negotiations. Under the plan Standard Chartered is considering, Zodia Custody would continue to operate as a standalone software-as-a-service business for cryptoasset custody, the people said. It wasn’t clear whether Standard Chartered has held talks with Zodia Custody’s minority investors which include Northern Trust Corp. , Emirates NBD Bank PJSC , National Australia Bank Ltd. and SBI Holdings Inc. An announcement on the planned restructuring could come as soon as this month, the people said. Standard Chartered and Zodia Custody declined to comment. Emirates NBD and Northern Trust declined to comment. SBI Holdings and NAB didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Standard Chartered launched its own digital asset custodial services out of Luxembourg in January last year. It also debuted crypto trading for institutional clients last summer, similarly overlapping with some services provided by another majority-owned crypto subsidiary Zodia Markets Holdings Ltd. Banks have grown their digital-asset activities rapidly in recent years as key regions like the US and Europe passed legislation to govern the sector, allowing for greater clarity among institutional participants. Custody is one of the hottest areas of competition, with Wall Street firms including State Street Corp. , Bank of New York Mellon Corp. and Morgan Stanley all expanding their footprint in the space. Read More: Morgan Stanley Applies for Bank Charter to Custody Crypto Assets Standard Chartered was one of the earliest major financial institutions to dive into digital assets, establishing Zodia Custody in late...
Good morning . Markets exhale after the US and Iran agree to a ceasefire, but core issues remain unresolved. And we look at Elon Musk’s push toward a SpaceX IPO as he races AI rivals to market. Listen to the day’s top stories . — Hellmuth Tromm Market Snapshot S&P 500 Futures 6,830.25 +2.6% Nasdaq 100 Futures 25,187.00 +3.3% WTI crude oil futures $94.99 -16% Market data as of 07:17 AM ET. Data is ...
Good morning . Markets exhale after the US and Iran agree to a ceasefire, but core issues remain unresolved. And we look at Elon Musk’s push toward a SpaceX IPO as he races AI rivals to market. Listen to the day’s top stories . — Hellmuth Tromm Market Snapshot S&P 500 Futures 6,830.25 +2.6% Nasdaq 100 Futures 25,187.00 +3.3% WTI crude oil futures $94.99 -16% Market data as of 07:17 AM ET. Data is subject to provider delays. The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the US will help ease traffic through the waterway, with more than 800 vessels still trapped in the Persian Gulf. Pakistan’s pivotal role as mediator was hailed as a diplomatic coup , but the conflict risks leaving the US looking weakened in the eyes of its adversaries and more attacks in the region were reported. Markets greeted the truce with jubilation: Oil posted its biggest drop in almost six years and gas prices plunged, while global equities surged as big funds piled into Treasuries and AI stocks, and gold rallied . Back home, Republicans got some relief in Georgia—with a warning sign. Clay Fuller is projected to win a US House race in a deeply conservative district, keeping the seat vacated by conservative firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene in GOP hands. With 83% of votes counted, Fuller led Democrat Shawn Harris 57% to 43%—a narrower margin than in recent elections. Trump seems in no rush to name a permanent attorney general to replace Pam Bondi, allowing acting chief Todd Blanche time to settle in . The White House has yet to decide whether Blanche, a trusted ally , is a viable long-term pick or could survive a Senate confirmation. The Big Take Trump’s ceasefire with Iran has brought relief to global markets, but it leaves core disputes unresolved . Questions over shipping through the Hormuz waterway and Iran’s nuclear and missile programs continue to cloud the path to a lasting deal. Deep Dive: Musk’s SpaceX IPO Elon Musk is r...