hernan4429/iStock via Getty Images Thesis Summary While everyone is calling for $200 oil, I believe this energy crisis could be nearing an end. This makes sense when we look at fundamentals and also technicals. As I write this, oil is down double digits in pre-market trading, following news of a two-week ceasefire. But even if the war goes on, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is slowly resuming. Th...
hernan4429/iStock via Getty Images Thesis Summary While everyone is calling for $200 oil, I believe this energy crisis could be nearing an end. This makes sense when we look at fundamentals and also technicals. As I write this, oil is down double digits in pre-market trading, following news of a two-week ceasefire. But even if the war goes on, traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is slowly resuming. This means oil prices could likely be close to topping. On the technical side, we have a setup early, similar to that of Silver when it was topping at over $100. And if oil has topped, then a large part of the current macro narrative breaks with it. For investors, this means we could see a rotation back into tech and other areas of the market. The Market Is Solving The Problem As most of us know quite well by now, the closing of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted over 20% of the global oil supply at one point. But these disruptions are being alleviated with every passing day. The global oil system has already returned to some level of normalcy, as we can see from the chart below. Strait of Hormuz Vessels (Steno Research) Oil tankers are moving through the Strait of Hormuz again. It may be reduced flow, but it's not 0, and it’s actually recovering. Throughout the last few weeks, we’ve seen a number of bilateral agreements being signed, and this is slowly leading to a normalization. Moreover, China, India, Europe, and Gulf states are all finding ways to secure energy supply outside traditional channels. There are many alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz, and the world is beginning to explore them. For example, Saudi Arabia can route crude westward through its East-West pipeline to Yanbu on the Red Sea. The UAE can also move crude through the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline to Fujairah outside the Strait. The IEA estimates that alternative export capacity out of the Gulf through Saudi Arabia and the UAE could be roughly 3.5 to 5.5 million barrels per day, which is not a bad start. Of ...
划重点 ① 英伟达正以“20 亿美元”为标准筹码，在全球 AI 产业发起一场史无前例的“股权招安”。它不再通过传统的并购扩张，而是利用庞大的资产负债表“带资进组”，直接买入供应商的未来。 ② 通过复刻洛克菲勒对“输油管”的控制，英伟达精准锁定了光通信、EDA 工具及云基础设施等咽喉要道。这种投资不仅保障了供应链，它同时利用纳斯达克的估值溢价，将研发费用转化为增厚净值的长期资产，制造出对手无法逾越的...
划重点 ① 英伟达正以“20 亿美元”为标准筹码，在全球 AI 产业发起一场史无前例的“股权招安”。它不再通过传统的并购扩张，而是利用庞大的资产负债表“带资进组”，直接买入供应商的未来。 ② 通过复刻洛克菲勒对“输油管”的控制，英伟达精准锁定了光通信、EDA 工具及云基础设施等咽喉要道。这种投资不仅保障了供应链，它同时利用纳斯达克的估值溢价，将研发费用转化为增厚净值的长期资产，制造出对手无法逾越的生态黑洞。 ③ RockFlow 投研团队认为，英伟达的“下一笔投资”正指向最后四个物理瓶颈：能延续摩尔定律的先进封装材料、承载 120kW 机架的极致液冷、解决电力缺口的微型变电技术，以及贴近用户的边缘算力枢纽。 2026 年的美股 AI 赛道，正在上演一场史无前例的“权力迁徙”。这种迁徙并未发生在发布会的 PPT，而是隐匿在英伟达密集划出的转账支票里。 市场发现了一个规律：每当英伟达预感某个关键环节的供应安全受到威胁，它就会精准地开出一张 20 亿美元的支票。 从去年 12 月对 EDA 巨头 Synopsys 的战略注资，到今年 1 月增持算力新贵 CoreWeave；从 3 月横扫光通信双雄 Lumentum 与 Coherent，到随后一周闪击 Nebius，直至几天前对网络芯片大厂 Marvell 的重仓——这种频率与力度的重合，让“投资”这个词显得过于温和。 这不再是传统的风险投资，而是带有强制色彩的“股权招安”。英伟达正通过一张张巨额支票，在全球 AI 供应链的关键节点上布局。 这种“带资进组”的玩法逻辑异常清晰：英伟达不再试图通过吞并公司来扩张，而是通过“买入对方的资产负债表”完成绑定。 本文中，RockFlow 投研团队将带你深入分析英伟达的布局思路和节奏，并通过复盘已“被招安”的公司，推演出它接下来的“圈地”路径和潜力投资标的。 英伟达为何选择“带资进组”？ 回看半导体行业的历史，纵向整合（Vertical Integration）往往意味着沉重的资产枷锁。以 Intel 为代表的传统巨头，习惯于通过购置土地、兴建晶圆厂、维持庞大的工程师团队来守卫王座。 然而，2026 年的英伟达给出了一个更轻盈、也更具侵略性的方案：带资进组。 英伟达不需要拥有每一家供应商，它只需要成为它们的“超级甲方”。英伟达不求控股，却精准拿捏了三项核心筹码：优先供货权、研发路线...
HJBC/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction and Investment Thesis I am strongly bullish on Amazon.com, Inc. ( AMZN ), driven by the AWS partnership with OpenAI. I am looking at this partnership as a testament to Amazon’s solid preparation to expand its web services, especially at this time when the AI boom is still in its early stages. Amazon plans to invest $50 billion in OpenAI as part o...
HJBC/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction and Investment Thesis I am strongly bullish on Amazon.com, Inc. ( AMZN ), driven by the AWS partnership with OpenAI. I am looking at this partnership as a testament to Amazon’s solid preparation to expand its web services, especially at this time when the AI boom is still in its early stages. Amazon plans to invest $50 billion in OpenAI as part of this deal, which is scheduled to be executed this year. This is a partnership extension involving AWS and OpenAI from already existing $38 billion , but AWS is planning to invest over $100 billion by the end of 8 years. Now, when you look at the AI workloads growth trajectory , you notice that by the end of 8 years, AI workloads will have overtaken legacy workloads by far. It draws me closer to being in agreement that AI is turning into a macro variable as opposed to a mere theme. This is why I think AMZN is strategically positioning itself to offer these AI workloads through its cloud services as an alternative revenue driver. So far, this segment has shown potential, looking at its growth trajectory, which I will cover later. But a key observation from the latest quarter Q4’2025 is that it recorded $36.6 billion, representing 24% YoY growth. This is an impressive outcome as it comes at the height of partnerships with AI companies, which makes for an optimistic AWS future. For example, the partnership with OpenAI could contribute to $6 billion in 2026 and $18 billion in 2027, which is an optimistic view. I also think this optimism is what is currently driving Price return, which is at 1.82%, beating the S&P 500, which is at -4.03% in the last month. This is why I believe this is an ideal entry point for a bullish month. Seeking Alpha Now, let’s get to the deeper part of this to unravel why this AWS AI workload acceleration warrants a bullish rating. Where My Optimism Stems Fast forward, and the wider picture around AI is interesting. Data centers are expected to increase...
HJBC/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction and Investment Thesis I am strongly bullish on Amazon.com, Inc. ( AMZN ), driven by the AWS partnership with OpenAI. I am looking at this partnership as a testament to Amazon’s solid preparation to expand its web services, especially at this time when the AI boom is still in its early stages. Amazon plans to invest $50 billion in OpenAI as part o...
HJBC/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction and Investment Thesis I am strongly bullish on Amazon.com, Inc. ( AMZN ), driven by the AWS partnership with OpenAI. I am looking at this partnership as a testament to Amazon’s solid preparation to expand its web services, especially at this time when the AI boom is still in its early stages. Amazon plans to invest $50 billion in OpenAI as part of this deal, which is scheduled to be executed this year. This is a partnership extension involving AWS and OpenAI from already existing $38 billion , but AWS is planning to invest over $100 billion by the end of 8 years. Now, when you look at the AI workloads growth trajectory , you notice that by the end of 8 years, AI workloads will have overtaken legacy workloads by far. It draws me closer to being in agreement that AI is turning into a macro variable as opposed to a mere theme. This is why I think AMZN is strategically positioning itself to offer these AI workloads through its cloud services as an alternative revenue driver. So far, this segment has shown potential, looking at its growth trajectory, which I will cover later. But a key observation from the latest quarter Q4’2025 is that it recorded $36.6 billion, representing 24% YoY growth. This is an impressive outcome as it comes at the height of partnerships with AI companies, which makes for an optimistic AWS future. For example, the partnership with OpenAI could contribute to $6 billion in 2026 and $18 billion in 2027, which is an optimistic view. I also think this optimism is what is currently driving Price return, which is at 1.82%, beating the S&P 500, which is at -4.03% in the last month. This is why I believe this is an ideal entry point for a bullish month. Seeking Alpha Now, let’s get to the deeper part of this to unravel why this AWS AI workload acceleration warrants a bullish rating. Where My Optimism Stems Fast forward, and the wider picture around AI is interesting. Data centers are expected to increase...
Frank Brennan IBM ( IBM ) was in the spotlight on Wednesday as Needham cut its price target on the IT giant to $290 from $340, ahead of IBM's first-quarter results on April 22. “We've made various tweaks to our 2026 estimates prior to 1Q report to reflect potential headwinds from Gulf conflict to software and services growth; Confluent acquisition closing ahead of schedule (tailwind); Meaningful f...
Frank Brennan IBM ( IBM ) was in the spotlight on Wednesday as Needham cut its price target on the IT giant to $290 from $340, ahead of IBM's first-quarter results on April 22. “We've made various tweaks to our 2026 estimates prior to 1Q report to reflect potential headwinds from Gulf conflict to software and services growth; Confluent acquisition closing ahead of schedule (tailwind); Meaningful f/x move (headwind),” analyst David Grossman wrote in a note to clients. “Our revised 2026 [constant currency] revenue estimate (+4.5-5.0%) is slightly below consensus/guidance (+5.0%). We model PTI margins +100bp y/y, EPS ($12.38, +7%), and FCF (+$1bn, +7%), all roughly in-line. We expect in-line 1Q. Given 1Q seasonally weak, early in year and uncertain macro don't expect material changes to guidance/consensus.” Grossman continued: “While potential source-of-funds if sentiment improves, we highlight defensive characteristics including ability to drive incremental growth from acquired software assets (Hashi/Confluent currently) and PTI margin expansion via mix shift (software) and operating efficiencies.” More on IBM IBM: AI Sting IBM: Strong Execution, But Questions Around AI Value Capture IBM: The Market Is Overreacting And This Retracement Is Creating An Opportunity IBM, Arm partner on enterprise computing IBM receives FedRAMP authorization for 11 AI and automation software solutions
The first tankers that turned away from the Strait of Hormuz did not just redraw shipping maps. They redrew grocery lists, too. After Iran’s partial closure of the strait disrupted a chokepoint that carries roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil, traders priced in something they know too well: war is not only about missiles; it’s about the bill that lands on kitchen tables months later. Brent crud...
The first tankers that turned away from the Strait of Hormuz did not just redraw shipping maps. They redrew grocery lists, too. After Iran’s partial closure of the strait disrupted a chokepoint that carries roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil, traders priced in something they know too well: war is not only about missiles; it’s about the bill that lands on kitchen tables months later. Brent crude climbing back above US$100 a barrel, and touching roughly US$120 on the worst days, is already...
SiMa.ai, a leader in Physical AI, today announced a strategic investment from Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), strengthening its ability to scale production-ready, high-performance Physical AI solutions for real-world intelligent systems. The investment deepens the companies' collaboration around tightly integrated compute and memory architectures designed to deliver exceptional performance-p...
SiMa.ai, a leader in Physical AI, today announced a strategic investment from Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), strengthening its ability to scale production-ready, high-performance Physical AI solutions for real-world intelligent systems. The investment deepens the companies' collaboration around tightly integrated compute and memory architectures designed to deliver exceptional performance-per-watt for edge applications including robotics, autonomous systems, and industrial automation.
Summary: Leading AI companies announced the formation of the Shared AI License Foundation to promote the growth and development of foundation models.Participating companies grant non-exclusive licenses to patents covering AI foundation models.Efficient access to foundation model patents accelerates AI development and unlocks downstream breakthroughs. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NE...
Summary: Leading AI companies announced the formation of the Shared AI License Foundation to promote the growth and development of foundation models.Participating companies grant non-exclusive licenses to patents covering AI foundation models.Efficient access to foundation model patents accelerates AI development and unlocks downstream breakthroughs. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new coalition of technology and innovation leaders has launched the Shared AI License F
NEW YORK, April 08, 2026--After more than 40 years shaping the way America cooks and entertains, Martha Stewart is introducing her first-ever kitchen electrics collection, available exclusively in Amazon’s stores at launch. Designed to make everyday cooking easier, the collection combines practical features with modern design and reliable performance for home cooks of all skill levels.
NEW YORK, April 08, 2026--After more than 40 years shaping the way America cooks and entertains, Martha Stewart is introducing her first-ever kitchen electrics collection, available exclusively in Amazon’s stores at launch. Designed to make everyday cooking easier, the collection combines practical features with modern design and reliable performance for home cooks of all skill levels.
Rawf8/iStock via Getty Images A fragile cease-fire The Iran war is at the critical stage—it must end immediately with the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Any other resolution to the current situation is likely to have serious consequences for the financial markets. It appears that a fragile 2-week ceasefire has been agreed upon by both sides. However, as long as the Strait of Hormuz remain...
Rawf8/iStock via Getty Images A fragile cease-fire The Iran war is at the critical stage—it must end immediately with the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Any other resolution to the current situation is likely to have serious consequences for the financial markets. It appears that a fragile 2-week ceasefire has been agreed upon by both sides. However, as long as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, even partially, inflation is likely to increase—and this could burst all financial bubbles and cause a major financial crisis. The sustained spike in the price of oil ( CL1:COM ) could be the "first domino to fall": and thus it's a major systemic variable. Based on the most recent information, President Trump is likely to postpone escalation of the war for another two weeks—conditional on Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz. It's very unlikely this is the end of the war, and it's likely a fragile short-term cease-fire. Crude oil fell on this announcement, but it initially held above $100, which is still inflationary if it stays around these levels for an extended period of time. Regime change to inflationary shock So, what's at stake on a macro level? Basically, the Iran war is causing a regime change from a bullish framework of policy normalization and cyclical expansion to a bearish framework of stagflation, with policy tightening into a slowing economy. Below is the chart of the December Federal funds futures contract. Before the Iran war started, the market was fully pricing two Fed cuts in 2026, with a small probability of a third cut, a 3-3.1% range on the implied Federal Funds rate. After the Iran war started, the market priced on March 22nd a 3.9% Federal Funds rate in December; that's a full hike, with a small probability of a second hike. Currently, the market is pricing in a no-change in the federal funds rate in 2026, while daily variations based on the headlines are torn between pricing in either a cut or a hike. What does this mean? The market is curre...
narvo vexar/iStock via Getty Images The hedge fund industry consists of a wide variety of strategies that attract varying levels of investor interest over time. Factors such as capital market valuations, economic growth expectations, inflation rates, market liquidity, and risk tolerance significantly influence the demand for each strategy. Industry professionals spend a great deal of time analyzin...
narvo vexar/iStock via Getty Images The hedge fund industry consists of a wide variety of strategies that attract varying levels of investor interest over time. Factors such as capital market valuations, economic growth expectations, inflation rates, market liquidity, and risk tolerance significantly influence the demand for each strategy. Industry professionals spend a great deal of time analyzing these variables in order to identify which strategies are expected to offer the best opportunities for outperformance. One way to measure this is to survey investors regarding their current interests. In this paper, we compare and analyze data submitted by investors from our June 2025 cap intro event with data recently compiled from the first 300 investors registered to attend our upcoming Gaining the Edge Global Virtual Cap Intro event taking place from June 15th to 26th. During registration, investors complete a detailed survey outlining their preferences regarding strategy types and managers that are of current interest. This provides broad insights into both overall demand for each strategy as well as trends in demand between years. Presented below is a comparative analysis of our survey findings, accompanied by commentary derived from feedback received from thousands of investors globally. Strategies with Strong and Increasing Demand Long/Short Equity captured the interest of 68% of 2026 respondents, which is the largest share among all strategies. This uptick from last year (63%) indicates the continued positive investor sentiment regarding fund managers’ abilities to generate alpha via stock selection. It may also be attributed to strong equity performance propelled largely by a small number of mega-cap growth stocks. This rally has created wide valuation disparities between growth and value stocks along with large- and small-/mid-cap stocks. Many investors believe both are great environments for active managers. We expect increased demand for funds focused on valu...
TORRANCE, Calif., April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virco Mfg. Corporation (NASDAQ: VIRC), a leading manufacturer and supplier of moveable furniture and equipment for educational environments and public spaces, announced results for the Company’s fourth quarter and full fiscal year ended January 31, 2026.
TORRANCE, Calif., April 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virco Mfg. Corporation (NASDAQ: VIRC), a leading manufacturer and supplier of moveable furniture and equipment for educational environments and public spaces, announced results for the Company’s fourth quarter and full fiscal year ended January 31, 2026.
The Zepath eight-pack of rechargeable Li-ion batteries. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge Last September, a company named Lumafield scanned 1,000 cylindrical lithium-ion batteries to shine a light on the hidden risks of cheaping out . At roughly the same time, I found myself testing two awesome new kinds of AA battery that recharge using USB-C cables. It gave me an idea. Could we find the very...
The Zepath eight-pack of rechargeable Li-ion batteries. | Photo by Sean Hollister / The Verge Last September, a company named Lumafield scanned 1,000 cylindrical lithium-ion batteries to shine a light on the hidden risks of cheaping out . At roughly the same time, I found myself testing two awesome new kinds of AA battery that recharge using USB-C cables. It gave me an idea. Could we find the very best USB-C AA batteries by combining my own anecdotal testing with Lumafield's scanning tech ? The answer seems to be yes! Knowing what I now know, the Zepath 3600mWh is the only rechargeable lithium-ion AA I'd buy for myself - even though USB-C is in the charger, rather than each individual cell. Zepath 3600mWh USB-C Li-ion AA (8-pack) Wh … Read the full story at The Verge.