Even as a brutal selloff hits cryptocurrencies , ETF issuers are pushing ahead with new filings, betting demand will hold up through the downturn. At least two firms have filed fresh paperwork with US regulators this month. Bitwise Asset Management Inc. in recent days registered plans for a Uniswap-linked fund. ProShares joined the rush on Monday, seeking approval for leveraged Bitcoin and Ether ETFs. Issuer 21Shares has resubmitted paperwork for funds based on Ondo and Sei, suggesting progress as it moves ahead with plans to launch those funds. “Issuers – particularly 21Shares and Bitwise – are committed to the longer-term case for allocating to crypto,” said Todd Sohn , chief ETF strategist at Strategas. “The challenge will be if performance stalls for a prolonged run. That would challenge how much flows can be generated going forward.” The filings land in a crowded market, where more than 140 crypto-focused US ETFs already trade, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. At least 10 new ETFs focused on digital assets have debuted this year alone. More launches are expected in the coming days, including a BNB staking ETF. Read more: Bitcoin ETF Buyers Sit on Losses as Crypto Conviction Fades Cryptocurrencies have come under pressure again after October’s wave of liquidations hurt market confidence. Bitcoin has fallen sharply this month, pulling down smaller tokens as risk appetite fades, liquidity tightens and investors step back from speculative assets. Buyers who entered through US spot-Bitcoin exchange-traded funds paid an average of about $84,100 per coin, according to data this month from Sean Rose at digital-asset data firm Glassnode. With Bitcoin now trading near $66,000, the group is sitting on sizable average paper losses. And investors have been pulling money from exchange-traded funds focused on Bitcoin and Ether, with $1.5 billion taken from vehicles focused on the second-largest token over the past three months and more than $3.5 billion yanked from Bi...

北角劏房疑拖板電線短路起火 男住戶不適送院 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】北角有劏房起火，44歲男住戶不適送院。 有居民帶同寵物犬到樓下暫避。凌晨3時許，和富道和富大樓五樓一個劏房突然冒煙起火，消防派出一隊煙帽隊、開動一條喉灌救，約10分鐘將火救熄，約30名居民自行疏散，消防初步經調查後相信有拖板電線短路引致火警。

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) can sell some of its advanced AI chips into China, but it won't be on its own terms. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made that clear Tuesday, saying Nvidia must live with the guardrails attached to those licenses. According to Reuters, Lutnick stressed that the rules governing H200 GPU exports are detailed and were coordinated with the State Department. In other words, Washington is watching closely. When asked whether China could be trusted to stick to the restrictions, Lutnick pointed the question back to President Donald Trump. Last year, Trump approved limited H200 sales in exchange for 25% of the related revenue. Since then, companies like Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) and Tencent have reportedly been told they can prepare orders. The situation with ByteDance remains less clear, as negotiations continue over compliance terms.

俄烏戰爭｜澤連斯基否認本月24日宣布舉行總統選舉 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】烏克蘭總統澤連斯基否認在俄烏戰事爆發4周年當天宣布舉行總統選舉。 澤連斯基稱，2月24日是重要的特別日子，很多人為保衛國土而犧牲，認為在這天談論政治是非常愚蠢，他絕不會宣布舉行任何選舉，強調烏克蘭已做好選舉準備，但安全永遠比政治優先，只有實現停火，具備安全保障的情況下才能舉行選舉。 英國《金融時報》早前報道，澤連斯基本月24日將宣布舉行總統選舉及俄烏和平協議公投。

Let’s give it up for companies that are making affordable smart bulbs. Lifx is one, having recently released a two-pack of A19 / E26 LED bulbs at CES 2026 capable of white and color for just $24.99. These dimmable 800-lumen bulbs connect over Wi-Fi, and they’re compatible with Matter, making them work seamlessly with numerous smart home platforms. While their original price was already compelling, they’re now $19.99 at Amazon , which is their lowest price yet — just $10 per bulb. For perspective, a similar two-pack of color-changing Philips Hue bulbs currently costs $71.99. Lifx Everyday two-pack A19 smart bulbs Where to Buy: $24.99 $19.99 at Amazon The setup process is simple, whether you have a preexisting smart home platform at work in your home or not. The bulbs can connect to Google Home, Alexa, Apple Home, SmartThings ecosystems, or you can set them up within Lifx’s mobile app. Otherwise, the only requirement is 2.4GHz connectivity through your Wi-Fi router. Other Verge-approved deals happening now After a month or so of selling at their original $449 price, Sony’s WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones have returned once again to their lowest price yet of $398 at Amazon and Best Buy . These feature better sound and better active noise cancellation than the last-gen model. One of the biggest improvements over the XM5, depending on who you ask, is the XM6’s return to being foldable. The ear cups can swivel and fold upward into the headband, making them more compact to bring around than the last-gen model. This flexibility was previously seen in the XM4 model, so it’s great to have it back in Sony’s best headphones yet. Read our hands-on impressions. Through February 16th, you can get a 55-inch Panasonic Z85 OLED TV for $638.39 (originally $1,599, but it normally sells for around $800) before tax at eBay . It’s being sold by BuyDig, which has very positive ratings as a seller, and it’s notably cheaper on eBay than at Amazon , where it costs $697.99 (also through a third...

特朗普晤內塔尼亞胡 稱堅持與伊朗談判 To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 【有線新聞】美國總統特朗普會晤到訪的以色列總理內塔尼亞胡。 兩人在白宮閉門會面三小時，特朗普在社交平台稱會談沒有達成實質成果，他堅持與伊朗繼續談判，看看能否達成協議。他向內塔尼亞胡表示，美方首選是與伊朗達成協議，否則只能觀望事情發展，又重提伊朗上次拒絕達成協議，結果被美軍轟炸核設施。 以色列總理辦公室則說兩人討論伊朗、加沙及地區發展，並重申以方的安全需要，同意保持溝通。

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This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) and Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) were back in focus Tuesday as BNP Paribas stepped in to address the recent slide in enterprise software stocks, suggesting the sell-off may be driven more by AI anxiety than collapsing fundamentals. For Adobe, analyst Stefan Slowinski said the stock is feeling the weight of AI disruption fears. The company now has about 70 million free monthly active users, which is expanding its reach but stretching out monetization timelines. Management has guided to at least flat NNARR growth this year, but BNP believes it could take time before revenue growth meaningfully reaccelerates. April's Adobe Summit may help reset the narrative, likely focusing on how AI is enhancing products rather than replacing them.

thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA ( THYKF ): Q1 GAAP EPS of -€0.02. Sales of €147M (-43.9% Y/Y). More on thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA 2026 Q1 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA (THYKF) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA (THYKF) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA GAAP EPS of €0.04, revenue of €845M; initiates FY26 outlook Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on thyssenkrupp nucera AG & Co. KGaA

Earnings Call Insights: Pegasystems Inc. (PEGA) Q4 2025 Management View Kenneth Stillwell, COO & CFO, stated that "execution by our global sales team powered by our Blueprint experiential sales approach drove top line outperformance in 2025" and emphasized company-wide commitment to the Rule of 40, with robust internal adoption of AI as a driver for bottom line outperformance. Stillwell highlighted that "total ACV grew 17% year-over-year as reported and 14% in constant currency, beating our guidance," and Pega Cloud ACV rose "33% year-over-year as reported and 28% in constant currency," reflecting significant acceleration from the previous year. He attributed this to the Blueprint revolution, global sales execution, and increasing demand for Pega's AI agents. Net new ACV increased by 37% year-over-year in constant currency, with Stillwell noting, "Pega is deeply embedded in our clients' core operations through vertical specific workflows, and it's integrated at enterprise scale." Free cash flow increased 45% year-over-year to $491 million, exceeding guidance by $51 million. The company ended 2025 with $426 million in cash and investments, repaid $468 million of debt, repurchased $498 million of shares, and distributed $15 million in dividends. The Supreme Court of Virginia ruling eliminated the $2 billion verdict against the company. Stillwell announced 2026 guidance: "Total ACV growth of 15%. Total revenue of $2 billion, an increase of approximately 15%... and free cash flow of $575 million, a 17% increase over 2025." The Board authorized an additional $1 billion in buyback capacity. Alan Trefler, Founder, CEO & Chairman, stated, "In '25, we launched the Infinity platform as the first real agentic enterprise transformation platform," and stressed the company's readiness to pursue the $2 billion annual revenue mark. Trefler discussed the strategic advantage of Pega’s agentic approach to AI and workflow orchestration, contrasting it with competitors' reliance on gene...

In this article NVO Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar. CNBC Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar on Wednesday said the company is aiming to capture around 15 million new patients, at least initially, when Medicare starts covering obesity treatments for the first time later this year. Around 67 million Americans are covered by Medicare, but "when you take a look at specifically our products and the target group, I think around 15 million people would be a good number to target," he told CNBC in an interview. Medicare is slated to start covering obesity medicines for the first time later this year under the landmark "most favored nation" drug pricing deals that Novo and its chief rival Eli Lilly struck with President Donald Trump in November. Health experts say the long-awaited coverage could broaden the market for the medicines and spur more private insurers to cover them. Some experts estimate that 20 million to 30 million Medicare patients are suffering from obesity and related conditions. Doustdar said Medicare coverage, along with the launch of Novo's new obesity pill and other factors, should help the company gradually boost prescription volumes and offset lower prices in the U.S. following that agreement with Trump. But he said he doesn't expect Medicare access to obesity treatments to open up overnight. "Now, it would be great if we could find a way to get access very, very fast. But I think that would be a bit naive," Doustdar said, pointing to the slow adoption seen among eligible patients with commercial insurance. It's a slightly more conservative tone on the initial impact of Medicare coverage compared to Lilly, which has cited that coverage as a key tailwind to its guidance this year. Last week, Lilly said it expects Medicare coverage to come online by July. Meanwhile, Doustdar said Novo is in the midst of negotiations with the government on "exactly which month, which week that is going to be opening." Closing the ...

Key Points Verizon Communications is a slow grower delivering lots of income to shareholders. Chevron is a well-built energy company with a long history of dividend increases. UnitedHealth Group has been facing challenges in recent years. 10 stocks we like better than Verizon Communications › It's smart to be a dividend investor because dividends are terrific contributors to not only the portfolios of retirees but also those of younger folks. After all, that fairly regular and dependable income can also be used to buy more shares of stock. It's important, though, not to just seek the highest dividends you can find. So, don't just snap up shares of the highest-paying dividend stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (The Dow). Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » Dividend basics First, let's review some dividend basics. To compare apples to apples, we typically assess a stock's dividend yield, which is its annual dividend amount divided by its current stock price. So, if Scruffy's Chicken Shack (ticker: BUKBUK) pays $1 per quarter and is trading at $80 per share, the dividend yield is $4 divided by $80, which is 0.05, or 5%. It's important that the dividend yield can be expressed as a fraction, with the dividend on top and the share price below. That shows that when the share price shrinks, the yield's value goes up and vice versa. For example, if Scruffy's stock falls and is trading at $60, divide $4 by $60, and you'll get 0.067, or 6.7%. The stock is down, but the yield -- the percentage of the stock price that you'll receive annually in the form of a dividend -- goes up. That's why we need to tread cautiously when we're dividend-stock hunting and encounter outsize yields. Should you buy the highest-yielding stocks in the Dow? Back to our original question. The answer is...it depends. Do take an extra-long look at any such stocks to...

A British space company hoping to launch the first homegrown rocket from Scotland is on the brink of collapse, threatening 150 jobs and throwing doubt over the UK’s extraterrestrial ambitions. Orbex, which is based in the Scottish Highlands, is lining up administrators as hopes fade that it will strike a rescue deal or raise funds, despite having been handed £26m in government loans last year. The startup had planned to launch a rocket from a base on the Shetland Islands and was “on the cusp” of holding its first test flights in 2026, according to its chief executive, Phil Chambers. The company had also been in talks to raise fresh cash from the Treasury-backed National Wealth Fund, but that deal fell through at an “early stage” of discussions late last year, a source with knowledge of the situation said. Launch plans were also hit by repeated delays and Orbex eventually turned to a potential German buyer, The Exploration Company, which is developing a reusable spacecraft. On Wednesday, Orbex said it had examined several merger and acquisition options in an effort to stay afloat but none of had come to fruition. “Disappointing doesn’t come close to describing how we feel about this moment,” Chambers said. “We have been successfully developing a sustainable, world-class sovereign space launch capability for the UK and were on the cusp of our first test flights later this year.” He added: “It is no secret that designing and building space rockets to enable a launch service is a capital-intensive, highly advanced process with a long development cycle that creates a ‘scale-up’ funding gap. Institutional support is a crucial to bridge this gap and we have worked tirelessly to try to find both funding or rescue solutions.” Peter Kyle, the business secretary, approved £20m of taxpayer-funded loans to Orbex in January 2025, hailing its plan to launch small satellites into orbit as one that would “transform the UK space industry”. At the time, Dr Paul Bate, who steps down as...

In this article LYFT Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT watch now VIDEO 7:06 07:06 Lyft CEO David Risher on Q4 results: Record profits 'a result of our customer-obsessed strategy' Squawk Box Lyft CEO David Risher defended the company's fourth-quarter results Wednesday, telling CNBC that consumer demand remains strong. "We have record profits, generated over a billion dollars in cash, and that's a result of our customer-obsessed strategy, which just keeps working and growing the company," he told CNBC's " Squawk Box ." "So, love what we're seeing, and really no softness on the consumer side at all." Shares sank 15% Wednesday as ridership numbers disappointed Wall Street. The ride-sharing company reported 29.2 million active riders for the quarter, falling short of 29.5 million expected by analysts. Rides totaled 243.5 million for the period, missing estimates of 256.6 million. Risher highlighted Lyft teen accounts and the company's acquisition of European taxi app FreeNow as future growth drivers for the company. Lyft's launch of teen accounts on Monday came more than two years after rival Uber . Lyft issued soft first-quarter guidance, expecting bookings to fall between $4.86 billion and $5 billion, versus a FactSet estimate of $4.93 billion. The company projected an adjusted EBTIDA of $120 million to $140 million, compared to a FactSet consensus of $139.8 million. As robotaxis continue to expand, Risher noted Lyft's planned autonomous vehicle rollout. "We're positioned super well. We've got great partnerships with Waymo , with Baidu , with others," Risher said. "We'll be starting to bring some of their technology, some of their self-driving cars onto the roads in places like Nashville in 2026." Lyft's fourth-quarter revenue fell in line with expectations at an adjusted $1.76 billion. The company reported an adjusted 16 cents in earnings per share, beating expectations of 12 cents. Both revenue and earnings per share had several exclusions and adjustmen...

经济学家发现，Kalshi、Polymarket 等预测市场不仅擅长预判政治事件，对经济数据的预测也相当精准。 作者：莉迪亚・德皮利斯 拿着高薪、负责判断经济走向的顶尖银行与投资机构经济学家们，原本预计周三公布的最新就业报告显示上月新增就业约 6.8 万人 。 而在预测网站 Kalshi 上下注的一群匿名网络赌徒，则预计新增 5.4 万人 。 最终报告显示，美国经济年初新增 13 万人 就业。 两边都大幅偏离实际，且偏差程度相近 。 美国国家经济研究局上月发布的一篇工作论文发现，在 Kalshi 上线的五年里，平台上数千名赌徒对部分经济指标的 平均预测准确度，堪比受过专业训练的机构预测师 。这群散户还能较好预判美联储的利率决议，在预测通胀率方面甚至 优于专业人士 。 约翰・霍普金斯大学经济学教授、论文合著者乔纳森・赖特表示： “从一大群人那里汇集信息，会是一种非常出色的预测方式。” 投资机构杰富瑞的美国经济学家托马斯・西蒙斯，曾在预测市场显示凯文・沃什领跑特朗普美联储主席人选时感到意外。西蒙斯原本认为这不可能，因为沃什过去一直主张加息，而非特朗普偏好的降息。 “他怎么可能排在第一位？这完全说不通。” 西蒙斯回忆当时的想法。 但结果证明市场是对的，他也意识到自己不该无视赔率。 他发现，下注者有一个优势： 如果没有十足把握，他们可以选择不预测 。而专业预测师别无选择 —— 即便数据混乱、对数字没有信心，也必须给出猜测。 “就算你不觉得自己有任何优势，每个月也必须预测这些数据。” 西蒙斯说， “这让我开始觉得，真正有信息优势的人，才会参与进来。” 伦敦商学院与耶鲁大学经济学家的另一篇工作论文发现，整体来看，Polymarket 的下注者对企业盈利的预测， 比那些拿薪水、为投资者提供买卖建议的分析师更准确 。 参与该研究的耶鲁大学教授泰斯・詹森认为，数千名业余人士表现相对出色，原因在于 激励机制 。 专业分析师可能存在利益冲突，比如所在机构的交易佣金，会因更乐观的预测而增加。分析师也不愿发布偏离共识的盈利预测，因为标新立异比随大流更容易难堪。 “预测市场的好处在于，你必须 用真金白银为自己的观点买单 。” 詹森说， “这会强烈激励你说出真实判断。” 当然，这一道理已存在数十年。 最早的在线预测市场于 2000 年代初出现，Intrade 等网站主要聚焦选举与国际大事概率，普...

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Jacqueline Kiyomi Gork has created a sound installation emulating second world war spaces: a Japanese internment camp in California and caves used as bunkers in Okinawa In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, the great-uncle of the Japanese-American, Los Angeles-based artist Jacqueline Kiyomi Gork was stationed on the island as a US solider, having volunteered for service probably in the hopes that his family might be spared from the Japanese internment camps back home. They weren’t, and so while his siblings and parents were incarcerated at Tule Lake in northern California, he was on the frontlines in what has been deemed one of the bloodiest conflicts in the Pacific during the second world war. The caves of Okinawa were used “almost as bunkers to protect people”, Kiyomi Gork explains. “But they were also spaces of mass suicide because of Japanese propaganda.” Local Uchinanchu who took refuge there were instructed by Japanese soldiers to kill themselves, rather than face what they were told would be a violent fate at the hands of the US army. As one of the few American soldiers who spoke Japanese, Kiyomi Gork’s great-uncle worked to ensure their safe passage. Continue reading...

Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET Call participants Chair, President, and Chief Executive Officer — Ward Nye Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer — Michael Petro Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications — Jacklyn Rooker Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Takeaways Aggregates Revenue -- $1.2 billion for the quarter, an 8% increase year over year. -- $1.2 billion for the quarter, an 8% increase year over year. Aggregates Gross Profit -- $420 million for the quarter, up 11% year over year. -- $420 million for the quarter, up 11% year over year. Aggregates Gross Profit per Ton -- $8.59 for Q4, increasing 9% from the prior year. -- $8.59 for Q4, increasing 9% from the prior year. Aggregates Gross Margin -- 34% in Q4, expanding by 93 basis points. -- 34% in Q4, expanding by 93 basis points. Full-year Building Materials Revenues -- $5.7 billion for 2025, a 7% year-over-year increase, driven by aggregates performance. -- $5.7 billion for 2025, a 7% year-over-year increase, driven by aggregates performance. Full-year Building Materials Gross Profit -- $1.8 billion, up 13% year over year, with gross margin expanding 173 basis points to 31%. -- $1.8 billion, up 13% year over year, with gross margin expanding 173 basis points to 31%. Aggregates Price Growth -- 6.9% for the year, with aggregate volume growth of 3.8%. -- 6.9% for the year, with aggregate volume growth of 3.8%. Full-year Aggregates Gross Profit -- $1.7 billion, with gross margin up 143 basis points to 34%. -- $1.7 billion, with gross margin up 143 basis points to 34%. Price-Cost Spread -- 239 basis points for aggregates in 2025, exceeding the SOAR 2025 target. -- 239 basis points for aggregates in 2025, exceeding the SOAR 2025 target. Specialties Business Revenues -- $441 million for the year, setting a new high. -- $441 million for the year, setting a new high. Specialties Business Gross Profit -- $137 millio...

View of the trading floor of New York Stock Exchange by Lev Radin via Shutterstock The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is down -0.02%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -0.19%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is up +0.10%. March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) are down -0.08%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) are up +0.13%. Stock indexes gave up an early advance today and turned mixed, led by a selloff in software companies. Also, today’s stronger-than-expected US Jan payrolls report pushed bond yields higher and dampened expectations for additional Fed interest rate cuts, weighing on stocks. The 10-year T-note yield is up +3 bp to 4.17%, and the chance of a Fed rate cut at next month’s FOMC meeting fell to 8% from 23% before today’s payroll report. Stock indexes initially moved higher today, with the S&P 500 posting a 2-week high and the Nasdaq 100 posting a 1-week high. Stocks found support on today’s better-than-expected monthly US jobs report that showed nonfarm payrolls increased more than expected last month by the most in 13 months, and the unemployment rate unexpectedly declined, signaling a stable labor market. US MBA mortgage applications fell -0.3% in the week ended February 6, with the purchase mortgage sub-index down -2.4% and the refinancing mortgage sub-index up +1.2%. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was unchanged from the prior week at 6.21%. US Jan nonfarm payrolls rose +130,000, stronger than expectations of +65,000 and the most in 13 months. The Jan unemployment rate unexpectedly fell -0.1 to 4.3%, showing a stronger labor market than expectations of no change at 4.4%. US Jan average hourly earnings rose +3.7% y/y, right on expectations. The annual benchmark revision to 2025 US payrolls subtracted -862,000 jobs, a larger revision than the -825,000 expected. Comments today from Kansas City Fed President Jeff Schmid were bearish for stocks and bonds when he said, "In my view, further rate cuts risk allowing high...

Ghana’s central bank is urging the country’s lenders to tap into pension funds’ huge resources by offering shares and listing on the stock market. Going public will boost financial stability at a time that “macroeconomic stability has improved, confidence is returning, and domestic long-term capital is growing rapidly,” Bank of Ghana Governor Johnson Asiama said Tuesday in the capital, Accra, to encourage bank listings. Supported by gold’s rally in Africa’s top producer of the metal, Ghana’s currency appreciated against the dollar for the first time in at least three decades last year, and its stock market was the top performer worldwide in local currency and dollar terms. Inflation slowed to a near 30-year low of 3.8% in January from 23.5% a year earlier, and the central bank has cut interest rates by 1,250 basis points within the space of 10 months to 15.5%. Out of the country’s 23 lenders, only eight are listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange, including units of Standard Chartered Plc , Societe Generale SA and Ecobank Transnational Inc. The central bank has been pushing lenders to build up more capital since Ghana completed a debt restructuring in 2024 to make its loans more sustainable, and as part of the exercise, imposing interest losses and hurting the solvency of few institutions. “Listing banks therefore is not about transactions for their own sake,” Asiama said. “It is about transparency, market discipline, and deliberately connecting long-term domestic savings to the banking system in a way that supports sustainable growth.” Pension funds currently have more than 100 billion cedis ($9 billion) of assets under management, Asiama said. The retirement funds at the moment hold between 15% and 35% of the equity of listed banks, “demonstrating that domestic institutional investors are willing and able to anchor bank ownership when the right frameworks are in place.”

KanawatTH/iStock via Getty Images In the span of just a few short months, the software and technology sectors have deteriorated from being one of the hottest places to invest to one of the scariest. Many software stocks have shed billions in market value as widespread panic emerges about the rising capabilities of AI to rip out entrenched enterprise software products. The pain has been equally broad-based across small and large stocks, but particularly in the small-cap space, few companies have been as hard hit as Vertex, Inc. ( VERX ), a sales tax compliance platform. Vertex has lost ~70% of its value over the past year, even as growth maintains a steady pace and Vertex continues its trajectory of margin expansion. Data by YCharts I last wrote a "Buy" article on Vertex in November, when the stock was still trading at $20 per share. To me, Vertex has become an even more obvious buy at $16. The company's recent, well-received Q4 earnings print and FY26 outlook may help fuel momentum back in the name. We think this is a well-entrenched software business that is getting its groove back in terms of landing new customers while also being one of very few software companies in its niche. I reiterate my "Buy" rating here. A quick anecdotal aside on the burgeoning fear that AI is displacing software. Recently, I asked ChatGPT what I consider to be a midlevel tax question, specifically concerning the qualified business income deduction. The chatbot returned a wrong answer on eligibility thresholds and only confessed to its mistake when pushed. That's a personal tax matter, and a fairly more basic one. Now imagine the perspective of a business dealing with indirect tax laws at the national, regional, and local levels. In my view, very few businesses will want to turn over the automated compliance that Vertex provides to a self-vibe-coded AI agent. The costs of getting such a thorny issue wrong are too high. While Vertex may not necessarily be a growth star in the software spac...

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) listens during a House Rules Committee meeting on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act at the U.S. Capitol on May 21, 2025. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images The House will vote Wednesday afternoon on an election bill backed by President Donald Trump that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and require photo identification at the ballot box. The SAVE America Act , introduced by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, has been the focus of a pressure campaign from the White House, hard-line congressional Republicans and online influencers like Elon Musk . Democrats and voting rights groups, meanwhile, say the legislation would disenfranchise millions of Americans, make it harder to register to vote and put more power in the hands of Trump and the federal government ahead of what is expected to be a difficult midterm election for the GOP. "It's the president's wishes that elections be turned over to him and his administration," said Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., referring to Trump's recent comments about nationalizing American elections . Read more CNBC politics coverage Trump Canada tariffs face House vote after Republican leaders fail to block rebellion These Democrats aren’t ready to jettison big business as party stalwarts shift left DC grand jury declines to indict Sens. Kelly, Slotkin for seditious conspiracy: MS Now "He wants to do it because Republicans know that if the midterm election go off as they expect they should … he will lose the majority of the House, probably lose the majority in the Senate," Morelle, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal elections, told reporters on Tuesday. Under the U.S. Constitution, states are granted control of most aspects of elections. An amended version of the SAVE America Act advanced out of the House Rules Committee on Tuesday. The House is scheduled to take a procedural vote on the measure early Wednesday afternoon, then vote on the underlying bill later i...