The EV manufacturer is set to go all-in on a new product later this year. In the history of electric vehicles, no model has been more transformative to the entire auto industry than the Tesla (TSLA 1.43%) Model S. However, Tesla recently announced that the Model S and Model X will be discontinued, and the factory where they're produced will be repurposed. In this short video, Fool.com analysts Tyler Crowe and Matt Frankel discuss why this is happening and whether they think it's a good move. *Stock prices used were the morning prices of Jan 29, 2026. The video was published on Feb.1, 2026.

Source: Bloomberg, 5:58

蔚來發盈喜，預計去年第四季經調整經營利潤至少約7億元人民幣，前一年同期則錄得經調整經營虧損逾55億元人民幣。 主要由於期內銷量增長、毛利率優化，以及推行降本增效措施所致。

META针对其“Vibes”视频应用进行独立测试。(财联社) 免责声明： 风险提示：本文内容仅供参考，不代表同花顺观点。同花顺各类信息服务基于人工智能算法，如有出入请以证监会指定上市公司信息披露平台为准。如有投资者据此操作，风险自担，同花顺对此不承担任何责任。

lixu/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Introduction With Alphabet Inc. aka Google ( GOOG / GOOGL / GOOG:CA ) just releasing its latest quarterly earnings, I believe that it is important to review my Strong Buy thesis on the company, especially as the market has been jittery about the massive spending that hyperscalers have doing in the AI race. Since I first reviewed the company back in April 2025, Alphabet has seen its stock price appreciate by nearly 115%, and the big question would be if it can continue its trajectory going into 2026. Though glancing at the company’s Q4, I believe that the answer is yes, especially as it crossed the astonishing $400B annual revenue milestone, proving that its suite of products and services is holding its MOAT in the age of AI. Current Dynamics I’ll now dive deeper into the quarter in which Alphabet posted a double beat that, in my opinion, silenced the critics. Quarterly revenue hit $113.8 billion, representing an 18% Y/Y increase and beating estimates by over $2.4 billion. On the bottom line, Q4 GAAP EPS stood at $2.82, a beat of 18 cents. This highlights how, despite massive AI spending, GOOG’s efficiency measures are effectively working. Segment-wise, the big winner has been undeniably Google Cloud, with revenue surging 48% to $17.7 billion . This continues the incredible growth rate trajectory that the segment has been experiencing, plus, following the trend of many in the industry, the backlog has grown from $155B in Q3 to a massive $240B. The backlog has effectively doubled Y/Y, driving the narrative. What should truly enthuse investors is the Cloud backlog, which exploded from $155 billion in Q3 to a mind-bending $240 billion in Q4 . This backlog has more than doubled year-over-year, thanks in part to the massive influx of +$1B enterprise deals. Apparently, 75% of Google Cloud customers are now using the firm’s vertically optimized AI solutions, ranging from TPU chips to the Vertex AI platform, showing the upsell strength...

Alphabet: The Tech Conglomerate To Own (NASDAQ:GOOG) Seeking Alpha

LindaJoHeilman/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Jack in the Box ( JACK ) management is urging shareholders to support its current board and endorse the “JACK on Track” plan, aimed at accelerating cash flow, strengthening the balance sheet through debt reduction, and boosting profitability by shuttering underperforming restaurants to create a more asset-light operation. By successfully implementing these initiatives, Jack in the Box ( JACK ) hopes to reverse a 72% decline in its share price over the last 3 years and ~80% erosion in profits. In a letter to shareholders ahead of its February 27 annual meeting, Jack in the Box ( JACK ) is attempting to head off a campaign by Biglari Capital to remove independent board chairman David Goebel. Despite the board’s efforts to engage with Biglari to diffuse the “distracting proxy contest,” the investment firm launched a “vote no” campaign against Goebel, which Jack in the Box ( JACK ) management believes is intended to “advance the Biglari Group’s own interest rather than those of all Jack in the Box shareholders,” the company said in its letter. The company believes that the board is instrumental in the successful implementation of its "JACK on Track" plan and specifically notes Goebel’s “expertise as one of the most qualified franchise executives in the quick-service restaurant and casual dining sector.” “We believe that removing the Chair of our Board as a result of the Biglari Group’s campaign would significantly weaken the Board’s ability to oversee our execution of ‘JACK on Track’ and put the future value of your investment at risk,” the letter states. However, with the stock down nearly 50% year-over-year, the investment risk has become especially acute for shareholders. Plagued by declining traffic fueled by high menu prices, inflated labor costs in California, and efficiency challenges in its restaurants, Jack in the Box ( JACK ) saw its margins compressed and debt level swell to more than $1.5B, leading to suspende...

Dow's 500-point fall led by losses for shares of Amazon.com Inc., Salesforce MSN

A long-awaited recovery in the farm sector appears to be in sight as AGCO Corp. , one of the world’s biggest agriculture equipment makers, is predicting an increase in sales for the first time in three years in 2026. The manufacturer of Massey Ferguson and Fendt tractors estimated net sales just above last year, according to a Thursday statement . While the sale of new machines is set to remain sluggish, growers need to update soon and are increasingly retrofitting existing equipment with artificial-intelligence packed components that help them more precisely plant, treat and harvest fields. “The future looks brighter,” Chief Executive Officer Eric Hansotia said on a call with investors. “Two thousand and twenty-five was the bottom of the trough, and the fleets in our major markets are at the peak of their age.” Shares rose as much as 5.6%, the highest in two years, before later falling. The optimism also comes after data earlier this week showed plummeting sentiment among farmers as disrupted soybean exports limit cashflows. President Donald Trump raised hopes Wednesday when he said China was considering buying more than an initial 12 million tons of US soybeans. However, even if China bought additional cargoes, targeted volumes would likely still be below recent years. Meanwhile, a tranche of $12 billion in aid to US farmers has yet to translate to sales for AGCO, Chief Financial Officer Damon Audia said on the call . Sales Bump For 2026, net sales could rise to between $10.4 billion and $10.7 billion, AGCO said. That’s above a Bloomberg estimate of $10.07 billion and surpasses sales in the year ended Dec. 31 of $10.08 billion. Fourth-quarter earnings also topped analyst estimates. “AGCO delivered a strong top- and bottom-line beat to finish 2025,” Oppenheimer analyst Kristen Owen said in a note. The company kicked off the earnings cycle ahead of bigger rivals Deere & Co. and CNH Industrial NV , which are expected to report in the weeks ahead. Hansotia said AGCO i...

Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026 at 11 a.m. ET Call participants Chief Executive Officer — Court Schnabel Chief Financial Officer — Scott [Executive relating to Investment Activities] — Jim Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Takeaways Core Earnings per Share -- $0.50 for the fourth quarter and $2.01 for the full year, above the dividend in every quarter. -- $0.50 for the fourth quarter and $2.01 for the full year, above the dividend in every quarter. GAAP Net Income per Share -- $0.41 for the fourth quarter, compared to $0.57 in the prior quarter and $0.55 in 2024; $1.86 for the full year, down from $2.44 in 2024. -- $0.41 for the fourth quarter, compared to $0.57 in the prior quarter and $0.55 in 2024; $1.86 for the full year, down from $2.44 in 2024. Return on Equity -- Core ROE of 10% for the year, consistent with long-term historical averages. -- Core ROE of 10% for the year, consistent with long-term historical averages. Dividend Track Record -- Regular quarterly dividends paid for sixty-six consecutive quarters; Q1 2026 dividend set at $0.48 per share, payable March 31. -- Regular quarterly dividends paid for sixty-six consecutive quarters; Q1 2026 dividend set at $0.48 per share, payable March 31. Net Asset Value -- Ended at $14.3 billion ($19.94 per share), up 0.25% year over year and down 0.35% from the prior quarter. -- Ended at $14.3 billion ($19.94 per share), up 0.25% year over year and down 0.35% from the prior quarter. Portfolio Size -- $29.5 billion at fair value, a 3% sequential increase and a 10% increase year over year. -- $29.5 billion at fair value, a 3% sequential increase and a 10% increase year over year. Gross Originations -- Full-year new commitments reached a record $15.8 billion, with Q4 originations of $5.8 billion, up over 50% year over year. -- Full-year new commitments reached a record $15.8 billion, with Q4 originations of $5.8 billion, up over 50% year over year. Borrower Diversific...

Russian, Ukrainian and US teams took part in the talks in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, with the main sticking points believed to be territorial concessions Ukraine is under pressure to make and security guarantees for it to prevent further Russian attacks if a deal is agreed to end the four-year war.

沙特阿美将3月份运往亚洲的阿拉伯轻质OSP下调30美分/桶。(财联社) 免责声明： 风险提示：本文内容仅供参考，不代表同花顺观点。同花顺各类信息服务基于人工智能算法，如有出入请以证监会指定上市公司信息披露平台为准。如有投资者据此操作，风险自担，同花顺对此不承担任何责任。

24K-Production/iStock via Getty Images The Bear Is Waking Up From Hibernation You may not have noticed it, since the market is still in bull mode. But the bear is here and is hitting some sectors hard. The cause is the same that is driving the current bull market: AI. Software stocks are bleeding, but today I want to focus on two stocks that belong to many superinvestors portfolios and that, until a few weeks ago, seemed indestructible. I am talking about the rating agency duopoly, where Moody's ( MCO ) and S&P Global ( SPGI ) share the pie. The former is still $30 away from entering bear territory, while the latter is just a few bucks away from being down 20% from its highs. After having dealt with several head-to-head comparisons (perhaps the two most popular ones that I wrote were the Deere-Caterpillar comparison and the Visa-Mastercard one), let's use the same methodology. We will first deal with the economics of the business and then score the two businesses across several key metrics. This will become even more important as both companies will report earnings in a week or two. Seeking Alpha Understanding the Business(es) Moody's and S&P Global, together with Fitch, make up an oligopoly on credit ratings. The debt market has to go through them; in particular, it has to deal with at least one of the first two. If a company, an institution, or a government needs or wants to borrow money, a rating is a must-have to prove their creditworthiness and to be able to pay the lowest possible interest rate. To this extent, both MCO and SPGI saw declining debt volume from 2022 to mid-2024 because some debt issuance was postponed due to the expectations of an easing cycle ahead. In any case, due to the key positions that Moody's and S&P Global hold, they exercise huge pricing power every time they have to issue a rating. In 2026, we are going to see a maturity wall, which will force debt refinancing. MCO Q3 2025 Earnings Presentation In addition, we will see a couple of rat...

fcafotodigital Long-term mortgage rates continue to be at their lowest level in years, according to the latest Freddie Mac ( FMCC ) Primary Mortgage Survey. 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.11% as of February 5, up marginally from 6.10% last week and down from 6.89% in the same period a year ago. 15-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 5.50%, up from 5.49% a week ago and below the year-ago level of 6.05%. "The combination of improving affordability and availability of homes to purchase is a positive sign for buyers and sellers heading into the spring home sales season," said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's chief economist. More related to Mortgages Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac shares extend rise after Bill Pulte comments Mortgage demand declines again even as rates drop

President Trump will announce the launch of the TrumpRx website during an event Thursday evening at 7p ET. The platform will provide a gateway for consumers to purchase prescription drugs discounted from some of the largest drugmakers, including Eli Lilly ( LLY ), Pfizer ( PFE ), Novo Nordisk ( NVO ), and AstraZeneca ( AZN ). The development was first reported by A x ios . Other drugmakers that have agreed to participate in TrumpRx are Amgen ( AMGN ), Bristol Myers Squibb ( BMY ), Roche ( RHHBY ), Gilead Sciences ( GILD ), GSK ( GSK ), and Merck ( MRK ). More on drugmakers Eli Lilly and Company 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Eli Lilly Soars, Novo Nordisk Plummets On GLP/Obesity Updates - Here's What To Do Bristol-Myers posts Q4 beat as growth portfolio offsets legacy headwinds Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Non-GAAP EPS of $1.26 beats by $0.06, revenue of $12.5B beats by $220M

At least 18 people died on Thursday after an explosion ripped through an illegal coal mine in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya, officials said. “During the course of the rescue operation, a total of 18 dead bodies have been recovered from the site of the explosion,” local police said in a statement. Eight other people were injured, said Manish Kumar, top official in East Jaintia Hills district where the explosion happened. Advertisement Rescuers were digging through the rubble at the site to find out if more miners were trapped inside but the operations halted at sundown. Kumar said it was an “illegal rathole mine” and that authorities were awaiting staff from state and federal disaster management agencies to resume the search on Friday morning. Advertisement Rathole mines are deep vertical shafts dug mostly into hillsides that branch out into narrow tunnels to reach and retrieve coal and other minerals. A federal environment court banned rathole mining in Meghalaya in 2014 after local communities complained it was polluting water sources and putting lives at risk.

Spare a thought for pound sterling. Little more than a week ago it was riding high at $1.385, a peak not seen since 2021. Now, however, at the time of writing, it is down three cents to $1.354 — among the worst-performing major currencies. What a fall from grace. The move is due to some international factors, including Donald Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chair, but today the currency has been weighed down by two very domestic events. The first concerns another fall from grace, at least if you consider Peter Mandelson’s career to have ever been graceful. The stain of his appointment as ambassador to the US is threatening Keir Starmer’s leadership to such an extent that markets have priced in the risk of a more left-wing, free-spending Labour prime minister coming to power. This morning, Starmer personally apologised to victims of the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose friendship with Mandelson has been particularly exposed. It was all Starmer could do, really, amid a volley of criticism of his judgement. Sympathy for the prime minister is in short supply, although housing secretary Steve Reed did a valiant job of defending his boss on breakfast radio. Starmer loyalists clearly want to say: “Look, what was he supposed to do, faced with four years of MAGA across the pond? We had to get a trade deal out of a president who loves tariffs! We had to make Trump like us! Only Mandelson had the connections, experience and pragmatism to do this.” But of course, they don’t have the luxury of being quite so blunt. Among the many public figures expressing their dismay at Mandelson’s actions in government was, a little surprisingly, Andrew Bailey. The Bank of England governor normally insists he can’t comment on political matters, but he made an exception for the scandal of the day. “How is it that we live in a society in which this happened, while the cover-up happened as well,” Bailey said . “I think that is a very fundamental question that we h...

Maryland Gov. Moore Caught In Yet Another Background Lie? Authored by Luis Cornelio via Headline USA , Not only did Maryland Gov. Wes Moore lie about a Bronze Star, his Baltimore origins, a fictional football Hall of Fame introduction and his academic credentials , but a new report also suggests he fabricated a story about his great-grandfather fleeing the KKK. The report, published Wednesday by the Washington Free Beacon, centered on Moore’s repeated claim that his maternal great-grandfather, Rev. Josiah Johnson Thomas, fled South Carolina for Jamaica after narrowly escaping a lynching by the KKK in the 1920s. Moore has repeatedly referenced the story as a sign of strength, portraying Thomas as a preacher who, along with his son, Moore’s grandfather, was targeted for rebuking racism in South Carolina. However, the Free Beacon reported that the “straight out of Hollywood” story appears to be “false” as it is “flatly contradicted by historical records.” According to the report, records do confirm that Thomas preached during the 1920s and later moved to Jamaica, the Caribbean island where he was born. The same records from the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Carolina indicate the move followed his appointment to replace a Jamaican pastor who died suddenly a week earlier. Moore has claimed that the move occurred quietly in the middle of the night, while the Free Beacon reported that the records show the appointment was public and made in an organized manner. Those same records make no reference to the KKK. In fact, the outlet added that data from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Mapping of the Second Ku Klux Klan shows the group did not maintain a chapter near Thomas’s church in Pineville during that period. Moore’s office responded dismissively to the report, with spokesperson Ammar Moussa accusing the outlet of being fixated on the governor, a potential 2028 presidential candidate. “The Free Beacon’s fixation on Governor Moore is mildly amusing....

Legendary investor Warren Buffett advises to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which measures momentum on a scale of zero to 100. A stock is considered to be oversold if the RSI reading falls below 30. In trading on Monday, shares of Affirm Holdings Inc (Symbol: AFRM) entered into oversold territory, hitting an RSI reading of 29.8, after changing hands as low as $44.16 per share. By comparison, the current RSI reading of the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is 29.2. A bullish investor could look at AFRM's 29.8 RSI reading today as a sign that the recent heavy selling is in the process of exhausting itself, and begin to look for entry point opportunities on the buy side. The chart below shows the one year performance of AFRM shares: Looking at the chart above, AFRM's low point in its 52 week range is $22.25 per share, with $82.527 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $46.12. Find out what 9 other oversold stocks you need to know about » Also see: The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Legendary investor Warren Buffett advises to be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. One way we can try to measure the level of fear in a given stock is through a technical analysis indicator called the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which measures momentum on a scale of zero to 100. A stock is considered to be oversold if the RSI reading falls below 30. In trading on Thursday, shares of Marathon Digital Holdings Inc (Symbol: MARA) entered into oversold territory, hitting an RSI reading of 29.7, after changing hands as low as $7.24 per share. By comparison, the current RSI reading of the S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is 39.9. A bullish investor could look at MARA's 29.7 RSI reading today as a sign that the recent heavy selling is in the process of exhausting itself, and begin to look for entry point opportunities on the buy side. The chart below shows the one year performance of MARA shares: Looking at the chart above, MARA's low point in its 52 week range is $7.24 per share, with $23.45 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $7.50. Find out what 9 other oversold stocks you need to know about » Also see: The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Investors in Alphabet Inc (Symbol: GOOG) saw new options begin trading today, for the March 27th expiration. At Stock Options Channel , our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the GOOG options chain for the new March 27th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest. The put contract at the $260.00 strike price has a current bid of $1.81. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $260.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $258.19 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of GOOG, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $318.84/share today. Because the $260.00 strike represents an approximate 18% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 91%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 0.70% return on the cash commitment, or 5.09% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost. Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for Alphabet Inc, and highlighting in green where the $260.00 strike is located relative to that history: Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $325.00 strike price has a current bid of $13.15. If an investor was to purchase shares of GOOG stock at the current price level of $318.84/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $325.00. Considering the call seller will...

Investors in JD.com, Inc. (Symbol: JD) saw new options become available today, for the March 27th expiration. At Stock Options Channel , our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the JD options chain for the new March 27th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest. The put contract at the $26.00 strike price has a current bid of 60 cents. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $26.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $25.40 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of JD, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $27.25/share today. Because the $26.00 strike represents an approximate 5% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 66%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 2.31% return on the cash commitment, or 16.86% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost. Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for JD.com, Inc., and highlighting in green where the $26.00 strike is located relative to that history: Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $30.00 strike price has a current bid of 40 cents. If an investor was to purchase shares of JD stock at the current price level of $27.25/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $30.00. Considering the call seller will also col...

Aree Sarak/iStock via Getty Images As we approach Bladex’s ( BLX ) 2026 investor day, to be held on March 24, I thought it worthwhile to go back and look at what management said in their last investor day - back in 2022 - and how things turned out since then. I have covered the bank frequently, as they have become a little more well-known amongst the capital markets. Owning shares since 2019, which then traded at a substantial discount to book value (0.6x BV), and not covered by any institutional analysts. Today, the discount to book has disappeared and the re-vamped IR team has attracted a decent analyst following (six in total, but still mostly from LatAm banks - plus Jeffries). The CAGR from my $18/share cost to today’s $50/share is about 19%, before adjusting for some 6% dividend yield on average through the period. Quite naturally, it is not reasonable to expect the same performance for the next five years, mainly given the valuation discount is much reduced. On the other hand, ROE has improved markedly. Risk and credit losses continue to surprise in a good way and so the stock can still produce market-beating returns going forward. I continue to rate it a Hold. But this is a bullish hold, as I continue to own it in size but have not bought new shares in the past couple of years. That may change if I see actions meant to close the valuation gap (more on that follows). A short summary on the Bladex banking model: Skip this part if you already know Bladex. For those of you who don’t, please go here if you would like a more in-depth description. Bladex, based in Panama, lends in practically all countries in Latin America. Their loan book is heavily weighted toward trade-finance and trade related short term instruments like letters of credit and factoring. Because they hold an investment grade rating, they can fund their treasury cheaper than most other banks and corporates in the region. Lending spreads are not large, but also credit losses are almost nil. The hig...

Meta is testing a standalone Vibes app, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday. Launched last September, Vibes lets you create and share short-form AI-generated videos and access a dedicated feed that displays AI videos from others. Think TikTok or Instagram Reels, but every single video you come across is AI-generated. Until now, the feed has lived in the Meta AI app. By making Vibes available outside of the Meta AI app, the company is positioning it as a more direct competitor to Sora, OpenAI’s AI-generated video and social app that launched shortly after Vibes. “Following the strong early traction of Vibes within Meta AI, we are testing a standalone app to build on that momentum,” Meta said in an emailed statement. “We’ve seen that users are increasingly leaning into the format to create, discover, and share AI-generated video with friends. This standalone app provides a dedicated home for that experience, offering people a more focused and immersive environment. We will look to expand the app further based on what we learn from the community.” The news was first reported by Platformer. Meta says it doesn’t share specific numbers, but claims Vibes has performed well, with Meta AI usage continuing to grow steadily since its launch, which it believes signals demand for a standalone app. The tech giant also notes that while users engage with content in Meta AI, a standalone app allows for a more focused experience for creation and engagement. Vibes lets users generate a video from scratch or remix a video that they see on their feed. Before publishing, you can add new visuals, layer in music, and adjust styles. You can then post the video directly to the Vibes feed, DM it to others, or cross-post to Instagram and Facebook Stories and Reels. Meta says collaboration and sharing are on the rise, with many Vibes videos being messaged to friends, which the company says mirrors how people use Reels. It’s worth noting that Meta told TechCrunch last week that, in a...

Alphabet, Qualcomm, Broadcom, AMD, Strategy, Novo Nordisk, Estee Lauder, and More Movers Barron's

These Stocks Are Today’s Movers: Alphabet, Qualcomm, Broadcom, AMD, Strategy, Novo Nordisk, Amazon, and More Barron's

March 27th Options Now Available For Alphabet (GOOG) Nasdaq

Rio Tinto and Glencore have abandoned plans for a $260bn merger, walking away from a deal that would have created the world’s largest mining company. Rio Tinto said it was no longer considering a “merger or other business combination” with Glencore after it “determined that it could not reach an agreement that would deliver value to its shareholders”. Glencore said the key terms of the potential offer, which would have seen Rio keep both the chair and chief executive roles, “significantly undervalued Glencore’s underlying relative value contribution to the combined group”. The company added the deal did not adequately value its copper business and growth pipeline, and concluded that the merger was not in the best interests of its shareholders. It marks the third time that talks to combine the two commodities giants have collapsed, after discussions were revived last month. Shares in Glencore fell by as much as 10.8% on the news, before recouping some losses, making them the biggest faller on the FTSE 100, while shares in Rio Tinto slid by 1.4%. Rio decided not to progress with the deal on Thursday, which marked the “put up or shut up” (PUSU) deadline, requiring it to make a firm offer for Glencore or walk away, unless both sides agreed to extend. Under UK takeover rules, Rio is prevented from making a bid or taking other steps towards a takeover for six months, unless the Takeover Panel consents or specific exceptions apply. Rio, which was founded in 1873 and has an enterprise value of $162bn, said in January that the deal under discussion would have potentially resulted in it acquiring Glencore. The mining company employs about 60,000 employees across 35 countries, while Glencore – which was established in the 1970s as a trading company – has operations in more than 30 countries and a workforce of about 150,000 through employees and contractors. The idea of combining the two companies has been raised several times over the past two decades and was floated the first...

Investors in Shopify Inc (Symbol: SHOP) saw new options become available today, for the March 27th expiration. At Stock Options Channel , our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the SHOP options chain for the new March 27th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest. The put contract at the $105.00 strike price has a current bid of $7.45. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $105.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $97.55 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of SHOP, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $109.87/share today. Because the $105.00 strike represents an approximate 4% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 63%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 7.10% return on the cash commitment, or 51.84% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost. Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for Shopify Inc, and highlighting in green where the $105.00 strike is located relative to that history: Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $115.00 strike price has a current bid of $8.95. If an investor was to purchase shares of SHOP stock at the current price level of $109.87/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $115.00. Considering the call seller will ...

Investors in DraftKings Inc (Symbol: DKNG) saw new options begin trading today, for the March 27th expiration. At Stock Options Channel , our YieldBoost formula has looked up and down the DKNG options chain for the new March 27th contracts and identified one put and one call contract of particular interest. The put contract at the $22.00 strike price has a current bid of 50 cents. If an investor was to sell-to-open that put contract, they are committing to purchase the stock at $22.00, but will also collect the premium, putting the cost basis of the shares at $21.50 (before broker commissions). To an investor already interested in purchasing shares of DKNG, that could represent an attractive alternative to paying $26.05/share today. Because the $22.00 strike represents an approximate 16% discount to the current trading price of the stock (in other words it is out-of-the-money by that percentage), there is also the possibility that the put contract would expire worthless. The current analytical data (including greeks and implied greeks) suggest the current odds of that happening are 75%. Stock Options Channel will track those odds over time to see how they change, publishing a chart of those numbers on our website under the contract detail page for this contract. Should the contract expire worthless, the premium would represent a 2.27% return on the cash commitment, or 16.60% annualized — at Stock Options Channel we call this the YieldBoost. Below is a chart showing the trailing twelve month trading history for DraftKings Inc, and highlighting in green where the $22.00 strike is located relative to that history: Turning to the calls side of the option chain, the call contract at the $30.00 strike price has a current bid of 60 cents. If an investor was to purchase shares of DKNG stock at the current price level of $26.05/share, and then sell-to-open that call contract as a "covered call," they are committing to sell the stock at $30.00. Considering the call seller wil...