When Harry Kane joined Bayern Munich in 2023, it was widely expected that the England captain would only stay for a few years to fulfil his dream of winning a handful of trophies before returning to the Premier League. Much has been made of Kane ranking second in the Premier League's all-time goalscorer list and that he only needs another 48 goals to break Alan Shearer's record. But perhaps an individual record is not as important to Kane as leaving a legacy at a major European club. Max Eberl, Bayern's head of sport, has revealed that the club are working on extending Kane's contract which currently runs until 2027. Obviously, that subject matter had to come up at some point during this season, because, if Kane rejects an extension, Bayern could only make money by selling him in the upcoming summer or January transfer windows. Fascinatingly, Eberl seemed quite positive when he spoke to reporters at Monday's New Year reception of the German Football League (DFL), saying: "We are speaking with Harry." The sentiment has vastly changed from when Kane made the move from Tottenham to Bayern. The record German champions are more confident than ever they can keep Kane beyond 2026 or 2027. The fact that Kane has a release clause in his contract which could be triggered until the end of January and allow a summer move for £56m is of no concern to Bayern. Signs point towards an extension agreement which could take place in the next couple of weeks.

Looking at the universe of stocks we cover at Dividend Channel , on 1/29/26, Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc (Symbol: MRSH) will trade ex-dividend, for its quarterly dividend of $0.90, payable on 2/13/26. As a percentage of MRSH's recent stock price of $183.66, this dividend works out to approximately 0.49%. In general, dividends are not always predictable; but looking at the history above can help in judging whether the most recent dividend from MRSH is likely to continue, and whether the current estimated yield of 1.96% on annualized basis is a reasonable expectation of annual yield going forward. The chart below shows the one year performance of MRSH shares, versus its 200 day moving average: Looking at the chart above, MRSH's low point in its 52 week range is $174.175 per share, with $248 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $181.18. In Tuesday trading, Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc shares are currently up about 0.3% on the day. Click here to learn which 25 S.A.F.E. dividend stocks should be on your radar screen » 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.

渣打銀行3月初將進行系統升級，部分服務暫停。 暫停時間由3月6日周五晚上10時起，至3月8日周日中午12時，包括自動櫃員機大部分服務，若要提款只限3月7日朝9晚11。 要暫停的亦包括流動應用程式下，本地及跨境轉帳、ApplePay等登記電子錢包、外匯交易、信用卡及私人貸款申請等。 分行服務、信用卡簽帳及報失等服務不受影響。

Oppenheimer Asset Management struck an optimistic tone in a recent investor note, reiterating a constructive outlook for financial markets in the year ahead while emphasizing the importance of broad diversification. The firm continues to favor an equity-heavy allocation, complemented by fixed income as a source of income and portfolio balance across varying market conditions. The financial institution noted that early results from earnings season have reinforced that view. With just over 60 S&P 500 companies reporting so far, aggregate earnings growth is tracking at a robust 17.5%, supported by revenue increases of roughly 7.7%. Performance has been widespread, with seven of the index’s 11 sectors posting positive earnings growth. Five of those sectors are delivering double-digit gains, while only three sectors are experiencing declines. Notably, consumer discretionary stands out as the sole sector with earnings weakness reaching double-digit territory. Oppenheimer’s sector positioning reflects these trends. The firm currently rates Information Technology, Consumer Discretionary, and Industrials as “Outperform,” citing stronger growth prospects. Financials, Communication Services, Consumer Staples, Utilities, and Materials are viewed as “Perform,” suggesting more neutral expectations. Meanwhile, Health Care, Energy, and Real Estate are categorized as “Underperform.” For investors seeking targeted sector exposure, see a grouping of popular exchange traded funds that focus on each market segment below: Communication Services ETFs: ( XLC ), ( VOX ), ( IYZ ), ( RSPC ), and ( XTL ). Consumer Discretionary ETFs: ( XLY ), ( VCR ), ( FXD ), ( FDIS ), ( RSPD ), and ( RXI ). Consumer Staples ETFs: ( XLP ), ( VDC ), ( IYK ), ( FSTA ), ( KXI ), and ( RSPS ). Energy ETFs: ( XLE ), ( AMLP ), ( VDE ), ( XOP ), ( OIH ), and ( IXC ). Financials ETFs: ( XLF ), ( VFH ), ( IYF ), ( FNCL ), ( IYG ), and ( FXO ). Health Care ETFs: ( XLV ), ( VHT ), ( IHI ), ( IXJ ), ( IYH ), ( FHLC ), an...

Pla2na/iStock via Getty Images Former Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester says the Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady at its upcoming meeting, arguing, “There's no rationale for doing another cut.” Mester, now a senior scholar at Princeton University’s Griswold Center, believes the central bank should remain patient given persistent inflation concerns. In an interview conducted by CNBC, Mester explained that the Fed has already cut rates by 75 basis points as “insurance on the softness in the labor market.” With inflation still elevated and no urgent pressure to act, she said, “Now is a good time to watch and wait.” Mester expressed ongoing concern that inflation has not returned to the Fed’s 2% target despite more than five years of effort. “I need to see more evidence that is actually on that downward path,” she said, emphasizing that the central bank should keep its focus squarely on bringing inflation down. Any future rate cuts will depend entirely on how the economy evolves, according to Mester. The Fed may act if the labor market weakens “considerably,” but she characterized the current environment as “a low hiring, but also low firing labor market,” which gives policymakers time to assess conditions. Mester pointed to several factors suggesting the economy will remain resilient, including the benefits of past rate cuts, accommodative financial conditions reflected in the stock market, and supportive fiscal policy. If conditions strengthen, the Fed may wait longer before cutting again; if the labor market deteriorates, “it’s better to cut.” She also cautioned against relying on stable long-run inflation expectations as a sign of progress, warning that if the Fed waits for those expectations to destabilize before acting, “you’ve waited too long.” Given how persistently elevated inflation has remained, Mester stressed the Fed must not look away from its inflation target. According to the CME FedWatch Tool , 97.2% of investors expect the Federal R...

港交所與巴西證券交易所合作，推動兩地可持續金融及碳市場發展，未來將會探討證券相互掛牌的可能性。 雙方簽署合作備忘錄，將攜手推動香港與巴西的碳市場發展，開拓大宗商品機遇，並建立定期溝通渠道，加強雙方合作。 同時，雙方又會探討旗下市場，證券相互掛牌的可能性，並尋找亞洲及南美洲碳產品，和ESG產品的新機遇。 港交所指，合作不但展現港交所致力推動，全球市場邁向低碳轉型決心，亦進一步將可持續發展合作夥伴關係，拓展至南美洲，這個在全球氣候解決方案，具有重要意義的地區。

Professional service providers can easily manage and collect payments online ATLANTA, January 27, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elavon, a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Bank and one of the world's largest payment processors, is collaborating with Microsoft to introduce Elavon Live Payments, a groundbreaking payments app for Microsoft 365 offered through the Microsoft Marketplace. Driven by the omni-channel capabilities of the Elavon Payments Gateway (EPG), Elavon Live Payments enables businesses and professional service providers to securely send invoices and collect customer payments with just a few clicks on a computer or mobile device. That means reducing the friction associated with old-school business payment processes and fewer days waiting for money owed. It is the first major embedded payments expansion on the EPG platform. "Business professionals waste countless hours switching between multiple platforms to create invoices, send them to clients, and track payments," said Pari Sawant, global chief product officer at Elavon. "Elavon Live Payments solves this challenge by eliminating traditional payment collection barriers allowing business owners to integrate payment workflows directly into commonly used Microsoft 365 applications like Outlook or Teams in real time, which can reduce Days Sales Outstanding and foster business growth." According to the 2024 Professional Services Maturity Benchmark Report for Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), professional service providers often wait five to 15 days longer than other industries to convert credit sales into cash. Inefficiencies in the collection process may lead to potential cash flow problems, and firms with a higher DSO may face operational challenges as they wait longer to convert their work into revenue, impacting their ability to cover costs or reinvest in the business. "Microsoft 365 is more than a suite of apps – it’s the foundation for how millions of people work every day," said Tyler Pichach, Global Head of Banki...

JHVEPhoto Marvell Technology ( MRVL ) and Broadcom ( AVGO ) could be among a group of companies that benefit from Microsoft's ( MSFT ) new Maia artificial intelligence chip, investment firm BNP Paribas said. While Marvell is unlikely to be the supplier of the Maia 200 chip — BNP believes that could be Global Unichip — it, along with Broadcom, could benefit by being Ethernet application specific integrated circuit suppliers, analyst Karl Ackerman wrote in a note to clients. Other potential beneficiaries include copper backplane suppliers, such as Amphenol ( APH ); optical transceiver suppliers; Arista Networks ( ANET ); and possibly Credo Technologies ( CRDO ) and Astera Labs ( ALAB ), if active electrical cables are used. “We believe [the] Maia 200 rack system will have 12 compute trays, 4 Tier-1 Ethernet scale-up switches, 6 CPU head nodes, 2 top-of-rack (ToR) Ethernet switches for frontend networking, and 1 out-of-band management switch,” Ackerman wrote in a note to clients. “What’s interesting to us is that Maia 200 will not utilize a backend, scale-out network,” Ackerman added. “Maia 200 will be deployed in small scale-up clusters of 6,144 ASICs, and these clusters will connect to the 'outside world' through CPU head nodes and frontend Ethernet network switches. Given that Maia 200 is tailored for inferencing workloads, we think this topology makes sense as inferencing workloads may not require superclusters of hundreds of thousands [of] ASICs to work in synchronization.” Ackerman added that Microsoft's Maia 200 deployments are set to ramp up in the second-half of 2026, with further deployment coming next year. More on Marvell, Microsoft Microsoft: Cloud Adoption Remains As The Top Growth Catalyst (Earnings Preview) Microsoft Hit My Price Target And Pulled Back: Why I'm Upgrading To Strong Buy Microsoft: The AI Reality Check Investors Can't Ignore Broadcom set to retain leadership position as AI server compute ASIC partner through 2027: Counterpoint Microsoft is...

美国1月达拉斯联储服务业活动指数报2.7。 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。

JHVEPhoto Marvell Technology ( MRVL ) and Broadcom ( AVGO ) could be among a group of companies that benefit from Microsoft's ( MSFT ) new Maia artificial intelligence chip, investment firm BNP Paribas said. While Marvell is unlikely to be the supplier of the Maia 200 chip — BNP believes that could be Global Unichip — it, along with Broadcom, could benefit by being Ethernet application specific integrated circuit suppliers, analyst Karl Ackerman wrote in a note to clients. Other potential beneficiaries include copper backplane suppliers, such as Amphenol ( APH ); optical transceiver suppliers; Arista Networks ( ANET ); and possibly Credo Technologies ( CRDO ) and Astera Labs ( ALAB ), if active electrical cables are used. “We believe [the] Maia 200 rack system will have 12 compute trays, 4 Tier-1 Ethernet scale-up switches, 6 CPU head nodes, 2 top-of-rack (ToR) Ethernet switches for frontend networking, and 1 out-of-band management switch,” Ackerman wrote in a note to clients. “What’s interesting to us is that Maia 200 will not utilize a backend, scale-out network,” Ackerman added. “Maia 200 will be deployed in small scale-up clusters of 6,144 ASICs, and these clusters will connect to the 'outside world' through CPU head nodes and frontend Ethernet network switches. Given that Maia 200 is tailored for inferencing workloads, we think this topology makes sense as inferencing workloads may not require superclusters of hundreds of thousands [of] ASICs to work in synchronization.” Ackerman added that Microsoft's Maia 200 deployments are set to ramp up in the second-half of 2026, with further deployment coming next year. More on Marvell, Microsoft Microsoft: Cloud Adoption Remains As The Top Growth Catalyst (Earnings Preview) Microsoft Hit My Price Target And Pulled Back: Why I'm Upgrading To Strong Buy Microsoft: The AI Reality Check Investors Can't Ignore Broadcom set to retain leadership position as AI server compute ASIC partner through 2027: Counterpoint Microsoft is...

Shares of tech giant Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM) are trading around $155 after a rough couple of weeks. Having started the year reasonably well, the stock has fallen roughly 15% over the past fortnight. It hasn’t helped that the selling pressure has been pretty relentless, as fears mounted that Qualcomm may have missed the boat on the AI transformation, particularly in the major enterprise use cases. That pessimism has been reflected clearly in the stock’s chart. Last week, Qualcomm’s relative strength index (RSI) dipped below 30, officially entering extremely oversold territory. That alone would be noteworthy, but its rapid bounce back above the crucial 30 level makes this setup particularly interesting. Not only because it suggests that the worst of the selling pressure may already have passed and that buyers are stepping back in, but because of what the stock did the last time this happened. Why Qualcomm’s RSI Signal Matters Right Now A stock’s RSI is one of the more popular technical indicators that investors keep an eye on. It gives a quick snapshot of the stock’s recent momentum, and is an easy way to gauge how overbought or oversold it might be. Just as important as how far it falls is how quickly it bounces back, because this says a lot about how the market is viewing the situation. The last time Qualcomm’s RSI fell below was in April of last year, and in less than a week, it was already out of the danger zone. That’s literally the setup we’re looking at now, and it’s in that context that investors need to be thinking of what the stock could do from here. History Rhymes: Qualcomm’s RSI Bounce Previously Fueled a Rally That quick bounce out of extremely oversold levels in April preceded the start of what became a 70% rally in Qualcomm shares. It marked a clear inflection point where bearish momentum gave way to sustained accumulation, and we could be about to see the same thing here. Once again, Qualcomm has been aggressively sold as sentiment turned negativ...

Polymarket Odds: Will TSLA, META, MSFT Beat Earnings Tomorrow? TipRanks

美國股市個別發展。道指未能承接上日升勢，早段回落約400點。 標指靠穩，逼近6,970點水平。納指曾升近200點，逼近23,800點水平。 波音上季虧轉盈，股價早段不升反跌約百分之2。 聯合健康今年業務指引差過預期，股價急挫逾兩成，跌穿300美元關口。 半導體生產商美光科技，計劃興建晶片廠房，股價曾升半成。

Nebius Group N.V. NBIS and Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN offer different investment profiles within the AI cloud space. NBIS is a focused, high-growth AI cloud provider that gives investors direct exposure to rising demand for AI infrastructure, but its smaller scale and early-stage nature make it a higher-risk proposition. Amazon, led by Amazon Web Services (“AWS”), brings scale, diversification and consistent cash generation, with AI deeply embedded across its cloud, retail and semiconductor strategies. While Amazon appeals to investors seeking stability and long-term compounding, NBIS may attract those willing to accept greater volatility in exchange for potentially higher growth. According to an IDC report, spending on AI infrastructure is expected to top $758 billion by 2029. This uptrend in spending benefits both Amazon and Nebius, but not equally. They differ sharply in scale and growth trajectory. So, for investors looking to make a smart move in the AI infrastructure space, which stock truly stands out? Let’s analyze their fundamentals, growth opportunities, market challenges and valuation to assess which one presents a stronger investment opportunity. The Case for NBIS Nebius operates in a supply-constrained AI infrastructure market where demand for GPU capacity far exceeds available power and data-center readiness. To capitalize on this imbalance, the company is rapidly scaling its footprint, lifting its contracted power target to 2.5 gigawatts by 2026 from 1 gigawatt earlier, with 800 megawatts to 1 gigawatt of fully connected capacity expected to be operational by the end of 2026. The company is gaining traction with AI-native customers such as Cursor and Black Forest Labs, while securing large, long-term commitments from hyperscalers. Multi-billion-dollar agreements with Microsoft, valued between $17.4 billion and $19.4 billion, and with Meta, of up to $3 billion, highlight strong confidence in Nebius’ platform, with revenue contributions beginning in the four...

文章提及标的 德意志银行 -- CoreWeave -- 云计算 -- 云计算（885362）公司CoreWeave（CRWV）涨超8%，德意志银行（DB）将其评级从“持有”上调至“买入”。

Source: Bloomberg, 0:00

Miller Tabak Chief Market Strategist Matt Maley says he is a bit concerned about the credit market but admits it is "sure hard to fight the tape" during an interview with Matt Miller on "Bloomberg Open Interest." (Source: Bloomberg)

Source: Bloomberg, 0:00

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Micron Technology (MU, Financials) shares eased 2.6% , ending a six-day winning streak after reports that Samsung is close to securing Nvidia certification for its HBM4 AI memory chips.The news made people worry that the high-bandwidth memory industry would become more competitive. The decrease came after a big rise, during which Micron's stock rose by around 19% in the previous week, which was far more than the market as a whole. Investors saw Samsung's stated advances as a sign that competitors would try to take Micron's lead in making memory chips for the next generation of AI. Still, analysts are still positive about Micron's future. A lot of people are calling it a "super upcycle" in AI-related demand across data centers, mobile devices, and industrial markets. This is good for the company. Micron's sales in the first quarter of its fiscal year climbed 57% over the same time last year. Its supply of high-bandwidth memory for 2026 is already sold out. Wall Street still likes the stock; 37 out of 43 analysts say it's a Buy or higher. Micron wants to spend around $20 billion more on capital in fiscal 2026 to increase HBM and DRAM production. A forward PEG ratio of 0.24 shows that there is still opportunity for growth, even if the stock has gone up recently.

Micron Slips After Rally as Samsung Nears Nvidia Chip Certification TradingView

中芯国际: 港股公告：暂停办理股份过户登记内容摘要_公告简述_数据解析 证券之星

Silver didn't just rally—it went parabolic. Now Marko Kolanovic is calling the comedown. The former JPMorgan chief strategist said silver is "almost guaranteed to drop ~50% from these levels within a year or so." That doesn’t sound like a cautious forecast. It sounds like a near-certainty. In a market where silver ETFs like iShares Silver ETF (NYSE:SLV), abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF (NYSE:SIVR) and Sprott Physical Silver ETF (NYSE:PSLV) have become momentum trades for macro tourists, that's a contrarian grenade. The Bubble Math Kolanovic's logic is blunt: speculative manias rarely end gently. Commodities blow off, positioning unwinds, and prices mean-revert hard. Don't Miss: Sam Altman Says AI Will Transform the Economy — This Platform Lets Investors Back Private Tech Early Missed Nvidia and Tesla? RAD Intel Could Be the Next AI Powerhouse — Just $0.85 a Share Silver's surge—driven by retail momentum, tight supply, and macro fear—checks all the boxes. Contrarian trader Kevin Muir recently said silver may have already peaked, pointing to exhaustion signs as gold kept rallying while silver stalled. Silver is not gold. It's gold with beta—and beta cuts both ways. The 1970s Trap In the 1970s, gold surged from roughly $40 to $200, sucked in euphoric buyers, then crashed back near $100. Many top buyers capitulated—only to miss the historic rally to $800 later in the decade. Mean reversion shook out weak hands. The secular trend wasn't over. Who knows, silver may be setting up the same psychological trap. See Also: This Real Estate Fund Pays 10x More Than the Average Savings Account – Invest From Just $100 The Bull Case Isn't Dead Silver bulls, however, argue that this time is different. Structural deficits, solar demand, AI hardware, and electrification are soaking up supply. By that logic, SLV and PSLV aren't just trades—they're long-term energy-transition proxies. Silver, in this view, isn't a bubble. It could be the industrial metal of the decade. The Tension Trade...

Image source: The Motley Fool. Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 at 8:45 a.m. ET Call participants Chief Executive Officer — Jim Vena Chief Financial Officer — Jennifer Hamann Executive Vice President, Operations — Eric Gehringer Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales — Kenny Rocker Takeaways Full-year net income -- $7.1 billion, up 6% from 2024, supported by increased other income and operating improvement. -- $7.1 billion, up 6% from 2024, supported by increased other income and operating improvement. Full-year EPS -- $11.98, up 8% from 2024. -- $11.98, up 8% from 2024. Full-year freight revenue (ex-fuel surcharge) -- Rose 3%, achieving a record level, primarily due to core pricing gains and an additional 113,000 cars, which offset the impact of business mix. -- Rose 3%, achieving a record level, primarily due to core pricing gains and an additional 113,000 cars, which offset the impact of business mix. Annual operating expenses (adjusted) -- Approximately flat year over year, despite business growth and inflationary pressures, after adjusting for merger and one-time costs. -- Approximately flat year over year, despite business growth and inflationary pressures, after adjusting for merger and one-time costs. Workforce productivity (full year) -- Reached a record, with 3% fewer employees moving 1% more volume. -- Reached a record, with 3% fewer employees moving 1% more volume. Full-year adjusted operating ratio -- Improved by 60 basis points to 59.3%. -- Improved by 60 basis points to 59.3%. Fourth quarter operating revenue -- $6.1 billion, down 1% from 2024. -- $6.1 billion, down 1% from 2024. Fourth quarter freight revenue -- $5.8 billion, down 1% on a 4% decline in volume. -- $5.8 billion, down 1% on a 4% decline in volume. Fourth quarter fuel surcharge revenue -- $603 million, up $15 million, as higher fuel prices contributed 75 basis points to freight revenue. -- $603 million, up $15 million, as higher fuel prices contributed 75 basis points to freight revenue. Av...

A woman who sued TikTok over allegations that the company designed its platform to addict young users is moving to settle her lawsuit with the social media giant. A lawyer for the woman confirmed that an agreement in principle had been reached hours before the case is set to go to trial in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The woman’s similar claims against Meta Platforms Inc. ’s Facebook and Instagram and Google ’s YouTube will proceed as scheduled for now. Terms of the proposed settlement have not been disclosed. Snap Inc. struck a separate settlement agreement with the woman, identified in court documents as K.G.M., on Jan. 20. “Plaintiff KGM and Defendant TikTok have reached an agreement in principle to settle her case,” said Joseph VanZandt, an attorney for the woman, in a statement. Read More: Snap Reaches Settlement Over Social Media Addiction Claims K.G.M.’s case is the first to go to trial among thousands of complaints filed against the social media companies by young users and their family members, accusing them of profiting at the expense of young people, who are driven to spend excessive time on screens. The trial, and others scheduled for later this year, will serve as critical tests for the remaining cases and could create pressure for high-dollar settlements. Lawyers representing the companies have argued that there is not enough evidence to support these claims, and that federal law shields them from liability in cases involving content posted to their platform. A representative for TikTok did not immediately return a request for comment.

winhorse HSBC ( HSBC ) shares rose as much as 3.3% to £12.83 in London trading on Tuesday, bringing its market cap to £220B (US$302B), making it the first European-listed bank to breach the $300B mark. The stock action came as Citi analyst Andrew Coombs raised the firm's price target on HSBC to £13.70 from £13.20 and placed a 90-day positive catalyst watch on the bank. He expects HSBC's Q4 underlying profit before tax to be $8.5B, 6% higher than the Visible Alpha consensus, "with revenues 2% ahead and impairments 4% better, part offset by heavier opex," the analyst wrote in a note to clients. Furthermore, Coombs sees the potential for revenue synergy to improve as the company acquired Hang Seng Bank minorities, which closed in January, "alongside scope for a more upbeat message on costs after the recent restructuring and ongoing strategic review of its Australia operations (as well as Indonesia & Sri Lanka)." By contrast, the biggest U.S. bank, JPMorgan Chase ( JPM ) had a market cap of $812B at Monday's close. More on HSBC Holdings HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC) Presents at UBS European Conference 2025 Transcript U.K.'s Starmer heads to China as countries seek trade alternatives HSBC's $13.6B proposal to privatize Hang Seng Bank gets committee nod Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on HSBC Holdings Historical earnings data for HSBC Holdings

Image source: The Motley Fool. Jan. 27, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET Call participants Chief Executive Officer — Chad Prashad Chief Financial and Strategy Officer — Johnny Calmes Takeaways New customer portfolio growth -- Outstanding ledger for new customers increased by 25%, with origination volume for new customers up 16%. -- Outstanding ledger for new customers increased by 25%, with origination volume for new customers up 16%. Provision for loan losses -- Approximately $8 million additional provision required for the increased new customer segment. -- Approximately $8 million additional provision required for the increased new customer segment. Default rates -- Third-quarter first pay defaults for new customers declined by 19% relative to previous high-volume periods. -- Third-quarter first pay defaults for new customers declined by 19% relative to previous high-volume periods. Gross yield improvement -- Yields increased by 84 basis points year over year, attributed to higher rates, disciplined underwriting, and organic customer base growth. -- Yields increased by 84 basis points year over year, attributed to higher rates, disciplined underwriting, and organic customer base growth. Customer base expansion -- Total customer count grew organically by 5.4%, compared to 2.2% organic growth last year and two years of declines before that. -- Total customer count grew organically by 5.4%, compared to 2.2% organic growth last year and two years of declines before that. Ledger growth -- Organic ledger balance rose 2.4% year over year, reversing a 2.4% decline in the previous year. -- Organic ledger balance rose 2.4% year over year, reversing a 2.4% decline in the previous year. Average loan balance -- Average outstanding loan dropped by 2.5% year over year, reflecting a shift towards lower-balance new customers and tighter underwriting. -- Average outstanding loan dropped by 2.5% year over year, reflecting a shift towards lower-balance new customers and tighter underwriting. Shar...

Applied Materials (AMAT) stock climbed 1.13% on Jan. 23 after Deutsche Bank was the latest Wall Street firm to upgrade the semiconductor equipment maker. The investment firm joined a growing chorus of analysts who turned bullish on the company’s near-term prospects. Analyst Melissa Weathers raised her rating to “Buy” from “Hold” and set a $390 price target, citing an increasingly favorable environment for wafer fabrication equipment spending. She noted her estimates for Applied Materials are roughly 10% above Wall Street consensus, with potential for further upside. The upgrade follows similar moves earlier this month from Susquehanna and Barclays, while KeyBanc raised its price target to $380. Key factors driving the optimism include major capital expenditure increases from both Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) and Intel (INTC). Several chip manufacturers are accelerating the construction of new DRAM fabrication facilities. AMAT also stands to benefit from the rising complexity of chip architectures, which require sophisticated deposition and etching processes. Valued at a market cap of $255 billion, AMAT stock has almost tripled investor returns in the past three years. At the time of writing, it trades at $319 per share. Is AMAT Stock Still a Good Buy? Despite trade-war-related headwinds, Applied Materials delivered its sixth consecutive year of revenue growth in fiscal 2025 (ended in October). It reported record revenue of $28.4 billion in fiscal 2025 with gross margins of almost 49%, the highest level in 25 years. However, growth rates lagged expectations, as China declined to 28% of total systems and service revenues, down from peaks above 40% in prior quarters. Trade restrictions significantly impacted the company's addressable market in China. The portion of the China market that Applied Materials cannot serve has more than doubled from roughly 10% in fiscal 2024 to over 20% in fiscal 2025. These restrictions primarily affected DRAM customers and certain mature no...

Southwest Airlines Ends Open Seating, Moves To Reservation-Based System Authored by Rob Sabo via The Epoch Times, Southwest Airlines’ era of offering passengers open seating is officially ending, as the passenger carrier transitions its seating policy to a reservation-based system common with other airlines starting on Jan. 27. Southwest announced last summer that it would end its open seating policy to offer customers a wider range of seating options. The airline’s new booking model includes three seating options: standard seating at the back of the aircraft; preferred seating near the front; and extra legroom seats in the front of the cabin and at the exit rows. Southwest said it will also initiate a new group-based boarding process to replace its old “A,” “B,” and “C” boarding system that encouraged travelers to check in 24 hours prior to departure to secure the coveted “A” boarding option. The new boarding system will be skewed toward passengers who book premium seating options, while customers who choose basic seating will board last. Southwest will need to make physical changes to its departure gates to accommodate the new system, which could take months to complete. Tony Roach, Southwest Airlines’ executive vice president of customer and brand, said the changes allow customers more choice and control over their flying experience. “Assigned seating unlocks new opportunities for our customers—including the ability to select extra legroom seats—and removes the uncertainty of not knowing where they will sit in the cabin,” Roach said in a statement announcing the booking shakeup. “This is an important step in our evolution, and we’re excited to pair these enhancements with our legendary customer service.” The airline’s new “basic” fare option—formerly called Wanna Get Away—is nonrefundable and does not allow any changes in travel dates or times unless passengers upgrade to a higher tier. Choice Extra is the new name for its former business select option and includ...

格隆汇1月27日｜杰富瑞将卡特彼勒的目标价从700美元上调至750美元，维持“买入”评级。(格隆汇)

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by analysts at BNP Paribas Exane from $632.00 to $659.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has an "outperform" rating on the software giant's stock. BNP Paribas Exane's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 38.29% from the stock's current price. Several other analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their target price on Microsoft from $639.00 to $590.00 in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded Microsoft from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, January 18th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Microsoft from $665.00 to $630.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. DZ Bank reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Microsoft in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and set a $586.00 price target on shares of Microsoft in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Microsoft currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $612.58. Get Microsoft alerts: Sign Up Get Our Latest Report on Microsoft Microsoft Stock Up 1.3% MSFT stock traded up $6.26 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $476.54. 4,334,270 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 25,532,736. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.54 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.99, a PEG ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.07. Microsoft has a 52-week low of $344.79 and a 52-week high of $555.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The business has a 50-day mov...