Fourth-quarter results of insurance, one of the Finance sector industries, are likely to reflect better pricing and exposure growth, accelerated digitalization and a favorable interest rate. However, cat losses are likely to have weighed on profitability. Per the latest Earnings Preview, the Finance sector’s fourth-quarter 2024 earnings are expected to improve 24.3%. Revenues are estimated to rise 11.2%. See the Zacks Earnings Calendar to stay ahead of market-making news. With the help of the Zacks Stock Screener, we have identified four insurers, namely Palomar Holdings PLMR, Assurant Inc. AIZ, Brighthouse Financial Inc. BHF and Unum Group UNM, which are poised to outperform the Zacks Consensus Estimate in fourth-quarter earnings. These stocks have the ideal combination of two ingredients — a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy), #3 (Hold) — to surpass expectations. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Factors Likely to Impact Q4 Results Underwriting results, reflecting the performance of insurers, are likely to benefit from better pricing, increased exposure, solid retention, new business growth, portfolio repositioning, proper segmentation, reinsurance covers and favorable reserve development. Non-life insurers, by the nature of their business, are exposed to catastrophe losses. Thus, their profitability is vulnerable to catastrophe losses. The fourth quarter witnessed the wrath of catastrophe activities, which weighed on the profitability of insurers. CoreLogic estimated losses from Hurricane Milton to be about $34 billion with insured losses between $17 billion and $28 billion. Florida insurers are likely to have been affected the most. Higher catastrophe losses continue to provide impetus to policy renewal rates and pricing. Per recent analysis by MarketScout’s Market Barometer, the commercial insurance sector saw a composite rate increase of 2.64%. Per the report, the...

美股周四早盘受科技股遭抛售的拖累而下行。尽管外界对于人工智能相关需求是否足以支撑庞大的资本支出持续存疑，但此类支出并无减少的迹象。 纽约时间9：57，标普500指数跌0.4%， 纳斯达克 100指数下跌0.9%，道指走低0.1%。标普500指数中近350只个股上涨，但由于多数超大盘股承压，该基准股指仍旧走低。一项衡量科技巨头的指数下跌0.9%。罗素2000指数上涨0.2%。 微软 股价一度大跌12%，市场担忧其投资回报周期过长。Meta Platforms Inc．强劲的业绩展望缓解了市场对其人工智能支出计划的忧虑。 苹果 将于周四晚些时候公布财报。 美联储维持利率不变的次日，交易员们将目光重新投向美国企业。 华尔街创纪录的上涨已将高利润预期充分计入股价，由此，投资者开始对财报表现令人失望的企业给予严厉的“惩罚”。财报公布后股价相对于基准指数的平均波动幅度为下跌0.5个百分点，这是两年来的首次负值。 在经济数据平淡无奇的背景下，债券价格维持小幅下跌。美元恢复跌势，势将录得去年4月关税风波以来最糟糕的月度表现。 ‘’ 责任编辑：王许宁

At the start he was held above ground, for more than six weeks locked in a cage and given barely enough food to survive. Here, he says he experienced sexual harassment where one guard repeatedly tried to encourage him to do a sexual act on himself. He also says a hidden camera filmed him when he was allowed a shower once a week.

Siemens AG became Germany’s largest company by market value, overtaking SAP SE after the software firm’s shares plunged following a disappointing sales outlook. SAP sank as much as 17% on Thursday, cutting the company’s market capitalization to €199 billion ($241 billion). The firm’s quarterly trading update fueled concern around the impact of artificial intelligence tools on the enterprise-software industry. Siemens, meanwhile, rose as much as 4.6%, swelling its market value to €209 billion. In contrast to SAP’s stock, Siemens shares are benefiting from excitement around AI as the firm’s energy arm is expected to see increased orders to power data centers. Its automation business is also seen benefiting from AI adoption, and the shares were boosted on Thursday by Swiss peer ABB Ltd. forecasting higher profitability.

Sanity Returning To Global Oil Forecasts, But Damage Has Been Done; Expert Study Shows Authored by William Murray via RealClearEnergy , It can be hard to explain to a general audience how important the release of the World Energy Outlook (WEO) is to policymakers, energy companies and investors who make hundreds of billions of dollars in investment decisions worldwide each year. Beginning in the early 1990s, the Outlook included a Current Policies Scenario (CPS) that forecast future oil and natural gas demand over the coming decades based on current laws and government energy policies. This scenario was then used by banks and companies to extrapolate how many billions of dollars they must invest to satisfy coming energy demand. The IEA’s all-star reputation made the CPS the benchmark for global energy supply and demand forecasts for decades – until recently. In 2020, under its long-time Executive Director Fatih Birol, the IEA decided to abandon the CPS, “in part due to pressure from European nations and green campaigners,” according to Bloomberg energy analyst Javier Blas. Most of these green campaigners were interested in using climate policies to permanently displace oil and coal production. To do this, IEA inserted new scenarios that considered policy ambitions and aspirations that had not yet become law. This analytical misdirection allowed Paris Accord-era net-zero emission goals to become a concrete forecasting reality. As a result, these forecasts showed peak global oil demand only an additional 3 million to 106 million barrels a day by 2030 before permanently declining. Riding on IEA’s reputation, these forecasts helped the Davos crowd churn elite public opinion toward the Net-zero and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework in the early 2020s, which played a role in the ultimate suppression of billions of dollars in investment in carbon and hydrocarbon resources. The IEA reinstated the Current Policies Scenario for 2025 after pressure from the ...

The Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Premium Income ETF targets enhanced yield by investing in large-cap U.S. equities with a premium income strategy. On January 28, Cornerstone Advisory disclosed a buy of 195,336 shares of the Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Premium Income ETF (GPIX 0.84%), an estimated $10.23 million trade based on quarterly average pricing. What happened According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission dated January 28, Cornerstone Advisory increased its position in the Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Premium Income ETF by 195,336 shares during the fourth quarter. The estimated value of the shares added was $10.23 million, calculated using the quarter’s average closing price. Meanwhile, the fund’s quarter-end position in GPIX increased in value by $10.96 million, a figure that includes both new purchases and market price fluctuations. What else to know The fund’s post-trade position in GPIX represents 6.73% of Cornerstone Advisory’s 13F reportable AUM. Top holdings after the filing: NYSEMKT:JEPI: $112.30 million (10.7% of AUM) NASDAQ:GPIX $70.58 million (6.7% of AUM) NYSEMKT:VYM: $49.59 million (4.7% of AUM) NYSEMKT:IVV: $47.93 million (4.6% of AUM) NYSEMKT:VIG: $33.88 million (3.2% of AUM) NASDAQ:GOOGL: $31.08 million (3.0% of AUM) As of January 27, GPIX shares were priced at $53.41, up about 5% over the past year. However, the fund also carried a trailing 12-month dividend yield of 8.0% as of late January. ETF overview Metric Value AUM $2.67 billion Dividend Yield (TTM) 8% Price (as of 1/27/26) $53.41 1-Year Total Return 16% ETF snapshot GPIX’s investment strategy focuses on generating premium income by investing at least 80% of assets in S&P 500 equities, seeking to mirror the benchmark's style, capitalization, and sector allocation. The portfolio is composed primarily of large-cap U.S. equities included in the S&P 500, with holdings diversified across sectors to reflect the index's composition. The fund structure is an exchange-traded fund with a transpare...

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New World Development (NWD), the embattled Hong Kong property developer, said late on Thursday that its parent, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE), has been approached by potential investors after reports that CTFE may sell part of its stake to Blackstone. Bloomberg reported early that Blackstone – the world’s biggest asset manager – was in discussion to become the single largest shareholder of NWD, citing people familiar with the matter. Under the proposed arrangement, the US alternative asset manager would lead a restructuring of NWD, with the developer selling assets to improve liquidity. The size of Blackstone’s potential stake was not disclosed, the report said. Advertisement In a late-night filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange, NWD said it was aware of media speculation about potential new investors and had made inquiries with CTFE, which confirmed it had been approached by several parties. Blackstone in the frame: reports say the asset manager has approached CTFE for a stake sale. Photo: Reuters No agreements had been reached and there was no certainty that any transaction would proceed, the company said.

中英双方在英国首相斯塔默访华期间达成一系列积极成果。1. 双方致力于发展中英长期稳定的全面战略伙伴关系。2. 同意建立中英高级别气候与自然伙伴关系。3. 恢复举行中英高级别安全对话。4. 年内举办新一轮战略对话和经济财金对话、经贸联委会会议等机制性对话。5. 原则同意恢复两国立法机构正常交往。中方欢迎有意愿的英国议员多来中国参访，了解真实的中国。6. 举办中英企业家委员会会议，同意进一步加强双向贸易投资合作。7. 双方欢迎成立中英金融工作组并召开首次会议。欢迎中国银行（HK3988）伦敦分行成为第二家在英人民币清算行，将共同举办中英保险论坛。8. 中方积极考虑对英国公民实施单方面免签政策。9. 中方将威士忌酒进口关税税率由10%降至5%。10. 两国领导人见证签署经贸、农食、文化、市场监管、执法合作等领域12个政府间合作文件。11. 双方还达成了金融、卫生、传媒、教育等领域多个合作文件。(新华社)

Galeanu Mihai/iStock via Getty Images The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged yesterday, as expected, but the challenges are increasing for identifying the right monetary policy for the path ahead. It’s tempting to think otherwise after reading the Fed statement issued on Wednesday: “Available indicators suggest that economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace. Job gains have remained low, and the unemployment rate has shown some signs of stabilization. Inflation remains somewhat elevated.” Hardly ideal, but good enough to leave the Fed’s target rate steady at a 3.5% to 3.75% and argue that the central bank’s policy matches an economy that’s stabilized and growing. But the risks of a policy mistake may be growing. The bad news is that it’s not obvious what type of mistake is lurking as it continues to juggle the threat of inflation against a softer labor market. For now, the Fed still seems to be betting that the recently stalled moderation of inflation will resume a downward path in the months ahead, paving the way for more rate cuts. Running the latest Fed statement through an AI program (with access to the historical economic data and analysis) suggests a bias for more cuts in the year ahead, per the chart below. The Fed funds futures market is more cautious on the outlook, but sentiment is pricing in a resumption of rate cuts starting in June. The policy-sensitive US 2-year yield ( US2Y ) is cautiously on board with a dovish policy path… maybe. This yield, which is widely followed as a proxy for policy expectations, ticked lower again yesterday, dipping to 3.58%, or close to the lower range of the Fed’s target rate. The core of the case for favoring more rate cuts is, as the Fed statement termed it, “low” job gains of late. The tricky part is that while hiring has slowed, layoffs have remained low and “the unemployment rate has shown some signs of stabilization,” the FOMC statement notes. In other words, current conditions leave room for debat...

Earnings Call Insights: Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. (WASH) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Edward Handy reported "continued earnings momentum and improving profitability" for the quarter, driven by "margin expansion, continued in-market deposit growth and increased revenues from wealth management." Handy noted targeted investments in Wealth Management and Commercial Banking, including the acquisition of assets from Lighthouse Financial Management and the hiring of a new Chief Commercial Banking Officer, Jim Brown. Handy announced the onboarding of an institutional banking team focused on education, health care, and nonprofit sectors in the Northeast, stating this would bring "high-quality C&I loans and strong deposit opportunities." He also highlighted a planned de novo branch opening in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for later in 2026 to expand presence in a fast-growing area. CFO Ronald Ohsberg stated, "In the fourth quarter, we reported net income of $16 million or $0.83 per share compared to $10.8 million or $0.56 per share for the preceding quarter." Ohsberg added, "Net interest income was $40.7 million, up by 5% from Q3 and 24% year-over-year. The margin was 2.56%, up by 16 basis points and up by 61 basis points year-over-year. A better funding mix with higher in-market deposits and lower wholesale funding as well as deposit rate management contributed to this improvement." Outlook CFO Ohsberg projected that, following a swap termination at the end of April, the margin is expected to "increase 9 basis points related to that item and another 4 basis points in the third quarter," leading to a "run rate benefit of 13 basis points that will be fully baked in, in the third quarter." He further projected "organic expansion" of "3 to 4 basis points per quarter," resulting in a Q4 estimate for 2026 of "2.78% to 2.82%." Ohsberg expects "4% to 5% growth in CRE" for the year and indicated, "The C&I team, we think, will grow at a rate faster than that," with total loan growth ta...

Earnings Call Insights: Allegro MicroSystems (ALGM) Q3 2026 Management View President and CEO Michael Doogue stated, "We continue to see positive momentum across the business, once again achieving growth in bookings and backlog to multi-quarter highs and securing significant design wins in our strategic focus areas led by ADAS, xEV and Data Center." He emphasized strong third quarter results, reporting "sales above the high end of our guidance range at $229 million and EPS above the midpoint of our guidance range at $0.15." Doogue highlighted that "E-Mobility led continued growth in third quarter automotive sales," driven by content gains and increased adoption of xEV and ADAS systems. He added, "This momentum is reflected in our third quarter automotive design wins where E-Mobility led the quarter, in ADAS, we secured key wins for position sensors and motor drivers and electronic power steering systems." In the industrial sector, Doogue stated, "sales growth was again led by data center, establishing a new quarterly record at 10% of sales, up 31% sequentially." Allegro also reported new design wins in robotics, with customer engagements indicating opportunities for high content in advanced humanoid robots. The company introduced a new current sensor IC that "cuts power-related losses by up to 90%, enabling new levels of power density in xEV and data center applications." Doogue also noted the release of Allegro's first isolated gate driver IC for silicon carbide transistors, broadening the company's portfolio in both automotive and industrial markets. Executive VP and CFO Derek D'Antilio reported, "Net sales were $229 million and non-GAAP earnings per share were $0.15. As a percentage of sales, gross margin was 49.9%, operating margin was 15.4% and adjusted EBITDA was 20.1% of sales." D'Antilio stated, "Total Q3 sales increased by 7% sequentially and 29% year-over-year." Outlook D'Antilio provided guidance for Q4 2026: "We expect fourth quarter sales to be in the r...

Earnings Call Insights: Eagle Materials Inc. (EXP) Q3 2026 Management View CEO Michael Haack stated that "despite the mixed construction environment, our businesses continue to perform well," reporting $556 million in revenue, $3.22 earnings per share, and a gross profit margin of 28.9%. Haack emphasized that the company will "control what is in our control and adjust to current market conditions to maximize profitability in both the short and long term." Haack highlighted several operational initiatives: "We advanced several initiatives that convert our waste streams into revenue streams to help further improve our low-cost producer position" and noted progress on major projects: "We made good progress on both projects during the quarter, which means that our Laramie, Wyoming Cement plant should be going through its commissioning late this calendar year, followed by our Duke, Oklahoma commissioning in the second half of calendar 2027." Haack also announced, "we strengthened our already solid financial position, issuing $750 million in 10-year senior notes, aligning our capital structure with our ongoing investments at the Laramie, Wyoming Cement plant and Duke, Oklahoma Wallboard plant." CFO D. Kesler reported, "Third quarter revenue was $556 million, down slightly from the prior year. The decrease reflects lower wallboard and paperboard sales volume, partially offset by higher cement sales volume and the contribution from the recently acquired Aggregates business." Kesler continued, "Aggregate sales volume was up 81% to a record 1.6 million tons, reflecting a 34% increase in organic aggregates sales volume and the contribution from the recently acquired Aggregates business." Outlook Management expects total capital spending in fiscal 2026 to be in the range of $430 million to $450 million, primarily associated with the modernization and expansion of the Mountain Cement plant in Laramie, Wyoming, and the Duke, Oklahoma Wallboard plant. Haack indicated, "as discusse...

美国普查局数据显示，11月批发库存增至9149.7亿美元，之前一个月为9134.8亿美元。 对14位经济学家进行调查得到的预测中值为增加0.2%，预期区间为减少0.2%至增加0.2%。 11月份不含石油的批发库存增长0.2%。 11月份批发销售增长1.3%，之前一个月下降了0.4%。 11月份不包括汽车在内的批发销售增长了1.4%。 11月份存货/销售比率为1.28，之前一个月为1.30。 责任编辑：王许宁

TomasSereda/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Thesis I rate UP Fintech Holdings (NASDAQ: TIGR ), also known as 'Tiger Brokers', as a Buy, expecting a 57% upside over the next 12 months, in my base case. This thesis rests on four pillars. First, it is undervalued; its Fwd P/E ratio stands at 8.9x while the industry's median is 18x. Second, despite some uncertainty and high volatility in trading volume, the company is growing in both revenues and earnings. Third, it is gaining market share in several countries, which allows it to reduce the mainland Chinese risk. Fourth, its margins are expanding fast; for instance, the net margin jumped from 11% to 31% in just 12 months. Company Overview Up Fintech is the parent company of 'Tiger Brokers', which is a Singapore-headquartered global brokerage company. In August 2025, they had 2.58MM accounts and 1.19MM funded accounts worldwide. Their US platform is called TradeUP . Regarding the US, there are two things that caught my attention. First, the US share of revenues went from 12% of total revenues in 2022 to 32% in just 2 years. Second, in Q4 2024, it was growing at 73% Y/Y. This means (at first glance) they're gaining market share in the US, and it is set to become the main region of revenues. By Author | 20-F filings Another thing to keep an eye on is that while total revenue grew 44% Y/Y in Q4 2024, now they're growing at 73% Y/Y. Also, when accounting for the reduction of interest expense, it results in total net revenue growing at 80% Y/Y, and 26% Q/Q, which, annualized, is 152% Y/Y (1.26^4 =2.52). This indicates an acceleration in growth rates as of now. By Author | SEC filings Now, at operational metrics, growth rates are more modest. Customer accounts grew only 11%, while the 'stock trading volume' and the 'option and futures contracts volume' grew 77% and 68%, respectively. This clearly indicates that these high revenue growth rates come from existing clients. In other words, their strategy is to maximize customer ...

Arkadiusz Warguła/iStock via Getty Images Amneal Pharmaceuticals ( AMRX ) disclosed that its previously announced agreement to settle a majority of opioid-related claims against the company will take effect on Thursday, allowing claimants to receive up to $267M in cash and overdose treatments. Under the Nationwide Opioids Settlement Agreement, the participating states and other jurisdictions can receive $88.5M in cash and up to $177.4M worth of opioid overdose therapy naloxone nasal spray. The ten-year agreement also permits litigants to receive 25% of the naloxone nasal spray’s value as cash payments (subject to a maximum of $44.4M) instead of the product during the last four years of the decade-long payment term. Based on the latter clause, the total cash payments due from the company can reach up to $132.9M under the agreement, Amneal ( AMRX ) said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday. More on Amneal Pharmaceuticals Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMRX) Presents at 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference - Slideshow Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMRX) Presents at 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference Transcript Amneal: Growing Drug Portfolio, Positive Cash Flow, Outweighing Leverage Risks TTM Technologies, Dutch Bros to join S&P 400 Index; Amneal, Apellis to be part of S&P SmallCap 600 Teva seeks removal of over 200 patents from FDA Orange Book after FTC challenge

The artificial intelligence (AI) boom isn’t being slowed by chips, software, or demand. It’s being slowed by something far more basic: a thirst for water. In this Market on Close clip , Barchart’s Senior Market Strategist John Rowland, CMT, explains why the next phase of AI infrastructure investing won’t be about who builds the fastest model — but who can actually get data centers approved, cooled, and sustained in the real world. That’s where water and waste management quietly move from “boring utilities” to critical AI infrastructure. The Problem Big Tech Didn’t Price In As AI data centers expand, local communities are pushing back. The NIMBY (“Not In My Backyard”) movement has become a real obstacle, with concerns around water usage, environmental impact, and long-term strain on local infrastructure. Microsoft (MSFT) acknowledged this reality earlier this month, publicly committing to being a “better partner” to communities. That includes responsible water usage, infrastructure investment, and direct financial support to gain approval for new builds. This matters because AI data centers cannot operate without massive water usage for cooling. The chips may be ready — but without water access, the projects stop. Why This Shifts the Investment Opportunity Rather than chasing mega-cap tech or broad indexes, John’s approach focuses on who benefits from this forced spending. Instead of buying a generic water utility, the focus is on companies whose revenue growth is tied directly to filtration, recycling, and waste systems — the equipment data centers actually need to operate under tighter community and environmental scrutiny. This is the “picks and shovels” framework applied to AI infrastructure. 1 Etf with Diversified Exposure to the Theme One investment John highlighted to express this theme is the First Trust Water ETF (FIW). FIW isn’t a local water distributor ETF. Its holdings focus on companies involved in water treatment, filtration, recycling, and waste manage...

Intel's (INTC) CFO just put his money where his mouth is. Now investors are asking if they should follow his lead. David Zinsner purchased 5,882 shares of Intel at $42.50 each on Jan. 26, just days after the chipmaker's earnings report sent the stock tumbling. The timing is notable. INTC stock had cratered 17% on Friday following weak guidance and warnings about supply constraints that spooked Wall Street. For a CFO to step in with his own cash right after such a selloff sends a message. But is it the right message for investors? The Case Zinsner Is Making Zinsner's buy came following fourth-quarter results that told two different stories. On one hand, Intel beat expectations with adjusted earnings of $0.15 per share versus the $0.08 analysts expected. Revenue of $13.7 billion also topped the $13.4 billion consensus. On the other hand, the guidance was ugly: Intel expects first-quarter revenue between $11.7 billion and $12.7 billion with breakeven earnings. Analysts had penciled in earnings of $0.05 per share and sales of $12.51 billion. That's a miss on both counts. The culprit? Supply constraints. CEO Lip-Bu Tan admitted during the earnings call that the company can't meet full demand for its products. Production yields are running below his targets, and Intel is scrambling to squeeze more output from its existing factories. "We are on a multiyear journey," Tan said. "It will take time and resolve." INTC stock got hammered, erasing gains built on hopes of a turnaround for the embattled American chipmaker. But Zinsner sees something different. His purchase suggests he believes the selloff overshot and that Intel's longer-term story remains intact. What Intel Is Building Toward The excitement around Intel centers on its foundry business, which makes chips for other companies. The chipmaker is betting billions that it can compete with Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) and win back market share it's been bleeding for years. Intel's 18A manufacturing technology is the linchpi...

CFO David Zinsner Is Buying Intel Stock. Should You? Yahoo Finance

Intel's (INTC) CFO just put his money where his mouth is. Now investors are asking if they should follow his lead. David Zinsner purchased 5,882 shares of Intel at $42.50 each on Jan. 26, just days after the chipmaker's earnings report sent the stock tumbling. The timing is notable. INTC stock had cratered 17% on Friday following weak guidance and warnings about supply constraints that spooked Wall Street. For a CFO to step in with his own cash right after such a selloff sends a message. But is it the right message for investors? The Case Zinsner Is Making Zinsner's buy came following fourth-quarter results that told two different stories. On one hand, Intel beat expectations with adjusted earnings of $0.15 per share versus the $0.08 analysts expected. Revenue of $13.7 billion also topped the $13.4 billion consensus. On the other hand, the guidance was ugly: Intel expects first-quarter revenue between $11.7 billion and $12.7 billion with breakeven earnings. Analysts had penciled in earnings of $0.05 per share and sales of $12.51 billion. That's a miss on both counts. The culprit? Supply constraints. CEO Lip-Bu Tan admitted during the earnings call that the company can't meet full demand for its products. Production yields are running below his targets, and Intel is scrambling to squeeze more output from its existing factories. "We are on a multiyear journey," Tan said. "It will take time and resolve." INTC stock got hammered, erasing gains built on hopes of a turnaround for the embattled American chipmaker. But Zinsner sees something different. His purchase suggests he believes the selloff overshot and that Intel's longer-term story remains intact. What Intel Is Building Toward The excitement around Intel centers on its foundry business, which makes chips for other companies. The chipmaker is betting billions that it can compete with Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) and win back market share it's been bleeding for years. Intel's 18A manufacturing technology is the linchpi...

New York, January 29, 2026, 10:57 EST — Regular session. Alphabet’s non-voting GOOG shares dipped following a brief surge to a new intraday peak Big Tech stocks shifted as investors pushed for returns amid ramped-up AI investments Google settled an Android data lawsuit for $135 million; Alphabet set to report earnings on Feb. 4 Alphabet’s non-voting Class C shares (GOOG) dropped 2.5% to $328.00 in early trading, after hitting a peak of $342.91 during the session. The stock had opened at $340 before pulling back. The shift came amid a tough day for growth stocks, with investors digesting fresh Big Tech earnings and fresh AI-related spending announcements. “It’s going to be a show me the money story for AI,” said Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist at LPL Financial, as Microsoft slipped and the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped. (Reuters) Microsoft’s update turned attention squarely on costs and margins, beyond just the revenue numbers. “Revenues are up 17% and the cost of revenues are up 19%,” noted Eric Clark, portfolio manager at the LOGO ETF. His remark summed up growing concern that AI-related capital spending is accelerating faster than returns. (Reuters) Alphabet landed in new legal trouble as Google agreed to fork over $135 million to settle a class action alleging Android collected cellular data without users’ consent. Plaintiffs’ attorney Glen Summers called the payout “the largest ever in a conversion case,” referring to claims over wrongful taking of property. The settlement still awaits a judge’s green light. (Reuters) Google rolled out new AI tools for Chrome, spotlighting image generation and editing capabilities alongside a virtual assistant that operates from a side panel during browsing. The firm also highlighted an “auto browse” feature available on paid plans, designed to manage multi-step online tasks—though users must still sign off on final moves like purchases. (AP News) PwC is stepping up its cloud and AI push with a $400 million, three-year co...

Andreyuu/iStock via Getty Images One company that I have found to be interesting for quite some time now is none other than ESAB Corporation ( ESAB ). The reason why I find this enterprise to be interesting is because its business model is relatively boring. In essence, it develops, produces, and supplies consumable products and equipment that can be used in the cutting, joining, and automated welding activities that make the modern world run. Long ago, I was actually bullish about the business. But after seeing shares essentially double the S&P 500 in the time that I was bullish, I downgraded it . Since my most recent article about the company, an article in which I reaffirmed it as a "Hold" candidate, the stock has unfortunately woefully underperformed the market. Shares are down 0.6% compared to the 23.3% increase that the S&P 500 saw over the same window of time. However, since I originally downgraded it to a "Hold" in August 2024, the stock has risen 18.5%. That's not too far off the 22.4% increase that the market enjoyed. Fundamentally speaking, the business is doing well on the top line. But bottom-line results have come under pressure. This helps explain the recent underperformance that the company has exhibited. But even so, management expects revenue to expand this year. Unfortunately, because profitability is dropping, the stock is becoming more expensive. Relative to other similar firms, shares are actually still very affordable. But that's not enough to justify an upgrade at this time. A Mixed Bag One of the best things about ESAB Corporation is that the company continues to grow on the top line. Take the most recent quarter as an example. This would be the third quarter of the company's 2025 fiscal year. During that time, revenue amounted to $727.8 million. That's 8.1% above the $673.3 million management reported a year earlier. This rise in sales was driven primarily by acquisition activities. You see, management has a history of acquiring other enter...