Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision via Getty Images Macroeconomic volatility feels like it has been ratcheted up a few notches in recent years. Stock prices, interest rates, commodity trends, and currency pairs turn on a dime, while official economic data is harder to collect and interpret. Increasingly, company-specific fundamental data is sought after for breadcrumbs on the broader backdrop. Wall Street...
Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision via Getty Images Macroeconomic volatility feels like it has been ratcheted up a few notches in recent years. Stock prices, interest rates, commodity trends, and currency pairs turn on a dime, while official economic data is harder to collect and interpret. Increasingly, company-specific fundamental data is sought after for breadcrumbs on the broader backdrop. Wall Street Horizon’s industry-leading interim data calendar helps portfolio managers, institutional investors, and traders map what’s happening at the firm level to the global economy. Dig Deeper with Interim Data But what is interim data ? It’s company-released performance information shared between regular earnings reports. More plainly, interim data is official, scheduled updates that give investors a peek at how a company is doing before the next quarterly or semi-annual earnings release. What Counts as Interim Data? Interim data typically includes: Intra-period financial statements (common outside North America) Sales updates (monthly or quarterly) Production figures (e.g., autos produced, tons mined, barrels pumped) Operating metrics (passenger volumes, same-store sales, service levels) Pre-earnings trading updates or performance snapshots These releases are company-initiated, time-bound, scheduled, and quantitative-heavy. Impactful enough to move single stocks and industry indexes, there’s less CEO “fluff” with interim data. It can be ideal for money managers and analysts preferring hard facts, not soft narratives. Going Beyond Earnings Reports Quarterly updates from U.S.-based multinational corporations come in fast and furious beginning in the middle of January, April, July, and October. International firms, by contrast, commonly post revenue and profit numbers semi-annually. This cadence is helpful from a scheduling perspective—knowing when volatility may come about—but it naturally results in gaps on the calendar. Interim data fills the void. Distanced from earnings season...
First Interstate Banc ( FIBK ) declares $0.47/share quarterly dividend , in line with previous. Forward yield 5.13% Payable Feb. 20; for shareholders of record Feb. 10; ex-div Feb. 10. See FIBK Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on First Interstate Banc First Interstate BancSystem: Recent Results Justify A Cautious Upgrade Sandisk to join S&P 500; UPWK, FIBK, HBI to be part o...
First Interstate Banc ( FIBK ) declares $0.47/share quarterly dividend , in line with previous. Forward yield 5.13% Payable Feb. 20; for shareholders of record Feb. 10; ex-div Feb. 10. See FIBK Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth. More on First Interstate Banc First Interstate BancSystem: Recent Results Justify A Cautious Upgrade Sandisk to join S&P 500; UPWK, FIBK, HBI to be part of S&P SmallCap 600 Activist investor HoldCo won't pursue proxy contests at two regional banks Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on First Interstate Banc Historical earnings data for First Interstate Banc
atakan/iStock via Getty Images Global equity markets ended the fourth quarter in positive territory, with Europe as a standout performer, followed by Emerging Markets. Large caps outperformed small in most markets. The U.S. and China extended their trade truce for another year, though geopolitical issues—tariffs or otherwise—continued to simmer worldwide. In Europe, the U.K. and France signed a de...
atakan/iStock via Getty Images Global equity markets ended the fourth quarter in positive territory, with Europe as a standout performer, followed by Emerging Markets. Large caps outperformed small in most markets. The U.S. and China extended their trade truce for another year, though geopolitical issues—tariffs or otherwise—continued to simmer worldwide. In Europe, the U.K. and France signed a declaration of intent to deploy troops to Ukraine if a peace deal is reached with Russia; territory remains a key outstanding issue in negotiations. Within the Western Hemisphere, the Trump administration launched a strike in Venezuela to seize Maduro. This signals a tougher approach toward Latin America, with additional ramifications for the Energy sector. Across major central banks, the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of England eased further, while the ECB held steady and the Bank of Japan tightened. Manufacturing activity decreased, while service industries fared better. Third-quarter GDP was better than expected; however, consumers remain cautious amid continued signs of labor-market softening. That proved to be the key consideration for the Fed's further interest rate cuts. There was a low-quality bias in the market across small- to mid-cap stocks, with strong results for companies with low Returns on Equity. Among small-cap growth stocks, where companies without earnings were far more common, those stocks were highly rewarded. Amidst this market environment, the portfolio slightly outperformed the Russell Midcap® Growth Index in the fourth quarter, and ended the year well ahead of the benchmark. Our preferences in the Consumer-oriented sectors lean toward value-oriented or specialty retailers, franchise models, premium brands, or support services for other consumer companies. O’Reilly Automotive Inc. ( ORLY ) , a specialty retailer of aftermarket auto parts and accessories, lost -15%. Third quarter results featured better-than-expected revenues, same-store sales, and...
The PWR returns with Gloucester-Hartpury on an epic winning run and a tight battle for the semi-final spots Gloucester-Hartpury will take to the pitch this weekend when the league returns from a six-week break looking to sustain an enviable record in Premiership Women’s Rugby. The West Country team are unbeaten since a defeat by local rivals Bristol Bears in November 2024 and have since won 18 PWR...
The PWR returns with Gloucester-Hartpury on an epic winning run and a tight battle for the semi-final spots Gloucester-Hartpury will take to the pitch this weekend when the league returns from a six-week break looking to sustain an enviable record in Premiership Women’s Rugby. The West Country team are unbeaten since a defeat by local rivals Bristol Bears in November 2024 and have since won 18 PWR games on the bounce, including their third successive final. If Gloucester manage to beat Loughborough at Kingsholm on Sunday they will leapfrog Saracens, who are currently top of the table despite losing to the champions this season, and who have a bye this weekend. The top two are 12 points clear of the rest of the league and the clubs who finish in either of those spots host their semi-final. So does being top even matter if second gets you the same result? Saracens second row Georgia Evans believes so: “We want to be top all of the time. This league has stepped up, you’ve seen how competitive and close some of the games are. Top of the table means a lot.” Continue reading...
The post Betterment Alternatives by Sarah Horvath appeared first on Benzinga . Visit Benzinga to get more great content like this. Robo-advisors are automated investment management tools that make it easy for beginner investors to gain some insight into the best ways to save money. Though there are a number of robo-advising services available on the market, Betterment, an online investing service,...
The post Betterment Alternatives by Sarah Horvath appeared first on Benzinga . Visit Benzinga to get more great content like this. Robo-advisors are automated investment management tools that make it easy for beginner investors to gain some insight into the best ways to save money. Though there are a number of robo-advising services available on the market, Betterment, an online investing service, has risen above the competition with over $13.5 billion in assets under management. Best Alternatives to Betterment Best Overall: M1 Finance Best for Automated Investing: Wealthfront Best for Women: Ellevest Best Robo Advisor: Wealthsimple Table of contents [ Show ] Best Alternatives to Betterment The Best Betterment Alternatives Overview: What is Betterment? Robo-Advisors vs. Human Advisors: Which is Right for You? Why Betterment Might Not Be for You Final Thoughts on Betterment Alternatives Frequently Asked Questions The Best Betterment Alternatives We’ve rounded up the best alternatives to Betterment to help you make the right decision for your money. 1. M1 Finance Best For Customizable Auto Investing Overall Rating Read Review get started securely through M1 Finance’s website More Details Disclosure: Brokerage products and services are offered by M1 Finance, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of M1 Holdings, Inc. Your free trial (a $30 value) begins the date you enroll in the M1 Plus subscription, and ends 3 months after (“Free Trial”). Upon the expiry of the Free Trial, your account is automatically billed a monthly subscription fee of $10 unless you elect annual billing of $95 or cancel your subscription under your Membership details in the M1 Platform Best For Customizable Auto Investing N/A 1 Minute Review M1 Finance is a unique investing platform that allows investors to allocate their funds through a strategy called “pie investing.” When you open an account with M1, you can choose from 1 of 80 expert portfolio allocations, which the platform ca...
India’s Economic Survey raised age-based restrictions on social media use as an issue for discussion, even as several countries have already taken steps to limit minors’ access to social media platforms. “Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults, particularly for social media, gambling apps, auto-play features, and targeted advertising,” the ...
India’s Economic Survey raised age-based restrictions on social media use as an issue for discussion, even as several countries have already taken steps to limit minors’ access to social media platforms. “Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults, particularly for social media, gambling apps, auto-play features, and targeted advertising,” the Economic Survey for 2025-26, released by the Ministry of Finance, said. The Indian federal government document speaks to a global concern over the wide usage of social media and its detrimental impact, which has led to policymakers in Indonesia, Denmark and other nations to rein in technology platforms. Australia recently instituted a nationwide ban on social media accounts for children under the age of 16. “As a state, we are studying Australia’s under-16 law, and yes, I believe we need to create a strong legal enactment,” Nara Lokesh, minister of technology and human resources for the Southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, told Bloomberg News in an interview last week.
Aprea Therapeutics ( NASDAQ: APRE ) said on Thursday that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with new and existing healthcare-focused institutional investors, as well as certain insiders, to sell an aggregate of 6.29M shares of common stock. The offering also includes warrants to purchase up to 6.29M shares of common stock and is being conducted at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. E...
Aprea Therapeutics ( NASDAQ: APRE ) said on Thursday that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with new and existing healthcare-focused institutional investors, as well as certain insiders, to sell an aggregate of 6.29M shares of common stock. The offering also includes warrants to purchase up to 6.29M shares of common stock and is being conducted at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. Each share and accompanying warrant is priced at $0.89. The warrants, exercisable immediately at $0.765, expire two years after the registration statement becomes effective. Net proceeds from the offering will be used for general corporate purposes and research and development expenses. The offering is expected to close on January 30, 2026. Maxim Group is acting as the sole placement agent in connection with the offering. Shares -7.83%. More on Aprea Therapeutics Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Aprea Therapeutics Historical earnings data for Aprea Therapeutics Financial information for Aprea Therapeutics
Wolterk/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Investment Thesis Shareholders who bought the dip in 2025 clearly lost one year, and those who bought five years ago are sitting on dead money, as UnitedHealth Group Incorporated ( UNH ) is now trading at the price level it traded at in 2020. Unfortunately for the existing shareholders, I believe that the underperformance has just been extended to at least...
Wolterk/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Investment Thesis Shareholders who bought the dip in 2025 clearly lost one year, and those who bought five years ago are sitting on dead money, as UnitedHealth Group Incorporated ( UNH ) is now trading at the price level it traded at in 2020. Unfortunately for the existing shareholders, I believe that the underperformance has just been extended to at least 2027 by the CMS. Data by YCharts The earnings report released at the start of the week in relation to Q4 of the largest US health insurer, combined with the news that the Trump administration proposed a 0.09% increase in reimbursement (against the 4-6% rise expected) in 2027, will extend the agony in the sector, keeping significant headwinds on UNH and peers. For these reasons, I am rating the stock a Sell, as I expected continued underperformance in relation to the broader market. I am well aware that this contrasts with fellow Seeking Alpha analysts and Wall Street, who still rate it a Buy. No Signs of Improvement Revenue of $113.2 billion in Q4 missed by $520 million but still rose by 12.3% year-over-year. The growth numbers were even rather solid considering UnitedHealthcare revenue, UNH’s healthcare plan, expanded by 16% to reach $344.9 billion. Also, Optum, the technology and data analytics subsidiary of UNH, grew by 7% on a year-over-year basis. While these numbers are quite positive despite the revenue miss, the main concerns remain margin compression and the market outlook. Markets are forward-looking, and based on the management’s guidance and recent CMS news, the margins will remain under pressure. Trump’s administration's war on healthcare, in particular the “middlemen” (of which UNH is one), aims at reducing the importance of companies like UnitedHealth. The administration’s cuts in the healthcare budget also deteriorate the market sentiment in the healthcare segment. UnitedHealth’s medical care ratio surged to 88.9%, an increase of 340 basis points on a year-...
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Privately owned Repertoire Immune Medicines announced a partnership worth up to $1.9B with Eli Lilly ( LLY ) on Thursday to develop and commercialize a new class of treatments targeting autoimmune diseases. According to the Cambridge, MA-based company, the collaboration focuses on developing tolerizing therapies designed to restore immune homeostasis ...
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Privately owned Repertoire Immune Medicines announced a partnership worth up to $1.9B with Eli Lilly ( LLY ) on Thursday to develop and commercialize a new class of treatments targeting autoimmune diseases. According to the Cambridge, MA-based company, the collaboration focuses on developing tolerizing therapies designed to restore immune homeostasis and create a durable remission, unlike currently available therapies, which are associated with generalized immune suppression. As part of the deal, Repertoire will be responsible for early development efforts until candidate nomination. Lilly ( LLY ) will take over clinical development, production, regulatory activities, and potential commercialization. In exchange, the Indiana-based pharma giant will pay $85M upfront to Repertoire in addition to tiered royalties on net sales, as well as development and commercial milestones worth up to $1.84B. More on Eli Lilly Eli Lilly: Breakout To New Highs Sends A Clear Warning Shot Eli Lilly: Buy Ahead Of Its Earnings Day (Preview) Eli Lilly: Exceptional 2025, But Rising Headwinds Loom In 2026 TrumpRx expected to launch on Friday: report Eli Lilly inks a gene-editing deal worth up to $1.12B with Seamless
Several major lenders have begun the year by announcing further branch closures across the UK, putting hundreds of jobs at risk as banks accelerate a shift away from in-person services. Santander (BNC.L) said it would close a further 44 branches, placing 291 roles at risk. The Spanish-owned lender said the move reflected changing customer behaviour, with more people choosing to bank online rather ...
Several major lenders have begun the year by announcing further branch closures across the UK, putting hundreds of jobs at risk as banks accelerate a shift away from in-person services. Santander (BNC.L) said it would close a further 44 branches, placing 291 roles at risk. The Spanish-owned lender said the move reflected changing customer behaviour, with more people choosing to bank online rather than visit physical branches. Lloyds (LLOY.L) Banking Group has also set out plans to close additional sites. The group is shutting 23 more Lloyds branches across the UK this year after a wave of closures in January. In total, Lloyds closed 218 branches in 2025 following a reported 55% fall in in-person transactions over the past five years. These included 142 Lloyds branches, 118 Halifax branches and 43 Bank of Scotland branches. Seventeen Lloyds branches closed in January, with a further 23 sites due to shut later in 2026. The latest announcements follow a broader contraction of the UK’s bank branch network last year. A total of 432 branches closed permanently in 2025, according to analysis by Which?. NatWest (NWG.L) accounted for 105 of the closures, followed by Halifax with 101, Santander with 95 and Lloyds with 93. The Bank of Scotland closed 24 branches, while TSB shut eight and Barclays (BARC.L) closed six. Read more: Lloyds launches £1.75bn buyback after profit beats expectations NatWest has confirmed that seven more branches will close this year as demand for mobile and online banking continues to grow. The lender shut 49 locations in 2025 and said further closures would follow this year as footfall declines. The bank said customers would be given 12 weeks’ notice of a closure and informed of the exact date through in-branch posters or a closure guide available in the branch or online. NatWest said customers would still have “lots of other ways to bank” after a closure, including using digital devices to speak to staff or arranging a free face-to-face Financial Hea...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chairman and CEO — Edward Nigro Chief Credit Officer — Jeffery Whicker TAKEAWAYS Net Income -- $7.4 million for the quarter, up $3.1 million versus the prior quarter's $4.3 million. -- $7.4 million for the quarter, up $3.1 million versus the prior quarter's $4.3 million. EPS -- $0.52 per diluted share for the q...
Image source: The Motley Fool. Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET CALL PARTICIPANTS Chairman and CEO — Edward Nigro Chief Credit Officer — Jeffery Whicker TAKEAWAYS Net Income -- $7.4 million for the quarter, up $3.1 million versus the prior quarter's $4.3 million. -- $7.4 million for the quarter, up $3.1 million versus the prior quarter's $4.3 million. EPS -- $0.52 per diluted share for the quarter; $1.66 for the year, compared to $1.37 for the prior year. -- $0.52 per diluted share for the quarter; $1.66 for the year, compared to $1.37 for the prior year. Noninterest Income -- Interchange fees rose by $7 million year over year due to increased credit card activity. -- Interchange fees rose by $7 million year over year due to increased credit card activity. Net Interest Margin -- 4.33% for the year, above the cited industry average of approximately 3.7%. -- 4.33% for the year, above the cited industry average of approximately 3.7%. Credit Card Transaction Volumes -- $130 million in the second quarter, declining to approximately $99 million in the fourth quarter following fraud-mitigation actions and paused marketing. -- $130 million in the second quarter, declining to approximately $99 million in the fourth quarter following fraud-mitigation actions and paused marketing. Credit Card Platform Controls -- Application process halted and re-engineered after fraud attempts, with new KYC and fraud prevention (Plaid, NeuroID, PreciseID) now implemented; CEO Nigro stated "not one fraud has gotten through" in the last sixty days. -- Application process halted and re-engineered after fraud attempts, with new KYC and fraud prevention (Plaid, NeuroID, PreciseID) now implemented; CEO Nigro stated "not one fraud has gotten through" in the last sixty days. Credit Card Profitability -- Chief Credit Officer Whicker said, "the program is positively contributing to the bottom line of the bank on a consistent basis. This is very unusual for a program that's this young." -- Chief C...
More on Mastercard Mastercard: Just Keep Swiping, Just Keep Swiping; More Growth Ahead Mastercard: A Fire To Run Towards Mastercard: 14.5% Dividend Raise Impressive, But Valuation Could Cap Future Returns Mastercard Q4 earnings beat powered by healthy consumer, business spending Visa, Mastercard quarterly earnings seen trending up on payment volume growth
More on Mastercard Mastercard: Just Keep Swiping, Just Keep Swiping; More Growth Ahead Mastercard: A Fire To Run Towards Mastercard: 14.5% Dividend Raise Impressive, But Valuation Could Cap Future Returns Mastercard Q4 earnings beat powered by healthy consumer, business spending Visa, Mastercard quarterly earnings seen trending up on payment volume growth
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by analysts at Mizuho from $815.00 to $850.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "outperform" rating on the social networking company's stock. Mizuho's price objective suggests a potential upside of 27.11% from the company's current price. Get Meta Platforms alerts: Sign...
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by analysts at Mizuho from $815.00 to $850.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "outperform" rating on the social networking company's stock. Mizuho's price objective suggests a potential upside of 27.11% from the company's current price. Get Meta Platforms alerts: Sign Up META has been the topic of a number of other reports. Arete Research set a $718.00 price target on Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Thursday. Raymond James Financial lowered their target price on Meta Platforms from $825.00 to $800.00 and set a "strong-buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday. BNP Paribas Exane assumed coverage on shares of Meta Platforms in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $800.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn raised shares of Meta Platforms from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $740.00 to $900.00 in a research report on Monday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-nine have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $828.93. Check Out Our Latest Report on META Meta Platforms Stock Down 0.6% Shares of META opened at $668.73 on Thursday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $646.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $695.85. Meta Platforms has a 12-month low of $479.80 and a 12-month high of $796.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The firm has a market cap of $1.69 trillion, a P/E ratio of 29.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1...