Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon outlines key tailwinds and risks for the US economy — and what they could mean for monetary policy — in an exclusive interview with Bloomberg’s Stephen Engle at the Goldman Sachs Global Macro Conference Asia-Pacific 2026. (Source: Bloomberg)
Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon outlines key tailwinds and risks for the US economy — and what they could mean for monetary policy — in an exclusive interview with Bloomberg’s Stephen Engle at the Goldman Sachs Global Macro Conference Asia-Pacific 2026. (Source: Bloomberg)
Japan’s mid-sized life insurers are joining their larger peers in avoiding the nation’s super-long government debt . Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Co. is one of those, keeping its distance from 30-year and 40-year bonds even as yields on Japan’s longest-dated securities slid from record highs. Those bonds are usually major investment targets for insurers to match their long-term liabilities. Expect...
Japan’s mid-sized life insurers are joining their larger peers in avoiding the nation’s super-long government debt . Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Co. is one of those, keeping its distance from 30-year and 40-year bonds even as yields on Japan’s longest-dated securities slid from record highs. Those bonds are usually major investment targets for insurers to match their long-term liabilities. Expectations that yields will rise further as the government boosts spending to stimulate the economy have kept them away from bond buying. “Bond yields rose too much and have now fallen, but the fundamentals haven’t changed,” said Hiroe Oizumi , general manager for fixed income at Fukoku’s securities investment department. It’s unlikely that yields will return to their peaks in the short term, but in the medium term, “there’s a possibility that they’ll break above that level,” said Oizumi in an interview. One key event that investors will be scrutinizing is the snap election called by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to strengthen her mandate as head of government. Both the ruling and opposition parties have called for a cut in the consumption tax, causing a tumble in longer Japanese government bonds last week on concern that would worsen the nation’s already mammoth debt load. The possible tax cut and factors such as uncertainties about the Bank of Japan ’s interest-rate path and the yen’s outlook on speculation the government may carry out intervention have made insurers reluctant to get back into super-long bonds. Fukoku Life’s Oizumi said he’s refrained from purchasing 30-year and 40-year bonds since the second half of the fiscal year started October due to risks of holding them for long periods, and has switched to JGBs with remaining maturities of 10 to 15 years. When super-long bond yields surged on Jan. 20, Oizumi said he limited himself to making small purchases of shorter debt. Japan’s 30-year government bond yield has come back down to about 3.6% after soaring t...
Blue Owl Capital sees rising opportunities in private credit as wealthy Australians invest more in private markets. Global head of institutional capital James Clarke discusses the opportunities and risks amid geopolitical tensions and President Trump's tariff threats on 'Bloomberg: The Asia Trade.' (Source: Bloomberg)
Blue Owl Capital sees rising opportunities in private credit as wealthy Australians invest more in private markets. Global head of institutional capital James Clarke discusses the opportunities and risks amid geopolitical tensions and President Trump's tariff threats on 'Bloomberg: The Asia Trade.' (Source: Bloomberg)
mesh cube/iStock via Getty Images Orion Properties ( ONL ) announced a strategic alternatives process. This comes after the last article covered a "going concern" statement. Most likely the issues around the going concern statement are causing at least some of what is going on. There is a possibility that management is not satisfied with the financing options available. What needs to be considered...
mesh cube/iStock via Getty Images Orion Properties ( ONL ) announced a strategic alternatives process. This comes after the last article covered a "going concern" statement. Most likely the issues around the going concern statement are causing at least some of what is going on. There is a possibility that management is not satisfied with the financing options available. What needs to be considered is that this company originally came into being as the "leftovers" of a company that was sold to Realty Income ( O ) and what Realty Income likewise contributed to the company. This management does have a sale to Realty Income as a historical accomplishment. That by no means guarantees success. But it does mean that this management likely possesses the management ability to avoid a bankruptcy filing for any reason. Now, the "strategic alternatives" combined with the "going concern" in the financials does imply a certain risk level that many investors will not be happy with. What needs to happen here is that the revolver which has most of the company debt needs a far more certain future than it has now or the stock price is not likely to wander too far from current levels and could actually decline from these levels if events "head South" from here. My own feeling is that this company needs an acquisition or two to dig its way out of the current situation. A company that is made up of "leftovers" as is the case here from another company sale just may have a bit too much baggage that needs more time to work itself out of the situation. Economic Considerations What may be complicating the issue is the macro environment that is beyond the control of management. Lately, the government policies seem to be contrary to everything that I have learned in my economics classes (and economics is one of my three areas in my MBA). Generally, the way it works is that someone learns the "rules" in any situation so well that those rules are applied in a way that no one saw coming to bring a...
mesh cube/iStock via Getty Images Orion Properties ( ONL ) announced a strategic alternatives process. This comes after the last article covered a "going concern" statement. Most likely the issues around the going concern statement are causing at least some of what is going on. There is a possibility that management is not satisfied with the financing options available. What needs to be considered...
mesh cube/iStock via Getty Images Orion Properties ( ONL ) announced a strategic alternatives process. This comes after the last article covered a "going concern" statement. Most likely the issues around the going concern statement are causing at least some of what is going on. There is a possibility that management is not satisfied with the financing options available. What needs to be considered is that this company originally came into being as the "leftovers" of a company that was sold to Realty Income ( O ) and what Realty Income likewise contributed to the company. This management does have a sale to Realty Income as a historical accomplishment. That by no means guarantees success. But it does mean that this management likely possesses the management ability to avoid a bankruptcy filing for any reason. Now, the "strategic alternatives" combined with the "going concern" in the financials do imply a certain risk level that many investors will not be happy with. What needs to happen here is that the revolver, which has most of the company debt, needs a far more certain future than it has now, or the stock price is not likely to wander too far from current levels and could actually decline from these levels if events "head south" from here. My own feeling is that this company needs an acquisition or two to dig its way out of the current situation. A company that is made up of "leftovers" as is the case here from another company sale, just may have a bit too much baggage that needs more time to work itself out of the situation. Economic Considerations What may be complicating the issue is the macro environment that is beyond the control of management. Lately, the government policies seem to be contrary to everything that I have learned in my economics classes (and economics is one of my three areas in my MBA). Generally, the way it works is that someone learns the "rules" in any situation so well that those rules are applied in a way that no one saw coming to bring...
PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images Rigel Pharmaceuticals ( RIGL ) rallied over 100 percent in 2025, aided by its performance on the commercial front and financial discipline. In April 2025, I rated RIGL a buy, noting the company had reached profitability , sales were still growing, and the developmental pipeline also provided opportunities for the future. This article looks at a recent pipel...
PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images Rigel Pharmaceuticals ( RIGL ) rallied over 100 percent in 2025, aided by its performance on the commercial front and financial discipline. In April 2025, I rated RIGL a buy, noting the company had reached profitability , sales were still growing, and the developmental pipeline also provided opportunities for the future. This article looks at a recent pipeline update and the preliminary financials for Q4'25. Phase 1b data from R289 RIGL has been developing R289, a prodrug of R835 (an IRAK1/4 inhibitor), for the treatment of lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS) in a phase 1b trial. In December 2025, RIGL announced updated results from 33 patients, noting that in those with at least 16 weeks of follow up, and receiving at least 500 mg a day of R289, six of 18 patients (33%) were able to achieve transfusion independence of greater than eight weeks. Updated results from a phase 1b study of R289 in LR-MDS patients. (RIGL Presentation, January 12, 2026.) It is worth noting that RIGL saw a dose-limiting toxicity (grade 4 liver enzyme increase) at the 750 mg daily dose of R289, even though this dose contributed two responses to RIGL's six from 18 patient response rate. That being said, RIGL might be able to improve the rate at which patients achieve transfusion independence, simply by moving into earlier lines of therapy, since the median number of prior therapies was three in this patient cohort. Safety data from the phase 1b trial of R289 in LR-MDS. (RIGL Presentation, January 12, 2026.) RIGL has since moved into dose expansion work in its phase 1b study, where it will enroll up to another 40 patients who will be randomized to 500 mg daily, or 500 mg twice a day, of R289. Following that, RIGL plans to test the selected dose in 10 patients who have had an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) but who are otherwise treatment-naive, so that the company can get a better sense of how the drug performs in earlier lines of thera...
(RTTNews) - First Bank (FRBA) reported earnings for its fourth quarter that Increased, from the same period last year The company's bottom line totaled $12.32 million, or $0.49 per share. This compares with $10.50 million, or $0.41 per share, last year. The company's revenue for the period rose 13.9% to $38.46 million from $33.77 million last year. First Bank earnings at a glance (GAAP) : -Earning...
(RTTNews) - First Bank (FRBA) reported earnings for its fourth quarter that Increased, from the same period last year The company's bottom line totaled $12.32 million, or $0.49 per share. This compares with $10.50 million, or $0.41 per share, last year. The company's revenue for the period rose 13.9% to $38.46 million from $33.77 million last year. First Bank earnings at a glance (GAAP) : -Earnings: $12.32 Mln. vs. $10.50 Mln. last year. -EPS: $0.49 vs. $0.41 last year. -Revenue: $38.46 Mln vs. $33.77 Mln last year. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.