With Commercial Real Estate Still Challenging, Lenders Offload Troubled Loans At A Loss Authored by Mary Prenon via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), While leasing activity and vacancy trends suggest the U.S. commercial real estate market is stabilizing, office values are still well below post-pandemic peaks, recent reports show. The San Francisco skyline on Jan. 20, 2023. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via...
With Commercial Real Estate Still Challenging, Lenders Offload Troubled Loans At A Loss Authored by Mary Prenon via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), While leasing activity and vacancy trends suggest the U.S. commercial real estate market is stabilizing, office values are still well below post-pandemic peaks, recent reports show. The San Francisco skyline on Jan. 20, 2023. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images As owners scramble to make payments on under-occupied office buildings, many lenders are reluctant to foreclose to avoid the headache of taking ownership and reselling the properties, according to David Marino, cofounder of Hughes Marino, a San Diego-based corporate real estate advisory firm. According to Cushman and Wakefield, a global commercial real estate services company, national office sublease inventory in the first quarter declined by 13.6 percent year over year, to 101 million square feet, while vacancy may have peaked. Sublease space peaked in January 2023, at 189 million square feet, according to the commercial real estate services firm CBRE Group. A February report from the financial data and research company MSCI also shows that office prices are showing signs of stabilization, though they are still well below their post-COVID-19 pandemic peak. Commercial property prices rose by 0.3 percent year over year in January, but downtown office values declined by 1.3 percent, and were down by 40.2 percent from three years ago. Massive Perks Speaking recently with Siyamak Khorrami, host of EpochTV's "Market Insider," Marino said the commercial real estate market is still challenging, as the pandemic has made remote work a new normal. "The horses are out of the barn and never coming back," he said. An April 1 report from job search platform FlexJobs shows that remote-job postings in the first quarter increased by 20 percent month over month, with 65 percent of positions targeting experienced workers. The platform predicts continued growth in the work model...
When the Social Security Administration announced last October that benefits would be rising 2.8%, many seniors were disappointed. And they had a right to be. They just didn't know the whole story at the time. It's very clear that 2026's Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is not holding up well to inflation. And there are two big reasons why. Prices are higher Ever since the Iran ...
When the Social Security Administration announced last October that benefits would be rising 2.8%, many seniors were disappointed. And they had a right to be. They just didn't know the whole story at the time. It's very clear that 2026's Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is not holding up well to inflation. And there are two big reasons why. Prices are higher Ever since the Iran conflict broke out, oil prices have soared. That's driven prices up across a range of consumer categories. In April, the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which is the index Social Security COLAs are based on, rose 3.9% on an annual basis. And while that increase may be directly related to the situation overseas, it doesn't change the reality -- that a 3.9% rise in the cost of goods and services renders a 2.8% COLA fairly useless. Medicare Part B hikes hurt seniors from the start Another reason 2026's Social Security COLA was pretty much doomed from the start is Medicare -- specifically, the cost of Part B. Seniors who are enrolled in both Medicare and Social Security pay their Part B premiums out of their monthly benefits. So when there's a big increase in the cost of Part B, that year's Social Security COLA doesn't go as far. In January, the standard monthly Part B premium rose by $17.90. So, even before inflation began to pick up in the wake of the Iran conflict, seniors on Social Security were at a disadvantage due to the combination of a moderate COLA and a large Part B increase. Have realistic COLA expectations Since 2026's Social Security COLA is turning out to be a bust, you may have higher hopes for next year's raise. But one thing you should realize is that Social Security COLAs are not meant to beat inflation. The best they can generally do is keep up with it -- if they even manage that. If you're struggling to make ends meet, it pays to find ways to boost your paycheck outside of a Social Security COLA. You may want to con...
Oh Tottenham. How has it come to this? Champions League finalists in 2019, and Europa League winners just 12 months ago, one of the grandest clubs in England are now possibly 90 minutes plus fingernail-and-artery-bothering add-ons away from relegation to the second tier for the first time in nearly half a century. Ah but let’s leave those questions for later. And they’ll be a lot less pointed shou...
Oh Tottenham. How has it come to this? Champions League finalists in 2019, and Europa League winners just 12 months ago, one of the grandest clubs in England are now possibly 90 minutes plus fingernail-and-artery-bothering add-ons away from relegation to the second tier for the first time in nearly half a century. Ah but let’s leave those questions for later. And they’ll be a lot less pointed should Spurs escape the executioner this afternoon. The maths are simple: beat Everton and they stay up. A draw will almost certainly be enough, unless West Ham beat Leeds 12-0, which, given that scoreline would tie a top-flight record set 134 years ago* and matched only once since, 117 years ago†, is not going to happen. But a defeat … hoo boy. The good news for Spurs: under Roberto de Zerbi, they’ve lost just one of their last five fixtures. And even if the worst was to happen, West Ham would still need to win to leapfrog them to safety. However, Spurs have only won two matches at home all season, against Burnley and Brentford, while Everton have the sixth-best away record in the division, winning seven of 18. Also in David Moyes, Everton have a manager who is on record saying he’d “love to keep West Ham in the league if I can”, having previously managed them to European glory. So imagine the tension in N17 should Everton score first this afternoon. But Spurs beat the Toffees 3-0 on their own patch last October, so glee is as likely an outcome for the hosts as misery. At least that’s what they’ve got to tell themselves as they go into their most important game for a generation … and the bean counters will tell you that yes, that does include last year’s Europa League final. Kick-off is at 4pm BST. It’s on! *: West Bromwich Albion 12-0 Darwen (April 1892) †: Nottingham Forest 12–0 Leicester Fosse (April 1909)
At least £325bn worth of dirty money is flowing through the UK every year, according to research that is sparking concerns about funding for state investigators and the government’s push into crypto assets. The figure is equivalent to more than 10% of UK GDP and includes illicit funds linked to financial crime, money laundering, corruption, illegal trade and tax dodging, according to the report by...
At least £325bn worth of dirty money is flowing through the UK every year, according to research that is sparking concerns about funding for state investigators and the government’s push into crypto assets. The figure is equivalent to more than 10% of UK GDP and includes illicit funds linked to financial crime, money laundering, corruption, illegal trade and tax dodging, according to the report by the Finance Innovation Lab charity. Including the UK’s crown dependencies and overseas territories, such as Jersey and the Cayman Islands, the figure jumps to more than £788bn annually. The research is believed to be the first comprehensive attempt to quantify the scale of illicit finance flows linked to the UK, with cross-border data on tax evasion and financial crime revealing the extent of the UK’s international role as a hub for dirty money from across the world. The figures are being released as the UK prepares to host the Illicit Finance Summit, on 23-24 June, with the Finance Innovation Lab urging Labour ministers to “demonstrate leadership” by confronting the UK’s role in enabling economic crime and tax evasion. One of the report’s authors, Jesse Griffiths said: “Rachel Reeves has described the UK’s financial sector as the ‘crown jewel’ of the economy. Our report shows that, all too often, it is in fact playing a central role in supporting illicit financial flows: harming our economy, taking money from our public services, and supporting crime. Understanding the true scale of this is an essential first step toward ensuring the financial system works for society, not against it.” The all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax is backing the Finance Innovation Lab’s calls for government action, including a rise in funding for state investigators including the National Crime Agency and Serious Fraud Office, which they said would be likely to pay for itself through higher fines and asset seizures. The Lab is also calling for a “pause” o...
A lot of investors associate Vanguard almost exclusively with low-cost passive indexing on the equity side. But what many people may not realize is that in recent years, Vanguard has also built a fairly robust presence in active fixed income management. In classic Vanguard fashion, though, they have kept the fees on many of these ... Two Vanguard Tickers. One Brokerage Account. Passive Income Land...
A lot of investors associate Vanguard almost exclusively with low-cost passive indexing on the equity side. But what many people may not realize is that in recent years, Vanguard has also built a fairly robust presence in active fixed income management. In classic Vanguard fashion, though, they have kept the fees on many of these ... Two Vanguard Tickers. One Brokerage Account. Passive Income Lands in It Every Month.
Robert Way/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Much has been said about Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ) and the advantages it holds over the incumbent data center and AI GPU leader Nvidia Corp. ( NVDA ). Indeed, my own thesis recently stood at a point where I could recommend an equal-weighted holding of both equities, and I wrote a detailed note on this comparison in an article titled: Trim Your Hare...
Robert Way/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Much has been said about Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ) and the advantages it holds over the incumbent data center and AI GPU leader Nvidia Corp. ( NVDA ). Indeed, my own thesis recently stood at a point where I could recommend an equal-weighted holding of both equities, and I wrote a detailed note on this comparison in an article titled: Trim Your Hare, Buy A Tortoise . It's a fun read, and I recommend perusing some of the caustic commentary from NVDA bulls because, ironically, having one's hypothesis attacked vigorously with bull platitudes tends to strengthen rather than weaken it. My thesis since then has evolved significantly, and AMD's Q1 2026 report confirms it and advances it to the next stage: AMD is now emerging as a very viable threat to NVDA, not necessarily to its GPU roadmap or its highly visible forward revenues, but to future AI workloads graduating from training-and-compute-heavy to agent-driven-and-inference-heavy. Where My Reiterated Strong Buy Thesis Takes Me AMD is a direct competitor to NVDA, but it is not operationally structured or oriented to outdo the latter. Although CEO Lisa Su, in a prepared statement in the press release for Q1 2026 results, conceded that "Data Center [is] now the primary driver of our revenue and earnings growth," the reality of it is that NVDA is growing its quarterly revenues in the mid-80-percent range as of Q1 2027 reported this week, while AMD is struggling to hit the 40 percent level year-on-year. Even at the segment level, the first of NVDA's new reporting segments, which are now Data Center and Edge Computing, grew at 92 percent year-on-year and 21 percent sequentially. AMD, on the other hand, reported a 57 percent increase in data center revenues, and even that was inclusive of "strong demand for AMD EPYC™ processors" or CPUs. This disparity stems not from the performance and/or cost differentials between their respective GPU product roadmaps but from a far more sys...
Robert Way/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Much has been said about Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ) and the advantages it holds over the incumbent data center and AI GPU leader Nvidia Corp. ( NVDA ). Indeed, my own thesis recently stood at a point where I could recommend an equal-weighted holding of both equities, and I wrote a detailed note on this comparison in an article titled: Trim Your Hare...
Robert Way/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Much has been said about Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ) and the advantages it holds over the incumbent data center and AI GPU leader Nvidia Corp. ( NVDA ). Indeed, my own thesis recently stood at a point where I could recommend an equal-weighted holding of both equities, and I wrote a detailed note on this comparison in an article titled: Trim Your Hare, Buy A Tortoise . It's a fun read, and I recommend perusing some of the caustic commentary from NVDA bulls because, ironically, having one's hypothesis attacked vigorously with bull platitudes tends to strengthen rather than weaken it. My thesis since then has evolved significantly, and AMD's Q1 2026 report confirms it and advances it to the next stage: AMD is now emerging as a very viable threat to NVDA, not necessarily to its GPU roadmap or its highly visible forward revenues, but to future AI workloads graduating from training-and-compute-heavy to agent-driven-and-inference-heavy. Where My Reiterated Strong Buy Thesis Takes Me AMD is a direct competitor to NVDA, but it is not operationally structured or oriented to outdo the latter. Although CEO Lisa Su, in a prepared statement in the press release for Q1 2026 results, conceded that "Data Center [is] now the primary driver of our revenue and earnings growth," the reality of it is that NVDA is growing its quarterly revenues in the mid-80-percent range as of Q1 2027 reported this week, while AMD is struggling to hit the 40 percent level year-on-year. Even at the segment level, the first of NVDA's new reporting segments, which are now Data Center and Edge Computing, grew at 92 percent year-on-year and 21 percent sequentially. AMD, on the other hand, reported a 57 percent increase in data center revenues, and even that was inclusive of "strong demand for AMD EPYC™ processors" or CPUs. This disparity stems not from the performance and/or cost differentials between their respective GPU product roadmaps but from a far more sys...
Buraporn meelanniyom/iStock via Getty Images I could spend hours and hours listing risks that I have heard about BDCs in the past year or so. Most of them are baseless, some of them are valid but irrelevant for defensive publicly traded BDC investors, and only one is what concerns me. I will quickly give a few examples of the "middle risk category" (valid but irrelevant) and then flesh out the big...
Buraporn meelanniyom/iStock via Getty Images I could spend hours and hours listing risks that I have heard about BDCs in the past year or so. Most of them are baseless, some of them are valid but irrelevant for defensive publicly traded BDC investors, and only one is what concerns me. I will quickly give a few examples of the "middle risk category" (valid but irrelevant) and then flesh out the biggest risk I see for BDC investors. Now, there are two reasonable risks where I agree a certain demographic of BDC investors might scratch their heads and rethink managing these exposures. First, liquidity gating. Many BDCs have closed the gates for their investors who are seeking exits. The introduction of a 5% quarterly withdrawal limit is a real problem for some BDC investors. But let me repeat it: "some BDC investors ." And these investors are those who have parked their capital in private BDCs and really want to flee the space. Personally, I invest in publicly traded BDCs where, if I want, I can convert my shares at any time during NYSE trading hours. Second, ambiguous loan marks. The price discovery for privately underwritten and non-traded loans is less transparent and clear than for publicly traded high-yield credit via the iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF ( HYG ). However, I agree with some BDC bears that the notion of having a fully valued (at par) loan in one quarter and then in the next one registering the same loan as fully impaired seems a bit odd. Yet, at the end of the day, we (as long-term income investors) invest in BDCs to clip sustainable and enticing coupons. In this process, the key is to make sure that the BDC portfolio companies service interest payments and repay the principal. Whether a loan is at 101% of par or 92% of par is largely irrelevant as long as it performs well. And if we look at three publicly traded BDCs with 15+ years of history (the oldest publicly traded BDCs) — Ares Capital ( ARCC ), Capital Southwest ( CSWC ), and Main...
Bloom Energy (BE 1.75%) stock is on an absolute tear in 2026, and it is showing no signs of slowing down. The solid oxide fuel cell manufacturer has seen its share value spike by over 259% thus far this year. Since last May, Bloom stock has exploded by over 1,610%. Expand NYSE : BE Bloom Energy Today's Change ( -1.75 %) $ -5.39 Current Price $ 302.49 Key Data Points Market Cap $86B Day's Range $ 3...
Bloom Energy (BE 1.75%) stock is on an absolute tear in 2026, and it is showing no signs of slowing down. The solid oxide fuel cell manufacturer has seen its share value spike by over 259% thus far this year. Since last May, Bloom stock has exploded by over 1,610%. Expand NYSE : BE Bloom Energy Today's Change ( -1.75 %) $ -5.39 Current Price $ 302.49 Key Data Points Market Cap $86B Day's Range $ 301.85 - $ 322.83 52wk Range $ 18.12 - $ 322.83 Volume 9.5M Avg Vol 10.5M Gross Margin 31.08 % To put that in perspective: Bloom Energy made more gains over the last year than Nvidia has delivered over the past five. That is not normal stock behavior. But Bloom is not a normal energy stock. Put differently: Bloom is one of the only clean energy companies with a deployable energy server that can produce on-site power for clients whose electricity needs exceed (or strain) grid capacity. Think field hospitals, industrial parks, research facilities, mining sites, and data centers. Wherever 24/7 reliable electricity is needed, Bloom's servers essentially function as a mini power plant to supply it. 2025 was undeniably Bloom's breakout year, with a $5 billion deal with Brookfield Asset Management to deploy fuel cells for Brookfield's AI factories. But the good news just keeps coming. On May 20, Bloom inked a $2.6 billion agreement with Nebius to supply power for Nebius' data centers in Europe. Bloom stock surged to fresh new highs on the heels of that news. Bloom Energy is no longer a secret, and its expensive valuation reflects the hype and expectations baked into its price. The company has a market cap of roughly $86 billion and trades at around 87 times book value. Bloom isn't my favorite for value, but it remains a top pick for long-term growth. The stock may not explode 17-fold again, but if data centers continue to demand more electricity than the grid can provide, Bloom's future will involve big top-line growth that can sustain its momentum for the next five years.
Key Points Bloom Energy makes solid oxide fuel cells for clean, reliable power. The company has a marquee list of clients, including big players in the data center space. 10 stocks we like better than Bloom Energy › Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE) stock is on an absolute tear in 2026, and it is showing no signs of slowing down. The solid oxide fuel cell manufacturer has seen its share value spike by over ...
Key Points Bloom Energy makes solid oxide fuel cells for clean, reliable power. The company has a marquee list of clients, including big players in the data center space. 10 stocks we like better than Bloom Energy › Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE) stock is on an absolute tear in 2026, and it is showing no signs of slowing down. The solid oxide fuel cell manufacturer has seen its share value spike by over 259% thus far this year. Since last May, Bloom stock has exploded by over 1,610%. To put that in perspective: Bloom Energy made more gains over the last year than Nvidia has delivered over the past five. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » That is not normal stock behavior. But Bloom is not a normal energy stock. Put differently: Bloom is one of the only clean energy companies with a deployable energy server that can produce on-site power for clients whose electricity needs exceed (or strain) grid capacity. Think field hospitals, industrial parks, research facilities, mining sites, and data centers. Wherever 24/7 reliable electricity is needed, Bloom's servers essentially function as a mini power plant to supply it. 2025 was undeniably Bloom's breakout year, with a $5 billion deal with Brookfield Asset Management to deploy fuel cells for Brookfield's AI factories. But the good news just keeps coming. On May 20, Bloom inked a $2.6 billion agreement with Nebius to supply power for Nebius' data centers in Europe. Bloom stock surged to fresh new highs on the heels of that news. Bloom Energy is no longer a secret, and its expensive valuation reflects the hype and expectations baked into its price. The company has a market cap of roughly $86 billion and trades at around 87 times book value. Bloom isn't my favorite for value, but it remains a top pick for long-term growth. The stock may not explode 1...
Enterprise Products Partners (EPD +0.41%) is not an exciting business, which is why investors will appreciate its lofty 5.5% distribution yield. Notably, the distribution has been increased annually for 27 consecutive years, which is basically as long as the master limited partnership (MLP) has been public. While Enterprise is a boring business, it is a potentially exciting long-term income invest...
Enterprise Products Partners (EPD +0.41%) is not an exciting business, which is why investors will appreciate its lofty 5.5% distribution yield. Notably, the distribution has been increased annually for 27 consecutive years, which is basically as long as the master limited partnership (MLP) has been public. While Enterprise is a boring business, it is a potentially exciting long-term income investment. Here's where it will be in one year. The big news in the energy sector The geopolitical conflict in the Middle East is the headline-grabbing story in the energy sector today. There's a good reason for that: this energy market disruption has driven oil and natural gas prices dramatically higher. Given that oil prices have a long history of being volatile, it pays for income lovers to think beyond the current price spike. Eventually, energy prices will fall. When they do, Enterprise Products Partners is likely to see very little impact. That's actually great news, and why more conservative dividend investors should feel comfortable owning this high-yielder. Enterprise operates in the midstream, owning energy infrastructure assets. It charges customers fees for the use of its assets, which basically connect the upstream (energy production) to the downstream (chemical and refining) and the rest of the world. The volume of energy Enterprise moves is far more important than the price of what it moves. Given the importance of energy to the global economy, demand tends to remain strong throughout the energy cycle. Right now, meanwhile, the MLP's North American focus is insulating it from the Middle East conflict. So one year from now, regardless of what happens to oil prices or what events unfold in the Middle East, Enterprise is likely to be just as dependable a business as it is right now. The yield will still be attractive, and the distribution streak will likely be 28 years long. Expand NYSE : EPD Enterprise Products Partners Today's Change ( 0.41 %) $ 0.16 Current Price ...
Bloomberg White House Correspondent Jeff Mason and Bloomberg News Reporter Dan Williams join David Gura, Christina Ruffini, and Lisa Mateo on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss the White House announcement that a deal with Iran to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz is forthcoming. (Source: Bloomberg)
Bloomberg White House Correspondent Jeff Mason and Bloomberg News Reporter Dan Williams join David Gura, Christina Ruffini, and Lisa Mateo on Bloomberg This Weekend to discuss the White House announcement that a deal with Iran to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz is forthcoming. (Source: Bloomberg)
Find winning stocks in any market cycle. Join 7 million investors using Simply Wall St's investing ideas for FREE. Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) announced a partnership with Nvidia focused on global robotaxi deployment. The company plans to commit $10b to autonomous vehicle efforts targeting operations in nearly 30 cities across 4 continents by 2028. This move centers on using Nvidia’s AI hardware...
Find winning stocks in any market cycle. Join 7 million investors using Simply Wall St's investing ideas for FREE. Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) announced a partnership with Nvidia focused on global robotaxi deployment. The company plans to commit $10b to autonomous vehicle efforts targeting operations in nearly 30 cities across 4 continents by 2028. This move centers on using Nvidia’s AI hardware and software to support Uber’s push into large scale self driving ride services. Uber shares last closed at $71.82, with the stock down 13.3% year to date and down 18.2% over the past year. Over a 3 year period the stock is up 86.8%, and over 5 years it is up 41.3%, so this new partnership lands after a mix of shorter term pressure and longer term gains for NYSE:UBER. For investors, the Nvidia partnership and $10b commitment place autonomous vehicles at the center of Uber’s story, alongside its existing ride hailing and delivery businesses. The scope, nearly 30 cities across 4 continents by 2028, provides a clear timeline to watch for execution, capital allocation decisions, and how robotaxis might affect Uber’s cost base and competitive position over time. Stay updated on the most important news stories for Uber Technologies by adding it to your watchlist or portfolio. Alternatively, explore our Community to discover new perspectives on Uber Technologies. NYSE:UBER Earnings & Revenue Growth as at May 2026 We've flagged 2 risks for Uber Technologies. See which could impact your investment. Investor Checklist: What This Robotaxi Push Means For Uber Quick Assessment ✅ Price vs Analyst Target : At US$71.82 versus a consensus target of about US$104.45, the stock trades roughly 31% below analyst expectations. ✅ Simply Wall St Valuation : Simply Wall St estimates the shares trade about 58.3% below fair value, flagging them as undervalued. ❌ Recent Momentum: The stock is down 3.8% over the last 30 days, so the market has not rewarded this story recently. There is only one way to ...
Key Points Palantir offers essential software for governments and businesses, which results in high retention and attractive pricing power. A forward P/E ratio that's close to 100 may scare away some investors, even though that's an improvement from previous quarters. Palantir's valuation is the only hurdle, but it won't matter as much for investors with long-term horizons. 10 stocks we like bette...
Key Points Palantir offers essential software for governments and businesses, which results in high retention and attractive pricing power. A forward P/E ratio that's close to 100 may scare away some investors, even though that's an improvement from previous quarters. Palantir's valuation is the only hurdle, but it won't matter as much for investors with long-term horizons. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › Palantir Technologies(NASDAQ: PLTR) gained mainstream recognition from investors after gaining more than 2,000% from its 2023 lows. The company's fundamentals point to prolonged hypergrowth, but a high valuation has concerned investors. It's the latest case of a great company at a bad price, which is why the stock is down roughly 20% year to date. However, its fundamental strength is too good to ignore, and the correction warrants a more attractive price point than Palantir had just a few months ago. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Diving into Palantir's fundamentals Palantir generates annual recurring revenue from companies and governments that use its software. The company's Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) can quickly turn datasets into AI models that help businesses run more smoothly. Furthermore, businesses can view and act on significant amounts of data in real time using Palantir's technology. Once companies and governments adopt it, they become very comfortable with Palantir's centralized software, giving Palantir significant pricing power. It explains why Palantir has achieved an annualized revenue growth rate of 32.6% over the past five years. That annualized growth rate doesn't even do Palantir justice. The AI platform delivered 85% year-over-year revenue growth in Q1, with its U.S. commercial segment more than doubling year over year. Palant...
Robert Way/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Amid a stock market that is skyrocketing toward new all-time highs, we often have to take a step back to recognize that only a small group of stocks, particularly in the semiconductor space, are hoarding all of the market's gains. Investors are highly sensitive to risk in this environment, and are treating chip stocks (particularly those who make sold-o...
Robert Way/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Amid a stock market that is skyrocketing toward new all-time highs, we often have to take a step back to recognize that only a small group of stocks, particularly in the semiconductor space, are hoarding all of the market's gains. Investors are highly sensitive to risk in this environment, and are treating chip stocks (particularly those who make sold-out memory chips) as a sure thing in this market, whereas many other industries stand on far less firm ground. Booking Holdings ( BKNG ), the parent of Booking.com and Priceline, reported fiscal Q1 results that confirmed visible headwinds from Iran tensions, and the company lowered its full-year outlook. Shares have fallen nearly 10% since the late April earnings release, extending a ~25% decline this year. The question for investors is, is Booking undergoing a permanent re-rating, or is this just a temporary setback? Data by YCharts I last wrote a buy article on Booking in March, when the stock was trading in the low ~$170s adjusting for its 25:1 stock split. Since then, Booking has drifted lower on concerns that the war will have an extended impact on Booking's financials. While I acknowledge the risk, I also note that this is a rare opportunity to buy into Booking at a rare discount - usually, this stock sits at a healthy premium. I'm reiterating my buy rating on this name. When we step away from the near-term choppiness (that I think should have a near-term resolution as well), there are still plenty of long-term bull case drivers for Booking, which include: Dominant OTA platform with significant advantages over its peers. Among the major OTA platforms, Booking Holdings has the largest share of gross bookings in the industry. Versus Airbnb, it has a major advantage in its rewards/loyalty program. Versus Expedia, Booking has the broadest and most diverse selection of supply, ranging from hotels to vacation homes under one platform. Connected Trip tailwinds. Booking is foc...
In case you haven't noticed, the stock market has historically thrived when Donald Trump is in the White House. During his first, non-consecutive term, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI +0.58%), S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.37%), and Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC +0.19%) soared 57%, 70%, and 142%, respectively. Since President Trump's second term started on Jan. 20, 2025, it's been an encore performance for t...
In case you haven't noticed, the stock market has historically thrived when Donald Trump is in the White House. During his first, non-consecutive term, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI +0.58%), S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.37%), and Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC +0.19%) soared 57%, 70%, and 142%, respectively. Since President Trump's second term started on Jan. 20, 2025, it's been an encore performance for the Trump bull market. Through the closing bell on May 20, the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite have rallied 17%, 25%, and 37%, respectively. However, outsize returns under Trump may not be sustainable much longer. Although no metric or historical event can guarantee short-term directional movements in the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite, one indicator has been flawless in foreshadowing significant stock market declines -- and it's currently sounding a warning louder than ever before. Artificial intelligence and corporate tax policy have fueled the Trump bull market rally But before digging into the details of what history says will go wrong, it's imperative to lay the foundation of what's gone right under President Trump. To begin with, not all Trump bull market tailwinds are tied to the president. For instance, the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and the advent and proliferation of quantum computing were occurring well before the president took office for his second term. Investors have been waiting decades for a technological leap forward to rival what the internet did for corporate America and retail investors, and they finally have it with AI. Empowering software and systems with the tools to make split-second, autonomous decisions is a multitrillion-dollar technology that can benefit virtually all sectors and industries. But certain aspects of this rally can be directly traced back to Donald Trump. For example, Trump's signing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in December 2017 transformed corporate America. The TCJA permanently lowered the peak margina...
Wall Street closed slightly higher on Friday but shed the lion's share of earlier gains into the close. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.58%, while the benchmark S&P 500 advanced 0.37%. The Nasdaq Composite edged up 0.19%. On a week-to-date basis, the benchmark S&P 500 was up 0.95%. The S&P 500 Health Care Index Sector ( XLV ) gained 3.37% during the week. The top S&P 500 healthcare gainers...
Wall Street closed slightly higher on Friday but shed the lion's share of earlier gains into the close. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.58%, while the benchmark S&P 500 advanced 0.37%. The Nasdaq Composite edged up 0.19%. On a week-to-date basis, the benchmark S&P 500 was up 0.95%. The S&P 500 Health Care Index Sector ( XLV ) gained 3.37% during the week. The top S&P 500 healthcare gainers and losers for the last week are as follows: Top Gainers: DexCom ( DXCM ) +17.02% Bio-Techne ( TECH ) +11.37% Baxter International ( BAX ) +10.87% Merck & Co. ( MRK ) +9.9% Boston Scientific ( BSX ) +9.68% Top Losers: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals ( REGN ) -8.52% HCA Healthcare ( HCA ) -6.84% Universal Health Services ( UHS ) -6.43% Moderna ( MRNA ) -4.36% CVS Health ( CVS ) -2.74% Here are some of the important healthcare stories from this week: UnitedHealth stock slips as Berkshire Hathaway exits stake UnitedHealth Group ( UNH ) fell 0.7% on Monday after Berkshire Hathaway ( BRK.A ) ( BRK.B ) disclosed it had exited its position in the health insurer less than a year after rebuilding the stake. According to StockCircle data, Berkshire first bought UnitedHealth shares in the fourth quarter of 2006 and added to the position three more times, while reducing the stake on seven occasions through 2010. Berkshire re-entered the stock in the second quarter of 2025, acquiring about 5.04M shares during one of UnitedHealth’s steepest selloffs in years. UNH has gained about 16% year to date, making it one of the stronger-performing Dow components during the recovery. The stock hit a 52-week high of $404.14 in morning trading last Wednesday. Boston Scientific invests $1.5B in MiRus for ~34% equity stake Boston Scientific ( BSX ) said it is investing $1.5B for about a 34% stake in privately held MiRus, which develops biomaterials, implants, and treatment technologies for cardiovascular and orthopedic conditions, including the SIEGEL Balloon Expandable Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacemen...
Don't let Nvidia's (NVDA 1.86%) 1.7% decline on May 21 fool you. The chip giant's first-quarter fiscal 2027 report was every bit of a showstopper, featuring $81.6 billion in quarterly revenue -- a 20% quarter-over-quarter and 85% year-over-year increase. Even more impressive is that Nvidia converted a mind-numbing 65.6% of its revenue into operating income in the period ended April 26. Despite its...
Don't let Nvidia's (NVDA 1.86%) 1.7% decline on May 21 fool you. The chip giant's first-quarter fiscal 2027 report was every bit of a showstopper, featuring $81.6 billion in quarterly revenue -- a 20% quarter-over-quarter and 85% year-over-year increase. Even more impressive is that Nvidia converted a mind-numbing 65.6% of its revenue into operating income in the period ended April 26. Despite its behemoth size, Nvidia is defying the laws of business physics by maintaining a breakneck top- and bottom-line growth rate, which is leading to more cash flow than Nvidia needs to reinvest in its business. As a result, Nvidia's board of directors approved an additional $80 billion share-repurchase authorization and announced a massive increase in its quarterly dividend from $0.01 per share to $0.25 per share. Here's why Nvidia's dividend increase makes it even more of a screaming buy now. Nvidia's dividend increase makes perfect sense In March, I correctly predicted that Nvidia would make a substantial dividend increase in 2026 based on comments from CFO Colette Kress at the company's GTC 2026 conference. Kress said that Nvidia plans to return at least 50% of free cash flow (FCF) to shareholders through dividends, especially in the second half of the year as it works through some investments. And given that Nvidia's buyback program is already massive, and its dividend was just $0.01 per share (a yield of 0.02%), a dividend raise was the logical next step in Nvidia's evolution into a mature, industry-leading tech giant rather than a high-flying cyclical growth stock. Nvidia initiated its dividend back in 2012, and while it was somewhat meaningful at the time, the payout became comically small as the stock soared in value. Nvidia's latest dividend raise doesn't make it a high-yield stock, but it will have a yield around 0.4%, which is in the ballpark of other tech giants like Apple (AAPL +1.38%), Alphabet, and Meta Platforms. However, some investors may prefer Nvidia to reinv...