Hong Kong’s government plans to launch a state-owned clearing system and futures contracts for gold as part of its efforts to advance the city’s ambition to become a hub for the precious metal. Trial operations for the clearing system are set to begin this year, according to a statement Monday. The Hong Kong government’s campaign to build a bullion trading center comes on the back of rising intere...
Hong Kong’s government plans to launch a state-owned clearing system and futures contracts for gold as part of its efforts to advance the city’s ambition to become a hub for the precious metal. Trial operations for the clearing system are set to begin this year, according to a statement Monday. The Hong Kong government’s campaign to build a bullion trading center comes on the back of rising interest in precious metals. Gold smashed through $5,100 an ounce for the first time on Monday, in a rally propelled by US President Donald Trump’s reshaping of international relations and investor flight from sovereign bonds and currencies. The city’s stock exchange is also rolling out gold futures contracts to attract established players, said Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, in a Bloomberg TV interview . Meanwhile, the government is providing tax concessions for family offices and funds if they invest in gold, he added. The Shanghai Gold Exchange — a leading exchange for trading physical bullion — will be involved in the city’s initiative. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau signed a co-operation agreement with the Shanghai Gold Exchange during the Asian Financial Forum on Monday, in a bid to deepen the integration of gold markets between the city and mainland. Hong Kong also reiterated its commitment to increase its gold storage capacity to 2,000 tons within three years.
Joe Morris/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Investment Thesis: Copart ( CPRT ) is built on the company's status as a structurally advantaged toll-taker in an industry with permanent tailwinds. While the market currently fixates on near-term administrative cost spikes and capital allocation concerns, the fundamental machine remains one of the highest-quality businesses in the industrial services s...
Joe Morris/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Investment Thesis: Copart ( CPRT ) is built on the company's status as a structurally advantaged toll-taker in an industry with permanent tailwinds. While the market currently fixates on near-term administrative cost spikes and capital allocation concerns, the fundamental machine remains one of the highest-quality businesses in the industrial services sector. The core driver of Copart’s volume is the increasing technological complexity of modern vehicles. ADAS sensors, complex crumple zones, and EV battery costs mean that even minor accidents frequently lead to total loss declarations. As this frequency rises (climbing from 5% in 1980 to over 22% in 2025), Copart’s addressable inventory expands regardless of the number of cars on the road. With the stock trading at a forward P/E in the mid-20s (a significant discount to its historical perfection premium ), the current entry point offers a rare opportunity to own a world-class compounder at a rational price. I rate the stock as a 'Buy'. How An Overlooked Market Created A Global Capital Machine Copart, like all businesses, was born to solve a problem. Specifically, one that no one wanted to look at closely: what to do with cars that are no longer worth repairing. In 1982, the salvage vehicle market was fragmented, local, and inefficient. Auctions were physical, regional, and lacked transparency. Usually, a crashed car had a destination limited to the geographic radius where the accident occurred, which meant less competition, lower prices, and a slow process for insurers, with tied-up capital in unproductive assets. Company's Website Copart realized that the true value of a salvaged vehicle was not local but global. A car that makes no sense to repair in the US may be economically viable in another country, serving as a source of parts or being efficiently recycled. The issue wasn't lack of value but lack of access to the right buyers. By the time the company went public in...
Though the AI narrative is making investors wary of many software-as-a-service stocks, ServiceTitan could still have a bright future. Shares of BigBear.ai (BBAI 1.85%) and ServiceTitan (TTAN +2.18%) have both been hit hard recently by shifting investor sentiment around artificial intelligence (AI), but for different reasons. In the past six months, while the broad-market S&P 500 index has gained 9...
Though the AI narrative is making investors wary of many software-as-a-service stocks, ServiceTitan could still have a bright future. Shares of BigBear.ai (BBAI 1.85%) and ServiceTitan (TTAN +2.18%) have both been hit hard recently by shifting investor sentiment around artificial intelligence (AI), but for different reasons. In the past six months, while the broad-market S&P 500 index has gained 9.8% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq-100 has risen by 10.6%, ServiceTitan has slumped by 23.6% and BigBear.ai is down 21.4%. BigBear.ai's software provides AI decision-intelligence tools, so under other circumstances, it could have been riding the AI wave upward. However, it's facing stiff competition in its narrow niche, and its revenues are sliding. ServiceTitan offers a business management platform for companies in the skilled trades, and its sales are growing, but it appears that investors are pessimistic about its outlook due to the expected impact of AI on software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies as a group. All that said, I think ServiceTitan could be a promising stock to buy now, and a much better investment than BigBear.ai for patient tech stock investors. Expand NASDAQ : TTAN ServiceTitan Today's Change ( 2.18 %) $ 1.97 Current Price $ 92.49 Key Data Points Market Cap $8.7B Day's Range $ 89.67 - $ 92.74 52wk Range $ 79.81 - $ 131.33 Volume 127 Avg Vol 968K Gross Margin 66.38 % ServiceTitan is growing -- BigBear.ai is not BigBear.ai's revenue slumped by 20% year over year in the third quarter, and its gross margin contracted by 3.5 percentage points to 22.4%. It has lost money for the past four years and has missed analysts' estimates for earnings per share in three out of its past four reported quarters. The stock's down by about 40% from where it traded when the company went public in December 2021. Meanwhile, ServiceTitan is growing fast. In December 2025, the company reported impressive financial results for its fiscal 2026 third quarter. Highlights from the period, whi...
Liverpool have pulled out of talks with Tottenham over their approach for Andy Robertson. Spurs made their move late last week as Thomas Frank sought to add much-needed experience to his squad. Liverpool listened to the approach in recognition of Robertson’s contribution to the club in the last eight and a half years and the fact he is out of contract in the summer. However, the club have decided ...
Liverpool have pulled out of talks with Tottenham over their approach for Andy Robertson. Spurs made their move late last week as Thomas Frank sought to add much-needed experience to his squad. Liverpool listened to the approach in recognition of Robertson’s contribution to the club in the last eight and a half years and the fact he is out of contract in the summer. However, the club have decided against continuing negotiations over the Scotland captain, who turns 32 in March, after considering their options. Robertson had not asked for a move and Liverpool have no cover for him and Milos Kerkez at left-back. Quick Guide How do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts? Show Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'. If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version. In the Guardian app, tap the Profile settings button at the top right, then select Notifications. Turn on sport notifications. Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback. Robertson has started only four of his club’s 23 Premier League matches this season, having lost his place to Kerkez, but has been in the starting lineup for four of their seven Champions League fixtures, including against Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Inter. Liverpool’s vice-captain came off the bench for the start of the second half of Saturday’s defeat at Bournemouth, with Arne Slot saying Kerkez had been withdrawn because he was considered in the “red zone” – when players are at most risk of injury. Slot has lost the defenders Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni to season-ending injuries, and Joe Gomez was forced off in the first half at Bournemouth with what is hoped to be bruising to his knee. His fellow centre-back Ibrahima Konaté has missed the past two matches after the death of his father. Virgil van Dijk said he did not want Robertson to leave, and Slot said he wanted to keep all his players with Liverpool i...
The European Commission, reportedly, has opened a probe into Elon Musk's social media platform X over the generation of explicit imagery by AI service Grok. Regina Doherty, a member of the European Parliament representing Ireland, disclosed in a statement, Reuters reported. The probe will evaluate if X complied with its obligations under EU digital legislation, including requirements relating to r...
The European Commission, reportedly, has opened a probe into Elon Musk's social media platform X over the generation of explicit imagery by AI service Grok. Regina Doherty, a member of the European Parliament representing Ireland, disclosed in a statement, Reuters reported. The probe will evaluate if X complied with its obligations under EU digital legislation, including requirements relating to risk mitigation, content governance, and the protection of fundamental rights, said the lawmaker, the report added . "This case raises very serious questions about whether platforms are meeting their legal obligations to assess risks properly and to prevent illegal and harmful content from spreading," said Doherty in an emailed statement, according to the report. The European Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha. xAI ( X.AI ) said "Legacy Media Lies" in an email to Seeking Alpha. Several countries, including Japan , the U.K. , Canada , and Malaysia , had started probes related to Grok's generation of deepfake images. The European Commission earlier this month said that AI-generated images of undressed women and children being shared across X were unlawful and appalling. Doherty noted that the images showed wider weaknesses in how emerging AI technologies are regulated and enforced. "The European Union has clear rules to protect people online. Those rules must mean something in practice, especially when powerful technologies are deployed at scale. No company operating in the EU is above the law," Doherty noted. Earlier this month, xAI ( X.AI ), owner of Grok AI, said it implemented technological measures to prevent Grok from editing images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis, and the restriction will apply to all users, including paid subscribers. "We now geoblock the ability of all users to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear, and similar attire via the Grok account and in Grok in X in those juri...
Key Points Ares Capital offers a high yet sustainable dividend yield. The company also has solid long-term prospects. 10 stocks we like better than Ares Capital › I've bought several stocks in the first few weeks of 2026. One purchase for which I hold an especially strong conviction is Ares Capital (NASDAQ: ARCC). This leading business development company (BDC) has been in my portfolio for a while...
Key Points Ares Capital offers a high yet sustainable dividend yield. The company also has solid long-term prospects. 10 stocks we like better than Ares Capital › I've bought several stocks in the first few weeks of 2026. One purchase for which I hold an especially strong conviction is Ares Capital (NASDAQ: ARCC). This leading business development company (BDC) has been in my portfolio for a while. Why did I just load up even more on this stock? Two reasons stand out. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » A high yet sustainable yield You probably noticed that the headline of this article mentioned a 9.2% dividend yield. I'd be lying if I didn't acknowledge that this ultra-high yield was a key factor in my decision to buy more Ares Capital shares. However, it's even more important to me that Ares Capital's dividend is both high and sustainable. The company has either maintained or grown its dividend for 65 consecutive quarters (over 16 consecutive years). Ares Capital continues to generate core earnings that exceed its dividend payout, a streak the BDC has maintained for 20 consecutive quarters. It also has enough taxable income spillover to support more than two quarters of dividends at current levels, which provides a nice cushion if earnings temporarily dip. I don't rely on Ares Capital's dividends for income, by the way. They do, though, significantly boost the stock's total return. In fact, Ares Capital has delivered cumulative returns that are 40% higher than those of the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) and three times higher than those of the S&P BDC Index since its initial public offering in 2004. Solid long-term prospects The second key reason why I recently added to my position in Ares Capital is that I believe the company has solid long-term prospects. Middle-market businesses are increasingly turning to direct lending because it al...
By Courtney Rozen WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms, TikTok and YouTube will face courtroom scrutiny this week over allegations that their platforms are fueling a youth mental health crisis, as the national debate about kids’ screen time enters a new phase. The bellwether trial in California Superior Court, Los Angeles County involves a 19-year-old woman from California, identified as...
By Courtney Rozen WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms, TikTok and YouTube will face courtroom scrutiny this week over allegations that their platforms are fueling a youth mental health crisis, as the national debate about kids’ screen time enters a new phase. The bellwether trial in California Superior Court, Los Angeles County involves a 19-year-old woman from California, identified as K.G.M., who says she became addicted to the companies’ platforms at a young age because of their attention-grabbing design, according to court filings. She alleges the apps fueled her depression and suicidal thoughts and is seeking to hold the companies liable. Her lawsuit is the first of several cases expected to go to trial this year that center on what the plaintiffs call “social media addiction” among children. It will be the first time the tech giants must defend themselves at trial over alleged harm caused by their products, the plaintiff's attorney Matthew Bergman said. “They will be under a level of scrutiny that does not exist when you testify in front of Congress,” he told Reuters. The jury will decide whether the companies were negligent in providing products that harmed K.G.M.’s mental health, and if her use of the apps was a substantial factor in her depression, compared with other causes such as the third-party content she viewed on the apps or aspects of her life offline. "This is really a test case,” said Clay Calvert, a media lawyer at the American Enterprise Institute, a pro-business think tank. “We're going to see what happens with these theories” that the social media platforms caused the plaintiff harm. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, is expected to take the witness stand. The company will argue in court that its products did not lead to K.G.M.'s mental health challenges, Meta's lawyers told Reuters ahead of the trial. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel was also expected to testify, as his company was named a defendant in the lawsuit. Snap agreed on January 20 t...
JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) is one of the Most Undervalued Foreign Stocks to Buy According to Analysts. On January 16, Lei Yang CFA from CGS-CIMB reiterated a Buy rating on the stock (9618:HK listing) with a HK$140.00 price target. Earlier on January 7, Benchmark also reiterated a Buy rating on JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) with a $38 price target. Lei Yang, CFA at CIMB, expects Q4 2025 profitability fo...
JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) is one of the Most Undervalued Foreign Stocks to Buy According to Analysts. On January 16, Lei Yang CFA from CGS-CIMB reiterated a Buy rating on the stock (9618:HK listing) with a HK$140.00 price target. Earlier on January 7, Benchmark also reiterated a Buy rating on JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) with a $38 price target. Lei Yang, CFA at CIMB, expects Q4 2025 profitability for JD retail to be low due to a tough year-over-year comparison. Last year, the company enjoyed significant appliance subsidies. Moreover, consumers are also expected to delay purchasing to wait for the 2026 incentives. The analyst noted that this is a positive for JD.com, as the decline in profitability is not due to structural factors but to seasonal ones. In addition, Yang expects strong growth in general merchandise, including supermarket and fashion items, to offset declines in home appliances. The analyst also found that the losses in the company’s emerging business, such as food delivery, are shrinking due to better subsidy efficiency, higher average order values, and optimized delivery operations. Yang expects fiscal 2026 revenue to accelerate along with margin expansion, driven by a premium product mix. JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) is an e-commerce company that operates online retail and marketplace platforms through its retail website and mobile application. Its operations are divided into four segments: JD Retail, JD Logistics, Dada, and the New Businesses segment. While we acknowledge the potential of JD as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Mon...