Two recent deals with Palantir and GE Aerospace are transforming this growth stock's growth prospects. Palantir's (PLTR +2.23%) valuation may look a little rich, but there are plenty of ways to invest in its technology without buying the stock. One way is through FTAI Aviation (FTAI 0.47%), a stock that's up a remarkable 219% over the past year. Its recent deals with Palantir and GE Aerospace (GE ...
Two recent deals with Palantir and GE Aerospace are transforming this growth stock's growth prospects. Palantir's (PLTR +2.23%) valuation may look a little rich, but there are plenty of ways to invest in its technology without buying the stock. One way is through FTAI Aviation (FTAI 0.47%), a stock that's up a remarkable 219% over the past year. Its recent deals with Palantir and GE Aerospace (GE 0.38%) have significantly strengthened the investment case for the stock. Here's why. FTAI Aviation latest updates The company's core activity is owning and maintaining aircraft engines for airlines, cargo companies, and leasing companies. It offers a relatively lower-cost way for airlines to maintain engines, notably the V2500 and the CFM56, when their long-term service agreements signed with engine manufacturers on the initial sale run out. The CFM56 comes from CFM International, a GE Aerospace joint venture with Safran, and is used on the legacy Airbus A320 family and the legacy Boeing 737. Expand NASDAQ : FTAI Ftai Aviation Today's Change ( -0.47 %) $ -1.39 Current Price $ 292.10 Key Data Points Market Cap $30B Day's Range $ 289.35 - $ 303.00 52wk Range $ 81.45 - $ 310.00 Volume 2.2M Avg Vol 1.4M Gross Margin 31.40 % Dividend Yield 0.43 % FTAI maintains a competitive yet collaborative relationship with GE Aerospace, competing in engine servicing while also supporting demand for CFM engines and extending their operational lifespan. Partnerships with Palantir and GE Aerospace The relationship with CFM International was solidified into a strategic partnership with the recent signing of a multiyear agreement, under which FTAI "secures OEM replacement part supply, thrust performance upgrades, and component repair" from CFM International. It's a great deal for FTAI, as GE Aerospace management has pushed out the timeline for when it expects CFM56 shop visits, when engines are brought in for major overhauls and maintenance, to start declining from 2025 to 2027, on the back of s...
In the wake of another fatal shooting of a US citizen in Minnesota by a federal officer, the Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, said his party would block a funding package next week if it includes money for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The announcement, which dramatically escalates the potential for another partial government shutdown, comes as anger towards homeland security,...
In the wake of another fatal shooting of a US citizen in Minnesota by a federal officer, the Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, said his party would block a funding package next week if it includes money for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The announcement, which dramatically escalates the potential for another partial government shutdown, comes as anger towards homeland security, which oversees ICE, intensifies among the party after a group of federal agents violently restrained and then fatally shot 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. “What’s happening in Minnesota is appalling – and unacceptable in any American city,” Schumer, a New York senator, said in a statement. “Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ICE. I will vote no.” “Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included,” he added. The Senate is set to take up the spending measure as part of a broader legislative package that would fund broad swaths of the government, including the defense, state , education, labor and transportation departments. That package, which currently calls for $64.4bn for the DHSincluding $10bn for ICE, needs 60 votes to avoid a filibuster and pass the Senate. Republicans currently control 53 seats and would need Democratic support to pass the bipartisan package. The looming vote was seen as a potentially painful decision for many Senate Democrats, wary of setting off another government shutdown just months after a painful 43-day fiscal showdown – the longest in the nation’s history – that ultimately failed to win an extension of healthcare subsidies. But in the hours after fatal shooting, several Democrats have come forward to announce their opposition, including some who had until now appeared ready to...
BlackRock and Vanguard are both known to be heavy investors in the bond market. How do their bond funds stack up against each other? This comparison looks at two leading U.S. bond market ETFs: Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND +0.11%) and iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG +0.09%). Both aim to provide broad, investment-grade exposure to taxable U.S. bonds, making them core options for inv...
BlackRock and Vanguard are both known to be heavy investors in the bond market. How do their bond funds stack up against each other? This comparison looks at two leading U.S. bond market ETFs: Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND +0.11%) and iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG +0.09%). Both aim to provide broad, investment-grade exposure to taxable U.S. bonds, making them core options for investors seeking income and portfolio diversification. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric BND AGG Issuer Vanguard IShares Expense ratio 0.03% 0.03% 1-yr return (as of Jan. 24, 2026) 3.11% 3.2% Dividend yield 3.85% 3.88% Beta 0.27 0.27 AUM $384.63 billion $136.5 billion Beta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year weekly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. BND and AGG have similar expense ratios and dividend yields, but AGG actually pays considerably more in dividends, because its current price per share is $100.11 (as of Jan. 24, 2026), while BND’s is $74.25. Performance & risk comparison Metric BND AGG Max drawdown (5 y) -17.93% -17.83% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $852 $857 What's inside With a 22-year track record, AGG is an established ETF that tracks the total U.S. investment-grade bond market, with 13,067 holdings. About 74% of the ETF’s holdings are AA-rated bonds, the second-highest rating a bond can receive for safety from debt default. BND is very similar to AGG, as both ETFs have around 50% of their total bond holdings comprised of U.S. government bonds. However, approximately 72% of BND’s bonds are AAA-rated, the highest rating. What this means for investors With BND having a higher concentration of higher-rated bonds, it will be a less risky investment because it’s tied to bonds that are less likely to default. AGG, on the other hand, has more lower-rated bonds that have more potential to default, but there’s also more potential for yields to compensate for the increased risk it ca...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images Market Brief – The “Greenland” Impact This week’s markets were driven by headline risk, economic uncertainty, and the early innings of earnings season. With the markets closed last Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday, U.S. equities sold off sharply on Tuesday. President Trump’s tariff threats against key European allies, tied to a controversial push f...
J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images Market Brief – The “Greenland” Impact This week’s markets were driven by headline risk, economic uncertainty, and the early innings of earnings season. With the markets closed last Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday, U.S. equities sold off sharply on Tuesday. President Trump’s tariff threats against key European allies, tied to a controversial push for Greenland, triggered that selloff across global equity markets. The S&P 500 dropped more than 2%, while the Dow and Nasdaq logged their worst single‑day percentage losses in three months, stoking fears of renewed trade conflicts just as markets were trying to stabilize after year‑end weakness. European equities slid sharply, with major indices such as Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 falling over 1% amid the tariff shock. However, that narrative shifted sharply on Wednesday as President Trump addressed the world at the annual “Davos Confab,” where the elite mingle to decide the fate of the world. The White House later confirmed that the scheduled tariffs on several European nations would not proceed. Furthermore, Reuters reported that President Trump said a “framework of cooperation” had been reached regarding Greenland, and tariff plans set for February were nixed. That pivot sparked a relief rally, with the S&P 500 climbing over 1% on Wednesday, its largest single‑day percentage gain in several weeks, as all 11 sectors advanced, led by energy stocks. Notably, earnings season ramped up, with reports from many notable companies delivering mixed signals. Investors showed little tolerance for anything short of strong results and clear forward guidance. Netflix ( NFLX ) added 13.1 million subscribers, beating estimates, but the stock dropped over 6% after pausing its buyback program and issuing soft Q1 guidance. Procter & Gamble ( PG ) missed on revenue and reported sluggish volume growth, especially in grooming and fabric care, as sticky input costs weighed on margins. Ki...
Two witnesses to the killing of Alex Pretti have said in sworn testimony that the 37-year-old intensive care nurse was not brandishing a weapon when he approached federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday, contradicting a claim made by Trump administration officials as they sought to cast the shooting of a prone man as an act of self-defense. Their accounts came in sworn affidavits that were filed...
Two witnesses to the killing of Alex Pretti have said in sworn testimony that the 37-year-old intensive care nurse was not brandishing a weapon when he approached federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday, contradicting a claim made by Trump administration officials as they sought to cast the shooting of a prone man as an act of self-defense. Their accounts came in sworn affidavits that were filed in federal court in Minnesota late Saturday, just hours after Pretti’s killing, as part of a lawsuit brought by the ACLU on behalf of Minneapolis protesters against Kristi Noem and other homeland security officials directing the immigration crackdown in the city. One witness is a woman who filmed the clearest video of the fatal shooting; the other is a physician who lives nearby and said they were initially prevented by federal officers from rendering medical aid to the gunshot victim. The names of both witnesses were redacted in the publicly available filings. In her testimony, the woman who filmed the shooting from just behind Pretti wearing a pink coat identified herself as “a children’s entertainer who specializes in face painting”. She testified that she came to the scene on her way to work because “I’ve been involved in observing in my community, because it is so important to document what ICE is doing to my neighbors”. She described the harrowing scene of Pretti being tackled by federal officers after coming to the aid of another observer the agents had shoved to the ground. One federal agent then sprayed a chemical agent in the faces of Pretti and the woman he had tried to help. The woman testified that she saw no sign of Pretti holding a gun at any point. She said: “The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn’t see him touch any of them – he wasn’t even turned toward them. It didn’t look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up. I didn’t see him with a gun. They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they j...
Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has cancelled at least four flights to the United States on Sunday ahead of the arrival of a monster winter storm, with more passengers expected to be affected on Monday. Cathay stopped short of revealing the exact number of flights affected, saying only that it was “making a number of cancellations” to services between Hong Kong and the US from Satu...
Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways has cancelled at least four flights to the United States on Sunday ahead of the arrival of a monster winter storm, with more passengers expected to be affected on Monday. Cathay stopped short of revealing the exact number of flights affected, saying only that it was “making a number of cancellations” to services between Hong Kong and the US from Saturday to Monday, including those to New York, Boston and Dallas. “To assist affected customers, we are offering flexibility to customers to rebook their flights to alternative dates and waiving re-routing charges, allowing customers to adjust their travel plans easily,” a company spokesman said on Sunday morning. Advertisement According to the Hong Kong International Airport website, all three Cathay flights from Hong Kong to New York – CX 844 departing at 3.25am, CX 830 at 9.30am and CX 840 at 4.30pm – were cancelled as of 10.30am on Sunday. These were the only direct flights on the route. Another Cathay flight, CX 812 bound for Boston and departing Hong Kong at 7.40pm on Sunday, was also listed as cancelled. Advertisement The cancellations also included flight CX 844 to New York scheduled to depart at 3.25am on Monday.
After a months-long war of words between an online influencer and a restaurant chain owner, a Communist Party mouthpiece has taken the unusual step of direct intervention – underlining China desire to rein in internet celebrities and social media platforms. Since Sunday, People’s Daily has published four commentaries about the restaurant chain Xibei, which says it expects to lose 500 million yuan ...
After a months-long war of words between an online influencer and a restaurant chain owner, a Communist Party mouthpiece has taken the unusual step of direct intervention – underlining China desire to rein in internet celebrities and social media platforms. Since Sunday, People’s Daily has published four commentaries about the restaurant chain Xibei, which says it expects to lose 500 million yuan (US$71.8 million) following an influencer’s online complaints about pre-made dishes. “This is typical of the internet era,” the Sunday commentary said. “A prominent internet influencer dominates online public opinion with sensational material while the exposed party responds [unskilfully] and platforms fan the flames ... to attract attention.” Advertisement The commentary said the losses were saddening but it might be even “more worrisome that social media posts can plunge a company that has operated for 38 years and runs hundreds of stores into such a crisis”. Other People’s Daily commentaries called on companies to improve their public relations skills and influencers to conduct themselves properly online to help uphold social and economic stability instead of chasing traffic. The commentaries of People’s Daily, a Communist Party mouthpiece headquartered in Beijing, are thought to reflect the views of China’s top leadership. Photo: Shutterstock A Beijing-based political scientist, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said the commentaries represented “a U-turn” from earlier media tolerance or even sympathy for consumer rights.
Last month, Congress said it would allot 1 billion pesos (US$16.9 million) in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill for the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) project, a clutch of programmes that identifies risk areas, monitors threats such as typhoons, and model simulations of disasters. NOAH also provides data to enable planners to decide where to effectively locate flood managem...
Last month, Congress said it would allot 1 billion pesos (US$16.9 million) in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill for the Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH) project, a clutch of programmes that identifies risk areas, monitors threats such as typhoons, and model simulations of disasters. NOAH also provides data to enable planners to decide where to effectively locate flood management projects. Advertisement The project was launched in 2012 during the presidency of Benigno Aquino III, in the aftermath of typhoon Sendong (tropical storm Washi) in late 2011 – a calamity that killed up to 2,500 Filipinos. A town devastated by rampaging flood waters in southern Mindanao, the Philippines, on December 17, 2011, after tropical storm Washi slammed into the region. Photo: EPA Operating under the theme “Know your hazard”, NOAH ran a website where the public could access neighbourhood maps that could be zoomed down to specific streets, and identify threats such as flood levels and nearby earthquake zones.
A new acquisition could make this cheap stock a smart buy. Artificial intelligence has the power to disrupt many industries. Software companies, in particular, have seen investors turn against them, as powerful AI tools such as Anthropic's Claude Code threaten to render many other software solutions unnecessary. One company that's seen its stock plummet on that fear is Wix (WIX +4.64%), the leadin...
A new acquisition could make this cheap stock a smart buy. Artificial intelligence has the power to disrupt many industries. Software companies, in particular, have seen investors turn against them, as powerful AI tools such as Anthropic's Claude Code threaten to render many other software solutions unnecessary. One company that's seen its stock plummet on that fear is Wix (WIX +4.64%), the leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution for website builders. But as the saying goes, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Wix has made several AI-powered enhancements to its products over the last few years, and a major acquisition could push it into entirely new territory for the business based around vibe coding, or AI-powered programming. And investors can buy the stock on the cheap right now. Moving beyond simple websites Wix got its start in the mid-2000s helping individuals and small businesses set up simple websites. It became the largest SaaS website builder thanks to its marketing prowess. Its ability to scale the software business more than offsets the added cost of marketing, especially if it maintains high net retention rates (and it does). The company introduced more powerful tools for website creators, called Wix Studio, in 2023, targeting agencies and freelancers who build websites for businesses. That's driven strong growth in Wix's partners segment, which climbed 24% year over year last quarter. Partners are also a driving force behind the adoption of business solutions, including payments. The next evolution for Wix is its push into vibe coding for websites and apps. Vibe coding is the practice of using an AI agent to generate code from natural-language prompts. Last June, Wix acquired Base44, an AI company specializing in vibe coding apps. It quickly put its marketing expertise to work and successfully grew active users more than sevenfold to 2 million by November. Expand NASDAQ : WIX Wix.com Today's Change ( 4.64 %) $ 3.92 Current Price $ 88.48 Key Data P...
Key Points DIA holds fewer stocks and skews toward financials, while VOOG is heavily weighted in technology. VOOG has delivered stronger one-year and five-year total returns, but DIA offers a higher dividend yield. DIA boasts lower volatility and a smaller historical drawdown, making it less risky than VOOG. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › The Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF...
Key Points DIA holds fewer stocks and skews toward financials, while VOOG is heavily weighted in technology. VOOG has delivered stronger one-year and five-year total returns, but DIA offers a higher dividend yield. DIA boasts lower volatility and a smaller historical drawdown, making it less risky than VOOG. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › The Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:VOOG) and the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (NYSEMKT:DIA)are both large, highly liquid U.S. equity ETFs, but they take distinct approaches. While VOOG tracks the S&P 500 Growth Index, emphasizing fast-growing companies, the Dow Jones Industrial Average represents 30 established blue chip stocks. This comparison highlights where their strategies, costs, and risk profiles diverge for investors weighing growth versus blue chip stability. Snapshot (cost & size) Metric VOOG DIA Issuer Vanguard SPDR Expense ratio 0.07% 0.16% 1-yr return (as of Jan. 19, 2026) 19.31% 13.50% Dividend yield 0.49% 1.43% AUM $22 billion $44 billion Beta (5Y monthly) 1.08 0.89 VOOG is more affordable on fees, with an expense ratio less than half that of DIA. However, DIA’s significantly higher dividend yield may appeal to income-focused investors. Performance & risk comparison Metric VOOG DIA Max drawdown (5 y) -32.74% -20.75% Growth of $1,000 over 5 years $1,965 $1,601 What's inside DIA tracks the Dow Jones Industrial Average, holding just 30 blue chip U.S. companies and offering exposure heavily tilted toward financial services (making up 28% of assets), technology (20%), and industrials (15%). Its largest positions include Goldman Sachs, Caterpillar, and Microsoft. With a 28-year track record and roughly $44 billion in assets under management (AUM), DIA is a long-established, highly liquid ETF, with no notable structural quirks or leverage resets. VOOG, meanwhile, tracks the S&P 500 Growth Index and holds 140 stocks, heavily weighted toward technology (49%), with communication...