Amazon.com Inc. has reached a new agreement with the US Postal Service , providing a lifeline to the beleaguered government agency and securing delivery for customers in rural America. Under the deal, Amazon will retain about 80% of its existing deliveries with USPS, or more than 1 billion packages per year, according to a person familiar with the matter. “We’re pleased to have reached a new a...
Amazon.com Inc. has reached a new agreement with the US Postal Service , providing a lifeline to the beleaguered government agency and securing delivery for customers in rural America. Under the deal, Amazon will retain about 80% of its existing deliveries with USPS, or more than 1 billion packages per year, according to a person familiar with the matter. “We’re pleased to have reached a new agreement with USPS that furthers our longstanding partnership and will let us continue supporting our customers and communities together,” Amazon spokesperson Terrence Clark said in a statement. The USPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Read More: Amazon Battles Walmart for America’s $1 Trillion Rural Market Amazon is working on speeding up deliveries in rural America, where it relies on a combination of its own contract delivery drivers and the USPS. Reuters reported the new contract earlier.
In this article META Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (L) and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. Reuters OpenAI on Monday sent a letter to the California and Delaware attorneys general, urging them to investigate "improper and anti-competitive behavior" by Elon Musk and his associates, as a high-profile trial nears between the two sides. In the letter, OpenAI strateg...
In this article META Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (L) and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. Reuters OpenAI on Monday sent a letter to the California and Delaware attorneys general, urging them to investigate "improper and anti-competitive behavior" by Elon Musk and his associates, as a high-profile trial nears between the two sides. In the letter, OpenAI strategy chief Jason Kwon alleged that Musk has been working to undermine OpenAI through various "attacks" on the company, including by "coordinating his efforts" with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg . Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman co-founded the artificial intelligence lab in 2015 as a nonprofit, alongside several other researchers and executives. Musk left OpenAI in 2018, after trying to convince executives to merge it with Tesla . He later launched a competing company, xAI, and sued OpenAI in 2024, alleging that he was "assiduously manipulated" and "deceived" after the AI company explored converting to a for-profit entity. Jury selection for the trial is slated to begin on April 27, in the Northern District of California. Read more CNBC tech news AI data center boom 'stress tests' insurers as private capital floods in OpenAI's Fidji Simo takes medical leave, announces leadership changes 'Chasing vibes' — OpenAI's M&A strategy gets more confusing with TBPN purchase Meta, Google under fire as court cases bypass 30-year-old legal shield Kwon said in the letter that Musk's behavior could inhibit OpenAI's efforts to bring about artificial general intelligence, or AGI, a broad term for an AI system that rivals or exceeds human intelligence. "These attacks are designed to take control of the future of AGI out of the hands of those who are legally obligated to pursue the mission of ensuring that AGI benefits all of humanity, and put it into the hands of competitors who lack mission-driven principles and spurn any responsibility for safety," Kwon wrote. OpenAI has previously expressed related...
The astronauts on Artemis II will observe parts of the moon rarely seen by human eyes. A NASA planetary scientist said it will offer a vital perspective for lunar research. (Image credit: NASA)
The astronauts on Artemis II will observe parts of the moon rarely seen by human eyes. A NASA planetary scientist said it will offer a vital perspective for lunar research. (Image credit: NASA)
(RTTNews) - Stocks fluctuated over the course of the trading session on Monday but largely maintained a positive bias before ending the day mostly higher. With the upward move, the major averages added to the strong gains posted last week.
(RTTNews) - Stocks fluctuated over the course of the trading session on Monday but largely maintained a positive bias before ending the day mostly higher. With the upward move, the major averages added to the strong gains posted last week.
Tashi-Delek/E+ via Getty Images The last time I spoke about Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. ( PRAX ), it was in a Seeking Alpha article entitled " Praxis: Moving To Strong Buy Based On Ulixacaltamide Success In Treating ET ." With respect to this article, I mentioned that the company had achieved positive results from both of its phase 3 studies of the ESSENTIAL3 program using its drug ulixacalta...
Tashi-Delek/E+ via Getty Images The last time I spoke about Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. ( PRAX ), it was in a Seeking Alpha article entitled " Praxis: Moving To Strong Buy Based On Ulixacaltamide Success In Treating ET ." With respect to this article, I mentioned that the company had achieved positive results from both of its phase 3 studies of the ESSENTIAL3 program using its drug ulixacaltamide for the treatment of patients with essential tremor [ET]. This was a huge event because it put into motion the next expected catalyst that was set for Q4 of 2025, which was that the company was to hold a pre-NDA meeting with the FDA to discuss the possibility of being able to file for regulatory approval of this drug. I'm happy to report that this meeting with the FDA went well in December of 2025 and that the company was able to submit its NDA of ulixacaltamide for the treatment of these ET patients. The last time I rated this stock, I gave it a Strong Buy rating, and I'm going to stick to this rating again. Not just because the company was able to submit its NDA of ulixacaltamide for ET. It goes deeper than that, and it is because the company also had another huge positive update relating to its pipeline after I had written about it. It released positive interim results from the phase 2/3 EMBOLD registrational cohort using its drug relutrigine for the treatment of SCN2A and SCN8A developmental and epileptic encephalopathy [DEE]. The interim study was stopped early due to overwhelming results from this EMBOLD trial. The thing is that not only was Praxis able to submit a New Drug Application [NDA] of relutrigine for the treatment of these specific SCN2A and SCN8A patients, but it also had it accepted by the FDA with priority review with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act [PDUFA] target action date of September 27, 2026. The truth is that this program of targeting DEEs has two expansion opportunities, which are other reasons for my Strong Buy rating. The first expansion o...
Sundry Photography Cisco Systems ( CSCO ) said on Monday that it has named former Deloitte executive Peter Shimer to its board of directors. Shimer, who has four decades worth of executive experience, including as a member of the C-suite, will be a part of the board's audit committee, Cisco said in a statement. “We're delighted to welcome Pete to Cisco's board,” said Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO o...
Sundry Photography Cisco Systems ( CSCO ) said on Monday that it has named former Deloitte executive Peter Shimer to its board of directors. Shimer, who has four decades worth of executive experience, including as a member of the C-suite, will be a part of the board's audit committee, Cisco said in a statement. “We're delighted to welcome Pete to Cisco's board,” said Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO of Cisco. “His four decades of experience leading large global organizations and guiding clients through digital transformation brings invaluable insight at a critical moment, as Cisco delivers the critical infrastructure powering AI innovation worldwide.” Shimer is also a member of the board of directors at Alaska Airlines, Korn Ferry, and Synopsys ( SNPS ), and is the executive chair of the Cancer Artificial Intelligence Alliance. More on Cisco Cisco Q2: The Valuation Makes No Sense Cisco: The Only Undervalued 'Full-Stack' AI Play Cisco Systems, Inc. (CSCO) Presents at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2026 Transcript Iran threatens attacks on Nvidia, Apple and other tech majors: report Cisco, Arista Networks among Truist's favorite networking stocks
SpaceX ( SPACE ) and its bankers are preparing investor meetings to gauge demand for a potential IPO that could value the company at around $2 trillion, Bloomberg News reported Monday, citing people familiar with the plans. The discussions come shortly after SpaceX’s merger with xAI, as the company explores what could become the largest IPO on record. Estimates for its valuation have climbed quick...
SpaceX ( SPACE ) and its bankers are preparing investor meetings to gauge demand for a potential IPO that could value the company at around $2 trillion, Bloomberg News reported Monday, citing people familiar with the plans. The discussions come shortly after SpaceX’s merger with xAI, as the company explores what could become the largest IPO on record. Estimates for its valuation have climbed quickly, rising from about $1.75 trillion to above $2 trillion in recent weeks. Some observers say the pitch to investors will hinge less on current financials and more on belief in Elon Musk’s long-term vision. One academic and former banker noted that the focus is likely to remain on sustaining investor enthusiasm for the company’s future potential rather than strictly justifying the numbers today. At that valuation, SpaceX ( SPACE ) would rank among the most valuable companies in the S&P 500, despite generating far less revenue than many of its peers. Analyst estimates suggest the company could produce close to $20 billion in revenue by 2026, largely from its launch business and Starlink satellite network. The IPO timeline may depend in part on upcoming rocket test launches. Analysts say successful tests could build confidence, while setbacks might delay or even derail the offering. A listing could raise as much as $75 billion, surpassing the record set by Saudi Aramco in 2019. The proceeds would help fund ambitious projects, including space-based data infrastructure and other long-term initiatives tied to Musk’s broader technology ecosystem. Still, some analysts caution that as the valuation rises, investors may question how much of the story rests on Musk’s ability to inspire confidence rather than on underlying financial performance, Bloomberg News reported. More on SpaceX Can Any Investor Actually Value SpaceX? SpaceX IPO: What I Learned From ULA's Heydays SpaceX-xAI Deal: Building America's New Icon If Amazon buys Globalstar, what does it mean for Apple? Musk requires ba...
Meta Platforms (NasdaqGS:META) is cutting about 700 roles, largely in its Reality Labs hardware organization. The company is scaling back metaverse and device efforts while prioritizing artificial intelligence projects. The restructuring follows recent legal verdicts tied to platform design and youth safety concerns. Meta is also seeking to manage costs ahead of higher capital spending on AI infra...
Meta Platforms (NasdaqGS:META) is cutting about 700 roles, largely in its Reality Labs hardware organization. The company is scaling back metaverse and device efforts while prioritizing artificial intelligence projects. The restructuring follows recent legal verdicts tied to platform design and youth safety concerns. Meta is also seeking to manage costs ahead of higher capital spending on AI infrastructure. For you as an investor, this move highlights how Meta Platforms, best known for...
Wall Street is gearing up for a good earnings season, but there are other variables to keep in mind beyond the headline numbers. First-quarter earnings per share are expected to grow 12.3% year over year, above the 11.4% average seen going back to 2009, according to S & P Capital IQ. Still, investors are keeping an eye on market valuations and the economic impacts of the U.S.-Iran War. "We are exp...
Wall Street is gearing up for a good earnings season, but there are other variables to keep in mind beyond the headline numbers. First-quarter earnings per share are expected to grow 12.3% year over year, above the 11.4% average seen going back to 2009, according to S & P Capital IQ. Still, investors are keeping an eye on market valuations and the economic impacts of the U.S.-Iran War. "We are expecting a strong earnings season this quarter in spite of the geopolitical tensions," said Brian Mulberry, chief market strategist at Zacks Investment Management. The earliest first-quarter reports will be released next week. About 54% of S & P 500 companies issued positive earnings per share guidance heading into the quarter, which would mark the highest percentage since 2021, according to an analysis by John Butters, senior earnings analyst at FactSet. By comparison, the five-year and 10-year averages for such rates sat at 42% and 40%, respectively. The bottom-up earnings per share estimate sits nearly 3% higher than where it did at the end of last year, Trivariate Research founder Adam Parker said. The technology sector has largely driven the increase, he said. Growth scare? Despite these positive expectations, outside factors could throw some cold water on investor optimism as the reports are released. First, the spike in fuel prices due to the war has raised concern that corporate profits may be hurt as consumers pull back on spending to offset higher energy costs. Futures for Brent crude, a global benchmark, have surged more than 50% since the conflict began and have risen nearly 80% in 2026. @LCO.1 YTD mountain Brent, year-to-date "Overall, market forecasts embed some breadth, and strong growth, belying what is clearly a growth scare related to the Iran War," Trivariate's Parker wrote in a Sunday note to clients. Increased fuel prices can also lead to more robust earnings for the energy sector, according to David Wagner, head of equity at Aptus Capital Advisors. Howev...
J. Michael Jones/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction Synchrony Financial ( SYF ) is a consumer lending depositor bank. The bank uses depositor money to lend out using credit cards and consumer-based financing. I’ve been a fan of the bank’s preferred shares, last writing about them in June . Now, with the current rate and macro environment, and after a sell-off to start the year, I belie...
J. Michael Jones/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Introduction Synchrony Financial ( SYF ) is a consumer lending depositor bank. The bank uses depositor money to lend out using credit cards and consumer-based financing. I’ve been a fan of the bank’s preferred shares, last writing about them in June . Now, with the current rate and macro environment, and after a sell-off to start the year, I believe the bank’s shares are worth buying. Synchrony Financial Earnings Synchrony Financial is different from a traditional depositor bank. As opposed to mortgages and business loans, Synchrony specializes in high-yield consumer loans and private-label credit cards, which gives it a much higher asset yield than most banks. The bank’s asset yield in the fourth quarter rose by 10 basis points, finishing at 19.07%. Due to the nature of its business, Synchrony’s asset yields are less influenced by rate policy, as evidenced by the fourth quarter asset yield being the highest in the post-pandemic era. On the other hand, the bank’s borrowing yield has managed to decline thanks to the recent monetary policy moves by the Federal Reserve. Borrowing yields fell by 13 basis points in the fourth quarter to 4.07%. The changes in asset and borrowing yields have allowed the net interest spread to reach 15% for the first time since 2022. Net interest margin, which incorporates leverage into the calculation, rose to 15.83%, which was the highest level since 2019. Company Financials Company Financials The trends in yields also translated somewhat over to interest income and expense. Interest income has had inconsistent growth patterns over the last couple of years and was essentially flat in the fourth quarter at $5.7 billion, which was slightly higher than the same quarter a year ago. Interest expense declined to $973 million in the fourth quarter, which was the lowest quarterly level since the second quarter of 2023. Interest expense has declined by $145 million compared to the fourth quarter o...