Italy is set to name a replacement for Leonardo SpA Chief Executive Officer Roberto Cingolani as soon as this week, according to people familiar with the matter, capping weeks of negotiations over the key corporate appointment. Alessandro Ercolani of Rheinmetall Italia and Stefano Donnarumma of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane SpA are among the leading contenders to run Italy’s largest defense compan...
Italy is set to name a replacement for Leonardo SpA Chief Executive Officer Roberto Cingolani as soon as this week, according to people familiar with the matter, capping weeks of negotiations over the key corporate appointment. Alessandro Ercolani of Rheinmetall Italia and Stefano Donnarumma of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane SpA are among the leading contenders to run Italy’s largest defense company, alongside internal candidates, the people said. The decision comes as the government finalizes appointments at major state-linked companies, a process complicated by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s weakened political standing after a referendum defeat last month, which has shifted the balance in talks with coalition partners. The polling defeat has prompeted her to implement changes in order to project a sense of control and power, including a replacement of the cabinet’s tourism minister. The escalating conflict in the Middle East, which is making the defence sector even more crucial, has also contributed to Meloni’s decision, the people added. La Repubblica reported on Saturday that Cingolani is likely to be replaced and has been told he will not receive a new mandate, while also naming the potential candidates. Spokespeople for Leonardo and the government declined to comment Monday. Representatives for Rheinmetall and Ferrovie did not immediately reply to a request for comment Monday, a public holiday in Italy. The move is part of a broader overhaul of boards at state-controlled companies whose terms expire this spring, allowing the government to reshape leadership at strategic groups. Bloomberg has reported that Claudio Descalzi is set to be confirmed as chief executive officer of Eni SpA, while changes are being considered at several firms including Leonardo. The announcement of the appointments has been slightly delayed to allow for talks to continue. Meloni, who leads the Brothers of Italy party, has been negotiating appointments with coalition partners Matteo Sal...
GameStop (NYSE: GME) is playing to win. After four fiscal years of declining revenue growth, the video game retailer knows it needs to start thinking outside the small box if it wants to thrive, or even survive. CEO Ryan Cohen announced on CNBC in late January that GameStop was working on a major acquisition of a larger consumer company. He said it would be transformational for not just his own co...
GameStop (NYSE: GME) is playing to win. After four fiscal years of declining revenue growth, the video game retailer knows it needs to start thinking outside the small box if it wants to thrive, or even survive. CEO Ryan Cohen announced on CNBC in late January that GameStop was working on a major acquisition of a larger consumer company. He said it would be transformational for not just his own company, but also for capital markets in general. Armed with more than $9 billion in cash at the end of January, investors began plotting the potential purchase. Despite also packing more than $4 billion in long-term debt, GameStop would still be able to buy a larger company through additional leverage or by including more stock than cash in a potential deal. Continue reading
Juanmonino China has issued alerts reserving swaths of offshore airspace for a period of 40 days without explanation, suggesting possible military activity ahead, The Wall Street Journal reported. The alerts, known as Notice to Air Missions (or NOTAMs), are in effect from March 27 through May 6 and are intended to flag temporary airspace hazards or restrictions. China has not announced any militar...
Juanmonino China has issued alerts reserving swaths of offshore airspace for a period of 40 days without explanation, suggesting possible military activity ahead, The Wall Street Journal reported. The alerts, known as Notice to Air Missions (or NOTAMs), are in effect from March 27 through May 6 and are intended to flag temporary airspace hazards or restrictions. China has not announced any military exercises in the area for now, but the NOTAMs are similar to alerts used to warn aviation authorities of Chinese military exercises. The reserved airspace is designated as "SFC-UNL" in the NOTAMs. This refers to the altitude restrictions – SFC means surface height or ground level and UNL is unlimited height. "What makes this especially notable is the combination of SFC-UNL with an extraordinary 40-day duration — and no announced exercise," Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight project at Stanford University that tracks Chinese maritime activity, told WSJ . "That suggests not a discrete exercise but a sustained operational readiness posture — and one that China apparently doesn't feel the need to explain," he noted. The airspace reserved in the alerts is hundreds of miles away from Taiwan. It includes offshore airspace to the north and south of Shanghai, extending from the Yellow Sea facing South Korea, south to waters of the East China Sea facing Japan. Beijing is likely seizing an opportunity to boost its active military presence while the U.S. is focused on the Middle East, a senior Taiwan security official told WSJ , adding that the current airspace reservation is "clearly aimed at Japan." Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te last year proposed a $40B defense budget to counter China's threat, which includes billions of dollars worth of arms purchases from the U.S. But the proposal stalled due to pushback from local opposition and Beijing. Notably, U.S. senators last week visited Taipei and called on Taiwan's parliament to approve the budget. Chinese President Xi Jinping invi...
Bohdan Bevz/iStock via Getty Images Over the past few months, business development companies have taken the spotlight as one of the most dramatic asset classes. What started as pocketed bankruptcy trouble among two large borrowers has quickly spread into fears of wider systemic trouble. Similar to what hit non-traded REITs in the rising interest rate era, a massive wave of redemptions has hit non-...
Bohdan Bevz/iStock via Getty Images Over the past few months, business development companies have taken the spotlight as one of the most dramatic asset classes. What started as pocketed bankruptcy trouble among two large borrowers has quickly spread into fears of wider systemic trouble. Similar to what hit non-traded REITs in the rising interest rate era, a massive wave of redemptions has hit non-traded business development companies, initially those managed by Blue Owl ( OWL ). Other firms, including Cliffwater ( CCLFX ), who became famous for introducing private credit to the masses, have seen substantial troubles in their lineup of funds, including a liquidity gate in their flagship interval fund. More likely than not, we are entering a period where we will find out who has been swimming naked. As the dominoes begin to fall, we are quickly seeing some of the weaker publicly traded business development companies begin to take damage. As a result, the sector is falling apart quickly. Data by YCharts Today, we circle back to Gladstone Capital Company ( GLAD ) and talk about why this business development company is well positioned to weather the troubled storm. Review of Prior Coverage It is hard to believe that it has been nearly five years since I last covered GLAD. In the post pandemic era, I covered business development companies as they recovered from the extraordinary pandemic volatility. What many thought would be a challenging time for business development companies quickly emerged into the golden era as interest rates increased and default rates remained low. My prior coverage went over GLAD's business in detail. For those who are new to GLAD, it may be a helpful place to start. Data by YCharts The pattern of GLAD's performance over the past five years is indicative of the broader business development company market. As the secured overnight financing rate increased, defaults fell, and demand for private loans increased, GLAD found itself in the flow state. ...
Alex Wong/Getty Images News Introduction Seems like every day for the last month or so, uncertainty has increased about the ongoing war with Iran. President Trump has publicly spoken about Iran "desperately" seeking a deal to end the war. But soon after, news broke of the claims being false. Rising oil and gas prices keep rate cut hopes uncertain the longer the conflict goes on. There's also the p...
Alex Wong/Getty Images News Introduction Seems like every day for the last month or so, uncertainty has increased about the ongoing war with Iran. President Trump has publicly spoken about Iran "desperately" seeking a deal to end the war. But soon after, news broke of the claims being false. Rising oil and gas prices keep rate cut hopes uncertain the longer the conflict goes on. There's also the potential for inflation to increase and to see a recession as well. Going forward, I believe that the war with Iran will continue, at least for the near-term. Especially, after President Trump addressed the nation , creating more uncertainty around if the conflict will actually end soon. The market will likely continue to seesaw due to the President's claims of a deal getting made to end the war. In my opinion, if we attack Iran again as President Trump promised this week if they fail to open the Strait of Hormuz, the broader market is likely to see more volatility, and could see negative returns for 2026. But as an income investor, this gives me an opportunity to build my income stream at a cheaper price. In this article, I discuss which two dividend growth stocks I'm buying and why. We Could See Muted Returns In 2026 Although the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index ( DJI ), S&P ( SP500 ), and the Nasdaq ( NDAQ ) are all up double-digits in the past year, year-to-date all three have underperformed. Seeking Alpha Most of this is because of the war, which has resulted in higher gas prices. And because of this, I mainly drive my Tesla ( TSLA ) whenever I need to run errands. And I rarely drive my Camaro, which I've had for close to 6 years since I retired from the Navy. Even though I don't fill up often, the prices still are still impactful. The effects of the war are starting to takes a toll on everyday consumers. But with the war ongoing, I wasn't overly shocked to see gas had went up about $1 since I last filled my tank. And the longer it goes on, the worse things will likel...
JHVEPhoto Marriott International ( MAR ) plans to integrate the Lefay luxury wellness brand into its portfolio via a new joint venture with the founding Leali family. The hotel operator's plan is to use an asset-light, management-fee model to scale Lefay globally as Marriott’s first dedicated luxury wellness brand. Under the structure of the deal, Marriott ( MAR ) and the Leali family intend to fo...
JHVEPhoto Marriott International ( MAR ) plans to integrate the Lefay luxury wellness brand into its portfolio via a new joint venture with the founding Leali family. The hotel operator's plan is to use an asset-light, management-fee model to scale Lefay globally as Marriott’s first dedicated luxury wellness brand. Under the structure of the deal, Marriott ( MAR ) and the Leali family intend to form a joint venture to which Lefay’s brand and intellectual property are contributed, while the Leali family retains ownership of the Italian real estate assets. Meanwhile, existing and pipeline Lefay resorts will operate under long-term hotel management agreements with the joint venture, aligning with Marriott's ( MAR ) asset-light, fee-based growth strategy. Lefay currently operates two award-winning luxury resorts in Lago di Garda and the Dolomites in Italy in nature-rich leisure destinations focused on health and longevity-driven stays, and the brand has three more resorts in the pipeline in Tuscany, Southern Italy, and the Swiss Alps, which are also expected to come into the Marriott system under long-term management deals with the joint venture. Notably, Lefay will become the first brand in Marriott’s system dedicated exclusively to luxury wellness, sitting within the Luxury Group alongside The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, EDITION, and The Luxury Collection. Marriott ( MAR ) leadership has positioned Lefay as a wellness-first, holistic, sustainability-oriented resort offering rather than a traditional spa add-on. More on Marriott Marriott International, Inc. (MAR) Presents at J.P. Morgan Gaming, Lodging, Restaurant, and Leisure Management Access Forum Transcript Marriott International Has Already Overstayed In The Buy Zone Marriott International: Growth Justifies Valuation Hotel bookings in World Cup cities are below expectations Marriott targets 4.5% to 5% net rooms growth in 2026 as credit card royalty rate rises
US equity futures rise and oil swings amid a report that US allies are pressing to secure a potential ceasefire in the war with Iran. President Trump is extending his deadline once again for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as negotiations continue between his envoys and Iran's leadership. Jeffrey Stewart of GPO Fund discusses the potential IPO pipeline this year including SpaceX. Thierry Wiz...
US equity futures rise and oil swings amid a report that US allies are pressing to secure a potential ceasefire in the war with Iran. President Trump is extending his deadline once again for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as negotiations continue between his envoys and Iran's leadership. Jeffrey Stewart of GPO Fund discusses the potential IPO pipeline this year including SpaceX. Thierry Wizman of Macquarie Group discusses how traders are assessing Trump's rhetoric. (Source: Bloomberg)