(RTTNews) - hilltop holdings inc. (HTH) revealed earnings for its fourth quarter that Increased, from last year The company's earnings came in at $41.58 million, or $0.69 per share. This compares with $35.52 million, or $0.55 per share, last year. The company's revenue for the period rose 9.6% to $329.89 million from $301.07 million last year. hilltop holdings inc. earnings at a glance (GAAP) : -E...
(RTTNews) - hilltop holdings inc. (HTH) revealed earnings for its fourth quarter that Increased, from last year The company's earnings came in at $41.58 million, or $0.69 per share. This compares with $35.52 million, or $0.55 per share, last year. The company's revenue for the period rose 9.6% to $329.89 million from $301.07 million last year. hilltop holdings inc. earnings at a glance (GAAP) : -Earnings: $41.58 Mln. vs. $35.52 Mln. last year. -EPS: $0.69 vs. $0.55 last year. -Revenue: $329.89 Mln vs. $301.07 Mln last year. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Birol Dincer /iStock via Getty Images By Min Joo Kang , Senior Economist, South Korea and Japan Tokyo inflation cooled more than expected, while retail sales and production declined. The Bank of Japan will wait to see if wage growth and prices increase before tightening again - most likely in June. Government measures and base effects pulled down inflation Tokyo's consumer inflation slowed to 1.5%...
Birol Dincer /iStock via Getty Images By Min Joo Kang , Senior Economist, South Korea and Japan Tokyo inflation cooled more than expected, while retail sales and production declined. The Bank of Japan will wait to see if wage growth and prices increase before tightening again - most likely in June. Government measures and base effects pulled down inflation Tokyo's consumer inflation slowed to 1.5% year-on-year in January, dropping below 2% for the first time since October 2024. This was mainly due to lower food and energy prices. Utility subsidies and fuel tax cuts contributed to falling energy costs, while fresh food prices fell sharply by 7.9%, largely due to base effects. Core-core inflation, excluding fresh food and energy, eased to 2.4% as entertainment prices softened while housing prices rose. Headline inflation is expected to decline for an extended period this year, but the BoJ should prioritise core-core and underlying inflation trends. If core-core inflation remains above 2% and wage growth is steady, a policy rate adjustment is likely. Today's labour market data supports this outlook. The unemployment rate has held at 2.6% for five consecutive months. The job-to-application ratio increased slightly to 1.19, indicating tight labour market conditions. We’ve argued that the Bank of Japan probably won’t be in a hurry to hike rates when inflation is decelerating. To do so, it needs strong evidence that underlying inflationary pressures are still firming. In that sense, the Shunto wage negotiation results and April CPI are quite important to watch. We expect another 5% increase in wage growth and a strong pick-up in April CPI. This could support the BoJ’s 25 bp hike in June. Inflation is likely to decelerate throughout 2026 due to stablizing energy and food prices Source: CEIC Monthly activity softened, suggesting a modest rebound in 4Q25 GDP Retail sales dropped more than expected in December by 2.0% month-on-month, seasonally adjusted (vs. revised 0.7% in No...
Key Points Meta Platforms plans to spend $115 billion-$135 billion on capital expenditures this year, much of which will go to AI. It's the clearest signal from a hyperscaler this year that the AI boom will accelerate. CoreWeave looks like one of the companies poised to benefit. 10 stocks we like better than CoreWeave › Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) kicked off Big Tech earnings season in fine form...
Key Points Meta Platforms plans to spend $115 billion-$135 billion on capital expenditures this year, much of which will go to AI. It's the clearest signal from a hyperscaler this year that the AI boom will accelerate. CoreWeave looks like one of the companies poised to benefit. 10 stocks we like better than CoreWeave › Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) kicked off Big Tech earnings season in fine form on Wednesday, topping estimates on the top and bottom line, and issuing better-than-expected guidance for the first quarter. While doubts about the AI boom have lingered after concerns about a bubble sent AI stocks falling briefly toward the end of last year, from Meta's perspective, the boom is alive and well. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Revenue jumped 24% in the quarter to $59.9 billion and full-year revenue topped $200 billion, up 22% from the year before. However, the biggest news out of the tech giant, at least for AI investors, was the company's spending forecast for this year. Meta said that capital expenditures in 2026 would climb to $115 billion-$135 billion with year-over-year growth driven by investments in Meta Superintelligence Labs -- in other words, AI -- and its core business, meaning its family of apps and advertising. That capex forecast represents 73% growth from the year before at the midpoint of the range, up from $72.2 billion in capex in 2025, which itself jumped 84% from $39.2 billion in 2024, meaning Meta's infrastructure spending is set to triple in just two years. That's the clearest sign yet so far this year that the AI bonanza will only accelerate in 2026, and investors are clearly happy with the overall report, as the stock was trading up 8% after-hours. Image source: Getty Images. Who wins when Meta spends? Meta's blockbuster capex forecast is meaningful for the social media giant, but it could be even bigger news for other corners of th...
Stacy Smith, Executive Chairman at Kioxia, discusses the memory maker's business strategy and the outlook for AI memory demand. He speaks with Shery Ahn on The Asia Trade. (Source: Bloomberg)
Stacy Smith, Executive Chairman at Kioxia, discusses the memory maker's business strategy and the outlook for AI memory demand. He speaks with Shery Ahn on The Asia Trade. (Source: Bloomberg)
Earnings Call Insights: SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Russell A. Childs began by highlighting net income of $91 million or $2.21 per diluted share for Q4 2025 and full year net income of $428 million or $10.35 per diluted share. He noted, “our model converted a growth of 15% in production to a 31% increase in pretax income, reflecting the strong operating leverage within our mod...
Earnings Call Insights: SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Russell A. Childs began by highlighting net income of $91 million or $2.21 per diluted share for Q4 2025 and full year net income of $428 million or $10.35 per diluted share. He noted, “our model converted a growth of 15% in production to a 31% increase in pretax income, reflecting the strong operating leverage within our model.” Childs announced multiyear contract extensions for 40 E175s with United and 13 E175 with Delta, emphasizing, “these agreements continue to strengthen our partnerships and demonstrate the ongoing long-term demand for our product.” He stated the company has no major E175 contract expirations until late 2028, and ongoing investments in fleet diversity position SkyWest to adapt to market demands. He addressed operational challenges in Q4, citing a government shutdown and mandatory flight reductions, resulting in more canceled flights than major partners and a modest impact from the shutdown. Childs stated the company’s debt has been reduced by $1 billion over the past three years, reinforcing its position of long-term strength and flexibility. CFO Robert Simmons reported, “Total Q4 revenue of $1 billion is down seasonally from $1.1 billion in Q3 2025 and up 8% from $944 million in Q4 2024.” He added, “Q4 revenue includes contract revenue of $803 million down from $844 million in Q3 2025 and up from $786 million in Q4 2024. Prorate and charter revenue was $167 million in Q4, flat with Q3 2025 and up from $126 million in Q4 2024.” Simmons highlighted $85 million in share repurchases for 2025, nearly doubling the investment from 2024. Chief Commercial Officer Wade Steel announced, “We now have no contract expirations on E175s until the back half of 2028. During the quarter, we took delivery of 5 new E175s for United. We currently have 69 E175s on firm order with Embraer, including 16 for Delta, 8 for United, 1 for Alaska.” Outlook Simmons stated, “For 2026, we now expect to s...
Apple (AAPL) just delivered a record fiscal first quarter, with iPhone 17 driving all time iPhone revenue, Services posting strong growth, and new AI moves with Google and Q.ai sharpening investor focus. Apple’s latest results and AI announcements come after a choppy start to 2026, with a 7 day share price return of 4.13% but a 30 day share price decline of 5.00%, while the 1 year total shareholde...
Apple (AAPL) just delivered a record fiscal first quarter, with iPhone 17 driving all time iPhone revenue, Services posting strong growth, and new AI moves with Google and Q.ai sharpening investor focus. Apple’s latest results and AI announcements come after a choppy start to 2026, with a 7 day share price return of 4.13% but a 30 day share price decline of 5.00%, while the 1 year total shareholder return of 9.94% and 3 year total shareholder return of 69.69% suggest momentum has cooled but longer term holders have still seen strong gains. If Apple’s AI push has you rethinking the sector, this could be a good moment to scan other potential opportunities across and see which stories line up with your own thesis. With Apple posting record iPhone and Services numbers, and trading at $258.28 with a 1-year total return of 9.94% and a 3-year return near 70%, is this recent pullback offering a fresh entry, or is future growth already priced in? Advertisement Most Popular Narrative: 41.3% Overvalued According to the most followed narrative, Apple’s last close at $258.28 sits well above an implied fair value near $180, which frames the whole debate around its current price. This narrative is primarily based on Ben Thompson's (Stratechery) view that Apple has transitioned from being a product-driven company to a services-oriented one. While the iPhone remains central to Apple's business, hardware differentiation has plateaued. Instead, Apple's strategy has shifted towards expanding its ecosystem through services like Apple Intelligence, which requires a large install base rather than hardware upgrades. Curious what kind of revenue mix and margin profile could support that fair value, and which earnings multiple the narrative leans on to justify it? The core of this view is a bigger, higher margin Services engine running across a vast device base, paired with a future valuation level usually reserved for mature but still solid growth names. Interested in how those assumptions ...
Remote surgery conducted over thousands of kilometres can be just as reliable as robot-assisted operations done by a medical team in the same room as the patient, according to a new study led by Chinese military researchers and carried out in five cities. The researchers said telesurgery could be a “feasible” way to overcome the lack of medical services in parts of the country as well as the growi...
Remote surgery conducted over thousands of kilometres can be just as reliable as robot-assisted operations done by a medical team in the same room as the patient, according to a new study led by Chinese military researchers and carried out in five cities. The researchers said telesurgery could be a “feasible” way to overcome the lack of medical services in parts of the country as well as the growing demand for operations to treat cancer. “As the first randomised controlled trial in the field of telesurgery, this study establishes that its reliability is non-inferior to that of conventional local surgery,” the scientists wrote in an article published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The BMJ on Thursday. Advertisement “This finding provides a foundational evidence base for the design and implementation of larger-scale clinical trials in the future.” FULL EVENT: astronauts head back to Earth in Nasa’s first medical evacuation FULL EVENT: astronauts head back to Earth in Nasa’s first medical evacuation Telesurgery enables a surgeon to operate on a patient remotely, providing medical care to people in distant locations such as military environments, disaster zones, underserved regions and during space missions. Advertisement A surgeon controls the procedure from a console with haptic controls and 3D visualisation. Their movements are digitised and then transmitted via ultra-low-latency communication networks – such as dedicated optical fibre lines, 5G/6G wireless networks or satellite connections – to a robotic system on the patient’s side, which executes the actions.
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Asia is scaling renewable power, electrification and clean manufacturing faster than any other part of the world. Yet the pace is outstripping the availability of skilled workers, creating a bottleneck that could slow progress towards net zero. Global renewable energy jobs reached 16.2 million in 2023, an 18 per cent incre...
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Asia is scaling renewable power, electrification and clean manufacturing faster than any other part of the world. Yet the pace is outstripping the availability of skilled workers, creating a bottleneck that could slow progress towards net zero. Global renewable energy jobs reached 16.2 million in 2023, an 18 per cent increase year on year, driven largely by growth in solar energy, equipment manufacturing and power infrastructure, according to the “Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Review” published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Advertisement Asia dominates this landscape. China alone accounts for an estimated 7.4 million renewable energy jobs – about 46 per cent of the global total – with solar representing nearly 4.6 million roles. India, despite being a net importer of renewable energy equipment, employs just over 1 million green workers, primarily across solar and hydropower. Looking ahead, demand for talent is set to rise sharply as the International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that 14 million new clean energy jobs will be created in the coming decade, alongside the transition of 16 million workers from fossil fuel sectors into new-energy roles. Advertisement Yet behind these headline numbers lies a growing imbalance. Skills formation is lagging behind deployment as shortages across applied technical roles emerge, while competition for experienced professionals is driving up labour costs and stretching project timelines. These realities were brought into sharp focus at Energy Asia 2025, held in Kuala Lumpur in June. Across discussions involving policymakers, industry leaders, energy professionals and academics, there was a consensus that Asia’s energy ambitions will not be met without a fundamental shift in how the region builds, mobilises and retains talent.
Maine Is The 'Oldest' State, Utah The 'Youngest' Across the U.S., age profiles vary widely by region. This map, via Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte , highlights those differences using the most recent nationwide estimates. The data for this visualization comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 1-Year Estimates . It reports the median age for each state and the Di...
Maine Is The 'Oldest' State, Utah The 'Youngest' Across the U.S., age profiles vary widely by region. This map, via Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte , highlights those differences using the most recent nationwide estimates. The data for this visualization comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 2024 1-Year Estimates . It reports the median age for each state and the District of Columbia. The Oldest States Are Concentrated in the Northeast The national median age stands at 39.2 as of 2024. Rank State Median age overall 1 Maine 44.9 2 Vermont 43.9 3 New Hampshire 43.6 4 West Virginia 42.9 5 Florida 42.7 6 Delaware 42.1 7 Hawaii 41.5 8 Montana 41.3 9 Connecticut 41.2 10 Pennsylvania 41.2 11 Rhode Island 41.0 12 Oregon 40.8 13 South Carolina 40.7 14 Wisconsin 40.7 15 Michigan 40.4 16 Wyoming 40.2 17 Massachusetts 40.1 18 New Jersey 40.1 19 New York 40.1 20 New Mexico 39.9 21 Maryland 39.8 22 Ohio 39.8 23 Alabama 39.6 24 Nevada 39.5 25 Arizona 39.4 26 Illinois 39.4 27 Missouri 39.4 28 North Carolina 39.4 29 Virginia 39.4 30 Kentucky 39.3 31 Mississippi 39.3 32 Minnesota 39.2 33 Arkansas 39.1 34 Tennessee 39.1 35 Iowa 39.0 36 Louisiana 38.7 37 South Dakota 38.7 38 Washington 38.7 39 California 38.4 40 Indiana 38.3 41 Colorado 38.0 42 Georgia 38.0 43 Kansas 38.0 44 Idaho 37.8 45 Nebraska 37.4 46 Oklahoma 37.4 47 North Dakota 36.7 48 Alaska 36.3 49 Texas 35.9 50 District of Columbia 34.9 51 Utah 32.5 -- U.S. Median Age 39.2 New England and nearby states dominate the top of the ranking. Maine leads the country with a median age of 45, followed by Vermont and New Hampshire at 44. Several other northeastern states—including Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Rhode Island—also exceed 41. These older age profiles reflect long-term trends such as slower population growth, lower birth rates, and limited in-migration of younger workers. The Sun Belt Shows a Mixed Demographic Picture Many Sun Belt states cluster near the national average, but with some excep...
President Lai meets delegation led by Micron Technology President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra On the afternoon of January 29, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Micron Technology President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra. In remarks, President Lai thanked Micron for making Taiwan a key link in its plans to expand global capacity, demonstrating the importance and confidence Micron places in Ta...
President Lai meets delegation led by Micron Technology President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra On the afternoon of January 29, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Micron Technology President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra. In remarks, President Lai thanked Micron for making Taiwan a key link in its plans to expand global capacity, demonstrating the importance and confidence Micron places in Taiwan. The president pointed out that Taiwan and the United States recently completed tariff negotiations and signed an MOU on investment cooperation, and that the two sides will sign the Taiwan-US Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, deepening bilateral investment and trade and positioning Taiwan and the US as important strategic partners. He also expressed hope that Taiwan and the US will work side by side to strengthen the key memory technologies essential for AI infrastructure and together build more resilient and competitive supply chains, creating a future of shared success. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Today, I am delighted to meet with Mr. Mehrotra once again at the Presidential Office. Micron Technology has planted deep roots in Taiwan over the past three decades. Its cumulative investments here have exceeded NT$1.2 trillion, and it has trained and employed over 10,000 engineering professionals. I would like to thank Micron for making Taiwan a key link in its plans to expand global capacity. Mr. Mehrotra’s leading a delegation to visit further demonstrates the importance and confidence Micron places in Taiwan. Recently, Taiwan and the US completed tariff negotiations and signed an MOU on investment cooperation. And moving forward, the two sides will sign the Taiwan-US Agreement on Reciprocal Trade. This will position Taiwan as a strategic partner to the US and deepen bilateral investment and trade. US enterprises will increase their investments in memory, IC design, and cloud services in Taiwan. Meanwhile, Taiwanese companies are investing in logic ch...