Key Points Multiple Social Security changes went into effect in the new year. One change will have a big effect on those making between $176,100 and $184,500. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › Social Security changes over time, including in 2026. With the new year underway, it's worth looking at a big shift in Social Security taxes that affects anyone who earns less than $184,500 annually. Here's the big change that happened and how it affects workers. 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 » This Social Security change affects you if your income is under $184,500 The change that affects most current workers has to do with the wage base limit. That's the annual limit that caps how much income is subject to Social Security tax. In 2025, the wage base limit was $176,100. So anyone with an income under that amount paid Social Security tax on their entire salary at a rate of 6.2%, with their employer covering another 6.2%. Self-employed workers paid the full 12.4%. In 2026, the wage base limit is increasing to $184,500. This means that Social Security taxes will now be charged on income up to this amount, so those who earn between $176,100 and $184,500 will now pay tax on as much as $8,400 in extra income. How does this change affect you? The change to the wage base limit primarily affects people who earn more than $176,100 annually. Individuals who have income above this limit will face a direct and immediate effect, since it means that they'll pay more taxes on their income. However, anyone who earns below this amount will also be affected. That's because they'll get further away from the maximum Social Security benefit. Those who earn less than the wage base limit will not be on track to get the largest Social Security check possible -- and they'll be further off track in 2026 than they were in 2025, when...

Dispiriting, deadly and unrevealing – there is a decent documentary to be made about the former model from Slovenia, but this one is unredeemable • One adult for the 9.40am in Sittingbourne: a front row seat for Melania’s ominous UK opening • Eggs, hats and unfettered ambition: what we learned about Melania Trump from her documentary My audience with Melania is booked for Friday lunchtime at a retail park on the outskirts of Bristol, inside a large cinema which appears to have been swept and emptied in readiness. When Brett Ratner’s contentious, Amazon-backed documentary previewed at the White House last weekend, the guestlist included Mike Tyson, Queen Rania of Jordan and the president himself. Today it’s just me in the room and Melania on the screen. It makes for a more intimate and exclusive affair. This mood of cosy conviviality extends all the way through the opening credits; at which point the chill descends and the novocaine kicks in, as the film’s star and executive producer proceeds to guide us – with agonising glacial slowness – through the preparations for her husband’s second presidential inauguration. She glides from the fashion fitting to the table setting, and from the “candlelit dinner” to the “starlight ball”, with a face like a fist and a voice of sheet metal. “Candlelight and black tie and my creative vision,” she says, as though listing the ingredients in a cauldron. “As first lady, children will always remain my priority,” she coos, and you can almost picture her coaxing them into her little gingerbread house. Continue reading...

Sandisk’s latest earnings report sent its already-soaring stock price up another 10% by Friday afternoon. Sandisk reported adjusted per-share earnings of $6.20 for the December-ending period compared with $1.23 for the same period last year. Sandisk is now expected to earn $62.68 per share in the current calendar year, compared with the consensus estimate of $29.24 before Thursday’s report, according to FactSet data.

Palantir is still firing on all cylinders as the AI market continues to expand. Palantir (PLTR 3.25%), the AI-powered data analytics company named after the all-seeing orbs from The Lord of the Rings, went public via a direct listing on Sept. 30, 2020. Its stock started trading at $10, but it's worth nearly $150 today. It also joined the S&P 500 in September 2024. Palantir attracted a stampede of bulls with its accelerating growth, soaring profits, and exposure to the booming AI market, but can it maintain that momentum over the next five years? How fast is Palantir growing? Palantir operates two platforms: Gotham for its government clients and Foundry for its commercial clients. Both platforms aggregate data from disparate sources to help their clients spot trends and make faster data-driven decisions. Most U.S. government agencies use Gotham to plan their projects and missions, while large companies like Apple (AAPL 0.89%) and Walmart (WMT +0.72%) use Foundry to analyze their business trends. Expand NASDAQ : PLTR Palantir Technologies Today's Change ( -3.25 %) $ -4.93 Current Price $ 146.93 Key Data Points Market Cap $362B Day's Range $ 146.29 - $ 151.00 52wk Range $ 66.12 - $ 207.52 Volume 956K Avg Vol 45M Gross Margin 80.81 % From 2020 to 2024, Palantir's revenue grew at a 27% CAGR. It turned profitable in 2023, and its net income more than doubled in 2024. Gotham gained more customers as domestic unrest and geopolitical conflicts sparked fresh government contracts, and Foundry grew rapidly as it gained more U.S. commercial customers. From 2024 to 2027, analysts expect Palantir's revenue and earnings per share (EPS) to grow at CAGRs of 45% and 84%, respectively. The expansion of the AI market across multiple government sectors and industries should drive that acceleration. Its "Rule of 40" ratio (its revenue growth rate plus its adjusted operating margin) also hit the triple digits in its latest quarter. That closely watched percentage could continue to rise as ...

CLLS260220P00005000 互動股市圖表 | CLLS Feb 2026 5.000 put 股市 Yahoo 財經

Israel’s military has accepted the death toll compiled by health authorities in Gaza is broadly accurate, marking a U-turn after years of official attacks on the data. A senior security official briefed Israeli journalists, saying about 70,000 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli attacks on the territory since October 2023, excluding those missing. It is the first time Israel has publicly estimated the toll from the war in Gaza. Previously the government and military had only provided figures for militants Israel claimed to have killed. Gaza health authorities said the direct toll from Israeli attacks had passed 71,660 people, with at least 10,000 presumed buried in the rubble of bombed buildings. For more than two years, Israeli officials and media had attacked the Palestinian figures as “Hamas propaganda” and dismissed them as “not accurate”. The abrupt shift in stance raises broader questions about Israel’s defence of its campaign in Gaza. A UN commission, rights groups and scholars have accused Israel of committing genocide in the territory. “What other accusations could turn out to be true?” Haaretz said after the briefing. “The Israeli public must ask itself what this belated recognition indicates about the army and the government’s credibility regarding Israel’s conduct in Gaza.” It is also likely to intensify scrutiny of civilian casualties in Gaza. The Israeli military previously claimed to have killed 22,000 militants in Gaza, suggesting by its own count, more than two-thirds of the 70,000 dead were non-combatants. The figure is significantly below the 83% civilian toll indicated by a classified Israeli military database, but well above the 50% casualty rate previously claimed by Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is still reviewing how many of the dead are civilians, the Times of Israel said, but said the overall toll compiled by Gaza health authorities is “largely accurate”. A military spokesperson declined to confirm or deny the figur...

【有線新聞】全國港澳研究會顧問譚耀宗在本台節目《有理有得傾》說，港澳辦主任夏寶龍提及立法會要做到監督政府「不越位」是指不應該代替政府機關。他又說，不代表議員不可投反對票。至於可否引用特權法調查，他表示，需要小心考慮。 港澳辦主任夏寶龍早前在全國港澳研究會的研討會上，重申香港實行「行政主導」，行政、立法和司法是同唱一台戲，要多補台、不能拆台。研究會顧問譚耀宗解釋含意是三者抱持同樣目標。譚耀宗：「在同一個基礎裡一起去辦好它，就不是互相攻擊、抹黑拉扯，要求有積極的支持和配合在當中。（現在制衡是否存在？）有的。監督不可以越位，即是有監督的功能，但監督得來，你不可以取代行政機關，你監督包括提意見如何完善。」 立法會又可否引用特權法監督政府？譚耀宗：「我覺得用的時候也要小心，例如行政機關已經在做調查或者多過一個的調查，立法機關是否需要用特權法來調查？這就要考慮，要看他的事情是否一定要用這個方式，他是有權、是可以用的。例如最近大埔那裡，如果政府已經在做數個調查，立法機關不一定要啟動，否則就會有重複。（這就是越位？）不一定是叫越位，看看你當時做的事是否合適的辦法。應該是這樣說，我覺得越位就是代替行政機關，監督不等於代替行政機關。」他又說議員投反對票也可以，同性伴侶替代框架被否決是一個例子，港澳辦當時亦作出評論，形容這是立法機關權利。 夏寶龍亦提及政府要革新管治理念，改進管治方式，譚耀宗同意對官員要求更嚴格。譚耀宗：「譬如最近出了事也要進行調查，也有些官員要處分，也有些要問責。所以現在要求也嚴格了，我相信日後制度上也要重新檢討一下，不要出現因為責任分攤得太小，但好像最後出事後沒有人要負責。」 他指出各部門建立了機制應對颱風，但遇上大意外就似乎沒有頂層設計，可以立刻調動各方面力量，認為在行政主導下政府要做好準備。

美国总统特朗普于周五签署一项行政令，宣布将在华盛顿街头举办印地方程式赛车比赛，以纪念美国建国250周年。 根据该行政令，这场名为华盛顿特区“自由250”大奖赛的赛事，将是印地方程式赛车系列赛首次在该国首都举办街道赛。 比赛选址于国家广场附近，届时，开放式轮式赛车的飞驰身影将与华盛顿标志性的纪念碑及博物馆群交相辉映。 随着美国2026年建国二百五十周年临近，这项行政令将赛车运动与爱国庆典相结合，堪称一项不同寻常的总统指令。 特朗普在白宫椭圆形办公室签署该行政令时表示，比赛将于8月举行。不过，对于如何在华盛顿市中心常年拥堵的街道上组织赛车赛事，以及赛事资金来源、后勤保障安排等细节，目前尚未对外公布。 目前，印地方程式赛车系列赛已在加利福尼亚州长滩、佛罗里达州圣彼得斯堡等城市设有街道赛分站，但此前从未尝试在华盛顿哥伦比亚特区这一联邦特区举办赛事——该区域的赛事筹备需应对极为复杂的安保与交通协调问题。 责任编辑：李桐

Palantir stock slides in choppy session as traders brace for earnings and tech fallout TechStock²

周五，现货黄金价格下跌，并有望创下自1983年以来的最大单日跌幅，原因是美元汇率上升，此前特朗普公布了下一任美联储主席人选；而白银价格则将创下有史以来最糟糕的单日表现。此次抛售被分析师们称为“获利回吐”，也还对其他贵金属（881169）品种造成了压力。渣打银行全球大宗商品研究主管苏基.库珀表示，此次抛售背后的触发因素可能是多种因素的综合结果，包括美联储主席出炉以及更广泛的宏观资金流动情况等。她补充道：“无论是从美元走势来看，还是从实际收益率预期的角度来看，这些因素的综合影响都促使了获利回吐行为的发生。”(新浪财经)

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) is one of the Top 15 Chinese Companies on US Exchanges. On January 27, Bloomberg reported that Alibaba Group Holding Limited-backed Moonshot AI upgraded its flagship model, intensifying the domestic arms race ahead of DeepSeek’s expected rollout. Moonshot’s Kimi K2.5 claims to have video-generation and agentic capabilities that outperformed all three of the top U.S. AI models. Alibaba Backed Moonshot AI Upgrades Its Flagship Model, Claims to Outdo US Rival AI Models Christopher Penler / Shutterstock.com Earlier to the launch of Kimi K2.5, Alibaba revealed its latest generative AI model, Qwen3-Max-Thinking, which also claimed to have outdone its U.S. rivals on a broad benchmark test called ‘Humanity’s Last Exam.’ On January 28, Reuters reported that China has given a green signal to three of its largest tech companies to purchase Nvidia’s H200 AI chips. In an effort to ease trade tensions with the U.S., China has allowed Alibaba, ByteDance, and Tencent to buy H200 AI chips from the U.S. firm. The government has approved the purchase of over 400,000 H200 chips in total, with other tech firms joining the race for subsequent approvals, Reuters reported. This is a significant development for Chinese tech giants, which are taking major steps in AI, especially for Alibaba, which has been at the center of China’s generative AI expansion. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) is a leading Chinese e-commerce giant and, through its subsidiaries, operates in cloud, AI, and other businesses globally. While we acknowledge the potential of BABA 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: 10 Best New Penny Stocks to Invest In and 13 Best Gold Mining Companies to Inves...

JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) is one of the Top 15 Chinese Companies on US Exchanges. On January 26, TheFly reported that BofA slightly reduced the price target on JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) from $38 to $36. Joyce Ju from BofA revised the price target on JD while keeping a Buy rating on the shares. BofA Reduces PT On JD.com From $38 to $36 as Analyst Revises Revenue Estimates for Next Three Years 06photo/Shutterstock.com Ju has lowered the price target after revising JD.com, Inc.’s 2025, 2026, and 2027 revenue growth estimates to 13%, 6%, and 8%, respectively. The analyst has cut JD’s non-GAAP net profit estimates amid higher consumer incentives and food-delivery losses. In other news, on January 14, DBS also lowered its price target on JD.com from $40 to $38 while maintaining a Buy rating. DBS said that double-digit declines in electronics and home appliances GMV reduced JD’s revenue by 4% year over year in Q4 2025. Addressing the outlook for 2026, the firm added, “We see limited near-term visibility as the national subsidy programme is likely weaker than FY25 in both scale and scope.” DBS has also reduced JD.com’s retail growth estimates for 2025, 2026, and 2027, leading to cuts in adjusted earnings by 11%, 24%, and 20%, respectively. DBS maintains a forward P/E multiple of 12 for JD as the stock valuation remains undemanding. JD.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:JD) is one of the largest supply-chain-based technology and services providers in China. The company operates through three segments, including Retail, Logistics, and New Businesses. 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: 10 Best New Penny Stocks to Invest In and 13 Best Gold Mining Companies to Invest In Now. Dis...

VenHub Global ( VHUB ) began trading on the Nasdaq on Friday in a direct listing . The company said the milestone marks a defining moment in VenHub's ( VHUB ) mission to transform global retail infrastructure through its autonomous 24/6 Smart Store platform. VenHub ( VHUB ) currently has five artificial intelligence-powered convenience stores in California. The company's plan is to expand across the U.S. VenHub ( VHUB ), which is described as an emerging AI and robotics company, core product is the robotic, modular convenience-style store where customers order via app or kiosk and robotic arms pick and dispense items, aiming to reduce labor costs, shrink, and operating complexity for operators. The company targets multiple formats, including fixed locations, mobile units, and upgrades to existing retail spaces. Growth plans are built around scaling the Smart Store footprint and converting a reported pre-order pipeline. Management plans to leverage strategic partnerships, expand product assortments, and refine its AI platform and robotics to improve unit economics and operational efficiency. Financially, VenHub ( VNHB ) indicated in its S-1 filing "minimal revenues to date" and operating losses. The company said the direct listing milestone marks a defining moment in VenHub's ( VHUB ) mission to transform global retail infrastructure through its unattended Smart Store platform. Founder/CEO Shahan Ohanessian Ohanessian highlighted that consumers are increasingly demanding a frictionless, 24/7 shopping experience that traditional retail solutions are not equipped to offer. "Our trusted, fully autonomous Smart Store solutions will deliver safe, secure, seamless and lightning-fast shopping experiences to consumers, while providing store operators with an optimal solution to address increasing costs including from theft and rising overhead that are making the traditional retail model hard to sustain," he noted. Through June 30, 2025, VenHub ( VHUB ) had received over 1,00...

Ryan Fletcher/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Bombardier ( BDRBF ) ( BDRAF ) -5.3% in Friday's trading after President Trump threatened to slap a 50% tariff on aircraft from Canada and decertify all new planes made there until the country certifies a range of jets made by Gulfstream. Some analysts said Trump's threats may be noise and doubt the tariffs and decertification threats will be enforced, but the worrying headlines could cause concern among investors. "While this latest threat will undoubtedly cause anxiety for the Canadian aerospace industry," National Bank Financial analyst Cameron Doerksen said in a note that he doubts the move will go forward since Canada could easily certify U.S. aircraft, and tariffs on Canadian aerospace also would hurt U.S. industries. " Even if actions threatened by President Trump are averted, we believe there will be heightened and potentially drawn-out investor sentiment and valuation multiple pressure on Bombardier and other Canadian aerospace companies that export to the U.S.," TD Cowen analyst Tim James wrote. The latest drop in Bombardier ( BDRBF ) ( BDRAF ) shares followed a 9% plunge on Monday after an aircraft made by the company crashed while taking off in Maine, and the stock was downgraded to Sell by Goldman Sachs on Monday . Bombardier ( BDRBF ) ( BDRAF ), which said it employs more than 3,000 people in the U.S. and creates thousands of US jobs through 2,800 suppliers; the company received 64% of its revenue in 2024 from the U.S. More on Bombardier Bombardier: Strong Growth, But Valuation Risk Is Rising (Rating Downgrade) Bombardier: Settling At $200 After A Strong Year Bombardier: The Beginning Of A Bigger Business Jet Boom You Don't Want To Miss

特朗普表示，如果共和党参议员Thom Tillis不解除对美联储提名人选的阻挠，他会等到另一位参议员“上任”，从而让凯文·沃什等提名人选获批。 当被问及如何应对Tillis阻挠美联储提名人选获批时，特朗普说：“如果他不批准，我们就只能等到会批准的人上来，对吧？” 责任编辑：李桐

Also in Weekend Reads: Reaction to Trump’s decision to nominate Kevin Warsh to lead the Fed, the software wipeout, momentum stocks and what to stream in February

This stock trailed the market for 20 years before AI changed everything. Now it's crushing the S&P 500 in every time frame. Two years ago, Micron Technology (MU 2.29%) looked like an overly volatile stock with fairly average long-term returns. Through a series of lofty peaks and deep valleys, the memory-chip maker's chart couldn't quite keep up with the S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.89%) market index from January 2004 to the same month of 2024. With an average annual return of 9.1% over this span, Micron trailed the S&P 500's 9.7%. The artificial intelligence (AI) boom had been going on for about a year but didn't really include memory chips yet. Chip supply was not a problem and unit prices were down more than 50% from the summer of 2021. As a result, Micron's revenues were down and the company used more cash than it earned. AI data centers are gobbling up memory chips Things have changed. The memory market tightened up in 2025, as hyperscale AI specialists started building massive data centers to power their large language models (LLMs), generative AI tools, and other memory-hungry services. The price of last-generation DDR4 memory modules is up 37% over the last two years. More modern DDR5 modules roughly tripled in price over the same period. And that's not even the good stuff anymore -- the bleeding-edge chip type known as high bandwidth memory (HBM) is exactly what AI servers crave. These chips cost roughly 4 times as much as standard DRAM products, and Micron has stopped making consumer-grade chips to focus its production lines on this lucrative product category. Every AI accelerator card Nvidia (NVDA 0.71%) ships carries lots of that pricey HBM memory. The recently announced Vera Rubin superchip, for example, comes with half a terabyte (TB) of HBM (and 1.5 TB of lower-cost DDR5 for the system processor). In other words, Micron plays a large supporting role in Nvidia's success story. The memory market ain't what it used to be (in a good way) This turn of the cyclical whee...

Key Points High bandwidth memory chips sell for four times the price of standard DRAM, and Micron is going all-in on this AI-driven product category. Micron plays a supporting role in Nvidia's AI dominance. The memory market is cyclical, but this upswing looks different for real. 10 stocks we like better than Micron Technology › Two years ago, Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) looked like an overly volatile stock with fairly average long-term returns. Through a series of lofty peaks and deep valleys, the memory-chip maker's chart couldn't quite keep up with the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) market index from January 2004 to the same month of 2024. 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 » With an average annual return of 9.1% over this span, Micron trailed the S&P 500's 9.7%. The artificial intelligence (AI) boom had been going on for about a year but didn't really include memory chips yet. Chip supply was not a problem and unit prices were down more than 50% from the summer of 2021. As a result, Micron's revenues were down and the company used more cash than it earned. AI data centers are gobbling up memory chips Things have changed. The memory market tightened up in 2025, as hyperscale AI specialists started building massive data centers to power their large language models (LLMs), generative AI tools, and other memory-hungry services. The price of last-generation DDR4 memory modules is up 37% over the last two years. More modern DDR5 modules roughly tripled in price over the same period. And that's not even the good stuff anymore -- the bleeding-edge chip type known as high bandwidth memory (HBM) is exactly what AI servers crave. These chips cost roughly 4 times as much as standard DRAM products, and Micron has stopped making consumer-grade chips to focus its production lines on this lucrative product category. Every AI accelerator card Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) ships carries lots o...

美国国家航空航天局表示，受发射场接近冰点的低温天气影响，已决定推迟“阿耳忒弥斯”计划的首次载人绕月任务。据悉，原定进行的关键火箭加注测试因寒冷天气被取消，“阿耳忒弥斯2号”任务的发射时间调整为不早于2月8日，较原计划推迟两天。美国国家航空航天局表示，如再出现延误，发射窗口将按天顺延，任务时间可能被推入3月。（央视新闻）

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) today is down -0.35%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) is down -0.51%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) is down -0.58%. March E-mini S&P futures (ESH26) are down -0.36%, and March E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQH26) are down -0.60%. Stock indexes are under pressure, and bond yields and the dollar are climbing today after President Trump said he is nominating Kevin Warsh to be the next Fed Chair. The 10-year T-note yield rose to a 1-week high, gold prices fell to a 1-week low, and the dollar rose as Mr. Warsh, who often emphasized inflation risks as Fed Governor from 2006-2011, is seen as less supportive of deep interest rate cuts. Current Fed Chair Powell’s term ends in May. Join 200K+ Subscribers: Stocks remained lower today after US producer prices rose more than expected last month, a hawkish factor for Fed policy. US Dec PPI final demand rose +0.5% m/m and +3.0% y/y, stronger than expectations of +0.2% m/m and +2.8% y/y. Dec PPI ex food and energy rose +0.7% m/m and +3.3% y/y, stronger than expectations of +0.2% m/m and +2.9% y/y. Today’s news was better-than-expected after the US Jan MNI Chicago PMI rose +11.3 to 54.0, stronger than expectations of 43.7 and the strongest pace of expansion in more than two years. On the positive side, President Trump said late Thursday that he reached a tentative deal with Senate Democrats to avert a US government shutdown. The deal would fund the Homeland Security Department for two weeks to allow more time for talks on immigration enforcement and contains full-year funding for several other government agencies. House Speaker Johnson said it would take 72 hours for the House to vote on the measure, meaning a partial government shutdown is likely, but the effect on federal operations would be minimal if it’s quickly resolved within a couple of days. Q4 earnings season is in full swing, with 102 of the S&P 500 companies scheduled to report earnings this week. Earnings have been a positi...

Arsenal are in control of the Premier League title race, but are the nerves starting to show as the pressure mounts? The Gunners are having an excellent season - four points clear in top spot, into the Champions League last 16 after winning all eight group-phase games, have a first-leg lead over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final and are into the FA Cup fourth round. But there were boos after a first home loss of the season by Manchester United last weekend, amid a nervousness from their fanbase about missing out on a possible championship again after three successive second-placed finishes. Boss Mikel Arteta gave a speech in his news conference before the midweek match against Kairat Almaty to urge supporters to "jump on the boat" with the team as they try to "enjoy" the title run-in. And he was again on the front foot before Saturday's trip to Leeds, with the Gunners looking for their first win in four league matches. "It's just understanding where you are," said Arteta. "Certainly, when you lose a game you have a lot of feelings. "This group of players are so competitive and they seek excellence and when you don't reach it you ask yourself questions. My role there is to bring optimism and a reality of where we are. "We are doing so many things so well and let's focus mainly on that. For sure we want to improve and be better in every area, but with that sense as well of self-confidence and conviction that we are on the right path." But is the anxiety among supporters translating itself to the players? And what impact might that have?

KanawatTH Video game stocks are plummeting in Friday's midday trading session after tech giant Google ( GOOG ) ( GOOGL ) announced "Project Genie," an experimental research prototype that allows users to create virtual worlds and interact with them. Names like Unity Software ( U ) -21.6% , AppLovin ( APP ) -13.2% , Roblox ( RBLX ) -12.3% , and Take-Two ( TTWO ) -9% are getting hit the hardest. "Even in this early form, trusted testers were able to create an impressive range of fascinating worlds and experiences and uncovered entirely new ways to use it," Google said in a blog post. Google said that it has rolled out the “Project Genie” prototype for its AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. Analysts at Wells Fargo pointed out that Unity's engine was used as a training platform for the Genie model and that Unity's relationship with Google's DeepMind lab dates back to at least 2020. "We also note that procedural environment generation (the main feature of Project Genie) is a development capability that has been available for several years; to the extent it was improved, that could also be leveraged within the Unity Engine," Wells Fargo said in its flash note. "Nothing in the Project Genie release changes our view that game development studios will leverage AI tools to develop games faster, a secular positive for the category," Wells Fargo said. "Consumers may be able to vibe code virtual worlds to explore, but there has to be a platform for online engagement, and there will still be a market for higher quality experiences," the research firm added. Wells Fargo said while AI tools may help with faster game development, they would also drive up additional marketing spending for the companies making them. Other notable stocks in the red: South Korean-Japanese video game developer Nexon ( NEXOY ), Polish video game company CD Projekt S.A. ( OTGLY ), French video game publisher Ubisoft ( UBSFY ), China's Tencent ( TCEHY ), and Japanese gaming giants Nintendo ( NTDOY ) and Konam...

Earnings Call Insights: WisdomTree, Inc. (WT) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Jonathan Steinberg highlighted that "organic growth and operating discipline working in tandem having delivered margin expansion, higher earnings per share and sustained momentum across market regimes." He emphasized record AUM, improved guidance, and the firm's entry into new business segments, stating, "Europe, models, tokenized assets and private markets, these aren't experiment anymore. They are real businesses contributing real flows and creating real value for shareholders." CFO Bryan Edmiston reported, "Our assets under management ended the year at $144.5 billion, a record, up 5% from the third quarter and over 30% year-over-year." He also noted, "Adjusted revenues were $147.4 million during the quarter, an increase of 17% from the third quarter and up approximately 33% versus the prior year quarter, driven by higher average AUM." Edmiston further explained, "Ceres contributed $12 million of revenues this quarter, of which $7.1 million was derived from performance fees." President & COO Robert Lilien stated, "2025 was another strong year for WisdomTree... consistent organic growth paired with disciplined execution drives margin expansion and meaningful earnings growth." Outlook Management is forecasting the compensation to revenue ratio to range from 26% to 28% for 2026, reflecting a 2 percentage point downward shift from prior year guidance. Edmiston explained, "This update takes into consideration planned hires as well as compensation adjustments and the annualization of hires made during 2025 and further demonstrates the operating leverage in our business model as we continue to scale." Discretionary spending is forecasted at $80 million to $86 million, up from $71 million last year, mainly due to increased marketing, sales, and the Ceres acquisition. Gross margin guidance is estimated at 82% to 83%, compared to 81.9% the prior year, reflecting higher revenues from Ceres and expectat...

Earnings Call Insights: Avidbank Holdings (AVBH) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Mark Mordell opened the call by highlighting a "real strong quarter of growth," noting "Loans were up $190 million for the quarter. And $283 million for the year, which is a 15% annualized growth rate. Deposits were up $92 million for the quarter and $241 million for the year, again, a 13% growth rate for the year." Mordell attributed loan growth to the sponsor finance and corporate banking teams, while deposit increases were led by corporate banking and venture lending divisions. Mordell addressed nonperforming assets (NPAs), explaining "NPAs did go up. That's clear. But that centered around as the earnings release mentioned about around 2 construction loans and 1 sponsored finance loan." He reassured that "we're well collateralized in those 2 construction loans and one is already taken care of itself because we've taken care of it, it has already been paid off." CFO Patrick Oakes reported, "we reported net income of $6.9 million or $0.65 per diluted share for the fourth quarter and adjusted net income for the full year of $24.9 million or $2.80." Oakes highlighted that "Pre-provision net revenue for the fourth quarter was $12.9 million compared to $10.7 million for the third quarter. The NIM expanded to 4.13% in the fourth quarter compared to 3.90% in the third quarter, and net interest income increased to $25 million from $22.7 million as we benefited from the strong growth in loans and core deposits, the full impact from the IPO and repositioning of the investment portfolio." Outlook Management continues to target double-digit loan and deposit growth, with Mordell stating, "we're still targeting that double-digit loan and deposit growth. I mean, that's what we are. We need to be that growth bank." For 2026, expected loan growth is projected at "something between 10% and 15%," supported by existing pipeline activity and division performance. Oakes expects the tax rate in 2026 to be "arou...

Earnings Call Insights: Orchid Island Capital (ORC) Q4 2025 Management View Robert Cauley, Chairman, President & CEO, highlighted the company's significant growth, noting "the company basically doubled over the course of the year size-wise. So whether it's shareholders' equity or our total assets, they basically increased by a little over 100%." He emphasized expense control, stating that "our expenses were up much less than 100%" and the expense ratio has dropped to 1.7%. Jerry Sintes, VP & Treasurer, reported that "during the fourth quarter, we earned $103.4 million in net income, which equates to $0.62 per share compared to $0.53 in Q3." He added, "our book value at the end of the quarter was $7.54 compared to $7.33 at the end of Q3" and "stockholders' equity at the end of Q4 was approximately $1.4 billion." George Haas, CFO, detailed portfolio growth and strategy: "Over the course of 2025, we experienced substantial growth, doubling both our equity base and MBS portfolio... Over 75% of the $7.4 billion in acquisitions that we made during the last year and a month or so occurred at a time when the index... was well over 100 basis points." Haas explained a strategic shift "by actually selling lower-yielding 3s, 3.5s and 4s, reallocating that into higher carry lower duration and spread duration pools in the 5% to 6.5% range." Outlook Cauley noted a constructive environment for agency mortgages, stating, "to the extent they become -- stay there or become more active, you could see mortgages tighten further from here." He did not project any "meaningful change" on the rate outlook horizon and said, "until we get the next black swan event or shock, it should remain a decent environment." The CEO also pointed to continued expense discipline, indicating that the current run rate of the expense ratio is expected to persist and benefit profitability going forward. Financial Results Sintes reported that dividends remained stable at $0.36 for the quarter, with a total retur...

美国参议院民主党成员Warren：难以新任总统特朗普挑选的任何美联储主席（提名人）。

A Brazilian state-owned bank is coming under increased scrutiny as regulators estimate transactions tied to failed Banco Master SA left a nearly $1 billion gap in its finances. Banco de Brasilia SA , known as BRB, was saddled with low-quality assets after attempting to exchange credit portfolios it bought from Master, central bank Supervision Director Ailton de Aquino told federal police in a Dec. 30 hearing. The testimonies of Aquino, former BRB Chief Executive Officer Paulo Henrique Costa and Banco Master CEO Daniel Vorcaro were unsealed late Thursday by Supreme Court Justice Dias Toffoli , who is overseeing the Master case. “It’s likely that the adjustment will be of more than 5 billion reais ($951 million),” Aquino said, citing the “quality of the assets” BRB received from Master, according to a video released by the Supreme Court. BRB’s liquidity is under close monitoring by the central bank, according to a person familiar with the matter. The government of Brazil’s capital city, which controls the lender, is prepared to provide capital injections that may be necessary, Economy Secretary Daniel Izaias told local newspaper Correio Braziliense. Authorities say BRB purchased nearly 13 billion reais in fake credit from Master in transactions allegedly designed to shore up the failed lender’s finances amid a liquidity crunch. The credits were originated by companies created just days before selling them to Master and lacked the financial capacity to generate such business, authorities said. BRB has said it replaced more than 10 billion reais of those assets. BRB is one of the few state-level banks still operating after the Brazilian government pushed most of them to be privatized in the late 1990s. The lender held 83.5 billion reais in assets as of September, according to central bank data, and operates businesses such as mortgages and judicial deposit services. Those activities could pose broader risks to the financial system than those at Master, which had a simil...

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. $1,000. That's all it would have taken to get meaningful exposure to one of the most explosive stock runs of the AI era. When ChatGPT launched in late 2022, Nvidia was already a known name in gaming and data-center chips. What most investors didn't fully grasp yet was that Nvidia was about to become the backbone of the generative AI boom, supplying the computing power that would train and run large language models across the tech industry. For investors who acted early, the payoff was dramatic. If you had invested in Nvidia stock when ChatGPT was released, you didn't need leverage, options, or complex strategies. You just needed access to the market, the ability to place the trade, and $1,000. That starting point matters because $1,000 isn't some unreachable bet. It's the amount SoFi is offering new investors in stock when they open an investing account, the same $1,000 that turned Nvidia into an 11× winner for early AI investors. Turning $1,000 Into More Than $11,000 When ChatGPT was released, Nvidia shares were trading at about $16.91 on a split-adjusted basis. A $1,000 investment at that price would have bought you roughly 59 shares. Fast forward to today, with Nvidia around $192 per share, and that same position would now be worth about $11,300. In other words, a buy-and-hold investment turned $1,000 into more than eleven times your money (a gain of roughly $10,300) without any strategies. No leverage. No options. No active trading. Just owning the stock. Why Nvidia Became the Biggest Winner of the AI Boom Nvidia didn't suddenly appear when AI went mainstream, it was already dominant in gaming GPUs and had benefited from earlier waves like crypto mining. What changed with ChatGPT was who needed Nvidia, and how much. Modern AI models require massive parallel computation. Training and running large language models maps almost perfectly onto Nvidia's GPUs and its CU...