Key Points The formula for receiving the maximum possible Social Security benefit is simple. Very few people will actually receive the sizable monthly payment, which now tops $5,000 per month. You can make the most of your benefits by understanding how to get the max. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › The average Social Security retirement payment was just over ...
Key Points The formula for receiving the maximum possible Social Security benefit is simple. Very few people will actually receive the sizable monthly payment, which now tops $5,000 per month. You can make the most of your benefits by understanding how to get the max. The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook › The average Social Security retirement payment was just over $2,000, as of the end of 2025, but some people received a lot more. Some Social Security retirement beneficiaries could receive over $5,000 per month in 2026. The steps to maximizing your possible Social Security benefit are fairly straightforward, but very few people will actually receive the absolute maximum possible. Here's exactly who qualifies for the max benefit in 2026. 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 » They've worked a long time in a well-compensated position If you want to receive the maximum possible benefit from Social Security, you have to pay in the maximum possible amount -- and probably more. When the Social Security Administration (SSA) calculates your retirement benefit, it considers your entire work history. After adjusting each year's earnings for inflation, it selects the 35 highest values. Those values are used to calculate your average indexed monthly earnings, or AIME, which it plugs into the Social Security benefits formula to determine how much it'll pay you each month. However, if you're a high earner, the SSA might not count all of your income in a given year. That's because there's a cap on the amount of wages subject to Social Security tax each year. If you don't pay taxes on the wages, they won't count toward your future benefit. The SSA increases the maximum taxable wages each year for inflation. A person receiving the maximum possible benefit in 2026 has earned the maximum taxable wages since at least 1986. They may have fallen short of the ma...
Argentina, Guyana and Brazil remain poised to drive oil production growth in South America for years to come despite the US push for investment in Venezuela, Rystad Energy says. The consulting firm estimates flagship projects in the three countries will add more than 700,000 barrels per day in oil production this year, compared to a potential 300,000 barrels per day from Venezuela. The countries w...
Argentina, Guyana and Brazil remain poised to drive oil production growth in South America for years to come despite the US push for investment in Venezuela, Rystad Energy says. The consulting firm estimates flagship projects in the three countries will add more than 700,000 barrels per day in oil production this year, compared to a potential 300,000 barrels per day from Venezuela. The countries will beat out Venezuela through at least 2030, the consulting firm said. The White House has urged US oil companies to take a go-fast approach to investing in Venezuela since the brazen capture a month ago of former leader Nicolás Maduro . The country’s beleaguered oil industry, however, faces a long road to a full-fledged recovery amid political and business uncertainty. Read More: Are Trump’s Big Plans for Venezuela’s Oil Realistic?: QuickTake “If the industry starts making more long-term, economically rational choices now, Venezuelan oil production could make sense in a higher oil price environment,” said Radhika Bansal, vice president of oil and gas research at Rystad. “However, more attractive barrels will still be at play, with Venezuela’s extra-heavy, emissions-intensive oil posing persistent challenges.” Investment in Latin America’s oil industry is expected to increase in 2026, but will be primarily consolidated in projects with near-guaranteed return on investment, Rystad said. That includes greenfield projects in Guyana and Suriname, as well as further investment in Argentina’s Vaca Muerte region. Overall, Rystad expects Latin America’s oil output to exceed 8.8 million barrels per day this year, led by Brazil. Shale investment in Argentina will be a major driver of growth — the firm expects Latin America’s shale sector to near $11 billion this year, up from $9.4 billion in 2025.
One side effect of the race to build artificial intelligence platforms and data centers is the staggering cost of AI infrastructure. Data centers use hundreds of bundled graphics processing units, each costing tens of thousands of dollars. That’s why many companies have been raising their capital expenditure budgets—they need the computing power to handle greater AI workloads. But not every compan...
One side effect of the race to build artificial intelligence platforms and data centers is the staggering cost of AI infrastructure. Data centers use hundreds of bundled graphics processing units, each costing tens of thousands of dollars. That’s why many companies have been raising their capital expenditure budgets—they need the computing power to handle greater AI workloads. But not every company has the resources to handle the capital outlay. Oracle (ORCL) made news last year when it raised its capital expenditure budget from $15 billion to $50 billion, raising the entire amount through equity and debt. But now analysts are raising concerns about Oracle, whose stock is down nearly 58% from its peak in September. A $300 billion deal to supply cloud infrastructure to OpenAI means that Oracle must spend $156 billion on GPUs and other equipment, according to TD Cowen analysts. The investment bank says Oracle may seek to sell its health tech unit, Cerner, and cut up to 30,000 jobs to help pay for its data center expansion. Should investors be concerned about Oracle, or is this an opportunity to buy a quality stock at discounted prices? About Oracle Stock Oracle, based in Austin, Texas, is a software and cloud computing company. It was founded in 1977 by Larry Ellison, who is one of the richest people in the world and who was CEO of Oracle until 2014. Ellison still serves as executive chairman of the company, as well as chief technology officer of Oracle, which has a market cap of $444 billion. Despite the steep decline in share price since September, Oracle shares are down 14% in the last year, which is certainly worse than the S&P 500’s ($SPX) gain of 14%. Competitors Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) have managed to stay flat over the last year, while a third competitor, Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL), is up a whopping 61%. However, the falling stock price means that Oracle shares are relatively cheap. Its forward price-to-earnings ratio of 20.9 is far below the five-year...
One side effect of the race to build artificial intelligence platforms and data centers is the staggering cost of AI infrastructure. Data centers use hundreds of bundled graphics processing units, each costing tens of thousands of dollars. That’s why many companies have been raising their capital expenditure budgets—they need the computing power to handle greater AI workloads. But not every compan...
One side effect of the race to build artificial intelligence platforms and data centers is the staggering cost of AI infrastructure. Data centers use hundreds of bundled graphics processing units, each costing tens of thousands of dollars. That’s why many companies have been raising their capital expenditure budgets—they need the computing power to handle greater AI workloads. But not every company has the resources to handle the capital outlay. Oracle (ORCL) made news last year when it raised its capital expenditure budget from $15 billion to $50 billion, raising the entire amount through equity and debt. But now analysts are raising concerns about Oracle, whose stock is down nearly 58% from its peak in September. A $300 billion deal to supply cloud infrastructure to OpenAI means that Oracle must spend $156 billion on GPUs and other equipment, according to TD Cowen analysts. The investment bank says Oracle may seek to sell its health tech unit, Cerner, and cut up to 30,000 jobs to help pay for its data center expansion. Should investors be concerned about Oracle, or is this an opportunity to buy a quality stock at discounted prices? About Oracle Stock Oracle, based in Austin, Texas, is a software and cloud computing company. It was founded in 1977 by Larry Ellison, who is one of the richest people in the world and who was CEO of Oracle until 2014. Ellison still serves as executive chairman of the company, as well as chief technology officer of Oracle, which has a market cap of $444 billion. Despite the steep decline in share price since September, Oracle shares are down 14% in the last year, which is certainly worse than the S&P 500’s ($SPX) gain of 14%. Competitors Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) have managed to stay flat over the last year, while a third competitor, Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL), is up a whopping 61%. However, the falling stock price means that Oracle shares are relatively cheap. Its forward price-to-earnings ratio of 20.9 is far below the five-year...
One side effect of the race to build artificial intelligence platforms and data centers is the staggering cost of AI infrastructure. Data centers use hundreds of bundled graphics processing units, each costing tens of thousands of dollars. That’s why many companies have been raising their capital expenditure budgets—they need the computing power to handle greater AI workloads. But not every compan...
One side effect of the race to build artificial intelligence platforms and data centers is the staggering cost of AI infrastructure. Data centers use hundreds of bundled graphics processing units, each costing tens of thousands of dollars. That’s why many companies have been raising their capital expenditure budgets—they need the computing power to handle greater AI workloads. But not every company has the resources to handle the capital outlay. Oracle (ORCL) made news last year when it raised its capital expenditure budget from $15 billion to $50 billion, raising the entire amount through equity and debt. More News from Barchart But now analysts are raising concerns about Oracle, whose stock is down nearly 58% from its peak in September. A $300 billion deal to supply cloud infrastructure to OpenAI means that Oracle must spend $156 billion on GPUs and other equipment, according to TD Cowen analysts. The investment bank says Oracle may seek to sell its health tech unit, Cerner, and cut up to 30,000 jobs to help pay for its data center expansion. Should investors be concerned about Oracle, or is this an opportunity to buy a quality stock at discounted prices? About Oracle Stock Oracle, based in Austin, Texas, is a software and cloud computing company. It was founded in 1977 by Larry Ellison, who is one of the richest people in the world and who was CEO of Oracle until 2014. Ellison still serves as executive chairman of the company, as well as chief technology officer of Oracle, which has a market cap of $444 billion. Despite the steep decline in share price since September, Oracle shares are down 14% in the last year, which is certainly worse than the S&P 500’s ($SPX) gain of 14%. Competitors Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) have managed to stay flat over the last year, while a third competitor, Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL), is up a whopping 61%. www.barchart.com However, the falling stock price means that Oracle shares are relatively cheap. Its forward price-to-earnings...
Leonid Ikan/iStock via Getty Images NOV Inc. ( NOV ) +2.2% in Wednesday's trading as Barclays upgraded the energy equipment and services company to Equal Weight from Underweight with a $20 price target, raised from $15, as new CEO Jose Bayardo seeks to reposition the company's portfolio. While continuing to believe NOV's ( NOV ) portfolio is structurally disadvantaged in an environment of capital ...
Leonid Ikan/iStock via Getty Images NOV Inc. ( NOV ) +2.2% in Wednesday's trading as Barclays upgraded the energy equipment and services company to Equal Weight from Underweight with a $20 price target, raised from $15, as new CEO Jose Bayardo seeks to reposition the company's portfolio. While continuing to believe NOV's ( NOV ) portfolio is structurally disadvantaged in an environment of capital discipline and is inherently a later-cycle play, Barclays analyst J. David Anderson said he is taking a "clean slate" approach to the company as Bayardo evaluates his options to reposition the company. Since the peak of the last upstream spending cycle in 2014, NOV ( NOV ) first pivoted toward U.S. onshore consumables and has more recently talked about pivoting again towards offshore, but "despite this being a very different cycle from 2005-14, NOV's portfolio remains largely the same, and we have long believed NOV requires a substantial overhaul to better align with industry trends," Anderson wrote. Anderson said he is increasingly optimistic that upstream spending will start to increase again in 2027, and most of NOV's ( NOV ) revenue is considered late cycle as it "relies more heavily on capex spending from oilfield service companies and offshore drillers, neither of which are inclined to increase capex until the upstream cycle is well under way" - nevertheless, the analyst believes there is limited downside risk to estimates. More on NOV NOV: Strategic Hold Amid Transition Toward 2026 Cycle Convergence NOV: Sound Company But Headwinds Are Mounting Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on NOV
ipopba/iStock via Getty Images I wrote a bullish article about UnitedHealth Group Incorporated ( UNH ) in July 2025 because the stock had dropped below $300, and I believed it was a solid long-term buying opportunity. At that time, this stock traded for about $261 per share and even though the stock just recently declined again, these shares have provided a total return of around 11% since my last...
ipopba/iStock via Getty Images I wrote a bullish article about UnitedHealth Group Incorporated ( UNH ) in July 2025 because the stock had dropped below $300, and I believed it was a solid long-term buying opportunity. At that time, this stock traded for about $261 per share and even though the stock just recently declined again, these shares have provided a total return of around 11% since my last article was published. This is a solid result considering that the S&P 500 Index ( SPY ) is up about 8.9% in the same time period. However, this stock just dipped below $300, so once again, I am buying the dip because I see value and an opportunity to add shares of what has been and what could continue to be a long-term compounder. As I pointed out in my last article, this stock has provided huge gains for shareholders over time, ever since it traded for as little as 20 cents per share in 1985. I believe these long-term gains result from a strong management team, demographics, and rising inflation, all of which combine to make this an ideal core holding for investors. Additionally, because this stock is trading at a much lower valuation following the pullback, it could be a defensive holding during a market correction or a recession. With this in mind, let's take a closer look: The Chart As shown in the chart below, this stock recently traded for about $350, but it has just declined to less than $300 per share. The plunge came right after the company released Q4 results, which came shortly after the company received a disappointing Medicare rate notice. I want to point out that past pullbacks below the $300 level were short-lived buying opportunities. As the chart shows, this stock plunged below $300 in May, then again in August 2025 and once again for a third time in January 2026. The first two times this stock dropped below $300, it took less than one month for it to climb back over $300. We will see what happens this time, but I would not be surprised if this stock rebo...
This trillion-dollar stock has plenty of upside. Apple (AAPL +2.23%) has had plenty of doubters, especially over the past few years. Some feared that President Donald Trump's tariffs would significantly harm the business, since the tech giant does most of its manufacturing abroad, especially in China. Others continue to worry that Apple's legal troubles will catch up to it. And still others think ...
This trillion-dollar stock has plenty of upside. Apple (AAPL +2.23%) has had plenty of doubters, especially over the past few years. Some feared that President Donald Trump's tariffs would significantly harm the business, since the tech giant does most of its manufacturing abroad, especially in China. Others continue to worry that Apple's legal troubles will catch up to it. And still others think that since the iPhone no longer generates the excitement it once did, it can't drive strong sales growth anymore. However, Apple is proving that one of those fears is a bit overstated. Let's see what the company's CEO, Tim Cook, recently said. Apple's strong quarterly results Apple recently released financial results for the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year, the three-month period ending Dec. 27. The company's sales jumped by 16% year over year to $143.8 billion. Note that Apple had predicted revenue growth of 10% to 12%, which would have been strong for the company. We need to go back several years to find top-line growth in the double digits for the tech leader. What drove Apple's strong performance? You guessed it, the company's largest segment by sales, the iPhone. Here's what Tim Cook said during Apple's earnings conference call: "The demand for iPhone was simply staggering, with revenue growing 23% year over year and all-time records across every geographic segment." The iPhone 17, launched late last year, is doing much of the heavy lifting. Apple's ongoing cycle of renewals should maintain its momentum through this quarter at least, with the company predicting sales growth of 13% to 16% in the current quarter. Expand NASDAQ : AAPL Apple Today's Change ( 2.23 %) $ 6.02 Current Price $ 275.50 Key Data Points Market Cap $4.0T Day's Range $ 272.26 - $ 278.81 52wk Range $ 169.21 - $ 288.62 Volume 3.2M Avg Vol 47M Gross Margin 47.33 % Dividend Yield 0.38 % Why the stock is a buy Not every future iPhone launch will be as successful as this one, but Apple is showing tha...
Key Points Apple delivered excellent financial results during its latest quarter. Tim Cook credited "staggering" iPhone demand for the performance. Despite some headwinds, Apple is a top stock to buy. 10 stocks we like better than Apple › Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has had plenty of doubters, especially over the past few years. Some feared that President Donald Trump's tariffs would significantly harm t...
Key Points Apple delivered excellent financial results during its latest quarter. Tim Cook credited "staggering" iPhone demand for the performance. Despite some headwinds, Apple is a top stock to buy. 10 stocks we like better than Apple › Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has had plenty of doubters, especially over the past few years. Some feared that President Donald Trump's tariffs would significantly harm the business, since the tech giant does most of its manufacturing abroad, especially in China. Others continue to worry that Apple's legal troubles will catch up to it. And still others think that since the iPhone no longer generates the excitement it once did, it can't drive strong sales growth anymore. However, Apple is proving that one of those fears is a bit overstated. Let's see what the company's CEO, Tim Cook, recently said. 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 » Apple's strong quarterly results Apple recently released financial results for the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year, the three-month period ending Dec. 27. The company's sales jumped by 16% year over year to $143.8 billion. Note that Apple had predicted revenue growth of 10% to 12%, which would have been strong for the company. We need to go back several years to find top-line growth in the double digits for the tech leader. What drove Apple's strong performance? You guessed it, the company's largest segment by sales, the iPhone. Here's what Tim Cook said during Apple's earnings conference call: "The demand for iPhone was simply staggering, with revenue growing 23% year over year and all-time records across every geographic segment." The iPhone 17, launched late last year, is doing much of the heavy lifting. Apple's ongoing cycle of renewals should maintain its momentum through this quarter at least, with the company predicting sales growth of 13% to 16% in the current quarte...
A building destroyed by fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong on Jan. 26, 2026. Photo: VCG Insurers have processed 85% of claims related to a massive fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court residential estate last year, paying out nearly HK$510 million ($65.4 million) to date, the city’s insurance regulator announced. The blaze on Nov. 26, 2025, which burned for 43 hours, was the deadliest in a century f...
A building destroyed by fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong on Jan. 26, 2026. Photo: VCG Insurers have processed 85% of claims related to a massive fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court residential estate last year, paying out nearly HK$510 million ($65.4 million) to date, the city’s insurance regulator announced. The blaze on Nov. 26, 2025, which burned for 43 hours, was the deadliest in a century for the city, killing 168 people. According to a statement from the Hong Kong Insurance Authority released Tuesday, a total of 1,032 cases had been settled. This includes 863 general insurance claims for home, medical and personal accident policies totaling about HK$450 million. Another 169 life insurance claims have been settled for around HK$60 million.
BlackJack3D/iStock via Getty Images Today, we're resuming our Financials coverage with just-reported earnings out of First Financial Corporation ( THFF ). For those unfamiliar, this company is based out of Terre Haute, Ind. It operates as the holding corporation for its banking services. We like to cover regional banks and financials, as this gives us a good look at what is going on in different a...
BlackJack3D/iStock via Getty Images Today, we're resuming our Financials coverage with just-reported earnings out of First Financial Corporation ( THFF ). For those unfamiliar, this company is based out of Terre Haute, Ind. It operates as the holding corporation for its banking services. We like to cover regional banks and financials, as this gives us a good look at what is going on in different areas of the United States. By examining a plethora of different reports, we can hone in on whether we're seeing underlying stresses in the economy. This earnings season, we have seen little signs of any stress. First Financial offers the traditional banking services you would expect, with both consumer offerings and a commercial lending portfolio to help businesses expand. Somewhat unique, given its location, it offers agricultural production loans secured by growing crops and farm equipment, among many other industries. Here, we discuss the key metrics of the bank and assign a buy rating. First, the stock has been roaring, but we think the growth and asset quality metrics justify a buy, even at these levels. Data by YCharts Let us discuss the key metrics, starting with loan and deposit growth. We saw growth in average loans in Q4. In fact, average total loans hit $3.97 billion vs. $3.79 billion a year ago, an increase of $183 million, or 4.84%. And there was sequential growth as average total loans increased $45 million, or 1.15%, from $3.93 billion at the end of Q3. To us, this signifies ongoing healthy loan demand. We note that loan growth was primarily driven by increases in consumer car loans as well as business expansion and construction loans. It was actually the ninth straight quarter of loan growth, which is bullish for a smaller bank. In terms of deposits, they were down from a year ago, as the first half of 2025 saw some deposit declines. Deposits were $4.64 billion vs. $4.76 billion, down $116 million, or 2.44%, from last year. However, this was growth from the ...
Eli Lilly 's fourth-quarter results blew past Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, as key GLP-1 drugs, Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound to treat obesity, grew triple-digits — and there's still plenty of growth ahead. Revenue in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 advanced 43% year over year to $19.3 billion, crushing expectations of $17.96 billion according to estimates compiled by data provider LSE...
Eli Lilly 's fourth-quarter results blew past Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, as key GLP-1 drugs, Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound to treat obesity, grew triple-digits — and there's still plenty of growth ahead. Revenue in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 advanced 43% year over year to $19.3 billion, crushing expectations of $17.96 billion according to estimates compiled by data provider LSEG. Earnings per share (EPS) increased 42% year over year to $7.54, also blowing past estimates of $6.67, according to LSEG. LLY 1Y mountain Eli Lilly 1-year return Bottom line Talk about a monster quarter. Combined sales for the company's blockbuster GLP-1 drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro exceeded $1 billion, with each showing triple-digit growth. Despite higher costs, management improved profitability, with adjusted operating margins expanding by nearly 300 basis points. Speaking with CNBC, CEO David Ricks said patients are requesting Eli Lilly's weight-loss and diabetes drugs because they lead to significant weight loss and have fewer side effects than competitors' drugs. That has led to further market-share gains. On the post-earnings call with investors, CFO Lucas Montarce said Zepbound nabbed nearly 70% share of new GLP-1 prescriptions in the U.S., while Mounjaro won 55% of new prescriptions. Eli is now the leader in the GLP-1 market both domestically and internationally, Montarce said. Why we own it Eli Lilly's best-in-class drugs should enable growth above the industry average for many years to come. The portfolio is anchored by its GLP-1 franchise, which currently includes Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for obesity. The fast-growing class of drugs has the potential to treat other conditions, such as sleep apnea, and reduce the risk of stroke. Lilly's pipeline of Alzheimer's treatments, including the recently approved Kisunla, adds to the stock's long-term appeal. Competitors: Novo Nordisk , Biogen , Eisai, Merck and Pfizer Weight in portfolio: 2.72% Most recen...
When it rains, it tends to pour. It has been an unfortunate past few years for one of the country's largest healthcare companies, UnitedHealth Group (UNH 2.60%). There has been no shortage of bad PR, a changing business landscape, and stock price struggles. In the past 12 months, UnitedHealth's stock is down over 46% (as of market close on Jan. 30). Unfortunately, when it rains, it pours, and ther...
When it rains, it tends to pour. It has been an unfortunate past few years for one of the country's largest healthcare companies, UnitedHealth Group (UNH 2.60%). There has been no shortage of bad PR, a changing business landscape, and stock price struggles. In the past 12 months, UnitedHealth's stock is down over 46% (as of market close on Jan. 30). Unfortunately, when it rains, it pours, and there could be more bad news heading UnitedHealth's way regarding Medicare. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed increasing payments to private insurers by only 0.09% in 2027. If you're wondering how the market reacted to the news, look no further than the roughly 20% single-day drop its stock experienced on Jan. 27. But stock performance aside, here's how that could have a real effect on UnitedHealth's business. Expand NYSE : UNH UnitedHealth Group Today's Change ( -2.60 %) $ -7.39 Current Price $ 276.79 Key Data Points Market Cap $257B Day's Range $ 274.05 - $ 284.49 52wk Range $ 234.60 - $ 606.36 Volume 394K Avg Vol 8.6M Dividend Yield 3.07 % The relationship between UnitedHealth and Medicare Medicare is a government program that provides health insurance for people age 65 and older, and it has four parts: Parts A through D. CMS' proposal affects Part C (Medicare Advantage), which is private insurance run by companies like UnitedHealth. Medicare pays these companies a set monthly fee per enrolled member. And as the largest Medicare Advantage provider in the country -- with more than 8.4 million customers at the end of 2025 -- you can imagine a nice chunk of it goes to UnitedHealth. Around 38% of UnitedHealth's 2025 revenue came from its Medicare and retirement segment ($171.3 billion). It was a 23% increase from 2024, outpacing its overall 16% revenue growth. If the 0.09% increase becomes set in stone, UnitedHealth's revenue growth would likely hit a major rough patch. We won't know whether the proposal goes through before April 6, but you can be sure ...
BackyardProduction/iStock via Getty Images Will the Federal Reserve, to be led by Kevin Warsh, change its approach to the conduct of monetary policy, and in doing so, change the future of the stock market? Ben Bernanke changed things. The Federal Reserve came out of the Great Recession with a new strategy for the conduct of monetary policy, a strategy devised by Mr. Bernanke. The United States eco...
BackyardProduction/iStock via Getty Images Will the Federal Reserve, to be led by Kevin Warsh, change its approach to the conduct of monetary policy, and in doing so, change the future of the stock market? Ben Bernanke changed things. The Federal Reserve came out of the Great Recession with a new strategy for the conduct of monetary policy, a strategy devised by Mr. Bernanke. The United States economy, since the end of the Great Recession in July 2009, has proceeded through sixteen years and seven months, during which there has only been one recession, and that one recession only extended two months. Here is the picture using year-over-year growth rates. Real Gross Domestic Product, year-over-year growth (Federal Reserve) There is nothing like this in the rest of United States history. The compound rate of growth of the economy over this time period is 2.4 percent per year. Not the greatest rate of growth...but steady and consistent. And what was it that Mr. Bernanke promoted? Well, Mr. Bernanke argued that monetary policy should look toward stimulating consumption spending, and in order to stimulate consumption, he stated that monetary policy should look toward stimulating the building of consumer wealth, and he contended that consumer wealth could be stimulated by monetary policy stimulating the stock market. Mr. Bernanke's model: Monetary Policy-->Stock Prices-->Consumer Wealth-->Consumption Spending To achieve this model, Mr. Bernanke's model moved from the Federal Reserve, adding to its securities portfolio, which generated an increase in bank reserves, which resulted in people having more money to invest in the stock market, and this ended up with stock prices rising...consumer wealth growing...and consumer spending increasing. But Mr. Bernanke went one step further. The primary tool of monetary policy, he argued, was the increase in the Fed's securities portfolio, and the Fed, he continued, should attempt to increase the securities portfolio for an extended p...
Investing.com -- Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock rose on Wednesday, outperforming the broader tech sector by the widest margin in a year as investors increasingly view the iPhone maker as a safe haven amid concerns about artificial intelligence disruption. While the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index fell 2%, Apple shares gained 2%, marking its most significant outperformance relative to the index since e...
Investing.com -- Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock rose on Wednesday, outperforming the broader tech sector by the widest margin in a year as investors increasingly view the iPhone maker as a safe haven amid concerns about artificial intelligence disruption. While the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index fell 2%, Apple shares gained 2%, marking its most significant outperformance relative to the index since early 2025. This continues a recent trend, with Apple up nearly 6% in the current month while the Nasdaq 100 has declined 3%. The divergence follows Apple’s strong quarterly results last week, which featured record sales and a better-than-expected forecast. Investors appear to be distinguishing Apple’s hardware-focused business from other tech companies that may face greater disruption from new AI technologies. Recent AI tools released by Alphabet and startup Anthropic have triggered widespread selling across the tech sector as market participants worry these services could threaten growth prospects for many companies. The market’s reaction suggests that hardware businesses like Apple’s may be viewed as more insulated from the immediate competitive threats posed by rapidly evolving AI capabilities that have rattled other segments of the technology industry. Related articles Apple stock rises as it bucks tech selloff amid AI disruption fears Goldman expects lower but still attractive stock market returns in 2026 Wolfe Research outlines eight risks that could spark stock declines in 2026
vittaya pinpan/iStock via Getty Images Introduction AppLovin Corporation ( APP ) has fallen from grace in record time, so I wanted to see what happened to it and whether it was all warranted. The company was flying high, priced to perfection, and got hit with quite a few unfortunate events that has erased over 40% of its value in just a month. I think the negative sentiment will remain, but I am g...
vittaya pinpan/iStock via Getty Images Introduction AppLovin Corporation ( APP ) has fallen from grace in record time, so I wanted to see what happened to it and whether it was all warranted. The company was flying high, priced to perfection, and got hit with quite a few unfortunate events that has erased over 40% of its value in just a month. I think the negative sentiment will remain, but I am going to look out for the next earnings on February 11th to see how the situation develops and whether I will be confident in starting a position. I don’t think APP's moat and profitability are going away anytime soon, and once the management helps clear all of these doubts up, the company should see a massive recovery. What Has Happened Since The End Of December? The company has been one of the highflyers for a while now. An AI darling that has been climbing nonstop since 2024. Once the company pivoted to a purely AI-driven advertising infrastructure company, the shares climbed tremendously, keeping up with many other AI players. The company’s AXON AI engine is particularly efficient in matching ads to the right users, so the advertisers get a very attractive return on ad spend, or ROAS, allowing APP to charge premium rates. The company’s operating leverage is immense. The revenues grow much faster than costs due to the way AXON AI is built. The costs of running additional ad auctions are close to zero after the initial implementation, so scaling is easy. It’s like nothing could go wrong for the company. And that is where the risk comes in. The company has been priced to perfection. Investors/traders who made bank since investing in 2024 may be getting a little antsy, seeing their gains ballooning to incredible numbers, and the anxiety that something’s got to give is higher than ever. And that is exactly what happened to the company. Priced to perfection, meet a perfect storm of a bunch of negative catalysts in a very short time. In late December, the company’s valuation wa...
Artificial intelligence has swept the U.S. into a high-stakes quest for dominance that has wide-ranging implications. The intense rivalry isn't solely a battle for the best technology and most brilliant innovations. Commodities have become a front in this new Cold War. Specifically, minerals that serve as key inputs to electric vehicles, defense systems and other advanced technology are in focus. ...
Artificial intelligence has swept the U.S. into a high-stakes quest for dominance that has wide-ranging implications. The intense rivalry isn't solely a battle for the best technology and most brilliant innovations. Commodities have become a front in this new Cold War. Specifically, minerals that serve as key inputs to electric vehicles, defense systems and other advanced technology are in focus. China has long dominated this space, but the U.S. is racing to catch up. The Trump administration has made critical minerals a focal point of its agenda, even announcing a stockpile initiative this week called "Project Vault" for the elements it regards as essential to national security. That follows headlines last month around the U.S. capture of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and President Donald Trump 's threats on Greenland — both nations have large, untapped reserves of critical minerals. The emerging winner-take-all mentality has forced a more interventionist approach to foreign policy and will result in new market opportunities . "AI is an amazing race that the West needs to absolutely win," Darrell Cronk, investment chief for Wealth & Investment Management at Wells Fargo & Company, told CNBC. "The simple fact is that the countries with superior intelligence will have the potential to dominate." "In some cases, there isn't a second place in this," Cronk continued. "And I do think the United States and the Western Hemisphere — if they want to see democracy and their priorities be important in this coming 21st century — I think they are considering how they win that race." 'Geopolitics, geography, geology' Critical minerals have already been at the center of mounting conflict between the U.S. and China. When it comes to AI leadership, the U.S. comes out ahead in regards to semiconductor manufacture. To protect this position, it has established strong export controls of more sophisticated chips to Beijing, including Nvidia's H200s. China responded throughout last ye...
We Are/DigitalVision via Getty Images It's clear that the stock rally has run out of momentum. The S&P 500 ( SPY ) is trading at the same price as it was last October, while the Nasdaq ( QQQ ) has not made a new high since it peaked in October. It begs the question of whether this is a topping process or just a healthy rest to set up higher. This article looks at why the State Street Cons Disc Sel...
We Are/DigitalVision via Getty Images It's clear that the stock rally has run out of momentum. The S&P 500 ( SPY ) is trading at the same price as it was last October, while the Nasdaq ( QQQ ) has not made a new high since it peaked in October. It begs the question of whether this is a topping process or just a healthy rest to set up higher. This article looks at why the State Street Cons Disc Sel Sect SPDR Income ETF ( XLY ) may have some clues and what these are saying. XLY Basics There are 11 State Street SPDR Sector ETFs. While they are not always the best way to gain exposure to a sector, they are the easiest way to track sector performance and provide valuable clues to what is happening below the surface of the S&P 500. XLY has the usual 0.08% expense ratio applied to all sector ETFs. It also has the same simple methodology - all the stocks in the consumer discretionary sector are held and weighted by float-adjusted market capitalization. That means it holds around 50 stocks, and its top 10 look like this - Seeking Alpha That's a very top-heavy portfolio, with 43% weighting in the top 2 stocks and 70% in the top 10. There are capping rules that are relevant. 3. If any company has an FMC weight greater than 24%, the cap all companies’ weight at 23%, which allows for a 2% buffer. 4. The sum of the companies with weights greater than 4.8% cannot exceed 50% of the total index weight. These caps are set to allow for a buffer below the 5% limit. If these limits are breached, the excess weight will be redistributed to other holdings. It means Amazon ( AMZN ) won't get much higher than 24%, and the holdings won't get much more concentrated than they already are. Overall, the forward P/E ratio of the fund is a lofty 30. EPS growth is estimated to be around 13.3%, so a high valuation is merited, but I wonder how much XLY can grow with a P/E ratio of 30. The trailing (TTM) ratio is 34.7. State Street Drivers Consumer sentiment has been poor and dropped sharply in 2025 as...
Earnings Call Insights: Prudential Financial, Inc. (PRU) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Andrew Sullivan opened the call by addressing employee misconduct in the Japan business, stating "doing right by our customers is a core value of our company, and a cornerstone of what we stand for, and we are taking this issue extremely seriously." Sullivan announced a voluntary 90-day halt on new sales at Pruden...
Earnings Call Insights: Prudential Financial, Inc. (PRU) Q4 2025 Management View CEO Andrew Sullivan opened the call by addressing employee misconduct in the Japan business, stating "doing right by our customers is a core value of our company, and a cornerstone of what we stand for, and we are taking this issue extremely seriously." Sullivan announced a voluntary 90-day halt on new sales at Prudential of Japan (POJ), in consultation with Japanese regulators, to address the root causes of the misconduct. The company is enacting corrective actions, including "strengthening oversight of sales practices, governance and risk management," restructuring compensation, and enhancing training and recruiting standards. Sullivan added, “We will not resume distribution through the Life Planner channel, until we are comfortable that our internal compliance and oversight environment supports doing so. This could result in an extension of the 90-day period.” The company expects the Japan sales suspension to impact 2026 pretax adjusted operating income by $300 million to $350 million, or approximately 5% of 2025 earnings. A customer reimbursement program will also be established. Sullivan highlighted 2025 pretax adjusted operating income of $6.6 billion, or $14.43 per share, and an adjusted operating return on equity of approximately 15%, up nearly 200 basis points from the prior year. The company delivered nearly $3 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks. The CEO reported strong performance for PGIM, citing “strong investment performance last year with solid traction across our core capabilities, including public fixed income, securitized products and asset-backed finance as well as indirect lending.” PGIM saw over $30 billion in total net inflows from public fixed income, private credit, and real estate in 2025, despite “systemic outflows” at Jennison due to industry trends from active to passive management. U.S. businesses delivered $40 billion in retirement strat...