Andrei310/iStock via Getty Images American States Water Company ( AWR ) is a regulated utility with water and electricity subsidiaries operating in California. It also has water and wastewater service contracts for military bases around the United States. The utility has continued to grow, and the valuation has fallen since I last wrote about it. As a dividend growth stock, American States Water i...
Andrei310/iStock via Getty Images American States Water Company ( AWR ) is a regulated utility with water and electricity subsidiaries operating in California. It also has water and wastewater service contracts for military bases around the United States. The utility has continued to grow, and the valuation has fallen since I last wrote about it. As a dividend growth stock, American States Water is well-known because of its Dividend King status and 71-year streak of consecutive annual increases. The streak is also the longest on record. The share price is about where it was in mid-2020, but now the dividend yield is 2.63%, almost the highest value in over a decade, and the equity is undervalued. Recent rate increase approvals, connection expansions, and a favorable regulatory environment are positives for top- and bottom-line growth. Hence, I view American States Water as a long-term buy. Overview of American States Water American States Water Company was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in San Dimas, California. The utility is a regulated water and electric utility, with an emphasis on water and wastewater operations. It also has non-regulated operations, serving as a contractor to U.S. military installations across the United States. The utility operates through three subsidiaries: Golden State Water Company (GSWC), Bear Valley Electric Service (BVES), and American States Utility Services (ASUS). American States Water serves 265,100 water and wastewater customers in Northern and Coastal California, 24,900 electricity customers in the City of Big Bear Lake, and 12 military bases in nine states under 50-year contracts and one base with a 15-year contract. Total revenue was over $658 million in 2025 and in the last twelve months (“LTM”). Approximately 71% of revenue is from the regulated water utility, ~9% is from the regulated electric utility, and the remainder is from contracted services. However, earnings are divided approximately into 77% for the water utili...
IPGGutenbergUKLtd Xerox ( XRX ) said that Steve Bandrowczak will step down as CEO and the board has appointed Louie Pastor as CEO, effective immediately. Shares of Xerox rose about 1% premarket on Xerox The company said Pastor most recently served as president and chief operating officer at Xerox, where he played a central role in advancing the company's strategy and driving operational performanc...
IPGGutenbergUKLtd Xerox ( XRX ) said that Steve Bandrowczak will step down as CEO and the board has appointed Louie Pastor as CEO, effective immediately. Shares of Xerox rose about 1% premarket on Xerox The company said Pastor most recently served as president and chief operating officer at Xerox, where he played a central role in advancing the company's strategy and driving operational performance. Xerox noted that it is reaffirming its full-year 2026 guidance and remains on track to deliver on its financial and operational targets. More on Xerox Xerox Holdings Corporation (XRX) Presents at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2026 Transcript Xerox: Revisiting 2026E Potential After Earnings Xerox Holdings Corporation (XRX) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Top 10 tech stocks showing highest dividend yield amid rising volatility Xerox outlines $200M+ operating income improvement target for 2026 amid integration and AI-driven reinvention
designer491/iStock via Getty Images Commentary as of 12/31/25 The fund posted returns of 1.27% (institutional shares) and 1.20% (Investor A shares, without sales charge) for the fourth quarter of 2025. An exposure to certain high yield credits negatively impacted performance, while duration positioning (management of interest rate sensitivity) benefited returns. During the quarter, the fund mainta...
designer491/iStock via Getty Images Commentary as of 12/31/25 The fund posted returns of 1.27% (institutional shares) and 1.20% (Investor A shares, without sales charge) for the fourth quarter of 2025. An exposure to certain high yield credits negatively impacted performance, while duration positioning (management of interest rate sensitivity) benefited returns. During the quarter, the fund maintained a duration exposure that was well above the benchmark's. The fund had overweight allocations to bonds maturing in 15 or more years, A rated securities, lower-quality credit, and the transportation sector. Contributors Municipal duration positioning contributed positively as municipal rates rallied in the 10-year part of the yield curve. The fund's exposure to the 15-25-year area of the curve was also beneficial, as was the allocation to A rated credit. Detractors An exposure to certain high yield credits weighed on performance. Two of these credits were in the transportation sector and one was in the utility sector. The allocation to the tax-backed local sector also detracted. Further insight During the quarter, the Federal Reserve implemented two 25-basis-point interest rate cuts as the labor market softened, overriding concerns about still-elevated inflation. With this favorable backdrop, municipal rates fell at the 10-year part of the yield curve, which contributed to a positive total return. Municipal bond issuance remained very robust and was well absorbed, though it offered opportunities to make adjustments within the fund. With the municipal yield curve remaining quite steep, despite flattening in some areas, the fund added to its holdings in the 20-25-year area, along with better call protection. Meanwhile, the market for New York City general obligation bonds widened after the election of a new mayor in November, and though the move was not significant, investors will closely watch developments. ★★★★★ Morningstar Overall™ Institutional shares rated against 76 ...
primeimages Stock index futures were higher on Monday as investors navigated a holiday-shortened week with eyes on the ongoing Iran conflict. Here are the four stocks to watch on the day: Analog Devices ( ADI ) rose 1.24% in premarket trading after Aretes upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral, naming the analog chipmaker its “preferred multi-cycle holding.” Analyst Alexi de Unger set a $389 price...
primeimages Stock index futures were higher on Monday as investors navigated a holiday-shortened week with eyes on the ongoing Iran conflict. Here are the four stocks to watch on the day: Analog Devices ( ADI ) rose 1.24% in premarket trading after Aretes upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral, naming the analog chipmaker its “preferred multi-cycle holding.” Analyst Alexi de Unger set a $389 price target on shares, citing expectations that Analog Devices should sustain double-digit revenue growth given its strong positioning in AI and beyond. Coca-Cola ( KO ) gained 0.45% before the opening bell on news of a major Fairlife expansion. The beverage giant is committing up to $650 million to add two new production lines at its Coopersville, Michigan plant, expand the facility by ~245,000 square feet, and create roughly 150 jobs. The new Fairlife lines are expected to begin commercial production in 2028. United Parcel Service ( UPS ) added 0.63% in premarket trade after receiving a favorable profile in Barron’s over the weekend. The publication sees upside for the package delivery company, citing strong execution and what it believes is an underestimated recovery potential, with expectations of roughly 30% gains over the next 12 months if operational performance continues. Sysco ( SYY ) dropped 6.36% in premarket trading after announcing a deal to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot. Under the terms of the agreement , Jetro shareholders will receive $21.6 billion in cash proceeds and 91.5 million Sysco shares, valuing the transaction at $29.1 billion. The total consideration represents an acquisition multiple of approximately 14.6 times Jetro Restaurant Depot’s operating income, or 13.0 times, including expected synergies. More related stories Coca-Cola: Time To Play Defensive Coca-Cola: A Wonderful Business But Limited Return Expectation Coca-Cola: Insider Selling Could Be An Ominous Sign Analog Devices upgraded at Aretes Coca-Cola expands Fairlife production capacity amid s...
herstockart/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Upgrading COIN to My First Ever "Buy" For a few months in 2023, I was bearish on Coinbase Global Inc. 's ( COIN ) prospects, thinking that its business model looked weak and it didn't signal any potential improvement in the next few years. But then I turned neutral in May 2024, when COIN's operations and financials started to outperform my initial exp...
herstockart/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images Upgrading COIN to My First Ever "Buy" For a few months in 2023, I was bearish on Coinbase Global Inc. 's ( COIN ) prospects, thinking that its business model looked weak and it didn't signal any potential improvement in the next few years. But then I turned neutral in May 2024, when COIN's operations and financials started to outperform my initial expectations. The stock is down by over 19% since that upgrade, and I see an interesting setup going into the next few years amid the latest corporate announcements, like the crypto-linked mortgages and the "everything exchange" pivot that COIN has been going through. The forward-looking valuation setup looks much better now compared to what we could witness a year ago. So, I believe it's time for me to upgrade my rating on COIN once again, this time to a "Buy". Why Do I Think So? Before jumping to the catalysts discussion and the main things that make me more bullish on COIN, let's first take a look at the firm's most recent financials. In the Q4 2025 report, we see that Coinbase showed a net loss of $667 million on a GAAP basis, and the adjusted EPS came in at -$2.49, missing the analysts' expectations quite meaningfully - especially so compared to the previous 2 quarters. Seeking Alpha, COIN's EPS beats/missed The firm's operating leverage reversed: While revenues fell, core operating expenses (mainly T&D and SG&A) surged 14% QoQ to $1.3 billion, and so the adjusted EBITDA margin fell 45% to 33% in Q4. The investors started to worry, and the geopolitical risks have only added fuel to the sell-off fire. As a result, the stock is trading 40%+ below its 200-day simple moving average: TrendSpider Software, COIN daily, notes added The CLARITY Act was another negative that drove down the stock. Traditional banking representatives pushed back against provisions that allow crypto platforms to pay yields on stablecoins, so investors started to question this area of TAM for COIN. Som...
Xerox ( XRX ) on Monday said it has appointed Louie Pastor as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, replacing Steve Bandrowczak . Pastor, who most recently served as president and Chief Operating Officer, has been with the company in roles spanning enterprise transformation, global service delivery, and revenue operations. Bandrowczak is stepping down after leading the company through ac...
Xerox ( XRX ) on Monday said it has appointed Louie Pastor as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, replacing Steve Bandrowczak . Pastor, who most recently served as president and Chief Operating Officer, has been with the company in roles spanning enterprise transformation, global service delivery, and revenue operations. Bandrowczak is stepping down after leading the company through acquisitions and integrations, including Lexmark and ITsavvy. XRX +2.13% premarket to $1.4299. Source: Press Release More on Xerox Holdings Corporation Xerox Holdings Corporation (XRX) Presents at Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2026 Transcript Xerox: Revisiting 2026E Potential After Earnings Xerox Holdings Corporation (XRX) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Top 10 tech stocks showing highest dividend yield amid rising volatility Xerox outlines $200M+ operating income improvement target for 2026 amid integration and AI-driven reinvention
Expedia Group has room to run on several artificial intelligence-related tailwinds, according to Jefferies. The investment firm upgraded its rating for Expedia Group to buy from hold. It also hiked its price target on shares to $300 from $240, implying roughly 32% upside from Friday's close. "We view AI as a potential tailwind to EXPE over time, allowing for improved recommendation engines, reduce...
Expedia Group has room to run on several artificial intelligence-related tailwinds, according to Jefferies. The investment firm upgraded its rating for Expedia Group to buy from hold. It also hiked its price target on shares to $300 from $240, implying roughly 32% upside from Friday's close. "We view AI as a potential tailwind to EXPE over time, allowing for improved recommendation engines, reduced customer acquisition costs, enhanced product velocity, and lower customer service costs," Jefferies analyst John Colantuoni said Monday in a note to clients. AI development and adoption has grown over the past few years, sparking concerns that the emerging technology could disrupt internet stocks such as online travel agency Expedia. The companies have underperformed nearly every technology vertical, according to Jefferies, with internet stocks down roughly 30% since the beginning of the year, excluding megacaps. However, Expedia is one of several internet-linked names that is poised to benefit – rather than suffer- from the ongoing proliferation of AI tools, per the investment firm. "We think that LLMs will eventually become another performance marketing channel that could accelerate share consolidation around the most scaled Internet names," Colantuoni wrote. He added, "we expect AI agents to provide consumers a smaller, more personalized list of search results that reduces the opportunity for unpaid listings, allowing advertisers with the greatest capacity for performance marketing to capture a disproportionate share of traffic acquisition. We think this opportunity is particularly acute for [online travel agencies], given the hotel industry is generally too fragmented to compete with their marketing scale and has historically invested a comparably small amount in marketing." The analyst also noted that Expedia has benefited more broadly from a series of key product investments over the past two years, in addition to a refresh of management priorities. Those efforts ha...