Source: Bloomberg, 75:56

In this video, Motley Fool contributors Jason Hall and Tyler Crowe break down what's happening at PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL), and whether investors can find deep value or more struggles ahead with former HP (NYSE: HPQ) CEO Enrique Lores taking over. *Stock prices used were from the afternoon of Feb. 5, 2026. The video was published on Feb. 6, 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, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » Should you buy stock in PayPal right now? Before you buy stock in PayPal, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and PayPal wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $436,126!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,053,659!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 885% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 192% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2026. Jason Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Tyler Crowe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends HP and PayPal. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2027 $42.50 calls on PayPal and short March 2026 $65 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Jason Hall is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link they will earn some extra...

The AI Paradox: Why AMD’s ‘On Fire’ Demand Triggered a Market Meltdown The Chronicle-Journal

The AI Paradox: Why AMD’s ‘On Fire’ Demand Triggered a Market Meltdown FinancialContent

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Key Points Bitcoin has gotten hammered this year, while gold has performed well. Investors are clearly questioning Bitcoin's digital gold narrative. However, strategists at JPMorgan see long-term upside for Bitcoin. 10 stocks we like better than Bitcoin › It's been a rough go for Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), the world's largest cryptocurrency by market cap, which is now down nearly 22% on the year, despite a strong rally on Feb. 6. Investors seem to be questioning whether Bitcoin is truly a form of digital Gold, with its finite supply of 21 million tokens, and whether it can therefore serve as a hedge against currency debasement and inflation. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » However, for those who follow Bitcoin and crypto, big sell-offs and steep bear markets should be nothing new, as they tend to occur every few years. Despite the big sell-off and investors asking serious questions, strategists at JPMorgan Chase see a compelling long-term opportunity that could make Bitcoin even more attractive than gold. Bitcoin has relatively low volatility compared to gold Gold has surged as investors have worried about a lower dollar from years of intense money printing and a mounting pile of U.S. government debt. Furthermore, there have been many geopolitical concerns and concerns about the Federal Reserve's independence. Bitcoin seemed to follow gold higher last year, but this year has decoupled from the precious metal thus far, although Gold (NYSEMKT: GLD) has also struggled as of late. Bitcoin Price data by YCharts "[Cryptocurrencies] came under further pressure over the past week as risk assets and in particular tech came under pressure and as gold and silver, the other perceived hedges to a catastrophic scenario, saw a sharp correction," a team of JPMorgan analysts led by Nikolaos Panigirtzog...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Despite Aston Villa’s twin-engine strike force being linked with moves elsewhere just over a year ago, Unai Emery was dreaming of a dynasty. “Hopefully we can be together with Ollie Watkins and Jhon Durán for 10 years,” he told reporters with the optimistic tone of a man who hadn’t yet checked the young Colombian’s WhatsApp status. “Maybe 12 years, maybe 15!” Despite interest at the time from Arsenal, Watkins remains at Villa but his considerably younger former teammate has just forced a move to his third club in three different time zones since leaving Birmingham. Of course, it’s no secret that he has form in the itchy feet department, as Villa fans who remember his ill-advised crossed-arms ‘Irons’ pose on a live Social Media Disgrace feed before a move to West Ham that never materialised will attest. Football Daily gave me a great idea (imagine that!) in yesterday’s Quote of the Day . In every article and letter that you publish, let’s declare the main participant’s age, as of James Milner’s top-flight debut in 2002. I feel like I could learn a lot about Noble Francis and the other regulars like this” – Mike Wilner (Milner +36). I was at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco last weekend for the Manet & Morisot exhibition when I saw a fellow museum-goer wearing a Manchester City scarf, but looking distinguished otherwise. I was tempted to ask him what he was doing there because the Monet exhibition isn’t until next month” – Peter Oh. From ‘ Leicester is like my son, so I have to do it right ’ to ‘ Leicester in relegation danger after six-point deduction for financial rules breach ’. Well, ‘a week is a long time in politics football’, as former UK prime minister Harold Wilson would have said, if he were still alive and interested in East Midlands-based football (which he wasn’t, he was a Huddersfield fan)” – Noble Francis. This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, j...

The drugmaker is facing pricing pressures on its weight loss medications. Shares of Novo Nordisk (NVO +7.87%) were down over 20% this week as of this writing on Friday, February 6th, at 11:00 AM EST, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The famed drugmaker has struggled over the last two years due to heavy competition and pricing pressure for weight-loss drugs. It is also trying to deal with aggressive competition from Hims & Hers. Right now, Novo Nordisk stock is down 68% from all-time highs set in early 2024. Here's why it was falling again this week, and whether it is a buy today. Expand NYSE : NVO Novo Nordisk Today's Change ( 7.87 %) $ 3.41 Current Price $ 46.75 Key Data Points Market Cap $146B Day's Range $ 45.84 - $ 46.96 52wk Range $ 43.08 - $ 93.80 Volume 971K Avg Vol 22M Gross Margin 80.90 % Dividend Yield 3.98 % Weak 2026 guidance Novo Nordisk reported earnings earlier this week, on February 3rd. Its financials looked solid, with revenue growing 10% year over year in constant currency in 2025, despite heavy pressure from other weight-loss drugmakers such as Eli Lilly. However, investors were spooked by the weak 2026 guidance, which calls for a 5%-13% decline in sales and earnings compared to 2025. There is mounting competition for weight-loss drugs, including the new TrumpRx website, which offers discounted versions of these drugs, such as the company's Wegovy product. Even though the company had its oral weight-loss pill approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and should see volume increases, declining prices will be a hit to sales and earnings in 2026. What's more, in some countries, generic versions of weight-loss drugs are already on the market, which management expects will eat into sales. Lastly, to add even more chaos to the situation, telehealth marketplaces Hims & Hers launched a knockoff of Wegovy and began selling it for just $49 a month. While it is highly likely the FDA will quickly whip Hims & Hers into shape, mo...

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長沙灣魚類批發市場附近昨日下午發生火警，兩人受傷送院，情況危殆，消防處調查後懷疑火警涉及非法流動加油站。 現場是長沙灣欽州街西迴旋處，消防處下午3時許接獲多人報案，火警涉及六輛貨車及一輛私家車，消防到場迅速將火撲熄。經調查後，消防處晚上在社交平台表示，懷疑有涉事車輛是經改裝的非法加油站。 消防處消防隊長梁楠卓指出：「消防人員在現場找到懷疑易燃液體燃燒過的痕跡，更在其中一架嚴重焚毀的輕型貨車上，發現有油缸、油槍及油喉等入油工具，我們有理由相信，這輛輕型貨車是一輛非法改裝而成的流動非法加油站。由於火勢蔓延速度極之不尋常，我們不排除這輛輕型貨車上曾載有大量燃油。」 火警中兩人燒傷送院，目前都情況危殆，案件已交警方跟進。 消防處強調，從事非法加油活動屬嚴重罪行，又指近日發現市區，不時出現由七座位私家車，或輕型貨車改裝的非法加油站，經常會停泊在路旁，甚至民居附近，一旦發生火警，有可能波及附近建築物，造成嚴重人命傷亡及財物損失，對市民構成嚴重風險，呼籲市民若發現懷疑非法加油站，要向消防處舉報。

Banco de Sabadell, S.A. press release ( BNDSF ): Q4 2025 Net Interest Income €1.21B (-4.7% Y/Y). Core revenues of €1.56B. Attributable Net Profit of €386M. More on Banco de Sabadell, S.A. Banco de Sabadell, S.A. (BNDSY) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Banco de Sabadell, S.A. 2025 Q4 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Banco de Sabadell, S.A. 2025 Q3 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Banco de Sabadell, S.A. Historical earnings data for Banco de Sabadell, S.A.

蒙特利尔银行 策略师表示，美联储可以借鉴英国央行的做法，在不惊扰市场的情况下缩减资产负债表。 该行EMEA利率策略主管Laurence Mutkin称，英国央行在四年内成功地将其债券投资组合规模缩小了近一半，且未引发明显的市场扰动。 他表示，这包括提供充足的流动性支持：英国央行推出了短期流动性工具 —— 短期回购（STR）和指数化长期回购（ILTR）。 注：STR是一项周度机制，允许银行和建筑社以英国国债等高质量抵押品为担保，借入为期一周的央行储备金。 注：ILTR是一项周度标售操作，允许金融机构以合格抵押品为担保，借入期限为六个月的央行储备金。 Mutkin表示，就流动性工具的适用进行清晰沟通（包括市场咨商），有助于降低缩表过程中的风险。 他称：“英国央行的做法有一些值得借鉴之处，可为沃什领导下的美联储推进缩表提供可类比的思路。” 美国总统唐纳德·特朗普提名的美联储主席人选凯文·沃什一直公开表示，希望缩减资产负债表。 美联储在2019年和2025年先后暂停了缩表进程。 责任编辑：陈钰嘉

Many people use the S&P 500 for the core of their portfolios. I think broad market ETFs are a better choice. Here's the one I own in my portfolio. Broad market exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are some of the best investments to build a portfolio around. In some cases, they hold thousands of different stocks and come with razor-thin expense ratios. That makes them perfect for long-term capital growth. The one ETF that I hold for just this purpose is the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI +1.69%). For my money (literally), there is no better buy-and-hold fund in the market. What makes the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF great? Many people use the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF or the SPDR S&P 500 ETF as the center of their portfolios. There's certainly nothing wrong with that since these S&P 500 funds include many of the biggest and best companies in the world. But they're also incomplete. You'd be missing out on roughly 3,000 other U.S. stocks. From a market cap perspective, those 3,000 names only account for about 20% of the entire U.S. equity market. But that's a non-trivial amount that can be a game changer for performance when the market shifts. The Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF tracks the CRSP US Total Market Index, which essentially includes the entire liquid U.S. stock market. It holds roughly 3,500 different stocks in total, including top holdings Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet. Since the fund is market cap-weighted, it's still tilted heavily toward large-cap names. But it also has around 25% of the portfolio committed to mid-, small-, and micro-cap stocks. Expand NYSEMKT : VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF Today's Change ( 1.69 %) $ 5.65 Current Price $ 339.55 Key Data Points Day's Range $ 335.97 - $ 339.62 52wk Range $ 236.42 - $ 344.42 Volume 2.5M Over the long term, I believe that owning the entire U.S. stock market is better than owning just the large-cap market. While large caps have certainly outperformed over the past several years, it won't ...

Nicky Henderson, the trainer of Constitution Hill, said on Friday that he is focusing “on Southwell at the moment and only on Southwell” ahead of the former Champion Hurdler’s Flat racing debut on 20 February, despite having booked the legendary jumping specialist, Yogi Breisner, to work with the nine-year-old earlier this week. Constitution Hill had already secured a place among the hurdling greats when he set off for last year’s Champion Hurdle as the 1-2 favourite, but a crashing fall four out seemed to shatter his confidence and he has fallen twice in three starts since. After Constitution Hill’s most recent fall, at the second flight in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, Henderson suggested that his hurdling career would be put on hold, and a race at Southwell’s evening meeting later this month was inked in to be his first start on the Flat. “He’s had a confusing week,” Henderson said on Friday. “He had schooling with Yogi on Monday, starting stalls and a gallop with Oisin [Murphy, who is booked to ride at Southwell] on Wednesday and Yogi is back again before the end of the week, so it’s jump, Flat, jump for him this week. “The jumping is going great and we’re doing a lot of jump, jump, jump. Yogi is there as he is the well-known guru who can do these things, so we’re playing with him, but we’re also concentrating on Southwell at the moment and only Southwell.” Henderson’s six-year-old Sir Gino, the Christmas Hurdle winner at Kempton in December, had emerged as a likely favourite for the Champion Hurdle before suffering a season-ending pelvic injury in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham last month. In his enforced absence, the ante-post market is wide-open, with five horses, including Constitution Hill, on offer at single-figure odds. “The Champion Hurdle is so wide open, it’s crazy,” Henderson said. “You are sitting on two horses like Constitution Hill and Sir Gino and technically, at the moment not running either of them. “The difficulty of it all is...

A Wall Street analyst upgraded Roku stock to buy from neutral ahead of the streaming video platform's fourth-quarter earnings report.

伊朗表示，已与美国同意继续间接会谈，以缓和紧张局势、避免军事对抗。德黑兰将首日的会谈形容为积极的。 在阿曼斡旋下，双方在其首都马斯喀特举行的谈判当天结束后，伊朗外长阿巴斯·阿拉格齐对国家电视台表示，会谈“开局良好”。他补充说，如果这一进程保持同样的状态，双方“可以就未来会谈达成一个框架”。 上述表态后油价下跌，基准布伦特原油一度跌破每桶67美元，随后收窄跌幅。今年以来原油价格已上涨约12%，主要原因之一是市场担心中东爆发新的战争。 伊朗称，讨论仅限于核问题，这是该国一直坚持的立场；而美国官员则称，会谈应涵盖伊朗的导弹问题以及德黑兰对地区民兵组织的支持。 阿拉格齐在接受伊朗官方媒体IRIB采访时说：“我们谈判的主题严格围绕核议题，我们没有与美国方面讨论其他话题。” 美国官员尚未就周五会谈结果发表评论。 谈判期间，阿曼外交大臣Badr Albusaidi与以阿拉格齐为首的伊朗代表团，以及包括特使史蒂夫·威特科夫和美国总统唐纳德·特朗普的女婿贾里德·库什纳在内的美方团队，分别进行了多轮单独会晤。 阿巴斯·阿拉格齐（中），2月6日 伊朗伊斯兰共和国通讯社（IRNA）报道称，伊朗的主要优先事项包括“评估对方的善意与认真程度”。 报道称，阿拉格齐还提出了一份关于“管理当前局势”并推动谈判的初步计划。 责任编辑：陈钰嘉

The stock market is divided, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 breaking support but many sectors thriving. Google and Amazon AI spending stunned. Bitcoin plunged.

mesh cube/iStock via Getty Images Beginning of a bear market? The S&P 500 ( SP500 ) seems to be at the edge of a major breakdown, currently just below the key technical resistance of 6812 (20wma on 5Y chart). If this breakdown is sustained, the S&P 500 could fall to the 5100 level or to the April 2025 bottom, which would be a 27% bear market. Given the recently volatile price action in other risk assets, like Silver ( SLV ) Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ), the S&P 500 could reach this level quickly. My S&P 500 ( SPY ) prediction for 2026 was even more bearish, with the 4100 target - and this would require a recessionary bear market with the AI bubble burst. This prediction is based on the two primary assumptions: 1) labor market would continue to weaken due to the immigration policy, the AI adoption, and tariffs, and 2) the AI bubble would burst, which would cause a negative wealth effect and contribute to a recession. The recent selloff in the S&P 500 has happened 1) in response to the weak labor market data and 2) concerns about the AI bubble and rotation out of tech and specifically Mag7. Thus, the recessionary bear market with the AI bubble burst thesis could be unfolding. The question is whether it will continue to unfold and lead to a major bear market with a 40%+ drop in the S&P 500, or if this is just the beginning of a minor correction? Yahoo The weakening labor market The Fed Chair Powell recently said that the labor market has been stabilizing. However, the recent data has been showing otherwise. The Challenger Job Cuts report showed 108K announced layoffs in January - the highest number for January since 2009. The Job Openings dropped to 6.5M in December with a -257K decrease in cyclical and AI-sensitive professional and business services job openings. The ADP report showed only 22K jobs gained in January, where professional and business services lost -57K jobs, with jobs created mostly in the health sector. Even the ISM Services Employment Index came in at 50.3 in ...

MF3d Nvidia ( NVDA ) led chip stock higher on Friday after the broader market saw gains after several days of technology-led selloffs, especially in the software sector. The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite ( COMP:IND ) rose around 1.2%. At the same time, the benchmark S&P 500 ( SP500 ) climbed about 1.3%. The blue-chip Dow ( DJI ) had advanced by about 1.8%. AI chipmaker Nvidia's ( NVDA ) stock jumped about 7%. Earlier this week, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said he thought this week's sell-off of software company shares was "illogical." Advanced Micro Devices ( AMD ) soared around 7%. Broadcom ( AVGO ) grew nearly 4%, while Qualcomm ( QCOM ) rose around 1%. Shares of Marvell Technology ( MRVL ) surged around 6%, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ( TSM ) and Lattice Semiconductor ( LSCC ) each soared nearly 4%. Intel ( INTC ) rose about 3%, GlobalFoundries ( GFS ) climbed around 2%, while Micron Technology ( MU ) was also in the green. Meanwhile, Texas Instruments ( TXN ) fell nearly 2%, and Analog Devices ( ADI ) dipped around 1%, seeming to buck the trend. Chip equipment makers: Lam Research ( LRCX ) and KLA ( KLAC ) each surged around 7%. Applied Materials ( AMAT ) jumped nearly 5%, and ASML ( ASML ) rose about 4%. Enterprise software stocks were largely in the red in the past few days. Analysts at William Blair had said that fear and not fundamentals was behind the recent reactions to software stocks. The analysts added that growth is broadly not accelerating in software, while it is in sectors exposed to AI. Rick Sherlund, founder of AI software investment bank Sherlund Partners, had said that “The software sector, every 10 15 years, goes through a forest fire.” Sherlund believes the market is on the verge of a significant upswing despite recent pullbacks in tech stocks. Last week, shares of Microsoft ( MSFT ) had tumbled despite impressive second-quarter results . On Friday, several software stocks, including Microsoft, were in the green. Snowflake ( SNOW ) su...

But some fans were quick to question whether Mazin, who has attracted some criticism for directions he took in the second series of The Last of Us, was the right person for the role - and whether Larian's lack of involvement could mean it felt like "a familiar face with a stranger's heart".

Earnings Call Insights: i3 Verticals (IIIV) Q1 2026 Management View Gregory Daily, Chairman and CEO, opened the call by stating, "As we anticipated and guided the market, revenue was only up 1% over prior year's Q1, but recurring revenue was up over 8%, more closely reflecting our expectation of long-term growth. SaaS revenue led with over 24% growth. We're now -- we've now had 4 quarters in a row over 20% SaaS growth, and we see that number staying north of that level through the year." Daily highlighted the company's latest acquisition, describing it as "a perfect fit within our transportation market," noting the acquired business enables early detection of uninsured motorists and has "incredible defensive market positioning." He confirmed, "The team that built this business is staying on, and we couldn't be more excited about what we can accomplish together." Geoffrey Smith, CFO, reported, "Revenues for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 increased 1% to $52.7 million or $52.2 million for Q1 2025, in line with expectations. The growth reflected 8% growth in recurring revenues, partially offset by a $3 million decline in nonrecurring professional services and software license revenues." He added, "Adjusted EBITDA declined $1 million to $13.6 million for Q1 2026 from $14.6 million for Q1 2025, in line with expectations." Rick Stanford, President, detailed the new acquisition: "This business operates in the transportation market and does business at the state level. The company's insurance verification product is feature-rich... This transaction will significantly expand our geographic reach in the transportation market, better positioning i3 to be the vendor of choice in ongoing modernization initiatives." He also stated, "i3 is a major player in the motor carrier and motor vehicle software market with a combined 30 states and 4 Canadian provinces." Outlook Smith outlined 2026 full-year guidance, stating, "revenues, $2.3 $223 million to $234 million; adjusted EBITDA, ...

A one-year-old girl may have suffered food poisoning after consuming Nestlé infant milk formula, Hong Kong authorities have said, while revealing they have received about 50 reports of children feeling unwell amid a growing contamination scare. The Centre for Food Safety separately ordered the immediate removal of 390 cans of Aptamil Profutura DUO Advance 1 (800g) from shelves, as officials expanded a citywide recall to include a second batch of the milk powder imported from Germany. The Centre for Health Protection said on Friday that a one-year-old toddler suffered diarrhoea up to five times a day shortly after consuming Nestlé Nan INFINIPRO2 7HMO (800g) formula from batch 53070742F1 on December 30. Advertisement The scare centres on the possible presence of cereulide, a toxin produced by Bacillus cereus, in baby milk formula. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus or its heat-stable toxins can lead to symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea. “Given the girl’s persistent symptoms after consuming the powdered formula concerned, and the compatibility of the timing and symptoms with cereulide poisoning, we cannot rule out the possibility that she developed cereulide poisoning from consuming the above-mentioned powdered infant and young children formula,” centre controller Dr Edwin Tsui Lok-kin said. Advertisement The girl did not require hospitalisation and her health improved after her parents switched to an unaffected product, the centre said.

Earnings Call Insights: Strattec Security Corporation (STRT) Q2 2026 Management View Jennifer Slater, CEO, stated the company delivered a strong second quarter despite supply chain challenges, moderating automotive production, and foreign exchange pressures. She reported, "Sales grew 6%, driven by pricing, favorable sales mix, higher content value, new program launches and tariff recovery." Slater emphasized the company's transformation actions, noting, "Net income nearly quadrupled year-over-year to $5 million or $1.21 per diluted share. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share grew 163% to $1.71." Slater highlighted a voluntary retirement program and other restructuring actions implemented during the quarter expected to generate $3.4 million in annualized savings. She added, "We have an exceptionally strong balance sheet with $99 million in cash and total debt of just $2.5 million." CFO Mathew Pauli commented, "Sales were $137.5 million in the quarter. We've demonstrated our ability to capture accretive pricing in a disciplined way... We also benefited from favorable sales mix, net new program launches and higher content value." Pauli noted, "Gross margin increased $5.6 million to $22.7 million in the quarter. As Jen noted, gross margin expanded 330 basis points to 16.5%, driven by multiple favorable factors." Outlook Pauli indicated sequential improvement is expected in third-quarter sales, but guidance for the second half is for a year-over-year decline of approximately 3% to 4%. Slater stated, "While North American automotive production is not looking as challenging as originally expected at the beginning of fiscal '26, industry forecasts still suggest a flat to moderate decline." Pauli clarified, "We still expect [selling, administrative and engineering expenses] to be in the 10% to 11% in the back half of the year." Financial Results Pauli reported, "Net income attributable to Strattec was $4.9 million for the quarter or $1.20 per diluted share compared with ...

Key Points Oil prices soared last month, snapping a six-month downtrend. Occidental Petroleum closed the sale of OxyChem last month, significantly enhancing its balance sheet. The oil company also amended a midstream contract that will save it some money. 10 stocks we like better than Occidental Petroleum › Occidental Petroleum (NYSE: OXY) started 2026 off with a bang. Shares of the oil and gas producer rallied 10.4% in January. That meaningfully outperformed the S&P 500's 1.4% rise last month. A rebound in crude oil prices was a major catalyst for the oil stock last month. However, it wasn't the only factor behind Occidental's January surge. Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue » Ending the drought in a big way Crude prices skyrocketed last month. Brent, the global oil benchmark, rocketed 16%, while WTI, the U.S. benchmark, surged 14%. That was the first monthly rise in oil prices in six months. Oil rallied amid potential supply disruptions. The U.S. military captured the former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and later charged him with narcoterrorism. While the country's oil infrastructure needs a major rebuild, which will take time, there's potential for supply outages in the interim. Additionally, tensions between the U.S. and Iran are growing, which could also cause supply disruptions. Higher oil prices will have a direct benefit on Occidental Petroleum's bottom line. They would enable the company to produce more cash, which it can use to repay debt and return to shareholders. More forward progress Oil prices weren't the only upside catalyst for Occidental Petroleum last month. The oil giant closed the sale of its former chemicals business, OxyChem, to Berkshire Hathaway in early January. The oil company received $9.7 billion in cash for the unit. Occidental expects to use $6.5 b...

Image source: The Motley Fool. Friday, Feb. 6, 2026 at 11 a.m. ET Call participants Chairman and Chief Executive Officer — Helen Johnson-Leipold Vice President and Chief Financial Officer — David W. Johnson Need a quote from a Motley Fool analyst? Email [email protected] Takeaways Revenue Growth -- Double-digit increase reported in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, attributed primarily to higher unit volumes and supported by price increases in response to cost inflation. -- Double-digit increase reported in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, attributed primarily to higher unit volumes and supported by price increases in response to cost inflation. Pre-Tax Loss -- $1.3 million loss before income taxes in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, significantly reduced from $18.9 million loss in the prior year quarter due to revenue growth and margin improvement. -- $1.3 million loss before income taxes in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, significantly reduced from $18.9 million loss in the prior year quarter due to revenue growth and margin improvement. Gross Margin -- 36.6% in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, up 6.7 percentage points from the prior year, driven principally by overhead absorption from higher sales volumes, as well as pricing and cost savings initiatives offsetting increased material costs. -- 36.6% in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, up 6.7 percentage points from the prior year, driven principally by overhead absorption from higher sales volumes, as well as pricing and cost savings initiatives offsetting increased material costs. Operating Expenses -- Increased by $2.1 million year over year, mainly from higher sales volume-related expenses, partially reduced by lower warranty expenses. -- Increased by $2.1 million year over year, mainly from higher sales volume-related expenses, partially reduced by lower warranty expenses. Inventory -- $103.9 million at quarter-end, a reduction of $17.7 million compared to the prior-year quarter, reflecting improved inven...

The AI capex bubble may have delayed a recession, as I discussed in this recent Seeking Alpha article , but with leading economic and employment indicators continuing to fall, this bubble may not prevent a recession. Leading Economic Index Keeps Falling As shown in the chart below, the Conference Board’s US Leading Economic Index (“LEI”) has fallen about 20% over the past four years. Historically, such a deep and persistent decline in the LEI has resulted in a recession. The Conference Board Justyna Zabinska-La Monica, Senior Manager of Business Cycle Indicators at The Conference Board, summarized the latest report as follows: “The US LEI fell again in both October and November. Throughout 2025, weak consumers expectations led the decline in the LEI, followed by new orders. The remaining components of the leading index were relatively muted in November, with the strongest positive contributions coming from labor market data, like initial claims for unemployment insurance and weekly hours worked in manufacturing. Despite real GDP growth hitting 4.4% in Q3 2025, the LEI continues to suggest that the US economy will slow in 2026.” Red Flags in December Jobs Report Given the persistent decline in the LEI, it should not be surprising that employment is weakening, since one key characteristic of a recession is job losses. We do not have major job losses yet, but we are getting close. The jobs report for December showed there were only 50K new jobs added that month. And, as has been the case all year, the jobs report also showed negative revisions for prior months. October was revised down by 68K jobs, resulting in 173K jobs lost in that month. November was revised down by 8K jobs, resulting in only 56K new jobs added in that month. Both months combined were revised down by 76K jobs. Incredibly, the first 11 months of 2025 were revised down by an average of 57K jobs per month. Assuming December is not revised down, which is a major assumption, there were just 584K new jobs...

Earnings season has been a dud for Magnificent Seven stocks, but the rotation away from Big Tech has barely dented the group’s hold over the S&P 500. Microsoft, Tesla, Amazon.com, Nvidia, Alphabet, Apple, and Meta Platforms entered the year making up 36.9% of the index's total market cap.