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.

当地时间2月6日，联合国秘书长古特雷斯通过新闻发言人发表声明，欢迎伊朗与美国当日恢复会谈，并希望此次会谈有助于缓解地区紧张局势，防止更广泛的危机发生。古特雷斯感谢该地区国家为促成会谈所作的努力，并感谢阿曼为会谈提供场地。声明中表示，秘书长一贯倡导缓和局势，并依据《联合国宪章》以和平方式解决争端。所有关切都可以、也应当通过和平对话加以解决。（央视新闻）

The European Commission on Friday accused TikTok of purposefully designing its app for being “addictive,” calling out features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications, as well as its recommendation engine. In preliminary findings from an investigation that sought to determine TikTok’s compliance with the European Union’s far-reaching Digital Services Act, the Commission said the short video platform did not “adequately assess” how its design decisions could harm the well-being of its users, particularly minors and vulnerable adults. The EU’s executive arm said the company disregarded “important indicators of compulsive use of the app” like the time users spend at night, and how often users open it. “By constantly ‘rewarding’ users with new content, certain design features of TikTok fuel the urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain of users into ‘autopilot mode’. Scientific research shows that this may lead to compulsive behaviour and reduce users’ self-control,” the Commission wrote in a statement. The Commission said TikTok must change the “basic design” of its user interface by disabling features like infinite scroll, implementing screen time breaks, and changing its recommendation system. TikTok did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment. TikTok does offer screen-time management tools and parental controls, but the European Commission said those tools don’t do enough to reduce the risks of its addictive design. “The time management tools do not seem to be effective in enabling users to reduce and control their use of TikTok because they are easy to dismiss and introduce limited friction. Similarly, parental controls may not be effective because they require additional time and skills from parents to introduce the controls,” the Commission wrote. Techcrunch event TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026: Tickets Live On June 23 in Boston, more than 1,100 founders come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused ...

When it comes to the world’s richest billionaires, tech founders litter the top of the list. AI has been heralded as a multitrillion-dollar industry, catapulting many founders to extreme wealth; but now AI bubble fears and doubts over valuations have led to billions erased from CEOs’ net worth overnight. For Larry Ellison, whose net worth has been hardest hit, that looks like a $59.2 billion loss since the year started—and we’re only in February. After months of eyebrow-raising over software stocks and AI’s impact on the sector, a selloff on Tuesday triggered the loss of billions among the wealthiest. In the few days since then, Ellison has watched his wealth slide by $19 billion, according to current data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. While Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s fortune has dropped by $14 billion. The Tuesday selloff, turbocharged by Anthropic’s new legal AI tool, also sent the already dwindling fortunes of software billionaires to tumble even harder. Following the broad selloff that saw the S&P 500 software and services index fall by nearly 4%, at least $62 billion was wiped from the net worth of the industry’s wealthiest entrepreneurs so far this year, according to a Bloomberg analysis of its Billionaires Index. But the three founders of advertising platform AppLovin saw the biggest relative decline in wealth in the aftermath in the selloff; CEO Adam Foroughi lost 31% of his net worth since the start of the year, around $7.8 billion, while former CTO John Krystynak’s fortune was shaved down 30% after a $2.4 billion blow. Fellow AppLovin cofounder Andrew Karam also emerged from the selloff 29% less rich than at the start of 2026. Despite building the world’s most valuable company thanks to AI advancements, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has also faced a decline; he’s lost $7 billion since the selloff earlier this week, and is down nearly $12 billion this year. And the net worth of Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, has gone through the wringer this we...

Just_Super/iStock via Getty Images Pagaya Technologies Ltd. ( PGY ), one of my top 3 small-cap picks to outperform in 2026, is set to report its Q4 earnings next week, with its stock down 63% from the 52-week high it reached last September and 38% down from my last coverage last October. While sentiment around the financial sector remains bearish, I believe the company’s upcoming Q4 earnings could be the spark to drive a re-rating thanks to its potential to exceed analysts’ estimates for revenue and EPS, in light of the strong origination growth reported by some of its key partners. With that in mind, I anticipate Pagaya’s network volume to top $3 billion in Q4, potentially driving a potential 4.7-6.1% revenue beat. Meanwhile, net charge-off rate increases at two key Pagaya partners during Q4 could limit the potential operating leverage gains from such a revenue beat, as I estimate the company’s EPS to beat estimates by $0.02-0.03. For FY 2026, I expect Pagaya to maintain its robust growth rates, anticipating 25% YoY topline growth thanks to its growing pipeline of partners onboarding its platform. This is mainly due to the company’s new strategy of accelerating partner onboarding, positioning it to penetrate these partners’ loan application flows faster. At the same time, the company’s approach of upselling newer products to its partners could prove to be a major organic growth driver, considering that multi-product partners contribute the majority of its network volume despite representing a minority of its total partners. These factors, combined with the company’s operating leverage, could lead to 138% YoY EPS growth relative to my FY 2025 estimate. With the stock trading at deep-value territory, in my opinion, I’m reiterating my strong buy rating for Pagaya with a $56 price target, implying 235% potential upside from current levels. Q4 Preview On February 9th, Pagaya is set to report its Q4 earnings, where analysts expect the company to report revenues of $348.7...

It’s right to focus on what the PM knew about Peter Mandelson, but many pointing the finger also knew and chose to ignore it Everything Donald Trump touches dies. He put his name on the Kennedy Center in Washington, prompting artists and performers to flee in such numbers that the venue will now shut down for “approximately” two years. The Washington Post under owner Jeff Bezos sought to ingratiate itself with the second Trump presidency; this week it announced 300 layoffs and the withering of that once great institution. And now we can add one more, unexpected item to the list poisoned by the touch of Trump: Britain’s Labour government. It’s easily forgotten, but it was because of Trump that Keir Starmer appointed Peter Mandelson to serve as the UK ambassador to Washington. The prime minister decided it would take a snake to navigate the serpentine backchannels of the new administration and that Mandelson had the skill set. The result is an irony rich enough to make you retch. The Epstein files, which contain more than 38,000 references to Trump , his Mar-a-Lago estate and other related terms, seem set to bring down a national leader who is not mentioned by Epstein even once. Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

is a senior reviewer with over twenty years of experience. She covers smart home, IoT, and connected tech, and has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. All the smart home news, reviews, and gadgets you need to know about I’ve used Alexa to manage my shopping list for years. There are plenty of great list apps out there, but the convenience of adding items by voice anywhere in my house, pulling up the list on an Echo Show in the kitchen, and having it on my phone via the Alexa app has worked well for me. Until it didn’t. Alexa Plus, combined with a redesign of the Alexa app that puts the generative AI-powered assistant front and center, has made the entire process so irritating that I’ve reluctantly switched to Apple’s Reminders app and Siri. This is not what I wanted. I have Echos all over my house, but only a couple of HomePods, and Siri insists on saying my name every time I ask it to add something to the list: “Okay, Jennifer, apples are on your list.” But at least when I pull up the list on my iPhone, it’s just a goddamn list. It’s not an ad for items I don’t want to buy from Whole Foods, or a way to try to get me to chat with Alexa Plus. Siri is annoying, but at least it stays in its lane. The Alexa app shopping list has become increasingly more cluttered. By comparison, the Apple Reminders shopping list is clean and simple. The list experience in the Alexa app has been changing in small ways for a while now. First, I started seeing more ads for the aforementioned Whole Foods products. Then I had to tap through two screens to add anything. Now, the new Alexa chatbot text box appears at the bottom of my list, prompting me to “Ask Alexa.” It’s the worst place for it, as the instinct is to put what you want to add to your list in there. In the Reminders app, that’s where there’s a nice big plus sign to add an item. But when I typed “butter” into Al...

Source: Bloomberg, 3:10

Intel CPU prices jump 10% as delays reach 6 months in China Company faces severe server processor shortages as AI infrastructure boom strains chip supply and prices surge over 10 percent Intel Corporation has informed Chinese customers about severe server CPU shortages that could result in delivery delays of up to six months for certain processors. The chip giant sent notifications in recent weeks warning clients about extended wait times as the company struggles to fulfill a massive backlog of unfulfilled orders. AMD has also notified clients that delivery times have stretched to eight to 10 weeks for some processors, highlighting how the shortage affects multiple major chip manufacturers. The supply constraints have already pushed Intel’s server product prices in China higher by more than 10 percent. China represents critical market amid crisis The supply crisis comes at a challenging time as China accounts for over 20 percent of Intel’s total revenue. Intel’s fourth-generation and fifth-generation Xeon CPUs face the most acute shortages, forcing the company to ration deliveries to manage limited supply. Two sources confirmed that Intel maintains a substantial backlog of pending orders that has created the extended delivery timeline. The company has accumulated orders faster than its manufacturing capacity can fulfill them, creating a growing gap between demand and available supply. AI demand drives unprecedented shortage The shortage stems from rapid growth in artificial intelligence infrastructure investment as companies worldwide build data centers and AI systems. This expansion has increased demand for both AI-specific chips and standard computing components, creating fierce competition for manufacturing capacity. Intel acknowledged that the AI adoption surge has created strong demand for traditional computing power beyond just specialized AI processors. Advanced agentic AI systems require more CPU processing power than basic chatbots because these systems per...

格隆汇2月7日｜美国国务院当地时间2月6日表示，将对与伊朗原油、石油产品或石化产品交易相关的15家实体以及2名个人实施制裁，并认定14艘船只为涉伊朗石油及相关产品运输的实体资产。

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Europe In Decline By Teeuwe Mevissen of Rabobank Not even a month ago, today’s author of the Global Daily walked through the main hall of the Musée d’Orsay, admiring its remarkable collection. Among the many sculptures, one large painting by Thomas Couture inevitably draws the eye: Romans in Their Decadence . At first glance, it appears to depict Roman citizens engaged in an orgy, but a closer look reveals far more. Beyond the opulence on display, one sees a figure desecrating a statue resembling a former emperor or deity. Only three figures – the contemplative man on the far left and two men observing with evident disdain on the right – seem detached from the excess around them. When the painting debuted at the Paris Salon, the exhibition catalogue included a quote from Juvenal:“ Nunc patimur longae pacis mala; savior armis luxuria incubuit, victumque ulciscitur orbem .” – “ Now do we suffer the evils of prolonged peace; luxury, more ruthless than the sword, broods over us and avenges a conquered world.” A portrait of Rome in decline. And today, some argue, a portrait of Europe. Political and economic commentators increasingly draw parallels between today’s Europe and the late Roman Empire. Those who subscribe to the decline narrative point to data showing that Europe’s share of global GDP has fallen from 25% in 1990 to roughly 14% today . Others highlight the innovation gap, demographic headwinds, and the erosion of industrial competitiveness. While these trends worry many, a Wall Street Journal report yesterday added a more urgent dimension: a recent wargame underscored Europe’s vulnerability to a potential Russian attack. The Dutch Defence Minister noted that “Russia will be able to move large amounts of troops within one year” and that Moscow is already expanding its assets along NATO borders. This alone underscores the perceived urgency amongst European leaders to accelerate efforts to rebuild and modernize its military capabilities – and suggests that Europe’...