time99lek/iStock via Getty Images AGNC Investment ( AGNC ) has transitioned into a policy-supported carry vehicle over the past couple of years. The current setup in terms of spreads, funding costs and hedging supports the low teens yields. The recent sell-off since January presents AGNC at ~20% lower prices without a deterioration of its core earnings fundamentals. We are seeing interest rate mov...
time99lek/iStock via Getty Images AGNC Investment ( AGNC ) has transitioned into a policy-supported carry vehicle over the past couple of years. The current setup in terms of spreads, funding costs and hedging supports the low teens yields. The recent sell-off since January presents AGNC at ~20% lower prices without a deterioration of its core earnings fundamentals. We are seeing interest rate movements pressuring mark to market book values. Since there is no evidence of spread stability deteriorating (in fact it is in a favorable regime), the volatility in prices could actually offer great entry points for income investors. Spread Outlook in Carry Regime The core business model at AGNC is earning from the spread between its investments in long term mortgage backed securities and short term borrowing (repo funding). Since leveraged spreads are the core earnings driver, AGNC sets up hedges against interest rate shocks. Given this model, AGNC was under structural stress in 2022-23 with rapid increase in interest rates pushing funding costs higher. Volatility in the rate environment made mortgage backed securities difficult to price too. This was bad news for both the carry trade as spreads were unstable and book values were under mark to market losses. This period of share price erosion and lower yields can be seen in the charts below. Data by YCharts Data by YCharts Since 2024 we have moved into a regime where spreads, funding, and volatility has stabilized simultaneously. As spreads stabilized, earnings became more predictable. And as volatility declined, book value started holding up. The 2025 spread trends show this stability in spreads despite intra-year fluctuations. To put those fluctuations in perspective, take a look at the spread instability in 2022 and 2023. Spreads Trends - AGNC (Quarterly Earnings Decks - AGNC) Net interest spreads expanded initially to above 3% but then became inconsistent, due to a rapid rise in funding costs and a potential lag in hedg...
OpenAI plans to almost double its headcount by the end of 2026 as it seeks to fend off competition from companies such as Anthropic PBC and Alphabet Inc. ’s Google, according to the Financial Times . The maker of AI assistant ChatGPT will look to increase headcount to about 8,000 from about 4,500, the FT said, citing two people with direct knowledge of the matter whom it didn’t identify. The new h...
OpenAI plans to almost double its headcount by the end of 2026 as it seeks to fend off competition from companies such as Anthropic PBC and Alphabet Inc. ’s Google, according to the Financial Times . The maker of AI assistant ChatGPT will look to increase headcount to about 8,000 from about 4,500, the FT said, citing two people with direct knowledge of the matter whom it didn’t identify. The new hires will largely work across product development, engineering, research and sales, according to the report. OpenAI has taken new office space in San Francisco to accommodate its growing staff count, taking its footprint in the city to more than 1 million square feet, the newspaper added. OpenAI didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The hiring plans come amid a race with competitors including Anthropic and Microsoft Corp. to woo corporate customers using AI as coding assistants. Firms like OpenAI have unveiled a number of AI models that can take on increasingly complicated tasks — from analyzing company earnings reports to writing code and generating startlingly realistic-looking images and videos. Last week, OpenAI revealed plans to acquire Astral, a startup that makes Python tools for developers. Earlier in March, it agreed to buy AI security startup Promptfoo, adding tools to test and secure AI agents before deployment, Last year, it bought startups including Software Applications Inc. and Neptune. The firm is also in advanced discussions to form a joint venture with private equity firms, including TPG Inc., Brookfield Asset Management and Bain Capital, that would focus on bolstering adoption of its AI software, Bloomberg reported .
Over the past three years, Nvidia (NVDA 3.17%) has produced incredible returns while riding the wave of a rapidly growing artificial intelligence (AI) market. However, the bears argue that at some point, demand for the company's AI chips will cool, and the tech giant will be one of the corporations to experience a significant correction as the AI bubble bursts. That may not be anytime soon, though...
Over the past three years, Nvidia (NVDA 3.17%) has produced incredible returns while riding the wave of a rapidly growing artificial intelligence (AI) market. However, the bears argue that at some point, demand for the company's AI chips will cool, and the tech giant will be one of the corporations to experience a significant correction as the AI bubble bursts. That may not be anytime soon, though. Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang continues to be bullish on the future of AI, and he recently said something that implies that demand for the company's chips isn't about to slow down; quite the opposite. Here's what investors need to know. The future is still bright Nvidia's data center segment accounts for most of its revenue and has been the main driver of sales growth over the past few years. In the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2026, ending on Jan. 25, total revenue came in at $68.1 billion, up 73% year over year. Data center revenue was $62.3 billion (or 91% of the total top line), up 75% year over year, driven by expanding demand for AI chips. Here's the problem, if there is one: Nvidia itself says that its revenue is significantly concentrated among a few customers. During its fiscal year 2026, one of its direct customers accounted for 22% of total revenue, while another accounted for 14%. It did not say which, but we can try to guess: It is likely one of the leading cloud computing players, such as Amazon or Microsoft. Whomever it is, though, what happens if they significantly slow down these investments in AI chips? Nvidia's revenue will decline meaningfully. Not to worry. Huang does not believe that will happen. Here's what he said during Nvidia's fourth quarter earnings conference call: We have now seen the inflection of agentic AI and the usefulness of agents across the world and enterprises everywhere. Expand NASDAQ : NVDA Nvidia Today's Change ( -3.17 %) $ -5.66 Current Price $ 172.90 Key Data Points Market Cap $4.2T Day's Range $ 171.73 - $ 178.11 52wk Range $...
UK COVID Inquiry Finds Lockdowns May Have Cost 1000s Of Lives Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, The authoritarian COVID lockdowns and stay-at-home orders sold as life-saving measures have been unmasked once again as a deadly failure of big government overreach. A new UK Covid-19 Inquiry report has concluded that the relentless “Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives” messaging likely co...
UK COVID Inquiry Finds Lockdowns May Have Cost 1000s Of Lives Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, The authoritarian COVID lockdowns and stay-at-home orders sold as life-saving measures have been unmasked once again as a deadly failure of big government overreach. A new UK Covid-19 Inquiry report has concluded that the relentless “Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives” messaging likely cost thousands of lives by convincing people they could not get access to health services. The inquiry, led by Baroness Hallett, slammed the slogan created by Cabinet Office officials without input from health leaders. It “led some people to feel they must avoid burdening the NHS” and “may have inadvertently sent the message that healthcare was closed,” contributing to a sharp decline in A&E attendances for life-threatening emergencies such as heart attacks. Stay at home advice during Covid cost lives, inquiry concludes https://t.co/Lm4uaR8hvV — Times Politics (@timespolitics) March 19, 2026 The report states plainly: “It is clear that, during the pandemic, worsening delays in diagnosis and treatment led to increased ill-health and suffering and, in some cases, cost lives.” Some patients waited so long their conditions became “untreatable,” with permanent loss of mobility. Baroness Hallett stressed: “It is important that government communication campaigns do not deter those in need from accessing healthcare.” She urged future governments to consult healthcare professionals on messaging “to avoid unintended consequences.” Office for National Statistics data backs this up, recording more than 17,000 excess deaths from non-Covid conditions at the height of the pandemic. Cancer screenings were paused, diagnoses plummeted, and non-urgent care cancellations left patients suffering. Hospital visiting bans were branded too tough, with dying people left alone and families devastated. But at least we got to enjoy the dancing nurse videos in near-empty hospitals. pic.twitter.com/rJ6XPcc...
Key Points Demand for Nvidia's AI chips is set to increase, if Huang's recent comments are accurate. That means the stock could still deliver outstanding returns from here on out. 10 stocks we like better than Nvidia › Over the past three years, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has produced incredible returns while riding the wave of a rapidly growing artificial intelligence (AI) market. However, the bears a...
Key Points Demand for Nvidia's AI chips is set to increase, if Huang's recent comments are accurate. That means the stock could still deliver outstanding returns from here on out. 10 stocks we like better than Nvidia › Over the past three years, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has produced incredible returns while riding the wave of a rapidly growing artificial intelligence (AI) market. However, the bears argue that at some point, demand for the company's AI chips will cool, and the tech giant will be one of the corporations to experience a significant correction as the AI bubble bursts. That may not be anytime soon, though. Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang continues to be bullish on the future of AI, and he recently said something that implies that demand for the company's chips isn't about to slow down; quite the opposite. Here's what investors need to know. 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 » The future is still bright Nvidia's data center segment accounts for most of its revenue and has been the main driver of sales growth over the past few years. In the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2026, ending on Jan. 25, total revenue came in at $68.1 billion, up 73% year over year. Data center revenue was $62.3 billion (or 91% of the total top line), up 75% year over year, driven by expanding demand for AI chips. Here's the problem, if there is one: Nvidia itself says that its revenue is significantly concentrated among a few customers. During its fiscal year 2026, one of its direct customers accounted for 22% of total revenue, while another accounted for 14%. It did not say which, but we can try to guess: It is likely one of the leading cloud computing players, such as Amazon or Microsoft. Whomever it is, though, what happens if they significantly slow down these investments in AI chips? Nvidia's revenue ...
It's easy to see the appeal of early retirement. Instead of showing up to work every morning exhausted and annoyed after battling traffic, you could instead spend your days sleeping in, pursuing hobbies, and not having to log in to meetings. But while retiring early may be something you want to do, that doesn't mean it's a good idea. Here are a few signs that it could, in fact, end up being a tota...
It's easy to see the appeal of early retirement. Instead of showing up to work every morning exhausted and annoyed after battling traffic, you could instead spend your days sleeping in, pursuing hobbies, and not having to log in to meetings. But while retiring early may be something you want to do, that doesn't mean it's a good idea. Here are a few signs that it could, in fact, end up being a total disaster. 1. You have decent savings, but not a whole lot There's no single savings amount that guarantees you'll have enough money to support yourself in retirement. This applies whether you're retiring early, late, or on time. But if you're retiring early, your money might need to last for more than 30 years. And remember, the earliest you can claim Social Security is 62. If you retire at 54, that means you'll have eight years where your portfolio will have to do all of the heavy lifting. Before you retire, take a close look at your savings and make sure you've really built a robust enough nest egg for an early workforce exit. A $1 million IRA may be just fine if you're retiring at 65. At 55, it may fall short. 2. You're banking on risky investments to sustain a larger withdrawal rate It's important to keep your retirement savings invested so that money continues to generate returns. The stronger your returns are, the easier it becomes to beat inflation and maintain your buying power without a job. But if you're counting on risky investments to generate returns and allow for a comfortable withdrawal rate, you may be in for a rude awakening. All it takes is a single major market downturn in the first few years of retirement for your portfolio to sustain losses it never recovers from. A better bet? Aim for a more even mix of stocks and bonds in your portfolio. And if you need supplemental income due to lower portfolio returns, join the gig economy to get it. Or wait a few years for your assets to grow a bit more. 3. You haven't factored in health insurance costs Healthcar...
airdone/iStock via Getty Images Setting The Stage Advanced packaging is gaining traction at a CAGR of 8.39% , driven by the demand for high-performance semiconductors. This demand is majorly from electric vehicles (EVs), advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and other high-performance products. I am looking at this market tailwind as an anchor on which advanced packaging relies on. This is wh...
airdone/iStock via Getty Images Setting The Stage Advanced packaging is gaining traction at a CAGR of 8.39% , driven by the demand for high-performance semiconductors. This demand is majorly from electric vehicles (EVs), advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and other high-performance products. I am looking at this market tailwind as an anchor on which advanced packaging relies on. This is why I believe Amkor Technology, Inc ( AMKR ) is continuously positioning itself in this market to seize the opportunity. As we speak, AMKR is the most relied on company in advanced packaging by the world’s leading semiconductor companies in completing their semiconductor designs. From the recently released FY2025 report, Amkor recorded 82.8% of the revenues from advanced products. AMKR is already in a profitable advanced packaging business at a net income of about $374 million in FY2025, up from $354 million in FY2024. Even more interesting, AMKR is in partnership with NVIDIA, a world-leading chip designer, and will be providing scale advanced packaging at its Arizona facility , scheduled to commence production by 2028 . This is a testament that the company is operating on an existing reality heading to other possibilities I will explain later such as Arizona’s new fab. With this whole semiconductor ecosystem in favour of Amkor, I believe this is why AMKR’s price return is currently at about 136%%, beating the S&P 500, which is at approximately 15% over the last one year. Seeking Alpha The Reality In Advanced Packaging Before I get into AMKR specifics, I will first look at the market tailwinds around advanced packaging. To begin with, let’s look at it this way. Think of an existing business in a rapidly growing market that has hit the road by recording positive YoY growth. But this company has not settled at that point. Instead, it continues to invest more capital to provide advanced products that match the market needs to increase its market access. Realistically, this would...
iantfoto/E+ via Getty Images Written by Jussi Askola, CFA for High Yield Investor I have been actively investing in high-yielding stocks for well over a decade now, and there are many things I wish I knew before I got started. My results would have been a lot better, but unfortunately, back when I got started, there weren't many investment forums like today, where you can learn from other investor...
iantfoto/E+ via Getty Images Written by Jussi Askola, CFA for High Yield Investor I have been actively investing in high-yielding stocks for well over a decade now, and there are many things I wish I knew before I got started. My results would have been a lot better, but unfortunately, back when I got started, there weren't many investment forums like today, where you can learn from other investors. As a result, I had to learn many things the hard way, so to speak, occasionally suffering large losses from poor investment decisions. Today, I am going to give you the chance to learn from my past mistakes so that you can hopefully avoid similar losses in the future. Lesson #1: Stick To What You Know Everybody always talks about how crucial it is to diversify your portfolio. I agree that it is important, but I quickly learned that it has its limits as well, especially if you are an active investor seeking to outperform the market. Back when I first got started, I felt the need to diversify across most sectors of the market in an effort to reduce risks. On paper, this seemed like a great idea, but in practice, it failed because you cannot realistically be an expert at everything. This meant that I was making poorly informed investment decisions just for the sake of diversification, and that led to some losses that could have been avoided in many cases. I was getting a false sense of safety by being widely diversified, but in reality, I was increasing risks by acting like a "jack of all trades". Over time, I learned that if you want to have a chance to outperform the market, you need to become an expert at certain specific things and then intensely focus on those investments to derive alpha for your portfolio. In my case, this meant investing heavily in REITs ( VNQ ), MLPs ( AMLP ), BDCs ( BIZD ), asset managers ( GPZ ), listed infrastructure, and other real asset-based companies. I found that despite these companies often enjoying stable and predictable fundamentals, the...
Kraivuttinun/iStock via Getty Images Over the past couple of years, cumulative inflation has been massive. For example, if we measure it from 2020 to 2026 (February) we will get a cumulative result of 26.3%. The way to read this is that if in 2020 we purchased a basket of goods/services for $1,000 then now the same basket would cost ~$1,263. This dynamic has directly eroded the purchasing power of...
Kraivuttinun/iStock via Getty Images Over the past couple of years, cumulative inflation has been massive. For example, if we measure it from 2020 to 2026 (February) we will get a cumulative result of 26.3%. The way to read this is that if in 2020 we purchased a basket of goods/services for $1,000 then now the same basket would cost ~$1,263. This dynamic has directly eroded the purchasing power of investor portfolios. And the thing is that the ones who have suffered the most here are prudent investors, who have avoided richly valued areas of the market in which record-beating names have laid: e.g., Nvidia Corporation ( NVDA ), Micron Technology ( MU ), Palantir Technologies ( PLTR ) etc., all delivering returns well-above the aforementioned cumulative inflation rate. Instead, these conservative and margin of safety-oriented investors, who typically invest for retirement and not alpha returns have faced the biggest inflation-related headwinds. This is because safety, quality and income predictability are factors, which per definition require a portfolio tilt towards fixed income like products, which tend to perform quite bad in inflationary environments (at least on an inflation adjusted basis). In this context, I like to use Realty Income Corporation ( O ) as an example. Realty Income is, arguably, one of the most well-known retirement income powerhouses out there - e.g., dividend aristocrat, upper investment grade balance sheet, monthly dividends etc. So, if deployed capital in O on January 2020 at then-current yield of ~3.9% and factored in the realized annual dividend growth rate of around 3.5%, we would barely match the cumulative inflation rate. Given the most recent CPI print and the surging oil prices, we are very likely talking about a continued erosion in purchasing power. And since it its energy cost driven, food, beverages and utility items will most probably rise at a higher rate than the aggregate CPI figure - i.e., consumption items, which are most rel...
International Business Machines (IBM 1.56%) stock surged back to life over the last three years, more than doubling in value. That remains true despite a material pullback in 2026 as investors worry about the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) will have on its business. Here's why now could still be a good time to buy IBM if you are a long-term investor. International Business Machines chang...
International Business Machines (IBM 1.56%) stock surged back to life over the last three years, more than doubling in value. That remains true despite a material pullback in 2026 as investors worry about the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) will have on its business. Here's why now could still be a good time to buy IBM if you are a long-term investor. International Business Machines changes with the times The main reason to buy IBM now, after a recent drawdown, is the technology giant's quantum computing business. While AI is the darling of Wall Street today, quantum is waiting in the wings to join, if not take over, the spotlight. AI uses massive amounts of computer power, and quantum has the potential to vastly increase the amount of computing power available. However, the reason to buy IBM stock isn't directly related to quantum computing. That's really a sign of a much bigger story. To understand IBM, you really need to go back about 100 years, to the company's founding. When IBM started out, it made things like scales. That's a far cry from quantum computing, which is the important takeaway. IBM didn't simply spring into existence; it evolved and changed over time into the business it is today. The company has proven, many times over, that it can keep pace with the technology that its largely business customers need and want. IBM has a unique culture Not many companies manage to survive as long as IBM has. It requires a specific culture that lives beyond any single employee, generation, or technology. Right now, investors are worried that AI will hurt IBM's business. It might in the near term, but over the long term, the company is highly likely to use AI as a tool to better serve its customers. Expand NYSE : IBM International Business Machines Today's Change ( -1.56 %) $ -3.90 Current Price $ 246.47 Key Data Points Market Cap $227B Day's Range $ 244.59 - $ 250.12 52wk Range $ 214.50 - $ 324.90 Volume 236K Avg Vol 5.7M Gross Margin 57.59 % Dividend Yie...
United Airlines Holdings Inc. Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby warned of $175 oil prices that would dramatically drive up jet-fuel expenses, outlining worst-case scenarios even as the aviation industry benefits from current record travel demand. The already elevated price of jet fuel is prompting the airline to cut 5 percentage points of capacity in the near term where routes are temporarily un...
United Airlines Holdings Inc. Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby warned of $175 oil prices that would dramatically drive up jet-fuel expenses, outlining worst-case scenarios even as the aviation industry benefits from current record travel demand. The already elevated price of jet fuel is prompting the airline to cut 5 percentage points of capacity in the near term where routes are temporarily unprofitable, Kirby told staff in a memo late on Friday. At the same time, he said the carrier is strong enough to weather a crisis and won’t defer investments or furlough workers. “The reality is, jet fuel prices have more than doubled in the last three weeks,” Kirby told employees in the memo. “If prices stayed at this level, it would mean an extra $11B in annual expense just for jet fuel. For perspective, in United’s best year ever, we made less than $5B.” Airlines globally are grappling with a painful spike in oil prices. Major US carriers like United are not hedged on fuel, leaving them without protection from volatile price jumps. The broader industry has already responded with fare increases and fuel surcharge to claw back some of the elevated costs. The messaging from Kirby to staff sought to outline his plan to ride out escalating costs that risk pushing some airlines to the edge of financial survival, and to deploy a tactical playbook to respond. “We’re ready, we have a plan and we’re going to continue executing that plan,” Kirby said. United, the largest airline in the world by capacity, said it is forecasting oil to stay above $100 a barrel until the end of 2027. American Air Considers Liquidity Options, Prepares New Jet Order Airline Bookings Surge as Travelers Rush to Lock In Fares To rein in costs, the airline is canceling 3 percentage points of flying in off-peaks such as overnight, mid-week, and weekend flying in the second and third quarters, in what Kirby described as “tactically pruning” of the network. The war-related pause of the airline’s Tel Aviv and D...
The stock market is certainly taking investors on a roller-coaster ride. However, there are some excellent dividend stocks I own in my portfolio that still allow me to sleep soundly at night. In this video, I'll discuss Prologis (NYSE: PLD) , Realty Income (NYSE: O) , and three more. *Stock prices used were the morning prices of March 20, 2026. The video was published on March 21, 2026. Continue r...
The stock market is certainly taking investors on a roller-coaster ride. However, there are some excellent dividend stocks I own in my portfolio that still allow me to sleep soundly at night. In this video, I'll discuss Prologis (NYSE: PLD) , Realty Income (NYSE: O) , and three more. *Stock prices used were the morning prices of March 20, 2026. The video was published on March 21, 2026. Continue reading
Strictly Come Dancing’s longest-serving female professional dancer, Karen Hauer, has quit the show after 14 years. In a video posted on Instagram, Hauer said it was “the right time to close this chapter and take on new projects in other areas I’m passionate about”. She continued: “Strictly completely changed my life, not only as a performer and a teacher but as a human being. I’ve had the privileg...
Strictly Come Dancing’s longest-serving female professional dancer, Karen Hauer, has quit the show after 14 years. In a video posted on Instagram, Hauer said it was “the right time to close this chapter and take on new projects in other areas I’m passionate about”. She continued: “Strictly completely changed my life, not only as a performer and a teacher but as a human being. I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people and brilliant celebrity partners who have become close friends and people I admire so much.” Hauer said she would “even miss standing in front of the judges. Can you believe that? Smiling politely while sometimes secretly disagreeing. It’s been an honour to share the ballroom with them.” Thanking her fans, she said: “I’m so grateful you watched me grow over the years and witnessed all of my different hair styles.” The Venezuelan-born dancer, who moved to New York City at the age of eight, said while welling up: “Who would have thought that a young girl from the Bronx would end up becoming the longest-serving female professional dancer on a British TV institution. “Strictly, will always be in my heart. I love you all.” Hauer first hit TV screens when she auditioned for the US reality show So You Think You Can Dance in 2009. She came to the UK in 2010, with the Latin stage show Burn the Floor, and made her first appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, where she met its former host Bruce Forsyth and the Strictly judge Len Goodman, whom she called “incredible legends”. She was first paired with the Westlife singer Nicky Byrne where they reached the quarter-finals. Two years later, she made it to the finals with The Only Way Is Essex star Mark Wright and, in 2019, she came second in the competition with Jamie Laing, who gained fame after appearing in Made in Chelsea. Hauer won a scholarship to the Martha Graham school of contemporary dance at nine years old, where she studied for 10 years. In an interview with the Guardian, she said da...
PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images The SPDR Nuveen Bloomberg High Yield Municipal Bond ETF (NYSEARCA: HYMB ) offers investors a tax-advantaged 4.5% dividend yield. HYMB is a solid investment opportunity, a buy, and a particularly interesting choice for investors in taxable accounts facing higher marginal tax rates. HYMB - Overview and Analysis Index and Portfolio HYMB is a high-yield municip...
PM Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images The SPDR Nuveen Bloomberg High Yield Municipal Bond ETF (NYSEARCA: HYMB ) offers investors a tax-advantaged 4.5% dividend yield. HYMB is a solid investment opportunity, a buy, and a particularly interesting choice for investors in taxable accounts facing higher marginal tax rates. HYMB - Overview and Analysis Index and Portfolio HYMB is a high-yield municipal bond index ETF, tracking the Bloomberg Municipal Yield Index (go to 'About this Benchmark' for details). Said index includes relevant dollar-denominated, tax-exempt, muni bonds, subject to a basic set of inclusion criteria. Unlike most high-yield bond indexes, the fund includes sizable investments in quality, investment-grade securities with these accounting for at least 1/3rd of its portfolio. HYMB offers investors diversified exposure to muni bonds, with investments in almost 2,000 of these, and with exposure to dozens of states, several industries. HYMB HYMB HYMB provides diversified exposure to muni bonds . It does not provide diversified exposure to bonds as a whole, as it focuses on a specific bond sub-asset class. In general, I think that diversification is desirable, and prefer broader bond ETFs like the iShares Flexible Income Active ETF ( BINC ). In this particular case, I see the merits of focusing on tax-advantaged investments, and hence ETFs like HYMB, although the benefits here are strongly dependent on the specific circumstances of each individual investor. Risk and Volatility HYMB's underlying index directly sets portfolio weights by credit ratings. Specifically, index weights are as follows: 70% non-investment grade / unrated securities, so BB+ or lower 20% securities rated BBB 10% securities rated A Credit quality for the fund is as follows: HYMB HYMB's portfolio weights seem quite close to those of its index, assuming that the vast majority of its unrated bonds are non-investment grade, as is generally the case. HYMB does lean a bit more quality than i...
Following a long run of disappointment, emerging markets equities finally got their acts in gear last year, as the MSCI Emerging Markets index nearly doubled the S&P 500's performance. That momentum carried into 2026. The developing economies gauge is up 7.4% year to date, while the S&P 500 is off 1.64%. But there's a rub. Stock-picking in countries such as Brazil, China, India, and others is tric...
Following a long run of disappointment, emerging markets equities finally got their acts in gear last year, as the MSCI Emerging Markets index nearly doubled the S&P 500's performance. That momentum carried into 2026. The developing economies gauge is up 7.4% year to date, while the S&P 500 is off 1.64%. But there's a rub. Stock-picking in countries such as Brazil, China, India, and others is tricky because U.S. analysts and the mainstream financial press here are focused on domestic names. On the bright side, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) provide efficient -- and, in many cases, broad -- access to stocks in developing nations. However, these funds aren't cut from the same cloth. The Schwab Fundamental Emerging Markets Equity ETF (FNDE 2.91%) stands as a positive example of that sentiment. For market participants seeking some emerging markets stamps on their investing passports, this ETF is also worth considering today. A fabulous fundamental focus with this ETF As with domestic fare, the most popular emerging markets ETFs are capitalization-weighted index funds, meaning they weight components by market capitalization. This Schwab Emerging Markets ETF, which tracks the RAFI Fundamental High Liquidity Emerging Markets index, marches to the beat of a different, not cap-weighted, drummer. That index focuses on three core principles: cash flow, sales, and shareholder rewards (buybacks and dividends). By no means is that a complex or exotic methodology, but it has the potential to position investors for success. Over the past five years, this ETF thoroughly outpaced the average returns produced in the emerging markets ETF category. There's something else, too, for investors to consider with this emerging market fund. Obviously, it's passively managed because it tracks an index, but there is some activity in that benchmark. A quarter of the index's holdings are rebalanced every quarter in an effort to boost exposure to holdings with value traits, while paring allocations t...
Key Points The Schwab Fundamental Emerging Markets Equity ETF does things differently. That's okay, because this ETF has a knack for outperforming peers. With emerging markets stocks displaying momentum, this ETF warrants attention. 10 stocks we like better than Schwab Strategic Trust - Schwab Fundamental Emerging Markets Equity ETF › Following a long run of disappointment, emerging markets equiti...
Key Points The Schwab Fundamental Emerging Markets Equity ETF does things differently. That's okay, because this ETF has a knack for outperforming peers. With emerging markets stocks displaying momentum, this ETF warrants attention. 10 stocks we like better than Schwab Strategic Trust - Schwab Fundamental Emerging Markets Equity ETF › Following a long run of disappointment, emerging markets equities finally got their acts in gear last year, as the MSCI Emerging Markets index nearly doubled the S&P 500's performance. That momentum carried into 2026. The developing economies gauge is up 7.4% year to date, while the S&P 500 is off 1.64%. But there's a rub. Stock-picking in countries such as Brazil, China, India, and others is tricky because U.S. analysts and the mainstream financial press here are focused on domestic names. 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 » On the bright side, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) provide efficient -- and, in many cases, broad -- access to stocks in developing nations. However, these funds aren't cut from the same cloth. The Schwab Fundamental Emerging Markets Equity ETF (NYSEMKT: FNDE) stands as a positive example of that sentiment. For market participants seeking some emerging markets stamps on their investing passports, this ETF is also worth considering today. A fabulous fundamental focus with this ETF As with domestic fare, the most popular emerging markets ETFs are capitalization-weighted index funds, meaning they weight components by market capitalization. This Schwab Emerging Markets ETF, which tracks the RAFI Fundamental High Liquidity Emerging Markets index, marches to the beat of a different, not cap-weighted, drummer. That index focuses on three core principles: cash flow, sales, and shareholder rewards (buybacks and dividends). By no means is that a...
Rheinmetall AG expects a swift restart on construction of F126-class frigates for the German Navy with a plan to take over the project that’s currently running behind schedule, the head of the company’s Maritime Systems division told Welt am Sonntag. “We expect to be awarded the contract for the F126 frigate this summer as the general contractor,” Tim Wagner said in an interview. “We want to speed...
Rheinmetall AG expects a swift restart on construction of F126-class frigates for the German Navy with a plan to take over the project that’s currently running behind schedule, the head of the company’s Maritime Systems division told Welt am Sonntag. “We expect to be awarded the contract for the F126 frigate this summer as the general contractor,” Tim Wagner said in an interview. “We want to speed up production times and deliver the first of the six planned frigates in the second half of 2031,” Wagner was cited as saying. The original contractor — Dutch company Damen Naval in Vlissingen — in July reported delays in the delivery of the ships as a result of IT problems, casting a shadow over one of the biggest procurement projects by Germany’s armed forces. To fill the gap, the government plans to purchase four MEKO A-200 class frigates from Kiel-based shipbuilder TKMS AG , the defense ministry announced on March 18. Rheinmetall has expanded its naval division through the acquisition of NVL BV & Co. KG, the military part of the Lürssen Group, which closed this month.
Find winning stocks in any market cycle. Join 7 million investors using Simply Wall St's investing ideas for FREE. Why Meta’s Fifth Avenue lease is drawing fresh attention to Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) Meta’s decision to sign a 10 year lease for its New York flagship Meta Lab at Vornado Realty Trust’s 697 Fifth Avenue puts a high profile tenant at the center of Vornado’s Manhattan portfolio. See o...
Find winning stocks in any market cycle. Join 7 million investors using Simply Wall St's investing ideas for FREE. Why Meta’s Fifth Avenue lease is drawing fresh attention to Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) Meta’s decision to sign a 10 year lease for its New York flagship Meta Lab at Vornado Realty Trust’s 697 Fifth Avenue puts a high profile tenant at the center of Vornado’s Manhattan portfolio. See our latest analysis for Vornado Realty Trust. The Meta Lab and Le Colonial leases arrive during a softer patch for the stock, with Vornado’s 30 day share price return of 14.53% and year to date share price return of 24.04% declines. Its 3 year total shareholder return of 96.49% points to a much stronger longer term picture than the 32.10% total shareholder return decline over the past year. If you are comparing Vornado’s trajectory with other real asset stories, it can help to widen the lens and scan 27 power grid technology and infrastructure stocks With Vornado trading at US$25.41, alongside an indicated 45.30% intrinsic discount and a 37.74% gap to analyst targets, the key question is whether this weakness signals an opportunity or if the market already reflects future growth. Most Popular Narrative: 32.9% Undervalued Vornado’s most followed narrative pegs fair value at about $37.85 per share, which sits well above the recent $25.41 close and frames the current discount. The analysts have a consensus price target of $37.857 for Vornado Realty Trust based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $46.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $30.0. Read the complete narrative. Want to see what supports that valuation gap? The narrative leans on modest revenue expansion, very slim future margins, and a much higher earnings multiple than today. Curiosities abound. Result: Fair Value of $37.85 (UNDERVAL...
Project Hail Mary author Andy Weir sits down with Christina Ruffini to discuss his bestselling novel-turned-blockbuster starring Ryan Gosling and opening this weekend. Watch Bloomberg This Weekend LIVE every Saturday and Sunday morning: (Source: Bloomberg)
Project Hail Mary author Andy Weir sits down with Christina Ruffini to discuss his bestselling novel-turned-blockbuster starring Ryan Gosling and opening this weekend. Watch Bloomberg This Weekend LIVE every Saturday and Sunday morning: (Source: Bloomberg)