"I came in that day and there was a lot of energy in the room," she recalled. "And I was like, 'Guys, let's make something really fun. I want to make something I can dance to. I want to make something that when I perform live, it's just gonna be like a Tangfastic.
"I came in that day and there was a lot of energy in the room," she recalled. "And I was like, 'Guys, let's make something really fun. I want to make something I can dance to. I want to make something that when I perform live, it's just gonna be like a Tangfastic.
Key Points Merit Financial increased its stake by 167,898 shares; estimated trade size ~$8.55 million based on quarterly average price. The quarter-end position value rose by $8.17 million, reflecting both trading and price changes. The trade represented 0.07% of Merit’s 13F reportable assets under management. Post-trade holding: 2,598,695 shares valued at $132.12 million. The position is 1.05% of...
Key Points Merit Financial increased its stake by 167,898 shares; estimated trade size ~$8.55 million based on quarterly average price. The quarter-end position value rose by $8.17 million, reflecting both trading and price changes. The trade represented 0.07% of Merit’s 13F reportable assets under management. Post-trade holding: 2,598,695 shares valued at $132.12 million. The position is 1.05% of 13F AUM, placing it outside the fund’s top five holdings. These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires › What happened According to a SEC filing dated January 26, 2026, Merit Financial Group, LLC increased its position in VictoryShares USAA Core Short-Term Bond ETF (NASDAQ:USTB) by 167,898 shares during the fourth quarter. The estimated value of shares acquired was $8.55 million, based on the period’s average closing price. The quarter-end valuation of the stake increased by $8.17 million, factoring both new purchases and price changes. What else to know The buy activity brought the USTB position to approximately 1.05% of Merit’s 13F assets under management. Top five holdings after the filing: NYSEMKT:VUG: $399.02 million (approximately 3.31% of AUM) NYSEMKT:QLTY: $288.24 million (approximately 2.39% of AUM) NASDAQ:IUSG: $273.15 million (approximately 2.26% of AUM) NASDAQ:IUSV: $266.08 million (approximately 2.20% of AUM) NYSEMKT:MGK: $261.18 million (approximately 2.16% of AUM) As of January 25, 2026, USTB shares were priced at $50.90, up approximately 5.9% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 7.11 percentage points. Trailing 12-month dividend yield was 4.60%, and shares were priced 0.37% below their 52-week high as of January 26, 2026. ETF overview Metric Value AUM $1.73 billion Price (as of market close January 23, 2026) $50.90 Dividend yield 4.60% 1-year total return 5.91% ETF snapshot USTB’s investment strategy focuses on short-term debt securities and derivatives, targeting a dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity of three years or less....
UPS (NYSE: UPS) was once considered a stable blue chip stock for income investors. It's one of the world's largest shipping couriers, it's been a member of the S&P 500 for 23 years, and it's raised its dividend annually for 16 consecutive years. But over the past 12 months, UPS' stock dropped more than 20% as the S&P 500 rose nearly 20%. Let's see why it underperformed the market, and if it's stil...
UPS (NYSE: UPS) was once considered a stable blue chip stock for income investors. It's one of the world's largest shipping couriers, it's been a member of the S&P 500 for 23 years, and it's raised its dividend annually for 16 consecutive years. But over the past 12 months, UPS' stock dropped more than 20% as the S&P 500 rose nearly 20%. Let's see why it underperformed the market, and if it's still worth buying today. Start Your Mornings Smarter! Wake up with Breakfast news in your inbox every market day. Sign Up For Free » Why did UPS underperform the market? UPS' average daily package volume and average revenue per piece grew in tandem in 2020 and 2021 as the pandemic drove people to buy more products online. Its profits also surged as its higher fees offset its rising operating expenses. Metric 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Average daily package volume 21.9 million 24.7 million 25.3 million 24.3 million 22.3 million 22.4 million Average revenue per piece $10.87 $10.94 $12.32 $13.38 $13.62 $13.60 Total revenue $74.1 billion $84.6 billion $97.3 billion $100.3 billion $91 billion $91.1 billion Adjusted operating margin 11% 10.3% 13.5% 13.8% 10.9% 9.8% Diluted EPS $7.53 $8.23 $14.68 $13.20 $7.80 $6.75 But in 2022 and 2023, UPS' package volumes dropped as the pandemic-driven tailwinds dissipated, inflation throttled consumer spending, and the threat of a potential strike from the Teamsters Union -- which represents roughly 333,000 UPS workers -- drove some of its customers to shift their deliveries to FedEx and other courier services. UPS tried to offset those slower shipments with price hikes, but its operating margins were still squeezed by higher labor and fuel costs. In 2024, UPS' package volumes and total revenue rose again. That recovery was driven by the stabilizing macro environment and a new contract with the Teamsters Union to avert a strike. However, those higher labor and pension costs -- along with its divestment of Coyote Logistics, regulatory fines in t...
Among the catalysts for the day are S&P flash U.S. manufacturing PMI, ISM manufacturing, and auto sales. Silver bars appear in a photo illustration as silver prices move amid shifting industrial demand and global market volatility in Brussels, Belgium, on December 24, 2025. (Photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Silver stayed volatile as the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose above 4.27% ...
Among the catalysts for the day are S&P flash U.S. manufacturing PMI, ISM manufacturing, and auto sales. Silver bars appear in a photo illustration as silver prices move amid shifting industrial demand and global market volatility in Brussels, Belgium, on December 24, 2025. (Photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Silver stayed volatile as the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose above 4.27% after Donald Trump nominated Kevin Warsh as Fed chair. MicroStrategy hinted at more bitcoin buying, while Oracle outlined a $45–$50 billion cloud expansion funding plan. Disney and Palantir earnings are in focus, while Webull drew attention after sliding to record lows. U.S. stock futures edged lower late Sunday, opening February under pressure as investors grappled with sharp moves in precious metals while also firming up expectations following the nomination of a new Federal Reserve chair. As of 8.53 p.m. ET, E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures were down 0.8%, while E-mini S&P 500 futures slipped 0.5%. E-mini Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were lower by 0.2%. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment toward the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) was ‘bearish’ amid ‘high’ message volume. Sentiment toward the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) was ‘bullish’ amid ‘high’ message volume, while sentiment toward the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) was ‘bullish’ amid ‘normal’ message volume. Market Drivers Markets entered the new month still absorbing the shock from last week’s historic commodities sell-off, with silver volatility and shifting interest-rate expectations combining to pressure risk appetite. Silver, which had climbed more than 100% over the past year, plunged around 30% on Friday in its steepest one-day decline since 1980 as leveraged positions were unwound in a crowded trade. When trading resumed on Monday, silver fell as much as 5% early in the session before steadying near $84.62 an ounce. Gold also stayed under pressure. Prices slipped 1.4% on Monday to around $4,807 an oun...
Democrat Wins Texas Special Election, Eroding GOP's Slim House Majority Republicans' thin majority in the US House grew slimmer still on Saturday, as a special election in Texas has filled a long-vacant seat with a Democrat who's vowed to "tear ICE up from the roots." Progressive leftist Christian Menefee will represent Texas's 18th Congressional District, after beating fellow Democrat Amanda Edwa...
Democrat Wins Texas Special Election, Eroding GOP's Slim House Majority Republicans' thin majority in the US House grew slimmer still on Saturday, as a special election in Texas has filled a long-vacant seat with a Democrat who's vowed to "tear ICE up from the roots." Progressive leftist Christian Menefee will represent Texas's 18th Congressional District, after beating fellow Democrat Amanda Edwards in a runoff election for a seat that's been vacant since Democrat Sylvester Turner died last March. The development comes as new polls show Democrats with a national edge heading into November's midterms. While the black-and-Latino-dominated Houston-area district was predestined to send another Democrat to Washington, the finality of a free-for-all race that started with 16 candidates means Republicans will soon have a razor-thin four-seat lead. Texas Congressional Candidate Christian Menefee speaks to supporters during his watch party at The Post Houston on Election Day, in Houston, on Jan. 31, 2026. Karen Warren /AP Photo Before Saturday, Republicans held a narrow 218–213 majority in the U.S. House . Democrats will likely push for Menefee’s immediate swearing in, which will erode the GOP lead to 218–214. Three additional House vacancies in Georgia, New Jersey, and California have special elections scheduled in March, April, and August, respectively. Democrats were furious last year when House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) delayed the swearing-in of Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) until mid-November, two months after she won a special election. Despite Democrats’ excitement over Menefee’s win, it doesn’t offer much insight into which party has an edge in November’s midterm elections. The 2024 Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Kamala Harris won Texas’s 18th district by a 40 percent-point margin over President Donald Trump, 69 percent to 29 percent. Chistian Menefee (right) was endorsed by Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett (Photo: Menefee for Congress)...